Everyone had different lifestyles, different aims, and goals. As for me, I was known as the nice girl. Even my best friend, Joey, would always say that I looked too innocent and naive to be true, too good for anyone. Ever since dad died of lung cancer, I gave up on friendship. My two best friends betrayed me and then taunted me about my father's death. Since then, I worked very hard to have good grades in school in order to attain a scholarship after high school to relieve my mom. Those had been my utmost priority before this lame party came up.
Here I stood dressed in a body-hugging knee-length dress. Large blue eyes, pale blonde hair because that's who I am. Who is Ivy Young. My eyes scanned my body and my pretty dress. If I was truthful enough, I would say I look hot. This had been Joey's choosing not mine. My brows drew together. "Is this dress not a little short?" I asked, blinking my eyelashes rapidly. Joey turned to look at me, her honey brown eyes widened. "Oh my God! You look really beautiful, Ivy," She exclaimed. Joey walked over to me and gripped my arm, pulling me to her full-length mirror. I let out a little gasp as I watched myself in the mirror. I was mesmerized by my beauty. If Joey had not been standing behind my back, I would have denied that I'm me. My deep blue eyes shone brightly, I never realized how pretty they were before. My hair was packed in a bun, as usual. Joey told me to let it down but I refused, I prefer packing my hair. Nevertheless, I still look pretty. I pressed my palms to my cheeks. "I look hot, Joey," I said gently. "Yes, you look hot," She agreed with me, grinning from ear to ear. "Are you ready?" I nodded my head in the affirmative. Physically yes. Mentally no! "I'm kinda nervous," I said, picking my words one after the other. It was the first time I would be attending a party other than my neighbor's birthday party. The corners of her mouth curled upwards. "You'll be okay, stop worrying too much." She assured me. I beamed a little smile at her. If not for Joey, I wouldn't be attending this party. Jake would be there so she dragged me along with her. Joey's eyelids dropped. "If I don't get Jake to notice me tonight, I don't think he ever will," she uttered. I drew in a long breath. "Here we go again!" I muttered under my breath. Jake Smith was the guy Joey had a sickening crush on. I did not know him that well but I had taken two classes with him this year. Within those times, I had seen nothing but rude behaviors from him. He was always with his gang of assholes. He was one of the bad boys in my school which makes me dislike him, and the fact that he was the best friend with Romeo Sparks, the school badass, the handsome jerk with annoying curly hair. I patted my best friend gently on her shoulder. "He'll surely do, Joey. You only have to be positive," I told her. I tried my best to cheer Joey up instead of saying what my mind really wants to say. "Stop crushing on that asshole because he'll never look your way. Ordinary and good girls like you are not his type," I thought. Her mouth curved into a wide smile. That was typical of her, she would always smile even in the worst situations. By the time we arrived at the party, the party was already in its full swing. "I need to go find Jake," Joey yelled over the loud blasting of music. I forced a smile. "Okay," I yelled back, watching her go off. With Joey gone, I somehow felt alone, lost. I noticed some faces from school but couldn't make out any of their names. Parties like this were not meant for people like me. Friday night, I would rather be in my room watching TV series. My eyes landed on Romeo Sparks, Evergreen High School's baddest boy amidst the crowd. Since Romeo was here, definitely Jake would be here. I silently wished Joey got to tell him that she has an undying crush on him. I wondered what his reaction would be. I tried my best not to think about it. I felt my throat dry as I waded through the crowd. I held my ears as I walked past one of the speakers, the bass pounding as loud as my heart. I turned around to check if I could see Joey. I felt left out being here on my own because this party is just not my thing. I should be in bed by now watching my favorite TV series and probably crushing popcorn or curled up in bed reading my favorite romance novel. I took a deep breath, wishing that I hadn't come here at all. The air here was suffocating. I needed air. I spun around and searched for the next available exit. I sighed as I made my way to the door. I pushed through the kitchen door and pulled open the sliding back door. The cold summer breeze welcomed me as I stepped out onto the patio. I shut my eyes, inhaling the deep fresh air. Some girl screamed, invading my beautiful moment. Natalie Portman was a tall, beautiful cheerleader who spoke like a valley man, but she wasn't as mean as she seemed. We've worked together a few times and I can tell she's nice. Actually, we were kind of friends. I could go talk to her. At least there is finally someone to communicate with. "Shit, sorry!" I