Chapter 7: Chapter Four-1

Chapter Four I fall off my chair. I’m not exaggerating. “Hello?” he says. “Hello? Miss Ivory?” I grip the fabric of my jeans as I sit on the hardwood floor. I feel sweat trickling down the nape of my neck even though it’s chilly. I still can’t believe Lee Richardson is on the other line. What do I say? I think. “Hello? Is this the correct number?” I find my voice finally. “Hi.” I fumble with a hole in my jeans around my knee. “Sorry for my … foul language.” I’m referring to cursing I first said when I first realized I was talking to him. I don’t know how to speak. Should I speak formally? He isn’t even that older. He laughs a deep laugh. “It’s okay.” I swoon. His laugh sounds like angels singing. I compose myself. “Um… I’m Ivory Flores.” I get back up and sit on my chair. “How can I help you?” I stick with a business-like tone. He must be used to that. “Well, this is Lee Richardson,” he repeats. “I just want to confront you on some things that I’ve been hearing.” I freeze. “Something about… you and I stated in some sort of relationship?” I realize he has a small — almost unnoticeable — British accent. You can’t tell most of the time. You can only hear it on some words. “A-About t-that,” I stutter. “Listen, I can explain — ” “Can you?” he asks. He doesn’t wait for my response. “That’ll be great then. I’ve done some research and it seems you’re going on an overnight field trip tomorrow? To New York City? Am I correct, Miss Ivory?” “Y-Yes.” Where’s he going with this? “Lovely,” he says, a smile in his tone. “One of my current offices is in New York City. I will see you there.” I pause… for one, two, three seconds. “B-But, I can’t visit you.” I need an excuse. “I’m on a fieldtrip. My teachers would never let me wander from my group.” And in just that moment, Mom yells, “Ivory! Time for dinner!” I groan, hoping he didn’t hear. I hear Lee chuckle from the other side. Jerk. “I think it’s time for you to go, Ivory.” I squeeze my eyes in embarrassment. “And to answer you, I will speak to your school board. I think there will be an exception for this situation. And if not, I shall visit you personally.” “But — ” The line goes dead. I stare at my phone. He just hung up on me. Rude much? Then again, I kind of spread rumors about him, I think as I flip my phone shut and toss it on my bed. I pull my blonde hair up into a bun and head down to the kitchen where Mom is stirring a bowl of something steaming. It smells delicious enough. “Hey, Mom,” I say. I see a chopping board with uncut vegetables and decide to help her. I start to chop some onions and potatoes. “Oh hey, honey.” She turns to me. “Oh, thanks. Didn’t think I’d have enough time to cut those.” Mom turns back to put some onions in the steaming pot. “What’re you making?” “Some stew with some bread rolls,” she answers, stirring the mixture. “Are you hungry?” “Very hungry,” I reply. “Tomorrow’s my overnight field trip to New York City. We’ll be staying for two-to-three days. Can you help me pack my things after dinner?” “Oh! I almost forgot about that. Of course.” Mom and I eat our stew and bread rolls in conversation about my first day and her upcoming gallery shows. She tells me about her new paintings and I tell her about cute guys who had a growth spurt over the summer. We’re on dessert when Mom says, “You know, I heard something strange today.” I continue to eat my apple pie. “What’d you hear?” “Something about,” she pauses, “you and this guy named Lee Richardson? Something about you two in a relationship and he’s a world class billionaire?” I jolt up and glance at her. She smirks like she knows just caught a criminal red-handed. “What are you talking about, Mom?” I know it won’t work. She’s already sure about what she heard. “Now,” Mom says, “I don’t mind if you’re in a relationship.” She helps herself for another piece of pie. “But I don’t get why you didn’t tell me.” Mom takes a bite of her pie, trying to hide her frown. “I wouldn’t have been angry.” I set my fork down. “Mom, it’s not how it looks.” “I get it, I get it. You’re growing up and you’re at that stage where you lock your parents and family out and — ” “Mom.” “And you don’t feel like telling me everything because you think I won’t understand but trust me, I will. I was once — ” “Mom,” I try again. “I used to be a teenager too. Maybe centuries ago, but still a teenager — ” “Mom!” I exclaim. She finally looks up at me. “Listen. You know the lie I was talking about earlier?” She nods. “This is what I meant. You know Karen?” She nods again. “Yeah well, she’s together with Peter now.” “Peter?” Mom gasps. “I thought you liked Peter.” “Yeah, I know. Well, they’re together and she obviously still hates me and I kind of, maybe, could’ve, just maybe, slipped out by accident, pure accident that I was going out with Lee Richardson.” Her fork drops to her plate. “What! You told her that?” I nod. “I didn’t mean to lie or do anything so big that it would cause me to be the trending topic on gossip websites. I just panicked and blurted it out because I was pissed at Karen.” “Oh, honey.” She massages her temples, a sign that she’s thinking deeply. “What about Mr. Richardson? Does he know?” “Oh, he knows.” I finish my pie. “Hecalled me some minutes ago.” “He did what?” “He wants to meet me in New York City. Talk things out, you know? I have to idea what to say to him, but I don’t care. It’s kinda my fault I kind of humiliated him by saying he’s dating me,” I explain. “Honey, any man would be honored to date you.” She smiles genuinely at me. Mom stands up and gives me a hug. “Just explain things to him, I’m sure he’ll understand.” She picks up my plate with hers and brings it to the sink. “I hope,” I whisper. Today is the fieldtrip. The day I meet Lee Richardson, my so-called boyfriend. I look at myself in the long-view mirror in my bedroom. I am, surprisingly, wearing a skirt. I don’t know what brought me to do this. Maybe the facts that this guy could either humiliate me completely or help me until Karen believes I’m over Peter. I have come up with a plan. I’ll convince Lee to cooperate. I don’t know how. But I will. I need him for this to work.