Magnetism

33 - comfort

There was nothing but warmth as I woke up: a warm blanket surrounded me, a warm stream of sunlight on my face and warm hand running through my hair. Groggily, I looked around and peered into the most warm caramel eyes I had ever seen.

"Hi" ivy whispered

"Morning"

As I spoke the front of my head blared at me. A dehydrated headache reminded me of the events of the previous day. Not ready to face that I remained still. I let the warmth stay, the cold could wait just a bit longer.

"What's the time"

"A little after 10" ivy replied

Her hand had moved to my back as her fingers lightly traced the skin under my, well her, sweatshirt.

"I have school in half an hour" I sighed

She shook her head at me, a playful gesture. Not everything had changed, Ivy was still very much the same.

"You can miss a day"

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Just email your teacher" she continued

Usually I'd argue, I didn't have days off, they were time wasting and unnecessary. But I lay in Ivy's bed with Ivy's arms around me and nothing in me wanted to move. So I nodded. A small gesture of a laugh emerged from ivy, localised to her chest but non the less there, and she gently pressed her lips to my head.

I tried not to think as my head churned and the minutes past. Ella, she was ill and at home with mum or dad. Seb would have been asking questions, but cautiously while Jack was happy just being. My family without me would still be a family, just not mine.

So I didn't think of them; instead I thought of Alex and Noah. They'd never admit it but they enjoyed the days I was off; it was when I wasn't around where they felt the most freedom to...act like a couple. Their relationship had been inevitable but it was an adjustment for all of us, the switch between friends and relationship. We'd never talked of it though, I never voiced concern and Alex played the avoidance game. For the most part it worked but it was easy to tell when I was there a slight restriction set over the two, more of a formality and set of rules. Noah was respectful and kind, he wouldn't make anyone uncomfortable including me and I think he always assumed seeing him and Alex caught in a moment would make feel awkward. Maybe it would.

"Brooke" ivy murmured.

She sounded concerned like i had scared her. As I finished blinked and returned back to reality I saw her eyebrows knotted closely and her neck hunched toward like she was focusing.

"Talk to me. What's going in your head?"

I wonder if she knew; looking back I think she must have had an idea. To a degree Ivy could imagine the things going on in my head. But then that was ivy, she didn't want to assume and even more then that she wanted me to be the one to tell her.

"I'm fine" I spoke as I struggled to collected my thoughts together  "I was just thinking about Alex"

The sound of a small breath leaving Ivy's lungs filled the room.

"You should probably text her"

I didn't hesitate to nod as the images of Alex going out of her way to help me came to my mind. She'd come and got me, let me cry to her and comforted me in the way she knew how. Then she'd called ivy, she reached out for her help when I didn't know how to. I curled into Ivy as the thoughts flooded me. My body was embraced by hers, my head laying on her chest with her chin a few inches above my head. I liked the weight of her arms around me, I enjoyed the echo of her heartbeat and I encouraged the heat from her body against mine. It was safe and it made me feel that way.