Song Above: Hardy Caprio Best Life
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"Okay favourite food?"
"Noodles, you?"
"Red Velvet cake"
"Good choice girl, favourite colour?"
"Lilac, how about you?"
"Blue"
"Such a boy"
"And you are such a girl for choosing purple,"
"It's lilac,"
"Of course my mistake," Ryan scoffed and I playfully hit him over the head with my textbook. He let out a girly squeal and I couldn't help but burst out into laughter at the sound.
The librarian, who was situated behind a large desk, gave a warning look in our direction, her glasses steaming with fury because of our loudness.
Both Ryan and I had to put a hand over our mouths to silence our laughter which was proving to be difficult because it took one look from Ryan to start my hysterics off all over again.
We were currently seated at the back of the library. After our incident with a very annoying teacher, we began to talk and realised we shared most of our classes together.
Seeing as our next lesson was Chemistry and Ryan would have no idea what our teacher was waffling on about - most people didn't -I offered to help him catch up in the library.
Half an hour later and we still hadn't opened our books but instead decided to embark on a game of twenty questions.
I didn't mention what he had said earlier about my appearance putting it down to a slip of the tongue. He couldn't possibly think I was beautiful. Had he seen most of the girls in our class?
I was a goblin in comparison.
Lord knows what's going to happen when he sees Rose, it will be as if our conversations never happened and I'd again be in her shadow.
Like I always was.
"What's up?" All the earlier amusement had been swept clean from Ryan's face as he stared at me with concern on his angelic face.
Realising I had been frowning into thin air I softened my expression and forced a smile "Nothing's wrong, I just have a resting bitch face"
How could I tell someone I just met that I was afraid they'd ignore me as soon as they met my best friend who was so much better than me.
I'd sound like a desperate loser.
Ryan didn't react to my joke but instead eyed me suspiciously before eventually relaxing and leaning back in his chair. I let out a sigh of relief at the fact he wasn't going to press further on the subject. He understood if I wanted to talk I'd talk.
"We should go get some red velvet cake and cheese and bacon fries sometimes,"
The words casually came out of his mouth and he was oblivious to the fact he had just caused the butterflies inside my stomach to explode. I blinked a few times unable to form response as I felt my heart pounding inside my chest. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind.
Was he suggesting a date?
Or did he just want to hang out 'as friends'?
He did call me beautiful earlier, didn't that count for something?
But what if he calls everyone beautiful and it's just part of his vocabulary.
What if he acts all innocent and it's all ploy to deflect the fact he's a massive manwhore.
What if he's actually a psychopath and lures innocent brown-haired girls with freckles in to be slaughtered and then-
"I'm sorry for asking, you must think I'm a sleaze for asking you out without really knowing you,"
I tore myself away from my elaborated thoughts and stared at Ryan. He awkwardly rubbed at his jaw, his cheeks slightly tinged red as he focused his attention on the table in front of him not daring to look me in the eye.
Was he embarrassed?
Oh god, I was so stupid to not know his true intentions.
Of course, he's embarrassed, he asked me out and I decided to leave this planet and have a mental debate with my thoughts. He probably thinks by not responding I was rejecting his offer, which was far from the truth.
I thanked God for finally answering my prayers before responding.
"I would love to-"
"Yo Ryan,"
I froze.
That voice, I recognised it from my deepest nightmares. I felt myself internally scream and I hoped it didn't show on my face.
Fucking brilliant timing.
I felt his presence first from beside me and the familiar scent of his cologne wafted in my direction and up my nostrils. Damn it.
Why did he have to smell so amazing?
It would be so much better if he smelled like shit.
"Brody hey," My head shot towards Ryan.
My eyes widened at the sight of his beaming smile and lack of scowl. He stood up in his chair and both boys participated in some sort of weird handshake ritual.
"What are you doing in- oh right." I could feel Brody's stare boring into the side of my face and it surprised me how sour his tone had become.
"Hi," I strained so hard to force a smile I was afraid I might crap myself.
He had to just ruin my life, didn't he?
Could he not have waited a few seconds longer before opening his humongous mouth?
I mean Ryan had only started school today. I knew he was likeable but had he really just made friends with one of the most popular boys in school.
He didn't need to act as if they were bestfriends or even brothers-
"How your first-day bro?"
Wait a minute.
If they saw my mouth gape open they didn't react to it. Instead, they both sat beside each other engaged in their own conversation.
