Toxic
Four
"Hey guys are you ready for pizza?!" Rian's dad called down the stairs at the group of rowdy boys.
"Sure!" Rian called back up the stairs to his father.
It was already about 6pm and the boys had quit their practice a while ago, switching over to the game system that was hooked up to the television in the basement. All four of them were in on a game of Mario Kart.
"Violet! Do you like pepperoni?" her dad yelled down at her.
Her door swung open and the music she was playing became louder, filling the basement with the words to Lithium by Nirvana that was blasting through her speakers.
"What?" she screamed back at him.
"Do you like pepperoni pizza?" he called again.
"Yeah whatever" she said barely loud enough for him to hear, ready to slam the door to her room.
"Hey Violet do you want to watch a movie with us later?" Jack asked, looking away from his game for all but two seconds.
"Gotcha!" Alex hooted having hit Jack's character with a green shell while he lost focus. Jack smashed his controller over Alex's head and the two broke out in a fight.
"I think we're having a Star Wars marathon" Rian said, smiling over at his sister.
"Yeah alright" she replied, smirking at the two boys wrestling on the floor.
"Help!" Jack yelped and reaching a hand out to Violet after Alex got him in a head lock.
She raised her hands in defence, "You got yourself into that one" she laughed.
Alex noticed the small smile that flashed across her face and he couldn't remember ever seeing someone with such a beautiful smile before. Not realizing he was staring at her until they made eye contact, Alex quickly released Jack, him falling to the floor with a thud. Violet shoved her hands into the pockets of the small denim shorts she was wearing, turning back into her bedroom.
After about an hour the pizza finally arrived and Rian got up to turn the movie on. The boys dug into the pizza, Violet joining them from her room after a few minutes.
"You mother fuckers are ruthless" she said, noticing at how fast the pizza was being being devoured.
"Violet, language" her dad said.
She just rolled her eyes, grabbing a small slice and plopping down on one of the couches.
"I'll leave you guys to it" Mr.Dawson said with a yawn, "Its getting late for me anyway."
The opening credits began to roll, and Rian turned off the lights so they could see the screen better.
"Romantic" Jack said in a seductive voice, moving to sit on Rian's lap.
"Get off," he laughed, shoving Jack onto the floor. Jack sprawled out on his stomach, leaving Rian, Zack, Alex and Violet scrunched up on the couch. The movie began and the 5 kids intently watched the classic they'd all seen multiple times before.
--
Jolted awake by the feeling she was falling, Violet's opened her eyes and realized everyone had fallen asleep. The clock on the DVD player said 3:25, and the TV screen cast a blue light on the room. Lifting her head to look around, she realized she was trapped under both of Alex's legs. He was sleeping with his head on Zack's body, his legs draped over Violet's torso. Trying to wiggle her way out without waking him, she wasn't very successful as Alex stirred, opening his eyes to see Violet tangled in his legs.
Quickly, he sait up, rubbing his tired eye with his fists, "Shit" he said.
She let out a small laugh, finally free she stood up to head back to her room.
"Hey do you mind if I use your bathroom?" he asked. Normally they used the basement bathroom all the time but now it belonged to Violet and he didn't want to just walk right through her room.
"Sure" she whispered, flicking off the TV and walking over to her bedroom to turn the light on in there instead. Alex followed her inside and she motioned to the bathroom door, rubbing the sleep out of her own eyes.
He closed the door to her bathroom behind him, and Violet quickly changed into an oversized band tee shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, tossing her hair up into a messy bun. Taking out her contact lenses and putting her black framed glasses on, Violet flopped down onto her bed and picked up her song book. She started flipping through the pages, waiting for Alex to get out of her room so she could go back to bed.
Finally she heard the toilet flush and he opened the door with a yawn. She didn't bother looking up, she was sure he could find his way out on his own.
"I meant to say it earlier, but I'm sorry to hear about your Mom" Alex said quietly, scratching the back of his neck.
"Me too." she replied, looking up at the boy with the crazy bed head.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the small leather bound book she was holding in her hands.
"Songs, nothing good really," she said simply, opening the drawer to her nightstand and tossing it back inside.
"You write?"
She just shrugged, not feeling like continuing the conversation.
"You don't say much for the twin of that fucker in there" he laughed, "he doesn't shut up half the time."
She forced a smile, "What can I say, I scream social butterfly" she replied with heavy sarcasm.
"Sweet dreams Vi" Alex said, walking out of her room and closing the door quietly behind him. The words turned her stomach into knots, the last person who called her that was her mother.
Turning off her bedroom light, Violet tossed and turned for multiple hours finding herself unable to distract her mind from the thought of what her life would be like now if her mom was still around.
