New World ⇝ Josh Klinghoffer [completed]

Chapter 51

Violet's P.O.V

                              2nd of January, 2017

It was a boring day, just like the others since I got back to Los Angeles in September. These days, boring had a totally different meaning to me than it did last year. The past year changed me totally. I was still missing Josh like crazy and I was more than sad that this had to be the end. I spent almost one month and a half crying my eyes out daily, drinking tea and/or coffee and going to sleep in the morning, or in some days, even sleeping all day. Of course Sara had helped me to get through this as much as she could. 

All these months I tried convincing myself I was okay with it, but I was lying to myself and I was conscious of this. I was so excited to see Europe and be with my favorite band and be with my favorite person in the whole world, and then all the beautiful small world I started creating, it all fell apart piece by piece until there was almost nothing left. I kept chatting on Skype with Flea and from time to time with Anthony and Chad. They all told me on numerous occasions that they respect my decision, that they're sorry that it had to be this way and that anytime I wanted to come at one of their concerts, they'd book a hotel and plane tickets for me to where-ever their destination was and also that I could join again any time I wanted.

Anyway, here I was, telling myself once again that Violet-Josh era was over by now. I was in the park. The park where Josh bought me that ice cream that day. The park where I received that horrifying phone call from Sara's mother to inform me that my best friend is in the hospital. The park where Josh tried to comfort me. The park where I realized I love Josh. Yet, there I was, with another man who was holding my hand really really tight.

The pale-pink sky above my head was fooling everyone who wasn't from around here that it's spring, not the middle of winter. Outside was a moderate weather. I was wearing my favorite pair of jeans along with a plain white t-shirt. I closed my eyes for a moment to think everything again and let the cold-ish breeze blow the short hair I just cut. I felt a hand in my hair. I closed my eyes tighter, trying to separate the reality, the present, from what was in the past. I remembered who was sitting right next to me- it was James, an ordinary guy, nothing would draw your attention to him. He looked really ordinary, so ordinary it'd be difficult to describe him to someone and that someone imagine him the way he is- brown eyes, brown short hair, plain clothes, no special taste in music. He wasn't really into music ; he'd just listen anything that's on the radio. He was working as a cook in a restaurant on a small, almost unknown street around the center of the city. He was a hardworking guy and he was... okay. I got with him just not to feel so bad after the whole Josh thing, I actually didn't love him and I was even sadder that I was just giving fake alarms to him. 

I squeezed my eyes once again, hoping it was just a bad dream, a nightmare, that would go away soon, and I would see Josh again. But this nightmare didn't seem to end. Ever. I was doomed to continue my life this way, which was exactly the opposite of what I've ever dreamed of: an ordinary job which wakes me up every day at 6 am, so at 8 I'd be at work, working eight hours, having a half an hour lunch break; dating a guy I don't even like, because I can't get my courage to face him and tell him the truth, and this guy was also an ordinary guy.

I opened my eyes and smiled and as James stood in front of me, my smile slowly faded away, eventually being replaced by a rather fake grin during the whole time when I tried to enjoy our make-out session. I closed my eyes again for about two seconds and suddenly opened them wide, realizing that I have to do something to escape this nightmare that was going on around me and was pulling me in it deeper and deeper. I knew exactly where I had to start: pick up my bass. Since I came back here, I put my bass in its special case, and climbed a chair and placed it on the tallest wardrobe I had in the whole house, so it could be just another antique that would remember me of, most likely, the only special episode in my life.