What's Your Sign?

Ivy replayed the message left by her brother and felt her lungs release the heavy sigh of relief.

"Hey, it's me. I'm sorry. I'm okay, I'll be home later tonight. I'll see you."

Ivy swore Jackson would be the death of her. Sometimes the things he got himself into were impossible to mend, yet Ivy always gave everything to help him set things right again. She could only hope everything would be alright when he returned home.

"I have to be home by eleven." Ivy mentioned on the way to Joseph Parker's party. She still couldn't believe Nathan Rice invited her to be his date. She highly doubted that Joseph Parker was aware she was coming to his party. 

"That's a bit of an early curfew, don't you think?" Nathan asked in his playful manner.

"It's not a curfew," Ivy assured him. "My brother is coming home, and I want to be there to see him."

Nathan was peeking down at her knees, the skin exposed halfway up her thighs. Ivy wished she wore jeans instead of a skirt -- but then again, maybe not. "Just let me know, and I'll take you home whenever you're ready."

That was before they got inside. Joseph Parker's house was the largest a house could be without being mistaken for a mansion. The high ceilings made her dizzy along with the overpowering scents of colognes and perfumes. Ivy expected to get lost in the sea of extroverts, but she couldn't figure out how she allowed Nathan to let go of her hand.

In the chaos of the unsupervised house party, she literally bumped into Joseph. In each of his hands was a red cup of poison.

"What are you doing here?" He spoke at a normal volume in a room of above normal sound levels. Ivy had to read his lips.

"I'm here with Nathan." Ivy explained, hoping that the wild look in his eye was just her imagination.

His response was vague. "Oh."

Ivy chewed her lip uncomfortably. "You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"

Joseph shook his head. "No." He offered her one of his beers.

Ivy politely refused and shuffled her way out of the overcrowded kitchen. She'd only been there for a little under an hour, but she was ready to leave. If only she could find Nathan...

Throughout her search, Ivy had been offered a few more cups of poison and heard noises coming from behind a closed door that weren't supposed to be heard. She hadn't seen a single soul that she knew. She was beginning to feel nauseous.

As her eyes imitated a lighthouse beacon over the sea of people, Ivy finally caught sight of Nathan. She weaved herself in and out of openings until she could reach out her arm and touch his shoulder.

Nathan turned to face her. The first thing she noticed was the red cup in his hand.

"Oh, there you are!" He exclaimed -- at least that's what Ivy thought he said. His words were slightly slurred together.

Ivy smiled nervously, noticing Nathan's friends and their sudden interest in her. "I think I'm ready to go home now."

"Why? We just got here." Nathan slung his arm sloppily over her shoulder and simultaneously took a slurp of beer.

Ivy slumped under half of his body weight. "Nathan, you're drunk." She stated the obvious.

"Nah, I'm great. Would you like a drink?"

"No." She nearly gagged at the smell of his breath. "I want to go home."

"Relax, girl." One of Nathan's tipsy friends interjected. "No need to ruin the fun."

This isn't fun, Ivy thought. "You shouldn't be drinking. None of you are of drinking age."

Ivy was belittled by a round of drunken laughter. She felt that pinch of red in her cheeks again.

"Looks like she needs a little breaking in, doesn't she Nate?" Another one of Nathan's clowns teased.

Nathan was the only one that didn't laugh. He wore his infamous smirk on his lips. "It's alright, Ivy." He held onto her chin and attempted to plant a kiss on her mouth, but misjudged and only got half of it.

Ivy wriggled away, a thin line of wetness on her eyelids. "Nathan, I'm leaving." 

"Please stay." He leaned close to her again. She shoved him this time. His breath reeked.

"No. I've had enough." She spun on her heels and searched for a pathway out of the zoo of party animals.

Nathan grabbed onto her arm. "Then at least let me drive you home?"

"Absolutely not. You can't drive like this." Ivy suddenly became concerned about leaving him. "You have to promise me you won't drive home tonight."

Nathan acted innocent. "I am perfectly capable of-"

"No!" Ivy shouted for what seemed like the hundreth time in the last five minutes. "You have to promise me. Do you understand?"

Nathan appeared sober enough to comprehend it. "Yes."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, Ivy."

"Say it!"

"Alright, alright. I promise."

Ivy prayed it would be enough to keep him off the road. She brushed his hand away from her arm. "Goodnight, Nathan."

She thought she saw a hint of regret pass over his features. She dropped her eyes before the tears fell and walked away from what she decided was her mistake, not Nathan's. She was sure her horoscope's great impact was drowning in alcohol.

Ivy had no way of knowing that another great impact was on the way.