Poison Ivy - stage 1

You and I are like poison ivy. We irritate ourselves or others until they are swollen, then we leave them. We delegate our pains to be like bubbles. Like bubbles? Like bubbles who rise up in water in a pressurising pan, pushing others down, popping them out, then we rise or pop ourselves. Sink: pop. Rise too far above: pop. So keep your toes on the ground and float. You stay down then you will be delegated on, fly too high then you will fling your burdens to others. Poison ivy.

Gentle though they seem to appear, pounce on you like a bullet ant once you let them in. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE LOUD!

“Lalalalalalala...” Emily continued vocally rising until her voice came to its peek of a scream. 

“Shut up!” I scream as loud as I can over my lungs.

Glaring at me she laughed as she sang in a little child’s voice, “Liiiilllys got a bogey stuck uuuup her nose and she caaan’t get it out.”

Swearing under my breath I compressed my lidless red eyes. Upheaving into a framed posture, I dab on a grin and l stole a quick glance at her. Devoting her concentration on the auto tuning of her voice, I asked her, “Did mum tell you?”

Deflating she turned towards me, “Tell me what?”

“Did she tell you about the thing?” I question her again, this time hissing. “Did. She. Tell. You.”

“Stop talking like that! I don’t know?” She shouts.

“Fine.” I say.

“Fine. What?” She reiterates.

Leaving the conversation, we just get back to our work and she just rolls her eyes. Grabbing the elastic band around my pencils, I untangle it. Stifling a laughter with one hand over my mouth, I concentrate on the zit on her face. There, I got you! Pulling back one side, I fling it onto the large zit on her forehead.

Bulging out of her zit, the puss dribbled out and splattered across her laptop screen. Locating the zit on her forehead, she faces my side of the room, but by that time I’m already out of the door.

Struggling to haul on my rucksack I shoot out of the house and slide down the stair rail. I jump off and look back at the house, there my sister stands on the balcony. Like a hawk she examines the driveway until she finds me and pulls out her phone. Lip reading her mouth and by sensing from her language, she’s going to snitch and call mum. Luckily mum doesn’t answer calls on Fridays, she holds meetings then.

Not if I can get there first.

As the dreary sky drips, I pull up my hood and stuff my hands in my pockets. Nobody else around but me so I inject my earphones into my frost bitten ears. Scrolling down on my list, I judged on what to sing and dance to. “Dance Monkey.” OBVIOUSLY!

Singing along, I bobbed my head about as I danced in What way my body felt. One minute I was on the floor next I was doing a electronic dance on a bench. And.... wait for it... there! The hyper bit! Jumping off of the bench I flipped over as I jumped about.

Looking up at the bench, pride filled my heart. I had been learning to do a flip from a long time and I guess to do it, you must need to get into the beat!

As the music ended I gulped as I engulfed the sight of the tall, shadowy building which frightened me ever since I was 3. Mums building is made of mainly glass and the most distressing place of all:

Walking through the studios and past reception, everyone nodded as they shuffled onto their work, hands by their sides. I wasn’t going to take my hand out.

Suddenly a hand reaches out to whip me around, “What are you doing here Lilly?”

“Hi mum, just wanted to tell you I’m going over to dads for a while.” I answer as the creases on her forehead disappear.

“Yes, and try not to cause any mischief like last time.” She answers.

“What mischief?” I innocently say.

“You mean when you made everybody think you were at your aunts when you were in Australia?” She says as she folds her arms.

“I don’t remember that one? Anyway bye.” I say as I dash out of the building before I get scolded any further.

“Walk! Lilly walk... what am I going to do about this girl.” she mutters. “And I forgot to talk about the zit.”

The platform at this late hour looks like a murder scene before the crime. There is no one here but me right now. I stare into the black tunne, willing those red lights will blink back at me. Announcing that at least I am on my way. The quiet chills me, nothing good happens in deserted parts of this city other than hurting my sister and visiting dad. I hold out my hand but as I do another hand reaches out and envelops it.

