XOXO, Violet by Ginger Li

9Wesley

“So, what do you think?”

I looked up and stared at Asher, having no idea what he was talking about. Impatient to show Violet my test, I’d barely heard a word he said as we left the locker room to grab lunch.

Asher raised a brow. “Are you available this Saturday? Do you want to head to the beach? Or we can hang out at my place.”

“Good to see you finally embracing your senior year,” I murmured, running my gaze over the bleachers by the cafeteria. “Both sound great. Are the girls coming too?”

He shot me another puzzled look. “No. Like I just said, they’re busy this weekend. Violet’s teaching a succulent class, which Olivia and Piper are attending.”

Oh, that’s right. The class was this weekend. “Hey, man. Sorry, I completely forgot. I’m taking Ophelia to Violet’s class too.”

“Your sister likes Shy Plant Girl, doesn’t she?”

Like? That was putting it mildly. Ophelia was a superfan. “She comments on videos, obsessively checks the fan pages and owns a ton of SPG merchandise. And she’s not the only Wallflower out there. Shy Plant Girl’s just released a book that’s already a best seller.”

Asher shook his head. “Who would have guessed there were so many plant lovers in the world?”

If only he knew. Despite calling her channel Shy Plant Girl, she had a legion of followers. “Oh, you better believe it. That’s why we’re attending the class. Violet’s showing us how to make the same succulent Christmas trees SPG made last month. Ophelia showed me her viral video. Did you realize you can hot glue succulents to metal? Crazy, right?”

Asher appeared to be suppressing a smile. “What’s crazy is the amount of knowledge you have about some plant YouTuber.”

I flashed him a grin. “Dude, you wish you were this cool.”

We both laughed as we walked over to where Piper and Olivia sat.

Asher took a seat next to Piper and kissed her on the cheek. Olivia let out a dramatic groan and raised her hands to block her eyes. “Too much cuteness. It’s melting my dark and twisted heart.”

“I think someone’s hangry.” Piper tossed her a bag of chips.

“Ooh, salt and vinegar.” Olivia ripped open the bag, popped a chip in her mouth, and groaned. “These are so good.”

I took a seat beside her and snuck a chip from the bag.

“Hey!” She moved the bag away from me. “Get your own food.”

“Testy, testy.” I glanced over at the food trucks. “Where’s Violet?”

“She won’t be joining us for lunch this week,” Olivia said. “Violet’s swamped with work, so she needs the time to catch up on her homework.”

That’s right. She’d mentioned being busy, but I hadn’t realized that meant she’d have to miss out on lunch. My mood soured at not being able to see her.

Piper shot me an appraising look. “Why this sudden interest in Violet’s whereabouts?”

I shrugged. “I passed my math quiz and wanted to show her.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Wow. I never thought I’d see the day when you looked for a girl just to brag about your…math problems.”

“Well, mathematics can be a very hot topic.” Piper waggled her eyebrows suggestively before she and Olivia burst into giggles.

Asher looked at one girl and then the other. “Why do I feel like I’m missing something here?”

Yeah, I wasn’t going to touch that topic with a ten-foot pole. “Actually, I should get some work done too. I need to go over my notes for the next precalc quiz.” I got to my feet, ready to leave. If Violet was doing homework, maybe I’d find her in the library.

“But you just had a test,” Asher said.

“Don’t want to get caught by surprise again, which means I gotta hit those books.” I could sense Olivia and Piper assessing me, but I made my escape down the bleachers without giving them a chance to say another word. The girls had the wrong idea about my feelings toward Violet. I was just excited to share my test results, that’s all.

As I crossed the field, Chase hurried toward me, waving his hand. “Hey, Wes. Do you have a moment?”

Not really, but I stopped anyway, allowing him to catch up.

Chase jogged over and adjusted his plastic-rimmed glasses. He had that “nerdy hipster” vibe going on that some girls went gaga over. I couldn’t understand what the big deal was, but Violet obviously liked it.

“I’m glad I ran into you. Listen, I don’t mean to pry, but I overheard you talking to Asher about a succulent class. One that’s this weekend?”

Oh. Had he been nearby when we were talking? I couldn’t recall seeing him. But then again, my mind had been on other things.

