“Why?”
“Because…my mom…” Ice answered. Thursday she’d been at his house for a long time. Friday she’d stayed even longer. She wouldn’t be able to think of a valid excuse for this morning.
“Tell her…you gotta study…or you gotta go to the library. I don’t know just tell her you want some fucking pancakes.” Peyton replied obviously irritated.
“She knows I never go to the library on Saturdays and especially not Saturday mornings…plus I’ve used up more studying and library excuses in these past weeks than I have in 5 years.” Ice answered.
Ice knew her mother wouldn’t let her leave this morning, no matter what.
Peyton was silent on the other line.
“So, we’ll see you in 15 minutes.” He asked as though Ice hadn’t just spoken.
Ice sighed. “She’s getting suspicious. She’s starting to ask more questions.” She answered softly.
“You won’t even come for your husband Bam-Bam?” Peyton asked.
Ice smiled. “I know I can’t. Believe me, if there was a possibility that I could, I would.” Ice replied, her smile wavering. “I know my mom.”
“So, throw on some sweats and be at the house in 10 minutes.” Peyton insisted.
“Peyton!” Ice groaned.
“Fine, Fine…so you don’t wanna eat with us.” He said reluctantly.
“You know that’s not---” Ice stopped cause she heard something shatter in the background. She faintly heard Priya shout Bam-Bam’s name.
“Aww shit, I’mma call you right back.”
“Kay.” Ice replied, curious as to what was going on in there.
“Bam-Bam get your scrawny butt over here right now!” She heard Peyton shout.
Ice smiled.
“Pey-Pey I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it. I promise.” She heard Bam-Bam’s little sweet voice. Too sweet actually.
“Like hell you didn’t.” Peyton replied. Then as if noticing he was still on the phone, he spoke again. “Hey babe?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Ice said, still amused.
“Ice help me, he’s gonna kill me, I’m too cute to die.” She heard Bam-Bam scream in the background followed by his voice muffled.
“Aight, meet me at my house in an hour okay.” Peyton breathed heavily into the phone then hung up before she could reply.
Ice laughed and shook her head. She wondered what Bam-Bam did this time.
Wait had Peyton just called her babe? Ice froze. This was too good to be true. Everything was going too well. She started to panic. Every time something good happened in her life, something bad always followed. Something that usually involved her mom.
She crossed her fingers and hurried to go take a shower.
Ready for what was starting to already be a wonderful Saturday because of Peyton’s early morning phone call, Ice walked out her bedroom smiling. She skipped down the stairs and made her way to the dining room. Her father was sitting at the bar between the living room and open kitchen.
“Hey daddy.” Ice said grinning as she gently kissed him on the cheek.
Charles looked up from his newspaper surprised. “Hey sweetheart.” He smiled at his beautiful daughter. “Gorgeous as always.” He stared at her for a while.
“What?” Ice asked concerned.
“You look different.” He said slowly.
Ice panicked. “Different, what do you mean different? A good different or a bad different?”
Charles smiled. “A good different…you look happy.”
Ice sighed. “Oh, you scared me.” She beamed at her dad. “I am happy.” She said hugging him.
Charles laughed and hugged her back. “I’ve never seen you like so… so exuberant…so relaxed.” He said smoothing Ice’s hair. Charles raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”
Ice grinned. “Nothing.” She said took her father’s big hands in her own. “I’m just happy.”
Charles looked up at her and laughed. “Well than that’s the way life is supposed to be.”
“And where are you going?” A chilly voice asked entering the room.
Ice and her father both looked behind them.
“Ahh darling.” Charles grinned. “Good morning.”
Melissa moved towards her husband. Her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently as she turned her attention to her daughter. “Where are you going, looking like that?” Melissa asked looking Ice up and down in disgust.
She took in Ice’s white tank top, her slightly baggy ripped up jeans and rainbow flip-flops. The only thing she slightly approved was Ice’s shoulder length hair framing her face perfectly and her side bangs that right now she brushed behind her ear.
“Out.” Ice replied, turning her attention back to her father, avoiding Melissa’s suspicious look.
“To the library?” She sneered. “My, my haven’t you been working hard this year.”
Ice stiffened
“Melissa.” Charles said rubbing his wife’s back. “Let the child be.”
“She’s not going to the library.” Melissa stated.
“I never said I was.”
“So where are you going?”
“Out.”
“Out!” Her mother’s hazel eyes flashed. “Does out seem like a reasonable response.”
Ice clamped her mouth shut.
“Charles.” Melissa turned to her husband.
