Alright so this is my first fanfic and I really hope you like it! If there's and mistakes or if something seems inaccurate, please let me know so I can fix it. If you hae any ideas or just want to share your thoughts please review! Thanks a ton!
I DON'T OWN IB OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. (I think I can say I DO own the OC's though...)
~Lavender, Crimson and Lemons~
Ib sat quietly against the stark white wall of her bedroom. It was going to be one of those days again: sit inside and paint while the world continued moving around her. It's not that she liked the idea of being stuck in a rut, she just didn't care enough to change it. Her head lolled slowly to the left, heavy lids parting enough to see her painting supplies strewn across the room. The bright sunlight irritated her in her gloomy mood so she tugged the thick lavender drapes shut. Lavender... why is it so pretty? Ib wondered inwardly. All the paintings that littered her room contained the mesmerizing color. From the landscape images of the stream on the outskirts of the city to her favorite pitcures of bunnies. And then there was the 'Failed Lavender Pile', as she called it.
The Forgotten Portrait...
Countless times she had painted it from her memory, and every time she ended up stopping before completion or mesing up in one way or another. She could just never truly capture the expression that had been on the painting's face. Sorrow, pain, and longing that she could never capture on her own canvas. It had gnawed at her brain for 8 years as the painting had left such an impression on her 9-year-old self. Today seemed to be worse than usual. Her dreams had been plagued by the face lately and she just had to have her own copy to put herself at ease.
Lazily, Ib hoisted herself up off of her monochromatic bed, her royal blue skirt flowing around her knees as she stood. Still only in her tanktop, she grabbed her longsleeve lavender shirt and pulled it on over her shoulder-length, shaggy hair. She sighed and frowned looking at her complexion in the mirror. Deep crimson eyes stared angrily from underneath her heavy brown bangs. Sunglasses, she needed sunglasses. With her eyes now covered she dashed down the stairs, grabbing her purse and mother's car keys on the way. Her black lace-up ballet flats made no sound as she left the quiet house. Her parents were out somewhere doing something, but at the moment she couldn't have cared less. She pulled out of the driveway in the black Ford Focus, an excited smile playing on her face at the thought on finally seeing the portrait once again.
Her mouth hung wide open, eyes welling with tears as she read the sign over and over again. CLOSED. Her precious portrait was locked up in a place she would never be able to get to. Shaking her head she brushed the salt water from her eyes and marched defiantly up the stone steps.
"No..." She breathed, "No way in HELL is a door and a padlock going to stand in my way!"
She hurriedly grabbed her phone from her purse and scanned her limited contacts for her dear friend Violet. She tapped the screen and pressed the cell to her ear.
"H-hello?" Violet murmured quietly on the other end after two rings.
"Vi! Look, I need your help. You can pick locks, right? Right!?" Ib had started panicing. It was completely out of character but nonetheless, she had to see the painting today.
"Um, Ib?" Violet's voice was filled with concern for her friend, "Are you alright?"
"Can you pick locks or not?" Ib growled in reply.
She was stressed and couldn't comprehend why Violet didn't just give her a straightforward answer. Then again, that's the way her friend was. Violet was quiet and indirect, but kind and quite knowledgeable. She had soft, silvery blond hair that hugged her face and complemented her deep cyan blue eyes nicely.
She shakily responded, "Yes... well, I mean, I used to and still can but it's not like I do it frequently. I me-"
"Great. Perfect. Meet me at the old Weiss Guertena Gallery as soon as possible. Bye" She had cut her off and proceded to hang up.
Feeling suddenly tired, she plopped down on the stairs and thought about what would happen if she was caught. Or what would happen if Violet followed her inside. Shy and passive, Violet wasn't one to do dangerous things, but if Ib was involved, she would surely put herself in harms way. Glaring at the contacts list, she noticed a name that ahouldn't have been there. Adelaide... an old friend of hers who wasn't so friendly anymore. Her thought drifted back to middle school.
"Hey, Ib!" Adelaide called out.
The black-clad girl turned her head slightly to see the excited blonde running towards her. Ib wasn't really fond of anyone, fearing them for using her for her parents money and power instead of actually liking her for Ib. She knew that most hated her red-eyed, blank stare of uncaring. Atleast it kept them away. But Adelaide was persistent, so she bothered to stop and chat with the girl, if only for a minute.
