Crimson Kiss

1 Hello New York

Flying always made me sick. The sound of the engine, the movement, the high pitched hum of the plane echoing inside the cabin. My stomach was flipping around inside me with a sick feeling. I shoved another saltine cracker into my mouth. I was doing my best to keep the little food I had eaten at the funeral inside my stomach. I was still dressed in my black sundress and black flats. There had been no point in changing my clothes. It was a depressing day. My mother was dead and I was forced to move from sunny California all the way to smelly and dirty New York. I had only visited my father, Frank, when I had to. It was too much of a hassle to make the flight out there. So, after I turned fifteen, I put my foot down and requested that he come see us instead. I had never asked anything of Frank and I knew he would be more than happy to come see me in California.
With the obituary resting in my lap, and my mothers ring pressed against my fingers, I watched the sun rise, turning the sky from obsidian to pale pink, to bright orange. I was glad I didn't have to fly overseas. I would have to be high as a kite for that one. I sighed and looked down at the paper in my lap. My mother's beautiful, smiling face looked back at me. Her warm brown eyes and blond hair were that of pure beauty. All of her friends that had been at the service had said that I looked just like her. I could never really see it. I looked just like my dad. However they insisted. I failed to see it, especially since my mom had been eaten up by cancer. Before her cancer, my mother had been a beautiful, bright person, with her brown eyes and blond hair also brushed to perfection. She looked perfect even without trying. The breast cancer had eaten right through her chest and into her lungs. There was not much the doctors could do. Once they had found it, it had already been too late. They tried chemo but my mother could not handle it. She decided to stop and she was made as comfortable as they could make her. It was only a few short weeks before she passed. She had still managed to get hold of a lawyer and have the proceedings drawn up so that I could go live with Frank.

I had always been sure that my mom and Frank called it quits because of my mom's secret. The same secret that I now had to bear. When she told me what she was, and what I am, she had just gotten her diagnosis. I called her bluff until she had closed the door in my face. From across the room. After that she told me everything she could about her being a child of nature, as she liked to call herself. I tried to do that but somehow the only fraze I seemed to have stuck in my head was witch.
Frank was a regular kind of guy. Average height, brown hair, like me and brown eyes. My dad had not been able to make it to the funeral. He was swamped with work. He was a doctor at the Boston klinick. He loved his job. I already knew I would be home alone most of the time and I was fine with that. I was glad that I had already shipped my belongings to his house as soon as I could. The closer I got to the city, the more my stomach turned. I was not ready for this. I had wanted to stay in California. But I was fifteen. There was no way I would be able to stay there and support myself and go to school and hold down a job. I sighed and shoved the blind down, the approaching city making my stomach turn even more. I tried to think about the positive things. There were some good things happening.
I was looking forward to seeing Fraya. She had been my best friend when I was little. We had grown up just down the street from each other. When I told her I was coming back, she freaked out. She insisted on picking me up but I told her that Frank had it covered and that I would see her in school on monday. I still had the whole weekend to get ready to prepare myself for my new high school. Oh joy.
The fact that I had to pack up and leave my friends, a good school system and a stable environment now bothered me more than it should.
Once the plane landed, I waited for the last person to stand and head to the exit. I was in no real rush. I knew my bags would still be there on the conveyor belt when I got to them. I reached up and pulled my carry on from the overhead compartment and made my way off the plane. I had no real idea where I was going so I just followed the woman who had been sitting in front of me. When I found the area where I would find my bags, I sat down and waited.
Pulling out my phone, I turned it on and got a few messages from my dad, saying he would be late and he would be at the airport to pick me up around five. I glanced at my watch. It was after five. If he was already here, he would be waiting out front. I sighed and stood as the conveyor belt started moving. It took awhile for my bags to arrive. Once I did have everything I made my way to the exit. Sure enough, there was Frank, in his old pick up truck. He smiled when he saw me. He had not changed much over the years. He was still young looking with a few laugh lines here and there. His brown hair was a wind blown mess and he was dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His smile was wide when he saw me. As soon as I was close enough, he grabbed me up and hugged me close.
"It's good to see ya, Ivy!" he said with a small laugh. "I missed ya, kid!"
I smiled and leaned away from him. "Hey, Dad. Good to see you too!"
His smile faltered a little. "How did everything go? With the service and all?" he asked me as he reached for my bags. I let him take them and he threw them in the bed of the truck.
I shrugged. "It was a funeral, Dad," I said, hoping he would change the subject.
Frank nodded. "I see," he mumbled. "Anyway, are you hungry?" he asked me.
I shook my head. "No. I'm fine. I ate on the plane," I lied.
I had not eaten since yesterday evening. I could not stomach the food right now. I would eat when I was hungry enough. Once we were in the truck, Frank took off down the road. He was focused on driving and would ask me a random question here or there, I did my best to sound as upbeat as I could. I did not want him to think I did not want to be here. Did I want to see my dad? Yes, I did. It had been over a year since I had seen him. Did I want to move all the way from California to New York? No. Not really.
"So, are you ready for school?" he asked me.
I shrugged. "I guess so. I still have to get some supplies. And I know Freya is going to want to hang out with me as soon as she knows I am back," I said.
Frank smiled a wide smile. "I am glad you will have someone to hang out with. Someone you know on your first day. Fraye always seemed to be a good girl," he said. As he spoke, my phone rang. I held it up to my ear.
"Hello?"
There was a high pitched squeal on the other end of the phone. "Ivy?"
I laughed. "Hey, Freya. I am almost home-"
She cut me off quickly. "I know. Your dad told me he was picking you up. I have been waiting all day!" he said. I could hear the roar of traffic in the background.
"Well, we should be pulling up here in a few moments," I said.
Soon enough, we were pulling up to the curb of my dad's house. Freya was sitting there, on the steps waiting for me. I smiled and jumped from the truck, slamming the door behind me. Freya jumped up and threw her arms around me. Freya Mackenzie. My old, free spirited and spitfire of a friend was the only real thing I had reluctantly looked forward to. It had been years since we had really seen or spent any time with eachother. 
Freya was taller than me, her red hair pulled back into a high top bun. She smiled at me when she pulled back, her bright green eyes gleaming. "I am so happy your home. Although, I am so sorry about your mom!" she said as she helped me with my bags. Frank hurried ahead of us, unlocking the door and holding it open for us.
"Ivy, your things got here yesterday. I put them in your room. I didn't unpack anything. I just left it in boxes for you," he said. I nodded.
"Thanks, Dad," I said and walked into the apartment. The entryway was empty of anything but a coat hanger. I followed the wall around to the living room. It was simple but not too decorated. There was a flatscreen T.V on the wall, a red sofa in the middle of the room and a coffee table. There were a few shelves here and there, holding books and DVD's. Other than that, Frank did not have much. I wondered why that was. He was a doctor and could surely afford more than what he had. I cleared his throat.

