Ivy Woods

This is the beginning of what has come to be a really good story, but I gotta start somewhere...


Intro

This was it, she could feel it.She couldn't take it anymore. She was tired. Tired of people making her tired, making herself tired, and just plain tired of BEING tired. School was out and the summer had just started so why not make a change? Timid, overanylitical Kyla MontGomery was ready to live a little, and this was her perfect chance. With so many opportunities begging to be part of her world, getting her feet wet wouldn't kill her. At least not yet...



~* Chapter One *~

The spicy summer air made the curtains on the window extend their fingers all the way to the bed to tickle a pair of toes dangling off the corner.

“MOM! Aren’t you done yet?” a shrill, high pitched voice rang out into the sleepy afternoon. A short, mocha colored woman stepped into view from behind the shed door looking relieved.

“Why? Are you in a hurry? This could be a mouse in here Kyla! It could eat me!” she yelled.

“I’M BORED IN HERE! I wanna go to Tray’s house!” Kyla yelled from the closet, struggling to pull on a pair of faded blue Mudd shorts.

“What’s the point of me watching you from the second floor anyway? You wait right until I want to go somewhere to go mouse hunting! It’s probably Ms.Tibby’s cat or something.” She whined.

“Fine! Leave your old mom in the house all by herself with a whole quart of butter pecan ice cream right before my soaps come on. I’ll have a nervous break down if you don’t stay.” She said putting on her best ‘ghetto girl’ voice complete with a neck roll.

Kyla smiled at her mother’s sarcasm, drifting into the bathroom to glance at her hair before leaving. While pinning her coffee bean brown tresses into a bun, she eyed the photo of her grandmother on the wall. It was uncanny how much she and Nana Lucy looked alike; from the doleful almond shaped green eyes and clay brown complexion right down to their ‘you got to be mixed” freckles.

You’d think people wouldn’t hate her for the Indian in her hair, the African in her curves, or the Japanese in her eyes; but thus far, it’s made many look to her with hateful eyes.

“What are you going to do at Tray’s house today Ky? Break your arm? Go play in the street? Maybe get hit by a fire truck?” Kyla’s mom asked. Being that girls always thought she was conceited from afar, she was left her whole life to play with the boys in the neighborhood, hence, she’d become a tom-boy.
“No, maybe go to Hill Crest, or play basketball or something.” Kyla replied searching in the kitchen closet for a pair of flip-flops to match the cherries on her white shirt.
“Okay, don’t do anything another sixteen year old wouldn’t do. I got a shot gun and a shovel in that closet.” She managed over a mouthful of ice cream.
The suburbs of North Carolina were a dream for parents; low crime rate, mile long backyards and quiet so thick you could feel it on your face, but for the kids? The closest movie theatre, skating rink or park was at least fifteen miles away. Lacking a driver’s license, everyone made their own entertainment there in the labyrinth of Ivy Woods.

“I’ll be back for dinner. What time you think you’ll be done?” Kyla asked, stealing the spoonful of ice cream her mother was about to eat.
“Maybe about eight; we’re having curry.”
“Alright, be back later.” Kyla said kissing her mom on the forehead.

~ * ~

Kyla prowled around the side of Tray’s house, concealing something behind her back. She smoothed her clothes, and kicked off her flip-flops before ringing the doorbell. Upon opening the door, Kyla reached back like a Yankee, and chucked a water balloon full of hot water directly at Tray’s chest.
“AY MAN!” he yelled, recovering from the blow.
“Girl!” Tray breathed before chasing Kyla around the side of the house, ready to douse her with his glass full of Sprite. While sprinting through the cracked privacy fence door looking backwards, Kyla bumped into something hard and landed on the sidewalk with a thud.
She opened her eyes to someone she had never seen before. That second they looked into each other’s eyes, the image of his face was plastered in her mind. Smooth chocolate skin, deep brown eyes, full goatee, and brush cut with deep waves; he looked about nineteen or so. He was stunningly appealing despite his infectious heartbreaking stare. He held by her hips there in a trance for a moment before she felt his abs ripple up against her when he rose. His six three muscular frame shocked her as he set her down on her feet again, towering over her barely 5’4 form.
“Kyla, meet Rasheed, Rasheed, that’s Kyla.” Tray smiled, leaning up against the fence door, drinking the same soda he had planned on throwing in her face.