Adventures of Ivy Fleur: The Election of Liquidation

Chapter Six: The New Arrival

"Ivy, why are we here," Ryan whined, leaning his arms on a hard oak desk.

The jumbled noise of the City Hall blocked out of most of what Ryan said but Ivy, sitting right next to him, could hear it perfectly. Ivy flipped through her large notebook while chewing on the end of her pen.

"To gather information," Ivy said flatly.

"About what?"

"Things."

Ryan groaned and slumped against the hard chair - that is impossible to get comfortable in and he had to shift his position every few minutes or his back would get aches. They had been at Burlington's City Hall for almost an hour and all they have done is sit at an empty desk and watch as people come and go.

"If you're not even going to tell me what we are looking for, why did you bring me here in the first place?" Ryan asked, his voice rising in frustration.

Ivy stopped what she was writing and let out a sigh before facing the boy that had no sense of observation. "What do you see around you," she questioned, motioning to look around with her head.

Ryan made a confused face and looked around the bustling hall. "People wanting to change their name to something even worse than what it already is--I don't know," Ryan exclaimed in irritation. He looked at her with an annoyed glare but she was looking away from him.

"Well, what I see are stories," she said.

Ryan gave her a look of skepticism. "Stories," he said, sounding doubtful. "How?"

Ivy narrowed her eyes at him, puzzled. "Can't you see it," she asked.

Ryan shook his head.

The girl looked around some more, thinking of what an easy target would be. She then saw Ms. Clarity, and her hippie attire, filling out a form right next to Mr. Rivers. This is perfect.

"Do you see that bald man over there, next to the really thin woman?" Ivy pointed towards the couple.

Ryan's eyes widened. "Is that Mr. Rivers --"

"Yes, but that's beside the point," Ivy interrupted him, causing Ryan's exclamation to be cut short.

Ivy pointed to their adjoined hands, half covered by Miss. Clarity's long skirt. "They're getting married."

Ryan's difficulty of believing what she was saying was plain on his face. "How can that be? Mr. Rivers just divorced..." Realization passed over Ryan's features as he stared at the couple's entwined hands. "It was an affair."

A smile grew on Ivy's lips and she looked at Ryan with satisfaction. "Exactly," she said. "Mr. Rivers' marriage was a fairly common one - normal than most people's - until one day Mrs. Rivers abruptly called for a divorce."

"She must have found out," Ryan finished, an accomplished smile growing on his lips.

"Most likely the hard way," Ivy admitted.

Ryan flushed just imagining what that must have felt like to see your partner with another lover; it made him feel sick.

Ivy saw Ryan's discomfort but thought nothing of it. "On to the next target," Ivy said, pulling Ryan away from their past topic.

Ivy looked more around the hall until her eyes landed on the booth she had been watching for the past hour. A young man, who looked barely out of college is standing in front of the mayor candidate booth.

Ivy chose this desk specificity, for its proximity to the booth. She is able to make out what they are saying. Mostly.

"Hello, good sir... like to fill out a candidate ballot," the young man said.