The Aristocrat

The call it over the phone

Sunday 25th

Three hours later I stood in front of Ivy's front door, cold air nibbling at my legs. I had chosen to regrettably swap my comfortable jeans for a white skirt and top. My jacket though offered some warmth, I dug my body deeper into it as I waited for someone to answer the door. I could hear the doorbell through the wooden frame and then the sound of heavy footsteps.

The door swung open, Isaac on the other side. In his blue jeans and navy knitted sweater, he stared back at me with a wide smile glazed across his lips. His cheeks pinched together, his dimples shining through. He waited for me to speak first but I couldn't, my breath was caught in my throat. All I could see was the memories of the Isaac I had met at boarding school nearly two years ago.

My jaw slacked at the sight of him, eyes taking him in. I swallowed an inaudible sound, still not used to seeing him back home. Isaac had always been better at collecting himself though. This proved true when in response to my silence his brows arched in my direction and he empathized my name, "Andra?"

It took me a moment to find my words, mentally banging my own head back into place, "Hey, sorry. I just completely blanked and forgot you were back in town."

"It's no problem," Isaac assured me as I exchanged a similar smile to his, unable to tear my focus away from him. Along his jaw and sharp chin, I noticed the faint traces of an unshaven shadow, a new feature for him. It helped him appear older than he was, a mature quality I undeniably liked.

"Is that Andra?" Ivy's voice shot through the moment like a pin hitting a balloon, deflating the upturned sides of my lips. Isaac's smile dropped too, head angling to the side to see his sister. Ivy sauntered into view, swinging her hips right up to the front door, "Andra."

"Hey," I said forcing my lips wider and higher as my best friend grinned across to me. The un-composed girl I had dealt with Friday night was gone without any remaining remnants. No one would have believed that yesterday morning I had sat with the same girl wiping at the black mascara stained lines that run down her cheeks. That Ivy was tucked neatly away behind a layer of perfected make-up and an oozing confident smile.

Her hands reached out and grabbed at my wrists, her fingers circling around my bones. I felt her fake nails digging into my wrist and wriggled underneath her touch.

"Come in!" She demanded tugging me into the hallway whilst shooting sharp daggers at her brother, "Stop making her stand in the cold Isaac."

"He wasn't," I defended as she continued to drag me down the hallway in the direction of her dining room. She spoke ahead of me but I didn't hear much. I was too busy sneaking a glance at Isaac over my shoulder as he closed the door and turned to follow us.

"Where were you last night?" Ivy questioned as we made it into the dining room and she finally let go of my wrists. I pulled them back to my side and rubbed them soothingly against the material of my skirt, "I called you like ten times."

"I know, sorry," I apologized, "I was busy."

Just as we had made it into the dining room, Ivy's mum joined us from another door on the opposite side of the room. Her gaze connected with us and she beamed brightly. In her black trousers and marshmallow cream blouse she walked further into the room to meet us.

"Andra darling," She greeted as she approached me. There was a heavy tan decorating her skin and her blonde hair appeared lighter than the last time I'd seen her, now pinned up behind her head. Little make-up touched her features, she too blessed like Ivy with perfect complexion.

"Evening Liana, how was your trip?" I asked just as Ivy's mum pulled me in for a quick hug, a welcoming I was used to receiving from her. It was light and airless, nothing like the hug Asher's mum had graced me with earlier on.