Ivy💎
I woke up with a start, searching my body for cuts and bruises from the chandelier but I was completely unharmed. My fingers were shaking as I pressed them to my eye, there was no ache or blood.
I'd reset once again.
I gave a sigh of relief, but then remembered that the reason for all my troubles was the monster that slept next to me for two years. I turned my head to the other side of the bed… but it was empty.
Something was wrong. Nathaniel was never awake before daybreak.
I turned to get my phone from the nightstand to dial the police, just in case, when I noticed that the room was different.
It was a cramped room with a narrow desk that was cluttered with notebooks and pens, a cheap bookshelf that was already sagging under the heavy weight of textbooks, a mirror on the wall that was broken at the edge, and a mini fridge at the corner of the room.
This was my college room. I had reset back to when I was in college.
I let out a laugh.
Oh. Seriously, fuck me.
I got off the bed and stumbled to the mirror on the wall. It was me, a much younger version of me. College Ivy. The Ivy from before Nathaniel appeared in her life.
An uncontrollable hysterical laugh escaped me as I repeatedly pinched myself to ensure that I was actually here and not on the bed with Nathaniel.
It was really me.
I threw my hands up in the air and jumped for joy.
"I'm free! I'm free! I'm free!"
I danced around my cramped room, unable to stop laughing. Every breath I took felt like a blessing and I was ridiculously relieved. I ran my hands over my face, hair, and arms once again to confirm that I wasn't dreaming, then I spun in a circle as my laughter turned to tears.
I didn't know how long I cried, but the sun was shining mercilessly by the time I was done. I wiped my tears with the back of my hands and grabbed my phone from the bed.
It was almost 11 in the morning.
College or not, I wasn't going anywhere. I deserved a break after all I'd been through. Or at least, that was what I thought. My phone rang, and I glanced at the caller ID.
Bianca? Who the fuck is that?
I ignored it. I mean, I didn't even remember this person in the first place so they're probably not important. But the person kept on calling and calling, and it was disturbing my peace.
So I picked up, and was scolded immediately.
"Ivy Catherine Peters. Where in the heck are you?"
I removed my phone from my ear, stared at the screen with a raised brow and placed it back to my ear.
Not even a hello?
"In my room," I replied.
"Why aren't you here?" the hysterical voice asked. "You're late."
Did I have a part time job at college?
"Sorry. Who are you?" I asked. There was a pause on the other end of the line before the call disconnected.
I stared at my phone after the call ended. Not even ten minutes after the call had disconnected, my door burst open and a girl with blond hair and brown eyes ran towards me.
My body reacted before my brain could process what was happening and I stumbled backwards, away from the intruder until my back hit the wall beside my desk.
I stared at my table and grabbed a pen, pointing at the intruder who was now catching her breath.
"Don't come closer," I snapped, but my voice was shaking.
She looked at me with a confused expression. "You're kidding, right?"
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Oh," she giggled. "You're not kidding."
I kept my eyes locked on her as she comfortably took a seat on my bed. She heaved loudly. "I ran here. Can you tell?"
"Who are you?" I asked again.
"Weird," she said, laying on the bed. "Drinking's never let you lose your memory before. And I told you not to drink so much, you fool."
Oh, she knows me.
"Who are you?" I asked again.
"… you look like hell. And I haven't even gotten a happy birthday from you. What kind of best friend does that?"
"Best friend…?" I repeated.
"Remember me now? Bianca Peters? Your sister from another mother? How could you forget me and on my birthday, no less?"
Yeah, no, it wasn't clicking. I didn't remember this person. I didn't even remember having a birthday.
But she seemed genuine about knowing who I was. Slowly, I dropped the pen and went to join her on the bed.
"I'm sorry, but I don't remember who you are," I said.
She stared at me for a while before she smiled.
"Then let's go to my place. You promised to help me set up anyway. You'll probably get your memory back as you're working."
I seriously doubt that.
I rubbed my face and let out a tired sigh. She didn't seem like she was going to give up, so I agreed.
On the walk to her apartment, every sound made me flinch, and every male voice sent a jolt of panic through my spine. She noticed and held my hand, as if to tell me she was here.
The way she behaved with me made me feel that we were very close, but it was odd that I couldn't remember her no matter how hard I tried.
When we got to her apartment, people were already gathered there, helping to set up for her party.
She led me through the group of workers to her room which she locked behind her.
"So? What happened?" she asked in the same cheerful tone she'd been using.
"What do you mean?" I asked, glancing around her room.
That was when I saw the small picture frame on her desk.
"What happened last night for you to end up this way? What did Alex do?"
I moved closer to her desk as the picture felt a bit familiar.
"Or what? You don't remember Alex?" she asked.
Oh, I remember Alex, all right.
The picture frame occupied all my attention. Inside it was a picture of me when I was younger, with my arms thrown over a girl I recognized.
My sister from another mother.
I turned back to face Bianca whose face went white when she saw me.
"Ivy? Why are you crying?" she asked as she brought out a handkerchief.
"You're Catherine?" I asked as tears flowed from my eyes.
She was the girl who gave me her name.