How It Should Be

"You're quitting?" Erin hissed at Violet, doubling checking over her shoulder to make sure no one else heard her.

"Yes." Violet smiled, and pulled out another personal file to shred.

"Can you at least give me your contact list and not shred it?" Erin went to grab the folder but Violet pulled it away.

"I like shredding things."

"And I like it when I look better than you at work...and with you're quitting and all I'll look especially good if I can still get in touch with your contacts."

Violet bit her lip and eyed the shredder. "Fine." Violet held out the folder and Erin snatched it up before Violet could shred it.

"Have you told the big wigs?"

"Of course. My last day is Friday."

"Aw, I'm going to miss you," Erin made a sad face. "Who is going to be really mean to me but then order me surprise sandwiches?"

"I can still do that," Violet said laughing. "That's what the telephone is for. But seriously, I'll miss you too." Violet fed another sheet of paper to the shredder and then checked the clock. "Hmm, two thirty, I think I can leave."

"What are you going to do now?"

"Make some tea and eat cookies."

"I mean work wise."

"Oh. I haven't really thought about it. Not this, it can't be this. I think I'm going to try my hand at writing. See what I can do with it."

"Well, as long as you're happy I guess," Erin shrugged. "How are you getting home?" Just as Violet opened her mouth to answer, a flustered Matt burst in and banged a game down on her desk.

"Oh lord, Super Mario? YES!" Violet shouted. "Oh, and E? That's how." Violet said, waving her hand in Matt's direction as she read the back of the game.

"Do you ever work either?" Erin asked him.

"No. Well, I do, but everyone at work knows Violet and they know she's a cartoon so when I say I need to go get her, they let me go."

"Ahh." Erin rubbed her head. "Well you two go have fun. I expect a sandwich tomorrow."

Matt and Violet walked down to his car, which was illegally parked and covered in bird poop. Matt explained how he left three loaves of bread on his boss's car and it backfired. He had parked next to his boss.

"How hard do you have to wok to get fired?" Matt groaned. Violet laughed.

"You can't get fired! I just quit! How are we going to make rent?" Violet shoved Matt.

"We'll tap dance in the street and you'll wear a crotchless thong and I'll wear assless chaps." As Violet was laughing hysterically Matt changed the course of the conversation. "Hey, how are things with Evgeni?"

"Good, I guess. I haven't really talked to him since he went on the road trip. I called him last night but he put me to voice mail."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. It rang twice, beeped, and then went to voice mail, so he had to have hit the button." Violet rubbed her eyes. "And I don't understand why...I mean, we had a great time with Ryan and Shannon, which is like, a miracle, but still," Violet sighed. "I don't get it."

"As a gender, we tend to be assholes from time to time, as you tend to be bitches once a month. Think of it as Geno on his period." Matt grinned as Violet made a face. "Geno on the rag...what an image."

"I hate you." Violet said laughing.

"Maybe you should send him a box of tampons?"

"Go die."
*********************************************************************

That night Violet contemplated calling Evgeni again but decided against it. Instead she dialed Jordan's number.

"Hey, Vi! Happy almost birthday!"

"Aw, thanks Jordan, but it's not for four more days." Violet ad Jordan had become friends, talking when she and Geno couldn't.

"Well, what are you asking for?"

"For you to wear pants for once in your life." Violet laughed.

"No!" Jordan laughed too. "Anyway, what's up?"

"So, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"This is going to sound paranoid and girlfriend-y buuuut do you know why Geno sent me to voice mail last night?"

"He was freaking out about your birthday present." Jordan said without missing a beat.

"Really?"

"Yeah, part of it came too soon and so he had to send his mom to take care of it and she was mad and he was mad at her for being mad and he was just screaming in Russian for like, 90% of the night. It was really funny."

"Funny?"

"Because Gonch and Fed were the only people who knew what the hell he was talking about and they'd only translate weird sentences like 'HE'S NOT GOING TO EAT YOU MOM!' and stuff like that, so we think he bought you Jacob from Twilight from what we heard."

"Eww, he's like 12."

"Ha! I knew you'd react like that!"

"Alright, well, as long as he isn't mad at me or anything...he's had a temper lately."

"Don't worry, he won't shut the hell up about you. And that's a lie, he only doesn't stop talking if someone asks. But it's like a game, and Sidney likes to annoy the hell out of me whenever I fight on the ice so this is it."

Jordan and Violet chatted for a bit and then hung up. Violet sighed, happy that Geno wasn't mad and dialed Geno. Mr. Malkin picked up. They talked in Russian about cheese because that's what "Mr Malkin had been doing" when he picked up the phone. Evgeni finally took the phone away from his dad after two minutes.

"Sorry, in bathroom." He said. "Dad knew how to answer phone. Surprised."

"Me too, a little bit. Jordan thinks you're getting me a half-human half-wolf for my birthday."

"Jordan idiot." Geno laughed shakily. "Anyway, we be home two days. Then one day then birthday. Excited?"

"Yes! I'm excited for your present! And Matt's too, his presents are always my favorite." Violet sighed thinking of her past birthdays.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Last year he got two giant blow up sumo wrestler suits and we put them on and battled!"

"And that your favorite?"

"One of the best birthday's ever. And he always throws a party, so you and the boys better come!"

"We will. And my present ]better."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."