Cinnamon // Sally Face

T h i r t y - S e v e n

tw: physical violence (no weapons)

> > >

By the time Larry and Sal arrived at Violet's apartment, she had begun pacing furiously through her living room while chewing her nails. It was clear by the tear stains on her cheeks that she'd been crying. Neither of the boys had ever seen her act like this. It was almost like she had completely dissociated.

"What the hell is going on, little dude?" Larry asked.

"She's gone," she mumbled, more to herself than to her friends. "Nobody cares."

"We care. We're here to help," Sal consoled. He reached out to grab her shoulder, causing her to jerk away from him and continue pacing. Her eyes wildly scanned the living room as if she were looking for something. 

Larry let out a stressed sigh. "What can we do to help?"

"I don't know yet."

It was indeed true that Violet was searching her living room for something. She needed a plan. Her gaze skimmed over her furniture, the pictures on the walls, the TV, the carpet, and the coffee table. This was her normal method of developing plans. Usually, something would trigger an idea of some sort, which was more than enough to get things moving. But, with the massive flood of emotions invading her mind, this process was incredibly difficult.

Sal spoke up again. "Do you need us to take you somewhere?"

She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes traveling over to her mother's purse. It sat atop the end table next to the couch, completely untouched. If she didn't take her purse or phone, it was unlikely that she took her car. Violet made no haste in digging through it and pulling out a ring of several keys.

"Vi, you can't dr—"

"You guys can. We need to go to the police station."

"Little dude, Sal's already on their bad side after the accident," Larry said. "This isn't a good idea."

"I'll go in alone. One of you either drive me, or I'll walk."

The boys gave each other weary glances. Letting Violet roam the streets of Nockfell on her own wasn't an option, but they knew they'd be putting a lot at risk if one of them were to drive after totalling Lisa's car. However, they silently agreed that having Larry behind the wheel this time was their best bet.

"Gimme the keys, then," he told her, outstretching his hand.

After dropping the keys into his palm, Violet rushed into her bedroom to change out of her pajamas. It was hard enough to be taken seriously by the police without having looked like she'd just come home from a long night of drinking. She threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater before hurriedly pulling a comb through her hair and smoothing it down. Although her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, she decided that this would have to be good enough. She had no time to spare

> > >

"Everyone buckle in," Larry instructed as the three settled into the car. It was a vast upgrade from Lisa's, given that it started on the first try and made 1/4 of the noise. 

Violet could just barely pick up the scent of her mother lingering in the vehicle. It was nothing more than a light touch of sweetness, which was nearly overpowered by a mix of cinnamon and marijuana coming from the boys. She almost wanted to kick them out and figure out how to drive the car herself just to keep them from tainting it. While she was more determined than she'd ever been before, Violet knew better than to fully believe that she'd find her mother. Larry and Sal's support was wonderful to have, but their help was limited. If she couldn't sway the police, she feared that she stood no chance.