4. Vald is missing

Ivory's Pov

On my way home I couldn't stop thinking about that guy. I have never seen a human who has been carved with such beauty and perfection.

When his skin made contact with mine, my body erupted in sparks, it was so bizarre.

"Is everything alright?" Mom asked as she pulled in the open parking space.

"Yes." I answered before grabbing my bag, unlocked the door and stormed inside.

"How was school? Did you make any friends?" Nikki asked excitedly, skipping through the tv channels while eating a bagel.

"School was fine." I answered, removing my jacket before jogging up stairs.

Entering my room I tossed my book bag beside the door and hurried to get out of these cold clothes. After a warm shower I was sprawled out on my bed doing my assignments, When mom called.

"Ivory! Dinner is ready."

The food was mouth-watering as usual and without wasting anytime I got seated.

For a full minute only thing that could be heard was the clinking sound of the knife and fork against the plate.

"How was school, bud?" Mom asked Nikki, taking a bite from her steak.

"It was great!" Nikki exclaimed. "I made two new friends, Aiden and Timothy. Their both in my class and has best friends."

"That's frantastic, sweet heart." Mom chirped.

"Aiden invited Timothy and I to his house. Can I go mom?" Nikki asked.

"Sure, but I'll have to talk to his mother."

"Yay!"

"What about you Ivory?" Mom looked at me.

"School was fine." I replied, taking a bite from my steak. "I made four new friends."

"That's great, honey." Mom encouraged. "So did you join any sports?"

"No." I replied meekly.

"Okay," Mom smiled. "My day was awesome. Oh, how I missed home."

The rest of the dinner mom would occasionally asked questions and tell us about work. After helping mom cleared the table I was off to bed.

The next day was better and worse.

It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day. Luke came to sit by me in English, and walked me to my next class.

People didn't look at me quite as much as they had yesterday. I sat with Luke, Abby, Jess, and Jayden. I began to feel like I was treading water, instead of drowning in it.

It was worse because I was tired; I still couldn't sleep with the wind echoing around the house. It was worse because Mrs. Brown called on me in Physics when my hand wasn't raised and I had the wrong answer.

It was miserable because I had to play volleyball. And the one time I didn't cringe out of the way of the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it. And it was worse because Vald wasn't in school at all.

All morning I was dreading lunch, fearing his bizarre glares. Part of me wanted to confront him and demand to know what his problem was. While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. But I knew myself too well to think I would really have the guts to do it. I made the Cowardly Lion look like the terminator.

But when I walked into the cafeteria with Jess trying to keep my eyes from sweeping the place for him. But failing entirely I saw that his two siblings were sitting together at the same table. But he was not with them.

But as I tried to listen to their easy chatter, I was terribly uncomfortable. Waiting nervously for the moment he would arrive. I hoped that he would simply ignore me when he came, and prove my suspicions false.

He didn't come, and as time passed I grew more and more tense.

I walked to Biology with more confidence by the end of lunch, he still hadn't showed. I held my breath at the door, but Vald Evans wasn't there, either. I exhaled and went to my seat.

Jayden followed, talking about a party at a boathouse bar and grill. He lingered by my desk till the bell rang. Then he smiled at me wistfully and went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Jayden, and it wouldn't be easy.

In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, diplomacy was essential. I had never been enormously tactful; I had no practice dealing with overly friendly boys.

I was relieved that I had the desk to myself, that Vald was absent. I told myself that repeatedly. But I couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that I was the reason he wasn't there. It was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that I could affect anyone that strongly. It was impossible. And yet I couldn't stop worrying that it was true.

When the school day was finally done, and the blush was fading out of my cheeks from the volleyball incident. I changed quickly back into my jeans and navy blue sweater. And hurried from the girls' locker room. I walked swiftly out to the parking lot. Where mom was parked, It was crowded now with fleeing students.

Mom stopped at a supermarket just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. I did the shopping at home, and I fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that I couldn't hear the tapping of the rain on the roof to remind me where I was.

"I have to go back to the hospital." Mom told me before planting a kiss on my forehead. "I'll be home before nightfall." She said before she drive off.

"Okay," I waved at her turning on my heels with the groceries.

After unloading all the groceries. stuffing them in wherever I could find an open space. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake. Covered a steak in marinade and balanced it on top of a carton of eggs in the fridge.

I took my book bag upstairs.

Before starting my homework, I changed into a pair of dry sweats. Pulled my damp hair up into a pony-tail, and checked my e-mail for the first time. I had three messages.

"Hey," my best friend wrote…

Write me as soon as you get in. Tell me how is Aberdeen? Is it raining? I missed you so much.

Lucy.

I sighed and went to the next. It was sent five hours after the first.

"Ivory," she wrote…

Why haven't you e-mailed me yet? What are you waiting for? Do you happened to be a date with a hot boy?

Lucy.

Stretching my fingers over the keyboard I began to type.

Lucy, 

Everything is great. Of course it's raining. School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch.

I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my e-mail every five minutes.

I love you.

Ivory.

I had decided to read Wuthering Heights, the novel we were currently studying in English. Yet again for the fun of it, and that's what I was doing when Nikki came home. I'd lost track of the time, and I hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil.

"Bella?" Nikki called out.

"Hey, bud. Who brought you home?"

"Aiden older sister." He mumbled, removing his coat and rushed to his room.

I was in the kitchen making a salad while the steaks cooked. When Nikki walked in dressed in different clothes.

"What's for dinner?" He asked, taking a seat at the table.

"Steak and potatoes," I answered.

"Okay."

After dinner he cleared the table while I started on the dishes. He went to his room and after I finished washing the dishes by hand. I went upstairs unwillingly to work on my math homework.

That night it was finally quiet. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted.