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What Am I Supposed To Do?

“May I come in?” Holly’s voice called through the door.

“Go away.” Ivy moaned.

The door opened anyway and her sister came in.

“I said, go away.”

“Be nice. It’s my house.” Holly closed the door behind her.

“What do you want?”

“Kendra told me what happened.”

“So what?” Ivy had her face buried in her pillow.

“It wasn’t right for Chelsea to try to manipulate you like that.”

“She didn’t do anything.”

“Are you kidding? She and Lynn have been conspiring to get you together with that guy.”

“That guy thinks I’m crazy, and it’s no wonder.”

“Well, you’d have to be crazy to settle for some moth-eaten yard bum like him.”

Ivy jumped up and hurled the pillow at Holly’s head. “Don’t be so mean!”

“So, you do like him.” Holly caught the pillow and smiled wickedly.

“What’s it to you? I’m never going to see him again, anyway. Even if I did, he’d run away like he did at the store and the church.”

Holly sat down on the bed and plopped the pillow down next to her sister. “The church?”

“I was hiding from him.” Ivy lifted her head a moment and dove back into her crossed arms.

“Hiding? Is that why it took you so long to come out? Why were you hiding?”

“You guys were teasing me about weddings and it was freaking me out. I wanted him to be gone when I came out.”

“But he wasn’t?”

“No, he was sitting in that crappy truck of his gawking at me. I saw him looking at me. He saw me looking at him.”

“And?”

“And he slammed the door and drove off like a drag racer.” Ivy cried into her elbow. “He couldn’t get away from me fast enough, just like the grocery store.”

“I could see how that would give you a complex, but why do you even care? You hardly know the guy.” Holly stroked her shoulders.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“What do you want to do? I’d say forget him, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”

“Well, we can’t all be as cold and selfish as you.”

“What kind of crack is that?” Holly recoiled.

Ivy rolled over. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. “I’m not like you, Holly. I can’t just think of myself and kick someone to the curb like you do to Frank.”

“I do not, Ivy. What a horrible thing to say.”

“It’s true. You’re so rude to him. You say he’s mean to you, but you made him that way.”

“Why are you turning this around on me? Gee, maybe you are crazy.”

“Crazy enough to think you’d ever grow up and stop thinking about yourself all day, every day.”

“It’s not my fault people liked me better than you. At least I had a personality, Ivy. You were just a mousy little wallflower who never said anything to anyone, and you’d come crying to me that nobody paid you any attention.”

“I want to be alone.” Ivy snarled.

“Well, you’ve succeeded. That’s exactly what you always were. Until now, that’s all you ever wanted. What does this clown have that’s even remotely interesting to you?”

“Don’t call him a clown.”

“Ivy, you don’t even know him. He thinks you’re crazy, and he runs from you like a scalded rabbit. Why are you defending him?”

“Because I want to.” Ivy rolled over and flung her arm across her face.

“You want to what?” Holly poked her.

Ivy shook and cried.

“That was delicious, Nancy. Thank you.” Ian wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“You can say that again.” Steve said as he helped Bradley down from his seat. “There you go, buddy.”

Bradly scampered out to the living room.

“Lynn, are you still upset?” Nancy asked.

“Yes. I don’t like losing my best friend.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie. Maybe she’ll be in a better mood tomorrow.”

“Sure, Lynn. I’m sure she’ll realize it’s not your fault and everything will be better tomorrow.” Ian said.

“You’re right.” Lynn said solemnly. “It’s actually your fault.”

“I guess it is.” Ian picked her up and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry for getting you in trouble with your friend. How can I make it up to you?”

“Marry Chelsea’s aunt. She’ll have to forgive me if we’re cousins.”

Steve covered his mouth to keep from laughing aloud.

“I’m not sure it works like that, Lynn.” Her mom said. “Give your uncle a hug and tell him you forgive him.”

“I love you, Uncle Ian.”

“Love you too, kiddo. Want to watch a Christmas Special?” He put her down.

“I want to be friends with Chelsea again.” She headed out of the kitchen.

“Poor kid.” Ian said, grabbing his plate and silverware.

“I think she’ll be traumatized for life if you don’t marry that kid’s aunt.”

“Marry her? I don’t even know her!”

“Calm down, Ian. I’m just busting your chops.” Steve gathered up his plate and Bradley’s. “So touchy.”

“I’ve got their number.” Nancy said, grabbing her plate and Lynn’s. “I could set something up.”

“World War III, most likely.” Ian scoffed.

“I don’t know.” Nancy said. “You two actually seem to have a lot in common.”

“You don’t say.” Ian put his flatware in the sink. “How do you figure?”

“She’s quiet, creative, smart, independent and she’s even about the same age as you.”

“Don’t forget the PEZ collection.” Steve laughed as he scraped Bradley’s mess into the garbage can.

“But…”

“But she knows that you think she’s crazy.” Steve said with a devilish grin.

“That’s something we’ve got in common, too.”

“What is?” Nancy asked.

“After all, she and her sister started it.”

“Started what?”

“Judging me. They’re the ones who were treating me like I was nuts. I wasn’t even talking to them. Who jumps in the middle of someone’s conversation with himself?”

“He’s got a point.” Steve said, rinsing off Bradley’s plate before sliding it into the hot, soapy water.

“So, what are you saying?” Nancy studied him closely.

“I’d be willing to get to know her if I actually had a chance. Sounds like that’s pretty well wrecked.”

“Nancy said she’s got their number.”

Ian looked back and forth between them and shrugged. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Leave it to me.” Nancy said with a big smile. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Steve chuckled. “Oh, man. She’s on a mission now, Ian.”