CHAPTER 2 #3
“No. I am actually going to stay right here.” James drops himself back into the water, crossing his arms for a moment and the turning towards the sun.
“Jesus.” I roll my eyes and hold out my hand to help him back up onto the pier, just to be pulled into the water in with him. “Hey, I was helping you!” The water is not too cold, but it definitely is not warm.
“Is it cold?” Ivy asks, moving closer to me and the water, her feet dangerously close to the edge .
“Hmm, I’m not sure.” I splash her legs with the water, and she makes a high pitch squeal while laughing.
“Stop it!” She laughs, her cheeks turning pinker. “It is so cold. There is no way I am going in.”
The next hour consists of all of us taking photos of the sunset, swimming, pushing each other in, as well as me and Alec attempting to do backflips, but they obviously fail.
It feels like how it does to be with family but in a whole other way, as if there is never a dull moment.
Despite Bailey being an extremely happy person, I have never seen her this happy.
It was clear this has been one of Ivy’s best days too.
Bailey keeps running and jumping off the pier and splashing other people while Ivy sits on the pier peacefully, as well as swimming around getting to know everyone.
Well almost everyone. She seems to be avoiding me and she’s being far too obvious about it.
Now I am round a fire with them at each part of the lake while Ivy paces with her phone pressed to her ear, closer to the water.
The beach is round in a different direction to the pier, but you can still see it from here.
I always prefer sunsets at the beach, but the sun has now gone down, and the stars are starting to be visible in the sky .
Ivy puts the phone in her pocket before sitting on the pebbly sand in a huff. Before thinking it through, I walk over to her and say, “Any room for me here?”
She moves over, patting the sand, so I sit beside her.
“What was that call about?” I ask, after a few moments of silence. She looks tired which is expected after her long flight, but this seems different. She is playing with her hands and shaking ever so slightly.
“Nothing important.” She looks up a bit to give me a small smile, but I can see right through it. I have never been able to read anyone this easily. I give her a look, and she releases a sigh.
“Seriously, it is nothing. It’s just home stuff and even if it was something, I don’t think I would want to talk about it right now.”
“Okay,” I say, with a reassuring smile. “Let’s not talk about it. Tell me something so that I can get to know you. We are partners now after all.”
She laughs a little, probably knowing I am just trying to take her mind away from it. “Okay.” She thinks for a minute before saying, “I am not very good at all this.” She waves her hands at everyone behind us laughing and trying to throw food in each other’s mouths.
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused .
She moves a little closer to me, looking out at the water, “Making friends and knowing how to have fun or talk to them like that. They look as though they enjoy themselves so effortlessly. I just don’t know how to do it.” I know there’s something behind that. A story. I won’t push it.
“I get that,” I say, reassuringly, even though I am not sure I entirely understand it, I want to.
“It’s hard to be ourselves sometimes, especially around new people.
” I turn my head to her, and she has tears forming in her eyes but she’s quick to blink them away. “Do you want to stop talking about it?”
She nods her head quickly, looking back at the lake.
We stay silent for a moment. Her hair is damp, the water making it more curly than wavy and it’s moving away from her face by the subtle breeze.
The sun has set but there is still enough light in the sky to see her deep eyes and the freckles across her face.
She turns around for a second and says, “Maybe we should go back to everyone else. Bailey does not look very happy.”
I turn around to see Bailey giving us a strange and confused look, as if she is trying to solve something.
I stand up and then offer my hand up to help Ivy.
The same sparks spread across my skin as they did earlier today.
She takes her hand away from mine quickly.
Obviously, I had held on to it for too long and as soon as I realise that I feel my face warm up.
Everyone is sitting around the small fire together, laughing and eating Oreos that, luckily, have not been in James’ pocket for three days.
I don’t understand how Ivy believes she could not be herself around everyone because from the moment she sits down, the stress of the day seems to have melted away.
She looks free. Despite James, I have never found it so easy to connect with someone on the first day of meeting them.
Alec may have been slightly shy at first but now he is completely himself and very easy to talk to as well.
“So, Alec, what brings you to our corner of the state?” Abby asks.
“Well, my moms thought it would be a good idea to branch out a bit. I have always been good at making friends at school, but I never went out or anything,” he says as we all listen, quietly.
“I have always been mainly focused on school, and I am about to go into my second year of college so most of the time I do school work. I am pretty sure my moms were worried I was not socialising. Being here all summer is more my thing than parties anyway. What about you, Ivy? You’re from London, right? ”
Ivy shifts uncomfortably in the sand, the tension clearly making its way back into her shoulders as she turns stiff.
I don’t think she likes being put on the spot.
“Yeah, I am. I am here because of Bailey really. We were partnered for a pen pal programme, and I just wanted a year of fun and experience before I study nursing, so I got a job and saved up to come here this summer.” The smile slowly comes back onto her face as she tells us the story.
“You’re going to nursing school? Wow. That is a lot of work. You must really want to become a nurse. I could never ever do it,” James says, clearly impressed.
I am too. I never would have guessed she wants to be a nurse. I understand though, she is sweet and sensitive. She seems like the type of person who is amazing at helping others.
“I have been doing some studying ahead and it is a lot of work so far,” she says.
“I am so excited and so are my parents. My dad is a surgeon, and my mom is a dermatologist, so I think I have always wanted to follow them in some way. Ever since I was born, they have told me I was supposed to be like them and do something great that helps people. I guess it has just been my fate since birth.”
It almost sounds like it is not her dream. I understand that if she wants to do this for herself but doing it because her parents have always pushed her in that direction is not fair on her at all.
“It is also her birthday on the eighteenth, so we have to find the best way to celebrate!” Bailey says, enthusiastically.
I have always wanted to have my birthday here because the camp always does something like a fun activity along with cake to celebrate.
Despite that, I would never give up birthdays back home.
The whole family would bake together, watch a movie chosen by the birthday kid, play games and then drag our mattresses into the living room and all have a sleepover together.
My favourite part is mom taking photos of us because within a week there would be a new photo displayed around the house.
We decide to leave a little over an hour later as tomorrow is the start of training week.
This means that a few hours of the day are spent going out to learn new skills so that by the time the children arrive on Sunday, we would be prepared.
As we walk back through the trail surrounded by trees, we talk about the next week ahead of us.
Me and James are behind everyone else and as we come up to our cabins, I am stopped by Bailey, who pulls me to the side.
“Please don’t tell me you like her,” she says pleadingly.
“What? Who?” I reply but I think I know who she is talking about.
“You know who. Ivy,” she says sharply. “Look, she has gone through a lot in her life and this summer she just wants to have a good time to relax before she starts school in two months. She does not want nor need you confusing her or making that way harder than it needs to be.”
“Bailey, I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s nice but I don’t like her like that,” I say, but the look she gives me suggests I have not convinced her. “I can’t just ignore her. We are partnered together all summer. I’ll be nice. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin any of either of your plans.”
She must accept this answer because she walks away without another word, meeting the two girls as they walk into their cabin.
Whether it is my sister’s words to the way she has talked to me tonight, I cannot get Ivy Banks out of my head. Even when I close my eyes, all I can picture is her long brunette waves, rich dark eyes, beautiful freckles and her breathtaking smile.