After that day at the arcade with Ivy, I’ve been seeing less and less of her. Maybe she’s avoiding me and she just didn’t want to tell me that she wasn’t interested? It’s cool, I get it.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and headed inside the school.
Ivy had her book propped up on her desk.
She poked her head up and looked back down just as quickly.
“Hey,” I said to her, setting my stuff down at the desk next to hers.
“Hey,” she responded, her voice was soft but a little distant.
“What’s up with you?” I asked her.
She hesitated before looking at me, her brow furrowed in confusion, “What’s up with me? What do you mean?”
“Ever since the arcade, you’ve been avoiding me like the plague. Did I do something wrong?” I blurted out, more direct and blunt than I had intended.
“I wouldn’t say you did something wrong,” she fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve, not meeting my eyes.
“Then what is it?” I pressed, my frustration creeping in.
She shifted nervously in her seat, her fingers nervously tapping the desk.
“It’s nothing, really,” she said, her tone light but with an edge I couldn’t ignore.
She was hiding something but she obviously doesn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to push her.
The bell rang as we sat in silence across from one another. We both got up and walked out of the door. We shared the route to our next class. But neither of us made eye contact; avoiding the gaze of one another.
I couldn’t help but feel like I’m at fault for this but I don’t remember doing anything wrong. I won’t pester her any further; if this is how it’s meant to end then that’s how it’ll go.
I sat down at the desk which I chose at the beginning of the year.
Next to Ivy.
I laid my head down and glanced at her.
Her eyes glistened as the sun brought out her best features, illuminating her with an ethereal glow. I looked away, my heart beating a little faster.
“OKAY, CLASS!” I jolted awake as the teacher shouted over the obnoxious noise of the students.
“You’re not going to like this but we have a group project!”
The classroom filled with groans and protests from the students.
“IT’S THE THIRD DAY! WHY SO EARLY?!” A male student yelled.
“Good question,” she grabbed her ruler and smacked the desk, “quiet down so I can tell you.”
Oftentimes, she’d use playful banter with us but when things got serious, her demeanor changed completely.
“It’s so you can become friends. I don’t want anyone being left out in my class. 2 birds, one stone,” she calmly set her ruler down, “you will be set into groups of 4. Go find your partners and come to my desk when you’re all done.”
I scanned the area for anyone who might’ve been left out of groups to band together but much to my surprise, most people had already gotten into groups.
Ivy nervously surveyed the area around me, trying her best to avoid me.
“Come on,” I got up and stood next to her desk.
She played with the edge of her sleeve again before reluctantly getting up.
A familiar student walked over as we were walking around the classroom, asking students to join our group.
“Hey, Wyatt,” Alyssa said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Hey, Alyssa, do you wanna join our group?” I asked.
Ivy’s eyes widened as she swiveled to stare at me. Her lip quivered in anger as she made an x with her fingers.
“NO!” She mouthed, standing behind Alyssa facing me.
“Oh, I’d love to! You don’t mind, do you, Ivy?” She asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.
Ivy swiftly turned around with a smile on her face, facing Alyssa. Her lip twitched for a split second but she just nodded.
“Great!” She smoothly turned back to me, “You and I can take the main parts—unless Ivy wants to help you?” She looked at Ivy with a smile. Ivy tensed up for a moment before returning to normal.
“Sure—” she gritted her teeth.
“Wonderful!” She clapped her hands together. She wrapped her arm around mine.
I looked between her and Ivy.
“HELP!” I mouthed, my eyes looking down at Alyssa, pointing above her head.
Ivy’s eyes flickered between Alyssa’s arm and my eyes. Her gaze sharpened as she clenched her jaw ever so slightly. Her expression remained calm outwards but I could see her body tensing. Her message was loud and clear,
“You’re on your own, she said,” I thought to myself as I tried to pry Alyssa off of my arm.
“Stoppp~” she playfully smacked my arm. Her strike left a stinging pain but I decided not to react.
“YO, IVY!” A male student ran over, waving his hand in the air.
He walked in, exuding a confidence that wafted in, filling the room around him. His athletic build was obvious in a way that his broad shoulders filled out his varsity jacket that he wore. The jacket was a black varsity jacket with gold stripes running down the arms and the school’s emblem on the chest. He was tall and fit, his muscles toned in a not so obvious way, just a way that exudes that he works enough on it to keep himself in shape. His dark blue jeans were slightly faded, worn out from practice but still well-kept.
