Pieces

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"You've got to be kidding me," I groaned as I rolled out of the bed. Zack was on his bed, still clothed in his club attire. He too was stirring from all the knocking at the door. Glancing at the clock I saw it was nearing noon.

I groaned and pulled open the door, my eyes going wide at the sight in front of me, "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked.

"Did you honestly think you could come to Vegas and not call me to at least tell me you're alright?" Mom questioned, obviously frustrated.

"Mom, you can't just pop up out of a nowhere. You know a phone call would have been nice," I pinched the bridge of my nose, "How did you find me?"

"I called the hotels. Besides there was news that a rock band was staying here. I figured it was your friends so I just told them I was your mother and they let me up," She explained, "You know if I could find you, anyone can," She hinted and I glared, silently telling her to shut up before she spoke too much.

"Mom, I love you but you can't do this. C'mon, I mean-"

I was cut off by Zack coming into view. He stood behind me, arm around my shoulder with a cheeky smile, "So you must be Mrs. Kennedy," He smiled.

"It's Ms. Anderson, actually. I'm divorced," Mom reminded Zack and he nodded respectfully, "And you must be Violet's boss, Zack."

"That's me. Would you like to come in? Sorry for the mess," He smiled, "We've had kind of a busy schedule since we've been here." And I looked at him with wide eyes.

"No, Zack. She was just leaving. Right, Mother?" I asked.

She pushed past me anyways, sitting down at the table in the corner that overlooked the strip, "I suppose I could visit for a while. I only wanted to make sure you were safe, Violet," She reminded me and I watched as she made herself comfortable on the chair.

"Well, I'm safe, Mom. I'm fine and nothing is going to happen to me," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Wait, so you came all the way to Vegas to check up on Violet?" Zack asked and I groaned, running a hand through my hair. As I said before, Zack asks way too many questions.

"All the way?" She raised an eyebrow at him before smiling, "Darling, I live here. Violet grew up here before moving to San Francisco for school," Mom informed him. His eyebrows furrowed as he turned to face me.

"You grew up here in Vegas?" He questioned, "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"You didn't ask," I shrugged and he rolled his eyes. It was my usual answer for anything he asked me.

I turned back to my mother with a sigh, "Mom, I'm really glad to see you. But we have things to do. I promise nothing is wrong, okay? But you can't just come barging into my boss' hotel room. A phone call would have sufficed," I stated.

She sighed heavily and stood, "Well, alright. I'm sorry for disturbing your slumber. I go to Bingo at three, but you can come over for dinner. Bring your friends if you like," She smiled before heading towards the door, "It's delightful to meet you, Zack. I'm glad Violet has some eye-candy to look at while she works. Bye!" She waved and I shut the door behind her.

"Oh my God," I banged my head against the door. My mother always found ways to embarrass me. It was practically her favorite hobby next to Bingo.

"Eye-candy, huh?" Zack questioned and leaned in close near my cheek, "Is that what you tell your mother about me?" He smirked.

I elbowed him in the gut and he groaned, "I tell her how hopeless you are and that I practically have to raise you," I smiled and he glared.

"Sounds like you keep a lot of secrets from me," He noted more seriously, placing a hand on the shoulder he had seen last night. I turned around to face him. His eyes were trailing down my arm, more visible now in the sunlight. His fingers trailed down the skin, watching the scar tissue as it trailed from my shoulder to my wrist.

"You just don't ask," I shrugged before pulling me arm away from him. I made my way to the closet to grab some clothes for the day and he took that as a sign for him to shut up. Now wasn't the time to get into that conversation. I don't think there would ever be a time.

"Your mother seems very... fun," He smiled as I dug through my suitcase. I was glad he decided to change the subject. I never talked about my mother much to Zack, despite how many times he brought up his own family.

"She's eccentric, that's for sure. That's what happens when you live in Vegas, I guess. Especially when you're an entertainer. She doesn't know how to be normal anymore," I shrugged and he laughed.

"Was she a singer?" He questioned.

I nodded, "She switched back and forth between lounge-singing at the MGM and impersonating Dolly Parton at the Golden Nugget," I explained and he laughed.

"That explains a lot," He smiled.

"You think?" I laughed with him.

Mom was never quiet and reserved like other moms. She was a performer, and she liked to be noticed. She never left the house without makeup or her best dress. The woman didn't even own a pair of jeans. She had an extended collection of dresses, though. Casual, formal, gowns, flashy. All from different eras and all of different styles. She was a bottle-blonde, not wanting anything to do with her natural brunette hair. She needed to stand out.

At one point in time I was just like my mother. Loud, outgoing, always smiling. I had a knack for looking good and showing off. I was popular in high school and was a regular party-goer on the strip. Mom didn't mind at all, she liked it. I was living the dream she never got to. She was only disappointed in me when I had taken her dream to new heights. I went overboard, and she had nearly lost me.

Then I grew up.

"So what happened last night? You and Dan didn't stay very long," Zack stated, almost disappointed.

I shrugged, "I'm sorry, we just got bored. I don't dance, Dan doesn't dance. We couldn't find you guys anyways, so we just decided to head out," I replied and he nodded. Dan and I had already discussed excuses to tell Zack as to why we left. He, of all the guys, was the most adamant that I stay to party with them at the club.

