Monday came quicker than Ivy even expected. She kept herself busy all week with her decorating that the days just flew by. But things were going well. She had her room all done and now she was starting this new job. She was actually kinda proud of herself from being so productive.

That morning. Ivy couldn't decide whether she was feeling nervous or not. It was a whole mix of emotion. But she was good with people. She was good with teenagers. As long as those teenagers aren't Brandon. But other than that she was good.

Mariana knocked on her door before peeking her head in and then gasping "You look hot!"

Ivy giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear "Can't tell whether that is the kind of look I want to go for since I'll be teaching"

"You could try a nun outfit. But you'd still look good in that"

Ivy raised her eyebrows to her "With compliments and a face like that it's no wonder you've got a boyfriend"

Mariana laughed and then pointed to the house "Mom sent me out here, breakfast is ready and we've gotta go soon"

Ivy ran her fingers through her hair and looked at herself once more in the mirror to then turn back around and walk out of the room with Mariana. When she walked into the kitchen, she was welcomed by the gleaming smiles of her proud family looking at her.

"Here she is" Lena quietly sang as Ivy rolled her eyes with an embarrassed smile. Walking over and sitting at the table as Stef put an omelette on her plate. Ivy raised an eyebrow and asked in a small whisper "Is this safe?"

Stef mocked a gasp and nudged her shoulder "Screw teaching you should have gone into comedy"

Ivy smirked and began to tuck into her omelette as she was soon bombarded with question. First one was Mariana "So are you going to be in all of our classes?"

"The ones that have Timothy will have me"

That was everyone apart from Jude, who still had another year and she probably wasn't still going to be around at school. That is for now anyway. Ivy then looked to Jude and pointed at him with her fork "But I'll still be seeing you around there"

"Yeah she'll be making time for plenty of people" Jesus muttered with a small smirk. Ivy slapped his arm and whispered "Stop that"

Ivy hadn't really given herself the chance to think about what it was going to be like being in the same environment again with Nate always been there. She knew what he was going to be like, he was going to ask her if she wanted to have lunch with him nearly everyday because that's the kind of guy he was. Looking out for her. But the thing he won't be able to grasp is that Ivy is deep down hurting at the fact that she had missed a chance with him.

But she wouldn't let that get her down. There was more to her life than her love life. In fact her love life was part of the reason she never wanted to see San Francisco again, for every wrong reason.

Ivy arrived in the school and walked down the hall to get to Timothy's room. Which she knew just fine, after all this used to be her playground. As she walked past, she caught a lot of attention.

One of Jesus's wrestling buddies, Robbie, slapped him on the back as Ivy walked near them.

"Dude. Hot new teacher"

Jesus looked up and turned to see his cousin walked down the hall. She smiled and gave him a quick wink as she lightly slapped his cheek "Don't make me look bad" she whispered.

Jesus laughed and then turned to see Robbie's jaw practically on the floor "Dude are you banging a teacher?"

Jesus cringed and shook his head as he slammed his locker shut, slapping Robbie's arm and whispering "She's my cousin" he put his bag on his shoulder and began to walk away, then looking back over his shoulder to him and calling back "Keep away"

Ivy walked into the classroom to find that it was empty. But Timothy's bag was on his chair so she presumed that he would be back soon. Ivy noticed that there was a desk at the front beside Timothy's which she presumed was where she would be going. As she put her bag down on the table and took a sip out of her coffee cup, she heard the door open. Ivy looked to the side and saw her old math teacher, John Peters walk in the room. Ivy wasn't exactly his best or favourite student in the past, with the whole skipping it from time to time and she and Nate would just be absolute clowns. He was just lucky that Milo and Lottie were in a separate one else he really would have had trouble. John tilted his head and looked at her oddly "I thought it was you when I walked past. Miss Cooper"

"Mr Peters" Ivy grinned.

John sighed and shook his head "I must admit. Thought I'd seen the back of both you and Troit"

Ivy raised her eyebrows with a smug smirk written across her face "Looks like we have a habit in creeping back into your life ey, Peters"

"So what'd you do now, Cooper? Arrested often?"

"Only on weekends" Ivy dryly joked, seeing no reaction from him whatsoever, she cleared her throat "I'm a writer. Trying to be, I'm also now a teacher, I'm doing a joint teaching class this semester with Timothy"

John stared at her in silence for a moment "You're serious?"

