ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀᴄᴏʟᴏʀꜱ | ✓

ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ ᴘᴀʀᴛ 1

Alana | Ivory

His words stung.

All this time she spent talking to him, she'd never heard him speak with such resentment. She hated that he was so quick to jump to conclusions about her without talking it out. How could she clear the air if she didn't know what he was upset about? What was it that her father did? 

He promised. He broke it. He lied. 

What was she expecting from a boy she'd never met before? A boy who was a stranger just a few months ago.  

Alana turned away from her phone, tossing it aside. She needed to clear her head.

The canvas in front of her was empty. Behind it was her wall of colors. The shelves divided her acrylic paint, oil paint, and watercolors. The wall behind her was taped with watercolor paintings. Her home studio was full of colors and that should've cheered her up. But she only felt the heaviness in her heart. 

On the other side of the studio, near the door, her smock strewn on the floor. An unfinished watercolor painting sat beside which were tubes of colors scattered. She should clean up. But she didn't feel like it.

Her head jerked up to the door when it creaked open and a head peeked in, cautiously. 

"Alana, you okay?" Her stepsister asked. 

"Hey, Ivory." She sighed standing up and ushering her inside. 

Her father had married Ivory's mother seven years ago when they were both 11. They had been best friends since diaper days. When her dad married Ivory's mom, they got to be sisters, attending the same school and doing everything together. They were inseparable. 

Just as Ivory reached her, her leg knocked over a few cans of paint that Alana had forgotten to return to the shelf, effectively losing balance. She landed on her knees, accidentally ruining the unfinished painting.

"Oh my god! Are you okay, Ivy?" Alana scrambled to help her. 

"Ugh. I'm so clumsy." She groaned. Then she looked down at the mess she'd made. "Shit, I ruined your painting. I'm so sorry!" 

Alana shook her head as she pulled her up. "Don't worry about it. I already lost my inspiration for this piece. It was as good as ruined.

 She started cleaning up the mess and Ivory bent down to do the same.

"That's unlike you. But then, you do look like you've been brooding." Ivory said as she picked returned the paint cans to the shelf.  "What's wrong?"

Alana sighed loudly. Her best friend knew her too well. She couldn't hide anything from her. Not that she wanted to. 

"It's Jared." She said and explained what happened.

Ivy scratched her chin thoughtfully. "I think you should ask your dad-"

"Our dad."

"-yes, our dad what happened with Jared's family. Maybe then we'll be able to understand why he freaked out when you said your last name was Adams."

"I'll do that. But it wasn't fair that he judged me for something my dad did."  Alana murmured. 

"I know it isn't. But you guys have been talking a lot and I don't think you want to let it go just yet."

"You're right." 

"Aren't I always?" Ivy joked then squeezed Lana's shoulders. "Why do you call him every day, though? I mean, you had no reason to after your first mishap."

"I don't know. I wanted to hear his voice again. So I kept calling."

"You like him." Ivory nudged her teasingly. 

"No! I don't. I can appreciate people without liking them." She said defensively.

"You can. But not in this case, Lana." Ivy said. "I know you."

"Whatever." Lana shrugged, biting down her smile as she finished clearing the floor. 

"Just, make sure you don't lose yourself over this dispute between you two, okay?"

"Don't worry." 

They washed up before going back to Alana's room. Stretching out lazily on her bed, Lana stared at her phone, hoping Jared would call. Then she remembered that he didn't even have her phone number. 

"So any news on your Yale application?" Ivy asked. 

"They said I should be expecting a letter in the next couple of weeks. I really hope I get in."

"You will. You're so talented, Lana, they have to accept you."

Lana smiles shyly. "I appreciate the boost of confidence, Ivy. You're talented as hell too. You'll get into the photography program."

"I sure hope so. I'm so glad we applied for Yale together."

"Me too. We've been together since diapers. I can't imagine how hard it would be without you."

"I know. Let's be positive though. I really want us to get in together." 

"We will," Alana said decidedly. 

Her thoughts returned to Jared who said he wanted to go to college. She wondered where he'd applied. She hoped he'd get in too. 

"Hey, forget him for a while," Ivy said softly. "We can binge-watch Orphan Black if you want."

Alana grinned at her. "I want."