heard a masculine voice. A second later, a cold liquid soaked the front of my dress. The guy stumbled and pulled himself up. "My bad, really," he mumbled and sat down. Could this party be any worse? My dress was filled with God knows what type of alcohol and I had nothing to change into. I took a second to look at the guy, he was wasted, and I could not blame him. I shook my head then walked inside to find a bathroom. I pushed my way through the crowded hall in search of the damn bathroom. Luckily for me, I found one. I tried to close the door behind me but it wouldn't lock. Soon I realized the lock was damaged, frustratedly I left it hanging. I only needed to clean myself then get out. I pulled out some wipes to clean my clothes but the stain only got worse. I folded my arms over my chest and leaned against the counter. I was about to go out but was met with some broad chest. I traced the chest to its owner; it was the other guy that spilled a drink on me earlier. He smelled of cigarettes like earlier. "I'm sorry," I mumbled as I tried to walk past him. Something in his eyes told me it was not going to be that easy. Before I could go, he dug his dirty fingernails into my sleeveless arm and squeezed. I regretted that I wore this dress for the first time tonight. "You look hot, girl." His breath burned my skin, and I whimpered in fear. Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes. "Please," I begged him. "We're only going to have a little fun," he said, trailing his hands up my hips. I squeezed my eyes shut to block the thought of his hands on my body as if that would help. Before I could process what was happening, I heard slight grunting and opened my eyes to see a toned figure beating the guy who was touching me earlier. I heaved a sigh of relief; I was glad the drunk man's hands were off my body. I stood there, shocked. Whoever came to my rescue had not stopped, he was still beating the guy. It took all of me to muster the courage to speak. "Stop!" I screamed to the shadow still throwing punches. He didn't stop. He didn't act like he heard my tiny voice. "You're going to kill him, you need to stop now otherwise you'll get yourself in trouble," I screamed once again. What the hell was he thinking? The drunk guy would soon pass out. Still nothing. I used all my might to drag him off of the guy. That's the only thing I could think of. It worked. The idiot that tried to harass me ran out immediately. Finally, I was able to see my savior. My mouth fell open. What was this jerk doing here? How did he find us? Series of questions ran through my head as I stared at my savior, still dazed. The moment I snapped back to reality, I moved away from him. His forest green eyes bore into mine. "What the hell are you doing in a male bathroom?" He questioned me. I stood there, staring into his eyes, but nothing came out of my mouth. He waved his hand. "Hello dummy. Can you hear me?" He shook his head, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "Dumbass," he stated and walked away. I blinked my long eyelashes rapidly. Shit! I just acted like a fool, like a dumbass just as he said. Why was I speechless when he was here? Of course, I was shocked that Romeo freaking Sparks just saved me!"I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to forget what just happened, the way Romeo Sparks saved me and how I acted like a typical dummy. I did the only thing left for me to do. I ran outside to look for Joey. The minute I got outside, I spotted Joey among the crowd, dancing heartily with Jake. It seemed like everything went well. I gripped her and pulled her outside, not minding the stares we were receiving from some people. Things moved very fast, Saturday gone, Sunday gone, and here was Monday. For the first time in my life, I was thinking of skipping school to avoid seeing Romeo. Oh Romeo! Even the thought of his name made my heart race. What would I tell him? Should I thank him? Many thoughts ran through my mind as I got dressed. He probably would not recognize me. I didn't think I had any class with him, all I had to do was avoid getting in his way. It was in English class that I finally realized my prayer didn't get answered anyway. You know that feeling you get when someone is bor
The whole car ride was in complete silence. I glanced over at Romeo, who was chewing his jaws so hard. His hands on the steering wheel were so tight that his knuckles were white. Why is he always angry? A couple of minutes later, we pulled up in front of my house. How did he know I live here? I looked over to him to ask but was interrupted. His brows drew together. "Stop staring at me and get out!" He practically raised his voice. What the hell? I haven't done anything, so why leach his anger out on me? "Don't raise your voice at me," I retorted, becoming angry myself. I got out of his car without saying thank you. He doesn't deserve one anyway. Since it was Friday night, I was in bed doing the usual. I was browsing the latest movies on N*****x when Joey rang me. "Hey Ivy, I wanted to text, but I knew you'd be awake, so I figured I could call instead." Joey's voice sounded rushed. Like how you would talk when trying to wear a really tight shoe. Either way, I've missed her vo
