Chapter One-Hundred Twenty: Happy Birthday, Ivy

Chapter 120

Happy Birthday, Ivy

Ichiro lay in bed with an excruciating migraine. He wore his dark red silk pajamas, and Lucifer was curled beside him. Ichiro patted him. He rubbed his forehead, and the light hurt his eyes. He tried to remember what happened and what led to this, and then, when he recalled, he groaned. The demand was so idiotic that it had to be that annoying Percy, he thought with a sneer. I’ll make a richonoid that will kill that prick, he thought angrily.

Ruby entered his bedroom with a glass of water and some ibuprofen.

Ruby: “Here you go, Ichiro.”

She said softly. He mouthed a thank you to her and took the pill, swallowing it with some water. She rubbed his thigh, and Ichiro flicked his gaze down to her hand. He jerked his leg away.

Ichiro: “Dame.”

He hissed under his breath. She reached out and cupped his face. Ichiro jerked away.

Ichiro: “Yamete!”

He snapped.

Ruby cleared her throat.

Ruby: “Do you remember last night?”

She finally asked. Ichiro glared at her and looked away.

Ichiro: “I passed out after Father didn’t do much to help me.”

He growled. Ruby stared down at her lap.

Ruby: “And the kiss?”

She asked meekly. Ichiro heard her and turned to her with confusion.

Ichiro: “What?”

He raised an eyebrow.

Ichiro: “What kiss?”

She raked her fingers through her hair.

Ruby: “Oh, when you were up here, I helped you get into bed and you reached out and kissed me.”

She reddened. Ichiro gaped at her.

Ichiro: “I did that?”

Ruby nodded and smiled.

Ichiro: “Oh, I’m sorry about that.”

He looked away and rolled his eyes.

Ruby: “You don’t have to apologize. I…”

Ichiro rubbed his temples and pounded his fist on the bed.

Ichiro: “I was drunk, I don’t recall it, and it meant nothing.”

He said acidly. Ruby looked hurt.

Ichiro: “In any case, I have to sleep this off.”

He said tersely, turned over, and grabbed Lucifer, holding him close.

Ruby rose and looked deeply hurt. Maybe he will do it when he’s not drunk, she thought as she left him.

Ichiro heard her sobbing and put his pillows over his head. I don’t understand people at all, he thought. It’s times like these when I detest having enhanced hearing, he pondered.

~

Tristan was in his office that morning, smoking and typing up something. He wore a three-piece pinstripe, white pressed shirt, and black wingtip Oxfords. He took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time. Maybe I should take a break, he thought.

He rose and entered his lounge room, where Rosemary sat watching a movie on the TV. Tristan smiled a bit and went in to sit down.

Tristan: “Hello, Rosemary. Just taking a break.”

She turned to him and smiled.

Rosemary: “Watch this movie with me, Tristan.”

Tristan: “All right.”

He crossed his legs and sat back. Rosemary glanced at him.

Rosemary: “It’s a Hallmark movie called ‘A Diary Move’. It’s one of Ivy’s favorites!”

She said warmly. What Hallmark movie isn’t Ivy’s favorite? He thought dryly.

Tristan withdrew a cigarette from his gold case, lit it up, and inhaled a drag. Rosemary checked him out.

Tristan: “I watched many of these with Ivy. I don’t think I saw this one.”

Rosemary: “It came out a couple of months ago.”

Tristan nodded and exhaled smoke. He watched it with her and saw the woman buy a diary from a dollar store and she said she would forge pages in it to make her rival look bad and win the heart of her lover. Then it showed the woman mailing the diary to the friend of her lover pretending it was the father of her rival who mailed it. Tristan inhaled a long drag when he watched this.

Tristan rose.

Tristan: “I have work to do.”

He said tersely and left the lounge room. Rosemary eyed him up, wondering what happened.

~

Tristan sat in his office with the diary that was mailed to Jaxon and he stared at it for a moment. I know Chelsea well, and I didn’t recognize this diary at all, he thought. I didn’t think she kept a diary, he added. He opened one of his drawers and went through the stuff he shoved in there, recalling how both Ivy and Rosemary got after him for being disorganized. He withdrew a letter Ivy wrote to him the night they almost made love but Tristan stopped her. He grimaced thinking of that and realized he didn’t just dodge a bullet; he dodged a hydrobomb.