His blonde hair was slicked back in a way that was unusual for someone who practices all day in the searing heat. The sun that illuminated the room hit the sides of his hair, causing it to glow an otherworldly glow—a halo effect that just made him that much more charming.
His blue eyes met mine in a manner that wasn’t threatening nor ill-intent. He smiled and nudged Ivy with his shoulder—suggesting that they were at least on friendly terms together.
I’m not too sure why but he made me nervous.
“Hey, Daren,” she met his fist with a fist bump.
She smiled, really smiled, for the first time since the arcade. He seemed to have this way, this effortless way of making her smile, of drawing herself out from within the walls that she’s built. The way they exchanged words—it was as if they knew each other forever, comfortable and at ease in a way that I couldn’t manage in days. I watched them talk—stunned by how quickly she opened up to him when I barely scratched the surface.
When they stopped talking, Daren walked over to me and held out his hand.
“Hey, I’m Daren,” he spoke, his voice deep and exuding.
I grabbed his hand and gripped it just tight enough to seem casual but not too desperate.
“I’m Wyatt,” I gave him a smile, one of jealousy.
He walked over to Alyssa and greeted himself as Ivy stepped next to me.
“He’s the 4th member of our group,” she explained.
“Oh, well that’s great,” I answered, my tone more forced than I intended.
No, it’s not. Wyatt, tell her it’s not.
I wanted to but the words wouldn’t leave my mouth.
Once we gathered, we walked over to the teacher.
“Is this the group you’ve chosen?” She asked us.
“Yep,” Alyssa answered.
“Okay, the assignment is… Fun facts! About yourselves!”
“You’re joking, right?” Ivy had an annoyed expression plastered onto where her usual scowl would be.
“I’m serious! I want to know more about you kids!” Our teacher emphatically replied.
Public speaking about myself is just what I wanted. Great.
Ivy gave me a knowing look and shared a nod.
We walked to the back of the class and rearranged the desk so we could sit together and plan out our approach to such an unorthodox project.
I sat down at my desk. Alyssa swiftfully slid into the space next to me, quickly claiming the chair for her own.
Disappointed, I glanced at Ivy before taking out my laptop from my backpack. My heart beat faster whenever I saw her, annoying me.
I opened a shared doc and sent it to the 3 of them before speaking,
“Okay, guys. The deadline is 1 week from now so next Thursday,” I began typing, “I made separate slides about each of us. We can all fill out our own so that way it’s easier—”
“Nope!” Alyssa butted in, snatching the laptop away from me.
“I think we should do it about each other. I’d love to get to know you, Wyatt,” Alyssa gave me a smirk that didn’t seem exactly friendly.
I looked to the side as if there were an invisible camera catching the madness.
“I like that idea,” Daren voiced.
“I don’t care,” Ivy was resting her head on her hand.
“This class is about to end so I’ll make a group chat… If I could just get your numbers?” My heart started beating rapidly as Alyssa asked me for my number. Granted, it was for class but it was the first time a girl asked me for my number.
“Annnd~ all set,” she smiled, holding up her phone to show us.
My phone vibrated against the table. I picked it up and pressed the power button. It was a text from the newly anointed “Squad Goals” which is exactly what I thought Alyssa would name the group.
I spent the rest of the day trying to get fun facts about myself in between the lectures of teachers and assignments. I don’t really have much to offer besides the fact that I like video games. I racked my brain for an answer but before you knew it, the final bell had rang, dismissing us to the bus.
“I see you haven’t touched the doc yet,” Ivy said as I sat down next to her.
“Yeah, who knew it’d be this hard to find something interesting?” I said, scratching my head.
“It isn’t that hard. Daren already filled the page about me with pretty interesting things.”
What?
A ping of jealousy. At the slight mention of his name. What’s gotten into me?
“Oh, that’s cool,” I responded, my voice soft.
“I didn’t want this to be too boring so I chose to fill out your part while Alyssa does Daren’s. Let me tell you, she did not like that idea.”
I sat there for a moment, my mind racing between Daren and Ivy. Between my interests and what me and my family used to do for fun until you know.
“Hey, Wyatt,” she calmly said.
“Yeah?” I responded, snapping out of the trance that I was in.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Are you—” she stopped for a second, looking up at the roof, “Nevermind.”