“Teenagers.” Charles grinned and hugged his wife. “They need a sense of privacy. Let her be.”
“Privacy?” Melissa balked and stepped out of her husband’s embrace. “Would privacy matter so much if she’s drinking and doing drugs or raped and thrown in a ditch somewhere!” She demanded.
“I’m not doing any of that!” Ice told her father quickly. “I’m just going to a friend’s house.”
“Which friend?” Melissa crossed her arms sternly.
Ice took a deep breath and looked at her father who was staring at her curiously. She looked to her Melissa. “A friend from school.” She whispered nervously.
“Now you’re keeping secrets.” Melissa lifted her head up. “Go to your room.”
“No!”
Her mother’s eyes flashed. Hazel orbs widening in shock. “Excuse me.”
“I’m going out.” Ice stepped back. “I’m going out and I’ll be back home later at a reasonable time.”
“Iceria Aniyah Johnson!”
Ice turned and left the dining room quickly. Her heart pounding. What had come over her? What had she done? Had she really just talked back to her mom? Seriously.
“Iceria!”
“Melissa.” Charles grabbed his wife’s arm, to stop her from chasing their daughter. “She’s just being a regular kid.”
Melissa snatched her hand away. “You don’t care about her wellbeing the way I do.” She hissed. Her long brown hair swung behind her as she turned and marched in the opposite direction.
“Just let her be a teen. We’ve sheltered her too much.” Charles called out to his wife. He shook his head and opened up his newspaper once more to the section he was reading before the interruption.
**
Ice took two deep breaths and stepped out the car. Peyton was hovered over his motorcycle twisting something. Ice relaxed as she walked towards him and admired his lean body. He was wearing baggy black basketball shorts and when he leaned over, not only did she see his smiley face boxers, but she also saw his beautiful tanned back. She smiled, his dirty blond hair was pulled back into that infamously sexy ponytail and his small earing glistened in the sun when he cocked his head to the side.
Ice came up behind him and smacked his butt. “Hi.”
Peyton turned around and smiled. “Hi yourself.”
“I just talked back to my mom.” Ice nervously rubbed her hands. “I’ve never talked back to my mom.”
“Well, well would you look at that.” Peyton smiled and straightened up.
Ice inhaled deeply and exhaled. “It was so strange.”
“Aren’t you just
the little rebel huh.” He teased. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Her hand immediately shot up to touch where he kissed. She stared at him wide eyed as he smiled at her.
“Is that okay?” He questioned.
Ice nodded.
“Boyfriend won’t mind?”
She rolled her eyes and pushed him.
Peyton laughed and ran his hand over his hair. “Okay and now we hurry.”
“Hurry?” Ice looked around in confusion. “Hurry for what? I just got here.”
“And we’re leaving.” He threw his hands up excitedly. “I’m taking you somewhere.”
“Somewhere, where?” She asked. “I don’t really go places like that….” She trailed off realizing she sounded dumb and sheltered and insecure.
“Somewhere cool.” Peyton replied secretively. “Oh, by the way I volunteered us to babysit the little rugrats together at 6:45. Mom has to go to a gallery opening.”
“Babysit?” Ice whispered, her mouth dropping open. “I don’t…I…I don’t think I can.”
“Can’t back up now.” Peyton cut her off. “Once a rebel always a rebel.” He handed her the helmet. “You already talked back to your mom, the next step is staying at my house a couple hours.” He winked.
Ice took the helmet nervously.
“What are you scared of?” Peyton shrugged with a grin on his face. “Finding a reason to break up with your boyfriend?”
Ice laughed and shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Come on. Hop on.” He exclaimed happily.
**
After about 15 minutes, Peyton stopped in the middle of nowhere.
“You ready?” He asked taking off his helmet, His eyes light blue and sparkling.
Ice looked around. “Uummm…where are we?” she asked confused. She slowly took off her helmet and looked to see if she recognized anything.
Peyton laughed. “Come on I’ll show you.” He said jumping off the bike excitedly.
“Okay.” Ice said still not sure but getting off the bike.
Peyton took the bike and started pushing it into the forest. Ice cautiously followed him.
“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Ice asked worried.
“Trust me.” He said looking back at her grinning.
They walked about five more minutes, until Peyton came to a big rock and laid his motorcycle against it. He turned to Ice and took her hands.
“Okay close your eyes.” He said excitedly.
“What? Are you crazy, where are we?” Ice asked not listening.
Peyton cocked his head at her, practically forcing her to look into his bluish grey eyes. “It’s a surprise.” He said lowering his voice. “Now close your eyes and trust me.” He added as he stepped forward and covered her eyes with his hand. Peyton moved behind her, put his arm around her waist and slowly nudged her forward.
