Viola DelMane was sure she had made many mistakes in her almost-sixteen years of life, but she was almost a hundred percent sure she had never made one as big as this.
Scratch that, she was very sure she had never made a mistake as big as this, and if she hadn't sewn a crooked line on an expensive fabric several times, she wouldn't have admitted it. She leaned back in her seat, looking up and letting out a sigh that gave dejected a new definition.
It was Saturday and Bella's birthday was drawing near, and what could be a better gift than a self-made dress? Plus, the fabric was amazing, smooth to the touch, sky blue, cozy, and definitely Bella. But every time she tried to attach the sleeves, her stomach would turn over and she'd be hit by a strong wave of guilt.
She had to tell Bella, or else she'd die before her junior year, and she wasn't sure she was joking about that.
Deciding to pack up and leave, she stood and grabbed her bag from the bench beside her. She was very grateful Michelle Henshaw allowed her to use one of Teen Stars' sewing machines for personal purposes, because without her permission, she'd have to go to her weekend fashion class, and she wasn't sure her mom was completely happy about that.
She said goodbye to her fashion instructor after putting what will eventually be a pretty dress with flared sleeves in her bag. The woman sent her a wave, engrossed in an important phone call.
On her way out of the Fashion building, she checked her phone, feeling a weird blend of loneliness and relief when she saw that she had no texts and no one had called her. Amora had been texting her nonstop for the past few days, apologizing, begging her to listen, telling her that she was just angry on Halloween night and that she didn't mean any of what she said. And while Viola was a little happy the texts had stopped, she felt empty, like a part of her had been ripped out and thrown into a blender.
In the short time her and Amora had been friends, she felt like nothing else that happened around her was important, and right now, she wished she could go back to feeling that way, but it wasn't possible. Things were too real now.
She decided to walk home, already adapting to her new routine, wanting to clear her head and buy herself some time. Her steps were slow and her head was down, and she mentally practiced what she'd say when she got to Bella's house. Her best friend would be mad, that was obvious, but maybe they would work something out. After all, they'd been best friends for ten years and that had to mean a lot, right?
Wrong.
If it meant anything, she wouldn't have thrown it all away and given herself to her inferiority complex. She wouldn't have withdrawn herself as much as she did and lied and kept secrets. She would've been more open, going to her best friend who was there for herâeven though she was distracted by her own life and Internet fame most of the time.
That was how it should've been all along.
She hated herself for minutes and didn't realize when she got to the Quincys. Their house looked warm, but her stomach was turning with nerves. She could imagine Bella's happy but sad face before, and her shocked face after. Oh no, she couldn't do this.
She absolutely couldn't do this.
But she was already here, so wouldn't going back make her seem like a coward?
Viola stared at the house for a few more seconds, then drew in a deep breath and walked towards it.
You can do this, Viola, she told herself. It'll all be over soon.
She wiped her sweaty palms on her dress before ringing the doorbell, cringing after she did it.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
The face that greeted her made her smile without thinking, and the situation suddenly seemed less scary.
Cody let out a sigh of relief. "Wow, you're a lifesaver!" he exclaimed, sounding like he had been running on a treadmill all day.
"Someone's happy to see me," she teased, walking into the house after he stepped aside.
"Are you kidding me?" He closed the door. "If I sat on that couch for one more second, I'm sure I would've exploded."
She released a laugh, the atmosphere reminding her of old times, when she'd just walk into the house and immediately make her way to the fridge like she owned it. "Really?"
"Yeah." Cody magically walked past her, rushing to the couch like it was a lifeline and sinking into it. "I had a lot to eat and I was finding it hard to move." He leaned his head back into the couch, staring up at the ceiling, and she sat beside him, keeping her bag on her left.
"This isn't your version of getting drunk, right? Because I'll let you know that both are bad choices."
He turned his head in her direction, staring at her for a while, his lips up in a smile that meant a lot. Viola had always felt comfortable in Cody's company. She didn't know how he did it, but he always made her feel at ease, and if things were different, she was sure she would've fallen for him.
"What?" she asked, fighting her smile.
"I just missed you. A lot. Bella was a lot to handle without you," he said, his voice low and soft, and she playfully punched his shoulder.
"Don't lie to me. You missed me because you missed me and not because of Bella."
Cody's smile widened. "Yeah. You're right."
Viola's eyes drifted to the stairs. "Speaking of Bella, where is she?"
"She left a while ago to meet Beau. She said it was important and refused to tell me what was up. It feels weird," he added. "I mean, my sister has a boyfriend?"
Viola laughed, feeling oddly relieved. She wasn't ready to tell Bella anything, and she was happy she wouldn't have toâat least not today. "You better believe it," she told Cody. "I like the both of them together. They're cute, and Beau's usually giving her an enjoyable hard time."
"I wish that made me feel good."
"Aw, you're jealous you have to share her with another boy now. Protection didn't last too long, did it?"
Cody raised his eyebrows at her as if saying, "Seriously?" and she laughed, turning so she faced him.
"I'm not jealous," he told her, "Just weirded out."
"Mhm." Something occurred to Viola, and her smile fell. He seemed to notice, because he sat up and looked more alert. "I hope... I hope you and Kyra are okay. That's not why you're like this, is it?"
Cody's expression relaxed. "Of course we're fine. We're more than fine. I was just bored and didn't feel like watching anything."
She nodded, her heart calming and her day seeming brighter. Everything was fine. For now. "You know, I'm still kinda mad you didn't tell me about her," she confessed, looking down at her fingers as she pulled on them. "I told you virtually everything, but despite that, you kept it from me."
She waited for one second. Two seconds. Three seconds. But Cody still remained quiet. When she finally looked up at him, she saw that he was watching her. And the look in his eyes caused all her walls to go down. They had already been attacked before, so they were weak, but Cody was the last boulder thrown at them.
She slowly wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder, turning her head so she could inhale his smell. He moved a little, then put an arm around her, holding her close.
This was how it was supposed to be.
Viola struggled to keep her tears in, her emotions fighting to come forward, and she tightened her hold on Cody.
"I'm sorry," he told her. "I just didn't plan it all, so..." He took a while, then added, "I was wondering why you acted weird that day."
The first tear escaped, and she buried her face in his shirt. "Cody." Her voice was cracked when she spoke, and it was obvious she was crying. "I'm sorry."
"We've already gone past this, Vi. It's okay."
She sniffled, more tears rushing out of her eyes. "No, you don't understandâ"
"Viola, it's okay. That's all over now."
She nodded into his shirt, wondering if she should tell him about what she did. The thought made her heart race, so she sent it away and just focused on the moment. When she was sure she could talk without crying, she turned her head so she could see him, and he looked down at her.
Cody took in her expression, a smile tugging the corners of his lips upward.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing. I just missed you. Bella would never hug me or cry into my shirt."
She playfully punched him in the stomach, causing him to laugh, then re-buried her face into his shirt.
Cody didn't tell her she was being too dramatic, and he didn't try to speed up the moment. He let her take her time, his chest rising and falling slowly, and when she felt the emotion bubble in her stomach, she knew this was what she neededâthis was enough.
For now.
* * *
Hey, guys!! Long time! Thank you sooo much for checking this out. I thought you guys deserved to see how guilty Viola feels after the way the book ended. I'm still open to bonus suggestions, so if you have any, DM me here on Wattpad or leave a message on my board and I'll get back to you. I love you all.
P.S. I might have exciting news to share with you guys soon. Any guesses? ð