Life of Ives ✔️

Thirty-five

IVES

I've been working my ass off today. It's Monday and I'm trying so hard to keep working, even when there's no one around, just to keep myself busy and not have to interact with Alex. She's happily humming some tunes I don't know behind the counter, and I'm far away from her, on the other end of the coffee shop, cleaning off the tables.

It's getting closer and closer to the end of my shift, and I can't wait to go home.

I had lunch with Dean today, as I do every Monday, and he seemed a little embarrassed by how he acted on Saturday. He should be. I'm my own person, and I can decide for myself whether or not I want to take a hit from that cigarette Max had the other day. I hadn't spoken to Dean, or Max for that matter, until this morning, in the book club, when Dean sat next to me as usual.

We were neck deep into some book I hadn't read that much of yet, and it was definitely not my favorite so far. I don't even remember it's name... All I know is that next, we're reading The Diary of a Young Girl. I've wanted to read that one for a while, ever since I learned that it existed, basically, but I never got around to do it.

I walk back up behind the counter to put away the cloth I used to wash the tables, and I'm on my way to the backroom when Alex turns to me, biting her lip slightly.

"Ives," she says, sounding like she's in pain or something. "I'm..."

"Don't bother," I say, cutting her off.

I don't want an apology, and I don't want her to tell me not to tell anyone. I have no idea what she was going to say, honestly, but I don't really care either. I just want to get away.

I open up the door to the back, when I feel her hand around my elbow, stopping me from leaving her. I turn to her, and I'm getting annoyed. Really annoyed. Why can't she leave me the fuck alone? She's already caused me enough pain. She looks around the shop before her eyes rest on me again.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," she says, and she sighs heavily.

"Save it, I don't want to hear it," I spit back, trying to rip my arm away from her.

She glares at me, and pushes me into the backroom, and she slams the door shut behind us. Her glare becomes harder when we're in there alone. No windows. No other escape route than the door she just shut violently.

My bravery just ran out through the small crack between the door and the floor, along with my tongue.

"I don't understand why you always turn me down, Ives. Aren't I pretty enough for you?" she asks me, and she moves even closer, pinning me against the wall.

I should have mentioned casually to Max that I was working today, with her.. Maybe he could have kept an eye out. Would it be too much to ask him to do that? In hindsight, I should have done that..

It's easy to know what one should have done when it's too late.

"Is it because I'm a girl?" she then asks, staring me down.

I feel so small right now. She's a little taller than me, but she's definitely not strong enough to hold me down against my will, but I'm too frozen in fear to know what to do. Or to have the strength to do what I should do.

"No," I manage to say, and I stare back at her. "It has nothing to do with you, Alex."

"Then why won't you at least give me a chance, like you give all the guys on campus a chance, huh?" she asks, and moves closer to me.

She's dangerously close to me now, her breath hits my face every time she breathes out, and her nose is almost touching mine. She looks furious.

"I don't give every guy a chance," I say, defending myself.