Violet: The Outsiders Series, #3

SARA SCHOEN

Dedication

To those who never give up.

May you find the answers you’re looking for, even if they aren’t always the answers you want. Sometimes, they are the answers you need.

Chapter 1

Violet

Ever since Sage was released from Juvie, she hadn’t spent time with us in months. I knew she wanted to be independent and find herself or whatever now that she was off parole, and because she was pissed we considered the Williams family, but we had been trying to see her. Not for us either, for Seth. Lexi, Sage’s roommate, had told him off for being a dick to her about lying. I didn’t agree with lying either, but I understood why she did it. She wanted a fresh start. I hadn’t been that different when the Williams took us in. She didn’t want everyone knowing her past; I could relate. I hid my past, and it came to bite Rose in the ass later.

Thankfully, she and Devon got even, and Justin agreed to pretend to date me for a little bit to even the score against my ex-friend. Aubree wanted to sabotage me like her sister, Emma, did to Rose. Justin and I didn’t date long. We didn’t mesh as well as Devon and Rose did, but we got the point across to Aubree, which was all I cared about. Though, I did enjoy a good romance, so I couldn’t be more eager to help Sage reconnect with her old crush. If only she would stop avoiding us. Seth’s been over here many times before, but Sage always ditched us. We weren’t going to let that happen again.

Can you call her again? Is she actually coming this time? Mrs. Williams asked, honestly, I think she was just as excited as Rose and I were. She loved us so much and had accepted Sage instantly even though Sage didn’t see it like that. Eventually, she’d accept our new family. She was hurting, but soon, I knew she’d love the Williams family like we do.

I’m calling her now, Rose chimed, shaking her phone in the air momentarily before putting the phone on speaker for us to listen in.

Hello? I could hear the are you seriously calling again tone in her voice.

Hey, are you almost here? Rose asked, trying to calm her voice, but she looked at Devon with a smile that said it all. This is it. She’s coming. Get ready. We’re waiting for you before we cut the cake. Where are you?

Sage laughed lightly, something I hadn’t heard in a long time and stole my breath away to hear again. Yeah, I can see your house now. I’m down the street. Why don’t you come outside? Then you can watch me to make sure I don’t run away or something at the last minute.

Rose stood up straight, stealing her phone off the kitchen counter and heading toward the door. I turned to Seth, who was talking to Lexi about how Sage was going to react. We didn’t have time to worry about it. It was now or never, and we needed to hide him before she came or she could walk out before they could talk.

I see you! Come on, I know you can walk faster than that! It’s chilly out here! Rose yelled, loud enough for us to hear so we could get Seth into position, out of sight until Sage had no choice but to talk to him.

Come with me, I whispered, taking his hand and pulling him toward the dining room and sitting him down to make sure he was hidden when Sage walked in. I put my index finger over my lips to remind him to stay silent. Though from how pale his face was, I think his nerves would have kept him quiet without my reminder.

He nodded as Rose shut the door and waved me over to her. I rushed to the door as she went into the kitchen and pulled open the door just as Sage walked up. There you are! I practically screamed as I jumped up and down, eager to have them reconnect. I’m so happy you came. Come on, let’s hurry. We’ve been waiting for you! I grabbed her hand and pulled her inside quickly, leading her away from Seth. Sage clearly had other ideas though; she pulled against me and caused me to let go of her.

Her eyes turned to slits as she gave me a questioning look. Were you all really that concerned I wouldn’t show up? Why would I not come to your birthday? Did I say something? She took off her coat, but when she went toward where Seth was hiding, I panicked.

No! I screamed, not really hearing her question, but scaring her. I grabbed her hand lightly, taking her coat and putting it away for her. Of course now she had to respect where the Williams wanted guest coats to go...and almost ruin our plan. I mean, no, we didn’t think you’d ditch us or anything. We just have a surprise, and we wanted to make sure you didn’t find out before you got here. We thought you might have figured it out. I cringed at my own choice of words. Way to go, Violet!