A line appeared between my brows. I glanced around the room, and they all looked hopeless. No one could help me. "I'm not letting anyone kiss me, and I don't care what the penalty is," I blurted out. I stood up immediately. I knew it was a wrong idea coming to this lame party in the first place. Nothing good ever comes out of it. I just lost my kiss to the school's baddest guy. It's now obvious that I'm a dummy. Why was I thinking? I kissed Romeo in front of everyone, like someone who has been craving for a kiss. I wobbled through the crowd as I managed to find the front door. I tried hard not to cry. I don't know how long I've been standing there until a figure showed up behind me. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier," I heard a voice behind me. I freaked out and spun around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Jake apologized, and I gave him an assuring smile. "Where is Joey?" I asked him. "She has passed out. I've put her in one of the bedrooms," he explained. "Than
"Romeo, what the hell are you doing? He's only being nice," I yelled then pulled Xander away from his grip. "Like, fuck nice," Romeo yelled back. I don't want to fucking see him around you." "You can't order me around, I'm not your fucking girlfriend," I snapped at him and the whole audience gasped. If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under with the ground with the look Romeo gave me. He gazed at me for a very long time before walking away. I heaved a sigh of relief when he was finally out of sight. Poor Xander! "Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded his head in the affirmative and gave me his best smile. I squatted to check if he sustained an injury, with the way Romeo slammed him against the wall. Thankfully, he didn't have any wounds. "Should we go to the school nurse?" I offered, then pulled him up. He forced a smile. "I'll be fine Ivy, you should go before Romeo comes back." Fuck Romeo and his temper! I turned back and went to Joey's locker. "You'll never guess w
This beautiful moment was ruined when my phone rang. I pushed myself off his lap, my cheeks turning pink. Romeo cleared his throat. "Well..." He trailed off. I checked the caller ID. It was my mother. I quickly answered the call. "Mom," I said, my voice coming out raspy. Mom didn’t say anything really important. She just called to ask about my welfare and to let me know she’d be late tonight. "Bye, Mom," I muttered, then hung up. Silence reigned in the room, and it was uncomfortable. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes. "Get a shower, we're going out," Romeo told me. "Where are we going?" I questioned him. He shot me a wink. "Just get a shower, pumpkin. I'll be waiting for you." After taking a shower and putting on some clean clothes, it took me a really long time to gather the courage to get out and face Romeo. What the heck just happened earlier? I could still feel the lingering effects of the intimate moment. I’ve never felt like this before. Is this what sex feels like?
"Hey, Phillips! Where's my mom?" I asked my mom's boyfriend as I walked into the living room. Phillips and my mom have been seeing each other for a few months now. It's becoming something serious, and I kinda liked Phillips too; he treated me as if I were his biological daughter. "She went to get some groceries; she should be back soon," Phillips replied. "Okay. I'll just take a shower." I'll be meeting Romeo's mother this evening, and I'm really nervous. Even though this isn’t a real relationship, I still feel nauseous. Romeo will be picking me up anytime soon. Calling Joey made me feel better—she gave me the encouragement I needed. When I came downstairs, I found Phillips and Romeo talking. Oh God, no! This is no good. Why did he come early? "What's going on?" I queried them. I took in the scene before me. Romeo was sitting between my mom and Phillips, laughing at something only God knows. My mom winked at me. "You look hot in that dress, girl. Right, Romeo?" "You didn’t te
The door of my room creaked open. I closed my eyes tightly, pretending to be asleep. Pretending to sleep was the only thing I could do to avoid going to school. Talking to my mother about it was useless. "Won't you go to school today? It's almost 8 a.m.," my mother's high-pitched voice echoed in my head. I didn’t respond, still pretending to sleep. She should leave my room. I didn’t want anyone bothering me this morning. "Ivy, get up now. I know you're not asleep. It's pretty obvious," she snapped at me. I shrugged and opened my eyes. "What?" I yawned lazily, frowning. "You're late for school, girl. Go and take a bath; you need to go to school," she instructed. "I don't want to go to school," I muttered under my breath. She folded her arms over her chest, her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?" My jaw dropped. I thought I had said it quietly, but she heard me. Well, it’s better that way. It’s good she heard what I said anyway. I don’t want to go to school. My eyelids drooped. "I'm ti
