//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Night // Story: Violet Times // by Echo Breeze //------------------------------// I approached the apartment block where my family stayed, and I didn't like the fact that I had brought my first boyfriend to such a drab place, but the circumstances called for it. I pulled into the ramshackle parking garage that accompanied the apartment building and into the space that used to be occupied by the beat up old wreck of a sedan my dad owned. We got out, I locked the car and we walked to my apartment. It was the first apartment on the third floor. I unlocked and opened the door. "After you, Oak. Welcome to my humble abode. It's not much, but it has been home for the last four and a half years." I said as the door swung inward. "Thank you, Vi. Ah know it ain't much, but as ya said, it's home." Burnt Oak replied. "Would you like something to eat while we're here?" I asked him. "Yea, sure. Ah'm starvin." he replied. "I'll fix us a little something for dinner and then we can take a change of clothes to my mother." I said. "Sounds like a plan," he said. "Make yourself at home, I won't be long." I said. I then went to the kitchen and started to make some food. I decided to make us a bolognese with some grated parmesan on the top. I don't have extensive culinary expertise, but I do make a mean bolognaise. I set a pot of water on the stove to boil with a teaspoon of oil in. I then dabbed some oil on a frying pan and set it to heat up on the stove. I then went to take the minced meat and other ingredients I would need out of the fridge. I thanked the foresight to take the minced meat out of the freezer this morning before I left for school this morning. I was planning on making this for my parents and I when mother and I returned from Sweet Apple Acres, but the thought of that made me lose what semblance of composure I had left. I felt the tears forming, but I willed through it, a single teardrop falling on my hand. The frying pan had heated up to an acceptable heat so I added the minced meat to start browning. Once it was sufficiently browned, I turned the heat down to let it simmer. I then moved to chopping the onion and tomato and added that to the pan. While that was simmering, I dropped some spaghetti into the pot of now rapidly boiling water, and left it to boil. I then peeked out of the kitchen to see Burnt Oak sitting on the living room sofa reading one of the books that mother read often, and that I would read when I got bored. I went over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. He looked up and smiled, and it felt like my heart was about to explode. "Dinner will be ready in five, so you better go wash up." I told him. He got up and kissed me, it wasn't a heated, passionate kiss, but a subdued and respectful one. He remembered that I wanted to take things slow. "Alright. Can Ah use yer phone right quick. Just wanna phone home and tell I won't be comin' back tonight." he asked. "Sure, but you better hurry. I'll set the table for us." I replied. With that, I returned to the kitchen and set to work setting the table. I grabbed a strainer and drained the spaghetti to put it in a bowl. I then set the pan and the bowl in the middle with a plate and a fork on each side for each of us. At that moment, Burnt Oak walked in. He sat down at one end. "What would you like to drink? We have some non-alcoholic cider that I bought, normal cider, Sprite, Cola, still water and cranberry juice." I asked him. "Jes some Sprite'll do." he replied. "Okay. Don't tell my mother, but I'm having a cider. Gods know I need it right now." I said. "Alright, but ya ain't drivin' then." he said with a smirk. "Deal" I said as I poured him a glass of Sprite. I then grabbed a cider from the refrigerator and sat down. "There is a stop I gotta make before we come back here later." he said after swallowing a mouthful of bolognaise. "Mmm. And what's that?" I asked. "I gotta go home to get a change of clothes. But yer gonna hafta stay in the car when we get there. Ma thinks Ah'm stayin' over at Mac's." he replied. "Sure. We can do that." I said, looking deeply into his eyes. 