Page 119 of Salute, To Bravery
I put on some light makeup, just enough to hide the dark circles under my eyes. Once I was ready, I went to the front door and grabbed my keys.
After about thirty minutes of trying to convince myself that this was the right thing to do, I arrived at the beach. The cold breeze and the sound of waves calmed my mind.This was the right decision. Soon enough, Violet arrived with the food and blankets. I had offered to bring some, but she insisted she brought everything. It was nice that she cared.
“Hello,” Violet said with a warm smile.
“Hi,” I said cheerfully. I was still very nervous about this entire idea of hanging out with a person one-on-one.
“So, I have crackers, cheese, and fruit. I also have some juice,” she rambled.
“It’s lovely. Thank you for bringing everything. Money is tight right now,” I said to her. It made me feel guilty to know that she brought everything.
“It’s okay! I love bringing food and drinks,” she said, her warm smile persistent. Her eyes had wrinkles in the corners, showing me it was a genuine smile.
I hadn’t seen a genuine smile in what felt like ages. Most of them were out of courtesy, or they wanted something from me. It was exhausting, but I didn’t feel exhausted when I was around Violet. I felt new, as if I had never experienced pain.
I just smiled back at her. How could she be so kind? I took her hand and led her down to the beach. We walked for a little bit in silence until we found our spot next to a river that led to a cave.
“I love the ocean; the ocean is my happy place,” I said as we got settled in.
“Me too,” she said with a soft smile.
“What is your favorite flower?” I asked.
“Daisy,” she put simply.
“Mine is a white rose,” I said, looking into her beautiful chocolate eyes.
I couldn’t imagine a more stunning human, with her black frizzy hair, her button nose, and her pink rose lips. It was all perfect. She seemed like a goddess; shewasa goddess, and I was the commoner.
“Are you going to break my heart?” I asked, letting my filter falter.
“Are you going to break mine?”
“I have no intention of ever breaking your heart,” I said. I never wanted to break anyone’s heart, especially hers. “You are already so dear to me. I can’t wait to show you the same courtesy that you’ve shown me.”
“And what courtesy is that?”
“The courtesy of being heard and seen.”
“That’s not a courtesy, it’s my privilege to see and hear you as you are. It’s not a courtesy, courtesies are forced and unwelcoming. They are horrid things.”
“I agree.” I didn’t know that I had agreed with her a few moments before. It was amazing that someone knew what courtesy meant to me.
The rest of the time, we just talked. I don’t even remember what we talked about, though. All I knew was that once we started, we couldn’t stop.
We stayed there until sunset and had to leave quickly because Violet had to have dinner with her dad. At the end, I hopped into my car and drove away with the biggest smile on my face. That had been the perfect first hangout.
Chapter Five.
Violet
The windows were rolled down. The music was making the air vibrate as my hair flew everywhere. I couldn’t help but feel a grin on my pink lips. My chest felt light, the lightest it had felt in years. My mind was clear, and everything that had harmed me before disappeared as I drove back into the city.
Ring. Ring.
“Hey, Luna,” I turned down the music. “What’s up?”
“Tell me everything,” she screamed into the phone. “I know you were hanging out with Ophelia, and you need to tell me everything right now!”
