FIXATION

FIVE

The bell rang and the class full of rowdy teenagers were released from fifth period. Which meant lunch time. Kids trickled out to the parking lot, running to their cars while some stayed indoors to do their time at lunch detention. Like most kids, Ivy and Rosalie made their way to the parking lot to eat at their own car in the parking lot. It was Friday which meant today the girls would eat at Ivy's car. They often alternated between who's car they would eat at. In the cooler days they would eat inside the car, but on nice autumn days like this one in particular where the air wasn't too cold, they would sit on top of one's hood, making a picnic out of their packed meals.

When the two climbed the short walk - out the school, across the parking lot and up the small hill - to her black car, they hopped on the hood. Ivy went into the car, retrieving her lunch from the passenger seat. Rosalie fished her lunch from her back pack, she looked between the sand which she had from yesterday which she hadn't eaten, and left overs from last night. In hopes of mending the weird mood between her and her best friend, she handed the sand which to her, as a piece offering. "I packed you a sandwich," Rosalie handed Ivy the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, biting the inside of her cheek for lying. She emptied her lunch, opening the leftovers Steve had given her from the prior night after he so skillfully made dinner for the two.

"Aw, thank you," Ivy grinned taking the sandwich. Moments after accepting the sand which her eyes quickly cut to Rosalie's lap. "You're eating Mac and Cheese?"

Rosalie paused from opening the Tupperware. Her lips pressed together while she paused from telling Ivy the truth - that Steve had packed her a lunch with an extra long hug before she left his house, much much earlier that morning - so instead, she nodded and withheld the truth. "Yeah, it's actually not that bad."

"You hate Mac and cheese," Ivy squinted her eyes, observing what situation she began to create in her head. Rosalie shrugged at her, brushing off her friend's suspicious. Couldn't she just enjoy a meal without her breathing down her back?

While she ate, she thought of all the things she couldn't say out loud, about how the night was filled with singing off key to Billy Holiday, talking about childhood memories and laughter that - now that she thought about it - was mostly due to exhaustion. The night with Steve was so care-free. She didn't have to worry about if she looked better sitting on the couch, or laying on the ground. She didn't have to worry about the fact that when they snuck into his parent's room and watched a movie that he would try to hit on her. After he asked about the boyfriend thing, he teased her a little more, then let it go. Being with Steve made everything crazy in her world feel simple. She liked being around him, he was fun. But she knew better than to bring him up, so instead she asked something she knew would distract Ivy from Steve.

"So have you talked to Jonathan since the party?" Rosalie pulled her mind away from her night to remember. Ivy's red cheeks turned away from Rosalie before she shrugged off her leather jacket that covered shoulders.

"A few hi's and bye's yesterday," she answered vaguely, placing her jacket on her lap as she unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite, "I was gonna ask him if he wanted to go to the movies"-

"Vee, that's great you totally should!" Rosalie encouraged and shook her not-as-enthusiastic friend's shoulders.

"That was the plan," Ivy sighed deeply and balled her napkin into her fist. She paused as she took another bite, wiping a bit of jelly from the corner of her mouth. "But, while you were sleeping during fifth, I overheard some kids talking; supposedly Jonathan skipped school today.." Rosalie was ready to give her friend all the reasons why that didn't mean all her hope was lost, but then Ivy finished her sentence, "with Nancy."

"Oh," Rosalie mumbled, not thinking much of it. Then, like a bullet her mind snapped to Steve. She wondered if he had heard the same thing.

Of course he had. He's Steve Harrington! She thought, wanting to slap her forehead.