“How’d you get that tiny scar next to your eye?” Peyton asked, resisting the urge to tease her more.
“What?” Ice said surprised as her hand went up to her face.
“This.” He said, as he gently touched the outside corner of her right eye.
Ice’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “You can barely see it. Believe me I look in the mirror every day.” She looked at him. “Okay Peyton that’s creepy, do you like study my face or something?”
“Or something.” He replied mischievously.
“Okay your creepiness has shot up to 99%, I can’t believe you saw that.” She said again touching the area around her eye. “What other imperfections do you see?”
“Imperfection? Never…It’s character.” He grinned. “It’s sexy as shit, adds to your beauty.”
“Shut-up.” Ice said rolling her eyes. “I got it when I was four; it’s so dumb it’s embarrassing.”
“Oh, now I have to hear it.” Peyton said already amused.
“Uuugghh fine, but you can’t tell anybody.” Ice said in a threatening tone.
“Lips are sealed.”
“You know that monkeys jumping on the bed song? You know ‘5 little monkeys jumping on the bed one fall down and bumped his head’.” Ice said embarrassed that she was even going to say it.
Peyton nodded. “Yeah…and...?”
“Well that’s what happened. Literally.” She shook her head. “I was helping my mom fix the bed, well I wasn’t really that much of a help if we wanna be honest. But anyways we ended up having a pillow fight and I was jumping on the bed laughing and screaming and then Bam! I guess I jumped too close to the edge because my head knocked the little night stand and I fell. I’ve never seen Melissa move so fast before in my life. I remembered she kept saying ‘Oh God, oh God’. She took her sheets and pressed it against my face because there was so much blood. And rushed me to the hospital. I thought I was dying because she was crying and holding me so tight. I didn’t even cry till after I saw my dad’s face.” Ice said laughing. “Well needless to say, no more jumping on the bed for me.” She shrugged, shaking her head slowly as she remembered.
“Wow that’s pretty intense.” Peyton said smiling. “I’ll try to remember that. No bed jumping for you.”
Ice laughed. “I know…and the only reason why the scars barely there is cause 2 weeks later after my face had stopped swelling Melissa took me back to the hospital and threatened to shut them down because my face was still hurting occasionally. And she told the doctor she would make him lose his job if my stitches weren’t perfect and he redid the whole thing and gave her this expensive ointment to apply to it…it’s used with plastic surgery and stuff.” Ice continued.
“That was really motherly of her.” Peyton said gently.
Ice nodded. “Yeah…” She whispered
“I would kiss it and make it all better, but I’m pretty sure after 13 years, you’re okay.”
Ice pushed him, but he grabbed her and brought her against him. He held her for a minute.
“Wanna see one of my dumb battle scars?” he asked.
Ice nodded excitedly
Not moving her off him, Peyton shifted and lifted part of his shirt. Ice saw a small scar on his lower rib cage. She traced it lightly with her finger and looked up at him.
“Fell off a tree after poking a bee hive.”
“What? Are you crazy? How old where you?” Ice asked.
“8…yeah pretty dumb…but rest assured I’ve hated honey ever since.” Peyton said
Ice burst out laughing. “That’s what you get.”
“Damn fucking bees...that’s why they died…every last motherfucking one that stung me.”
Ice laughed harder. “Aww poor baby, still harboring resentments towards them?”
“Fuck yeah.” Peyton said.
Ice laughed some more. When she finally settled down, she nestled her head under his chin and inhaled his scent. He smelled refreshingly fresh, manly and another scent she couldn’t quiet place. But whatever it was, it was making her press her nose more into his neck. She felt so calm here, so peaceful, so right. This was nice. Talking like this. The breeze, the park, the kids laughing in the background.
“I didn’t learn to ride a bike till I was 12.” She didn’t know what prompted her to say that, but she felt she needed to say it. “I only learned because Joanna and Maddie insisted on teaching me.”
Peyton nodded.
“My birthmark’s on my lower back.”
Peyton smirked. “I know I’ve seen it.” And as if to prove it, he slid a hand under her shirt down to her lower back and rested it right where her birthmark was, on the little indent, right before her ass began.
“I’ve never broke anything…not a finger, a toe, an arm…nothing.” She said wrapping her arms around him.
“I’ve broken my arm, fingers, thumb, toe, leg…twisted my ankle…the whole enchilada.” He chuckled.
“My life’s pretty boring.” Ice said. She shifted so that she was now sitting on his lap and resting her head against his shoulder.
“No, an interesting person such as yourself can’t have as boring a life as you think. My little Ice monkey jumping on the bed.” Peyton said while making small trails down her arm with his index finger. He stopped and looked at her. “I mean…I didn’t mean like monkey monkey….I know we talked about that.”
Ice chuckled. “It’s okay. I know what you mean.” She leaned up and pecked his lips.
Peyton smiled. Resuming the invisible trails on her arms. “Tell me more about your childhood.”
