Vivi

Chapter 15

River

It feels like it takes me forever to get to the house with all the possibilities whirling around in my head. And when I finally open the door it's very clear I've entered right after Ivy spilled her guts. Malia looks at me like I stabbed her in the back. Ivy doesn't even bother to turn around, she's completely focused on Malia.

"How could-- why would you..." Malia stutters but stops.

She grabs hold of Ivy's wrist and pulls her past me and out the front door. Ivy's eyes are starting to tear after seeing how hurt Malia is. Is she seriously throwing her out?

"Malia! It was all--" I start but see her pull Ivy to the garage.

I hear a loud gasp and red splatter. I run and see Malia has thrown a water balloon full of red paint at Ivy. Ivy stands there breathing in and out trying to get her anger under control since she thinks she deserves it.

"Are you not going to fight back?" Malia asks still fuming.

"No, I deserve--" Ivy gets cut off by another balloon, this time blue.

"It." She finishes clearly getting irritated.

"Malia it's really all my fault, she--" I stop when I feel the cold paint hit my chest.

"I got these so Mila, Ivy, and I could just have some fun throwing paint. Now I'm thinking this might help me get past the intense anger. You both kept this from me."

Malia picks up another and throws it hard at my stomach. It knocks the air out of me and I bend over. I hear another balloon splat and look up to see Malia covered in yellow paint with her eyebrows raised.

"In that case, I've got a bone to pick with you too. These are my favorite jeans." Ivy says looking down at her jeans that have red and blue paint splattered all over them.

"You're dead!" Malia says picking up another. The two of them throw them back and forth until I get hit with another.

"Alright! I'm getting in on this shit," I say picking one up and throwing it at Ivy.

"Why me?" She yells and Malia starts cracking up. Mid crack up Ivy throws and gets some paint in Malia's mouth.

Ivy

The amount of relief I felt when Malia said all she needed was to throw some paint at us to get over this all was amazing. For a second I thought she was throwing me out and I completely would have deserved it. I betrayed her trust in a way. She must not see it that way though. I guess I never really lied. I don't think I did anyway. All I've said is River and I are nothing which is true.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as a paint balloon is pushed onto my head. As the paint starts to drip down my face I open my eyes and see Malia across from me with her mouth in an O shape. River!

"Asshole," I yell throwing a balloon as I turn around. He laughs as it hits his back while he runs away.

"Alright, I think I've gotten all I'm going to get out of this," Malia says seeing that her bag of balloons is empty.

"Are we good?" I ask and she smiles at me.

"We're good. You're allowed to make your own choices... and your own mistakes." Ouch, that kind of hurt. I'm not sure why though.

"The first one to River's huge bathroom gets to use his gorgeous shower," Malia yells before bolting off. I catch up to her pretty quickly after she slips on paint. I laugh when I pass her and see River with his arm out.