Poison Ivy | Jordan Poole

two.

May 31 2023

Ivy, you're not going to talk to me, are you? It's been months. I saw your mom today; she said you left Nevada. You weren't going to say shit to me then huh? We have a life together Ivy.

"Baby boo, please delete that voicemail asap." Essence's voice cut through Ivy's disgust as she walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch in her chocolate skims set and fluffy brown Ugg slippers.

Essence was Ivy's high school best friend; she'd left Vegas once they graduated and never looked back. Now, the model and part time actress was kind enough to let Ivy and their friend Gabriella move into her three-bedroom townhouse. 

Essence had stated it was no big deal. After all, she needed the company and rental help. However, Ivy knew Essence's open door policy was rooted in her  awareness that both she and Gabby were at crossroads in their lives.

"I am deleting it, no worries about that. I just can't believe he's still calling. He cheated on me!"

"And that's why it's not surprising, he's a narcissist and he knows he lost a great one." Gabby's voice floated into the room along with her delicious scent of Delina's Oriana as she plopped down next to Ivy with a bowl of watermelon "want some?"

Ivy took two and thought on what her friend had said.

"So, none for me then?" Essence pouted prompting Gabby to roll her eyes playfully before she handed the bowl over "How was work Gabs, since it's the end of your first week at this new location?"

"Long as usual but there were some good moments. I'm working with this new cupcake shop downtown, it's very much black owned with a lot of flavors. Their nearby to the Chase Center and their doing well. What I miss here though?"

"Same bullshit, Ivy's narcissistic ass ex blowing her phone up. I couldn't stand Darius since high school." Essence clarified.

"I mean he sucked but narcissist though... I'm not sure.."  Ivy's voice was small as she tried to reason but the faces of both Essence and Gabby made her hush.

"Girl, how did you two even connect?" Gabb inquired as if she hadn't been right there when it all had happened.

"The same way you and your boyfriend did. Isla and I were always looked at in this weird way in our class because we skipped a grade in elementary school and then in middle school. We were thirteen-year-old tenth graders. That didn't sit well with a lot of people except you guys and Darius because he was like us, he'd skipped a grade too. They had an orientation to acquaint us all separately from the class when we got to high school and make sure that we deserved those advancements, Nevada school system and all."

"True but a lot of guys had crushes on you two." Essence supplied but Ivy shook her head.

"Sure, until they realized we were babies to them, you guys were born in 1998-2000, I was born in 2001. Darius was a year older still, but we just clicked and stuck together. He was my person back then... He said it was getting boring, that I was boring, so he needed something else. We had been together since we were fourteen, we both changed a lot"

Ivy didn't understand why she was trying to reason goodness in the man that had single-handedly derailed her life, but old habits die hard. She'd met Darius in ninth grade, and they'd been together ever since. When everyone was exploring and experimenting, she was all into the dream that they would grow and build together. They were supposed to be that rare high school sweetheart love story and they could have been. He ruined it all.

"And you let him say that and thought that made sense? Ivy that is bullshit, when you're bored in a relationship you find ways to spice it up. You don't find someone else's vagina." Essence clarified with an eye roll "Why are we even still talking about this man? Ever since you got here your phone has been going off and I know it's not dull ass Darius."