XOXO, Violet by Ginger Li
12Violet
During the days following my succulent class, the holiday spirit engulfed everything. Maybe I hadn’t noticed it before because I’d been too swamped with school and YouCon preparations. But now, Christmas lights outlined every house, bush, and tree.
While I would have loved to fully embrace the holiday season, I struggled with balancing schoolwork, time at Joy’s store, my YouTube channel, and preparations for YouCon. It was an endless cycle of work. There were subjects to study, gift bags to assemble, interview questions to review, social media accounts to maintain, Etsy orders to ship, all on top of regular filming and editing. I was navigating an intricate dance and fumbling every step.
Since I caught up on my studies during lunch, Wesley texted me at night with math questions. I wanted to video chat or study with him after school, but I couldn’t figure out a way to squeeze in the time. So I ended up texting him hints or sending photos of how I’d approach the problems.
Offers of help from my family and friends kept me from drowning in work. Mom and Dad ran my Etsy store, and my brothers took over a lot of work involved in running the channel. I appreciated all of them tremendously, although Marcus’s painstaking attention to detail was starting to drive me insane. The guy was type A. Squared.
Friday finally arrived, and Olivia and Piper had volunteered to help me pack goody bags for YouCon after school. We hadn’t seen much of each other this week, so I was looking forward to hanging out with my girls. As I waited for them by the school parking lot, my phone buzzed with Marcus’s daily check-in text.
Marcus: How’s the book signing going?
Me: Good. I’ve done about half of them.
Marcus: Have you finished prepping for your YouTube collaborations?
Me: Yes, dad.
Marcus: How’s the editing going, Micah?
Micah: It’s going. Don’t worry. I know how to edit videos. And yes. Designs for the new merchandise are almost ready. I’ll send you rough drafts next week.
Marcus: Good. We need to make sure we’re ready for the influx of new fans.
Micah: Chill. We’ve got this. Why don’t you focus less on Violet and more on passing your finals? Isn’t college kicking your butt?
Marcus: I’ll be fine. Good job on the last video btw. You’re both doing a great job building up the hype. Everyone’s excited to meet SPG in person.
“Violet?”
I looked up from my phone to see Chase strolling toward me with a smile. My face relaxed into a matching grin. While my feelings toward him had cooled, our interactions had grown considerably less awkward.
“Waiting for someone?” he asked.
“Yup. Olivia and Piper. We’re hanging out at my place after school.”
He brushed his bangs out of his face. “That sounds like fun. I’m glad I ran into you. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime.”
“J-just you and me?” I felt the color drain from my face.
His smile widened. “That’s usually how dates go. We could study together or maybe grab a bite to eat?”
Hang out with Chase…alone? My insides turned into jelly and I stood there, frozen in place.
“I-I’ve never gone out with anyone before.”
Oh. My. Gosh.I covered my face. Why had I admitted that out loud?
An arm slid around my waist. “I’m genuinely hurt, Violet.” Wes’s voice was as smooth as butter on toast. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember that time we went out. Am I really that forgettable?”
What? I pulled my hands from my face.
Chase glanced between us. “You two dated?”
“No,” I answered at the same time as Wesley said, “Twice.”
I turned and flashed Wesley a “what do you think you’re doing?” look closely followed by a “go away” one.
He gave me a lopsided grin and his thumb drew lazy circles against my lower back. “Violet’s smart, funny, and pretty. Any guy would be lucky to go out with her.”
Well, that was a nice compliment. My annoyance faded…slightly. “Chase and I were talking. Don’t you need to talk to Asher about something? Somewhere else?” Far, far away, I hoped, as I wasn’t sure how I’d recover if he kept holding me like this.
“No. I’m perfectly comfortable right where I am. You’re just so huggable, Violet.” Wes tugged me closer and wrapped both arms around my waist.
Oh boy. Now I was stuck between a rock and a hard place—aka his arms and his chest. Geez. The guy’s body truly was a piece of art, and, man, did he smell good. I leaned in closer and sniffed his shirt, drawing in his scent like a bloodhound preparing for the hunt.
