Ascendit

3

Outside, the sun shined hideously bright, I hissed and Joe cringed. Into the van we all went, my mom and dad were up front and Joe and I in the other two rows. I sat in the very back row so I could wear my headphones and pretend not be able to hear my parents if they choose to talk to me. We waited until a few of the other team members jumped into the car with us, Apparently, we carpooled... I recognized a few of them from when they visited our home like Sam, Leon, Colin, and Matthew. They are all like Joe. Vain, totally clueless, as hot as hell. We drove off as some classic Panic! At the Disco song came on my phone. I noticed my father glare at me. I removed my headphones and politely said,

"Yes, father?" Everyone gasped some whispered, "It speaks!" Dad looked back at me and said,

"Your bad luck better not cost us this game." I blushed and put my headphones back on. The two boys that were crammed next to me, Colin and Sam, looked at me and gave a little chuckle. Later on, during the car ride, I took out my laptop and started writing in my virtual journal. Colin looked over and started laughing. I turned down my music to hear what he was gonna say. He poked my arm, I removed one headphone and gave him a side glance.

"You're such a freak, Ivy. why are you so depressing? Like, it's all in your head. What's your damage?" he laughed a bit then snickered to his little friend. I usually ignore those comments but this time I was sick of it and said back,

"Woah! I'm surprised! You had enough brain cells to remember my name!" I rolled my green eyes and got back to typing, proceeding to put my other headphone back in. Colin said something back to me but I didn't care what. I won, plain and simple.

We arrived at the field and the other team hadn't even arrived yet. I helped my parents set up with no thanks from them. I even cut off my life source, my headphones. I climbed up to the top and farthest corner of the stands and read until the game started. I saw another young girl with the tips of her hair dyed purple, thick eyeliner, and she was wearing a black and white flannel with a Pierce the Veil tank top. She wore black leggings with shorts over them. We had matching black converse. I moved over to her and she looked up from her phone where I saw she was reading fanfiction on Wattpad. She held her hand up in a fist and I did the same. We shared an awkward fist bump and each removed one headphone. I turned to her and asked "Scene, Emo, Goth, Other?"

"I'm more Emo. You?"

"Same."

We smiled at each other and I asked what she was listening to, she showed me her Spotify, It was playing "Young And Menace" by Fall Out Boy. I showed her mine, "If You Can't Hang" by Sleeping With Sirens. We fangirled for a bit and then she said,

"Hey let's leave this sardine can." I nodded and we walked down the stairs and around to underneath the stands. We sat down and simultaneously pulled out our laptops. I asked her what her name was, Katherine, she said she but she prefers Kat. I told her mine was Ivy. She then told me I should dye my hair red to look like the Batman villain Poison Ivy. I laughed and said that it would be a great cosplay. I hadn't smiled that much in years. Then the game ended and I exchanged numbers with Kat, but not before she warned me to avoid the elevator in the hotel both teams were staying at. She said she was doing some research on the hotel and 2 couples had gone missing beforehand in the hotel and they were last seen going in the elevator. I nodded and showed her my salt packets I had in my pocket. (Ghost/demon protection) She laughed and we parted ways. Kat is someone I will never forget. I got into the car first so I could get in the back row again. The boys piled in and we drove off. I didn't even wear headphones I just stared at my contact picture of Kat and smiled. I had finally made a friend. Nosy Colin grabbed my phone and said: "Hey Ivy is that your girlfriend?" I shook my head and reassured him that I was straight. I looked out the window as the rain started to fall. Everyone was talking about the game's epic fail and they were mocking me as usual.

I was lost in my thoughts. What happened to those couples? Is Kat safe? Am I safe? I snapped out of it when I felt Colin's leg against mine. I couldn't pull away because I was already squished against the wall. Colin kept inching closer trying not to draw any attention to himself as he whispered in my ear, "If you're straight then prove it." I turned and slapped him. A burning red hand print was left on his cheek. He rubbed it and let out a little 'Ow...'. Satisfied, I pulled out my phone and flipped through Deviant Art until we got back to the hotel. I made sure to take the stairs back to me and Joe's room. I text Kat saying,

"Hey, It's Ivy, I made it back alive, How about you? Lol"

No response. 'Okay. Maybe she just has a life unlike me, If I don't hear back from her by tomorrow I'm going to start looking.' I thought. I plugged my laptop and phone into their chargers and changed into my lame Hello Kitty PJs. Joe came into the room and went to go take a shower. When he got back I was reading fanfics under the covers and he coughed saying loser. Then he fell asleep. I turned on my side, shunning him and then after like 5 more chapters I fell asleep myself.