14. Ivy Jade
Ivy Jade
Gustav’s graduation had to be some over-the-top, ridiculous “Panic at the Disco” themed party that nobody asked for.
Especially me! Ugh. I tried getting out of it, I swear.
I told Mami I had plans with my cheerleader crew, but she forced me to abandon them because “we’re family, we’re blood, and we’re always there for each other. ”
I negotiated my way out, but the best she could do was allow the cheer girls to come over to the party, which was sure to thrill all the senior guys.
I rolled my eyes.
Tallulah screamed in my ear when I told her we were allowed to go. “Of course! OH MY GOD, WE ARE GOING TO A SENIOR PARTY!”
“Hardly. It’s a graduation party.”
“What’s the DAMN DIFFERENCE, Ivy Jade? It’s your brother’s graduation party. He’s a big deal!”
“I don’t know how he ever became a big deal. He’s so… not from this planet at all. I mean, look at him.” I gestured toward my window view. “It looks like he uses spit for hair gel. How is that not absolutely yucky?”
“I can’t see your point because this castle is blocking your view of the party.”
I threw a fit. “Fine. Let’s see from my balcony.”
We moved outside to my cute, little circular balcony. I had my cozy chairs out here, blankets and pillows. It was one of my favorite reading spots. And at nighttime with the moonlight? Swoon!
“There. Do you see that freak?” I gestured below.
Tallulah and I watched as the sun set, and my brother Gustav danced like he was from some eighties movie, one hand on his ankle, twerking like a weirdo.
I looked at Tallulah because she hadn’t said a word. She stared intently at him, like she admired the guy, or something. This was not okay!
“He really is something,” she finally spoke.
“Ew! Thirsty much? He’s too old for you. It’s gross.”
“Not even! Remember when Daisy dated Timmy? She was a freshman, and he was a senior.”
“Yeah, but they were at least going to school at the same time. Not to mention, those two literally grew up next door to each other. It was bound to happen. My brother is literally saying sayonara to his entire high school career. You do know he’s leaving for Dartmouth next week. Right?”
Tallulah sighed obnoxiously. “What’s the point of even telling him I’m crushing on him if he’s going to leave? I get your point.”
“I just saved your heart!” I booped her nose. “You’re so lucky to have me.”
“Whatever,” she said, deflated. I felt kinda bad. “Ready to go join everyone at the party officially? That pool is bumping,” she said.
She and I had been up in my room, getting our bathing suits on, while the entire senior class and cheerleaders were at the pool having—what they considered—fun.
From up here, it did seem fun. My mami set up the entire backyard to appease his favorite band, which would be making a surprise appearance.
There was a large disco platform beside the pool, and different beams of colorful lights circulated and bounced off all the dancing bodies.
It did kind of feel like we were in a movie, which made sense, given the Castellanos were local celebrities.
I peered out at all my subjects, and among everyone dancing at the pool, I noticed him… of course I did; I had a crush on him since the first moment I laid eyes on him. My eyes were basically magnets for him; it was so embarrassing.
“Maybe you should go tell your crush you’re digging him. I heard he’s moving to the city, but he’ll still be here in Pennsylvania,” Tallulah suggested.
“As if. I would never.”
“Too old, right?” she said, making fun of me.
Now it was my turn to sigh. “I never said I liked Ro. He's not my type. And Gustav isn’t your type either. I don’t know why you even like him.”
“You didn’t have to tell me anything; your longing and pining stares in his direction out of your balcony window say it all. If only you had an endless rope of hair for him to climb.”
I clicked my tongue. “Oh, shut up.”
“Oh, Romeo, my Romeo, where art thou?” She giggled like a fiend.
“You’re so not cool right now, Tal.” I shoved past her to get back inside.
She followed me.
“Come on! I know how much you love your literary classics; I thought it’d be a funny joke.” She was basically wheezing at this point. “Stop being so sour. There’s a freaking party downstairs!”
“Not funny,” I yelped, putting on my little red heels. “Here, put these on,” I told Tallulah, trying to get an outfit ready for her.
“I have my own shoes,” she said.
