A/N: From a whopping total of three votes, the result is... this chapter. Keep in mind that this doesn't abide by the plot nor affect it, and it goes about as if Ivy and the squad lived the same way everyday as they did during Ivy's first week at the castle.
Okay, let's go way into the future. By approximately eight months. Presumably, the story ends with everyone alive and well (but you'll have to read the published version to find out :P), but perhaps instead we have to resurrect some people (I'll leave that up to you to interpret for yourself). We're now jumping ahead in time to February 14... (I know. This chapter is two days late. So sorry about that. Just pretend... ;) )
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"...so overrated. I mean, really, what more cliche or stupid day would today be to confess your love for someone?" My gaze shifts to the side of my vision, as I glare at a couple making out in the corner in the hallway.
Joanna, beside me, who had followed my gaze, immediately averts her eyes and mutters, "Ohhhkay, lovely."
Emely laughs at our discomfort. "Today is awesome! I dunno what you're talking about, Ivy. Today is the day on which all my lovely ships sail away into the sunset."
"More like the storm," murmurs Charlotte, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling, where we can hear hail pounding down against the roof. "Not exactly the best day to set sail, huh?"
"Ha. This is Emely we're talking about, remember? Better watch your back, Ivy," Alexandria points out, and I bury my face in my hands.
"How many times do I have to remind you that I don't want to be with Lucas to get through that thick skull of yours, Emely?" I exclaim, my voice muffled by my palms.
She shrugs. "Icas is too cute to let it go to waste."
"The ship can't sail without its designated passenger."
"I'll just drag you on then. Lucas will already be there, so I don't have to worry about him."
"Nuh uh you won't. If you're gonna be this way, Emely, I'll just have to hole myself up in my room all day."
"Do what you want. I'll find a way."
"Never." I promptly turn on my heel and start walking the other way. I hope this is the way to my room, or I'll be lost very very soon.
Charlotte, Alexandria and Joanna follow me without a word. I don't see Emely join me.
Don't look back. It'll ruin the moment. Don't. Don't!
I glance back over my shoulder to meet Emely's smirking expression, as she stands right where we left her. She sends a raised eyebrow at something over my shoulder.
Then I collide with something.
Something warm. And hard. Which smells good. And feels suspiciously like a human body.
Crapola!
I return my gaze towards the front, and come face-to-shoulder with a certain someone.
I swear Emely must have summoned the stupid, annoying, oblivious-
"Good morning, Ivy. You should pay more attention to where you're walking."
And just like that, his words wash over me like honey. And now I can't think. Can't- I- think- struggle-
I glance upward, expecting a smirk on Lucas's face, but instead find myself lost in his bright blue eyes, and mesmerized by his lips forming into a small smile upon meeting my gaze.
"He- hello. Um, g- good morning?" I manage to stutter out.
"Happy Valentines day." He grins at my 'deer in headlights' reaction. "I brought flowers-"
Oh, no. This cannot be happening. He's giving me flowers. Emely's plan is actually working. Bad, bad, bad!
"-for you and all your friends. Share the love, you know?"
Well. At least it's not just for me. Right? Right...
He pulls a hand out from behind his back, and reveals a small bouquet of roses. "Charlotte, Alexandria, Joanna, Emely, come here. Have a rose." As he says their names, he hands them a light pink rose, one for each of them. Then he turns to me. "Ivy, the rest are for you."
Dang it.
I take the bouquet of white, red, and pink roses from him. "I- thank you. Um, yeah, thanks."
"Redundant much? You're welcome." He flashes me another grin. "Do you girls want to join me for lunch?" He asks, still looking straight at me.
Just when I'm going to say 'no', the dreaded words, "We'd love to!" sound from behind me. Emely! I'm going to kill her.
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And now we're sitting in booth (why does it have to be a stupid booth?) next to Emely and Lucas. This sucks. Like, really badly. I can't even move my chair further from Lucas! I would slide closer to Emely, but she purposely moved closer to me so that I'm stuck almost touching Lucas's side. If I try to angle my body away from him, then my backside will be way too close to his hand for my own comfort.
So now I'm stuck here. Staring at the ceiling. Trying to avoid talking to Lucas. Or Emely. Which leaves me with really no options but to give both of them the silent treatment.
Oh yeah, and I'm also stuck with this bouquet of flowers and nowhere to put it.
And did I mention that Lucas is constantly trying to talk to me?
It really doesn't help that his voice is so appealing. Or that he keeps trying to touch my hand to get my attention. He also smells really good.
Stupid boys and their cologne...
The flowers smell suspiciously like him. That's bad. I'll be smelling them all night. Great. Falling in love with his smell...
That's creepy. It'd be less creepy to fall in love with him.
EWWWWW okay let's stop now. Thoughts, you need to stop. Just stop. STOP!!!!
