CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE!
[ FLASHBACK ]
❝ 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙔 𝘽𝘼𝘿 ❞
. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : - ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ - : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ . ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧
ᶠˡᵃˢʰᵇᵃᶜᵏ !
⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺
"Ivy I think you should tell him how you feel," 12-year old Nicolas Sturniolo told his best friend. Ivy and Nick were currently on the swings during recess. The two best friends looked towards the field where her other two friends, Christopher and Matthew, were. They were currently playing football with some other boys in their grade.
"It's just a middle school crush plus," Ivy replied glancing at Nick who was rolling his eyes at her response. "Our friendship is more important" The two replied in unison. Nick hated when she used that excuse, and she used it all the time. He understood it but his brother had told him how much he liked Ivy and he just wanted to see the two date.
"You've said that only, oh I don't know, a thousand times," Nick said getting off the swing. He had started walking towards the wall, where the shade was. The little girl followed behind him. The sun was getting a lot for the two kids and they just needed to cool down for a second.
"But it's true," She replied wiping the sweat that is dripping down from her forehead. While the two athletic boys played sports during recess, Ivy and Nick talked about gossip or her crush on Matt.
"Maybe I'll tell him when we are sophomores in High School," She said as the teacher called everyone to line up to go back inside. They were almost done with 6th grade and Ivy was ready for her to be done with this school year. She's glad she has her friends to help her through it.
"Or you could do it now and have your guys 4th anniversary sophomore year." He said as they walked through the doors, heading to their class. Ivy just nodded sarcastically which made Nick push her playfully.
"No, yeah, of course." She said as they sat down at their desk. Her, Nick, Matt, and Chris were sat in a group of 4. The teachers did this so that both Matt and Chris could pay attention and ask for help from Ivy whenever they didn't understand. The boys definitely asked every time they had questions.
"What are y'all talking about?" Matt said as him and Chris sat down in their desk. Ivy shook her head to tell him that it was nothing. Matt understood this as this is something that always happened when Nick and Ivy were talking. Matt felt a bit of sharp pain in him every time she did this. What was so important that Nick could know but not him?
"Did you see me at recess, Vee?" Matt said as the teacher tells them they have 5 minutes before they start doing work. Matt wanted to get the girls attention and so he planned to play the best during recess, maybe then she would be impressed by him.
"I did, Moon, you played the best out there," She said smiling at the boy. Something about the way his eye lit up whenever he talked made Ivy fall deeper in this crush she had. "Although I don't know anything about football." She said truthfully as she bends sideways to pull a book out of her backpack.
"I'll explain it to you someday Vee" He replied way too fast for his liking. He needs to play it cool but right now all he is doing is making himself look like a fool. Ivy just nods as she pulls out her thick book out of her backpack.
"So the printer isn't working so till it's fixed, just read your library book," Their teacher said as she goes to call the front office about the printer. Everyone pulls out their books and begins silently reading.
Every so often Chris and Nick see Matt glance at Ivy, who is reading the thickest book in the class. To Matt, Ivy was the smartest, nicest, and prettiest girl he has ever laid his eyes on. She always helped him with homework whenever he asked. She even helped him with words in his book that he didn't know how to pronounce or knew the meaning of. She was always there for him and that is the reason why he liked her so much.
If you asked anyone in class, Ivy was the person to go to if you had a problem. Whether it was on homework or some drama that was going on, she would be there to help you. She always gave great advice, well as good as 11 year-old advice could get. By now Ivy had gone through so much at home that she understood the severity of many things. She had to grow up a little faster than most and somewhere in her she was okay with that.
"Moon, you're not gonna finish that book by tomorrow if you keep zoning out," Ivy said as her eyes scanned the words in her book. She gets really into a book if she loves it but this book wasn't doing that for her. She still is gonna finish it but she will be careful for her next pick.
Chris and Nick laughed at the redness from Matt. They found that hilarious and they were enjoying every minute of it. It didn't take a genius to see how much Matt admired the girl. Matt had shushed them and went back to reading his book.
***
"Oh my god" "You heard what they said about her too?" "The whole grade heard it." "I feel so bad for Ivy" "They were supposed to be her best friends."
"Hey Ash why is everyone staring and whispering about me?" Ivy asked her one of her friends. They were just about to get ready to leave to go take tests over the books they had finished reading. Ash looked at her with a sad smile. She didn't want to be the one to say anything but she knew she had to tell the innocent girl.
"Apparently Matt and them were talking to Mia and," She paused looking for the right words. Ash felt bad for the girl, she always helped everyone and now everyone is talking badly about her. Ivy and her were now walking together towards the library. Ash continued and told her everything her so-called best friends said about her.
"Everyone is friends with Mia so you know what happens when she says something like that." She finished as she went to sit at a computer. She left Ivy standing there with tears in her eyes. How could people she called family say that about her?
She obviously didn't know them as well as she thought. She went to a computer and took her test. She failed as her mind was occupied with something else. She couldn't believe that this was happening.
***
The whole summer Ivy avoided the Sturniolo's. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. They would ask her to come over and play games, or go to the park but all she did was hang up when she realized who it was. She didn't let them explain and she didn't want an explanation. She wanted them to feel the same pain she did. What it felt like to get your heart ripped out and stepped on.
"Ivy maybe you should go and hang with them?" Her older sister Blake told her. Blake had no idea what happened, all she knows is that whatever the situation is, it's bad. Really bad. Ivy shook her head as she flipped the page of her book.
"I'm hurt, Blake." She said closing her book, looking at her older sister. "They hurt me." She said as she placed her book on the table and walked to her room. She hated the thought of them. Their stupid voice, their stupid humor, and their stupid mentality.
She dreaded the first day of 7th grade. She didn't want to see them and she certainly didn't want all the questions they had. She wonders if they know that she knows everything they said about her. They probably don't but at this point she doesn't care. She is not gonna forgive them anytime soon.
adore's corner💌:
so i re-wrote this chapter like 8 times but i decided to just do a flashback chapter so i can have some time to think about how im gonna keep the book going.
also im going through a rough time right now
cause someone i was talking to decided to be an
asshole so now i have to deal with that
while being a people pleaser and a push over so
im busy with that.
PLUS school is over in 2 months or so and I still
haven't decided on a college or major so that's great.
I wish i could be young forever tbh but thats sadly
impossible...unless one of yous is secretly a
vampire???
if you are call me ;)
but none the less I hope you all enjoyed this chapter,
I'm trying yall I promise. it's just hard sometimes.
I truly love you all.
drink some water and eat
your favorite snack.
<3