Love in Overdrive

One

In a pile of crumpled dreams and love gone awry, 
Where breakups stack higher than pizza slices high, 
We’ll sip our wine, laugh at this romantic mess, 
‘Cause darling, we’re winning at “hot disaster” success! 
So raise your glass, let’s toast to our plight, 
Two queens of chaos, just surviving the night!

♡

It had been five years since she had stepped out of the orphanage, clutching her dreams like fragile glass, determined to turn them into reality. But as she watched the world beyond her window, a familiar ache settled in her chest—a bittersweet reminder of the journey she had taken and the struggles that still lay ahead.

When Ivy was offered a place in the independent living program at the orphanage upon turning eighteen, she felt a flicker of hope ignite within her. They had provided her with options, but deep down, she knew what she wanted. Despite the staff’s warnings that pursuing a career in art was akin to chasing shadows, she stood her ground. "Art is not just a hobby," she had insisted, her voice steady but filled with the intensity of her passion. “It’s a part of who I am.” The staff exchanged glances, some with skepticism, others with pity, but Ivy didn’t care. She was finally claiming her voice.

With the financial support of the program, she enrolled in a local art school, her heart racing with excitement and trepidation. That was where she met Mia. The moment they crossed paths, Ivy sensed an immediate connection. Mia was vibrant and effervescent, with a laugh that could light up a room. They became inseparable, united by their shared passion for the arts—Mia in performing arts, Ivy in visual arts. Together, they navigated the challenges of school life, late-night cramming sessions, and impromptu dance parties in their shared dorm room.

Ivy found solace in her sketchbook, pouring out her emotions in vibrant strokes and intricate designs. Every drawing was a fragment of her soul laid bare. Yet, as the years had passed, Ivy struggled with the lingering shadows of her past. The fear of abandonment, of never being enough, gnawed at her insides. Though she had escaped the confines of the orphanage, the emotional scars remained, a constant reminder of the love she had craved but never fully received.

---

Ivy slumped over her desk, her pencil lazily dragging across the paper. The drawing was... well, it was something, but certainly not what she wanted it to be. The crumpled balls of paper around her feet were a testament to the day’s creative failures. Outside, the sun was setting, casting a golden glow over her tiny apartment, but all she could see was the blank space her art wasn’t filling.

Her phone buzzed, and she ignored it at first, half-heartedly sketching a line before erasing it. Again. And again.

Suddenly, her front door burst open.

“Happy Five Year Orphan-versary!” Mia yelled, walking in with a triumphant grin and arms full of takeout. "And… ooh, would you look at that? Three-time breakup champ in just two months! You’re breaking records, Ivy!"

Ivy blinked, staring at her friend. “Oh, great. Let’s add that to my resume. Right after ‘Professional Failure’ and ‘Queen of Unfinished Drawings.’"

Mia set the food down on the table, ignoring Ivy’s gloom as she surveyed the mess of discarded sketches. “Really? You forgot today was our friendship anniversary? Five years since you left that dreadful orphanage, and you’re here moping?”

Ivy frowned. “Anniversary? I thought—"

“You thought what?” Mia interrupted, hands on her hips. “That we weren’t gonna celebrate *the* day you escaped the horrors of institution food and horrible roommates? Five years, Ivy. Five years of freedom. And this”—Mia gestured wildly at the room—“is how you’re spending it? Sulking because some guy ghosted you?”