'Gods, I could get lost in those eyes for eternity' I thought to myself as we sat there eating. An hour later, we were back in the car and on our way to the hospital, an overnight bag prepared for my mother. We were going down the highway, light traffic most of the way. Suddenly, the flash of blue lights behind us signaled the arrival of the police. Burnt Oak pulled over and came to a stop. The officer climbed out of his vehicle and came to the driver window. "Evening Officer. What seems ta be the problem." Oak asked after rolling down the window. "Nothing much. Let me see your license and registration please." the officer asked. "Sure thing." Oak replied. He fished around in his glove box for the necessary documents. "Here ya go." "Burnt Oak, I take it you're Ms. Enigma. You better follow me. There has been a development at the hospital. We weren't sure what car you were in, so it was luck that you were in the first car I pulled over." the officer said. "What development?" I asked. "Your father came to while you were out. He asked for you specifically." the officer replied. "I'm going to give you a full escort." "Yes sir. We'll be right behind you." Oak said. "Hold on tight, Vi." Oak turned the key, and the Pontiac roared to life with a throaty growl. The officer turned on his sirens and took off, Oak following as closely as possible. Within a few minutes, we were at the hospital. We climbed out, me grabbing the overnight bag on the way, and ran over to the officer. Oak didn't even bother to lock. "Thank you, officer." I said as we approached him. "It's no problem. I'll watch your car. I saw you didn't lock it." he replied "Thanks," Oak said as we turned and ran to the doors. We got to the lobby and headed straight for the elevators. Luckily, there was one already waiting on the ground floor. We took it all the way up to the third floor. We stopped at the charge station to announce our arrival. "Violet Enigma here to see Dean Shadow." I said to the charge nurse. "Violet. I've been told to tell you that we moved him to a private room. Fifth floor, room 5A." she replied "Thank you." I said as I turned to run back to the elevator, Oak following me all the way. "At least he's seemed to recover." Oak said as we got into the elevator. I hit the button for the fifth floor. The doors closed and we were on our way. We got to the room my father was in and saw him lying on the bed, talking to my mother. "Father!" I yelled as I ran up to him. "Violet." he replied with a pained smile. He wrapped him in an embrace, not too tight because of his injuries. "You're okay." I said with tears in my eyes "Yes, I am now." He replied. He looked over to Burnt Oak and asked. "And who are you?" "Uhh, howdy sir. Mah name is Burnt Oak, Violet's boyfriend." He replied nervously. "Since when?" he asked me. "Since today, actually. He was there when mother and I got the news that you were in hospital. He's been driving me around. He took me home to go get my mother an overnight bag. I think she wants to stay by you." I said. My mother nodded in response, her face looking the happiest since we got the news. "Burnt Oak, huh. Your family owns that oak orchard out on the west freeway, right?" my father asked. "Yes sir." Oak replied. "When I get out of here, we're gonna have a chat. Guy to guy." my father said. I could visibly see Oak gulp. "Father." I protested. "Now now, dear. Leave the poor kid alone." my mother scolded. "Well sir, I'm glad ta see yer on the up and up." Oak said, hoping to change the topic. "Well, as am I." my father said. "We best be heading off. Oak is gonna drop me off at Candy's and he's gotta get home." I said, hoping to get us out of the awkward situation. "See you tomorrow after school, father." "Take care, Violet. And watch out. The people who did this to me are still out there." my father said. "What do you mean, the people who did this to you. Who is it?" I asked. "Nevermind that, dear. Your father will tell us all when he is a little more well rested." my mother said. Oak grabbed my hand and led me off for the second time, both of us stepping into the brisk chill air of the autumn night. We were in the car for the third time that evening, on our way to Burnt Oak's family home. I still don't know why he didn't tell his family the truth of where he was staying. I looked over to him, a slight look of confusion on my face. He looked over to me. "Vi, yer starin' at me with that look again. What's eatin' at ya." he asked. "Nothing much. Just wondering why you didn't tell your family the truth." I said nonchalantly "No reason." he dodged the question. "Pardon my language, but I'm gonna call bullshit on that one," I said, not believing him for a second. "Just tell me the truth, please." he was quiet for a few seconds. We had just gotten to the onramp for the western highway, a few miles from his farm, before he spoke again. "Mah