"You're coming to the bar with us tonight, right? No dancing there. Just good old fashion drinking," He grinned and I laughed.

"Sure. But if you'll excuse me," I pushed past him, "Val wants to go shopping, and I'm not keeping her waiting. That girl is a professional shopper and I'm not gonna mess up her game," I stated and he laughed.

-

By four in the afternoon I was exhausted. I purchased everything I wanted to, but Val wasn't done. She had dragged me to far too many stores and I was about to pass out, "This is the last one, I promise!" She exclaimed and I groaned as she tugged me along.

"Alright, fine," I grumbled and followed her into I couldn't pronounce the name of. She looked at the shoes and belts, deciding between brown leather or black satin leather. I don't know why she bothered anymore. She was just going to walk out with both anyways. Val always had to think before two things before she realized she would never make up her mind, resulting in her taking more than what she expected.

As she was about to make her decision a clerk came up to us, "How can I- Oh my God!" She exclaimed and I looked to Val, who was ready to defend herself against another one of Matt's fans. It wouldn't be the first time she had to deal with girls coming up to her with a thousand questions. Sometimes I wondered how many of Matt's fans were actually mentally stable.

"Violet Kennedy!" She exclaimed and my eyes snapped up to her.

Shit.

Stephanie Stevenson, Craig's sister. She used to be one of the Stevenson heirs. She was supposed to inherit half of the clubs the Stevenson family owned in Vegas, alongside Craig. According to my mother, though, after I left things changed. The girl went spending-happy and was putting shopping and partying on the top of her list, instead of running the clubs she was supposed to. She was mixing business with pleasure and finally the family had enough. They cut her off in a way. She wasn't to run the clubs, but she didn't have free reign of the family cash either. She now worked as the manager of this high-end store, but her family still payed for her living expenses and fancy car.

She scoffed, "I'm surprised you even dared show your face around here again. What are you doing here anyways?" She asked, "Back for round two?"

"We're shopping," Val cut in and turned to me, "Just picking up some things before we head out tonight, huh, Vi?" Val smiled. I could see the defense in her eyes. Val sensed the hostility in Stephanie's voice and was quick to pounce.

"Yeah," I replied. Stephanie eyed our various bags and a flash of jealousy crossed her face. Great. That's just what I needed.

"So what are you doing now?" She asked, "I mean, you went to some fancy art school didn't you?"

"Well, I'm an assistant," I replied softly.

"An assistant?" She was almost mocking me. Not that she was doing any better. She was spending her days waiting on the rich and famous while her family practically owned half of Las Vegas.

"Well it's just to pass the time. I mean, her husband works so much," Val cut in and I turned, ready to slap her. She shouldn't open her mouth. She wasn't helping me, "She needs something to distract her, right?" She smiled widely.

"You're married?" Stephanie scanned my hand for a ring, her eyes wide at Val's words.

"Not yet, of course. They're engaged and ready to marry in California. Unfortunately her ring is getting resized. Ever heard of the band Avenged Sevenfold?" Val asked and I elbowed her, and she only ignored me, "The guitarist is hot stuff. She's a lucky girl," Val smiled.

Stephanie looked at me with wide eyes, "Oh. So Craig is completely out the picture, now?" She questioned, "You always did have a certain taste in men, didn't you?"

"Craig isn't my concern anymore," I stated, almost snapping at her. I refrained from coming off as rude as she eyed me.

"Well, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you one last time. I mean, the poor guy didn't stand a chance since you just up and left him," She shrugged and I mentally cringed.

"Well, people change. I had things to do with my life," I stated.

She shrugged, "Well, I'll give my brother your regards," She grinned.

"You do that," I spat before grabbing Val and pulling her out of the store.

Fantastic. Stephanie was going to run to Craig and tell her I was engaged to Zack. Not only would he be royally pissed, he's crazy enough to believe it. Now they were going to believe that I hadn't changed at all. They were going to believe that I was still Violet Kennedy, the talk of the town. One of the most scandalous girls to ever grace the Las Vegas strip.

I had spend far too long and worked way too hard to get Craig out of my life and turn everything around. All he had to do now was find Zack, and he would find me. Not only would he find me, he'd be sure to tell all of my dirty little secrets to Zack. This wasn't how this was supposed to work. I was supposed to work at VU and start a new life, not jump back into my old one.

I, under no circumstance, could ever let Zack know what secrets I hid from him. They were secrets for a reason, and I intended to keep them that way.

"Are you okay? Who was that?" Val asked once we were far enough away from the store.

"Why did you do that!?" I exclaimed and her eyes widened.

"I..." For once Val was speechless. She wasn't used to me snapping at her. I've never talked back to Val or disagreed with her. She was practically my sister, and we got along like best friends should.

"She's going to believe all of that stuff and tell my ex," I groaned.

"Sweetie, it was just to get her off your back. She was eyeing you like you were scum of the Earth or something. I was just saying it so she would leave you alone," She defended softly and I sighed. Val meant well. She always did. She saw the hostile look Stephanie gave me and jumped into mother-mode, which was her instinct. I could see in her eyes how guilty she felt about it and I was starting to feel bad for yelling at her.

"Yeah, sorry. It's just..." I groaned, "Complicated."

"So this Craig guy is your ex?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I don't want to talk about it. Let's just head back to the hotel, yeah?" I asked and she nodded.

It was then that I knew I was screwed.