Dance with a Devil

"I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. And we even go to the same damn school."

Violet smiled and looked up from her economics book to her best friend and shrugged. "I've been busy."

Cecilia rolled her eyes and sat down next to her. "Let me guess–John?"

Violet nodded. "He's getting better, Cec! We're so close!"

"How does Garrett feel about you being with John every single day?" Cecilia asked, crossing her arms.

"He would love that his best friend is getting better because of his awesome girlfriend," Violet answered, shrugging.

"You suck."

"Not as much as you. Speaking of, how's the relationship with Gibbs?" Violet asked, changing the subject.

"Great, actually," Cecilia beamed. "He met my parents and they love him."

Violet grinned. "He's Austin Gibbs. He's too charming for his own good."

"That's why I love him!"

"What about everyone else? I guess I haven't seen them in ages either. Well, except for Kenny."

"Yeah, I heard about that. He feels really bad about that, but could you really blame him?" Cecilia sighed.

Violet shook her head. "Of course I don't! John is one of his best friends, he has every right to be concerned for him. If I was in his position, I think I would have tackled John to the ground and never let him go."

Cecilia rolled her eyes. "But all the guys are concerned. I was with Jared the other day and he was actually looking for jobs."

"What?!"

She nodded her head. "They think The Maine is a goner now. Even Pat and Tim, the two most optimistic boys I have ever met, think that it might be done for. Tim has yet to give word about that."

Violet felt her heart break.

"And it's all because of John?"

Cecilia nodded. "They refuse to find a new lead singer."

Violet sighed. "John misses it. I know for a fact that he misses it."

"Then what the fuck is the problem?!" Cecilia exclaimed.

"Something happened and it has to do with his family, and because of it, he thinks he doesn't deserve any of it anymore. He's also stubborn as fuck so no matter what you say, it'll take about thirty times of saying it more before he'll finally start to believe it."

"You're too nice with him," Cecilia said. "I would've chopped his penis off at this point."

"And that, my friend," Violet pointed at her. "Is the difference between you and me."

Cecilia laughed and stood up. "Come on, let's go and get some sushi or something and catch the fuck up. I miss your tiny ass."

Violet rolled her eyes and closed her book. She missed her best friend dearly but she made a silent promise to stop by John's after school, after studying a little bit. It was weird how often she saw John in the past week and then not see him again for a several hours.

She spent so much time with him.

But it was working–that was all that mattered, right?

Violet went to a late lunch with Cecilia and the two of them gushed over the things they used to gush about when it was just the two of them. Hot celebrities, stupid bitches in their classes, Violet's sister's wedding...all the girly stuff.

She left with a bright smile on her face and hopped into her car, driving to John's. She missed Cecilia very much and she never really realized how much until then. She really did spend a lot of time with John.

Violet knocked opened John's door by using the key under the daisy plant on the ground. She found it the other day when John was asleep and couldn't open the door.

"John?" she called, looking around. She headed towards the living room.

"So I saw Cecilia today," she said, walking. "She said that I spend a lot of time with you. Isn't that weird–" Violet stopped.

John was sprawled along the couch with beer bottles knocked over on the ground. There had to be about five beers that he drank. Violet stared as John took a giant gulp from the beer in his hands, not even realizing that she was there.

"John?"

John looked up. His eyes were completely bloodshot and he gave her a lazy smile.

"Violet Casey," he slurred. "Violet R–Renee Casey."

"Why are you drinking?" Violet sighed, kneeling down to pick up the bottled.

John started touching her hair.

"Your hair smells good," John sniffed it. Violet rolled her eyes. "Thanks, John." She plucked the bottle out of his hands, causing him to yelp, "Hey!"

She threw the beer bottles away in the kitchen and got a glass of water for him to drink, but he followed her in, stumbling slightly.

"Drink this," she said, handing him the glass.

John took it and was staring at her while he downed the whole thing.

"You're so pretty, Violet," he said. "You're so pretty. Garrett must be so happy."

Violet looked up at him. "Yeah, I hope he is."

They were staring at each other for a couple of seconds before Violet deemed it awkward and she decided to make some coffee in order to sober him up.

What went through his head to drink so much? It was a random day of the week but she didn't understand. He was speaking nonsense and it was rather annoying. Sober John was a lot more tolerable than weird John.

"Your bracelet," John said, suddenly.

Violet looked down at her wrist. She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah, what about it?"

It was a bracelet that Garrett got her for her last birthday.

"Garrett say he chose it all by himself?" John asked.

Violet nodded, slowly, also brewing the coffee.

"Lies!" John shouted. "It was me!"

"What are you talking about?" Violet asked.

"I bought you the bracelet. I bought it a week before your birthday party and Garrett said he couldn't think of anything to buy and he was getting angry because he didn't buy you anything so I gave him the bracelet to give to you," John took a breath. "I–It was me."

Violet stared at him, unable to think of anything to say.

"Oh," was all that came out. She glanced down at her bracelet. It was a beautiful bracelet that was silver and had stones all over it. It was simple and beautiful and that was why she loved it so much–also because it was from Garrett.

Except that now it was from John. She didn't know how to feel about that.

The coffee was finished so Violet poured it into a mug and handed it to him.

"You're taking care of me a lot lately," John murmured, a little bit more sober now.

Violet rolled her eyes. "I have to."

"Why?"

"Do we have to go over this again, John?" Violet sighed. "You're worth a lot more than you think. That is why. Now stop asking me!"

"You deserve better," John muttered.

"Than you? Possibly."

John rolled his eyes. "Than Garrett."

Violet was shocked that he said such a thing. It was obvious in her eyes and John immediately started to explain.

"He loves you, sure, but I think you can do better. You're a person who gave all of her heart to someone who didn't return in. Garrett has only given you a part of his heart because you know that the other part belongs to Rachael."

"She was his first love..." Violet mumbled.

John stared at her, still slightly drunk. Words were pouring out of his mouth and he didn't know how to stop, because the look on Violet's face made him want to punch himself in the face.

"You deserve someone who'll give you his entire heart just like you would to him," John said.

Violet scoffed. "Like you?" Her eyes turned to his and they locked stares. John said absolutely nothing and it caught Violet off guard for a second. She took a tiny step back out of instinct.

What was happening?

Violet cleared her throat. "You–you should, um, go to sleep."

She started pushing him out of the kitchen. John led himself, even though he stumbled a little bit, but she made sure he got to his bedroom safely.

He plopped onto the bed on his stomach. Violet sighed and pulled the covers from underneath him and tucked him in. He turned over on his back and he looked at Violet.

"I hope I didn't hurt you by what I said–I just want you to see some sense."

"Well," Violet said. "I'll decide that."

Just as Violet went over to turn the light off and leave, John's voice called out and it made Violet think for a very long time.

"There is someone out there who'll love you more than Garrett ever could."