He lifted an eyebrow, gazing at me in disbelief. "You don't have a fucking right to shout at me, pussy." "Mind your language, Romeo," Mr. Banks shouted from across the room. Even though Mr. Banks intervened, I couldn’t just let it slide. He’d just thrown two insults at me—'fucking' and 'pussy.' Who the heck does this asshole think he is? "You don't tell me what to do, Old Roger," Romeo retorted, which made the whole class burst into laughter. It was definitely funny, but it was also damn rude. How could he talk to our English teacher like that? I turned to him, glaring. "You're fucking rude, you low-life dick." His brows snapped together. "Low-life dick? What the fuck does that even mean? You just called my dick 'low-life.' The same dick you've been craving. The dick that would make you paralyzed. The dick that would take your damn virginity." My hands tightened into fists. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. His crude words hit me hard, rendering me speec
THREE WEEKS LATER ~ IVY ~I ran my fingers through my tangled hair and sighed as I looked around at my chaotic room. Clothes were scattered across the floor, along with several books that had tumbled from the shelves. The bed was unmade, and various items were scattered across the duvet. In short, my room looked like a hurricane had blown through it. If there was an award for the most disastrous room, I would have won it hands down.My boyfriend would have to take the blame for this mess. Even though I was the one who had left everything scattered around, I couldn't help but feel like it was his fault somehow. What on earth was he thinking, setting up a last – minute date like that, without giving me time to prepare? Don't get me wrong. I was thrilled about the date. I was just feeling a bit stressed out because I didn't have much time to prepare. And, on top of that, I was having the worst time trying to find the perfect outfit. Nothing in my closet seemed right. I was panickin
~ ROMEO ~I pulled into the parking lot and I saw that my dad's car was not there. I heaved a sigh of relief. The monster was not around, and I would not have to see his horrible face and get angry all over again. I turned off the car engine. I reached for my phone and dialed my girlfriend's number. The only person who had been making me smile lately and giving me the will to keep going.Ivy answered on the second ring. "Hey, baby!" She muttered, her voice echoing in my ears. Her voice was soft and soothing, and it calmed my nerves.The corners of my mouth curved, giving a wide smile. "Good girl," I uttered."Bad boy," She said with a chuckle in her voice. "I am at my mom's house now," I told her. I almost said "my parents' house," but that didn't feel right when it was really my mother's house."That is good," She said, her voice reassuring. "Take a deep breath and go inside. Just talk to her. She is your mother, and she deserves to know everything that is going on with you.
"Are you and Samantha in a relationship?" I blurted, unable to stop the question from tumbling out of my mouth.I had not meant to ask it so bluntly, but the question had always been on my mind. I could not get it out of my head. We were in my bedroom now, sitting across from each other. Romeo was leaning against the headboard of my bed, while I was on a chair by the bedside table. His brows drew together, his gaze averting from mine. "I told you I am not dating her. If I was, I would not be here with you, and I would not have told you that I wanted you back," He replied.I chewed on my bottom lip, remembering the way I had felt when I saw them kissing in the cafeteria. I could still picture the way his eyes had met mine. "Why did she kiss you in the cafeteria?"I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "And, you also kissed back.""I'm sorry," He uttered. "It was wrong, I know. I could not just push her away when she kissed me, not with all those people watching. I know that is n
~ IVY ~I drummed my fingers against the surface of my dresser, glancing over my shoulder at my phone. I had tossed it onto the bed after sending a text to Romeo. I was relieved that it had not landed on the floor.The message itself was not risky, but it was an emotional risk for me to send it. I was anxious for his response, and my heart was beating rapidly. I could not stop my mind from racing. What if everything he had written in the letter had been a prank? Why did I always feel so anxious when it came to Romeo? I hated that he had such control over my emotions. At the same time, part of me liked how he could make me feel things I had never felt before. He made me do things I never would have otherwise, like inviting him over at night. I was grateful my mother was out of town in an emergency, and would not be back until the next day. I didn't want to have to explain Romeo's presence to her.I was shaking my leg, still filled with nervous energy. Why hadn't he responded? Was he