"Yes?" She responded casually.
The girl's face lit up in a brilliant smile. Ib didn't talk to anybody, so having a conversation with her seemed surreal. "Well I'm haing a party this weekend and was thinking you should come! You never seem to be doing any of the social things so I figured a party would be fun!"
Ib's eyes shifted away from Adelaide's intense hazel ones. "I... I guess it would be alright..." she murmured quiety.
She had planned to try once again to paint the Forgotten Portrait but seeing as how last weekend's attempt had ended in failiure like all the others, she chose to join the bubbly girl.
"Perfect!" Adelaide had squealed happily before dashing ahead, "It's Saturday, at 5!" She called out.
Upon arriving home, Ib walked up the elegant stairway to her fathers study. She could hear him inside merrily humming some foreign song. Still shy at 12, she tiptoed in, keeping an eye on her father so he wouldn't notice her sit down in a plush red velvet chair. With her eyes on the grey clad man at the shelf, she hadn't noticed the large stack of binders in her path and had proceded to trip, sending them flying in every which way possible.
"Hm? Oh, Ib darling, are you alright?" Her father had spun around, focusing all his attention on the shocked girl.
With a curt nod, she pulled herself up, dusting off her skirt. "Atually, I need to talk to you about somehing. See, a girl at school invited me to a party this Saturday an-"
"Well if you want to go, we won't stop you!" He laughed.
With a smile she dashed out of the study and towards her room. She loved her parents for being so understanding. Now she needed something to wear. Tomorrow would be so fun!
She gulped nervously at the intimidating brick house. She had forgotten how much she disliked social activities. But she had made a promise to Adelaide, so she bravely marched up the steps and knocked.
"IB!" Adelaide screamed throwing the door open.
Peering around the excited girl's shoulder she could see other kids inside, taking note of her presence. A few gave her strange looks but others went back to their conversations. Adelaide tugged her hand, pulling her out of the doorway and into the mess of middle schoolers.
It wasn't too long after that she found herself playing truth or dare with the rest of the kids.
"So Ib, truth or dare?" A cocky looking ginger asked her.
"Truth," she had replied confidently.
"Um... what's your biggest fear?"
"Invasion of personal space and privacy," Ib answered without missing a beat.
There were a few nods at how fast she had answered or at the seriousness of her response but the game continued. It wasn't until Adelaide was trying to pick someone that Ib became nervous. Adelaide had already made someone drink toilet water and another drink lemon juice. But she had promised Ib nothing bad would happen to her so the two had exchanged cell nembers earlier on in the evening. Now Ib's hands fidgeted with her cell, longing to call her parents and get out before Adelaide changed her mind.
"Ib!"
She went ridged. Since she had picked truth five times in a row, she had to pik dare. Adelaide knew. She's the one who had explained the rules to her.
"D-dare..." Ib had stuttered.
"You have to let Mark kiss you~" she laughed in a sing-song voice.
MArk was realitivly cute, but Ib's blood was cold and her mind had gone blank. How could Adelaide have done that? She and everyone else knew she ws scared of peoplpe invading her personal space! Before she could say anything though, Mark had kissed her on the cheek, causing her to go into fight or flight mode. Without a word she bolted out the door like a jack rabbit, tears streaming down her face and sobs racking her body.
She hadn't spoken to Adelaide or anyone else from that party since.
She let the phone ring. C'mon Adelaide, pick up! She thought to herself. Yes, she was mad, but if worse came to worse, she could use the girl to help Violet escape.
After a quick make up session, Adelaide agreed to join the two girls on their breaking and entering mission.
It wasn't too long before a royal blue civic and a cute yellow buggy pulled into the parking lot. Violet looked nervous and unsure while Adelaide was confident and sported a smug grin.
"Well, what're we waiting for?" Ib asked rehtorically.
Violet pulled a bobby pin from her seaafoam green capris and kneeled next to the padlock. The other two waited quietly behind her as minutes started to pass. Finally, they heard a small clink! and watched as the lock hit the ground.
"Done."
"Yeah, we noticed," Adelaide laughed.
Ib pushed passed them both and shoved the doors. They swung open with a slight creak. Without a second thought, Ib dashed inside, past the reception desk and up the stairs. There on the wall, was Forgotten Portrait, just the same as it had been eight years ago.