Matéo

Smoke and Sunrise

Violet stared opened seeing all the blurry shapes of tall buildings that were appeared small from where they stood. She then turned her attention to the dark blue and magenta sky as morning began to peak. She had never seen anything in the sky so . . . beautiful before, she started to regret not getting up in the morning times.

"Vi . . ." Moo spoke with a sorry tone, "I feel so damn terrible about that day."

She knitted her brows, "What day?"

"You know . . . the day when we first saw each other," he looked down squeezing his eyes shut, "when I first didn't know was you . . ."

Violet started remembering very clearly that day. She saw so much fury and hate when he had her pinned by the neck. She thought about how he was seconds away from choking her to death.

But she could understand where he coming from. In a world like this, what else are you supposed to do? He was about to get killed by those two men if it wasn't for her.

She touched his hand reassuringly as he was hesitant to even look at her.

"It wasn't your fault, I thought you were someone else too and I didn't want to see someone get killed, and I was glad it was you."

"But I didn't know it was you!" he cried, "I almost killed you for God sake! And if I did . . . " he paused as a tear slid down his cheek, " . . . I don't even think I could live with myself knowing I killed my only best friend."

"I don't blame you at all, Moo," she reasoned squeezing his hand, "It's not like the old world, it's now killed or be killed out here."

"I wish it didn't have to be that way . . ."

He took a moment to stare out to the sky before digging in his pockets. Violet saw he pulled one of those cigars he smoked at the cabin lighting with his lighter before inhaling it in. She looked the other way not wanting to inhale the fumes herself as he blew a large amount of smoke out in the open.

Moo looked back at her taking it out of his mouth holding it in front of her.

"You wanna try?" he asked with Violet staring down at it trying not to scrunch her nose in disgust.

"I'm good," she simply said turning her head away from it.

Moo frowned, "You don't like me smoking, do you?"

Violet wanted to be honest but she didn't want him to change his ways because of her.

She shook her head, "It's fine, Moo."

"Are you sure?"

She just nodded as he just looked at her hesitantly inhaling some of the cigar again. She turned her attention back to the sky that began to brighten looking at the peeking sun.

"How do you like it here?" he asked blowing out smoke.

"Oh, um, I think it's pretty nice," she answered still looking at the sky.

He shuffled his feet nervously, "Have you . . . ever thought about . . . coming back?"

The question caught her off guard, "What?"

"You know, staying here, have you ever thought about it?"

She looked down, she had thought about it a little, but she still thought her place was there at the school. It may be the place where her mother left her out to dry, but she spent almost half her life there, with taking care of Blossom on top of that. She did know that she wasn't going to leave her daughter, that was for sure. Violet's heart just ached with her not being there with her.