I looked at her, trying to get a sense of her sudden shyness.
“When I was younger, I didn’t have many friends,” she said, out of the blue, “I wasn’t upset about it or anything,” she hesitated before powering through.
“I wanted someone who I could be myself with, though. Everyone had this distorted view of me but soon learned that I was as weird as they came—”
“You aren’t weird,” I butt in.
“It’s okay. I know I am but I’ve learned to accept it and even love myself because of it. Because I’m unique. Just like you, Wyatt,” she smiled at me. The same smile she gave Daren. The same smile that gave me butterflies and made my heart beat a mile a minute. I don’t know what it is about her but I can’t ever stop thinking about her on some days.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked her.
“Is it gonna be weird?” She responded.
I shook my head side to side.
“Whatever,” she rested her head on the window as the bus finally started moving.
“How do you know Daren?”
She paused for a moment, her thoughts placed back in a different time.
“He was well… the first friend I had. The one who let me be myself, who didn’t care about the whole ‘quiet and weird’ or anything like that. He talked to me like I was… well… me,” her voice was soft, softer than I’ve ever heard, “I can’t imagine those years without him.”
I nodded, feeling a sense of dullness in my chest. I’m happy she’s happy with a friend like him but something was tugging at me. It should’ve been open and shut hearing about him but it wasn’t.
The bus ride was quiet between the two of us as she exposed her heart to me. Talking to me like I was there for the first time, ever.
The bus stopped a few blocks from my house.
“I’ll see you later, Ivy,” I grabbed my things and headed off of the bus.
She looked out of the window, ignoring my parting words.
Her face was that of curiosity and vulnerability.
Like she had regretted what she said.
I walked into my house and threw my bag onto the couch and laid my head down on the soft cushions.
I’m not too sure why she does this. She tells me these things then she pulls away. It’s like she wants to get close but then all of a sudden she doesn’t. I want to be able to tell her things about myself but I don’t feel entirely comfortable sharing things with a stranger.
That’s when it hit me.
We’re still strangers.
I’m not too sure what you want from me. I can’t read you. I can’t comprehend anything you do and yet you pull me towards you without even trying.
I got my phone and texted Ivy privately.
“Thank you for your help earlier. I have an interest if you want to meet me somewhere later?”
I pressed send on the risky text.
PING
I picked up my phone and opened it.
“That sounds weird,” her text read.
“Ok, yeah, you’re right but I meant at a local place downtown. You can bring a friend or something but it’s something you should see for yourself,” I sent the reply.
“Whatever. Send me the address.”
I texted her the address.
“Does Saturday work?” I asked her.
“Yeah,” she bluntly replied.
Saturday rolled around, just as fast as the school week had gone, in an instant. Ivy walked across the street and met me by the silver and red overhang above the door.
“Adams’ Diner?” She said, slightly suspicious.
“Yeah. You know it?” I responded.
“Do I know it? I come here every chance I get. They serve the best milkshake and burgers around for miles,” her stomach growled as the aroma of the freshly cooked cheeseburgers wafted out into her nose.
“Prepare to be surprised,” I held the doors open for her.
She walked in, the doorbell jingling behind her.
“WELCOME!” The chef shouted as she flipped a burger on the grill.
The black and red leather booths complimented the black and white checkered floors worn smooth from decades of use.
We walked over to the island, the leather seats creaking as we sat down. I grabbed a menu but I already knew what I was going to order. The usual.
The smells of freshly grilled burgers, freshly brewed coffee, and fresh pies filled the diner, reminding of a time when the world was a lot simpler. A little softer. The waitress came over and filled our porcelain cups with the coffee straight from the pot. The elderly folks around us chatted away about their breakfasts or what the weather was like. They didn’t have a care world, neither did I here, in a place where time didn’t really matter.
The soft hum of the jukebox played a jazz melody as there were some customers dancing by it. The smiles on their faces were ones of joy, happiness, of love.
The diner hadn’t changed much in its 40 years of business. I knew what it was like because my parents loved coming here. The customers, the staff, even the food was almost the exact same as it was before.
I looked at Ivy, who ignored me for the most part as her eyes scanned the menu. I chuckled to myself, intrigued by what she would order.
The hustle and bustle of the world seemed to stop as we entered this little corner of the world that was untouched by modern day society. It was comforting, nice to be able to ignore the reality of the expectations that are placed upon us.
