Chapter 3: Ex-childhood best friend

"So, have you thought about the assignment?" I asked Ivy, busy writing on her laptop in my bed. "Yes, as you can see, I'm busy."

Hearing her sarcastic tone, I rolled my eyes and throw myself in the bed. I looked at what she's typing.

"About an aspiring actress that was brutally murdered in Los Angeles? The Black Dahlia?"

"Yes"

"It's kind of common for an unsolved case,Ivy. Lot of people hear about it." Ivy, stopped typing and looked at me.

"Well, I'm not like you, Ms. Fan of Unsolved Cases" I laughed. She knew that I'm a fan of reading and watching unsolved cases and mystery unlike her who is a fan of reading fiction where characters fall in love, it is too cliché.

"That's too long for a nickname." She smiled at me and look back to her laptop and resume typing. I pulled myself out of the bed and sit on the bench, looking outside. Thinking about the assignment, there's a lot of unsolved cases that I've already read but I want something that no one discusses yet. Something that was never heard before.

"I think I'll make an unsolved case about the abandoned house in our neighborhood, something is peculiar about it" I heard Ivy stopped typing.

"You are just seeing things, Lilith" she said. I looked at Ivy, something I had in mind.

"No, I'm not seeing things and that's why there's something peculiar about it, Ivy. I can feel it." She ignored me, again. "Hey, its 10 pm, so can we go out and check the abandoned house?"

Ivy sighed, closed her laptop shut and look at me.

"Lilith, its 10 pm and I have to go home' she said as stood up and went out for the door. I ran before she opened the door, "Please?'

Ivy stared and sighed. "Alright, but we can go and look inside for 5 minutes."

"Only 5? How about 10?" She raised her eyebrows, "5 minutes"

"Fine"

"I'll be waiting outside, now hurry up!" as she slammed the door behind. Ivy acts like a mother to me, sometimes. I pulled my jeans and jacket, pulled my hair in a ponytail, and took my flashlight. I met Ivy outside, walked into her direction.

"Lilith, I don't think..." she said, looking down. "I don't think going to the abandoned house at this hour.." By the tone of her voice, I know she is scared.

"Ivy... You are my best friend and if you won't come with me and something might happen to me.." She looked at me, unsure.

"It will be your responsibility" I added.

"Fine, I'll go" She answered without thinking of a decision.

"Thanks, Mother" I said, laughing. She gave me her annoyed face, she doesn't like to be called a mother. She just has this mother aura, that's why. We walked our way to the abandoned house. The night was deep, only the street lamps emit along the sidewalk. The neighborhood is defeaning quite that gives eerily feeling.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Ivy said behind me. "Ivy, we are almost there" I said, not looking at her and keeps walking. As we arrived and as I've noticed before, the abandoned house has its dirty white paint faded, glass windows are covered with dust, some of the windows were broken. I followed the cracked pathway along the grass untrimmed.

As I stepped on the porch, looked at Ivy behind me and cued her that we will go inside. The house is in complete darkness. Using my flashlight, I wandered around. Unlike the abandoned depicted in movies, the house isn't that befouled. A homeless person could clean this house and inhabit. The furniture was covered with cloth, its wall paintings are peeled off. The cobwebs are visible in corners. I looked for a switch and to my surprise, the lights went out but it couldn't give enough light. I removed one of the furniture and sit.

"Hey, sit here" I said to Ivy. Ivy looked at me, hesitated. "You know, we just arrived here and then you are sitting on someone's furniture."

"Come on, sit."

"No" she said, eyes wandering around. Clearly, she is being cautious.

'Suit yourself"

Moment of silence. "Can we go now?" Ivy asked. "It's been 5 minutes". I stood up and went to other parts of the house. "Where are you going..?"

"Uh, exploring?" Ivy rolled her eyes on me. "You said, 5 minutes."

"You are the one who said that, not me" I said, touching other stuff. "Yes but we agreed on it." I ignored her and looked around. "Lilith Barkley, it's already 11. We need to go home"

"You know what! I don't know why you are my best friend and you can't even vibe with me like every time we go for scary or new things, you always get scared. Since you were a kid, I know get scared easily but now like.. how the heck you are my best friend!" Ivy's eyes widen of my outburst. I just can't keep up with her being so scared. Ivy was stunned.

"Oh, I get it now. You want a best friend who can vibe with you all the time? Well, if that's the case, I'm sorry, Lilith Barkley. I thought you are my friend and I know I get scared but after you said how the heck I'm your best friend!?" She let out a disbelief laugh, holding back her tears. "As your childhood best friend, signing out!" She said as she went to the door.

"Fine! Goodbye, ex-childhood best friend" and I heard the door shut. I laid back on the couch and sighed. I let out an outburst to Ivy, couldn't keep up with her being so scared. Ever since she was a kid, she always get scared. For her to grow, I just want her to face her fears and be confident. I felt an immediate wind gust, raindrops heard and a thunder grumble followed. I looked through the window, it's raining. I went back to the couch, laid myself and the cold atmosphere makes me doze off.