Pretty Little Wallflower

Perfect weather enveloped San Diego, a mild breeze passing by every so often. Viola still couldn’t believe how amazing the weather always was there, in the three and a half months of her living there only a handful of times had she been just a little too hot or a little too cold.
“You sure you don’t want one?” Her co-worker, Evan, tore her away from her wandering mind.
“I’m sure, I just like the smell,” she smiled up at him.
“You are certainly a strange one,” he offered her a hand and helped her stand to her feet, taking one last drag from his cigarette before crushing it under his Toms, signifying that their break was over.
“I’m not the one who enjoys rubbing their genitals on poor unsuspecting trees,” she retorted playfully.
“And I’m not the one with a sick mind capable of coming up with those kinds of dares. Your hell awaits ma-lady,” Evan opened the back door for Viola, stepping back into the coffee shop that employed them.
As much as Evan hated working at Lestat’s Coffee House, she loved it. It wasn’t the atmosphere, or the music, or the fact that she was able to get her coffee fix for free; it was the fact that when she was there, it reminded her nothing of back home. She was grateful for that. Nobody knew who she was, nobody cared. Aside from Evan, she’d made very little friends in the few months she’d become a San Diego occupant. The solitude was refreshing, she very much enjoyed being alone.
“Hey Vi, how’s it going?” A Lestat’s regular greeted her.
“Not too bad Joey, your usual?”
“Cherry Bianca with Caramel,” He corrected her.
“Feeling a little dangerous today, are we?”
“If you want to turn your life around, you gotta start somewhere, right?”
“What kind of change are we talking about here?”
“Two weeks sober,” his eyes gleamed with accomplishment.
“Well I think that calls for a celebratory drink. Coffee, that is! Here, on the house,” she winked at the man, handing him his drink. She loved seeing the will power of people, able to turn their life around because they wanted to. She always had an optimistic view of mankind, despite being a witness to some of the demons that people carried inside. Everyone was a product of their own thoughts, and she refused to become a casualty to the dark thoughts any mind could incite.
“Always such a sweetheart, anything you ever need, I’m here,” he patted Viola’s hand before saying goodbye.

“Isn’t that considered stealing?” A voice asked, directed towards her. She turned around to see a man staring at her with big puppy dog eyes. The sight of him took her by surprise for a second, a rhinestone under his left eye, huge gauges, and long hair with a small braid poking out of his hat. Why would anyone want to do that to themselves , she wondered.
“I was planning on paying for it, I’m not about to steal from the place that pays my rent.”
“Not how it looked like from over here,” he sung, pointing to the ground under his feet.
“Then maybe you should get a little closer,” she raised an eyebrow.
“A sassy cashier, I bet that helps with sales,” he teased.
“I’m sure I generate more sales than you could,” she smirked, eyeing him up and down. He seemed a little taken back at her remark, but not more than she was. She was never so forward with people, never one to participate in any form of altercation. Why was she saying anything at all?
“Okay, now that’s just hurtful,” he put his hands over his heart. Viola couldn’t believe she was having such a mild argument with someone she didn’t even know. She loathed confrontation, any form of arguing, but she just couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of her mouth.
“Can I get you anything?” She tried to change the subject, hoping he would drop it.
“Sure, how about an apology?” He crossed his hands over his chest.
“Sure, $6.50, please.”
“Ha! You’re not cheap, are you?” She furrowed her eyebrows at his question, wondering if he meant for it to sound as offensive as it came out. His eyes widened a little, realizing how she may have taken it. Any confidence he had built up was now non-existent. Word vomit.
“How about we save that apology and call it even? Have a wonderful day miss Coffee Lady,” he rocked on his heels before turning around and stepping out of the coffee shop, leaving Viola to wonder exactly what had just taken place.

