Poisoned Ivy

•Chapter 5•

I watch intensely as he steps out of the car. He was everything. He was tall and slightly muscular. His white T shirt fit him like a glove. His dark wavy hair fell into a perfect mess all over his head. His dark eyes were something special, something that could put you in a complete trance if you let them. My eyes follow him as he closes his car door and moves toward the other 2 cars he pulled in with. The doors open and out steps Brooke Dunn and her annoying side kick Tori. My face immediately turns up at the sight of them. They both went to Crestview Prep, and they were both so far stuck up their own asses it made my head hurt. They were the typical Crestview white  girls. Mean, privileged, and clueless.
As Brooke got out of her car, mystery dude snatched something out of her hand. She giggles and playfully tries to get it back from him. Watching him play around with her is an immediate turn off. Anybody that entertains them is definitely not someone I could even think about. Besides, me with a Crestview white boy would never happen. I'm not a sell out, and I definitely wouldn't sell out for someone that goes to Crestview Prep. If there is one thing you knew not to do living in the Courts it was be a sell out. We are all we got in the Courts. It's us against them. And by them I mean the white cops that gun us down like animals, the social workers that rip our families apart, the politicians that only have the time to use us as photo ops but never have the time to help us with the real issues in the community. They only care when we have to vote.
We have to stick together. Only we understand each other. That matters.
But I'll be honest, all of the sticking together in the world didn't make me numb to the fact that there was something about him. Something I didn't understand and wasn't sure if I wanted to. I slide off the hood of my car and walk over to the door. I glance back only to find myself locking eyes with him. My heart feels as if it's going to jump out of my throat. I try to look away but I can't. I watch as his mouth turns up into a crooked smile. I feel myself melting more in that moment than any summer heatwave could do to me. I did not understand what was happening right now.
"Ivy, what are you lookin at?" I look away so quick, I almost break my neck. Anna was standing on the passenger side of the car. Her face is tight as she tries to protect her eyes from the glare of the setting sun. I turn back to see him playing with Brooke again.  Nope definitely couldn't be with me. Not that I want him to be . I didn't... I don't. This heat was really killing my brain cells. I get in the car completely ignoring Anna.
"What took you so long?" I hoped this would make her forget about my stare down with the cutie across the way.
"I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell mama that I had tryouts for the showcase next month. I just lost track of time. I really needed to do this. I've worked so hard for this Ivy and-"
"I get it Anna, calm down girl. It's mama you're gonna have to convince, not me."
She slouches down in her seat, frustration like a mask fixed to her face. Anna was taking on so many activities, it would make your head spin.
"So I guess it's over for piano tonight huh?" She grumbles under her breath.
"You guess right. It's definitely over for piano beautiful."
Anna knew missing piano would definitely piss mama off. She pays for Anna's lessons in advance, so any sessions missed is just mama's money wasted. Money she barely has in the first place. She hates disappointing mama, we both do. We understand the sacrifices she makes for us so that we want for nothing. So when she screws up, she feels it.
"Will you tell her for"-
"No-noooo-nope. I will  not! I'm already on her most wanted list. Besides you already know I think you're doing too much as it is. You need to cut back Annie. It's not only too much for mama but it's too much for you."
" I just can't decide which one to let go- it's so hard."
"Well then, you better be ready for more nights like tonight because mama ain't gonna be happy."
I put the key in the ignition. Nothing. I wait and turn it again. Still nothing.
No no no no no no, I repeat to myself  like a mad woman. The car was completely dead. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. What the hell am I about to do now? I look out the window and to my complete disappointment there is still a parking lot full of people, including the Crestview Prep kids. I try the car one more time before coming to the painful realization that it's not going to start.
"It's dead again huh?"Anna ask. I look over at her with a weak smile.
"Yep, dead again". I groan and get out of the car.
"Anna reach over and pop the hood for me." I wait to hear the click and pull up the cover.
All of the fluids look good, so it must be the battery. "Shit!"
"Awwww! I heard that." Anna smirks coming around to the front of the car.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"It's cool Vy, so what is it this time?"
"Well we need a jump, the battery is shot." I lean on the car pulling my hair back up into my favorite messy top knot. The evening air was a bit cooler than it has been all day. Anna leans with me, wiping the sweat from her forehead. I already know what she's about to say and I stop her before she has a chance to get it out.
"NO! Don't even think about it. We will walk home before I go over there and ask any of them for a jump."
"What is the big deal? The worst that could happen is they say no, then at least you can rule that option out." I side eye her with the quickness.
"That's not the worst that could happen and you know it's not." Anna shrugs her shoulders. 
"If I can come here two times a week and face them you can do it for 10 minutes Ivy. You taught me that, remember?"