My lips moved to my teeth as I bit my bottom lip. My eyes darted down to the letter, taking in the neat, bold handwriting. The letter was not that long. What was I even saying? Romeo had never been the type to write letters. He was never one for expressing his feelings through writing, or telling stories. It was strange that he had chosen to write a letter now, instead of asking to meet in person. I guess he must have thought I would not have agreed to see him. I cleared my throat, preparing to read the letter aloud. I had no idea why my heart was racing. It was just a letter, nothing more. Or was it?I began to read:° My Good Girl ° I miss you, and I can't stop thinking about you. I know it is crazy to say this, but I think I'm falling more in love with you now that we are apart. The more I try to escape these feelings, the deeper I fall. Now, I regret breaking us up. We were almost perfect. We had something special, but I ruined it. I know I didn't do it on purpose, but t
I heard the question, but I pretended not to. The silence that followed was deafening. It felt like the world had stopped turning, and the only sound was my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears. I felt like I was in a different world. I was facing the question I had been avoiding asking myself. The question James had asked had my brain working overtime, even as I tried to avoid it. I could feel my brain trying to work out an answer."Ivy," James said, breaking the silence and pulling me out of my thoughts.I turned to look at him, avoiding his gaze. "What did you say?" I asked. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, my hand shaking slightly."I asked you if you are still in love with your ex," James repeated, his tone serious.My throat felt dry, and I swallowed hard. I knew that he was not going to let this go until I answered him. But I was not sure if I knew the answer, or if I even wanted to know the answer. Perhaps, a part of me knew the answer to his question, but I didn't want t
My tongue was tied, and I could not think of anything to say. I could not even defend myself, and I just kept my gaze down. I felt like such an idiot, and I hated myself for it.Samantha continued. "I think you should focus on your own boyfriend, Ivy. You know what? I might just tell your boyfriend how much of a slut you are," She snapped at me. I was too stunned to speak, and time seemed to stand still as I listened to the shuffling of chairs around me. The gasps of the students echoed in the cafeteria, and I glanced up. Joey had dumped the contents of her juice bottle all over Samantha's head."Don't you ever call my best friend a slut," Joey growled at Samantha, giving her a deadly glare. Samantha's mouth hung open in shock. "What the heck! What are you doing? What is wrong with you?" She rambled. "Shut up!" Joey barked. "Don't even try me. If you interrupt my lunch with my best friend again, I'll mess up that stupid face of yours and your cheap makeup."Samantha's lips trembled
~ IVY ~Monday mornings were always a source of stress, especially when my timetable had a back-to-back block of math classes - calculus followed by chemistry. This Monday was even worse, though, since our chemistry teacher was running late. A part of me was relieved, since it meant I could catch my breath after the marathon of mental math that calculus had been. Another part of me was frustrated - I had a lot to cover in chemistry, and I knew the teacher would make up for lost time by moving at a lightning pace. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the noise filling the classroom. I wished the class would quiet down. It was not like everyone's favorite subject, so why were so many people so early? I guess some of them were here to kiss up to the teacher, since she was known for her strict grading. I put my hand to my forehead, a pounding headache shooting behind my eyes. I thought the aspirin I had taken that morning would do the trick, but it didn't seem to be enough. The headac
~ ROMEO ~I kept stealing glances at Ivy through the rearview mirror as I drove. Her eyes were closed, and her head was resting against the headrest. My knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. I hoped I would not cause an accident with my mind so distracted. If I caused an accident, I would never forgive myself - especially given everything I've already put her through.The sound of her phone buzzing broke the silence and she reached for it, opening her eyes as she did so. Her smile confused me, and I wondered what she had seen on her phone to provoke such a reaction. She had not smiled once since I had started driving her home, but there was no denying the look of happiness on her face. I tried not to think about whether it was her boyfriend on the other end.I bit my lip, trying not to ask who she had been texting. I had already made a mess of things. I didn't want to further mess up by revealing my jealousy.I was trying so hard to keep my feelings in check.