family is mighty old fashioned. They don't believe in a boy stayin' over at a girl's house and vice versa. I know they don't know we're datin', but I wanna be there for ya. They won't allow it if they knew the truth." he said dejectedly. "That's all I wanted to know." I said. "I understand the situation, and I have faith that they'll come to accept me in due time, but I don't like the fact that you have to lie to your folks, even if it's for me." "Thank ya fer understandin', Vi, and Ah'm sure they will. Yer a very likeable gal, darlin'." he said. He must have realized his slip of the tongue, because he started blushing. It caused me to laugh. "Why ya laughin'?" "Nothing. You're just do cute when you blush." I said, which caused him to blush harder, and me to laugh harder. He reached over and squeezed my thigh, which caused me to squeal, and him to laugh. "Hey, no fair. I didn't have to touch you to fluster you." "Ah know, darlin'. It was just easier for me." he said. "Still. No fair." I said, crossing my arms and sticking my tongue out at him. He pulled off of the highway and on to a dirt road. I stared in awe at the towering, three storey mansion that loomed in the distance. "Welcome, darlin', ta mah humble abode." Burnt Oak said as we pulled up to the house. I couldn't believe it. "You're saying that you live here." I said, awestruck. "Yep." he affirmed. "What do ya think?" "It's… Amazing." I replied. He turned off the car and climbed out. "Ah won't be long, darlin'" he said, then turned and ran up the steps to the front door. A few minutes later, he came back out holding a duffel bag in his hand. He opened the trunk, deposited the bag in it and climbed back into the car. He started it up and we were on our way. A couple hours later, we were back at my apartment. I turned to Burnt Oak and grabbed his hand. I led him over to the living room sofa and we sat down. "Oak, I'm gonna go take a shower. Make yourself at home. You can watch a bit of TV if you wanna. My bedroom is down the hall and to the left if you wanna put your bag in there." I said. "Sure thing, darlin'." he said. "Okay. Won't be long." I said, giving him a kiss that was a little less subdued than the one he gave me earlier in the evening. I then got up and made my way over to my room to get my pajamas and made my way to the bathroom. I heard the TV click on as I turned on the hot water. I couldn't help but smile. A few minutes later, I was done in the shower. I got dressed and exited the bathroom. "Hey, Oak, I'm done. Shower's all yours." I said as I approached him. He nodded and got up. I made my way to my bedroom, walking behind him until he disappeared into the bathroom. I made sure that he had started running the water before I reached into my nightstand and retrieved my diary. I opened it up to the next clean page and I started writing. Dear Diary. You're never gonna believe this, but I hooked up with Oak today. I never expected it either, but I'm happy it happened. Father got into an accident today, but he's doing okay now. I don't think I would have coped tonight if Oak weren't there for me. Bright Mac and the others were also there. Mother took the news pretty hard, but she is also okay, now that father is awake and alert. I've gotta go now, Oak is getting out of the shower. Talk tomorrow. I closed my diary and stowed it away in its place. At that moment, Burnt Oak walked in. He looked around now that the light was on. He whistled. "For a gal that grew up not havin' much, ya sure got a lotta stuff here." he said, picking up the old Gibson acoustic guitar that I got as a birthday present the year we transferred here. He started strumming a tune, and I instantly recognised it. "I didn't know you played." I said, looking at him with interest. "Yea. Ma and Pa forced me to take up an instrument. It was either guitar or piano, and ah wasn't interested in playin' piano." he replied. "Ah'm plum tuckered. See ya in the mornin', darlin'." he said, turning to leave. "Where are you going?" I asked him. "Ta sleep on the couch." he said. "Please, don't go. I don't wanna be alone right now." I asked, my usual tone of confidence gone, replaced by one of vulnerability "Sure. Ifn that's what ya want, darlin'." he replied. He climbed into the bed with me and I cuddled spoon wise to him. He kissed me on the forehead. "Goodnight, darlin'." "Goodnight, babe. I love you." I said as I closed my eyes. He tensed at the pet name, but soon relaxed. "Love you too, darlin'" he said as he turned off the bedside light.