“Yeah. Why?”

Chase ran a hand through his hair. “It’s my mom’s birthday next month, and she’s obsessed with houseplants. I’d love to take her to the class. Where and when will it be?”

This was it: a meet-cute straight out of one of those romantic comedy movies Ophelia forced me to watch. I could already see it playing out: Violet would shine, talking about a topic that she loved, and Chase would realize how amazing she was. They’d bond over plants and attend prom in spring. It was perfect.

My jaw tightened.

“Wesley?” Chase let out a loud sigh. “I’m kind of in a rush here. Do you remember the details about the class or not?”

Of course I remembered them. Didn’t mean I wanted to tell him, though.

I debated withholding the information, but in the end, a deal was a deal. Violet had kept her end of the bargain, so I’d honor mine. “It’s this Saturday afternoon, at a flower shop called Blooming Queen. Violet’s teaching it.”

There,I thought somewhat grudgingly. I’d set up the meet-cute—commence romantic montage sequence.

Chase let out an awkward laugh. “Oh wow. Violet? That might be kind of weird.”

That wasn’t according to script. “Weird? Why?”

He gave me a conspiratorial look. “You’ve seen how she acts around me. Violet’s had this crush on me for years. She’s kind of like a lost puppy following me around.”

I wanted to wipe that smug expression off his face. Violet cared for this guy? The more Chase spoke, the less I liked him. “Really? I had no idea she was into you,” I forced through gritted teeth.

His mouth fell open. “But you witnessed it just a couple of days ago. She stutters and turns bright red whenever I talk to her.”

Who cared if Violet got a little nervous? Someone needed to set this joker straight. “Violet knows a ton about plants. She just gets nervous around some people, but give her a chance. She’ll rock the class.”

“Maybe. We’ll see.” Chase pulled out his phone and began texting.

And I guess I was dismissed. “Great. Good talk.” You jerk.

I left for the library before I could say anything I might regret.

Unfortunately, Violet wasn’t there, and I didn’t see her for the rest of the week. It was as if she were a ghost. Piper and Olivia offered excuses about Violet being busy with work. But that made no sense. A part-time job at a plant shop couldn’t keep her that busy, could it?

Friday night, I found myself in my bedroom, alone and antsy. Instead of going out with Asher and a few other friends, I sat at my desk, staring at my textbook. I told myself it was for the best. I needed to study, especially if I wanted to keep on top of precalc. But after staring at a blank notebook page for an hour and getting nothing done, I finally had to come clean with myself.

I wasn’t staying home to study; I was staying home because I wanted to talk to Violet.

Should I call her? She’d offered to help with math questions, hadn’t she? Not giving myself time to second-guess my decision, I FaceTimed her, fully expecting her not to answer. But to my surprise, she picked up by the third ring.

“Do my eyes deceive me? Is the math genius staying home on a Friday night?”

Instead of wearing one of her usual boho outfits, Violet wore a fuzzy, striped sweater that draped across her shoulders. Her hair, which was down, hung in loose waves. A string of white Christmas lights decorated the wall behind her, casting her face in a soft glow.

Suddenly tongue-tied, I stumbled over my words. “I…I guess I am. I wanted to show you my test.”

Violet brought her phone closer, a corner of her mouth quirking up. I swallowed, briefly imagining those glossy pink lips pressed against mine. “Come on then, Wes. Pull it out.”

My mouth dried. Excuse me? “Pull what out?”

Violet threw back her head and laughed. “Show me your test, you goof. I want to see your work, Professor Precalc.”

Of course! She was talking about the test. “You’ll have to get used to calling me that now.” I rummaged through my bag and grabbed the exam. “C plus.”

“Bravo. Bravo.” Violet clapped her hands.

“Who are you talking to?” a masculine voice asked from off-screen.

“Hold on. I’ll be right back.” She put her phone down, and I heard talking in the background.

I frowned. Did Violet have a guy over?

Moments later, Micah’s face appeared on the screen. “So, it’s true. You and Violet are discussing math on a Friday night. Let me guess, you’re getting crazy with the distance formula?”

“Get out of here, Micah.” Violet shoved her brother. “You’re one to talk. You’re home on a Friday night too.”