Tallulah was precious and super humble. She couldn’t afford the same clothes as me, and deep down, I think she was embarrassed to ask to borrow my fabulous designer outfits—poor thing.
“I don’t see you wearing a custom St. La Vie bikini like me? Here, at least take the top. My brother deserves the best dressed at his party.”
She rolled her eyes. “Snob.”
“Wench,” I said with a big smile. We occasionally said things to each other like that. It was a small way for us to say truce.
“By the way, I talked to your mom, and she’s allowing us two drinks max as long as we don’t leave the party.”
“Which ones?” I asked.
“She bought Mike's Hard Lemonade just for our cheer crew! Also, she said not to bother with the whiskey, 'cause those are your dad’s and it’s too masculine for us.” Tallulah laughed as she relayed the information.
Whiskey? Ew. Another point for Mami, she was right about that. I much preferred my drinks when they matched my colorful outfits. Mike’s will do… for now.
Tallulah and I took the elevator down to grab our drinks in the kitchen.
When we arrived, the butler’s pantry was filled with staff putting together hors d'oeuvres for the party.
Senior guys were coming in and out of the house, laughing, drinking.
My nose scrunched. They acted so uncivilized, I hated all the guys at my school.
None of them could ever compare to my historical romance book boyfriends–especially Roman Knight. Nobody could.
“Also, your mom said to keep it discreet because your dad said no to drinking.”
“What a buzzkill. Whatever, let’s just use Mami’s tumblers she takes to the gym.”
Tallulah’s jaw dropped. “Fuck yeah! That’ll fit like five or six bottles!”
“Shhhhh!” I shushed her. “Language. I know, I’m kind of a genius.” I smiled extra big for her.
We grabbed a couple of cases from the fridge and hid out in the pantry to pour our handful of bottled drinks into our tumblers. By the time we met with everyone in the party, the sun had fully set.
The first hour of the party was just weird.
Mami and Papi stayed inside and out of sight, per Gustav’s instructions.
Most of the cheerleaders were in the pool making out with their crushes, and a couple of them were making out with each other.
I shook my tumbler; half of it was already gone, and my toes felt fuzzy inside my heels.
I tried stretching my eyes open so I wouldn't feel as tired.
At some point, Gustav tumbled onto the stage that he thought was just for him to make speeches, and declared Panic at the Disco was really here, and they would be playing a few of their songs.
When I tell you the entire crowd erupted with noisy cheers, it did, and the ground shook for a wobbly moment.
“Tallulah!” I yelled for her as she left to go to the front of the stage.
I followed after her, stumbling on the cobblestone floor Papi installed. My heel snagged a rock, and I tumbled forward into something hard.
Instantly, my nose smashed into what felt like a chest, and the scent of clean laundry and sunscreen hit me as I looked up at Ro holding me in his arms.
“Jesus, you okay?” he asked, his eyebrows arched as I folded over onto him.
His eyes were so blue, like the deep end of our pool. I stared at them for a while, lost for words, my lips tingling from Mike’s Hard lemonade.
“I’m cool!” I said quickly, my face melting below my makeup. His fingers were planted on the side of my bare stomach, supporting me.
“You look like a baby deer walking around here,” he said with a smile. “Very… wobbly.”
“Thank you,” I said, clutching my tumbler.
I wasn’t sure if it was a compliment, but I figured baby deer were cute.
I tried to stand up, straightening my knees.
My heels felt more like stilts at this point.
“I like your Deftones shirt…” I said, more like a question.
I didn’t know what a Deftone was, but it looked good on him.
The feedback from the amp on the stage rang through the backyard, the guitar strumming as everyone cheered.
My stomach started to swirl with an abundance of watermelon-flavored lemonade.
“We should dance,” I said abruptly, the song starting behind us. As soon as I asked, I stumbled backward.
“Whoa!” Ro lunged forward.
I tried to play it off as the cha-cha. “Oops!” I said. His hands fell onto my hips, holding me up.
“Dude… you okay?” he asked, looking me up and down.
It was so romantic. His hands on my hips. I held my tumbler up and gave him a shimmy. “Do you know how to do the Dougie?” I asked. I felt like now was a good time to show off my signature cheerleader moves. The guys loved it. They hollered for it at all the football games.