If I had stripped naked and waved my butt in their faces or puked a rainbow they still wouldn't have noticed me.
Ryan rubbed at his head before nervously laughing "It's alright, the classes are easy but the teachers are dicks,"
"Tell me about it," Brody scoffed leaning back into his chair with his legs crossed over. I ignored the fact for a split second his eyes flickered towards me. I put it down to him hoping I'd had disappeared by now.
Well, I'm one bug you can't squish Mr.
The thought of them being related entered my head and I tried to scrutinise both of their features for some form of resemblance but found confusion when I witnessed none.
They were polar opposites.
With Brody's sun kissed skin and whiskey coloured eyes, he was a massive contrast in comparison to Ryan with his all American styled appearance, dazzling blue eyes, pale skin and a mop of silky blonde hair.
"How do you know each other?" I blurted out and scolded myself for not having a filter. I and my brain were going to be having words later.
Brody's attention moved to my face, his eyes and expression a blank canvas, whilst Ryan's lips curled up into a warm and welcoming smile.
I frowned.
What a lovely contrast of reactions.
"We are stepbrothers" Ryan informed me, his kind eyes locking mine.
At the realisation of his words, my mouth formed an 'o' and I quickly nodded my head feeling stupid for disrupting their conversation.
"My Mom and Brody's dad recently got married. We decided to move in with them instead of staying back at home so hence why I'm here," He gestured at the space around him, his beautiful eyes never leaving my face.
All I could think about was a rumour - or maybe it was the truth- that I had heard a few years ago about Brody and his Mom.
According to the whispers in the halls Brody's mom had died a few years ago. He had lived with his Dad in one of the richer houses in town.
No one knew for sure what had happened to his mom but apparently it was very unexpected.
I had heard once that she'd been murdered but I hoped that was just immature speculation and not the truth.
If that was the truth I couldn't help but look at Brody in a new light, losing the one you loved can change you, especially in such harsh circumstances.
I know the feeling first hand.
"Ivy your staring is creepy," Brody said dryly and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks at the realisation I had been staring at him the whole time I was thinking.
I went to apologise but one look at the disgust on his face and all my sorry's flew out the window. He could shove my sorry right where the sun didn't shine for all I cared.
Asshole.
"I was just trying to work out how many branches of the ugly tree you must have fallen down to look like that," I bristled.
His face hardened and his jaw flexed, "Coming from you, hypocritical much,"
"What are you trying to say?"
He leant forward and spoke slowly, "What I'm trying to say is there some sort of Harry Potter re-enactment and you've come as Hagrid?"
"Fuck you," I could feel my cheeks heat with anger, "And who are you? The troll in the bathroom?"
"Oh very funny," He let out a humourless laugh, "This just shows the difference between me and you. You can call me whatever you want but I will sleep tonight, but you, you'll go home and cry about this, because I know I'm hitting a nerve. You keep biting Ivy,"
If I could pick up my text book and hit him over the head with it repeatedly without getting a criminal conviction I would. A hundred times over and again.
"Cry?" I snorted, "About you?" I laughed so hard I had to take a few seconds to breath again, "Oh Brody. Oh poor Brody. You really think your words and your existence has some sort of significance in my life? Oh how sad for you. Reality is really going to hit you like a train,"
He didn't like that. He didn't like that one bit. He tightened his jaw so hard I was surprised it didn't snap and his eyes were a fiery pit of fury. I was almost scared for a second.
"Don't act as if you aren't obsessed with me. You've been following me around like a sad puppy for the last three years,"
My mouth gaped open and I was so angry my face flushed a deep red, "Obsessed with you? Are you insane?"
His laughed, it was bitter and there was no traces of humour, "Don't try and deny it just because Ryan's here."
Realisation dawned on me. He was trying to make Ryan believe that I was a desperate loser so he wouldn't give me a chance. How dare he.
"Not everyone cares about you Brody and even if they do it's all false. They like the idea of you but no one actually likes you for you,"
I hit a nerve. I could see it by the way he flinched at my words and for a moment, only a split second he looked hurt. I would have cared if he didn't say what he said next.
"You are just bitter because we-"
I didn't let him get that sentence out. I couldn't believe he was about to broadcast it across the library.
In a matter of seconds, I brought my foot out and slammed it into Brody's shin. It hurt me so it had to for sure of hurt him.