“Leave it to Tony to walk into a coffee shop and forget to buy coffee,” Jaime roared with laughter as Tony walked out of the coffee house, amused at the simplest of things.
“That sounds more like something you’d do, Hime,” Mike blew smoke out of his nose, standing up from a table, along with the two other boys.
“Hey, you watch it,” Jaime poked Mike’s chest, feigning offense at his remark. Tony put his sunglasses on; trying to hide the embarrassment he’d just caused himself.
“Nothing looked good,” He lied.
“How’s that possible? You always go on a Lestat’s overdose when we get back from tour,” Vic looked at him suspiciously.
“Not today man, let’s go get some burgers instead,” Tony suggested. They all mumbled in agreement as they walked down the streets of their hometown. He still felt slightly embarrassed for possibly insulting the girl whose name he hadn’t gotten. He knew she must have been new, considering he was usually a regular when they were off tour. He couldn’t help but mull over their encounter, and how she’d seemed less than appealed by his looks. Moreover, he kept playing in his mind what he’d say to her if he saw her again, and he hoped he would.

--

“Hi there, baby, missed me?” Viola cooed at her Yorkie, who began yelping as soon as he heard her keys jingling behind the door. She grabbed the small pup, carrying him to the couch with her and laying down.
“Just another day, huh?” Talking to herself had become quite natural, seeing as she didn’t really have anyone else to converse with. She looked into the puppy’s eyes for an answer, a sign that he understood what she was saying; she found none. Sighing, she put him down and walked into her bathroom, ready to scrub away the day from her body.
She turned on the hot water and began stripping herself from her work clothes lazily, letting the small confines of the bathroom fill with steam. Although she spent most of her time alone, the only time she allowed herself to think profoundly about her life was when she showered. The slight pain of the scorching water alleviated any other aches she may have, emotional or physical. It was okay to be sad, angry, and bitter while she showered, because she knew before she stepped out of her makeshift sauna she would be scrubbing it all away; it gave her a chance to start over, an opportunity to promote a fresh state of mind. So she yelled a little, and she scrubbed a little harder than she should have, but it was okay. She told herself everything would be okay; and she believed herself. Through years of experience she had managed to form a more productive form of self-efficacy, allowing herself to acknowledge the past and the pain, but not be consumed by it. She let the water run down her for a few more minutes before deciding it was time to step out. As if the person at the other end had purposely planned their timing, her phone began to ring. Viola wrapped an exaggeratingly long plush towel around her small figure before picking up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey Vi, how are you?”
“Adam, hey, I’m well, just got off work a bit ago,” she smiled, hearing her uncle on the other end.
“That’s great, how is it?”
“I love it, it’s quaint. How was the tour?” She asked, acknowledging the reason he’d been San Diego absent for the past month.
“It was great! Took a lot of really awesome photos, as you’ve seen on instagram,” he sounded so happy, so complete. It warmed her heart to hear her uncle’s passion and dedication pay off. Meeting new people, seeing new places, it all appealed to her; but it was his life, not hers. “ You’re mom called me this morning though, asking me where you were again.”
“And?” She replied a little more aggressively than she intended, but she was hoping he hadn’t caved at his sister’s charm.
“She yelled, called me some names when I told her I knew nothing, the usual,” he tried to sound casual. Viola let out a sigh of relief, rolling her eyes at her mother’s reaction. She remained set on never allowing her mom to become a part of her life again. She didn’t want to have to deal with any part of her past. It was probably unhealthy, and a little childish, but even the most rational of minds have their limits.
“That’s not why I’m calling though, I just wanted to let you know. I got contracted for Warped Tour again this year, and they asked me if I could get a couple good amateurs, and I was wondering if you wanted to be one of them?” She pursed her lips at his offer. It seemed tempting, not only was he a top photographer in the music industry who could get her through the right doors, but the idea of getting to spend the summer on the road accompanied by her favorite uncle sounded wonderful.
“What about my job though? Lestat’s…”
“You don’t have to tell me now, I just wanted to put the offer on the table. I’ve seen your work Viola, and I know this would be a great opportunity for you. We still got another month before the tour starts. How about I check back on you in about two weeks, give you some time to chew it over?”
“I’d really appreciate that, I just need to think it over a bit,” She thanked him before they said their goodbyes.
Opportunities kept presenting themselves at the most stagnant of times in her life, a predictable pattern.