“The what?” Ro still held onto me. He couldn’t let go… but honestly, if he had, I think I would’ve fallen into the pool. “What are you doing right now?” Ro asked more seriously.
I shrugged him off. “What are… you… doing?”
“You’re acting strange?” he said, with fake concern in his voice—at least it sounded insincere. He suddenly got so close to me. I thought for a moment he was trying to kiss my lips, and I wasn’t sure if I should close my eyes or pucker my lips. I tried doing both, one at a time.
“Are you drinking?” he sniffed me.
“No…” I answered mortified, trying to slip away.
“What are you drinking?” He reached for my drink, but I wouldn't let him. I held onto that tumbler like my life depended on it.
“Why are you being such a psycho?” I raised my voice, staring daggers into his eyes.
“Why are you being a brat?”
“I’m not!” I yelled.
I didn’t expect to run into Romeo at all.
I tried to keep my distance from him tonight because I knew I’d make a fool of myself if I talked to him.
He was too cute, and he always got me so flustered.
It was different when he was just hanging with my brother, and I came by to bug them.
But here, in front of the entire senior class? No way.
“You're totally drunk right now!” He furrowed his brow.
I stared at him blankly, gripping pretty hard onto my tumbler. It’s okay to lie sometimes. “No.”
“Why are you lying?” he said sternly.
“I’m not!” I barked at him.
“Yes, you are.” Romeo jerked his head, looking around us.
“You don’t know anything,” I told him, trying to leave, but he pulled me back with the tumbler. He was so strong that it felt like I was sucked into his body. He looked deep into my eyes, daring me to fight back.
“You’re stumbling,” he said with this air of arrogance I’d never seen from him. He successfully took the tumbler from my hand and opened it to smell it. “Lemonade?”
“Yaasss. That’s Mike’s lemond-aid. Give it back!” I tried to grab it, but he lifted it. It didn’t help that he was like some giant tree against me.
“You shouldn’t be drinking even if it’s something as weak as Mike’s. You’re what… like twelve?”
I gasped, my cheeks burned hot.
Lemonade bubbled in my stomach as a rush of embarrassment hit me at my core.
“No! I’ll be fourteen in a few months! Come on, gimmeeee my drink!” This time, I was able to grab it, and we both fought over it like a tug-of-war.
“I’m serious, Ivy Jade. You shouldn’t be drinking this kind of shit. It’s not good for you. Try it when you’re older.”
“Why should you care? My parents allowed these drinks to be in my system, and… you’re not my father!
" I was already being told what to do twenty-four seven by my parents, but to hear it from Ro—the cute senior boy from high school—made me feel even more ridiculous.
Smaller than what I was. Like I was a snotty little kid.
Panic at the Disco sang their hearts out on the stage. The catchy melody had the guys idiotically running and pushing each other in a mosh pit, while the girls sang the word 'wedding' along with the band. Everyone was enamored by their punkiness, but I wasn’t impressed by them or Ro.
“I’m giving you one last warning, Ivy Jade.”
“Just stop, Romeo.” I finally got it back, but I pulled so hard that the lid popped off.
Three bottles’ worth of Mike’s Hard lemonade splashed right into my face; ice and booze shot up my nose and into my eyes.
Whether it was the smell of liquor or the shock of embarrassment, something filled up my mouth and sprang out of me like a fountain.
I puked all over the floor and all over Ro’s sneakers.
“Oh my god!” he said, shocked as I started to cough, clearing my throat.
His black and white Converse were pink and wet.
“Gross…” I heard Gustav shout over the loud music that blared around us.
My blown-out hair was drenched. My St. La Vie bikini ruined. The only thing I could do was pout at him. Words couldn’t even configure themselves into sentences. My tears welled uncontrollably.
“How dare you!” I stumbled backward.
“Ivy…” he began, but I ran off crying.
Everyone at the stupid graduation party laughed at me, even the band stopped playing to watch my unraveling. I heard Tallulah call my name from a far distance, but all I could do was run back to my room upstairs.
I hated Romeo Scott more than anything.
And I never wanted to see him again!