Diary of Ivory Black

    Things do tend to repeat themselves, don’t they?     It was about two in the afternoon, the last day of school had just ended. Well, high-school for Ivory’s case. She looked back as she exited Maria Senior and Junior High School, a very familiar sight to her despite everything. She watched as the newly placed school banner and posters flap through the wind.     “Obedience, responsibility, and care,” The banner says, almost like it’s taunting the very words that were displayed on it. “Pfft! Care.” She scoffed to herself, knowing full well the reality of that word in this school. Twelve years, twelve years she’s stayed in this school and not an ounce of care was given to her by the people in it. Well, except her friends—which aren’t that many, to begin with.     She then switched her attention to the school building. The used to be appointed off-white walls has now become darkened and dank over the years. The low-rise building used to be somewhat comfy and secure, well that was until they changed principal. The damned guy kept making changes and modifications to the building without thinking about its infrastructure, causing it to break apart. Then after the whole thing failed, he just stopped caring. Not even bothering to restore the building to its original state, let alone taking care of it. Well, it’s not like she’ll be seeing this condemned building any longer.     It was like only yesterday she went to this school as a junior or a grade-schooler, or—never mind. It’s just been so long she’s been here, it’s almost like her second house. House, not home—no, far from it. She doesn’t know why she never bothered to change schools, but she’s certainly thought of it. It’d be a nice change of scenery, to say the least. She smiled at the thought, as she knows that the change of scenery will be happening soon, as she will move on to a different chapter of life going to college. Finally, something new to her.     “Maybe I’ll even go to one of those fancy Ivy League schools,” She thought to herself, “Who knows?”     She stopped walking for a bit as she feels the cool autumn wind brush through her face. It’s the best hour of the hot day during the autumn, the wind blows softly as the air is cooling down. She looked up at the orange sky, decorated with soft cotton candy clouds. She watched as dry leaves leave their trees to be carried by the wind. It leaves a somber feeling to her heart and mind.     She looked around her scenery, kids of all ages looking for their parents so they can go home. The new uniform the school just released becoming prominent with the new students. It’s funny to her because if an outsider could look from a far distance to this place, they would think that she’s one of the new school students. But from a close-up, her old uniform would become prominent and she would be instantly recognized as one of the seniors who had skipped a year. Well, that’s what happens when you’re short.     White socks instead of black, to match the black pair of shoe students are expected to wear. Grey skirts instead of blue, to match the new school sponsor’s logo. (a bit overdone, by her standards) And blue plaid shirts instead of the old white boring ones. “Change.” she thought, “It’s good.”     Ivory sighed, then resumed her pace. She entered the parking lot, glancing at her watch every now and then to see the time, which has been stuck at 2 pm for the longest time in her mind. She starts to stroll around the parking lot, expecting her driver to be somewhere nearby. Everything was always full on the last day, even the parking lot. She cautiously straightened her old blue skirt, as she realized it had been slightly off the entire time. “Damn it!” She cursed under her breath. Old habit.     She then anxiously rubs the palm of her right hand with her left thumb, circling the old scar that had been placed there. Another old habit. One she’s been learning to forget.     Her thoughts were briefly interrupted by a honk from a silver family-sized car, her ride. She opened the door to the front passenger seat, only to be greeted by a loud tune of the old car radio and her mom’s goofy bright smile.     Ivory closed the door as soon as she was seated, and adjusted the radio volume. She placed her light beige bag below her seat and looked down at her feet, then at the car deck below it. Dust, everywhere. It’s not unusual to her, nobody really bothered to clean the car, nobody cared about it anyway.     “You know you could’ve let our driver do his job.” She piped up.     “Well, we wouldn’t need one if you knew how to drive.” Her mom shot back.     “I do know!”     “Well you aren’t driving now aren’t ya?”     “Mom, I’m still below legal age.”     “Aww, like that really matters in this country.”     “Safety first mom.”     “I hate it when you’re right.”     “Same.”     “So...” Her mom spoke again, trying to sound sincere and caring as possible about Ivory’s answer “How was school?” Ivory debated whether she should tell her mom the truth, or just bullshit her way out, as usual, she decided the first of the two. “It’s fine, I met someone.” Her mom chuckled, “Met someone? Well, that’s new.” Ivory winced, then decided that the view outside the car window was more interesting than her mom’s grinning face.     “Well, not exactly met.” Mom tilted her head, “What do you mean?”     “We’ve met before.”     “Oh?”     “Old friend. Well, not exactly.”     “Mhmm? Do tell.”     