Ice closed her eyes to enjoy his touches. “For my 5th birthday My mom and dad took me to Disney land Paris.” That had been a surprise of a lifetime. She smiled. “I was so scared to go to kindergarten that I didn’t go to sleep and had Melissa watch Barney marathons with me and make chocolate chip cookies all night….” She laughed at the memory.
Peyton laughed. “What else?”
“I was homeschooled for a long time.” She whispered.
“No way!” Peyton exclaimed. “You seem perfectly normal.”
Ice threw her head back and laughed. Peyton watched her, taking pleasure that she was laughing so much. “I’m not normal.”
“Damn, don’t tell me your mom homeschooled you.” Peyton asked.
Ice stiffened. “She did.” She said quietly. “Kindergarten and first grade were great…she was great…” She shifted uncomfortable, moving a little away from him. “Then it was hell…but we moved….and my dad wanted me to…to uh….to be in a normal school….with normal people and yeah…”
“What happened?” He asked. “Why did your mom change?”
“She got hurt…jealousy and anger can take its toll on people.” Ice said looking him in the eyes, to let him know she was trying to open up. She didn’t know what to expect when she looked at his face, but she saw warmth and understanding show through those dark grey eyes of his. She took two deep controlled breaths and it was as if Peyton knew that was all she could say for now, cause he turned the conversation to him.
“So can guilt.” He added.
Ice stared at the ground and smiled sadly.
“Too much.” He asked quietly.
Peyton stared at her for a few moments before exhaling loudly and looking down at his hands.
“You okay?” She turned to him.
“In 5th grade me and a couple friends had this game where we’ll pick a random store, go in and come out and see who’d stolen more expensive stuff. Me and my boy Brad were always the top two and it became a sort of competition.” Peyton looked up to see Ice staring at him in shock.
He shrugged. “Little rich kids’ game. It was small stores at first you know little corner stores, candy stands that kind of stuff. But then it wasn’t enough you know.” He looked back down at his hands. “We started hitting, big name stores and taking more expensive stuff. We were good. You know cute little rich white kids, who would follow us around? Nobody. I was the qu
ickest good with my hands. Brad was the cautious one. Paul and Sam were the pretty boy distractions and Tyler was the lookout nerd.” Peyton laughed. “We had a fucking legit system going on.”
Ice settled back down next to him. “What did you do with the things you stole?”
Peyton shrugged. “I don’t know, we didn’t need it, sometimes we just went out back and threw it in the trash. If it was somebody’s birthday the next day, they got a present. Everybody in the school got a fucking present from us…even the teachers.”
Ice tried to control her reaction. This wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
Peyton was quiet for a while and then he reached out and took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. “I’m not as perfect as you thought huh?” he laughed sadly.
Ice’s smile wavered slightly.
“Anyways, we never got caught and I started wondering why. So, I started doing stupid shit like dropping the jewelries on the floor, putting on the clothes with the tags still visible, taking off my back pack to put the games in.” He laughed. “And not once did those motherfuckers try to stop me. So, I started getting suspicious you know especially when we hopped on a bus out of town and we all got caught. But I was the only one let go.”
Ice looked up at his face while he stared at his siblings seriously. “Come to find out, my dad knew about it the whole time, so the police would just call him, and he’ll pay it off. Every time. For every fucking store. For every fucking item. Every fucking person in fucking LA seemed to work for him.” Peyton looked angry. “I never told him to get in my business, I could take responsibility for my own shit.” Peyton squeezed her arm. “So, I stopped stealing from stores and… started doing other stuff.” He looked up at her.
“Were you doing it for attention?”
He smiled for a couple seconds before it wavered. “Yeah.” He replied his voice shaking. “….I needed him to see me…” Peyton trailed off. He gently touched Ice’s waist and kissed her neck. “Poor little rich boy, he needs his daddy’s approval.” His voice broke.
“Peyton.” She whispered emotionally.
Peyton stared at her. “Can you kiss me please?” He asked calmly.
Ice leaned towards him and kissed him gently. She was going to move away when Peyton kissed her harder. “Thank you.” He said letting go of her and resting his head against the tree,
“Oh fuck….” He whispered exhaling deeply.
“I took a lollipop from the corner store once when I was 8 without paying for it. I ate it in secret and couldn’t sleep for two nights because I thought the police was going to come after me, and I faked being sick so I could go to a hospital and they wouldn’t be able to lock me up.” She admitted.
Peyton looked at her in confusion and then smiled. “Why aren’t you just a little criminal?” He teased.
Ice wrapped her arms around him and tilted her head up for a kiss. “Your past doesn’t scare me Peyton.” She whispered.
Peyton cupped her face and kissed her hard. His tongue moved over hers. Their eyes closed as he moaned into her mouth.
“Peyton!” Priya smacked her brother on the head with her book.
“Fuck!”