What would I have figured out? Isn’t this for your birthday?

Well, yes, in a way it is, but we also have a surprise for you! I smiled brightly as Sage looked at everyone else before asking what was going on. If only she knew! She’d either run out of the house or be secretly excited.  I’d say don’t get mad, but that’s inevitable. So instead, just keep an open mind, okay? I knew Sage; I knew she wouldn’t be pleased with that answer. I was lucky she didn’t bite my head off right then.

You’re not here to celebrate Violet’s birthday, Rose chimed in from across the kitchen, pulling Sage’s attention from me to her. We brought you here because someone wants to talk to you, and they were pretty convinced you wouldn’t be up for it without some persuasion. So we lied, but it has a purpose. Bring him in, Lexi!

Sage’s attention went to the doorway as Seth stepped into the room and closed the distance between them. Sage didn’t speak, and I didn’t need to see her face to know she was in shock. Her body became rigid and tense as she stammered out incomplete words and turned to Rose.

Don’t look at us. We only got you here, Rose explained, nodding her head towards Lexi. It’s Lexi who talked to him, and from what we hear, he’s got something he wants to talk to you about. We just get to be a part of the master plan. Though, I am glad you made a new friend, Sage. She seems to really care about you.

And I think she’s a pretty good one at that if she can convince Seth to come talk to you again, Lexi added, gently pushing Seth forward to stand toe to toe with me. Not that I’m biased or anything, but I think you owe this friend a cake or something after all this work. He didn’t know she was your friend until he came clean about wanting to talk to you. From there, it was all easy. But don’t worry; your nosey friend will get out of your hair while you two talk. The real party is in the other room, come on everyone, let’s let these two talk it out!

We walked out of the room, the Williams first, even though Mrs. Williams was rooting strongly for a happy ending, then Devon and Justin, and finally Rose, Lexi and me. I wished her good luck as I left and then posted as close to the door as I could, so I could eavesdrop. We all listened to the back and forth, cringing at comments and smiling through to the end. Seth and Sage both took cheap shots, but the hard truth was just what they both needed.

He talked about how he felt four years ago when she shut him out, and she got to tell him she now understood the pain from seeing him walk out on her. But Seth had surprised us all.

I had to listen about how my father cheated on my mother, his wife! He expected me to lie to her so he could keep going behind her back. I refused and told her anyway behind his back. She got to take photographic evidence of his infidelity and use it to win favor in the divorce. Thanks to a pre-nup that specifically said if either cheated it was null and void. So yeah, you may not have deserved all of that, but you did earn some of it.

I felt my eyes widen from the unexpected bomb drop and glanced at everyone else to see if they knew. Suddenly, everyone felt dreadful for eavesdropping, but we didn’t stop. For that, we got another surprise.

Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’ve spent the last few months figuring out some stuff and just so you know I’m going to tell the truth from now on. Starting with you meeting my new family.

Excuse me? Seth’s voice rang with confusion as footsteps raced towards us. I straightened up instantly when they walked in the room and slouched slightly knowing I was too close to the door. There’s no hiding now. These two eavesdroppers are the ones who I risked everything for, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I have a long story to tell you about what we went through, she added, pulling him forward slightly so he could join us. Clearly she didn’t know we already knew him. That’s Devon, Rose’s little outsider who’s annoyingly good at reading me and his brother. Then we have the Williams who took them in while I was in Juvie. You’ve met Lexi, and probably know she has my old job, and that’s another long story that she’ll have to explain to you if she’s ready to share. Though, I think my sisters’ story comes first if you’re willing to listen.

He smirked, turning to Sage with a lopsided grin. I’ve waited four years, so all I’ve got to say is it’s about damn time. Let’s find a comfortable place to sit, and I want to hear all about it! He joined Mr. and Mrs. Williams and Lexi on the sofa before Rose and I joined them. I started telling our full story before my phone rang and pulled me away from the conversation.