Micah laughed as he blocked Violet from swatting him again. “Sorry to burst your bubble, little sis. But I’m about to go out.”

Violet scrunched up her face. “Is that why you smell like you marinated in a tub of body spray?”

Micah lifted an arm and smelled his armpit. “I’ve never gotten complaints before. Usually, the ladies can’t keep their hands off this.”

“Ew, gross. I don’t want to picture you with girls.” Violet tugged her brother’s arm, dragging him off-screen again.

“Nice talking to you, Wes,” Micah called out. “See you in succulent class tomorrow.”

A door slammed shut, and Violet’s face reappeared, her cheeks rosy and her eyes sparkling. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. You two are hilarious together.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yeah, Micah’s a riot. So, what did you need help with?”

Ready for that question, I held my phone over my textbook. “I’m not sure what to do for number five.”

After a lengthy pause, Violet responded. “Really? But that’s almost the exact same question as one you got right on the quiz.”

Oh shoot. I took a closer look. So it was. “I don’t know why I didn’t figure that out myself. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Anything else?”

I hadn’t even looked at the other questions. “No. That’s it. I…” I tapped my fingers on my thigh, trying to get a grip on my racing thoughts. Now that I had gotten Violet on the phone, I didn’t want our conversation to end. “How are you? I haven’t seen you around.”

Violet’s smile drooped and she let out a yawn. “Busy. It’s been an exhausting week.”

“Is preparing for your succulent class stressing you out?”

“Yeah. The thought of speaking in front of that many people is kind of overwhelming.” Concern creased her forehead. “It feels like everyone’s counting on me, and I’m worried that I’ll mess up.”

I sat a little taller, wishing I could somehow step through the screen and comfort her. “Just be yourself. You’ll do great. My sister and I are coming and she’s talked about it nonstop. It’s getting kind of annoying, to be honest.”

Violet’s eyes lit up. “Really? I can’t wait to meet everyone. After all this time, I feel like I already know them.”

That made sense. “Because you’ve seen them at the store?”

A fleeting look passed over her face. “Yeah. That’s what I mean. I saw a few familiar names on the sign-up sheet.”

That meant Violet had most likely seen Chase’s name too. A small burst of jealousy flared in my gut. I’d bet he was a big reason for her nerves.

“Hey, are you okay?” Violet asked. “Your mood kind of shifted there.”

I barked out a humorless laugh. “I’m fine.” The idea of her going on a date with Chase sat less and less well with me. Violet was already so nervous around him. The idiot wouldn’t know how to make her comfortable. Violet deserved much better than an awkward first date. She needed a guy who’d listen to her and appreciate her humor. Someone who’d work hard to show her a good time and treat her like she was the most special girl in the world.

Chase wasn’t that guy. He’d be an awful first date.

But I wouldn’t.

“I was thinking we should move on to lesson two of helping you get a date with Chase.”

Violet waggled her brows. “Is it time for the makeover montage?”

I laughed, remembering our conversation earlier that week. “No way. Don’t you remember what I said?”

“I’m perfect just the way I am.”

“Exactly.”

A slight blush spread across her cheeks, and her gaze lowered. “What’s the lesson then?”

This was it. There was no turning back. “You and I should go on a date.”

“What?” Violet’s voice shifted several octaves higher. “A date? You and me? Going out together? With romance?” Her cheeks were now a bright red. She looked like an adorable teakettle ready to whistle; I could almost see the steam and panic rising.

“Relax, Vi. It’s just for practice. That way, you’ll be ready for Chase.”

The idiot jerkwad.

Violet’s mouth fell open, and her face ran through every emotion possible, ranging from horror to disbelief and then, finally, acceptance.

“That sounds…reasonable.”

Hardly a resounding endorsement, but I’d take it. “Great. We’ll go out before you go on a date with Chase.”

She tilted her head to one side and pinned me with a look. “Which I still don’t think will happen, by the way.”

Oh, it would happen. I’d already foreseen it. But now, that didn’t matter, since I planned to show her such a good time that any other date would pale in comparison.

There was a knock on my door. “Wes? Are you in there?”

Violet’s eyes widened. “Do you have company? Sorry, I didn’t mean to take up all your time.”