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I would give Anna so many pep talks when she first started dancing with Elite I lost count. She wanted to quit a million times but I wouldn't let her. Even after they trashed her locker and wrote her threatening notes, I told her to keep her head up and push through.
"They fear you. That's why they act like that. They see you for what you ARE and it goes against everything they thought. So keep giving them a reason to be scared-only do it on that stage!"
I would actually go sit inside with her at first. That's how I was first graced with the presence of Brooke and Tori. I over heard them discussing me to one of the other girls on the team.
"So there she is, ghetto fab in the flesh. She's the one that drives the silver bucket right?" Brooke laughs. Tori laughs and nods in response. She looks over at me and turns her nose up at me like I'm a disease she could catch if she got too close.  I m not be a disease, but I would definitely do her bodily harm if she even thinks about putting her hands on me. Period.
I ignore them at first. The whispers and the laughs as they walk by me. I'd put my headphones in and close my eyes as if there is no one in the world but me and Cardi B. They simply didn't exist.
"So is it true?" A voice broke through Cardi's bar. I open my eyes to see Brooke, Tori, and 3 of their friends staring me down like a weird science experiment. I pull out my earphone and sit up straight. While I should have gotten up and walked away, I decided to sit and see where this was going. I'll entertain it. Until I won't.
"Is what true?" I stare her right in her eyes, daring her to say something crazy so I could smack that smug look off her face. Brook looks back at Tori who smiles and shrugs her shoulders. I could tell by the way she looked me up and down, she was choosing her words very carefully.
"I've heard where your from somebody dies in the street like everyday. Is that true? Do you people just walk around killing each other?" I could feel the blood in my body begin to boil.
Did she really just ask me that?
Before I completely lost it on the assholes, I glanced through the window that looks over into the dance studio where Anna was practicing. To my disappointment, Anna was staring right back at me frozen. I could see the worry pouring off of her. She knew something was wrong. And while she didn't know exactly what was going on, she figured these girls were just the ones to piss me off. Her eyes were begging me not to do what I was so good at doing. Popping off. I take a deep breath-
I do that a lot.
I wouldn't do that to Anna. I would never ruin this for her, not for anything. By reacting the way I wanted, I would be giving them what they wanted. A reaction out of me and Anna kicked off of the team. For her, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. I slowly smile at Brooke.
"Is that what you heard?" I ask smugly. She attempted to smile back but I knew she was annoyed that I wasn't angry.
"That's exactly what I've heard, among other things happening in the ghetto." I look back at Tori who was smiling. Even though she's a red head, shes such a blonde.
"Speaking of hearing things , I've heard a few things about you Brooky. It's amazing what you hear when your headphones are off. Right Tori?" Brooks head snapped back to her group of flunkies. She eyed them as if the betrayal would somehow just show itself. She looked back at me and that smileI wanted to smack off her perfect little face was gone. That was more satisfying than  smacking her with my fist- and less painful. She stood up.
"What are you talking about ?" She was actually turning red. I smiled grabbing my bag and headphones.
"Wouldn't you like to know. Ask your flunkies what I'm talking about.  I will tell you one thing though, if you ever get in my face and ask me something like that again, you'll see just how crazy my hood can be." I turned to walk away when she grabbed my arm.
"Is that a threat you piece of shi-!"
I dropped my bag and earphones to the ground. I apologized to Anna in my head. Maybe she could go to another dance team, or better yet start her own team at the rec center. I was in mid swing when Anna ran up behind me and pulled my shirt.
"What's going on?"
I turned to find Anna's coach rushing up to us. She was surprisingly staring at Brooke. Brooke quickly dropped my arm and backed up. "Hey Mrs. Welch, we were just talking." Mrs. Welch looked over at me waiting for confirmation. She knew Brooke was lying and I got the strangest feeling that she wanted me to throw Brooke under the bus. I must not be the only one that thinks she's a spoiled bitch. I looked down at Anna and the other girls gathered at the studio entrance. Once again, I couldn't do it. Everybody was waiting for the black girl to snap. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"Everything's cool. Anna I'll be waiting in the car. It's a little to crowded in here for me."
"Okay," she replied sadly. When I looked back at her she mouthed, "I'm sorry Ivy."
That just pissed me off even more. Why should she feel the need to apologize for them. Why do we always have to apologize for being who we are are?
That would be my last time inside the studio.
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"Well while you're figuring something out, I'm going back inside where I won't melt waiting on you to swallow your pride."
I watch her run off into the building while I stand here clueless as to what my next move is going to be. Maybe I could call Marcus. Even though I'd have to wait another hour, I really don't have much of a choice at this point. As I turn to go back to the car I jump dropping Anna's phone to the ground.
Mystery boy is standing right behind me...