In the Osborne's house, Mrs. Osborne opened the door to Ted's room. She saw Ted sketching something in his sketchbook while smiling.
"Ted?!" she called out, and Ted quickly closed his sketchbook.
"Geez, Mom, when did you get here?" Ted asked in shock.
"You didn't even know when I came in. What are you sketching?" his mom asked as she tried to take his sketchbook.
"Stop!" he shouted as he dragged his sketchbook away from his mom.
His mom tickled him, and he let go of the sketchbook as he laughed out loud. His mom quickly opened his sketchbook, and Ted sighed as he gave up.
"Wow, this girl looks very beautiful. Too bad you haven't completed it," she said as she stared at the sketch of the girl.
"But wait, the girl looks familiar." She furrowed her brow. "I got it. Isn't she Scarlett... um, Joseph?" she added, and Ted snatched his sketchbook from her.
"Don't tell me you like her," she commented with a gentle smile on her face.
Ted looked at her. "What if I do? What's gonna happen?" Ted replied without looking at his mother.
"So you do like her?" she questioned.
"No. Well, yeah," he answered with a shy look on his face.
"Aww, why do you like her?" she asked curiously as she sat on his bed. She tapped the space beside her, signaling Ted to come and sit beside her on his bed.
"So tell me, why do you like her?" she asked again.
Ted looked at her and exhaled. He hesitated but opened his mouth to speak.
"My first day at school, I had no one to talk to, but…" He was saying when there was a flashback.
Ivy and Scarlett entered the school and walked through the hallway. Ivy looked graceful while Scarlett looked tough. Ivy walked away while Scarlett smiled at Ted, who was at his locker, and she walked off.
In the class, their classroom teacher walked in with Ted beside him.
"We are having a new student amongst us. Introduce yourself," the new teacher said, facing Ted.
"Um… My n… name is Te…Te…Ted Osborne," he said, and some students laughed out loud.
"But you didn't stutter before. Why now? Are you scared of crowds?" their teacher asked while whispering, and Ted shook his head. "You have to learn how to be brave here," the teacher added. "Go and sit over there."
The teacher pointed to Scarlett's seat. Ted slowly walked over to the seat beside Scarlett and sat down beside her.
"Okay, that will be all," he said and left the class.
"Hi," Scarlett looked at Ted with a smile.
"Hi," Ted replied.
"My name is Scarlett Joseph. Nice to meet you."
"You already know my name. I'm glad to be your deskmate." Ted brought out his sketchbook.
"Me too," Scarlett said and brought out her phone and started scrolling.
Ted was sketching something in his sketchbook. Scarlett looked over at Ted's sketchbook.
"OMG, your sketch is damn good," Scarlett commented excitedly.
"Thanks," Ted appreciated while he blushed hard.
"Why are you blushing?" Scarlett probed.
"Did I?" He covered his face, which made Scarlett giggle at his childish behavior.
"What's wrong with the guy?" Jason, one of Bruce's guys, asked his gang as he looked at Ted and Scarlett interact.
"He is definitely weird," Bruce replied. "Hey, new kid!" he called out, and Ted looked at him.
Bruce stood up. "I can't believe you're blushing because of someone like Scarlett and not someone like Ivy." Scarlett rolled her eyes.
"Just shut up already. You're already getting your saliva on me when you're still far from me," Scarlett said cruelly, and Bruce came closer.
He stood in front of Scarlett's table and bent over towards Scarlett.
"Do you know why you can never be like your sister?" Bruce asked.
"Hmmm, let me think. Because I'm not her," Scarlett replied.
"No, because you are ugly and not smart."
"Seems like you're talking about yourself," Scarlett shot back.
"What? Everyone knows I'm handsome," Bruce argued.
"And everyone knows I'm beautiful," Scarlett countered, looking at Bruce straight in the eye.
"Do you wanna know why I hate you?" Bruce questioned.
"I don't wanna know. Go and tell your mama at home," Scarlett said, and Bruce frowned.
"How dare…" he said angrily, but a teacher came in.
"Have your seat, everyone standing," she said, and Bruce slowly looked at the teacher with anger written all over his face. He looked at Scarlett again and went to his seat.
Ted looked at Scarlett. "You're so cool," he commented, and Scarlett shrugged with a smirk.
Back to reality.
"I just like her because of who she is. But I know if I tell her, she will turn me down."
"Well… Even if she turns you down, keep your head high, okay?" she advised, and Ted nodded in agreement. She patted his head and stood up.
"I'll be going now. I have to cook dinner," she said and left.
In the car at the Josephs' mansion, Ivy slept.
In her dream, she saw her older self staring at her younger self from afar.
7-year-old Ivy heard people arguing downstairs. She tiptoed downstairs and, when she got to a part of the stairs where she could see the people arguing from behind, stopped and peeped.
A young man and young woman stood beside each other, and a middle-aged man was kneeling in front of them. She stopped and peeped.
"You can't do this to me. I have served you for…" a middle-aged man begged, and suddenly the man brought out a gun and shot him dead. Ivy gasped and immediately covered her mouth. The man and the woman looked back and ran after her.
Young Ivy ran back up as fast as she could. She ran into her room and locked the door from behind. There she met a girl who looked a lot older than Ivy.
"Ivy, you can't keep running from someone you're meant to be. This is you," the girl said, kneeling down in front of Ivy and placing her hand on Ivy's shoulder.
"This is who we are," she added.
"No, I won't be like that."
"This is who we are. We can't change it because it's fun to be this person we are," the girl said with a creepy smile while young Ivy covered her ears with both hands and screamed, "No!!!"
In reality, Ivy twitched and opened her eyes with sweat all over her face. Her phone suddenly rang, which made her look shocked.7 year old Ivy heard people arguing downstairs, she tiptoed downstairs and when she got to a part of the stairs where she could see the people arguing from behind. A young man and young woman stood beside each other and a middle aged man was kneeling in front of them, she stopped and peeped.
You can't do this to me, I have served you for..., a middle aged man begged and suddenly the man brought a gun and shot him dead. Ivy gasped and immediately covered her mouth. The man and the woman looked back and ran after her.
Young Ivy ran back up as she fast as she could. She ran into her room and locked the door from behind. There she met a girl who looked a lot older than Ivy.
Ivy, you can't keep running from someone you're meant to be. This is you, the girl knelt down in front of Ivy and placed her hand on Ivy's shoulder.
This is who we are, she added.
No, I won't be like that.
This is who we are, we can't change it because it's fun to be this person we are. The girl said with a creepy smile while young Ivy covered her ears with her two hands and screamed. No!!!
In reality, Ivy twitched and opened her eyes with sweat all over her face. Her phone suddenly rang which made her looked shocked.