Suddenly, in a flurry, the train runs past. “Your fingers were gonna chop off!” The man says.

“Oh... thanks.” I say, to relieve myself from the awkwardness, I step onto the train and find a seat towards the back. Nobody else comes in except the man.

“What if this were to be a killer? Oh My God! I’m going to die in here, and nobody will visit me for my funeral except dad.” I whisper.

“I’m not a killer.” He says as he looks down at his shoes. “You’re beautiful.”

“Sorry? What did you say?” I say as I look up at him.

“Nothing? Just talking to my sandwich.”

“Okay.” As I stare at the back of his head, his posture was to a great length, broad, good clothes, sweet chocolate hair and delicious. His mouth shut whilst eating, good manners. Eyes down, no a social person. Small bulb nose, cute.

“Kiss me.” I say rather loudly.

“Sorry? I’d rather not.” He turns back to me as he offers a small smile. “I know you from somewhere.”

“I was hoping, we were dating for a year.” My chest tightened as I let it go, he didn’t really love me did he. Eyes flicking below, a single teardrop splashed onto the floor.

“Oh.” He manages to say.

Climbing out of the train, I set forth towards a large alleyway. Wrong thing to do! Men surrounded me as they smelt of cheap booze. The last thing I could remember was them punching me, and touching me inappropriately. Hissing with pain I heard the cracks of bones and cries.

The lights flickered onto my face as I looked up Mathias entered. A blue bruise held onto his face. “Wh - what happened to you?” I chuckle but as I do, I hold onto my stinging rib cage.

“Forget about me, what about you?” He asks as his face shows no sympathy.

“I’m fine. Would you be able to help me sit up?” Groaning, I pull myself up with my arms as he grips onto my legs. “Could you call my dad on my phone?”

“Sure.” He announces. “Where do you live now? Your mum and dad still doing taco Tuesdays?”

“No. They’re long gone.” I inform him. “Mum and dad split up.”

Passing me the phone I talk to dad as he talks to me, “Dad, I’m leaving.”

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” He says.

“I’m going away for a bit.” I say.

“Where to?” He says.

“I can’t tell you dad. I can’t do it anymore. It’s too much.” I say.

“What do you mean?” He says.

“Life is too hard.” I say.

Mathias turns around towards me as I cut off the call and leave. “Bye Mathias.” I utter as I leave the building.

“Wait. What do you mean you’re leaving? Leaving life. No you can’t.” He says.

“I’m going abroad. I’m not leaving life?” I say as i hold onto the side of my hip as I walk. “Bye Mathias.”

“Not like that you’re not.” He claims. Pulling me, he picks me up like a bride and lies me down onto the bed. “You’re going to sleep.”

Grunting, tears prick at my eyes, “Where were you? Why did you leave?”

“I didn’t.” He sharply says. “Fine I did but only to get some time off.

Nodding I groan as I roll onto my side to face the window. The tear drops as he turns the light off but leaves the door ajar. I fall asleep, until I feel someone attempt to wake me up. “Lilly. Lilly...” I open my eyes slowly as I see the drunk version of Mathias.

“Mathias, are you drunk?” Laughing he falls onto the bed.

I could just kick him off but he’s too special. Pulling my legs out of the bed, I put his arm around my shoulders as I drag him to the other side of the bed and tuck him in. Climbing in beside him, I keep a safe distance.

Pulling me towards him, he hugs me as he says, “You know what I said earlier. I’m sorry.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Because I left you for these bottles. But I promise you from now on, I will always love you. You’re not leaving, I’m staying with you forever.”

He’s drunk and I know that this is all a lie.

“And I know what goes up in your head. You think I’m lying, don’t you? No! I will always stay with you.”

Stage 1.

I dig into his chest for comfort as he hugs me even harder. Trying not to cry, I cry. But remember the poison ivy.

I’ve learnt, some can be poison ivy but some ivy can be good. Like Mathias, Once stings next makes me happy.