Dance with a Devil

Violet sighed, taking each step slower and slower the closer that his front door came. She didn't want to be there.

She clutched The Kite Runner in her hands, feeling a little bit better knowing that her favorite book was nearby. She always brought it along (that or Harry Potter) whenever she felt nervous about something.

It was just John, though. How bad could it be?

Violet rang the doorbell. She tapped her foot as she waited, but no answer came. She glanced back at the driveway, seeing his beat up truck--he had to be home.

She rang the doorbell again.

"Come on, John..." Violet groaned, hopping up and down. She hated waiting.

Violet glanced at her phone, the warm text from Garrett was the only thing keeping her there. She was doing it for Garrett, and the rest of the boys, but mostly for Garrett. She hated seeing him so worried and heartbroken about his best friend.

"John O'Callaghan, open the damn door!" Violet shouted, excessively ringing the doorbell.

She heard muffled shuffling from behind it and then a voice,

"Vi?"

"John, open the door." Violet said, nicer this time.

"No."

"John!"

But he didn't answer. Violet groaned and huffed. That boy always made her angry. He always defied what she did, no matter the intention. He just liked to play around with her feelings.

Violet looked around and then said, quietly, "Fine. I will force my way in."

She went around the back, opening the little gate to his front yard and then tried opening the front door, but it was locked. She pressed her face against the glass, trying to see if he was in there, but all she saw was trash littering the place.

What is he doing to himself?

She sighed and went around again, to his bedroom window.

Violet saw his figure sitting on the bed, his head in his hands. Her expression softened and she opened the window, quietly. She stepped in, only to tumble over his dresser. John spun around, clearly shocked.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" He shouted.

Violet picked herself up off the ground and she said, "What the fuck are you doing, John?"

"Get out," John hissed, pointing to the door.

"No," She shook her head.

"Violet, get out." John pressed.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked. "Why are you kicking everyone out of your life? They are all just trying to help you!"

"Violet, I'm only going to ask one more time--"

"Don't you care, John?" She cut him off, ignoring him. "Don't you care that The Maine is so close to being done and therefore, more than ten people would lose their jobs."

John's jaw clenched. He looked like he wanted to physically throw her out of the room but Violet crossed her arms, waiting for a response.

"Look," She sighed, less harsh. "I know that whatever happened in Oregon really has affected you in some way, but you shouldn't close yourself off like this, John. It's not healthy..."

She looked around his trashed room.

"Why the fuck do you care, Violet?" John spat. "Since when have you ever given a fuck about me? I know Garrett sent you--you always do whatever he pleases."

"I'll admit Garrett wanted me to come talk to you," Violet nodded. "But I was the one who made the decision to climb through your window, not him."

John silenced. He looked her up and down, almost as though he was going to finally let someone in. Violet looked up him, hopeful, but his eyes suddenly turned cold and he pointed out the door,

"Get out."

She opened her mouth to speak, but the obvious distressed and angered look on his face told her to drop it, and she did what she was told.

Violet closed the door behind her and heard it lock, as John had followed her, and she sighed, walking back to her car, clutching her book in her hands.

She took her phone out and pressed the speed dial number and he answered on the fifth ring,

"Hey, you."

"I tried, Garrett," said Violet, getting into her car and driving off.

"Did you talk to him?" Garrett asked.

"Yup. Climbed through his bedroom window and everything, but it didn't really work. He looked like he wanted to slaughter me, and then throw my body off of the Grand Canyon."

"Wow, Vi." Garrett said, impressed. "Who woulda thought you could climb through his window?"

She laughed. "It fucking hurt! I fell over his dresser. He looked so mad, I swear to God."

"Thank you, Vi. Thank you for trying..."

"Of course, Garrett." Violet said, honestly. "But I don't think you guys should ever give up on him, even if you're ever on the verge of doing so."

"What makes you say so?"

"I can see that he wants to be better," She said. "He just doesn't know how."

"Did he look bad?" Garrett asked, just as she pulled into the parking lot of her and Garrett's apartment.

"His house was worse than a landfill."

Garrett laughed. "Seriously?"

Violet jingled her house keys just as she walked up the steps.

"Uh huh. But getting to the serious part," She unlocked the door. "He has a facade on. I just happened to catch him off guard by climbing through his window."

Garrett appeared out of the hallway just as she entered, and he took his phone off of his ear. The smiling face she was expecting was not there, and he looked serious and genuinely concerned.

"We really need to help him."