Sparks

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ivy skipped the car, and plugged in her iPod as she walked to the park. Jamming out to an Imagine Dragons album, Ivy saw something that sparked her attention- a boy.

He was tall and skinny, (not the gross kind of skinny. The good kind.) with short brown hair. From where Ivy was standing, all she saw of him was his checkered hoodie while he took out the trash. Ivy cracked a stick with her foot, and the mystery man faced her. Right then and there, they had a movie moment.

The light perfectly accented Ivy's chocolate hair, and a calm breeze flowed through it. Their two pairs of colored eyes met, and Ivy cocked a smile, and lifted up her hand to wave- right before she walked into a street sign and fell into the slushy snow.

"Hey, are you okay?" Asked the guy as he rushed over to Ivy.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Said Ivy, obviously embarrassed. She looked up to see his hand extended out to her for help, and with a face as red as a tomato, she accepted. She got up, and brushed the snow off, then turned to face this person she had never seen before.

It was unusual not to know someone in this neighborhood. Everyone knew everyone else, and they all preferred it that way. However, this one was definitely new.

"Ivy." She said extending her hand.

"Troy."

"You're new here, aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" With this remark came a hint of sarcasm followed by adorable shyness.

"A little. Merry Christmas by the way."

"You too... Do you go to Rowan High?" Asked Troy hopefully

"Yeah, as well as everyone else. I guess I should give you the traditional welcome into our city. Welcome to Mirror Falls, home of the world's oldest bubblegum factory." Said Ivy. She wanted to kick herself. Traditional welcome? Bubblegum? Come on.

"Nice meeting you." Said Troy with a smile. He turned to walk back to his porch, but Ivy couldn't let him slip away.

"Wait! Are you doing anything? I was on my way to the park with my friends, and well, um..."

"Yeah?" Said Troy with a quizzical smile.

"Well it might be nice for you to know some more people when we go back to school..." Ivy stuttered

"If you're asking if I want to go, then yeah, sure." He joined her at her side, and they began walking to the park.

On the way, Ivy learned Troy was from Montana, had just turned 17, and was a soccer player. She liked the way he didn't try to flaunt himself... He just talked, and let the impressions happen. Damien had never done that.

They arrived at the park, where Hailey was perched on her boyfriend Sam's lap and Damien was sitting on he bench next to them.

Damien saw Ivy, and made no hesitation to run over and spin her around. "Merry Christmas." He said with a smile, then bent down and kissed her. Hard.

Troy cleared his throat, and Ivy pulled away from Damien.

"Sorry. Troy, this is my boyfriend Damien. And that's Hailey and Sam."

"Your boyfriend? Okay... Hi, I'm Troy." Troy didn't look necessarily hurt, more like slightly dazed and confused. After all, Ivy had never mentioned anything about a boyfriend.

"Troy just moved in, and he doesn't know anyone here yet, so I thought it would be cool to introduce him to you guys."

Damien gave a non-chalant smile. "Well nice to meet you Troy." With that he focused his attention on Ivy. "Was Santa good to you this year?"

"Yeah, I got a Kindle and some iTunes cash... Then some clothes and small stuff like that. Pretty good. You?"

The situation had left Troy completely disregarded, and left there to sit in the conversation and just listen. The four friends all conversed and laughed, shared 'remember when's and inside jokes Troy had nothing to do with. Finally he stood up. No one seemed to notice but Ivy.

"Where are you going?" She asked

Troy weighed his options. If he left, he was rejecting new friends, which could very well be social suicide in such a small town. If he stayed, he would just be a lonely outsider, left to watch the never ending conversation these people that seemed to know each other so well shared. But he took the latter.

"Oh no where. Just stretching my legs." Saved by the bell, someone's phone rang. It was Hailey's, and it turned out she had to leave. Of course, Sam followed, leaving Ivy, Damien, and Troy. Out of nowhere, Damien seemed interested in Troy.

"So Tom-"

"It's Troy, babe" Ivy interrupted.

"Troy. Sorry. Where are you from?"

Troy basically repeated the conversation he had with Ivy on the way, but this time there seemed to be a bit of tension. Every answer Troy gave to Damien's questions, was countered by something Damien did to one-up him. If Troy said he drove a Ford Escape, Damien said he had a Mustang. Waiter at a restaurant back in Montana versus Lifeguard at a country club. Single Mom against two happily married parents. Plans to go to Iowa State slammed by plans to go to Stanford. Troy just couldn't win. No wonder Ivy liked him so much.