Ivy shrugged with a small smile. She understood how he'd find it hard to believe. The slacker in his class was now a teacher? Rather ironic. Especially since her partner in crime was exactly the same. John rolled his eyes and sighed out "Oh the joy. Cooper and Troit back at it again"

Ivy rubbed her lips together and looked down to her desk. The one thing that ran through her mind was 'Well...not exactly' but she said nothing of the sort and gave him a smug smirk as she mocked "It's going to be a pleasure working with you. John"

The teachers here when she was in this school were half and half. Some wanted to be called in the formal way with Mr and Miss. But some liked it when you called them by their first name such as Timothy. John Peters was type A.

It was enough to make Ivy have a challenge on her hands to try and not laugh at his disapproving face.

Then, speaking of the devil. Nate knocked on and walked into the classroom with a wide grin on his face, then looked to John and nodded "John"

"Mr Triot. We were just talking about you"

Nate turned midway in his walk over to Ivy "Yeah? All good I hope" he heard Ivy choke a small laugh behind him and put the palm of her hand over her mouth. John gave them a slight scowl and then left them alone. Nate chuckled as he turned around to her "He's going to resign I can feel it"

"Well the class of 2010 would be thanking us then"

"Along with the class of 2015" Nate smirked, he soon scooped her up and hugged her tightly "Good to see you"

Ivy smiled and wrapped her arms around him, soaking in every single second until that little voice in her head said 'He isn't yours anymore' she knew it was just a hug. But it was always 'just a hug'. Ivy pulled away and gave him another tight smile "You too"

Nate stared at her for a moment and then shook off her mesmerizing smile "So are you nervous about it?"

"A little. But I adapt to situation quite well"

Nate nodded and then said "Hey I got you something here" he dug into his back pocket and brought out a pencil. Ivy raised an eyebrow and then went to laugh at him. But then she realised what it was. Ivy didn't mean to snatch it out of his hand but she did it anyway and stared at it. The dents and engravement of 'I.C' and the chipped paint.

Then she did laugh "You kept this?"

"I promised I'd give it back to you"

"Yeah. Five years ago" Ivy laughed. Nate shrugged and nodded to her "I'm a man of my word"

Ivy smiled and held it up before putting it on the desk "Well, I'll keep that in mind"

"That I'm a man of my word?"

"No that you're a freaking dork I can't believe you kept a tiny red pencil with you for five years"

Nate raised his eyebrows and then whispered "I even had it in the glovebox of my car this whole time"

Ivy raised her eyebrows and whispered "Wow...you're still driving that junk wagon?"

Nate shrugged "Back seats are still in perfect condition"

Ivy laughed and slapped his chest as she stood up from leaning against the desk and taking hold of her cup of coffee. She and Nate never had sex, but they weren't strangers to fooling around in the backseat of his car when he got it for his 16th birthday. It not that they didn't want to, they did, but Ivy was hesitant. The paranoia that played in her head, she was just waiting for the right time. But she was taken away before the right time even happened.

"So how are things with this Lauren girl?"

Nate scratched the back of his head "They're…. meh. To be honest before you arrived I was thinking about ending things"

Ivy felt a set of butterflies burst out into her stomach "What? Why?"

Nate shrugged "I don't know. She's always around"

Ivy rolled her eyes and couldn't help but laugh at him "That is the most guy excuse I've ever heard, Nathan. If we don't spend enough time with you we aren't paying enough attention to you but if we do want to spend a lot of time with you then it's clingy"

Nate tilted his head to her and moved his wrist round into a circle "Can't it also be the other way around?"

"Sure but that's kind of rare. We usually like the attention. Just not when they go all psycho" Ivy muttered, glancing down to her desk. Nate raised an eyebrow "Psycho?"

"Nothing-look the point I'm trying to make is…" she couldn't even believe she was saying this, but she had already started now. She quickly took a sharp turn in her route of conversation and just finished it quickly "All I'm saying is don't be a jackss. It's not in your blood" she gave him a soft smile which ultimately made him do the same.

"I know better than to not take your advice on board"

"Why're you a teacher by the way? Last time I checked you couldn't wait to get out of this place?"

Nate leaned his hands against the desk and shrugged "Well I tore the ligaments in my left leg after I had an accident on my bike and couldn't wrestle or play basketball anymore...not properly anyway, so if I couldn't play why not teach?"

Ivy stared at him with a smile "There should be a play"

"Oh shut up" Nate laughed.

