What's Your Sign?

Nate stared at the holographic screen as if his eyes deceived him. Status : In Progress. 

In progress? It should say Complete. He reread the horoscope another time. Ivy must be the sign mate whose future he is meant to fufill. He thought the lesson he taught her about misplacing Smartpens was the answer? Her ID number matched his lucky one. It had to be her.

Although, she didn't challenge him, and he basically created the scene in class yesterday. Maybe it wasn't enough for the Astrologists to pick up on?

Nate only had three more days. He had to solve the horoscope soon. He remembered the party being held at Joseph's house that night.

Maybe Nate just needed to get to know Ivy a little better.

~oOo~

Ivy caught her friend Laila staring off into space again. The pretzel she threw bounced off of Laila's pointed nose.

"I'm wondering why he hasn't made a move yet." Laila said absently. Usually, she was very talkative at the lunch table. Today she seemed more observant.

"Who are you waiting for this time?" Ivy asked, trying to pick out the person in the distance.

"If Nathan Rice has to make a move, he better do it soon." Laila spun in her chair and gave up staring at the attractive boy in the lunch line.

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Nathan Rice is in your horoscope this week?"

Laila looked offended. "According to the Astrologists, a portion of my dizziest daydreams is to come true this week." Laila's parents were both Astrologists, and the job was always passed down to the offspring. Laila had a tendency to take things too literally, something an Astrologist never did. Ivy wasn't sure she would make it.

Ivy didn't wish to know what portion of her dizzy daydream involved Nathan Rice. She also didn't tell Laila about the Smartpen incident in class. Laila would do anything to get a hold of Nathan's Smartpen and catch a glimpse into his inner nature.

As if he was sent by the constellations above, Nathan Rice planted himself in the seat across from Ivy, beside Laila. Both of them froze for opposite reasons.

~oOo~

Nate thought this would never get old. "Hi, Ivy."

The yellow-haired girl looked like an angel beside her dull-looking friend. "Hello..." She said, quietly and uncomfortably.

Nate leaned a bit on the table to appear relaxed and at home. "How are you?"

"Fine. And yourself?"

Nate placed a pout on his lips. "I have a problem that I thought you could help me with, since I let you borrow my Smartpen in class yesterday."

The dull friend was turning red, about to explode. Nate kept his focus on Ivy as she began to get lost in the emerald swirl of his eyes.

"What can I help you with, Nathan?" She asked. Her politeness made Nate smile. At his smile, she returned the favor.

"You see, my good friend Joseph is having a party at his house tonight, and I'm only allowed in if I have a date with me."

The dull friend scoffed, glaring at the angel beside her.

"A date?" Ivy asked, perplexed.

"Yes, a date. You know, someone you are very interested in and would like to get to know better through the process of spending time together at events such as house parties?"

Ivy smiled again, and Nate noticed the subtle pink within her cheeks.

Suddenly, her smile faded. "Joseph Parker?"

Nate knew where this was going, but nodded anyway. He jumped in before Ivy could deny him. "Joseph asked me to invite you." He lied. Good thing he was an excellent liar.

"He did?" Ivy still hesitated. There was no reason Joseph Parker would want Ivy to come to his party.

"Yes. He would like to get to know you better, as would I. So will you come?"

Ivy glanced at her dull friend, feeling the jealous rage spewing from her pores. Ivy swallowed hard and shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Nate knew this would take some effort, but it was a good sign -- she was challenging him, which meant this was the solution to the horoscope. "Alright." He said. "Would you mind speaking with me alone?"

"Back off!" The dull friend exploded. "She said no, so leave her alone!"

Nate ignored the peasant and tried to charm the princess. Ivy chewed her lip nervously, the plumpness of them making Nate's mouth nearly water.

"Well?" He urged her in the sweetest way possible. "It'll only be a moment."

Ivy pushed her lunch aside and rose from her seat like royalty. "Only for a moment?"

Nate nodded, not too eagerly. "I promise."

Ivy never looked back at her friend as she followed him closely into the vast emptiness of the hallway.

~oOo~

Everything inside her was telling her to run, but Ivy forced herself to hear what Nathan had to say. She hugged her arms and kept her eyes down. After all, it was the first time she'd ever been properly asked out. "Go on," She persisted.

Nathan didn't speak. He simply gazed deeply into her eyes, past the shallow surface and directly into her soul. It overwhelmed her, put her in a sort of hypnotic state. She loved it.

He lifted his hand and ran the pad of his thumb over her warm cheeks, darkening the shade of pink at his touch. 

Ivy gathered enough courage to speak. "What are you doing?"

His thumb traced the indent of her chin and held there. "I want to kiss you." He said bluntly.

Ivy shivered, regardless of the heat inside. Why was she acting this way? "You what?"

Nathan leaned closer, his lips a teasing distance away from hers. "I want to kiss you," He repeated in a husky whisper.

No. No, no, no, no! Ivy screamed it at herself in her head, but she couldn't react on the surface. She hoped he would suffer for being so sensual and seductive.

Ivy was gathering another round of courage, or something that resembled it, but by then it was too late. She felt his breath on her skin and the warmth of his lips that followed.

Ivy was tense, but slowly melted into the kiss as she remembered it was her first.

She had questioned it before, but now she was certain that Nathan Rice would be the individual to greatly impact her life.