Kidnap My Heart - Chapter Ten

It was Teddy. Ivy didn’t know what to think. Was he following her? She mentally scolded herself for being paranoid but she knew possibilities were endless. He did flirt with her and during their dance, his hands traveled a bit too much. "Hey Ivy wait up!!" she heard behind her as Teddy caught up to her. Ivy didn’t want to be rude but she wanted nothing but to tell him to go away. Far away just for her sake. "Hi Teddy what’s up?" she said while turning to face him. "I just wanted to ask you if you would like to go for dinner sometime while you’re here." He huffed out. Ivy was shocked. This wasn’t what she was expecting while she was here. It was a good shock but she felt queasy about it. She didn’t want to say yes and yet she couldn’t bring herself to say no. He was good looking and had a great personality. What would go wrong? She silently cursed herself for jinxing her chances at it but knew she couldn’t go through with it. "I’m sorry Teddy. I can’t." Ivy said sadly. Teddy looked at her dejected and quickly smiled to cover it. "Don’t worry about it doll. I’m a big boy and I could take it." He said assured. Ivy quickly hugged him and told him it was great to see him. "The pleasure was all mine." He said bowing goofily. He walked off and Ivy walked to her car as fast as her feet took her. She got to her car and threw her bag into the passenger seat. She closed the car door and strolled to the hood of the car. She sat on the hood observing the school while everyone else drove away. The wind blew softly and her hair whipped onto her face. That was the end of the most pondered day. She chuckled lightly at the thought of this old home of hers. She stared once more into the bright sky and turned away before entering her car. It had been an interesting night and yet she couldn’t grasp the fact that she had left this part of her life that was the only part that made her happy. Then again she had troubles in her home here so it was best to leave. ‘No regret Ives’, she thought boldly. ‘Don’t regret it.’

The next day, Ivy went for a quick run around the neighborhood to be stopped more than once by the residents of their gated community. All those elderly people she had helped during her high school days stared at her with the same awestruck expression she had gotten so used to. ‘There’s nothing special with me. Just little Ivy Kaplan who grew up’, she thought. When she got back to her house there was a new car parked in the driveway. Another visitor. I wonder who it is this time, she thought somewhat scared. She entered the house and bellowed to her mom. "Hey mom where are you?" she yelled continuously. Her mom didn’t answer and she looked around for signs of her mom. She looked into the dining room and saw April sitting with a young woman whose back was facing Ivy so she didn’t know who it was. The woman turned and Ivy gasped happily. "Crystal, didn’t I tell you to not come down here?" Ivy laughed at full volume. Crystal stood up and ran full speed at Ivy. "I know but I had to come!! You left all of a sudden and I got bored and lonely. It hasn’t been the same since Carson left me. I tried getting a rebound at the bar yesterday but it didn’t work." Crystal said in her signature pouty voice. To think they were best friends.

They were nothing alike. "Well I’m happy you’re here. I get to introduce you to everyone here since they’re all within a walking distance." Ivy said excited. The petite blonde bounced up and down and Ivy couldn’t imagine that she was already 27. "This is so exciting!! I have to admit this town is a cutie! And speaking of cuties this town if full of them! You look a lot like your mommy Ives. And I see that that red hair of yours comes from someone. I was beginning to think you had it colored." Crystal snickered. Crystal hadn’t expected that her best friend had looked too similar to her mom. They would have passed as sisters since she was quite young. Ivy smiled and hugged her friend. "Did you really? That doesn’t make you any different from my exes’ honey. All thinking it’s fake." Ivy giggled. "Well unlike them I wasn’t trying to get anywhere with that sweetheart. You know how guys see if you’re natural." Crystal replied with an obvious wink. Ivy turned to her mom who raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled sweetly at her and tossed Crystal a warning look. Ivy turned to her mom again and pulled Crystal out of the awkward room and up the stairs. She dragged Crystal to her room and she stumbled more than once at the sudden lurches.

