Retrocognition

73 | details

I smile to myself as I watch Ivy struggle to organize her belongings so that she will soon be able to stuff her things into bags. Though my friend is one of the most put-together girls I've ever met, she can still tend to be a little scatter-brained when it comes to keeping her room in order.

It seems that everyone around campus has begun to pack their bags so they will be ready to evacuate Redwood come Monday. It's already Friday, signifying the start of the weekend, which means campus will only be open for another two days. Considering the recently solved homicide and the arrest of a murderer on campus only days ago, the school board had come to the decision to close campus for a week. I have no complaints against this decision, as I think my peers have earned a much needed break from this place, just as I have. I feel relieved knowing I will soon be packing my own bags and returning home for a week of peace, though watching Ivy struggle with amusement reminds me that I will miss my friends over the upcoming week.

Ivy sighs as she flops down onto her mattress, blowing her dark bangs out of her eyes as she lays on her back. "I need a break," she murmurs to herself, tilting her head to face me from where I am perched atop her desk chair.

"Don't we all?" I bite back jokingly, though my words have a serious undertone that neither of us seem willing to acknowledge.

Ivy sits up for a moment, her dark eyes glittering with excitement as they hold my stare. She's beaming as she says, "I'm still so psyched that you're going to be writing for the paper now, Blythe. It's so awesome that Jonah made this exception for you. I mean, everyone on campus knows how incredibly talented you are now. I can't wait to be writing with you."

I can't help sharing in my friend's excitement. I had sent both Ben and Ivy texts in our group chat the second Jonah had asked me to become a writer for the school paper, as I knew they would be eager to know the news. I'm grateful that they're both happy for me, and it's nice to be able to semi-celebrate with Ivy in her dorm now. Ben would be here as well, though he couldn't make it due to a make-up exam he has to take for one of his classes before our break begins.

"I'm really happy," I admit to Ivy shyly, pinning an unruly strand of hair behind my ear. "I was expecting Jonah to be pissed about me publishing that article. But I like how things turned out much better."

Ivy chuckles at my joke, crossing her arms over her chest thoughtfully. "I'm just glad your talent will finally have the chance to be recognized. You're amazing at what you do, Blythe. Everyone should know that."

I blush. "Don't sell yourself short, Vee. You're incredible too. I'm honored to be writing by your side."

Ivy beams. "Hey, maybe we'll even be able to work on an article together now! That would rock."

I laugh at my friend's enthusiasm. "Yeah, it would."

Ivy's demeanor turns serious as she eyes me, a sly smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. I can tell that talk of the school paper has long since left her mind, and that her attention rests on another topic now.

"So," Ivy murmurs smugly, "when are you planning to tell me about what you have going on with this Zach guy?"

My cheeks flush a deep shade of red. It's unlike me to keep secrets from my friends, even though I've had to do so quite a bit recently. Not that I've been trying to keep Zach a secret, that is. It's just, with everything else I've had going on, I suppose the right time to mention my budding relationship never came up.

"Okay." I straighten in my seat, biting down on my lip as I offer Ivy a coy smile. "What do you want to know?"

"Only everything!" Ivy exclaims, her tone dripping duh. "How'd you meet? When did it start? What's he like? I need details, Lithie!"

I can't refrain from laughing. "We met at a party," I explain to Ivy. "Jacob introduced us, actually—but I don't really want to get into that. He was sort of looking out for me from the beginning, I guess you could say. I thought he was kind of weird at first, because he was always warning me to be careful—which didn't make sense at the time. Anyway, we got to know each other pretty well when he was helping me to get a confession out of Jacob. He's . . . amazing, Ivy. Considerate and loyal and funny . . . He's been there for me in ways no one else could have been when I had everything going on. I don't know. I really like him."

"It doesn't hurt that he's super hot, does it?" Ivy chides with a raised eyebrow.

My blush deepens. "Well, yeah. He has that going for him too."

Ivy laughs at my expense. "I'm happy for you, Blythe. I can tell that Zach's a good guy. Plus, I like him a lot knowing he stood by your side when you had . . . everything going on. I like you two together. Have you made anything official yet?"

I struggle to bite back a grin. "Actually, we're going on a date tonight. I guess we'll see where things go from there."

Ivy releases a squeal of excitement. "Blythe! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was waiting for the right time!" I bite back, though I'm beaming.

"Well, don't waste your time here with me!" Ivy cries, hopping off of her bed and wandering over my way to pull me from my seat, ushering me out of the door. "Go get ready to see your man, Lithie! And don't forget to text me all of the details!"