Hearts Bleed

O. Till the Sun Rose

Zero.                Till The Sun Rose

                   Ivy Jacobs' summers had consisted of a few things, but only one thing was important
(so it seemed): Cassie Freakin' Howard.

  Their bright summer days filled with rosy puffed out cheeks and childish laughter fueled by sugar rushes & drunk wishes. Her shaky hand locked in Ivy's, bowls filled to the brim with smashed strawberries and glimmering sugar littering them; red stained smiles and sticky sugary white fingers tips. Smooth staircases and scraped up knees pressed against each other from rocky sidewalks & unbalanced drunken bike rides, her soft honey sweet voice filling the quiet summer air.

    But summer was over.

     And Cassie Howard was wrapped around a college boy. Yeah, Mckay was cool & super sweet — but that didn't mean Ivy still couldn't despise him. But then again, it was nobody's fault but her own. She loved too quietly.

    But, after the Cassie Howard loss 101 — Ivy had gain something: Maddy Perez. Obviously, the two were already friends, best friends, but she was dating Nate. Fuckin' gross. Though, Maddy spent the night a lot for Nate's sake ... But she usually ended up in Ivy's room. In Ivy's bed. Their nights full of giggles & drunkenly / highly bullying the boy across the hall. Maybe Maddy was Ivy's new Cassie? Maybe she was even better? Who knows, all Ivy knew was that she was grateful for her friends. They were the only ones keeping her locked in place, sitting on her petal stool with a flower in her hair.

Dim light made Ivy's chocolate wine eyes glow, her near watery eyes burning into her phone screen. She blamed her sudden wet eyes on the brightness of her screen, but it definitely wasn't from the brightness.

cass 💘:
mckay's just the best
i think i like really really like him
maybe i could even love him y'know

Ivy let out a puff of air: Maybe in her Godzilla phase of ruining East Highland, she'd take down Cassie too. It was selfish, no doubt, but Ivy almost didn't care. If Cassie was gone, would Ivy still be hurt? Or maybe, Ivy was the one that should leave.

Ivy answered, giving her best friend her full support before letting her phone fall from her hand into a pile of throw pillows on her hardwood floors. Pearl teeth stabbing into her bottom lip, head slipping under her pillow as she screwed her eyes shut. She just wanted her cushions to swallow her whole, and never let her out.

Sleep came slow for her most nights, and she was on the edge of it. She didn't even bother to turn around to look at the sudden figure gently pushing her door open. She had a hunch: Maddy Perez slipped into the girls room — feeling a sudden warmth sliding into Ivy's bed. Nate's room was as cold as ice, temperature & aura wise. Ivy & Nate were complete opposites.

Ivy smiled softly as tan arms slipped around her waist, Maddy's arms feeling warm against Ivy's tan tummy. The two melting into each one like mixing acrylic paints, laying out a sunset with cherries decorating the sandy sheets. Ivy & Maddy we're a painting at its finest, one that people paid thousands for. "You okay?"

Ivy's voice was soft, & Maddy could tell she was bothered at the way her voice wavered. So, Maddy didn't dare bring up her new fresh bittersweet fight with Nate. "I'm fine, m'just missed my best girl — obviously." Ivy cracked a smile, stifling a giggle, "yeah — totally."

It took Maddy a total of six months ( those six months being the honeymoon period with Nate ) to realize that maybe she picked the wrong Jacobs. But what did that make Ivy, a second option? Again? And Maddy could never hurt Ivy's feelings like that, she cared about her too much.

Ivy knew Maddy wouldn't peep a word, but she wasn't dumb. "What Nate do now?" Maddy rolled her eyes, "m'dont know .. He's been acting weird recently or whatever. But it is whatever, I don't give a shit." And Maddy usually didn't, well, that's what she liked to believe about herself. Ivy bit back a smile, suddenly turning towards the latin girl before her. And Maddy giggled, "oh no! She's got her smile of havoc!" Ivy rolled her eyes fondly, suddenly sitting up — Maddy's perfectly manicured hands falling on Ivy's bare thighs gently. "I have an idea."

Maddy giggled, "you don't say."

Yeah, maybe — once in a while, Cassie would get jealous with how close Maddy & Ivy had become. But as of recently, Cassie had her attention wrapped around dicks more. But who were Ivy & Maddy to judge, and so they didn't. They never would, they were a trio.

Ivy's idea spilled out of her lips like sweet honey nectar, Maddy's fingertips dipping into the gold & wrapping her lips around the sweetness. Grasping for Ivy with her pretty hands, wanting every bit of her she could get. Ivy just made Maddy feel better than Nate did. Ivy did tend to do that, make everyone feel better than she would with herself. She'd say everything that everyone wants to hear, even if she hated the words that spilled from her lips like vile poison. Did that make her a bad person? A liar?

With a matter of moments, & hushed giggles — the two girls were slipping out into the Jacobs backyard in tiny pretty patterned bikinis. The moonlight welcomed them with highlighted features & warm, sparkly arms. And after hours of giggling & shit talking about their current lives & the future, the two had fallen asleep on pool floats. A large, like really large pink lemon, Ivy's float that she always had clean. She despised dirty floaties, they were gross & slimy.

Nate Jacobs jaw was as clenched as an angry Gods fist. His gaze locked down on his sister & girlfriend, a pile of tangled limbs just carelessly floating around. The tall boy bent down, pulling at the float .. Strong arms pulling Maddy away from her safe haven. She sat perfectly in his arms, his burning gaze melting into his younger sister's ivory bones.

Such a shitty influence, V.

The boy with a scoff held up his girlfriend, a foot of his gently pushing the float away from his form. Ivy drifting off into the middle of the pool, alone now, & Nate not giving a single shit. "They we're just having fun. Your sister did have her first." Nate's dark hollow eyes met the gaze of Cal Jacobs, standing behind the kitchen counter — a glass of water in his large hand. Nate rolled his eyes, not giving his father another second as he made his way up the stairs. "It was a fucking stupid idea."

Cal frowned as his son slammed his door, no doubt waking up the girl in his arms just to yell at her for being so irresponsible & dumb. The aged man with silver aging hair sighed, filling up another glass of water before he traveled out into the back. Gently taking a seat at the edge of the pool, calves & feet submerged in the somewhat warm water. He waited for his daughter to drift towards him, gently holding onto the float as the two water glasses sat to his left. His gaze lingered on his daughter, running a hand through her hair with a frown. He never understood where the drift between Ivy & Nate came from. They had been the closest of people growing up, inseparable, basically twins. And now, the two couldn't stand in a room together without Nate biting her head off & feeding it to the snakes.

But maybe it was because Nate finally realized that he wasn't his father's favorite child & his sister was. That Nate was just like their older brother, a useless child. Not golden, like Ivy. Because in Cal Jacobs eyes & books, Ivy Jacobs could do no wrong. So, Cal sat outside next to the floatie, gently admiring his daughter till the sun rose above them. And Nate watched from his window with petty watery eyes . . . That was somewhat of the Jacobs family for you. Ivy needed to cut loose, & soon, before she'd burn down with everyone else in that damn house!