Violet received Becky’s message on her comm shortly after seven. She had just finished eating dinner after her shift.
Like many of her peers, fresh out of high school, Violet had taken one of those summer time jobs that pays little but works hard.
Her father had pulled some strings with a buddy of his who had the contract for the air scrubbers in Section Six. Her dad liked to joke that her job was to scrub the scrubbers. “How funny is that?” he would slap his knee and laugh at his own joke every time. Violet wanted to facepalm just thinking about it. It was très embarrassing. Thankfully, now that she was living on her own, she only had to hear it during her weekly dutiful-daughter-check-in call.
Violet read the message from Becky: “Forget-Me-Not party tonight, bitch! End of the year blowout—everyone’s going to be there! Even Chad, you know how bad you want him :-) They found this totally awesome mechanical bay that’s been shut down for years now and practically abandoned. It’s gonna be epic! Come swing by my place at nine and we’ll pre-game. Later!”
After an eight-hour shift scrubbing the air scrubbers, the last thing Violet felt like doing was going to a party. Covered in dirt and grime, she threw her comm onto the bed and stripped down for a hot shower.
The shower worked wonders. As the near-scalding water jetted over her neck, shoulders, and back, she began to feel like a human being again and not just some part-time corporate lackey. After lifting the shower head off its cradle and holding it between her thighs, the possibility of the party became more and more appealing.
With the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, most of her friends would be heading off-station soon, preparing for the next phase of their life. Some would be headed off to university further in-system, some to one of the many corporate trade schools, while others would try their luck in the military.
This party might be the last time she got to see any of them, and besides, Chad would be there. She felt a smile cross her face.
She’d been crushing on Chad for the final two months of school, but it didn’t seem to matter what she said or did. He never seemed to get the hint. Maybe tonight she would drag him to a dark corner, climb on top of him, and spell it out for him.
That thought solidified it.
She decided she was all-in for the party tonight. One last blowout before she buckled down and got serious about the next stage of her life.
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She stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in one of the well-used towels hanging on the wall, and picked her outfit for the party, holding it up in front of her in the mirror.
The form-fitting mini-dress was jet black with slits on the sides running horizontally all the way up. Was there such a thing as too slutty?
She thought about calling Becky and asking her what she thought, but then flashed back to her fantasy rendezvous in a dark corner with Chad. Fuck it, we’re going all-out tonight!
Besides, Becky doesn’t believe in the concept of too slutty.
Violet dropped her towel and pulled the dress on, wiggling it into place over her hips. She completed the outfit with knee-high boots, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. Two feet away, her comm vibrated, indicating she had an incoming message.
Her mother.
Violet’s finger hovered over the button to dismiss the call, but her mom was the type where if she didn’t talk to her now, she would keep calling over and over again, until Violet either answered or her mother got worried enough to call Security Services.
With a sigh, Violet accepted the incoming call and her mother’s face filled the screen.
“Hi, baby! How are you?” Her mother’s voice was bright and perky. No doubt she was halfway into a bottle of wine. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No, Mom. Just got home from work. Hanging out at my place.”
“Really? It kind of looks like you’re dressed up.” She paused in the way only a mother could to let Violet know that she knew what Violet was up to. “Well, I just wanted to call and check up on you. I know you’re out of the house now, and you’re all grown up, but it’s only been a few weeks, and if you need anything, or I can bring you anything, or you just want to come back home—”
“Jesus, Mom. I’m fine.”
“I know, baby. I’m sorry. It’s just that you’re my baby, and I’m worried about you.”
Oh my god, if she said baby one more time. “There is nothing to worry about, Mom. Everything’s great.” Her mother had been checking in like this every two or three days for the past three weeks—ever since she had moved out. It might have been touching if it wasn’t so goddamn annoying.
Violet decided to put her foot down and start taking back some of her personal space.
“Listen, Mom, I appreciate you looking in on me and checking up on me, but everything is fine, and I promise I will let you know if I need your help. I have to go now. I love you, and tell Dad I love him too. Except for the job he hooked me up with. Tell him I hate him for that.” Violet smiled.
“Okay,” her mom laughed, but her eyes were sad. “I’ll tell him. Love you, Sweetie. And take care of yourself. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye, Mom.” Violet didn’t wait for her reply. She thumbed the display on her terminal and ended the call.
She got to Becky’s a little after 9 PM.