Hunter Morgan’s name spread across my screen, and I quickly excused myself. Rose took over while I left the room.

Hey, Hunter, what’s up?

Hey sorry to bother you, I know you said you were going to hang out with family this weekend. I just wanted to let you know I won’t be in school Monday so you will either present the project by yourself or have to wait until Tuesday. I wanted to let you know before you got the email from Mrs. Henly.

I paced around the front door area for a moment before moving closer to the kitchen so no one would overhear our conversation. Is everything okay? You’re missing a lot of school lately. I don’t mind waiting to present the project; it’s your grade too, but if you need time, just let me know. I didn’t know Hunter well, but I knew the signs and his reputation. Hunter is one of the foster kids at my school, the same ones I wanted to avoid when I first arrived. I felt bad for taunting them, and now most of us were friends, but Hunter still seemed to hold a little resentment.

Yeah, I just have to visit some family this weekend, and I don’t think I’ll make it back in time. On the other side of the line I heard him talking to someone else momentarily. Static and ruffling sounds echoed in my ear as I peeked around the corner to see Sage staring at something. I tilted my head and tried to see what it was as Hunter came back. Hey, I have to go. Someone’s here. I’ll see you Tuesday, bye! He said it so quickly and then hung up on me before I could even say good-bye.

I shrugged and stepped towards Sage, but stopped when she started talking to herself. I’ve been angry for so long because of what you put us through...I’ve moved past it now. It’s time to move on, and I have to do it without you. Hope whatever happened to you was worth it because I’m done looking.

I watched as she ripped the paper in her hand and then tossed it into the trash. I waited for her to head back into the other room before I made my way over to the garbage. Peeking over my shoulder, I made sure no one saw me pull an old photo from the trash. The photo was of both my sisters and our parents. The people who abandoned us, left us, and never ever came back for us. While I had a family, who I loved with everything in me for saving Rose and me, but I couldn’t help but wonder about them, the ones who left their own children behind.

I could barely remember what they looked or sounded like, but they haunted my dreams and waking hours. Staring at this photo, I should feel disdain like Rose and Sage do, but gazing at them just now, I felt connected to people whom I never really knew. I wonder what happened to them...I wonder if I could find them and finally ask why they did it. Why did they leave us alone?

Chapter 2

Violet

I took my usual seat in Mrs. Henly’s English class, second row and closest to the window so I could look outside to be distracted, and waited to see if Hunter showed up like he promised. Summer was just around the corner, but over the last few months he had been coming in sporadically. He sometimes went a week without showing up to class and sometimes he never had an explanation. Though if he had one, he wouldn’t tell me. I couldn’t blame him, at least not at first. I had been awful to him and the other foster kids when I first showed up. I hated myself for it now, but I did what I thought I needed to in order to fit in.

So much for that.

Heron High had become the site of many confrontations and battles over the last few years for Rose and me. While Sage hadn’t gone to Heron High, high school had played a part in her story as well. She just didn’t have any of the bad luck Rose and I had been plagued with since starting here. Sure, she had to raise us when our parents left, but she took that job. She made that choice. We didn’t get a choice except for behave or be sent back that Mrs. Williams gave us when she agreed to take us both in so we could stay together. From there, it went down hill.

At first people just stared; I assumed it was because we were new. It happened in movies all the time. Somehow everyone knew who the new person was. I assumed it was because it was a small town, most people knew everyone, but class size went into the three hundreds so it wasn’t that small. But it continued even after the first few months we were here.

Then I thought it was because Rose and Devon started dating. Aubree, my friend at the time, said her sister hated that. I felt bad for Devon. Everyone felt like they owned him. Emma said she was the only girl for him. Sam sent him to the hospital for disobeying him. It’s a wonder he made it to senior year. He’s only got two months left to go. At least now he has Rose. They hadn’t had an easy time. Devon had to fight to be with and keep Rose.