“I don’t know where I’m going.” Ice said taking slow steps and putting her hands out in front of her just to be safe.
Peyton reached over, with his one hand, pulled both her hands across her stomach, and secured it with his own.
“I’m guiding you.”
Ice was scared. It was a different experience not being able to see where you’re going, but not being able to use your hands either was a completely different matter.
“Keep your eyes closed.” Peyton said.
Ice nodded as he slowly removed his hand. She had the sudden urge to open her eyes but squeezed them shut.
She walked forward slowly with Peyton steering her, relaxing a little as so far she hadn’t fallen or bumped into anything.
“Okay stop.” Peyton said.
Ice not hearing instinctively took one step forward.
“No!” Peyton yelled sharply grabbing her back.
Ice panicked. She wanted to open her eyes but had promised herself to keep them shut until he said otherwise. She squeezed them shut and sort of cowered back.
She felt Peyton’s lips press softly on her shoulder. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to yell…just don’t move any more okay.” He said.
She felt like melting at the gesture but simply nodded.
Ice thought she heard water rushing down somewhere but she wasn’t sure. She heard birds chirping back and forth. Loud, high pitched
“Okay open your eyes.” Peyton said.
Ice opened her eyes slowly and her mouth dropped open. The scenery was gorgeous; everything was so green and colorful. She felt as though she’d stepped into an amazon ad out of national geographic. She didn’t even know a place like this existed here.
However, the most beautiful thing of all was the waterfall across from her. Breathtaking, loud and indescribable. To be honest this was the first time she’d ever actually seen a waterfall in real life.
Ice looked down and saw that her feet were right at the border of a very high cliff. She gasped and took a couple steps back. “Are you trying to kill me?” She asked, hitting him on the arm when she felt she was a good distance away.
Peyton laughed. “If I was trying to kill you, I would’ve let you take that last step.” He said bringing her into a hug.
Ice tried to resist but he wrapped his arms around her tighter.
“That wasn’t funny.” She said giving up and hugging him back. Her heart was settling down.
“Thanks for trusting me with your life that means a lot to me.” Peyton said kissing her forehead. “Can I do that? Kiss you on the forehead and all. Will you boyfriend get upset?”
Ice rolled her eyes and pulled out of his embrace. Was that his new thing now? Referring to her boyfriend at any possible time? “Why are you so obsessed with Michael?” She asked.
“Because I want you to break up with him.” Peyton replied seriously.
She stared at him. Eyes wide in hesitation.
“Or whatever.” Peyton smiled. “So, do you like it?” He asked turning back to the waterfall.
“I think I appreciated it, a thousand times more before that near-death experience.” Ice replied grateful for the switch in conversation. “It’s gorgeous, how did you find this place?” She asked taking in the waterfall and everything else surrounding them.
Peyton shrugged. “I don’t remember, I think it was last year or something. Anyways, come, there’s something else I want to show you.” He said grabbing her arm and pulling her.
“I have flip flops on, slow down.” Ice urged trying to follow his pace. They ran through the forest, dodging branches and jumping over rocks. Ice thought her shoes would break but she was laughing too much to stop. She didn’t run. Ice never ran. But here she was. Running.
“Look.” Peyton said stopping abruptly.
Ice bumped into his back, her cheek hitting his shoulder as her running was halted. What?” She asked looking around.
He pointed in front of her.
“It’s a tree.” Ice stated calmly as she took in the big tall tree in front of them.
Peyton let go of her arm and grinned as he made his way to the tree. “It’s not just any tree, Ice cream, it’s the best climbing tree.”
“What?” Ice shook her head in amusement.
“We’re gonna climb it.” He said smoothly taking off his white shirt and dropping it to the ground.
Ice looked at his tanned lean stomach. This kid had a nice body. “I’m sorry. I think you missed the memo about how I don’t climb trees.” She said slowly.
“Come on. One time.” Peyton said moving closer to her. “It’s the perfect tree.”
“No.”
“Ice.”
“No.”
“Please.” He pleaded taking her arm.
“No.” she didn’t look at his face because she knew he was going to pull that innocent sad look that made her cave in every time. “I can’t believe the perfect outing, the exciting thing you wanted to do today that was so urgent and necessary was to climb a tree.” She threw her hands up.
“No.” Peyton shook his index finger at her. “It
was to see the hidden waterfall…..and then climb the tree.”
Ice scoffed. “I’m not climbing a tree. What do you take me for?” She demanded. “A monkey?”
Ice: Part I Page 12