Call Me Vi | ONC 2024 Entry | Novel Expansion Pending

Chapter 9

With the reality check from April to send me on my way, I walked back to the fountain in the center of the square. I needed time to think to myself.

Everything these last few days had been a whirlwind. And yet, I felt closer to Violetta than I had to anyone in a long time. There was something about her that made me want to chase my dreams, made me want to throw caution to the wind.

I checked my phone; Hayden still hadn't called. He hadn't even texted. Yet I knew if he'd seen the news, I would have a thousand messages from him.

Someone at the bonfire had captured that image of us. Someone had brought it to the paparazzi's attention.

And as much as Violetta seemed to mind the attention, she certainly didn't mind making us her lock screen photo.

I leaned back and smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun across my face. It meant she cared more than she said out loud.

Maybe she was just as scared as I was.

My fingers hovered over the app for CelebG, the web platform for all things hot in celebrity gossip. What was the harm in doing a quick peek at how we were faring in the world of the famous?

The page lit up my phone, with our article front and center. At the bottom, dozens of comments came flooding in by the second. Most of them were positive, offering love and support. A handful complained that it was a publicity stunt and totally fake. Others took to a 'ship name' war.

WrentalCar67: totally here for Ravioli! Violetta is my favorite actress

WattDoYouMean: Ravioli?

WrentalCar67: smh Reaviol! Damn autocorrect

SilverMoon_09: omg ravioli lmao

StarLight_StarBright: uh wat i thought it was Veagan??

RoseyPosey127: ew no Veagan is such a cliche. I like @WrentalCar67's suggestion

YesImFrench: why are we talking about food?

I chuckled to myself, scrolling further through the comments. It seemed no matter what, we were going to have a food-inspired ship name.

My email popped up on my phone screen with a new notification from Spencer, my boss. We'd almost made it two whole days without any work correspondence and I had another full day of vacation left.

Still, why not just check in?

I swiped up on the email, reading it to myself.

Blah blah blah vacation, blah blah report, blah...deadline one week from today.

My eyes widened. No, that couldn't be right. Did Spencer really want my article written in a week?

Another ping on my phone, this time an image attachment from Violetta.

Sooo bored ;p she texted, along with a selfie of herself in what appeared to be a makeup chair. Her auburn hair was up in curlers and she wore a long silk robe that barely hid the bit of lace from whatever she wore beneath.

A blush crept to my cheeks. A mere two days ago, seeing Violetta in lingerie didn't really faze me. But now I couldn't help but imagine how it would feel to run my fingers up and down her arms, to tangle our limbs in bed—

I shook my head. Where did that come from?

Standing up from the fountain, I decided to go for a quick jog around the lake. Maybe that would knock me back to my senses. This is what April had meant. This is what she'd seen between us. A spark, something more than friendship.