Chapter 12 Let the Birthday Night Begin!
“I don’t understand, Elsa. What did I ruin?” Even she was surprised by how firm and controlled her voice was but she kept going, despite her thundering heart. “Is this about your birthday?”
Elsa looked at her dead in the eyes and there was silence for a while before Ivy continued again.
This didn’t look good. This didn’t look good at all!
“Elsa, I might have not being talking about it but you mean a lot to me. I have plans for you. I did not forget your birthday.”
Something had glimmered in Elsa’s eyes, at that point where Ivy had said she meant a lot to her.
She staggered forward, clumsily falling into her embrace.
“I’m so sorry that I was being cranky. Yes, it was about my birthday.”
Ivy let out a breath of relief, she patted her back lightly, yet she couldn’t help but worry. Had that really been it? It had seem like it was more than that. But Elsa had always taken her birthday super seriously, so it wasn’t out of character.
She felt Elsa squeeze her tightly to herself before she cooed, “you mean a lot to me too, Princess.”
Ivy smiled.
That sounded more like it.
“You haven’t changed one bit, Birthday Girl.”
“Don’t call me that yet,” she pulled away and winked. “We still have a week and some days.”
“Like as if you weren’t just throwing a tantrum about that a while ago.”
They chuckled.
“So, tell me. What plans do you have?” She asked as they started walking up the stairs to Ivy’s room. Her heels in one hand while she leaned heavily against Ivy for support.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Does it go along the line of partyyyy?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Okay, okay. I don’t want any parties though.”
Well, it’s a good thing that wasn’t EXACTLY what she had spent most of her day planning.
She would have to cancel a lot of orders once they get to the room. Just thinking about it was already giving her a headache.
They kept on talking about different things, till they got to the room and Elsa eventually fell asleep. Ivy also got to work but still she couldn’t shake that feeling away, like Elsa wasn’t telling her something.
Or maybe she was just overthinking it.
She thought as she flicked off the light.
She tended to overthink most of the time, anyways.
***
There were movies, the beach, gifts and almost everything Elsa had always wanted for her big 20 yet, she didn’t stop talking about how perfectly she wanted the dinner later in the night to go.
It was almost as if she couldn’t enjoy any of the activities Ivy had planned, nor did she pay much mind to the gifts because all that was on her mind was the dinner.
“What color do you think Christopher will kill for? Red or baby blue?” She asked, strolling through her phone in the car on their way back home.
They were in the backseat and Davies was driving.
“I—”
“I think Baby blue will be good. He likes the innocent prim and proper look. Red might just seem too wild for him.”
Too… wild?
Ivy bit her lips, painful enough to shut the inflow of her wild memories with Chris that suddenly started flooding her mind.
Was what she was doing right? Keeping this secret, acting this part? She had continuously asked herself and her answer had always been, ‘maybe’.
Her best friend was so happy and that was all that mattered.
No matter how much all these was tearing her, she would keep her mouth sealed.
She had even been toying with the idea of traveling out of the country and staying abroad till she could get Chris out of her head. Even thought of the lie to tell Elsa.
But then, there was the contract with an invisible control on her.
That damn piece of paper!
She felt like a dog on a lease!
Arrghhhh!
Why was her life so messed up?!
“Baby blue or maybe even white. Pure innocence and a sense of submission.”
“Red is your colour, Elsa. You look stunning in red.”
“Yo, I look absolutely fabulous in white too.” She chuckled, pretending to be offended.
“I know but it just seems like you changing all of you just to go on this date.”
“I’m doing this for Chris to pick me.” She looked away from her phone and up at her, determined.
“Pick you?”
“Doesn’t matter, I just want to be what he wants. He is already what I want.”
“He knows you are not all white innocence and I’ve seen that he cares about you.”
“Seen him once.”
“It was enough to judge.”
Elsa sneered before she quickly covered it up with a chuckle.
“Well, you might have to fix your opinion later tonight, when I dress all pearly white.”
Davies pressed down the horn and it was only then they realized that had gotten home.
“Have you told your aunt about your night out?”
Elsa rolled her eyes. “What does it matter? She is busy with one of her many lovers, she wouldn’t even notice that I’m gone.”
“She had a fight with Uncle again?”
“Yup! Huge one. I’m sure they are out there somewhere getting their ass drunk while they bang. Other people asides each other, of course. Or it could be each other, I really don’t get them. Those Drunks forgot my birthday.” She giggled.
“Anything from your Ma and Pa?” Ivy asked as they stepped out and walking into the house.
Elsa subconsciously checked her phone. “They are busy today. Just like every other day.”
“Elsa–”
“No, no, no. Pity? Oh please, Princess, don’t go there. Whose money do you think I used to get all those dresses and expensive gifts? Certainly not mine.”
She swung the door of Ivy’s room open, then fell on the bed like a log of wood.
“You ordered dresses!”
Ivy closed the door.
“Yes.” She sat up. “I owned no white.”
Ivy squinted her eyes then Elsa shrugged.
“No decent white.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
Before Ivy would have anything to say back, Elsa jumped to her feet and went to Ivy’s closet, trying to find her a dress. After some minute, the doorbell rang.
Delivery was here.
Ivy went downstairs to get it. By the time she got up again, Elsa had already picked her a dress.
A red dress.
“What do you think?” Elsa squealed, waving the dress in her face as Ivy put down the last of the boxes.
“A stunning partly revealing red dress?” She took it from her. “I don’t remember being the Birthday Girl.”
“Well, as the Birthday Girl, I give you the permission to look faaaabulous!”
“Oh, my. I suddenly feel a headache. Might lead to death if I have to meet other people. Rain check?”
“Don’t. You. Dare.”
Well, if Elsa was right about what Chris liked, with this red dress she would be invisible and that is a good thing.
Right?
Soon, they were done dressing.
Elsa was rocking a glittering white, long sleeve, ankle length gown. She even had gloves on. White gloves, to be specific.
Ivy had never seen her like this before.
It was, well, refreshing.
They got into the car and Davies started driving them to the restaurant.
DeTaste, which was the same restaurant Ivy worked in, was where they were headed tonight.
Elsa was busy with clicking pictures, Ivy was pretty sure Elsa had never seen even her own self like this before.
While she spent her time taking more and more selfies of herself, while speaking more and more about how much Chris would love her look. Ivy just sat down there, taking deep breaths in and out, as her therapist had adviced, while she mentally prepared herself to see Chris again.
Tonight was either going to be good or bad, but either way, it would be.