Looking Through the Cracks

Chapter 24: Oh, By The Way

The rest of the week was like Ivy was in her own version of "The Wizard of Oz." Her time in school was a gradation of gray. Luckily, Zoey never came to school and Elijah hadn't spoken to her since his "confession." However, that did not mean Elijah had forgotten. It seemed wherever Ivy looked, Elijah was there, his gaze searching hers for forgiveness.

Every day, when she and B arrived home from school, Ivy had intended to talk to Alice about Elijah, but she was always gone. Whenever she asked Braxton where she was, he would give some vague answer. It got to the point where she gave up asking. Besides, she was home or at least her temporary home, and it was here that her life took on a kaleidoscope of colors. It was during this time that she, B, and his father would all gather in the living room and continue watching the randomized selection of "Seinfeld" on cable. It was the simplest of gestures, but it meant the world to her. For the first time since her mother had left, she finally felt like she was a part of a happy, healthy family.

Little did she know her game of pretend would come to an end shortly.

***

Ivy awoke from his slumber Saturday morning with a backbreaking stretch. She groaned as she pushed the stretch further, her sleepy limbs tingling as they slowly woke up. Grateful for the weekend, Ivy allowed herself to bask in the warmth of her plush bedsheets. She flipped over her phone to discover it was 10:27 in the morning. Suddenly she was very aware that she was a guest at the Witherby house who had nearly slept the entire morning away. Guilt immediately swept over her body, causing her to leap from her bed and meander down the stairs.

During their time together, Ivy quickly discovered that B was a morning person. Unlike Ivy, who woke up a minute before she had to leave for school, B liked to get up at least an hour before he had to leave. He said it was to water his plants, but as B said that, Mrs.Witherby was behind him pantomiming tapping buttons on a keyboard, her tongue sticking out in concentration. As she dragged herself into the kitchen, her eyes scanning the room for any source of coffee, Ivy found B sitting at the kitchen counter, a steaming cup of coffee cradled in his hands.

"Mornin', Sugarlips," he said before taking a sip from his mug.

"Ugh, you know I'm too tired in the morning to fight your stupid nicknames." With half-closed eyes, Ivy took a seat. Placing her arms on the countertop, Ivy rested her forehead on them. With a groan similar to a zombie seeking brains, Ivy grumbled "Coofffeee" her one arm stretching outward in a blind search.

Ivy heard B chuckle, followed by the sound of footsteps. Moments later, a toasty cup of coffee was in her grasp. Quickly raising her head, Ivy clutched the mug in her hands as she took the largest sips the scalding beverage would allow.

B smirked as he took a big slip of his second cup of black coffee. With a strained casual tone, B asked, "So how did you sleep? Anything interesting to report?"

Ivy's eyes grew quizzical as she finished her second gulp. "Um, no? Pretty bland. 'Anything interesting to report' on your end?"

"Nope. Pretty bland too." With another sip of coffee B feigned nonchalance as his eyes peered around the kitchen. Together the two of them quietly sat around the kitchen island drinking coffee. Soon the silence became too much for Ivy. "What's up?"

"What?" B looked up from his coffee as if Ivy had asked him a truly ponderous question.

"You're acting weird this morning. I know I'm normally a little foggy in the morning, but I'm already through my first cup of coffee, and you are still acting weird." To further her point, she slid her cup over to B who promptly refilled it with her usual and slid it back to her. During their time together they had developed nonverbal means of communicating, most of which occurred when it was the morning and Ivy was too tired to talk. This was primarily because B quickly learned that Ivy was not at all a morning person, and she needed at least one cup of coffee before she could function. It was this realization that prompted one of Ivy's first rules for B.