Off to Neverland

Looking at myself in the mirror downstairs, I didn’t know what Chloe and Terra had seen when I had worn this dress in the mall. To me, it didn’t look very special to me at all. It was just a normal, old dress on a normal, old person.

I stared down at my feet now and frowned. The girls had also talked me into wearing heels, which I hated so much. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I fell all throughout the night. It didn’t help that it was raining either.

When arms wrapped around my waist from behind, I nearly jumped as I looked up into the mirror. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw it was only Eli, and he laughed at me.

“You sure are jumpy,” he grinned, his grip in me tightening. He was so close that I could feel his heartbeat against my back.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to just grab me,” I defended, shifting awkwardly in my heels a little. “You caught me off guard.”

“Hmm,” he smirked, leaning closer to my turned head so our lips were almost touching. “You look beautiful in that dress.”

“Do I? Well, you don’t look too bad either,” I grinned, leaning forward and pressing my lips to his before he could answer.

We were only able to kiss for a few moments before my dad started down the stairs, which caused us both to pull away from each other immediately, even though it was too late because my dad had already seen us.

“Do you two need a ride to the party?” he asked, a knowing look in his eye as he looked over at me. It made my cheeks brush red, and I was surprised by the fact that Eli and I were practically dating. I mean, we lived in the same house. I definitely wouldn’t have been alright with my daughter dating a guy that lived under the same roof as her.

“Um, we’re actually getting picked up,” I told him nervously, still embarrassed about getting caught kissing. “But thanks for offering, Dad.”

My father nodded at us before starting up the stairs again, and I was glad that Claudia was sick and Cassidy was getting ready for the party with Courtney. It would have been so much worse if either of them had been the ones interrupting us.

When I heard a car honk outside, I was confused. I looked over at the clock to see that it was an hour before we were supposed to leave, so I didn’t get why anyone would be there to pick us up.

“I have to go to the party early,” Eli sighed, looking very unhappy with the fact that he had to leave. “Courtney wants me there with her early, and I thought I’d do something nice for her since it’s her birthday an all.”

“Oh,” I blinked, forcing out a smile and waving him away now. “Well, you better go then! You don’t want to keep her waiting.”

He smiled, leaning forward and pressing his lips to my temple before turning toward the front door. For some reason, this made my face turn redder than it ever had before and I didn’t even know why.

An hour later, there was a limo outside waiting for me with all my friends in the back. I quickly scrambled inside, nearly tripping in the stupid heals.

“Whoa, careful!” Chris laughed when I almost face planted. “We don’t want you dying before we get to the party!”

I laughed sarcastically before sitting in between Simon and Chloe, trying my best to adjust my shoes so they would be so annoying.

I really didn’t want to go to Courtney’s party, honestly. She hadn’t ever been nice to me, so why should I go to a party that celebrates her birth? My life would have been a hell of a lot easier if she hadn’t been born.

“I think someone’s upset that Eli’s already at the party with the birthday girl,” Chris teased in a baby voice, reaching over and pinching my cheek.

Jack smacked his hand away before I could. “Stop it.”

“Oh!” Chris cried, covering his mouth when he started laugh. “Jack’s jealous, even after he and Ivy have been broken up for months!”

Jack said nothing, and neither did I. This was not something I wanted to talk around my ex-boyfriend. Why did Chris have to make everything so awkward?

“Anyway,” Simon began, as Chloe pushed her boyfriend away from me so he wouldn’t grab my face again. “I have an idea for you, Ivy.”

I blinked at him, a little unsure if I wasn’t to hear this or not. “Okay.”

I looked around and everyone else in the back of the limo with me. Tyler was sitting there quietly like he always did, Chris was trying to undo the strings on the back of Chloe’s dress, who then smacked him, and Jack was drinking from a water bottle that he had gotten out of the mini fridge. I could only hope that I’d be fine with all of them hearing what Simon had to say.