"Sure!" Rian called back up the stairs to his father.
It was already about 6pm and the boys had quit their practice a while ago, switching over to the game system that was hooked up to the television in the basement. All four of them were in on a game of Mario Kart.
"Violet! Do you like pepperoni?" her dad yelled down at her.
Her door swung open and the music she was playing became louder, filling the basement with the words to Lithium by Nirvana that was blasting through her speakers.
"What?" she screamed back at him.
"Do you like pepperoni pizza?" he called again.
"Yeah whatever" she said barely loud enough for him to hear, ready to slam the door to her room.
"Hey Violet do you want to watch a movie with us later?" Jack asked, looking away from his game for all but two seconds.
"Gotcha!" Alex hooted having hit Jack's character with a green shell while he lost focus. Jack smashed his controller over Alex's head and the two broke out in a fight.
"I think we're having a Star Wars marathon" Rian said, smiling over at his sister.
"Yeah alright" she replied, smirking at the two boys wrestling on the floor.
"Help!" Jack yelped and reaching a hand out to Violet after Alex got him in a head lock.
She raised her hands in defence, "You got yourself into that one" she laughed.
Alex noticed the small smile that flashed across her face and he couldn't remember ever seeing someone with such a beautiful smile before. Not realizing he was staring at her until they made eye contact, Alex quickly released Jack, him falling to the floor with a thud. Violet shoved her hands into the pockets of the small denim shorts she was wearing, turning back into her bedroom.
After about an hour the pizza finally arrived and Rian got up to turn the movie on. The boys dug into the pizza, Violet joining them from her room after a few minutes.
"You mother fuckers are ruthless" she said, noticing at how fast the pizza was being being devoured.
"Violet, language" her dad said.
She just rolled her eyes, grabbing a small slice and plopping down on one of the couches.
"I'll leave you guys to it" Mr.Dawson said with a yawn, "Its getting late for me anyway."
The opening credits began to roll, and Rian turned off the lights so they could see the screen better.
"Romantic" Jack said in a seductive voice, moving to sit on Rian's lap.
"Get off," he laughed, shoving Jack onto the floor. Jack sprawled out on his stomach, leaving Rian, Zack, Alex and Violet scrunched up on the couch. The movie began and the 5 kids intently watched the classic they'd all seen multiple times before.
--
Jolted awake by the feeling she was falling, Violet's opened her eyes and realized everyone had fallen asleep. The clock on the DVD player said 3:25, and the TV screen cast a blue light on the room. Lifting her head to look around, she realized she was trapped under both of Alex's legs. He was sleeping with his head on Zack's body, his legs draped over Violet's torso. Trying to wiggle her way out without waking him, she wasn't very successful as Alex stirred, opening his eyes to see Violet tangled in his legs.
Quickly, he sait up, rubbing his tired eye with his fists, "Shit" he said.
She let out a small laugh, finally free she stood up to head back to her room.
"Hey do you mind if I use your bathroom?" he asked. Normally they used the basement bathroom all the time but now it belonged to Violet and he didn't want to just walk right through her room.
"Sure" she whispered, flicking off the TV and walking over to her bedroom to turn the light on in there instead. Alex followed her inside and she motioned to the bathroom door, rubbing the sleep out of her own eyes.
He closed the door to her bathroom behind him, and Violet quickly changed into an oversized band tee shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, tossing her hair up into a messy bun. Taking out her contact lenses and putting her black framed glasses on, Violet flopped down onto her bed and picked up her song book. She started flipping through the pages, waiting for Alex to get out of her room so she could go back to bed.
Finally she heard the toilet flush and he opened the door with a yawn. She didn't bother looking up, she was sure he could find his way out on his own.
"I meant to say it earlier, but I'm sorry to hear about your Mom" Alex said quietly, scratching the back of his neck.
"Me too." she replied, looking up at the boy with the crazy bed head.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the small leather bound book she was holding in her hands.
"Songs, nothing good really," she said simply, opening the drawer to her nightstand and tossing it back inside.
"You write?"
She just shrugged, not feeling like continuing the conversation.
"You don't say much for the twin of that fucker in there" he laughed, "he doesn't shut up half the time."
She forced a smile, "What can I say, I scream social butterfly" she replied with heavy sarcasm.
"Sweet dreams Vi" Alex said, walking out of her room and closing the door quietly behind him. The words turned her stomach into knots, the last person who called her that was her mother.
Turning off her bedroom light, Violet tossed and turned for multiple hours finding herself unable to distract her mind from the thought of what her life would be like now if her mom was still around.