Wesley chuckled, the sound sending strange tingles dancing down my spine. What just happened there? I fully blamed my lack of self-control on whatever pheromones Wesley released into the air. The guy should come with a warning. Caution: smells good enough to eat.
“Guess I’ll talk to you later, Violet.” Chase shook his head and left.
“What were you thinking?” I hissed, pushing Wes away. “Why did you lie about us going out? Chase just asked me on a date. This was it. The moment I’ve waited years for.”
Wesley’s expression turned stormy. “You need to reconsider your crush on him. Aim higher, Vi.”
Excuse me?Maybe my feelings for Chase had waned, but who was Wes to criticize my crushes? “J-just because you snap your fingers and a bunch of girls come running doesn’t give you the r-right to butt into my love life.”
“Don’t go out with Chase,” Wes murmured. “You deserve someone much better. Someone who appreciates everything about you.”
Ugh!I let out a frustrated sigh. “Yeah, well, that’s never going to happen.” Since the guy standing in front of me would never see me as anything more than his nerdy friend.
Maybe I didn’t like Chase as much as before. But I’d seen how Wes went through girls. Chase wasn’t like that. He and I were similar. And it appeared he was interested in me. At least we’d have a chance together.
I spied Olivia and Piper standing nearby. They must have arrived sometime during my embarrassing moment. “Come on, girls. Let’s go.”
When the threeof us got to my house, we slipped upstairs to my bedroom and set to work filling bags. Thankfully, neither Piper nor Olivia brought up what happened earlier. Like a well-oiled machine, we stuffed notebooks, stickers, cactus pens, and jewelry into gift bags for YouCon.
“And that makes one hundred.” Olivia slipped her bag into one of the giant plastic bins that held my convention items before flopping down on my bed and staring at the ceiling.
Piper nudged her leg. “Up and at ’em, tiger. We still have another hundred and fifty to go.”
Olivia placed a pillow over her face and stifled a scream.
What was that about? Piper and I exchanged confused looks.
“Is there something on your mind? Do you want to talk about it?” Piper asked.
“Boys stink,” Olivia said, her voice muffled by the pillow.
Yup. That explained it.
Olivia sat up, her curly hair messy and wild. “Actually, I would like to talk about something.” She fixed me with a gaze. “What’s going on between you and Wes?”
I avoided her probing stare and concentrated on selecting the perfect pen to put in my bag. The cactus pen with the pink flower? Or the purple flower? Really, such a tough decision to make.
“Violet Rain Reyes?” Olivia asked again, her tone demanding.
“Your middle name’s Rain?” Piper asked.
I shrugged. “Mom and Dad loved Prince. And you know his song ‘Purple Rain’?”
“She’s Violet Rain,” Olivia continued. “Her parents enjoy a good pun. But let’s get back to the question on everybody’s mind. What’s up with you and Wes?”
I stared at the girl I’d shared all my secrets with since freshman year and suddenly found it difficult to answer. “It’s nothing. Wes and I are just friends. I like Chase.”
Liar, liar, cactus on fire.
“Are you sure about that?” Piper asked. “Because things between you two looked pretty heated.”
“Like a thousand times hotter than the sun, heated,” Olivia added.
I kept my expression neutral as I dropped my bag into the bin. “Even if I did have feelings for him, nothing would ever happen between us. What would he see in someone like me? He’s dated a ton of beautiful, confident girls, and I can’t even look people in the eye.”
“Violet?” Olivia’s tone made me look up. “I’ve known Wesley for a long time. And, yeah, he’s a player. But I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. You need to stop selling yourself short. You’re a catch.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m beautiful, smart, and funny,” I said ruefully.
Piper reached over and squeezed my shoulder. “Exactly.”
I wanted desperately to believe them, but years of being ignored by members of the opposite sex prevented me from doing so. Me and Wes? That was nowhere near the realm of reality.
My phone buzzed on my desk, and it was a video call from Wesley. “What do I do? It’s him.”
Olivia’s lips curled into a smile. “Answer it.”
Answer the call? Yes. Right. Genius idea. I’d do that. I accepted the video chat, and Wesley’s face appeared on the screen. His hair looked wet, like he’d just taken a shower.
“Hey. Hope I’m not interrupting anything. I just called to say—”
“I love you,” I blurted out.
