Stranded Memories

The symphony of pencils scratching and papers rustling rolled and crashed like waved in Violet's ears, fading until it gave way once more. She did her best to fall in line with this well synchronized orchestra bit couldn't seem to organize her thoughts in line with the study hall atmosphere. Not when she knew she could've been with William instead of there.

Her thoughts were so scattered it took a few brief seconds to thread them together and realize the hum that seemed so loud in the quiet classroom was her phone. With it open and the silence returning like fog, she was left with a bright screen and a renewed spirit.
All the eyes in the classroom followed her out the door, making no move to hide their shock at her leaving in the middle of their afternoon studying. Violet didn't care though, her feet leading her to the sweetest freedom she could imagine.

The empty stone halls fell away and Violet emerged outside, her sense of sound beating out the others. Muted, pulsing, music leaked into the air of the parking lot from William's idling car. Her pace of steps hurried upon sight, practically catapulting her to the empty passenger side seat.

"So you got my text?" He asked, slightly smirking.

Violet could hardly contain herself. "A party tonight?"

William shrugged, his nonchalance warring with his ever present smile. "You did say you've never been to a party before. Are you up to it?"

Violet's reaction was a likeness to asking a seven year old if they wanted to go to Disney World, her bobbling nod and bright eyes all the confirmation William needed.

"Okay... well we're going to meet up with a few of my friends at my house, hang out for a bit, then head over."

What William was saying registered in her mind, but most of Violet's attention was on the boy himself. Leaving her school behind it was just the two of them in the car, music still pulsing faintly in the background as Violet peeked over at William from the corner of her eye.

"You should probably call your mom with some excuse. We're gonna be out pretty late and I guess she wouldn't approve would she?" William added, an eyebrow raised in his attempt to catch her attention on him that had obviously gone noticed.

She laughed a little embarrassed, reaching for her cell phone. "No she wouldn't."

The phone rang on the other end for a few moments before there was an answer. Her mother seemed caught off guard with the beginnings of her usual agitation upon realizing she wasn't in study hall working to achieve the perfect grade point average.

"Mom, mom, I'm sorry, look, Sarah asked me to come over and help her study for our Physics test Monday. I figured I could finish my English homework tomorrow right before my clarinet lesson, or later tonight since she suggested I could just spend the night." Violet said in a hurry, lying on the spot.

"Are you sure you can get everything done?" Her mother asked, the sounds of clinking glasses in the background.

"Of course mom." She assured, the conversation quickly turning in her favor.

A few more words were exchanged before Violet hung up with the tenative approval from her mother. She knew though that the approval she earned would never have carried over if her mom knew what she was really doing. These thoughts kept Violet's mind from advancing beyond her seat in the car with William. In fact, the only thing she had the patience to pay attention to beyond her excitement was that she was going to a party tonight, and she was with William.

He had returned the music to the loud volume it had been when she had gotten in the car but it had only stayed long enough for these thoughts to bloom. What brought Violet back to the world outside of her mind was the volume going back down and the car settling to a halt. Stopping at the red light of a deserted intersection, Violet turned to see William with his hand on the volume nob before he settled back into his seat casually.

"So, what did you do today?" He asked, a slight smirk playing across his features.

Violet shrugged, feeling tired just from looking back on it.

"Nothing new." She replied, then elaborated when she saw his expectant look. "Took a test in every class, notes afterward, made two presentations, volleyball practice, tutored a younger kid, and then afterschool study which you saved me from, thank you by the way. What about you?"

Violet didn't quite understand the blank look she recieved from William, or the silence that seemed unexplainable as he seemed to realize the light had turned green. With them moving again William answered her.

"Uh, I slept through my first two classes, watched a movie in the third, then skipped out fourth for a late lunch."

Given the pricey education she'd recieved, and just human instinct, Violet got the feeling William's stunned silence had something to do with the vast differences in their daily lives. Like Violet being groomed for greatness (or something like that) and William simply average.

"Is that how every day goes for you?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much. Same for you?"

With William focusing his attention on driving, Violet was free to look over at him. His expression softened, a good natured smirk appearing as the precursor to his answer. Still staring straight ahead, he replied.

"Yeah... pretty much."

_______________________________________________________________________________

"So, this is Miss Ivy League?"

This voice greeted Violet as she walked into the kitchen of William's house. The voice belonged to one of the three guys, two of which sat at the table while the third that spoke leaned against the counter opposing them. Violet noticed William at her side frown disapprovingly.

Time passed just long enough for the other two friends to crack grins, when another entered the room, a girl.

"Oh shut up Bryce, your just jealous because you're destined to flip burgers for the rest of your life." She quipped playfully.

The air was filled with laughter, even some of Bryce's as the girl took the empty space next to him. Violet tried to act like she was following this chain of events, but her face must've betrayed her as it didn't seem like William bought it.

"Oh right, introductions. Violet this is Adam and Zack," William explained, pointing out the two at the table, a redhead and a much slighter guy. "And of course the asshole next to my sister Courtney is Bryce."

"Well hello there." He greeted her in a voice that dripped with cockiness.
Violet attempted a friendly smile, but it was a rather unsure greeting. Her fingers began twisting the hem of her skirt out of a nervous habit as the room fell into an odd silence. William looked between her and his friends for a brief moment.

"Hey Court, do you have something Violet could borrow for tonight? We can't have every insensitive jerk calling her Miss Ivy League." William said casually, though Violet could almost detect the annoyance he'd tried to hide behind his humor.

She seemed to have the same ability, laughing as she pushed herself off of the counter.

"Sure thing little bro," Courtney grinned, putting her arm around Violet. "Come on, lets go see if we can find you something to wear."

________________________________________________________________________________

An hour later and Violet found herself once more in William's car, forced into the backseat between Adam and Zach under the rules of shotgun. Bryce was triumphant in the passengers seat. Still, Violet couldn't become too bothered by this from where she was, her mindset more focused on fidgeting. Her fingers hopelessly tugged at the borrowed skirt she wore, far more suggestive than her school skirt. And while it looked like a hijab compared to her volleyball uniform of short skin tight, well everything, there was certainly no comfort in numbers or movement to be found.

When Courtney had agreed to let her borrow some clothes for the night Violet assumed it would be a shirt and jeans, much like the other girls wore at her school. She might've even dared to ask for a brush as the limit of her vanity. She had not anticipated being the product of Courtney's boredom, fueled by her extensive collection of make-up and overflowing wardrobe.

For someone who considered wearing mascara a stretch, seeing all her imperfections disappear behind skin hued paints and skill with a brush was an out of body experience. She hardly recognized herself in the mirror, her body eccentuated into lines she never knew were there. Curves usually hidden under frumpy uniforms and flattened into submission now flourished and rebelled against what she knew them as. It was as if she were naked with clothes on, a feeling that hung around her as she turned away from the mirror and rejoined the others. And the shocking part of it all was she liked it.

This air of difference floated around her as if it fueled the excitement of the night. Though the others she shared the car with didn't seem to notice this change, Violet could almost taste it, much like a drug affecting and breaking down her inhibitions. The anticipation for the evening that lay ahead, the glossed over excitement under the filter of ignorance made her heart beat faster and a smile twitch at the corners of her lips. Around her the guys were laughing about something, William catching her eye with his own crinkled in a smile. Yes, this night would be the start of a new Violet.