He opened the diary and examined the handwriting in the diary and in the letter. He cupped his mouth, removed his glasses to rub his eyes, and heaved a deep sigh. This writing is almost identical, he thought. Why would Chelsea call him “Jiro”? Everyone who knows Jaxon well doesn’t call him that, as he doesn’t like it, he pondered. But Ivy calls him Jiro and might know what his kanji means since Chinese and Japanese characters can mean the same thing, he mused.

But how would Ivy know the details of the trip that only the group and Chelsea knew? He pondered and cupped his mouth. He raised his head to see Jaxon sitting across from him. Jaxon wore a white tiger stripe shirt with the buttons undone to expose his dragon chest tattoo, tight black jeans, a leather jacket, and chelsea boots. Tristan jumped in his seat.

Tristan: “You scared me, Jaxon!”

Jaxon stuck his tongue out at him.

Jaxon: “Hey, friendo! Wanna have lunch with me?”

Tristan raised his eyebrows and smiled.

Tristan: “I’d love nothing more.”

Jaxon: “There’s a chicken place by your office. My treat.”

He nodded as the two men rose.

Tristan: “Yes, I know the place. Lead the way.”

He said genially.

~

Jaxon and Tristan sat at a picnic table outside The Chicken Shack. The two men each ordered spicy chicken burgers with fries. The two men got extra pickles on their burgers. As Tristan took the pickles off to eat them separately, he saw Jaxon’s hand reaching over and gave it a love tap.

Tristan: “Don’t.”

He chided him gently. Jaxon pouted. Tristan smiled.

Jaxon: “Celeste likes to dip her fries in Cajun mustard. Ever try that?”

Tristan shook his head.

Tristan: “I’m not much of a condiment lover.”

Jaxon: “I should try it sometime. I just wanna make her happy.”

He smiled and popped some fries in his mouth.

Tristan: “You already do.”

He said genially.

Jaxon: “Is something on your mind?”

Tristan drew a long breath and ate his pickles.

Tristan: “I was about to ask you the same. You go first.”

Jaxon nodded.

Jaxon: “Well, I confronted Percy about that… ransom thing with fuckin’ Ichiro.”

He began. Tristan nodded.

Jaxon: “Then he makes me a drink and wants to dance.”

Tristan raised an eyebrow.

Tristan: “Interesting.”

Jaxon: “You seem like this isn’t new to you.”

He laughed.

Tristan: “Because it’s not. Continue.”

Jaxon nodded.

Jaxon: “He wants me to tell him about Seashell Cove and I don’t… like discussing it.”

He said with strain.

Jaxon: “But he gave me riddles that insinuate Ivy was there and had that fat geeky guy who teleports take her there.”

Tristan paused.

Tristan: “You mean Trevor?”

Jaxon snapped his fingers and nodded.

Jaxon: “Yeah! Him!”

Tristan lowered his head.

Tristan: “Ah, the missing pieces.”

He muttered and laughed bitterly.

Jaxon: “...Did you find something out?”

He peered into his face.

Tristan: “I certainly have.”

He drew a long breath and looked away.

Tristan: “I watched this Hallmark movie with my secretary, Rosemary. Rosemary is Ivy’s mother. Anyway, the movie is about the ‘heroine’ who buys a diary from a dollar store and writes it in pretending to be her rival and mails it to her love interest’s friend to make the rival look bad and win the heart of her lover.”

He said bitterly. Jaxon gaped at him.

Tristan: “I looked at the diary and a letter Ivy sent me years ago. Handwriting is the same. I wondered how she would know the details of our trip that only Chelsea and us would know. Well, as you said, Trevor. She used him to teleport her there.”

He laughed a hollow laugh. Jaxon furrowed his eyebrows.

Jaxon: “But wait, Ichiro said that he saw Chelsea drug Celeste’s drinks.”

Tristan: “So what? Ivy could have worn a wig for that. Chelsea and Ivy are the same height.”

He drew a long breath. Jaxon cupped his mouth.

Jaxon: “Goddamn that green queen wannabe bitch.”

He hissed under his breath.

Jaxon raised his head to Tristan.

