Remember Me

19

He closes the car door and walks inside, and I nearly drop my groceries as I realize.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

I like Reece.

I like him.

And why? He's beyond perfect physically, but everything about him. Not just his face and his body. Everything about him is just perfect to me. I opened up to him, and I trust him, and he comforts me and protects me...

It's just some crush, though. I'm sure it will go away. Or maybe not.

My hands clamp into fists around the grocery bags and I tell myself: you can't. I can't do anything about Reece because Hess likes him.

Because that's what friends do, right? I respect that she likes Reece and I...

What do I do? She liked him first. Or maybe she just realized first.

"You coming?" I hear Reece call from the door.

"Yeah," I answer, snapping out of my gaze. I pick up the bags and shut the car door, wiping my face with my elbows to get rid of any leftover tears.

When I walk in and set down the groceries, Alfred puts his hand out. I shake it and smile.

"Sorry I never got to formally meet you. I'm Alfred," he says, politely smiling at me.

"Ivy. I don't know if you remember me, I live next door."

He laughs and puts his hand down at his side and I do the same. "Oh, I remember."

I sheepishly scratch the back of my neck. Is that a good or bad thing?

"Well, I better get going. I have to get a hair appointment, so..."

"See you tomorrow," Reece says, looking at me with his familiar guarded eyes.

I nod and smile, then turn away and walk out.

—

I made a last minute appointment and got Stacey and Hess to come with me; Stacey drove us to the hair cutting parlor around the corner.

"At least you threatened that bitch. She deserves much worse," Stacey says as we sit down, waiting for the woman to come to me at my spot in front of the cutting station.

I shrug. "She'll get what's coming for her. Karmas a bitch."

Hess shifted in her spot behind me and I look at her through the large mirror. She locks eyes with me and squints the tiniest bit, but I notice. "Where did you go after?"

"I..." I swallowed and gave her a convincing look. "I just went to the bathroom."

Huge lie.

Stacey makes eye contact with me and then looks away, like she knows.

The hair woman comes to the rescue and looks at my disastrous looking hair. "Oh, what happened here?" she asks, laughing.

We all give each other a knowing look.

—

Mel said I looked good.

My hair was right above my shoulders, and now that it wasn't extremely long, I noticed how my hair was actually pretty curly. I shrugged and said I didn't know how I felt.

I got in the car with Reece that morning and he took a long look at me before starting to drive.

My expression drops and I narrow my eyes. "Do I look that bad?"

"No. You look good."

I blink and look at the road. Good? Why did he sound so monotone?

We got to school, and as I walked in, I felt like everyone was looking at me. It felt good knowing I had everyone shocked.