Deon looked up at the bald cashier at the counter when he asked the question again. "Girlfriend?" He nodded at Deon's car.
Unlike before where Deon would give him a flat look, he simply shook his head.
"Do you smoke?" Violet asked immediately he got back.
Deon placed their food carefully in the backseat, before turning to her. "Not anymore."
"Oh, what did you smoke before? Cigarettes or Grass?"
Deon paused mid starting the car, amused at her question. "Ha, look at you acting like you have done any."
"I have." Violet smiled. "Don't tell me you're one of those people that see me and think, 'ah, an innocent one'."
"Oh really?" Deon held back a smile, turning so he was facing her. "Tell me about it."
"See," excited to tell him, Violet undid her seatbelt, turning so her body was facing him. "Nobody knows this story, you'd be the first." A smile stretched her lips. "So when I was in my final year of primary school yeah?"
Deon bit his lower lip to hide a smile on seeing all the excitement on her face. He was glad she was smiling again. "Yeah."
"I went in the backyard of our house, took a match box I found in the storeroom. Then rolled some paper and lit it up."
"Paper as in...?" Deon lips stretched.
"Paper as in A4 paper." She scoffed, at that age, where would I get anything else?"
Deon's smile stretched further before evolving into laughter. The rich sound of his laugh filled the car, drawing Violet in making her chuckle as she stared at him. 'Oh, he does have a dimple like Professor.'
Somewhat unconsciously, her hands moved, inching towards his cheek to poke his dimples. It wasn't until he felt her warm hands touch his cheek that Deon sobered up, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
"Ah, sorry." Violet withdrew her hand when she realised what she was doing. "I'm sorry, that wasn't polite, touching you out of the blue. I'm sorry, I was curious about your dimple."
The part of Deon's cheek she touched stayed hot even when she took her hands off him. "It's fine." He nodded once. "It's only on my left cheek so you may not have noticed before."
"That explains it." Violet nodded.
Deon started the car, not wanting to think about how good it felt to have her hands on his cheek. 'I'm just lonely,' he justified.
Violet felt a tingle in her fingers and squeezed them to stop the tingle when that didn't work, she decided to break the silence in the car. "You still haven't told me what you used to smoke."
"Definitely not A4 paper." Deon chuckled.
Violet rolled her eyes with a smile. "Whatever."
A silence filled the car again and Violet figured he didn't want to talk about it and dropped the question but two minutes later, he answered.
"Grass, I tried other things but stuck with grass."
Violet nodded. "Do you still smoke?"
He shook his head. "No, it's been five years."
"Sometimes I feel like smoking."
Deon went silent when she said that before smiling. "Why?"
"Just an urge to, feels like exhaling the smoke will make me free of my worries, like I'm going to exhale the worries along with the smoke."
"Hmm." Deon tapped the steering wheel. "It's an illusion, it won't."
"I would guess as much." Violet turned to look at him. "Plus, when I tried, I had a coughing fit, I choked on the smoke and had to cough quietly so no one would notice. Didn't want to get into trouble with my parents."
Deon grinned, imagining what little her looked like coughing up her lungs. "It's a first time thing."
"Yes I took two drags before having to put it out 'cause I heard footsteps, then I ran away so whoever it was won't smell the smoke on me."
Deon chuckled. "Aw, look at you little trouble maker." he laughed. "I bet that's all the trouble you've ever gotten into."
"It is, didn't get a chance to try it again and kind of got over it. I mostly tried it because of all the mafia movies I used to watch."
"That's good anyway." he turned into her street, a little part of him wishing her house was still far.
"Thank you for today." Violet said quietly.
"Do you feel better?" He stopped the car at her house, turning to her.
"Yes I do." she smiled, her eyes catching the light in the car making her brown orbs glisten.
Deon's breathing slowed as he felt his heart knock against his chest. With her hair up in a bun and several strands out of place, he felt tempted to brush them off and touch her full wet lips that seemed to call out to him.
Deon leaned over almost subconsciously. Mid lean, he realised what he was doing and didn't retreat, expecting that like before, she would put her hands up to protect herself and that would give him a reason to stop. 'Do I like this kid?' He stopped in between their seats. "Why are you not raising your fists?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Are you not going to get the food?"
Deon gave her a strange smile. 'Ah, of course she was still a kid.' He leaned further back in between their seats to take one plastic bag and then he handed it to her. "You should be on guard."
"No, you're Professor Matthew's brother."
Deon's smile faded as he suddenly remembered that she was his brother's student, his favourite student at that. Then all the reasons why he shouldn't think further about her. "Still, always be careful."
"Okay, thank you again for tonight." Violet slightly bowed, getting out of the car and waving at him. Entering her house and locking the door behind her, keeping the plastic bag on the small glass table in the living room, she settled in the sofa. Thinking back to the car. For a brief second, she thought he was going to kiss her or something and she was too shocked to move. Or maybe a tiny part of her wanted it. "Ah, no." She shook her head, he only saw her as his brother's annoying student. His smile and laughing eyes flashed in her head again and she slapped her cheeks to stop them from smiling. "Don't be delusional." Then she stared at the takeaway, wondering if her brother had had dinner.
