Introducing Ivy

The Event

COLTON

I didn't worry too much about Ivy. I hope she was out having fun with her friends or something. She was loyal. I didn't need to worry about her. Yeah, that's what I've been repeating in my head for the past hour.

I was sitting at a table reserved with my name on it filled with random kids whose parents attended. Some young and some old.

My phone rested in my hands as I waited for a response from Ivy. Maybe she just fell asleep early? I mean there is a three-hour difference from here. But it's only ten there.

Suddenly the phone is picked out of my hands with a scowl on my sister's face and my cousins.

"What is wrong with you?" Emma mutters next to me.

I instantly snatch the phone back out of her hands, "nothing."

"Is it ivy? Is she not responding or something?" She asks.

I sigh, "something like that."

Suddenly a new voice speaks up from behind me. They place their hands on my shoulders, "didn't you hear Colton? Shane Buckingham is throwing the party of the century."

"Who?"

She gasps, "Only the hottest guy in New York. He attends New York University. Everyone is going."

I stayed silent as I gritted my teeth to the point if I did it any harder, they'd break. "Lovely to know."

"They even post pictures throughout the party on Instagram." Would she go to a party without me? Or without telling me? That's so unlike Ivy.

I breathed heavily, "Thanks for the information, Leah." She says goodbye then walks away. I sigh and beat the mashed potatoes on my plate with my fork, angrily. I want to go home. Or Ivy to just send a quick response saying she's alive. Either will work.

Suddenly a new voice speaks up as they take the chair next to me and sit down, "damn dude what did the mashed potatoes ever do to you?"

I looked down at my place to see that they were scattered everywhere and beaten. I closed my eyes and breathed again before saying, "Will everyone just leave me the fuck alone? My god!" I slammed my fist onto the table earning a shocked look from the other kids.

I didn't even glance at them with an apologetic look.

He held his hands up in defense, "Sorry man. Didn't know you were upset." That made me take a double look. I curiously looked at him. Why wasn't he insulting me like he used to?

He chuckled as he took a bite of the freshly covered chocolate strawberries from the fountain. "Hey."

"Uh, hi?" I reply still confused as ever.

He stuck out his hand for me to shake it. I was hesitant before I shook it. "Listen, man, I just want to apologize for the brutal hatred we have for each other okay? I don't like having beef with anyone, you know what I'm sayin'?"

I nod, "I guess?"

He laughed again, "You've been playing great. Any offers yet? I have about forty D-1 offers right now to choose from. It's pretty hectic around my house."

Of course, he's trying to brag. "Nice. I have a few really good offers from Oregon, Ohio, Auburn, and Columbia. They're all full rides."

He smirked, "Well may the best quarterback win." I hated Brandon Grier ever since he moved here. He was a cocky bastard that needed to get hit. More than once.

My parents were friends with his parents way back when the dinosaurs roamed. They moved to Europe and came back when I was starting middle school. I wish they never came. I mean, I love the competition. I just don't like him. He's an annoying prick.

Brandon and I got along well when we first met. We were very similar. I guess since we were so similar we had the same goals and accomplishments that we just grew to dislike each other when we got something the other wanted. Like the autographed football that Tom Brady signed when we both went to one of the games back when my dad was still in the NFL. Both of us wanted it but it was his football so of course, it was his. So, I let him have it. I was pissed for days. I looked up and saw that he was gone. Guess he went back to whatever hole he crawled out of.

I unlock my phone, go to Instagram, and search for Shawn Buckingham. There was a profile and I clicked on it and found the pictures someone had posted from the party. I scrolled through them looking at every detail to find a picture of Ivy and her friends. I was about to give up when I saw a familiar face in the background talking to some guy.

Claire. Stood by Claire were her sidekicks.

Emily. And Ivy.

She was there. I zoomed in closer to her face to see that she looked very disinterested in what was going on. She had a scowl on her face as she watched Claire and the guy talk. She was at the party. Why wouldn't she tell me?

I slam my phone down on the table and look around. My cousin Cody looks at me suspiciously before he gets up and nods at me to follow him. I hesitated before I stood up and followed him. What is he up to? He leads me outside, behind the building. "Why are we out here?" I ask him, as he leans up against the wall and pulls something out of his pocket.

A blunt.

He stretches his hand out, letting me grab it. "Why are you giving me this?"

"Dude, you fucking need it. Relax." Cody tells me. Cody wasn't always the high school golden boy. He was one of the kids who skipped class to go smoke and get detention almost every day. His twin was nothing like him. Max was the complete opposite. He was more like my uncle. Sporty and I suppose you would call him a heartthrob as Ivy tells me.

Ivy. She's the reason I am acting so wild.

If she would only text me back I would go back inside and enjoy myself. I wouldn't need to light this blunt if she would tell me she was okay. You know what? It's time to stop being the overprotecting obsessive boyfriend I am. I need to relax. Have fun. Forget about her for a night. "Give me the light," I tell him.

He chuckles and fishes into his jeans pocket for the lighter. He hands it to me and I put the joint in between my lips and bring the lighter up to it and inhale the relaxing feeling that was being put into my body. We head back inside after a while and I stand up against the wall hidden from everyone. The idiot hadn't brought eyedrops so I'm sure my eyes were bloodshot.

I watched all of the parents on the dance floor enjoying catching up with everyone. I didn't have a care in the world. I see my sister sitting down with my other cousins Sydney and Alyssa. They were twins as well.

I walk over to them and I watch as their eye immediately connect with mine with shocked faces. Emma stands up and walks over to me with concern. "She didn't text back?"

"Nope." I pause for a minute, "I'm gonna go on a walk. You coming?"

She looks over to the girls and back to me. "Yeah. I'll go tell Mom and Dad." She walks away and leaves me standing alone. I wait a moment before she returns. "Let's go." We walked outside where the sun was now setting. "Is the beach around here?" She asks.

"Yeah, I think it's a few blocks away."

We walk for a while before our parents call to stay they are going to pick us up to bring us back to the hotel. It was almost nine o'clock now, midnight at home. I pull out my phone one last time when we get back to our room.

No new text messages.