Jaxon: “Were we wrongly accusing Chelsea this whole time?”

Tristan drew a long breath, removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Tristan: “Yes, she was flawed and I think she did have Jesse distract Celeste. While that is manipulative, it’s not vile or rotten. Chelsea just… never grew up past the age of fifteen because Josh kept her on such a short leash and she saw you as her path to happiness. You or me. Drugging and framing is definitely Ivy’s MO.”

He said with anger as he put his glasses back on.

Tristan: “I hate to say that Ivy duped us. I feel awful for believing her YET AGAIN over a good friend. What a fool I am.”

He said with shame and regret. Jaxon put his hand on Tristan’s shoulder.

Jaxon: “Man, that green bitch fooled us all.”

Tristan raised his eyebrows.

Tristan: “...That she did.”

~

Celeste and Deimos were shopping at Jumbo Jones’ Grocer. Celeste wore a white tiger striped dress that came to a little below her ass, cowgirl boots, a large belt on her waist, and a leather jacket. Deimos wore a grim reaper flipping the bird shirt, torn jeans, and cowboy boots. Celeste dropped bags of gummy bears, chocolate, lollipops, and a can of whipped cream in his cart.

Deimos: “Celeste, you kind of need real food. What are you going to use this for?”

He asked sharply as he picked up the can of whipped cream.

Celeste: “To squirt in my mouth?”

Deimos rolled his eyes.

Deimos: “Fuckin’ gross.”

He muttered.

Celeste knelt to the bags of chips.

Celeste: “Do they have kettle cooked Seashell Cove chips?”

Deimos: “Nah, I think that’s a local specialty.”

Trevor had apple pie filling and crust all over his face.

Trevor: “Seashell Cove?! I was there with Ivy!”

He chirped. Celeste and Deimos turned to gape at him.

Deimos: “Come again?”

Trevor: “Yup! Ivy had me teleport her there so she could wear a purple wig and put sleeping powder or some drug in Celeste’s sweet tea! We were also watching you guys! What a fun trip!”

He chirped followed by a loud belch. Celeste embraced herself and Deimos gaped at him.

~

Tristan, Deimos, Celeste, and Jaxon were all in a limo to Ivy’s birthday party.

Tristan wore a black double-breasted Italian-cut suit, dark purple pressed shirt, a black tie, and shiny black leather Oxfords.

Deimos wore a black suit jacket, black trousers, a purple leopard print dress shirt with the buttons undone to expose his platinum chain, and black cowboy boots.

Celeste’s little black dress clung tightly to her curvaceous figure like a silhouette. Her pierced navel and top half were seen through the mesh. Slices of fabric covered across her chest in a wave formation up to her neck and along her skirt. She wore black strappy high-heeled sandals, black disc earrings, and her hair was styled in a rose braided half-updo.

Jaxon wore a black suit jacket with shiny peaked lapels, a black silk dress shirt with the buttons undone to expose his dragon tattoo, black trousers, and black Chelsea boots.

Tristan: “So, we’re going to give Ivy a birthday gift she will never forget.”

He said coldly.

Jaxon: “She better not. That Green Queen wannabe and her NPC boyfriend can go to Hell.”

He growled.

~

They entered a sprawling ballroom accented by grand columns and ornate molding. In the center of the dance floor, a grand crystal chandelier hung. On the stage where the DJ was playing, hung a large portrait of Ivy with “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IVY” and “生日快乐，艾薇!” written in gold cursive letters. There were tables with fine white linen cloths, gold cutlery, and upholstered chairs with fine ornate carvings. The napkins on the tables were folded to resemble peacocks. On each side of the stage were big screen TVs with a slideshow of various pictures of Ivy.

The servers wore white shirts, black bow ties, black waist coats, pants, and shoes. They carried trays of drinks and food to the tables.

Through the large arch entryways framed by gold tapestry was an outdoor venue leading to a heart-shaped pool. Several cabanas surrounded the heart-shaped pool. At the end, on a platform with columns and lit-up steps, was a bar with hanging crystal lights from the roof trim.

