Ivy didn't say the words out loud. After Tristan's death, she had stopped praying to her angels. After losing him, she couldn't find the words; she couldn't believe they would be heard. But this prayer felt as if it were burning its way out of her heart.
She took two more steps forward. 'Tristan!' she cried out loud. 'Are you there?'
She walked to the end of board and stood with her toes at the very edge.
'Tristan, where are you?' Her voice echoed back from the concrete walls.
'I love you!' she cried. 'I love you!'
Ivy dropped her head. He wasn't there. He couldn't hear her. She should get down before someone caught her up there, acting crazy.
Ivy took a step back from the edge. Watching her feet, she slowly and carefully turned around on the board. When she looked up, she gasped.
At the other end of the board, the air shimmered. It was like liquid light-a gold stem burning in the rough shape of a person. The glowing shape was surrounded by a mist of sheer and trembling colors. This was what she had seen at the train station.
'Tristan,' she said softly. She reached out her hand and started walking toward him. She longed to be enveloped by his golden light, surrounded by the colors, embraced by all that Tristan was now.
'Tell me it's you. Speak to me,' she begged. 'Tristan!'
'Ivy!'
The two voices slammed off the walls-Gregory's and Suzanne's.
'Ivy, what are you doing up there?'
'She's cracking up, Gregory! I was afraid this would happen.'
Ivy looked down and saw Gregory already two steps up the ladder and Suzanne looking about frantically.
'I'll get help,' Suzanne said. 'I'll go get Ms. Bryce.'
'Wait,' Gregory said.
'But, Gregory, she's-' 'Wait.' It was a command. Suzanne fell silent.
'There are enough stories about Ivy going around already. We can handle her ourselves.'
Handle her? Ivy repeated silently. They were talking about her as if she were a mischievous child or maybe a crazy girl who couldn't take care of herself.
'I'll get her down,' Gregory said calmly.
'I'll get myself down,' Ivy said. 'If I need any help, Tristan is here.'
'I told you-she's gone, Gregory! Totally nuts! Don't you see-' 'Suzanne,' Ivy shouted down at her, 'can't you see his light?'
Now Gregory was scrambling up the ladder.
'There's nothing there, Ivy. Nothing,' Suzanne moaned.
'Look,' Ivy said, and pointed. 'Right there!' Then she stared across the board at Gregory, who had pulled himself up on it. Suzanne was right.
There was nothing there, no shimmering colors, no golden light 'Tristan?'
'Gregory,' he said in a hoarse whisper, then he held out his hand.
Ivy looked to either side of her. Was she going crazy? Had she had imagined it all? 'Tristan?'
'That's enough, Ivy. Come down now.'
She didn't want to go with him. She longed to go back to the golden light, to be surrounded by it again.
She'd give anything to be held inside that moment with Tristan.
'Come here, Ivy. Don't make this difficult.'
Ivy hated his patronizing tone.
'Come on!' Gregory ordered. 'Do you want me to get Ms. Bryce?'
She glared at him, but she knew she couldn't fight him. 'No,' Ivy said at last. 'I can get down by myself.
Go ahead. Go ahead! I'll follow you.'
'Good girl,' Gregory said, then descended the ladder. Ivy walked to the end of the board and turned around. She was about to back down the first step when Suzanne called out 'Will! Over here! Hurry.'
'Be quiet, Suzanne,' Gregory said.
But Will, who had just come into the pool area, saw Ivy up on the board and ran toward Gregory and Suzanne. 'Beth said you were looking for her,' he said to them breathlessly. 'Is she okay? What was she trying to do?'
The resentment burning in Ivy now flared into anger. She. Her. They were talking about her as if she couldn't hear them, as if she couldn't understand.
'She and her are right here!' Ivy shouted down at them. 'You don't have to talk about me as though my mind has gone.'
'She thinks Tristan's up there and is going to help her,' Suzanne told Will. 'She said something about Tristan's light.'
With that, Will gazed up at Ivy. Ivy glared down at him. Her furious stare was met with a look of wonder.
His eyes traveled along the board behind her, searching. He glanced quickly around the pool, then up at her again. She saw the word 'Tristan' on his lips, though he did not speak it aloud. At last he asked her, 'Can you get down all right?'
'Of course I can.'
Gregory and Suzanne stood on either side of the ladder as she climbed down, as if they might have to catch her. Will stood apart from them and continued to glance around the pool.
When Ivy reached the bottom, Suzanne hugged her, then held her at arm's length. 'Girl, I could just shake you, shake you.' She was laughing, but Ivy saw the tears in her friend's eyes and the relief in her face.
Gregory stepped in then and put his arms around Ivy, pulling her close.
'You scared me, Ivy,' he said. Ivy could barely breathe and tried to pull back, but he wouldn't let go.
Suzanne laid a hand on Gregory's arm. She was over her scare now and did not look happy about the long embrace. Will kept his distance, saying nothing.
'I'll take you home,' Gregory said, freeing Ivy at last.
'No, I'm fine,' she protested.
'I want to.'
'Really, Gregory, I'd rather-' 'Am I supposed to walk?' Suzanne interrupted.
Gregory turned to her. 'I'll take you first, Suzanne, and then-' 'But I'm all right,' Ivy insisted.
'She's all right,' Suzanne echoed. 'She is, I can tell. And we had plans.'
'Suzanne, after what just happened, you can't expect me to leave Ivy alone. If Maggie's at home, then we can-' 'Could I give you a ride home, Ivy?' Will cut in.
'Yes. Thanks,' she replied.
Gregory looked irritated.
Suzanne smiled. 'Well, then, big brother,' she said, putting her arm around Gregory, 'it's all worked out.
You have nothing to worry about.'
'You'll stay with her?' Gregory asked Will. 'You'll take care of her until Maggie gets home?'
'Sure.' Will glanced up at the diving board. 'Either I will or Tristan will,' he added.
Ivy cocked her head at him. Suzanne giggled, then covered her mouth with her hand. Gregory didn't crack a smile.
'Oh, hi!' Beth said a few minutes later, looking up to see Ivy and Will.
She was sitting against Ivy's locker, pencil in hand, looking as if she had been busily writing a story. But when Ivy glanced down at Beth's notebook, she knew better.
'If you write that way, you're going to have the end of the story at the beginning,' Ivy said, leaning down and turning the notebook around.
Will laughed lightly, and Beth blushed.
'I guess I'm not much of an actress,' she said, standing up. 'You okay?'