First, with Emma and Sam attacking Rose and almost getting her expelled, but also almost getting her booted out of the Williams’ house. Even though we figured out Drake, Vince, and Sasha had truly been behind it, they brought the fight to Heron High. Sam made Rose and Devon’s lives hell with Emma, Devon’s ex by his side. They framed her for drugs and alcohol, and then confessed they had done it on a recording. That’s the only way she managed to get out of her jam.

Though it didn’t help that I turned against her as well. If I hadn’t been so caught up in starting over, then I could have helped her. Instead, I just made everything worse. She felt alone and isolated, and when she got in trouble, I sent her away. I told her to leave if she wanted to, but I wouldn’t follow her. Seriously what had I been thinking?

That’s a dumb question. I know what I was thinking.

I thought she did it herself. That she put the alcohol in her locker and wanted to get caught. She spent so long trying to find a way out of the Williams’ home that it made sense. Once I listened to Emma and Sam’s confession, I knew I had been wrong. I felt awful and thankfully, Justin agreed to help me. Emma wanted Devon, and Aubree wanted Justin. They wanted some weird sibling thing, where each sister got one of the brothers. With Rose taking Devon, Justin played along and pretended to date me for a while until Emma gave up. I did get the chance to tell her off finally.

Justin, stop it! I laughed, pushing him lightly. Despite us not actually dating, we seemed like we were. We had gotten close over those last few months thanks to Rose and Devon. We had a lot in common, but we couldn’t date each other for real. We just didn’t have that connection. We made great friends, and everyone thought we were dating, but there were no emotions between us.

Come on, it’s funny. You have to admit that. Could you imagine if Devon and Rose had kids. They’d be like angry, yet overly trusting balls of energy. Like angry puppies!

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. For one, imagining Rose having kids and then what they would be like mixed with Devon, who was her total opposite in so many ways. I have no idea how they’ll last, but I’m glad they have each other. I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the mini spawn of Satan as Rose and I called her and her sister.

If you’re done, I’d like to talk to Justin now.

My eyes didn’t leave Justin’s except for the short eye roll, which made him laugh. He leaned forward and took my hand, gently pulling me towards him, which pissed her off. Works for me.

Emma, we aren’t in the mood to deal with you today. Can’t you leave us alone? I know you’re upset that you lost me, but can you stop harassing us? Justin questioned, as he stared at her.

Seriously, you’re just embarrassing yourself. Can you stop trying to ruin my life and just live your own? It’s getting a little sad. You and your sister need help. I pulled on Justin’s hand and led him away to head to class before Aubree spoke up again.

Don’t bring my sister into this you, little bitch. You know what happens when you mess with me.

I stopped in my tracks, making Justin mutter, Oh shit.

I turned to Aubree, stomping my way back to her and getting up in her face. She backed against the lockers and slid down slightly, not expecting my reaction to be so volatile. Your sister almost got me separated from my sister. I don’t give a fuck about your sister or you for that matter. You’re both terrible human beings who think everything should be given to you. You had me hurt innocent people because you didn’t like them, and if I didn’t then you didn’t like me. You’re awful. I’m sorry I ever hung out with you. If you ever try to threaten me again, I’ll show you why foster kids have a bad reputation.

That short conversation was seared into my memory, as it was in everyone else’s. A video spread like wildfire across the school and even a year later, people still brought it up. That’s why I was still stared at, like some dog in the lineup for best in show, because I revealed we were foster kids. That quickly became controversial due to my fall from grace.

Even though most of the foster kids had forgiven me, Hunter seemed determined to make me suffer. I’d say I couldn’t blame him, but it had been a year. When would he think I’ve finally had enough? He was frustrating me with how stubborn and relentless he was.

The bell rang overhead, and once again, Hunter was a no show. He wants to mess with my grade. This is just part of