Unexpected Love

Chapter Two

Eddy walked in with Skarlet on one side of him and Ivy on the other to see tons of people dancing to the loud music. Eddy turned to the girls, "I'm going to go find Austin, go have fun."
Skarlet and Ivy watch Eddy leave. Ivy took Skarlet's hand and walked through the crowd. Going into the kitchen, Skarlet and Ivy spotted some drinks. Ivy handed Skarlet a cup and walked into the living room. While dancing, Skarlet took a sip as she looked around to see who was at the party. Her eyes caught Lance's from across the room. Skarlet thought that he would be the last person to come to a party like this. Skarlet looked over at Ivy who seemed content, dancing with a boy before going over. "Surprised to see you here."
"New kid got to make friends somehow," Lance said with a Pearl white smile as he took a sip.
As Lance was going to speak, Ivy came up to Skarlet and places her arms around her, "Skar, I'm having so much fun."
"You smell like it," Skarlet said as her breath smelled like she had been drinking more than shitty tasting girly drinks they got from the kitchen.
Ivy screamed with laughter when a boy, Aaron's friend Danny, picked her up gently and turned her around to guide her to the dance floor. "So many nicknames you have," Lance observed.
"Skarlet is my real name," Skarlet told him.
"I like it," Lance said.
Skarlet took her last sip, "Looks like you need a refill too."
Lance smiled and followed Skarlet into kitchen. Skarlet opened the fridge to get Lance a cold beer. Handing him she saw rows of red and one blue cup piled together. Skarlet smiled, "You really want to do this?"
"Scared?"
Skarlet shook her head and grabbed a ping pong ball and aimed for one of the cups. Skarlet made her first shot one of the red cups. Lance drank the cup and placed it to the side.
Lance made it into the blue cup. Skarlet took a deep breath while taking it. She smelled it, vodka mixed with soda. Skarlet drank the cup down. She placed the cup down and looked at the clock on the stove, 11:45.
Skarlet look around, "Where is Ivy?" She asked herself quietly. "I'll be back," she told Lance and walked around the house, before looking upstairs.
Skarlet held onto the railing as she walked up the stairs, carefully, trying not to fall down. Skarlet knocked on the bathroom door, "Ivy?"
No answer. She opened the door to see the bathroom empty. She walked down the hall to see a door open by a crack. Skarlet opened the door and flicked on the light. She saw Danny on top of Ivy, who was in tears. Skarlet took the lamp and whacked the guy off of Ivy. Ivy closed her legs and wept hard to herself. Danny kicked Skarlet and pushed her onto the ground. Skarlet kicked Danny's wrapped junk with her heel. She got up and kneed his head, leaving him groaning on the floor. Skarlet ran over to Ivy with tears coming out of her eyes, "Oh Ivy, I'm so sorry," Skarlet held Ivy tightly.
Skarlet helped Ivy onto her trembling feet, "I got you," Skarlet told Ivy thought tears, fixing Ivy's dress for her.
Skarlet walked over to Lance with Ivy close to her and asked, "Are you ok to drive?"
Lance saw the tears in the girls eyes, and a spot on the corner of Skarlet's eye forming into a bruise. Lance grabbed his keys from his pocket and opened the front door for Skarlet to help carry Ivy to his car, "Where to?" Lance asked.
"The hospital," Skarlet answered, gently placing Ivy in the back seat. Skarlet sat in the backseat as Ivy dug her face into the crook of Skarlet's neck. Skarlet rubbed Ivy's back as Ivy cried softly. "We are almost there," Skarlet whispered to Ivy as her voice shook, holding back tears to be strong for Ivy.
Lance pulled up into the emergency room and helped Skarlet bring Ivy inside. Skarlet ran over to the desk,"My sister needs to be seen now."
The nurse looked at Ivy, barely able to hold herself up from the shock and shakiness. The nurse grabbed the phone and pages a doctor. "A little faster please."
"Do I need that police officer to remove you?" The woman asked Skarlet with a southern accent.
"I'll go talk to him myself."
Skarlet went over to the officer and told him what had happened. The officer looked at Ivy with sorrow as he phoned it in. "I'll go talk to her after she is settled."
Skarlet went over to Ivy as a doctor came in through the doors. Ivy hugged Skarlet, "Thank you."
Skarlet hugged her back tightly before Ivy disappeared in through the doors.
Skarlet sat in the waiting room with Lance. The tears couldn't hold back any longer and poured down Skarlet's cheeks. Lance moved closer and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, I usually don't cry," Skarlet said as she tried to smile through her tears.
"You have every right to cry. Ivy is so lucky to have a friend like you. To protect to her, fight for her," Lance said moving her hair out of the way to see a big black and blue bruise on the side of her face.
"Should have seen the other guy."
Lance smiled and rubbed Skarlet back.
Skarlet heard footsteps and high heels. She looked over to see Ivy's parents. Skarlet stood up and hugged them tight. After explaining what happened, Ivy's mother cried as her father was both angry and sad. They hugged Skarlet tight and told her that the loved her and to go home to get some rest.
Lance pulled up in front of Skarlet's house. "Are you going to be OK?" Lance asked Skarlet.
"I think so. Thank you for everything. I'll see you at school tomorrow," Skarlet said kindly before getting out of the car and disappearing into her house.
Stacey went over to Skarlet and hugged her tight. She let go and looked at Skarlet's bruise. "Go take a shower," Stacey told her.
Skarlet gathered clothes and got into the shower. She sighed as she worried how Ivy was holding up.