“Wyatt?!” The woman in a red apron, a classic white shirt, and a hairnet covering her long silver hair shrieked. She dropped the utensils, causing a huge commotion.
All of the patrons looked in my direction.
“Wyatt, I haven’t seen you in forever! How have you been? How’s Mom and Dad?” A familiar customer shouted.
A dark shadow loomed over my face as I hid my discomfort.
“They’re—”
“Don’t pester the boy,” the woman who shrieked earlier proclaimed, “here,” she set down a piece of cheesecake.
“It’s on the house,” she slid the plate in front of me.
“Thanks, Grandma,” I smiled a vibrant smile, thankful for her interruption.
Ivy had looked at me, tilting her head.
She looked back and forth at me then at her.
“Adams’ Diner… Wyatt Adams…” She finally put the pieces together.
“Your family own this place?” She questioned.
“No, the Diner was Grammy’s and Grandpa’s. They wanted to hand it down to my parents but they turned them down,” I answered.
“Where’s your grandpa now?” She looked in the back kitchen.
“Oh, he passed away a few years back. It’s sad but I don’t really remember him,” I stabbed the fork through the lush cheesecake. The flavor melted in my mouth as the rich, buttery cake danced on my tongue.
“Really? That’s it?” She cocked her head once more.
“I don’t get you—”
“Hey, kiddo! How are you liking your new school?” Grandma popped out of nowhere.
“I’m enjoying it so far. I’ve made some decent friends,” I took another bite out of the cheesecake.
Grandma looked at Ivy with a thankful smile, unaware of the situation.
“Oh, I’m not—,” Ivy frantically shook her hands.
“That’s a shame, sweetie,” the look on her face was replaced with a disappointed indication.
She turned around and ambled her way back to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry about that, Ivy,” I apologized.
“It’s okay. Really.” She set a few dollars on the countertop.
“The reason I brought you here was because—”
“OH, WYATT! YOUR FRIENDS ARE WAITING IN THE USUAL BOOTH!” Grandma shouted over the waitstaff and the conversations once again.
“Thanks, Grammy.”
Ivy looked between Wyatt and his grandma and smiled to herself.
“Follow me,” I sprang off of the stool, the leather wrinkling.
Ivy and I hiked over to the far side of the diner where my friends from my old middle school friends were waiting.
On the left was Theo. He was an academic weapon as the students would describe him at school. He adjusted the glasses on his face to keep them from sliding off of his face. He brushed the crumbs of the fries that had been devoured off of his emerald green sweater.
“Gah, it’s all over me,” he mumbled as he stood up and swiped the crumbs off of his dress pants.
“You need to get new glasses,” I laughed at him.
“And you need to get on with your homework,” he pointed his book at me.
“How did you know I was here for homework?”
“You don’t ever hang out with anyone unless you have homework,” he looked to Ivy, “well, besides us,” he held out his fist.
I connected his fist with mine.
“No matter how much I try to get rid of you, I can’t seem to.”
A girl sat next to him. A sort of palpable awkwardness seemed to surround her as she held her hands on her lap.
The hoodie she wore was way too large, going all the way down to her knees.
It’s definitely seen better days, too. The holes in the front were small but it seemed like they'd been there for a while. I looked at her face, which wore a bright smile but the bags under her eyes indicated that she didn’t get enough sleep.
“Alexis, what did I tell you about getting more sleep?” I glared at her.
“The new DLC dropped for Dynalife. I was up all night playing it. Speaking of, have you gotten it yet?” She snapped back at me.
“No, all of the money I have goes to—” I looked over for a brief moment and remembered Ivy was here.
I don’t need her pity so I won’t go into details right now.
Alexis ruffled her hands through her hair, “YEAH, YEAH!” She huffed and leaned back in the leather booth.
“Okay, I’m going to go to the bathroom for a second,” I walked over to the two of them.
“Please, don't tell her about my parents,” I whispered to them.
They nodded and I headed to the bathroom.
Ivy glanced around nervously before sitting down.
“We may seem like weirdos but you don’t need to be so nervous,” Alexis’s voice settled into Ivy’s ears. Her appearance may be a little messy and strangled but her voice sounded like that of an angel.
“Sorry, I’m just… not good with people,” she sounded calmer than Wyatt could’ve ever imagined. He would probably think he was dreaming if he heard her.