When they were in the sacred sanctuary of her room Ivy wanted to hurt Crystal. "Did you have to say that around my somewhat estranged mother?" Ivy said annoyed. Crystal roamed around the room and viewed the pictures. "Relax. I think your mom was more embarrassed than you. Don’t go moody teen on me." Crystal said happily. Ivy groaned and crossed her arms in front of her. Crystal pointed to a picture and smiled. "Who’s this hottie?" Crystal said in a low tone. Ivy walked up to the wall and looked at the picture of Avery and her at their junior prom. "Avery Warren. My first love and possibly last." Ivy said sadly. Crystal’s eyes widened with shock. "So that’s him? The guy who broke the heart breakers heart? Interesting, I have to admit he is quite the looker." Crystal said with a devious smile. Ivy rolled her eyes and said, "Don’t worry he’s part of your town tour." Crystal laughed and looked at the picture of Ivy and Avery at the park. To her they looked like they were in love. Even if it was just a puppy love, it was love. Now, Ivy didn’t show that happiness that had been displayed in the photo while he had been around. Maybe he was that final piece Ivy needed in her life.

She just didn’t know it yet. Her eyes had sparkled into that light and bright green Crystal herself, as Ivy’s best friend, had only seen once or twice. Crystal remembered how Ivy had explained their break up. Her friends here knew he had ditched her on that night and that was true. Ivy had left out a big part in that explanation. He had told her he loved her and dropped her. His excuses built up and she thought it was because he was cheating on her. Luckily, it wasn’t but his love only lasted in words. From the time before their anniversary, he had already decided she wasn’t the one for him. She skimmed more pictures and most of them were of her and her old friends at parties, picnics, dances, and just hanging out at her house. It reminded Crystal of her old high school days and she smiled at the thought. Ivy had been a happy teen but Crystal knew it was only at school. When she would arrive home there was either complete silence or incontrollable screaming. It wasn’t a life for a perfectly happy girl. Without knowing who she was or how her life was you would have known she had been deeply hurt by the ones she thought loved her. When Crystal met Ivy in their first week of college, she knew that Ivy had demons in her past that she couldn’t let go of. That’s what made her intriguing. Crystal looked over a picture with Ivy arm in arm with 3 boys who were each handsome with no debate.

They all had wide smiles and there was one guy with glasses that looked like he had just came out of a magazine. The glasses took nothing away from his good looks and in other pictures with him he might have had contact lenses. To Crystal, he had the most incredible blue eyes. It sounded cliché but those eyes seemed to have their own story and they were calling to her. "Who is this guy?" Crystal asked with awe. Ivy looked closely at the picture then back at Crystal with a big grin. "Why does it matter?" Ivy replied still grinning. "Look at him Ives!! He’s so gorgeous! Plus those eyes! I think I could stare at them all day." Crystal said dreamily. Ivy laughed at Crystals display and sat on her bed. "That is my dear friend Chris Stetson. Best athlete of our school years besides from me and an overachiever. Good choice sweetie." Ivy said happily.

Crystal turned her attention once more to the picture. "Is he part of our tour?" Crystal asked hopefully. "Maybe if you’re a good girl and don’t say innuendos that reflects on my love life around my mom ever again." Ivy said knowing Crystal wouldn’t make it. "Oh yeah I promise I won’t as long as I get to meet that hottie." Crystal said with genuine determination. Ivy laughed at her and quickly pulled out her suit cases. "Okay first help me to find something to wear just for browsing this town. Then I promise I will try my best to help you with Chris." Ivy said with a smile. Crystal rolled her eyes and helped Ivy with her apparel. "Now I have the feeling you’re just using my new found crush for your own personal gain." Crystal frowned. Ivy laughed and threw a sock at Crystal. "Well don’t think like that. I’m going to make Chris like you and he won’t even know what hit him that hard." Ivy said while her friend watched her suspiciously. "I trust you Ives." Crystal said with a big smile.