Run Rabbit Run

Run Rabbit Run 8

Ivy didn't bother to fix her hair or reapply her makeup, but as Lara watched a transformation occurred. Ivy walked, no sauntered up to the counter. Every shift of her hips oozing confidence. She began talking to the clerk, her voice soft, seductive. She seemed to have aged five years, five highly knowledgeable years.

Lara was transfixed. Feelings were coursing through her body, she didn't understand and she didn't want to. The only thing she knew for sure was that she felt the pull of Ivy as strongly as the bewitched clerk did, maybe even stronger she admitted to herself. She's my friend, she thought in a surge of possessiveness, not your play toy. But at the same time, her eyes refused to tear away, memorizing every gesture, every half twist of a smile, trying to learn it all. Unconsciously, she felt her cheek twitch in the same way that Ivy's was doing. At just that moment, Ivy looked back. She saw the mirror reaction of Lara's face. Her smile grew wilder, but Lara didn't notice.

Oh to have the power that Ivy had! To make guys quiver like jelly fish. The only thing Lara could make quiver were her thighs.

Ivy motioned behind her back, but Lara was too transfixed to notice. It took several hard gestures to pull Lara back to reality. Only then did she stop watching Ivy's show and get moving. Wiping her hands against her pants, she walked towards Ivy. Her hands were shaking below her shirt. They rumbled against her stomach, which suddenly felt as if it wanted to expel her latte across the room.

Now, Ivy was leaning across the counter now, pointing at something she wanted. As the clerk followed her right finger, she palmed a candy bar in her left hand and held it behind her back. Lara grabbed the bar as she passed by. Fingers wet with sweat. They slipped on the chocolate, luckily it caught on the inside of her shirt. Lara clutched at her shirt, petrified that the bar would clatter to the ground and give them away. Then instead of following Ivy's plan, she headed straight for the door and ran out it.

She was still breathing hard when Ivy caught up to her. Ivy's eyes flashed as she saw Lara hiding in a corner like a wounded animal. She pulled her to an open bench, fast. Her hands were manicured steel.

"What the hell? Do you want us to get caught? Why didn't you go back to the table."

"I couldn't. I mean. Someone would have known. They would have told. We would have gotten caught."

"We were fine till you ran out like Satan set your ass on fire." Ivy hissed. Suddenly she hooked Lara's arm around her own. It looked as if they were the best of friends, but her fingers were digging hard into Lara's ribs. The security guard looked at them suspiciously as he approached. "Straighten up. Smile. I swear if I go down because of you, I'll-" Ivy began to laugh out loud. "Really, yeah, you're right," she grinned at Lara, pretending not to look at the security guard, though she glanced up. Her lashes dancing. "Men in uniform are hot."

Lara said nothing. She was trying not to wince from the pressure on her ribs, but the guard had his eyes on Ivy not on her.

"You chicklets staying out of trouble?" he asked. Noticing the way the cute redhead was still checking him out, he straightened his back and tried to force his stomach back behind his belt on will power alone.

"Oh yes, sir," Ivy smiled. "We're good girls, some might even say too good to be true." Though she didn't say what they were good as she spun her hair the inference was clear. The guard felt more than his stomach swell.

"Well, now you just be sure you stay that way," The guard hesitated as he began to back away. There was a reason cops referred to this place as jail-bait central. Best to play it safe. "You two have a nice night." He added wanted to get moving on before his stomach decided to whiplash back to its comfort zone. But first.. He moved his hand to his hip, briefly caressing the butt of his gun. Give 'em a little thrill, he thought to himself, knowing that the redhead's eyes were still on him. He began to whistle. Still had it, never lost it. He disappeared into the crowd.

Ivy kept her smile on her face until she couldn't see him anymore. Then she burst out laughing. "Now that's what I call a rush! Man, I am so high!" In a burst she hugged Lara. Her nails raking across her skin. "You did it, girl. Could've been a hell of a lot smoother, but next time you'll know better. Now give me some of that chocolate, and take a piece yourself, you earned it." She slapped the chair. "Sweet Candy Christmas, that was fun! That rent-a-cop-wanna-be really thought I wanted his fat ass. I should have given him a bite of chocolate. Now that would have been a kick, bet he would have eaten it too." Her lip curled down, wrapped around her teeth "Bet he would have taken anything I'd offered."

But Lara didn't care about the security guard and his delusions of grandeur. Her mind was only on the chocolate bar. Earned it? We stole it. I stole it. I'm a thief, she thought to herself. But she did as Ivy told her, pulling out the candy and breaking it in two. She handed half to Ivy. Ivy didn't hesitate for a minute. Chunk after chunk of chocolate went down her throat sliding with ease. Lara's half lay untouched in her lap. Ivy's eyes narrowed as she looked at her. "Guilt is for losers," she said, licking her lips pointedly.

Lara felt the prick of that look. She picked up the chocolate and touched it with the tip of her tongue. Lara adored chocolate, considered it the fifth food group. But as she took a bite. There was none of the familiar happiness. No warm sweet slide of euphoria. Instead it was sawdust and paper. She almost spit it out. She was a thief! A thief! What would her mother say? She'd be so disappointed.

For a moment, Lara considered doing just that. Spitting her guilt back into its paper wrapper, throwing it far away. She was a good girl after all.

But Ivy was watching her, studying her. The slightest hint of a sneer just beginning to take shape on her face. Lara had the strangest feeling she knew what Lara was thinking. Ivy's feet were taut, she looked poised to spring up. And then what would happen? Lara would be alone. All alone. Instinctively, Lara knew that that once Ivy gave up on a person, she gave up on her forever. More than anything, she wanted to learn from Ivy. Her stomach contracted. No, she thought remembering the way Ivy had handled the store clerk, the security guard, made them dance like puppets to her smile, she wanted to be Ivy. Chocolate damning itself in a dark pool on her lap, Lara closed her eyes and swallowed the rest of the bar, whole.

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The next day Lara forgot all about the scene at the mall. She forgot all about her mother and how disappointed she would have been with her one and only daughter. All she could see. All she could think of... was his eyes.

And just think she giggled to herself, as she headed to her next class. He spoke to me. He actually turned around and talked to me. Sure, all he'd wanted was a pencil. But it was a beginning. Great romances had started on less. Probably not much less, but who cares. Oh those eyes! Blue as the sea, the ocean, the sky! I want to kiss them! I want to kiss each and every eyelash, until they sparkle. And then I want! Oh I want..! Lara began to blush, it took all the restraint she had not to throw her books up in the air and spin in delight.

Maybe next time, he'll need a pen!

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Still lost in the seascape of those perfect eyes, Lara had completely forgotten about the poem she'd falsely handed in the previous Monday. She was busily dotting her notebook with tiny pink hearts when Ms. Pembroke smiled at her in a surprisingly genuine manner.

"Class, I had the time last night to glance over some of your poems. Most were tedious. Many showed little effort and your grades will be reflected accordingly. A word to the wise: rhyming snug, bug and rug makes your reader go ugh!!" She laughed at her joke though, one student colored purple and ducked his head down. But Ms. Pembroke didn't care about him, her eyes were only for Lara.

"However," she continued. "I was very pleased, nay thrilled to discover a true poet amongst you. A light under a bushel, so to speak. Will Lara Jenkins please come to the front of the room?"