"Joking aside, that's great. I'm proud of you because god knows that your step-dad must be even more of an ass"

"I'm just waiting for him to croke so I can take the lead coach position"

Ivy raised her eyebrows and crossed her fingers which only made him laugh more. The school bell soon rang, with Timothy coming in as soon as it did.

"Nate. Hi" Timothy grinned as he walked into the classroom, then looking to Ivy "Sorry I was just in the staff room"

"It's fine" Ivy waved her hand to him. Nate looked to her and raised his eyebrows as he whispered "Good luck"

"Thanks" Ivy lightly laughed as she watched him walk out of the classroom as the students walked in. Callie being in the the first member of her family to be a student to her. Callie gave her a subtle smile as she sat down. Having the other students looking at her, rather confused. Some of them saw her walking down the halls but to be honest they thought she was a student.

"Alright class. As you can see we have a guest with us in the class. This is Ivy Elkin, I'm sure one of you are familiar with her" Timothy smiled as he looked to Callie and then carried on "Ivy will be my right hand woman during this semester for our creative writing course"

Ivy gave them a tight smile and gave a small wave "Hey everyone"

"Tell them a little bit about yourself" Timothy muttered under his breath to her. Ivy looked to Timothy and nodded "Okay so, yeah I went to anchor beach myself. I've been writing all my life so I've learnt some tricks along the way that can help you guys with your creative writing so I'm always here if anyone needs a hand or questions" Ivy shrugged and then remembered

"Oh. Yeah what Timothy was implying before, I am Callie's cousin"

Callie felt her fellow peers all take the time to glance to her. A student then raised her hand, Ivy softly smiled and pointed to her.

"So you're like the vice's niece?"

"Yeah that's how it works out"

Then another girl asked "Are you like adopted? Cause you look like the blonde one"

Ivy raised her eyebrows with a smirk "I'm the blonde one's niece. By blood that is"

Timothy clapped his hands together "Okay now that we have that introduction done. Let's get on with it"

That didn't go bad at all. She just had a lot more to do.

When lunch hit. Ivy stepped outside into the back. She saw Nate sat alone and wasn't quite sure whether he was sat alone because he was waiting for her or if he just sits alone all the time at lunch. There was no harm in her having lunch with him. Ivy went to walk towards the table but then she saw a young woman sneak up behind him and cover his eyes with the palm of her hands. Going out on the hunch, she'd say that was Lauren. Ivy heard her giggle from the distance as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his cheek. Nate put on a convincing fake laugh and looked to her. She stood up straight and held out her hand. Wanting to go for a walk whilst he was on his break.

Ivy quickly moved away so Nate didn't see her when he stood up, because she noticed how he looked over to see if she was there. Luckily he didn't see her. She wished that she didn't see him, seeing him walk off hand in hand with her on the beach.

This was him trying to not be a jackass and give it a shot, she can tell. Damn her stupid advice. She shouldn't have said anything, she should have just went along with him thinking about breaking up with her. This was Stef's fault. She raised her too nice.

She thought hearing Nate say he had a girlfriend was the thing that hurt. But it was seeing it. Looking at him with someone else in front of her eyes hurt more than she thought. She would always say how she'd feel like death if she saw him with someone else. But then again she just thought that was her melodramatic sixteen year old self saying it, but no, she actually felt her heart ache a little bit at the sight.

They had never seen each other with someone else before. It sucked. Ivy walked back in the school and decided to not eat outside. She instead when into Lena's office who was eating a salad she made at home along with going through her phone. She looked up as Ivy walked to through the door.

"Hey, bear"

Ivy ran her fingers through her hair and gave her a smile, then putting her bag of lunch on the coffee table and dropping herself down on the couch. Lena looked to her when she heard Ivy let out a deep breath. She put her fork down in her bowl "Everything alright?"

Ivy then ran both of her hands through her hair as she pulled off her boots and put her knees to her chest. She put her arms on her knees and then rested her head on top "Yeah I just…" she cleared her throat "I just saw Nate with his girlfriend"

Lena frowned as she turned her chair round to face her properly "I'm sorry honey"

"I guess it's kinda my fault" Ivy said with an airy laugh "He said he was thinking about ending it with her and I told him if it's not for a decent reason don't be a jackass. The hell is wrong with me?"

"You're a good person" Lena shrugged.