Ivy was at the main table inside with Blair beside her. She wore a dark green silk sleeveless cheongsam with a gorgeous embroidered gold peacock on the front, and going down the dress, black high-heeled sandals, dangling green teardrop earrings, and her hair was styled in a bun adorned with flowers and a hairstick with a dangling peacock. She carried a peacock fan with her. Blair wore a baby blue suit, white pressed shirt, blue cumberbund, blue bow tie, and blue Oxfords. Demetrio and Vanessa were there with them. Demetrio wore a light blue tuxedo, white pressed shirt, light blue bowtie, and light blue shoes. Vanessa wore a strapless pink dress with a circle skirt, a large bow on the back, pink sandals with a ribbon on the ankle, and pink diamond earrings surrounded by diamonds.

Amongst the other guests were Sylvia, Rosemary, Lily, Lucy Lynes, Fen, Ivy’s grandparents, an old man in a walker who can barely move, and Yoshi.

The four took a seat at a table. Deimos pulled out a chair for Tristan. A server approached them.

Server: “Good evening, gentlemen and lady! Could I interest in you in a cocktail prepared just for Ivy? It’s called The Peacock!”

She chirped.

Celeste: “The secret ingredient is sleeping powder.”

She said dryly. Jaxon rubbed her back.

Jaxon: “We’ll fuck her up, babe.”

He kissed her head.

Tristan: “Sure, I will try one.”

He smiled politely at the server.

Deimos: “I’ll have a beer. Whatever’s on tap.”

Celeste: “If you have a mocktail version of that drink without sleeping powder, sure.”

She smirked.

Jaxon: “Fuck that. I’m not getting knocked out. I’ll have a Jack and Coke.”

The server nodded and left them.

Jaxon withdrew a cigarette and lit it up. Tristan reached into his suit jacket, withdrew his gold cigarette case, took a cigarette and lit it up.

Tristan: “Try to block your thoughts.”

He said in a low voice and inhaled a drag.

Deimos: “It’s going to be fucking hard. She made you and I fight, Jaxon and Celeste fight, and she is indirectly responsible for Chelsea’s death.”

He hissed through clenched teeth. Jaxon looked away with rage.

Jaxon: “And she drugged my green queen!”

He added.

Tristan: “I know, Deimos.”

He said softly and put his hand on his. Deimos grasped his hand.

Tristan: “I know, but in order for this to work, we all have to be calm.”

He nodded. Deimos grimaced. He wanted to throttle Ivy so badly.

The server came with their drinks, handing Tristan The Peacock in a martini glass, a pilsner of beer for Deimos, The Peacock mocktail for Celeste, and a Jack and Coke for Jaxon in a collins glass. Tristan thanked the server and took a sip. He raised his eyebrows.

Tristan: “This is nice.”

Jaxon: “Feel drowsy?”

He quipped. Tristan laughed.

Ivy spotted the four at their table. She read their thoughts and read Jaxon’s. She read him thinking, “I love Celeste’s tiny feet and the way she paints her little toes! Wow, do her feet look amazing in those sandals tonight. My favorite color she wears is purple! Ooh, and check out her boobs! I also love her beautiful breasts and how they jiggle—” Ugh, enough, Ivy thought.

She read Blair’s thoughts about how he wished Ashley were here and how Ashley ruined everything. Blair sighed when he thought of how sweet Ashley was, until that feederist jerk stole what was his and corrupted Ashley with his wicked ways.

I don’t know what is worse, Jiro’s thoughts of that tramp or Blair’s of that fatty, she thought bitterly.

She locked her gaze on Tristan and her cheeks flushed pink when she saw how handsome he looked in his suit. Then again, Tristan is handsome all the time, she thought. And he’s drinking my special drink?! Is he… coming back?! She thought. The best birthday gift I could receive is Tristan coming back to me so I don’t have to stick around this dweeb, his stupid friend, or his stupid fascination with that blob, she thought.

Ivy surveyed Tristan. Why is he blocking his thoughts? She wondered.

She sauntered to the group.

Ivy: “Ni hao, Tristan! Nice to see you!”

Tristan smiled tightly at her.

Tristan: “All the more pleasure to see you, Ivy.”

He said through a strained smile. Ivy gasped and put her fan up. Is he… going to confess? She wondered.

Tristan: “How was your trip to Seashell Cove?”