“It’s okay. We’re usually not this social either but Wyatt’s one of us and if he’s taken a liking to you after everything that’s happened—” Theo clasped his hands over her hands.
“He’s just shy,” he laughed nervously, a little too loud.
“Okay…” Ivy didn’t believe them.
“How was he in middle school?” Ivy asked, stirring the coffee that had just arrived before taking a sip.
“He was, well, Wyatt. He tried his best to be strong but eventually all of the bullying made cracks in the proverbial armor until it completely shattered. They made fun of him because of the way he looked, the things he’d liked, everything about him, they just picked at him for. He closed himself off to the world for a long time,” Theo mused.
Ivy had her head resting on her hands, all too familiar with the feeling of being alone.
“And then,” Alexis butted in, “He met me!” She smiled brightly, her eyes shining ever so brightly under the diner lights.
“I had a dare to ask him out,” Alexis averted her gaze, clearly embarrassed.
“That’s so messed up,” Ivy retorted.
“Yeah, it was. And eventually, I came to realize that when I actually got to know Wyatt. He’s a genuinely good person, too good for this world but too shy to actually say what he wants. Maybe not shy, maybe he just wants everyone else to be happy, even if it costs him his happiness,” she glanced away, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.
“If you two were the last people on Earth and there was one last meal to keep you alive, he’d give it to you,” Theo commented.
“Weirdly enough, I did grow to become his best friend,” Alexis moved her arm in front of Theo and pushed him back while propelling herself forward, getting closer to Ivy’s face.
“Oh? Did you develop feelings?” Ivy asked, intrigued.
“I did.”
Theo's eyes widened as he looked at her in surprise.
“Seriously?” He pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose.
“Yep! I even had the courage to ask him out—”
“WHAT?!” Theo and Ivy shouted in unison.
“How did I not know about this?” Theo grabbed her by the shoulders and started shaking her.
“I told him not to tell you,” she said, her words disjointed as he shook her.
“What did he say?” Ivy was captivated by this.
“He…” She let the suspense build for a moment, “rejected me.”
“How could he reject you? You’re so cute!” Ivy grabbed her cheeks and started pulling them, “when you’re cleaned up probably,” she added.
“Hey!” She smacked Ivy’s hand.
“Sorry, I got carried away,” Ivy leaned back.
“SORRY I TOOK SO LONG!” I waved to them, walking from the bathroom.
“Why didn’t you tell us that Alexis asked you out?” Theo bluntly stated.
I slowly turned my head to Alexis. She cowered in fear and slid down the booth.
I walked over and rubbed my knuckles against her head, a noogie.
“Ow!” She was frantically fighting back but to no avail.
I stopped and looked at her.
“I thought you didn’t want anyone knowing that?” I muttered.
“It was in the past and of all people, Theo deserved to know,” She replied.
“Wyatt, I have something to talk to you about,” as if on cue, Theo was standing next to me, whispering in my ear.
“Well, spit it out,” I looked at him.
“Not while,” he nodded his head in the direction of Ivy, “she’s here.”
“She’s a friend too,” my mind raced back to a few moments ago where she frantically denied it in front of Grammy.
She might not consider me her friend but I do consider her mine.
“Okay, if that’s the case,” he cleared his throat and hesitated, looking like he’s racking through his brain for the right words to say.
“Alexis and I are dating.”
Silence. The stunned expression on my face was enough to shut up the conversation that Alexis and Ivy were having.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“Yes, is there going to be a problem? Considering your past—”
I picked him off the ground with a hug.
“IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!” I shouted at him.
“What?” He was confused as he was hovering in the air.
“Dude, I’ve known you liked her for a long time. I’m glad you finally got the balls to make it official,” I was smiling as my day had just gotten that much better.
“See, Theo, I told you he’d be happy for us!” Alexis cupped her hands over her mouth and hollered.
“I don’t know why I thought you wouldn’t,” Despite being jealous a moment ago, he smiled to himself.
“Let’s get some food to celebrate!” I walked back to the booth.
“Sorry, Ivy, you’ll have to learn my interests later. We’re celebrating by stuffing our faces!” I said to Ivy. This was the best news I’ve heard in a long time and I couldn’t have heard it at a better time.
“That’s fine with me,” Ivy looked down and grinned.
She hadn’t seen Wyatt actually smile either.
A smile that met his eyes.