He winced out in pain. He doubled over and held onto the injury. He gritted his teeth and cursed for a good minute under his breath.
I glanced at Ryan who had paled during our encounter. His curious and concerned eyes watched us both.
"You okay?" He asked a flustered looking Brody who nodded in response glancing up at me with a look of pure rage.
"This psychopath decided to kick me," He hissed accusations in my direction and I put my Oscar worthy expression of innocence on my face.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my brow as if to say he was mentally insane for even protesting such a thing.
"Yes, you did" He growled his dark eyes flaring.
I shook my head slowly "I don't think so"
"Maybe you hit it on the table" Ryan pressed unaware of my lie and I had to bite my lip to stop the triumph smile forming on my lips.
"That demon" He pointed his finger harshly in my direction "Kicked me"
"Why would I kick you?" I scoffed "I have no reason to"
I had every reason to.
God this was hilarious.
"Come on Brody she didn't do it chill," Ryan playfully nudged Brody in the shoulder but it didn't affect the death glare he was sending my way. I wouldn't be surprised if stream exploded out of his ears.
"Whatever I'm out" He growled under his breath bursting out of his seat and storming past me, purposely brushing my shoulder as he passed. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his immaturity.
He couldn't complain when he was about to tell Ryan our secret.
However much Brody made my insides scream with the anger I couldn't help but feel guilty for assaulting him. If I thought rationally about the situation, I was the one who had insulted him in the first place. I should have just kept my mouth shut.
"So you two clearly don't like each other" Ryan laughed nervously, shaking his head at the sound of the library door slamming shut.
He didn't know half of it.
•*•*•
I flung my bag onto my marble counter running my fingers through my hair as the tiredness consumed me.
Today had been a whirlwind of drama from awkward announcements to heated arguments in the library.
After Brody's dramatic exit Ryan had decided to distract me from the guilt by showing me as many funny cat videos he could find on his phone.
It was nice to find someone who loved silly stuff like that as well. The number of times I've tried to explain the concept of vines to Rose and felt like I was getting nowhere was shocking.
It was also really nice that even though Ryan didn't know me and had no loyalty to me as he had with Brody, he still had been on my side. He thought highly of me enough to think I wouldn't kick Brody, even though I did but that was beside the point.
I still couldn't get my head around the fact that they were stepbrothers. It would be my luck that the one person, I felt a connection towards would be close to Brody. The universe was playing a sick joke.
"Honey someone's on the phone," I heard my Mom call from the hallway and I sighed before walking out of the kitchen.
I met my Mom who sported yoga pants and a tank top resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
She tried to convince me that she thought meditation would cleanse her soul when the reality was she was crushing on her much younger Spanish teacher. The man looked like a god and she had the audacity to say she didn't find him attractive.
Oh please, then why are you wearing a push-up bra?
"It's a girl and she won't stop squealing," My Mom said dryly handing me over the phone and walking out of the room. I watched her retreating figure for a second and then shook my head.
That was the first time she had spoken to me in a while and she didn't even ask how I was.
The high pitched muffled sound coming from the phone stole my attention and I raised a brow in confusion. I slowly brought the phone to my ear and waited.
"Hello?" I said with uncertainty in my voice.
Who called on your house phone these days?
I recoiled as I was bombarded with a stream of words "Oh my god why don't you answer your mobile? It's me, Rose, if you hadn't already guessed! I can't believe it, Ivy, he asked me out, he asked me out,"
"Brody?" I said feeling my stomach sink. I should have been happy for her and I was, but a small part of me wasn't. I couldn't explain or tell you why that was.
"Yes," She screamed in excitement and I quickly pulled the phone away feeling as if my ears were going to bleed from her volume.
"I'm so happy," And I thought for a second she was crying.
"When did he do it?" I had already guessed when he had decided but I wanted her to confirm it.
"The break before Chemistry, we bumped into each other in the hallway, I mean at first he looked pissed but when he saw me he was smiling so much,"
I knew it.
If he was purposely going out with Rose to get at me I'd kill him. Even though I'd been a terrible friend to her recently I did not want to see her get used because of something I had done. She was innocent in all of this.
"I like him so much Ivy, I can't believe he's actually noticing me," She beamed and I sank against the wall as the realisation dawned on me.
This wasn't another one of Rose's infatuations. She genuinely liked the boy and who was to get in the way of that.
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