Wesley’s eyes widened.
And…Awkward Violet strikes again. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I mean, I do like you, but it’s a song from the eighties. My parents used to play it for me.”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “Yeah, I know the song. And, no, that’s not what I wanted to say. I called to apologize for being such a jerk today. I didn’t mean to embarrass you in front of Chase. He’s a great guy.”
Uh huh. The way he grimaced when he said those last two words told me everything I needed to know. “Really? A great guy?”
Wes cleared his throat. “Maybe not great. But you’re right. It’s not my place to judge who you want to date.”
“Okay.” I drew the word out, unsure why our conversation felt very heavy all of a sudden. “Apology accepted. Is that all you wanted to say?”
Wesley lay on his bed and held up his phone, giving me a clear view of his chiseled jaw and broad shoulders. Oh my dear dahlia. My heart screamed, “Mine!” But my brain warned, “Friends.”
“I also need help with precalc,” Wes admitted. “Is there any way we could meet this weekend? Maybe tomorrow night? I’d really appreciate going over a couple of problems with you.”
“Well…” I glanced at the enormous pile of bags that I still needed to fill. “I don’t know. I’m pretty—”
“Available!” Olivia yelled. “She’s available.”
Wesley sat up. “Are Olivia and Piper still there?”
I turned my phone to reveal the other girls.
“Hi, Wes!” They both waved.
“Hey! Oh. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your girl time.” Wes squinted into the phone. “Looks like you’re doing some sort of plant craft project?”
Yikes. I whipped the phone back to my face. “It’s a project for work. That’s why I don’t think I can hang—”
Olivia bounded over and rested her chin on my shoulder. “Violet would love to meet up with you. Piper and I will help her finish.”
My mouth fell slightly open. It had taken us an hour and a half to do a hundred. “Are you sure?”
“Grams said I can stay over till we’re done,” Piper said.
“And my mom’s working late,” Olivia added. “You’re feeding us, right?”
Knowing Mom, she’d have ordered enough takeout to feed a small army. “Yeah, sure.”
Olivia patted my back. “Then I’m in!” She walked away while making kissy faces.
I turned back to Wesley and twirled a strand of hair around my finger. “I guess we could do a study session as long as my parents say it’s okay.”
“Great.” He grinned. “I can’t wait. I’ll let you go now so you can finish your work. Bye, girls.”
“Bye, Wesley,” Piper and Olivia said in unison.
The moment I hung up, I leaped onto my bed, buried my face in a pillow, and shrieked.
Piper walked over and rubbed my back. “Let it out. Boys can be exasperating.”
I sat up and clutched the pillow to my chest. “Why did I have to make this so hard? Why couldn’t I just keep liking Chase? He’s predictable and such a talented cello player.”
“That’s exactly what I look for in a guy,” Olivia deadpanned. “Predictability and great cello-playing skills.”
Piper tipped back her head and laughed.
Olivia joined us on the bed and wrapped her arms around me. “Who knows why you don’t like Chase anymore? The heart wants what the heart wants.”
Technically, the brain experienced emotions, while the heart was merely a pump; however, I understood the sentiment. I liked Wesley, but if I wanted us to remain friends, I’d have to ignore my feelings and get over him. Otherwise, I’d end up like Olivia.
“You could just tell my brother you like him. Micah’s a good guy, but he’s dense.”
Olivia shrugged. “I accepted years ago that I’ve been friend-zoned. And that’s just how it’s going to be.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. “I think Micah—”
“Someone talking about me?” My brother peered into the room. “Dinner’s ready. We got takeout from Palace of India.”
Olivia’s eyes lit up. “Did you get chicken tikka masala?”
“Of course. Mom knows it’s your favorite. You better get down there soon, or I’ll eat all the garlic naan.”
“Oh no you don’t, you better save some for me!” Olivia shrieked. The pair of them dashed downstairs, leaving Piper and me alone in the room.
“It’s pretty obvious when people like each other, isn’t it?” Piper looped an arm through mine.
Yeah. My brother and Olivia kept dancing around each other. But neither would ever admit their feelings to the other. Then again, who was I to judge? I liked someone who’d never like me back.
I guess we were all just fools in love.