"Are you okay, Ivy? You seem a little tense." Fingers run over my knuckles, the ones which are clenched around his flowers. "Trying to squeeze the life out of them, eh?"
Yup. Imagining that the flowers' stems are your neck. Because you're just too perfect. On the outside at least. It hurts, oh the pain...
"Hello, I'm Annie, I'll be serving you today. Can I get you anything to drink?" I turn to look at the small lady standing by the table. Through the dim light, I can see that she's blushing, looking between me and Lucas, smiling slightly. "Just tell me what you want and I'll tell you if we have it."
Oh yeah. Did I mention that Lucas is treating us all to the nicest restaurant in the castle?
"Just waters for all of us, please. Except, one strawberry smoothie. For Ivy, here. Thank you," Lucas says smoothly. As if he didn't just pick me out and embarrass me so that my cheeks are as red as the roses in my hand.
I force myself to look at him.
The original intent was to glare axes in his face.
That obviously didn't happen. I mean, duh, how can you glare at a face like that?
I think my face is on fire.
Save me!
"Um, Ivy?" Charlotte calls to me.
Oops. I've been staring. For too long.
Derpy. Well. I guess...
Um.
This is awkward.
He's really cute.
I hate my life.
Somehow, I manage to tear my gaze away from his eyes and blink down at the fork in front of me. This fork is the most interesting thing I've ever seen. I can't look away from it. To look away would be doom.
"Gratitude really isn't your thing today, huh, Ivy?" His words wash over me like honey.
"Ive," Alexandria starts from across the table, but Lucas interrupts her.
"It's really okay. I have problems forming thoughts into words when I'm overwhelmed, too."
That obnoxious, annoying, jerkface.
I continue to be fascinated by the whiteness of my plate.
A glass lands in the top edge of my vision, right above my fork. A strawberry smoothie.
Should I drink it? Probably not.
But it looks so good!
Meh. I'll drink it.
I reach for the straw and draw the drink closer to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Lucas giving me his signature expression. I turn to him again - which was a mistake. His smirk turns into a grin.
"I- uh- thank you. For the flowers. And the lunch. And the smoothie."
"It's my pleasure," is his simple reply.
A cough comes from the edge of the table. Annie, who had brought the drinks, had been taking orders while Lucas and I awkwardly stared at each other. "Are you two ready to order?"
Oops. Haven't been looking at the menu. At all. "Um..."
"We'll take the Lovebird Special. Thanks."
Okay then. That sounds bad.
As I hand her my menu, she winks at me, eyeing Lucas and smiling. "Your meals will be right out," she says, still smiling.
She only takes twenty minutes to come back with steaming plates in her arms. I have to say, I'm impressed. Most places take at least forty-five minutes to make your food. I like this place.
At least, I did until she put down my dish in front of me. Or rather, in front of me and Lucas. To share.
It's a bowl of seafood fettuccine alfredo. Noodles. Of course. Well, this'll be fun.
Lunch takes forever to pass, especially since I'm taking extra care to take noodles from the opposite side as Lucas is. Luckily, it passes without incident, and I get a free dessert on the house from Annie, who appears to be on Emely's and Lucas's side. Too embarrassed to eat it in front of my friends, I take it to-go.
"You are sharing that cheesecake with me once we get back to your room, Ivy," Charlotte tells me, trying to lighten the mood from the silence we sat in in the restaurant.
"Fine," I mumble, not really caring. All I can think about right now is the way Lucas is wrapping one of his wings around my body. I want to pull away. But I don't. But I do. But I don't?
Ugh, I don't even know anymore.
Just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking.
My friends rooms are all on the way to mine, except Charlotte's obviously, which is right next to mine. When we leave Emely, she gives me a smirk just like Lucas's. I glare axes at her. She reacts by shutting the door in my face.
We also pass Lucas's creepy dark hallway, but he insists on coming with us to mine and Charlotte's room.
And here we are. I start to turn toward Lucas to say thanks and goodbye, but he suddenly pulls his wing in and I fall against him. Before I can react, he moves his head down right by my face. Lightly, he kisses me by my ear, then whispers, "You're cute when you blush."
Well. That was anticlimactic.
I open my mouth to say something, but he pulls away quickly and throws a little goodbye over his shoulder. From what I can see, his face is beet red.
At first I feel like laughing at his embarrassment.
Then I realize what just happened.
He kissed me.
Lucas just kissed me.
He just...
Okay. I'm done. I'm just gonna go and eat cheesecake and sulk in my room for the rest of the day.
No one wants to be a loner for Valentine's Day except me.
Typical.
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A/N: Sorry it was so cheesy - but I hope you enjoyed a laugh or two. ;) Thank you so much for the 200 reads - it's not much but it means a lot to me. Please vote, and thank you in advance! Love you all tons! <3