Ice quickly pulled away from the kiss.
“Priya!”
His little sister blushed and hit her brother again. “Everybody can see you! Stop making out in the park.” Her face was beet red as she turned to Ice. “I’m sorry Ice, mom says he’s’ incorrigible.”
“Incorriggibable!” Bam-Bam yelled in excitement as he jumped on Ice’s back. His arms around her neck.
Ice laughed.
Peyton scowled at his little sister and she scoffed at him.
“Can I have a piggy back ride?” Bam-Bam asked.
“Of course!” Ice laughed as she stood up with him on her back. He squealed as she moved back and forth. His big blue eyes wide open as he threw his head back , white hair flowing in the air as he laughed his head off.
Peyton watched them and smiled. He turned his head to Priya and smirked. “You’re such a cockblocker.” He whispered.
Priya stuck her tongue out at him. “You owe me so much money.”
Peyton stuck his middle finger up at her and his little sister lunged at him.
“That’s 50 dollars. That’s 50 dollars!” She jumped on him. “I’m telling mom.”
Peyton laughed as he wrestled his little sister into a headlock.
“Let go! I’m telling mom.” Priya exclaimed. “Help! Help! Ice!”
“Peyton stop!” Ice turned around in surprise.
But that only made him ruffle his sister’s hair which he knew she hated.
**
“What are we eating? What are we eating!” Bam-Bam asked excitedly immediately as they entered the house.
“Bam-Bam seriously?” Priya asked calmly. “We just left Burger King.” Priya held up their burger king bags to her little brother.
“BURGER KING!” Bam-Bam exclaimed happily throwing his hands in the air. He rushed to his seat at the table excitedly.
Peyton passed around their drinks and their meals. Before he handed Bam-Bam his meal, he paused. “Bam-Bam eat first, toy later.” He said.
“Yes sir.” Bam-Bam said nodding. Priya quietly sat across from Bam-Bam and took her food.
“Ice come sit next to me.” Bam-Bam said patting the empty chair next to him.
Ice stopped moving towards Peyton, turned around, and headed towards Bam-Bam. “Okay.”
Bam-Bam looked up and grinned at Peyton. Peyton narrowed his eyes at his little brother. Princeton loved being the center of attention.
Peyton looked around. When everybody was about to eat he held up his hands. “Stop!” He said just as Bam-Bam was about to put a fry in his mouth. “Ladies and gentlemen, Ice has never tasted Burger King before.”
“No way.” Bam-Bam said turning to look at her.
Ice’s mouth dropped open.
Priya widened her eyes, to acknowledge her surprise.
“Yes, I know shocker, therefore I think the first bite has to be taken by her.” Peyton said.
“Peyton.” Ice said groaning. “That’s not necessary.”
“Eat it, eat it.” Bam-Bam said putting down his fry.
Priya put down her nuggets and waited patiently.
Peyton nodded for her to eat.
Ice looked around the table, realizing nobody was going to eat until she did. She unwrapped her whopper, took a bite, and chewed.
Bam-Bam’s eyes grew bigger as he waited for a verdict.
Peyton arched an eyebrow at her.
Priya waited.
“It’s really good.” Ice said taking another bite. All three family members smiled.
“She likes the burger!” Bam-Bam exclaimed popping a fry in his mouth, it garnered a laugh from everybody.
Peyton bit into his burger and watched Ice. She looked so happy sitting with his siblings. He shook his head at Bam-Bam talking a mile a minute. He turned to look at his little sister. He noticed her watching Ice carefully. When Ice removed her elbows from the table, Priya removed her elbows from the table. When Ice put a fry in her mouth, Priya followed suit. When Ice laughed at something Bam-Bam said, a small smile came across Priya’s face. She really needed an older sister. Priya was always the serious one among them. Maybe having Ice around could help her to loosen up. Peyton stuck a handful of fries in his mouth and grinned. Welcome to the family Ice.
“What do you think Priya?” Ice asked turning to face her, to involve her in the conversation. Priya looked down and dipped her nugget.
Priya shrugged. “I believe Kindergartners shouldn’t be allowed to ride the bus.” She responded softly.
“Hey not fair.” Bam-Bam said.
“Especially Bam-Bam, he’s so fu---” Peyton looked at Priya. “He’s so freaking loud.” He said.
“No, I’m not.” Bam-Bam said loudly. He turned to Ice. “Am I loud Ice?” he asked softly.
Ice grinned. “No…well not to me anyway
s.”
Bam-Bam smiled and took her hand.
Peyton turned back and watched his little sister watch Ice again. Priya turned around to see Peyton watching her. Peyton raised his eyebrow. She blushed and looked down. Peyton smiled.
“Do you guys wanna hear a joke?” Bam-Bam asked excitedly.
Peyton groaned and Priya shook her head. Ice looked at them amused.
Bam-Bam ignored them. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” he asked the table.
Ice: Part I Page 24