And it was certainly at this rate, that Ivory realized her mom was once again disinterested. But since she was in the mood, she decided to tell anyway.     She adjusted herself on the car seat and brushed the strands of her thick raven hair with her fingers. She always hated how it was so thick. Even after she cut it to her neck, it’ll always grow back as quickly as day turned to night. Which was why she’s glad she had cut it to that particular length the day prior.     “Well...” She started, “We met back in junior high, I thought she was sweet. So, I attempted to introduce myself to her.” She snickered to her own words before continuing,     “Emphasis on the ‘attempted’. Because I somehow managed to scratch her face and made her cry before I even told her my name.”     “Wait, really?” Her mom chuckled, again. Old habits die hard.     “So, how did that end up?”     “Well, apparently, we were assigned to the same homeroom. And we’re sort of stuck with each other ever since.”     “Well, I kind of predicted that somehow.”     “Anyone could’ve predicted that mom.”     “Why? Because you’re so transparent all the time?”     “No. Because I’m not that great at making friends, and I’ll pretty much stick to anyone I first meet.” “Well, but that ‘new’ friend of yours ended up being your best friend for a wholesome six years now. I doubt you stuck around her for that sole reason.”     Ivory grinned, knowing full well where this conversation was going.     “Yep. Mei White, the light of my life.”     Ivory’s mom chuckled once more, a nice melody combined with the soft tunes of the car radio. Which now that she noticed, was currently playing her favorite song.     “You know, every time you talk to me, you always talk about Mei first. Mei did this, Mei said that...Why is that?”     Ivory got lost in her thought, thinking for a good reason. She never noticed how much she talked about Mei, she never cared to think about it. But Mei was special to her, sort of, she doesn’t know how to explain it exactly. Most people would probably classify it as love, but Ivory wouldn’t know love, as she had never felt something so strong towards a person other than Mei.     Mei is someone you wouldn’t typically notice every day, but notice her once, you’ll start noticing her every day. She has a fair face, and a fair soul to go along with it. She’s a very calm and collected person, she keeps a lot to herself. She is the type of person who prefers listening to speaking, reading to partying—she absolutely loves to create, but she always prefers not to pitch in her own ideas, and she would always favor working on her own over brainstorming in teams. The true definition of an introvert.     But that’s her charm. Sure her clear white skin, and her long silky charcoal hair can give her some interesting physical appeal, but if you’d look at her brown eyes the same way Ivory did when they had first met, you’ll know that there’s more to her than her dazzling and mysterious looks.     She’s a deep thinker, she’s a writer like Ivory after all. She’s very thoughtful of others but finds difficulty in expressing it. She’s often perceived as soft-spoken and restrained, which was not at all what she is after you manage to get to know her. She’s always very caring, and she’s also quite active in some social circles—so as one may have guessed, she isn’t always quiet.     Ivory suddenly realized that she’d been caught up in her thoughts again, and she then quickly thought up a response to her mother’s question. Even though the response was much less enthusiastic than it was meant to be.     “I don’t really know, I just talked about whatever I like most of the time.”     “Mhmm? Maybe you like her.”     “Haha, very funny mom.”     The radio changed tunes, Ivory turned it off, as it was distracting their conversation. Plus it was starting to play that really annoying song that she always listen to every morning.     “But...You know what’s new?”     “What?”     “It’s the first time you told me about how you girls met.”     Ivory switched her attention back to the tinted car window, “Really?” She responded with a surprised tone, more to herself than her mom. She noticed herself getting a bit tense, so she settles herself back into the car’s leather seat. She noticed her mom’s reflection through the car window, desperately trying to turn the radio back on. Which she eventually did.     “Mom.”     “Yes, honey?”     “What if I do like her?”     “Then your dad owes me five bucks and a back rub.”     Ivory slowly turned her head to her mom, while simultaneously stating her signature “whaaaaaaaaat?” catchphrase.     “Did you seriously made a bet about this?”     “Heh, just kidding. But, if you were one way or the other...You know...”     “Gay...?”     “Yes, that. I’d fully support it no matter what.”     A blatant lie and they both knew it. They both know that “mother” was a very strict Christian woman, they both know that “mother” was a very open anti-LGBT woman, they both know “mother” has absolutely no tolerance for these types of things and would instantly despise anyone who is involved with it, let alone being one of it, they both know. But they didn’t press the matter any further.     In fear of what might happen.     “Ivoryyyy...Honey, you alright? Ya zoned out for a sec there.”     “I’m fine, just needed to think.”     They both sat quietly after the conversation. As the silver car slowly made its way home, and as the sky was settling for the night, accompanied by the soft soothing sound of the car radio.