He finally asked. Ivy’s heart sank. No, she thought. Did that fat twerp tell them?! She wondered.

Ivy was going to speak but Tristan put his hand up.

Tristan: “Jaxon received your diary you wrote pretending to be Chelsea, and I know it was you because your mother showed me a stupid Hallmark movie where the ‘heroine’ forges a diary under her rival’s name to win her lover back and the other movie is the ‘heroine’ drugging her rival with sleeping powder!”

He said firmly through clenched teeth. Ivy’s heart hammered in her chest.

Ivy: “T-Tristan, Chelsea wrote those thoughts! She wanted Jiro and she would do anything to keep him!”

Tristan angrily pounded the table and bared his teeth. Ivy jumped.

Deimos: “How do you know what Chelsea wrote? You hated her. You seem to know what that diary said.”

He growled. Ivy sneered at Deimos.

Tristan: “I pieced together what you did, Ivy. And then Trevor told Deimos and Celeste he took you there.”

He added venomously. Ivy shrank.

Jaxon: “You drugged my green queen!”

He snapped.

Ivy: “Shut the fuck up, Jiro! She flirted with MY MAN before she found your sorry ass!”

She hissed. Jaxon gaped and scoffed at her.

Jaxon: “Nobody wants that whiny NPC!”

He laughed about Blair.

Celeste: “Are you talking about Victor or Tristan?”

She asked.

Ivy: “SHUT UP, YOU TRAMP!”

She screamed at her. Jaxon stood in front of Celeste.

Jaxon: “Don’t talk to her that way!”

He hissed.

Ivy: “I’ll speak to her how I like, Jiro!”

Tristan: “You turned us all against Chelsea! Chelsea was an abused young woman who didn’t know any other way to get out of her bad situation! She died tragically and you couldn’t just walk away! NO! You had to turn us all against her!”

He cried.

Ivy: “She tried to take you from me, Tristan!”

She sobbed.

Tristan: “YOU TOOK ME FROM YOU, IVY! YOU SNAPPED AT ME AT ME AFTER MY GROOMER WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON!”

He bellowed at her pounding the table with each syllable. Ivy stomped her feet.

Ivy: “YOU MISSED A LUNCH DATE!”

She cried.

Tristan: “Because my groomer was just released from prison! I had other things on my mind! I am SO sorry that was an inconvenience to you!”

He cried. Deimos rose and stood in front of Tristan.

Deimos: “Ivy, you were always a pain in the ass! This just cements it!”

He snapped.

Deimos: “You weren’t happy with me, you weren’t happy with Tristan, and you’re not happy with Blair! You’re NEVER going to be happy!”

He flared.

Ivy: “I was miserable with you because you’re so depressing, Deimos!”

Deimos: “Because you NEVER STOPPED BITCHING ABOUT SHIT NO ONE CARES ABOUT!”

He fired back at her.

Tristan: “You couldn’t just let it go, could you? If you didn’t drug Celeste, she could have saved Chelsea.”

He added with hurt.

Celeste: “And you made Jaxon and me fight because you said he wants a normal girl who needs to be saved all the time!”

She snapped.

Ivy: “Shut up, you snack thieving cow! I didn’t ask you!”

Jaxon: “The only cow is YOU, you bitch!”

He snapped.

Tristan: “I didn’t come to this party to confess any feelings for you… except feelings of disgust and hatred for you. You are a despicable, disgusting woman.”

He sneered at her as he marched toward her. Ivy’s bottom lip trembled to hear those cruel words come from the man she loved. She felt her heart shatter into a million pieces hearing those words come from Tristan and seeing him glare at her with hatred.

Ivy: “Tristan, you don’t mean that!”

She choked.

She heard a deep woman’s voice call out, “You heard him, Ivy.” Ivy’s crying face turned to that of a scowl when she saw Jaclyn up on the stage. She wore a strapless blue sequin dress, black opera gloves, blue heels, and a white mink boa over her shoulders.

Jaclyn: “You’re finished… You lost everything. You have nothing!”

She laughed.

Ivy: “Are you insane?!”

She sneered. Jaclyn flipped her hair.

Jaclyn: “No, Ivy, I’m perfectly sane, so I suggest you gather your junk from Blair’s house and get the Hell away from my man.”