"I just moved in from a small apartment. Most of my stuff is still in boxes," he tolde. I turned to face him. He was watching me, his face thoughtful. "Anyway, want to see your room?" he asked me. I glanced at Freya and shook my head.
"That's OK, dad, I got it," I told him and headed for the stairs. Freya followed me up to my room. When I opened the door, I found all of my boxes, bags of clothes and an old, brass antique bed. I sighed and walked over to the trash bags full of clothes. I tore one open, only to realize none of this stuff would work for me here in New York. The weather was different here. All I had was summer clothes and it was mid October. It was getting cold.
"I need clothes," I said and looked up at Freya who smiled.
"Wanna make a trip to the mall?" she asked me.
I smiled and nodded. "Sounds great!"
The mall was bigger than I remembered. Then Freya told me that the mall had been remodeled a few times over the years and expanded. We shopped around for a while. I found a few pairs of skinny jeans and some leggings, some boots and a nice coat to go with the outfit.
I had just finished checking out when Freya laughed, her face in her phone.
"What is so funny?" I asked her.
She shook her head. 'Nothing. We are going to a party tonight!" she said as she stuffed her phone in her jeans. I had been about to look at another top and stopped. I turned back to face her and she already had her stubborn face on.
"I don't know if Frank will let me! I did just get back into town," I reminded her.
Freya rolled her eyes at me. "Your dad would want you to get out and get to know some people before you start school! I mean you are starting in the middle of the semester. It would be nice for you to meet some people," she insisted.
I sighed and looked back at the clothes I had chosen. "These will be fine. If you need anything, you can always get something from me! she reminded me. Freya was a little taller than me but not by much so I knew her clothes would fit me fine. And I hardly had anything so I would take any help I can get. In the end, she dressed me in a pair of black leggings, a red, skin tight top and my new black, knee high boots. I threw my hair up into a messy bun, added a little make up and some earrings and I was ready.
"You look hot!" Freya told me.
I rolled my eyes at her and turned to look in the mirror. She had a point. She had done my makeup so I knew I looked good. I had never been much of a makeup girl. I had always gone natural. Freya elbowed me lightly as she pulled on her coat.
"Let's go," she urged me.
I grabbed my new leather jacket, ripped the price tag off and followed her from my room. On the way down the stairs I could see Frank waiting for us by the door. He did not look happy. Uh-oh. Was he going to tell me to stay home? He cleared his throat and crossed his arms.
"I have only two rules in the house. First, you take your cell phone wherever you go," he said. I held up my purse to indicate that I already had it on me. He nodded. "Second, you are to be home by ten throughout the week, midnight on Fridays and saturdays. Do I make myself clear?"
I nodded quickly. "Yes," I said.
Frank nodded and walked back to the living room. There was a football game on and he was eager to get back to it. I followed Freya out of the house and out into the cold fall night. Fall in New York City was beautiful. The best part of living in Manhattan was the changing of the trees. One the way to wherever it was we were going, Freya told me about school and about the so-called bitches she hated. Tina was one of them and she said she would be at the party with her little clique. She had also told me to be ready for some drama she may want to start with me come my first day of school. However I was not worried. I was able to hold my own. Freya knew that. I had not been paying attention to where we were really going so when I did take notice that it was getting quiet and the street lamps seemed to be getting dimmer, I raised an
eyebrow at her. Where was she taking me? It was not long before we reached an old rundown house at the end of the block. I could hear the music coming from inside and knew we had arrived. Fraya rushed up the broken stone steps.
"This is gonna be great," she insisted, pulling me along.