Instead of reversing after seeing her enter her house, Deon drove straight, heading somewhere. After about fifteen minutes, he got to an estate, identified himself at the security post and drove in, stopping in front of a tall gate and dialling his brother's number Just when he thought his brother wouldn't pick up, he did.
"Deon? What's wrong?" his brother's worried voice came through the phone and a lump caught in Deon's throat, his difficult years coming back to him and how his brother had been there through it all.
"N-Nothing." he cleared his throat. "Sorry for calling late. How is Naomi?"
Matthew got up from bed, making sure to not wake his wife, he put on a robe. "Are you outside?"
"No," Then he sighed, admitting it. "Yes."
Matthew smiled and yawned at the same time, wearing his slippers and moving to the front door. Opening it, he also went to the tall gates and exited the house to see his brother sitting on the hood of his car. Smiling, he playfully nudged his brother. "You know it's almost 1:00am right?"
Deon gave him a guilty smile. "I know, sorry?"
"My, are you trying to charm me with that smile of yours? Do I look like those young girls to you?" he sat close to him on the hood.
Deon chuckled, "If it still works that is."
"Oh my, did you meet someone that didn't fall into your smile?" He gave his brother a mocking look.
"Would it be weird if I asked for a hug right now?"
"Ah, who dare reject my handsome brother?"
"I didn't get rejected." Deon laughed.
"Well, why would I want to hug you when I have a wife with soft curves inside, in my bed to be more precise." Matthew looked at his brother as though he was crazy.
"Okay, rub it in." Deon narrowed his eyes, smiling a little.
"I will, aren't you going back to an empty house?"
"Ya!" Deon turned to glare at his brother but got stuck in a headlock as soon as he did. "Hey, I'm not a kid anymore." he grabbed his brother's hair and pulled.
"Ow." Matthew yelped, letting go of his brother. They both sat there, Matthew rubbing his head while Deon, his chin. A few seconds ticked by before they burst out laughing.
"Don't feel burdened." Matthew patted his brother on the back. "We're family."
Deon smirked. "So, about your student, Violet was it?"
Matthew scrunched up his nose. "Did you just pretend to forget her name?"
"Why, is it something I should remember?" He crossed his arms, challenging his brother with his eyes.
"Ha! Are you trying to get permission for something?"
"Ah." Deon turned away, cussing under his breath and dropped his arms.
Matthew made a weird sound in his throat, trying to hold back from laughing hysterically. "Go home Deon, can't believe you came here by this time to talk about my student.
Deon got up from the hood, stretching his hands. "That's not why I'm here, I just wanted to see you. How are the kids?"
"They're fine, they miss you, you don't come around often."
"I'll come sometime this week after work."
"Alright."
And the brothers stayed where they were, in a comfortable silence, neither of them wanting to leave just yet.
***
MONDAY 4:00PM
"How was your weekend Professor?" Violet asked in a singsong voice as she entered his office.
"It was fine, looks like yours went well."
"Well." she waved him off with a grin, entering the office and glancing around briefly.
Professor Matthew saw her eyes drift to the seat Deon usually sat in. "Are you done with class for today?"
"Yes, just heading home." she looked at the empty chair again. "Looks like I won't be getting a free ride today."
"Looks like my brother has been your personal driver."
Violet laughed and turned to leave. "Of course not."
"Oh I see, you only came here to look for Deon?"
"No." She backtracked with a grin, sitting in the chair opposite his desk. "Of course not, I came to ask if there's anything I can help with."
Professor Matthew nodded. "Sure. But no, nothing today."
"Okay," Violet got up "Have a good night sir." She bowed, exiting the room before he could reply. Professor smiled and shook his head.
"Hey Violet."
A voice called from behind her when she got to the park. Violet turned to see Cole. "Oh, hi" she stopped so he would catch up since he was already walking towards her.
"How have you been?" He moved to hug her but Violet acted quickly, manoeuvring her way so it ended up as a side hug.
"Fine, thank you. You?" She looked at him, taking on his looks again. 'Ah, a waste.' she shook her head.
"I'm fine." He smiled. "Are you heading home?"
"Yeah."
"Can I come with you?"
Violet scrunched up her nose. "No..." she trailed off, confused as to why that question even popped up.
"Hehe, I was joking." he laughed.
'Better be.' Violet sighed.
"Can I have your number? We haven't spoken in a while."
"Ah, I don't know my number offhand." She lied, the first lie she could think off.
"Oh, don't worry, I already have it." He scrolled through his phone and dialled a number. Just then, Violet's phone started ringing. "That's my number, save it, I saved yours already." He showed her his phone and she saw that he saved her number as V with love emoji beside it.
Violet cringed. "Will save it."
Cole nodded, waiting to see what she'd save it with.
"Ah, look at the time. I have to catch the bus home." She quickly waved, walking away from him.
"Bye." He waved back, staring at her as she walked away from him.
Violet turned back to see him staring at her and she hummed at the back of her throat. 'What's this bad feeling in my gut?' she frowned, walking faster to the bus stop.
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