Nathan Kingston has been forgotten by the world. A dad that fucked off when he was young and a mother gone days at a time with work he feels alone. Especially since he goes to the most elite private school in the city on scholarship. He's falling do...
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Nathan Kingston
"What is that?" These are the first words that come out of Mr. Matthews's mouth as Ivy and I walk downstairs in the morning.
I flit my eyes over to her and scan her from head-to-toe trying to figure out what he's referencing. It takes me a couple of good look-overs–partially because I got distracted staring at her–before I figured out what he was pointing at and why his voice sounded slightly angry.
Ivy has a giant hickey on the left side of her neck.
A hickey that certainly wasn't there when we went up to her room to go to sleep last night. We continue down the stairs and Ivy shrugs, coming to a stop in front of him, letting her duffle bag drop off her shoulder.
"What are you talking about?"
"That!" He gestures more exaggeratingly at the reddish-purple bruise-like mark, his eyebrows quickly climbing his forehead.
"What?" She questions again but then looks at me and I nod to her neck, her fingers reaching up to trace along the skin. She lets out an awkward laugh when she realizes, "oh, right. That."
"Yes, that. Why do you have a hickey on your neck Ivy Jade Matthews?" He crosses his imposing arms across his chest and without lying I can say that I gulp and take a little half-step back, hoping the girl in front of me can protect me from her terrifying father's wrath.
"It's just a hickey, Daddy. Don't we have to get going to the plane anyways?" She deflects, trying to change the subject but ultimately failing when her mom enters the room.
"Ivy! Why do you have a hickey on your neck? We have family pictures tomorrow night!" Her mom shouts as she comes out of the kitchen.
"I have makeup. I'll cover it up for pictures or we can edit it out." Ivy responds, putting her duffle back on her shoulder and wrapping her arm around her small suitcase.
"We can argue about this on the plane I don't have time for this." Mrs. Matthews runs a palm down her face, "Jackson! Get your ass down here we have to go!"
I look around and notice the absence of Ivy's brother but everyone else is here, even Gracie and her fiancé left their room. He comes running down the stairs a few moments later, his oversized duffle bag bouncing on his shoulder with each step while it's overflowing with clothes and not zipped up.
"I'm here. I'm here." He huffs, hands on his hips and breathing slightly heavily when he comes to a stop in front of us in front of the rest of us.
"The car is here and we don't keep Mr. Paul waiting, so get a move on. Aunt Aubrey and Uncle Jack are already at the airport." Her mom puts her hands on Jackson's shoulders and pushes him towards the front door, the rest of us being pushed.
Everyone makes it out the door in one piece and walks down the street to the oversized van parked against the curb. We pile our bags into the disproportionately small trunk and then the Eight of us pile into the van, all of us scooting around the large circular seat that stretches all around the walls until everyone is comfortably in the car.
