20. Violet
Chapter 20
Violet
It’s dreary today. Normally I wouldn't mind a good rain storm. The noise it makes while hitting a metal roof is like music to my ears. And how it waters grass and plants. Everything grows so beautifully after a storm.
Normally I wouldn’t be running around town like a chicken with its head cut off.
I cover my face with my palm. My thoughts are dark today. That wasn’t funny. Sorry Helga. I whisper, as if she could hear me through my shop. I swivel on the barstool staring at my plants. Nobody’s in here today. I had a measly four customers come in. I don’t know why I bothered opening. I guess to keep myself busy.
The bell chimes and Dustin comes in. He shrugs his rain coat on the rack and turns to face me.
“Oh my God, your sweatshirt!” I shriek.
“Do you like it?” He grins.
“Do I like it? I love it! How did you get it so last minute?”
“I pulled some strings with Chloe. She expedited this one for me. But don’t worry, I had one made for you too. Here.” He hands me a bag that says “Chloe’s Closet” on the front. I pull out the dark purple sweatshirt with the saying, “I may look calm, but in my mind I’ve pecked you three times.”
This is the best thing anyone's ever gotten me.
My eyebrows shoot up as I examine the sweatshirt. I flip it over to see my name printed on the back. I throw it over my t-shirt and spin. “How do I look?” I giggle.
He pauses, voice cracking when he says, “ready for battle.”
Sometimes things are unexpected in life. Nothing ever really goes to plan. Dustin showing up with the sweatshirt was a happy unexpected thing. The sky dropping down with rain was not a happy unexpected thing. And when I say dropping, I’m not kidding. Pelting rain drops pour over us, pounding across the ground in splashes. We are soaked. All itching for this competition to start so that we can get inside to feel warmth. I’m ready for this day to be over.
All of the groups are huddled under the only pavilion in town. Everyone sits in the center of picnic tables munching on pizza, breadsticks and pepperoni rolls, courtesy of The String Cheese . At least something good came out of participating today. Poor Daisy is stuck out here in the rain with us. She keeps the tables stocked with food and changes out empty boxes. She doesn’t seem to mind though. I think she’s just excited to get out of the shop for a day, and she loves to watch the competitions.
I take a bite of a bread stick as I look around at the teams all congregating. Olive and Annie are chatting, looking focused, probably planning strategy. They’ve been making a comeback from last year. And have a shot at winning this year.
Constance is chatting with her husband, Chuck, sitting in the far corner. Megaphone in hand. She looks as if she’s getting ready to make an announcement. The rain pours around us, not letting up in the slightest. I toss my plate in a trash can next to our table when I hear the static. “Everyone, five minutes until we start. A little rain won’t stop us from continuing. Just be careful; the sidewalks are slick.” Her voice booms across the crowd.
“Your first clue is lined up on the long table on my right. Each color envelope correlates to your team colors. One member should grab it within the next few minutes. You know the drill, here are the rules. Rule number one, don’t open the envelope until I say go. Rule number two, no sabotaging other teams by hiding their clues. At one o'clock the teams should all line up along the front of the pavilion so that no one has an unfair advantage. Don’t forget every team has a different set of clues and trophy to find. Your trophy has your team name on it, so you can’t steal someone else’s and claim it as your own.” Her voice dies down and the static shuts off.
“I’ll grab our envelope,” Dustin says and walks off.
I’m so nervous. I don’t know if it's the fact that I realize I’m super clumsy and I’m most definitely going to wipe out at some point today. Or the fact that the man sitting next to me is starting to make me feel like I have butterflies in my stomach when I’m around him. It’s becoming harder to fight the attraction. I hope it’s not one sided.
A few minutes later, Dustin sits next to me, armed with the purple envelope. I shiver from the frigid air; I can feel the cold down to my bones. After waiting for what feels like forever, we finally make our way to the front of the pavilion to line up with the other small business owners.
Constance counts down the seconds, “Three, two, one, go!”
Everything is a chaotic blur. Teams are running past us out of the pavilion. Others stand in place, ripping open their envelopes. Dustin and I planned to stay put and read the first clue, so that we could figure out where to look first. Running blindly wouldn’t help us in the least. He tears into the corner and unfolds a white piece of paper.
“You can find me where the mini trees are,” Dustin reads the clue out loud. “I have no clue what that means—mini trees? Does The Hoarder Emporium or Cat’s & Novel’s sell mini tree figurines? Or does our town have a Christmas tree farm I don’t know about ? ”
“We do! Olive’s parents have one. But they wouldn’t put it that far out of town. It has to be within walking distance.” I scratch my head. “Wait, I know!” I grab Dustin's hand and tug him with me. My hand tingles with nervous tension against the touch, but I don’t have much time to think about it. We slide along the sidewalk passing a few shops. At this point my hair is drenched so it sticks to my neck. I continue to blow my bangs out of my eyes. When they’re wet they become a nuisance. I should have pinned them up before this competition. I’ve also slipped a few times already, but Dustin caught me every time. I’m just glad I settled on wearing a pair of rain boots with good grips on the bottom.
Suds in the Bucket car wash carries the scented mini trees for cars. Right along the wall they have a dispenser and if I’m guessing correctly, the next clue should be there.
“Why in the world are we at the car wash?” Dustin asks in between huffs of breath.
“You’ll see, unless I’m wrong.” The car wash is deserted. Most of the townies seem to stay out of town during events, or hang out grabbing food and watching the competitions. But who would be at the car wash right now anyway? It’s raining. The building has four open bays, each one equipped with a sprayer nozzle and brush. It’s the old-fashioned self-serve system that you put quarters in to add time. Sure enough at the outer building wall there is a tree air freshener dispenser. Another purple envelope is taped to the side.
“You are a genius!” Dustin shouts through the pouring rain. He grabs the next clue and hands it to me to read.
“Why, thank you.” I bow, teasing him. I unfold the envelope and start reading, “Congratulations! You found me. But don’t get too cocky. You might have to cluck your way to the next one.”
“It’s in the chicken coop, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately.” I shrug.