What's Your Sign?

Ivy Forbes (18 F)

Saggitarius

It is vital that you redirect your positive energy to a new task that is close to your heart. You must not allow other distractions consume all of your attention, no matter how important they may seem. You do not have a lucky number this week.

The absence of her lucky number made Ivy think for a moment, but she easily accepted her horoscope. She wondered if Nathan would ever stop subtly appearing in them.

Laila didn't seem to appreciate Nathan's appearances at the lunch table. He spent the eating half of his lunch with his friends and the rest sitting across from Ivy and next to a sour-looking Laila. Until then, Ivy kept half her senses aware of Laila and the other half focused on Nathan's back, facing her from his seat across the cafeteria.

Laila would go on and on about the schoolgirl drama that Ivy wasn't very interested in. She knew it was rude to ignore her friend, but she couldn't help it. She anticipated the brief moments when Nathan would glance over his shoulder and smile at her. Sometimes he made a funny face instead, but Ivy smiled back either way.

Ivy straightened up when she noticed Nathan rising from his seat. Laila cut herself off mid-gossip when this happened. It wasn't worth finishing at that point.

Ivy built herself up inside to greet him when he sat down, but Nathan was caught by one of his friends in a compelling conversation at another table. His eyes met hers, and she waited patiently -- not without a small, impatient sigh.

Laila slapped her sandwich on the table. "That's it, you are officially a lost cause."

Ivy looked at her friend. "Huh?"

"Look at yourself! No, better yet, look at that trail of drool running down your chin."

Ivy dabbed at her chin with her sleeve. "I am not drooling."

"Not yet you aren't. I've been trying to tell you, Ivy, you really need to watch yourself around him."

Ivy wished Laila would stop being so jealous. "He isn't a serial killer."

Laila snorted. "Right, he's worse than that. You remember when he ditched you for booze at that party I warned you about?"

Ivy was unsettled by the memory of that night alone. "He's different now."

Laila didn't hide her eye roll. "Sure, because guys always seem so flawless after you've known them for one week."

Ivy ignored that last part as Nathan finally approached the table.

~oOo~

Nathan Rice (18 M)

Saggitarius

Your newest emotions still need time to flourish, though they have not gone unnoticed. It is advised that you take it easy this week and let the cosmic rays guide you to your next move. You do not have a lucky number this week.

Nate couldn't help but feel grateful when Kevin hooked his fingers in his shirt as he walked by. Nate looked over at his glowing princess Ivy sent her an apology with his eyes, though he wasn't exactly sorry. 

While Kevin started retelling a story Nate remembered from that party, Nate used the opprotunity to figure out what his horoscope meant. It didn't say that Ivy wasn't interested -- he didn't need a holographic screen to figure that out. But it didn't clarify that she wanted to be interested, especially since he was supposed to back off this week.

Kevin stopped talking too soon. Nate was left standing in the middle of the lunchroom like a loner. Ivy was still watching him expectantly.

Maybe she was interested, she sure seemed that way by the impatient bounce of her knee. Nate had been around enough girls to be able read her body language...but those other girls weren't Ivy. 

Either way, there was always that thought that terrorized his core: what if she found out about the accident?

He didn't want her to know he was losing his mind. Nate reached across the table to brush his thumb over Ivy's cheek, painting a picture with the rosy color he created there. "Hey."

Ivy had gotten over her anxiety around him and stopped chewing on her plump lip. Nate sort of missed that. "Hi."

He sat down as casually as possible. Through the corner of his eye he could tell Laila smelled his fear like a lioness could smell her prey. "How are you today, Laila?"

"Splendid." She said curtly. "Thank you for your consideration." Nate learned not to be offended by her personality.

Ivy reached her hand out on the table, palm up. Nate only hesitated for a split second and filled her hand with his.

She squeezed his fingers. "Is everything okay?"

Damn, she caught him. "No -- I mean yes, I'm fine."

Silence.

Laila was the one to break it. "I'm going to sit over there." She informed them, sliding herself to the next table over to discuss life with the group of girls there.

Nate felt his hairline dampen with sweat. Why was he acting this way? Now that they were alone, his anxiety jumped several levels of intensity.

"I can't come to the library today." Ivy mentioned.

Nate swallowed roughly, desperate to pull himself together. "How come?"

It was hard to focus on composing himself when Ivy traced the lines of his palm that way. "Nina is coming to visit again."

"What do you think of her?" He asked.

Ivy sighed, keeping her eyes low. "She's wonderful, everything Jackson could have wanted."

Nate couldn't detect any sarcasm, and he wasn't sure Ivy could even pull sarcasm off. "But?" He pressed.

He watched her roll her lips, a familiar sign that meant tears would follow. "Jackson's dead. What good will she do for him if he's dead?"

The lunch bell rang at the inconvenient time, but Nate stayed motionless. Ivy wiped her eyes and stood up with everyone else in the room. Nate was trapped under that wool curtain.

Laila returned to walk out with Ivy. She eyed him suspiciously, as Ivy looked concerned. "I'll see you later, alright?"

Nate managed a nod. Ivy walked away,  but he still couldn't breathe properly. It was strange, because usually her presence left him breathless. Now he couldn't breathe at all.

He finally figured out what emotion that wool curtain was tied to: guilt.

~oOo~ 

The pale color in Nina's tanned face was enough of a hint that something was wrong.

Ivy wasn't expecting to find Nina in her bedroom pacing the floor like a cell mate, but there she was. Ivy dropped her bag by the door but didn't pass the threshold. "Hi, Nina."

The frazzled woman pressed her palm to her sweaty forehead and kept pacing. "Ivy, I'm sorry to drag you into this. I know you're young and you shouldn't have to worry about these kinds of things yet, but I think you have a right to know..."

Ivy gulped. "Know what?"

Nina shook her head, still thinking out loud. "He was your brother, you should definitely know first. I should have told you before..."

Ivy forced her to stop pacing. She held her shoulders firmly. "Told me what, Nina?"

The young woman clearly couldn't decide whether she wanted to laugh or cry or smile or scream. The news was released in a cross of a chuckle and a sigh. "I think I'm pregnant."