“No. It’s just my sister,” I said. “Come in,” I called out.

Ophelia bounded in, her blond ponytail swinging. “I was just watching SPG’s new video, and you’re never going to believe it. She’s—” My sister stopped when I showed her my cell phone. “Who are you talking to?”

I held the phone closer to her face. “This is Violet. And, Violet, this is my little sister, Ophelia.”

My sister straightened. “I’m not that little, you know. I’ll be a freshman next year, so it’s only a matter of time till I grow taller.” Ophelia was five-foot-two, something that bugged her to no end.

I grinned. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

“Ophelia’s your sister?” Violet asked. “The one you bought the plant for?”

I stared at my cell phone. “Yeah. Why?”

Violet’s gaze lowered, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I caught a glimpse of your texts the other day, and I assumed she was a girl you liked.”

Ophelia grabbed the phone from my hands and took a seat on my bed. “Nope. I’m his sister. Are you Wes’s math tutor?”

I took the phone back. “She sure is. Violet’s super smart at math. And she’s the one who’s teaching the succulent class tomorrow.”

“Really? That’s so cool,” Ophelia gushed. “I can’t wait to hot glue some succulents.”

Violet chuckled. “Yeah. It’s gnarly how their roots eventually grow through the glue. We’re only attaching them to cardboard, but I once saw a lady hot glue succulents to a spoon. She covered the entire thing.”

“That’s nothing,” Ophelia said. “I watched a YouTube video of an artist hot gluing succulents to her nails.”

“No way!” Violet cried. “Now I have to find this video.”

Ophelia nodded wisely, and I bit back a smile. How had I not noticed the similarities between the two sooner? Ophelia met most of the girls I dated, and they were nice enough to her on the whole, but they kept their distance. I guess hanging out with a middle schooler wasn’t necessarily to their tastes. But Ophelia and Violet clicked like two peas in a pod. Or, in this case, two petals on a succulent.

“I swear it’s true,” Ophelia went on as if sharing juicy gossip with Harper. “She said it wasn’t for everyday use, though. Do you watch Shy Plant Girl?”

“SPG? Of course!” Violet exclaimed. “Never miss an episode. She seems pretty cool.”

“She’s the best. I’m one of her biggest fans. I comment on all her videos and have all her merch. See these earrings?” Ophelia turned her head, so Violet could take a look. “They’re from SPG’s limited-edition collection. Wes even won me the plant that she auctioned off at a fundraiser a couple months ago. But it’s not looking too hot right now, and I have no idea why.”

“Maybe I can help?” Violet asked. “I know a thing or two about plants.”

“That would be awesome. Hold on.” Ophelia dashed from the room.

Wow. I’d never seen her move that fast. “Thanks, Violet. You don’t know how much this means. Ophelia’s obsessed over this plant for weeks.” Which meant that every day she gave me a blow-by-blow account of the plant’s health. I didn’t mind, but sometimes I could feel my eyes glazing over.

Violet lay on her bed and propped up her head with her arms while still talking to me. True to form, tiny flowers covered her bedspread. “No problem. I’m always open to chatting with a fellow plant enthusiast.”

Ophelia’s plant obsession went well beyond that. I rested my head on my pillow and stared at Violet’s face, and it almost felt as if we were in the same room, talking together. “My sister got into plants right after they diagnosed her with leukemia about two-and-a-half years ago.”

Ophelia’s diagnosis was a part of my past that most people didn’t know about. I may be the life of the party, but truth was, I was a pretty private person. Only Asher knew about what happened with my sister, but lying here, it felt right sharing with Violet. I didn’t want to keep it a secret from her. I wanted her to know.

“I’m so sorry, Wes. Is she okay now?”

“Yeah. O beat it, and now she’s in remission. But it was tough for a while.” As much as I teased my little sister, I admired the heck out of her. “Ophelia’s braver and stronger than I could ever be. She put on a good game face during her treatment, but I’ll never forget how small she looked in that hospital bed.”

Or how helpless I’d felt.