She cackled.

Ivy: “You are insane… YOU GODDAMN BITCH! Tristan doesn’t want you!”

She caterwauled as she marched toward her.

Jaclyn: “Oh, I wasn’t speaking of Tristan, my dear. Blair needs a woman who will focus solely on him and I am that woman!”

Ivy went up the stairs.

Ivy: “THE HELL HE DOES!”

She snapped.

Jaclyn: “I won, Ivy! There is absolutely nothing you can do!”

The pictures on the slideshow played Ivy tickling Tristan in a parking lot near Pizza Cabin, Ivy with her arms around Tristan near his office while Tristan is stiff as a board, and Ivy in a purple wig at Seashell Cove putting powder in Celeste’s drink with Trevor by her picking his nose.

Jaclyn: “I win, Ivy! Blair is mine!”

The guests gaped at the pictures. Demetrio looked at them and at Blair. Tristan looked unimpressed. I knew it anyway, he thought.

Ivy panted and glared at Jaclyn with pure hatred and fury.

Ivy: “YOU FUCKING BITCH!”

The old man in the walker was getting up. Ivy took his walker causing him to fall over. She ran up the stage screaming with rage. Jaclyn screamed as Ivy started beating her over the head with the walker.

Jaclyn: “BLAIR! HELP A DAMSEL OUT!”

She cried. Blair sat there and sighed. This is all because of Ashley, he thought.

As Jaclyn escaped the vicious attacks from the walker, Ivy grabbed Jaclyn’s boa and yanked her toward her where she viciously clawed her face. Jaclyn cried and screamed as she was scratched and mauled. Ivy then curled her fingers around Jaclyn’s neck and bore at her as she choked her.

Jaclyn: “B-Blair… H-HELP!”

She choked.

Sylvia grabbed Ivy and pried her from Jaclyn.

Sylvia: “That’s quite enough, Ivy!”

She chided her. Ivy spat on Jaclyn who was passed out, bloodied and bruised.

Ivy: “You should have died, too, WHORE!”

She snapped.

Ivy saw Tristan, Deimos, Celeste, and Jaxon leave. Ivy reached out.

Ivy: “TRISTAN!”

She cried.

Tristan: “Au revoir, Ivy.”

He said acidly to her and shook his head. Ivy sank to the floor sobbing.

Ivy: “NO, TRISTAN! NOOOOOOOOO!!!”

She embraced herself and sobbed. Jaxon looked behind his shoulder and laughed at her. Celeste snickered with him. Tristan took them and led them out.

Tristan: “There’s nothing more to see here.”

He nodded as they left.

~

Ivy went out to the garden away from the party, sobbing.

Ivy: “Tristan, oh, Tristan… What happened to us?!”

She cried. She started to sing.

Ivy: “Used to be that I believed in something. Used to be that I believed in love. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that feeling. I could love someone. I could trust someone. I said I’d never let nobody near my heart again, darling. I said I’d never let nobody in.”

She trailed around the pond, dropping all her love letters for Tristan.

Ivy: “But… If you asked me to, I just might change my mind and let you in my life forever! If you asked me to I just might give my heart and stay here in your arms forever! If you asked me to… If you asked me to…”

She remembered the date she and Tristan had and when they almost made love, and broke down sobbing.

Blair saw Ivy and was going to confront her after his grandfather and Sylvia told him to break the engagement. His face shifted with a gasp when he heard her singing from the heart about him.

Blair: “I-Ivy!”

He stammered. Ivy raised her head to lock her gaze on Blair.

Ivy: “Wh-What?”

She looked away and braced herself for him to end everything. Blair stepped forward, on the verge of tears.

Blair: “Oh, I'll do anything you want me to, just ask me, yeah. All you gotta do is ask me to.”

He sang in response to her with a duet, crying happy tears and locking his gaze on her and reaching out to her with his hands under the moonlight. Ivy gaped at him. He thinks I was singing about him?! She thought bitterly but then thought this could work in her favor. She smiled and reached out to him.

Ivy: “Oh, Blair!”

She rose to him.

Ivy: “True love always prevails!”

She said to him. Blair’s face lit up with a smile. She loves me?! He thought.

Blair: “That’s right, those beatniks want to tear us apart with their lies and it’s all Ashley’s fault!”

He cried. Ivy grinned.

Ivy: “Yes, Blair, if it weren’t for Ashley, Chelsea would still be alive.”

She nodded.

Ivy wrapped her arms around him. Blair reddened to her sweet and tender touch and slowly and awkwardly raised his arms around her. He laughed giddily. Wow, I’m hugging a girl, he thought. Ashley threw me away like a used hamburger wrapper, he thought with a pout.

It’s times like this I wish I could never read minds, Ivy thought.

Blair: “D-do you want to d-dance with me?”

He stammered with a nervous squeak. Ivy winced and forced a smile.

Ivy: “Of course, my love. Let’s dance.”

She wrapped her arms around him. The end justifies the means, she thought. Blair’s face lit up. S-She called me her love! She loves me! Unlike that fatty, Ashley! They missed out on a prince, he thought.

Blair: “O-Okay, my princess turtle dove love.”

He stammered, putting his arm around her and dancing awkwardly. The end justifies the means, Ivy thought forcing a smile. Blair imagined himself in a romantic movie, dancing with his princess love in the ballroom in black and white as rose petals swayed in the breeze.

They heard a “WOOHOO!” and saw Yoshi filming it on his video recorder.

Yoshi: “Go, you two!”

Blair turned to him and smiled proudly.

Blair: “Me and Ivy are in love!”

He announced.

Blair: “Take that, Ashley! You lost out on a prince!”

He said to the camera. Ivy’s right eye twitched. Can you shut up, Blair? She thought.

Yoshi: “YOU GUYS ROCK! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IVY!”

He hollered.

Ivy: “...Best birthday gift ever!”

She said through a strained smile.

Blair: “You are the best gift a boy could ever have, Ivy!”

He cried happy tears, wrapping his arms around her. Ivy wrapped her arms around him, wishing those words came from Tristan. Someday, she thought.

~

The next day, Tristan walked through Gentle Heart Cemetery with a bouquet of white roses. He strolled past the tombstones, glancing at the birthdates and deathdates, and sighed. He hated going to cemeteries. They were not only eerie but they all felt so final. Chelsea never had a chance. She was with Josh since she was fifteen and never had a chance to experience life outside of whoever came to Seashell Cove to visit.

He stopped at a dusty purple tombstone with roses etched in it.

It said,

“Here lies Chelsea Wentworth.

Step softly, a dream lies buried here.

1965 - 1987”

Tristan knelt to her grave and laid the flowers there.

Tristan: “Chelsea, I am so sorry about what happened to you and that we believed Ivy’s lies. Everything has been straightened out. I hope you can forgive me.”

He said softly and heaved a deep sigh.

He heard footsteps approach him and turned around to see Jaxon standing there with a bouquet of white roses.

Jaxon: “Yo.”

He smiled a bit.

Tristan: “Hello, Jaxon.”

He said gently to him. Jaxon knelt down and placed the flowers next to Tristan’s.

Jaxon: “How are you holding up, man?”

Tristan drew a long breath.

Tristan: “I’m glad the truth is out and I dodged a bullet with Ivy.”

He confessed. Jaxon nodded.

Jaxon: “I’m still pissed she caused Celeste and I to fight but I fought for my green queen!”

Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “Don’t fret, Jaxon. Ivy does that to everyone. You love Celeste and it shows, and you were very kind to Chelsea.”

He said gently to him.

Jaxon: “I just wished she experienced happiness outside of that asshole.”

He muttered. Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “As do I.”

The two men rose. Jaxon hooked his thumbs in his jeans.

Jaxon: “I just can’t help think if it weren’t for me, she’d still be alive.”

He bowed his head. Tristan placed his hand on his shoulder.

Tristan: “None of this is your fault. We’re both on Ichiro’s radar. We can’t go back and undo the past. All we can do is take precautions and kill him before he strikes again. He will strike again.”

He said firmly but gently.

Jaxon: “I am going to be the one to kill him!”

He said with that determined glint in his eyes. Tristan smiled at him. Jaxon turned to Chelsea’s tombstone.

Jaxon: “I’m sorry, Chelsea… Sayonara.”

He sighed and he and Tristan walked away, leaving the flowers on her tombstone.