“It must have been difficult for all of you,” Violet said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I swallowed. If only she knew. To watch someone I loved deteriorate so quickly and not be able to do anything about it was one of the most frightening things I’d ever faced. And then, when things finally seemed to be looking up after Ophelia’s body accepted my bone marrow, my parents dropped a bomb on us by announcing their separation.

Going through cancer and your parents splitting up all in the same year sucked.

“Hey, Wes?”

I returned my gaze to my cell phone.

Violet gave me a soft smile. “Thanks for calling me tonight.”

I stared at the beautiful girl on the screen, wishing she truly was here with me now. “I missed you, Vi,” I murmured.

Violet’s lips parted as if she meant to say something, but no words came out.

Alarms rang in my head. Had I made her uncomfortable? I sat up and ran my hands through my hair. “Look, I don’t want to take up your night. Am I interrupting something? Were you about to go out?”

Please, not with a guy. The thought of Violet hanging out with anyone else left an unfamiliar ache in my heart.

Violet made a noise that sounded like a cross between a snort and a laugh. “You know me. My social life’s packed to the brim with parties and dates.”

The ball of tension eased in my chest. “Well, you never know. Everybody adores a plant lover.”

She giggled. “Yeah, right. You caught me in the middle of doing homework. Trust me, this conversation is a welcome diversion. I enjoy talking to you. And I missed you too.”

Her words hit me like a sucker punch to the stomach, leaving me confused and feeling off-kilter. What was happening here? I was hardly a novice when it came to the whole dating scene. So why was talking to Violet bringing up all these unfamiliar emotions?

“I’m back,” Ophelia half-sang as she bounded into my room. “See?” She held the wilted plant in front of the screen and pouted.

I eyed its drooping, yellow leaves. “Geez, O. That plant’s practically dead. I don’t think Violet can do anything to help it.”

Ophelia shouted, “Wes!” at the same time as Violet said, “Now hold on a minute.”

Both girls glared at me.

“Don’t listen to your brother.” Violet leaned closer to the screen. “Can you bring the plant nearer to the phone? I need to get a better look.”

Ophelia raised her eyebrows at me. “Well, you heard her. Bring your phone closer.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I pretended to grumble but moved it closer.

Violet directed me to move my phone from stem to leaf and back down to the stem again.

“You’re overwatering it,” she concluded. “Gently ease the plant from the dirt to check if it has root rot. If it does, trim off the rotten bits and place the plant in water. That’ll give the remaining roots time to heal. And see how the edges of the leaves are crispy? That means it’s getting too much light, or you have hard tap water. Keep the plant farther away from the light source and try using distilled water.”

Ophelia solemnly nodded, hanging on Violet’s every word. “I’ll do all of that. But if Mr. Darcy’s still struggling, could you look at him again?”

“Certainly,” Violet said, not seeming even slightly fazed that my sister named her plant after a fictitious character. “You can even come by my aunt’s shop to show me there. Wes knows where I work.” Violet’s eyes darted to the right, and I heard a muffled voice in the background. “Sorry. Gotta go. It was great meeting you, Ophelia. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Bye, Violet.” Ophelia looked at me as if to say, Well, aren’t you going to say something?

I brought the phone to my face. “Bye, Vi. Thanks again for the help.

She beamed. “Anytime. Bye, Wes.”

I ended the call on cloud nine. Ophelia stood beside my bed, watching me.

“What?”

Ophelia narrowed her eyes. “Don’t screw this one up.”

Guess my sister hadn’t missed the steady stream of girls over the years. “You’ve got the wrong idea, O. We’re not dating. Violet’s just a friend.”

Ophelia tucked Mr. Darcy under her arms. “That’s not what it sounded like to me. You said you missed her, and Violet said she missed you too.”

How could she know that when she wasn’t in the room at the time? “Were you listening to our conversation?”

“Your door was half-open, and I’ve got nothing better to do than hang out with my brother on a Friday night. What do you expect? Of course I eavesdropped! I need some excitement in my life.”

I sent a pillow sailing in her direction, and Ophelia jumped out of the way with a laugh. “Something’s definitely up. Your aim is way off. I can’t believe my brother actually fell for a girl.”

Not this again. How many times did I have to say it? “We’re friends.”

“Sure. Friends who miss each other and go on dates.” Ophelia’s laughter trailed behind her as she left the room.