"Yeah. I blame you two" Ivy whined as she mocked a sob and pressed her forehead into her arm. Lena let out a small laugh and walked over to her, she sat down beside Ivy and pulled her close "Oh honey. You couldn't of held it off forever, you were bound to see it someday"

"I know" Ivy groaned a sigh as she dropped her feet down onto the floor, she blew a brief raspberry "I was hoping she was at least bad looking"

Ivy looked to Lena and shook her head "But she ain't. She's pretty"

"Well you're beautiful" Lena said as she pressed her forehead against.

"You have to say that"

"Doesn't mean it isn't true"

Ivy lifted her head up and muttered "Okay this is way too sentimental for the time of the day" Lena smirked and then rubbed Ivy's back as she leaned forward and grabbed her lunch, she saw how Ivy was trying to put on a front and was really hurt by all of this. Lena stared at her and didn't push but she did try to make Ivy feel a little bit better by saying "You know you can always talk about it to me or mom"

Ivy scratched the top of her lip and cleared her throat "Yeah, I know" she turned to Lena and softly smiled "Thanks. I'll be fine I've seen it now, it was just that whole seeing it first time"

"I understand"

Ivy looked down to her wrap and took a bite out of it, just picturing him with someone else was enough to make her lose her appetite.

When the whole family was home, over dinner they began to discuss an event that was soon fast approaching.

"We need to have a party, right" Jesus said as he scoffed down his taco.

Ivy shrugged "It's not up to me" she shifted her eyes to Stef and Lena with her eyebrows raised "Guys?"

Stef and Lena hardly had to have a discussion about this, they just glanced a smile to each other before turning back around and Stef saying "Yes of course we can have a party, it isn't everyday our girl turns twenty one"

Ivy let out a grin and then turned her head to Mariana as she let out a giddy gasp and clapped her hands "We need a theme!"

Ivy swayed her head side to side "Do we?"

Mariana stopped her excited dance in her stool and frowned at her "Yes we do. Themed parties are always great"

Callie raised her eyebrows to Ivy and nodded at Mariana's point. Stef then pointed her fork to Ivy for a moment as said "Your favourite music in the world is fifties rock and roll. We could have that as a theme"

Lena then added "Yeah, Mike mentioned that he had a juke box locked away in storage we can have that out and everyone can dress up like…" Lena looked to Stef for some guidance on famous people. Ivy raised her eyebrows and laughed "Elvis Presley?"

"Hey what about the girls?" Mariana raised an eyebrow, Ivy looked to her and shrugged "Suppose get something like the pink ladies from grease. Or use that little thing on your phone call google"

Mariana did so straight away, with Callie looked at it over her shoulder. They smiled as they saw the styles "Okay I am so on board with this now" she looked back up to Ivy "I mean it's up to you"

"No, no a fifties themed party actually sounds kind of perfect, sounds right up my alley if I'm being totally honest"

Stef then said "By the way we called Grams and she's going to be here for your birthday, she's sorry that she couldn't come down sooner but she's hand some kind of dilemma up in florida"

Ivy couldn't begin to explain how happy that news had made her. She had missed Sharon with all of her heart, an overwhelmed smile plastered across her face as she said in an emotional whisper "Thank you. Dena and Stuart will be there too right? They're just as much my grandparents than she is"

"Of course, I'll call them tonight" Lena smile softly.

Jesus clapped his hands together and pumped his fist in the air "Two weeks on friday and we'll be having the party of the year"

"Exaggerate much" Brandon muttered in a laugh.

Jesus popped his gum and ignored him, leaning down on the table he muttered to Ivy, leaning to her "You going to invite, Nate?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'll be inviting Milo, Lottie and Nate. They were my best friends"

Jesus shrugged and nodded as he saw her point and then added "What about his girlfriend"

"I'll just say he can bring a plus one…" Ivy cleared her throat and took a hold of her taco again. She would tell him he could bring a plus one. She was just praying that he doesn't.

Later on that night, Ivy gave Nate a call.

The first words from him being "Wow you gave me your real number?"

Sitting down on the couches at the side of the kitchen, Ivy let out a small laugh with a confused face "Of course I did why wouldn't I?"

"Or are you forgetting the time when on your fifteen birthday?"

Ivy let out a breathless giggle and she put her hand on the back of her neck and looked down to the couch "Yeah I thought so. You gave me your Aunt Stef's number instead so when I called and asked her out on a date she was pretty confused"

Ivy's laugh went a little louder and then shook her head "It was an honest mistake"

Nate let out a small laugh "Alright, Cooper so what's up?"

"Well I assume, you better know that my birthday is two weeks on saturday"

"Of course I knew that, what do you take me for?"

Ivy shrugged "A guy" she paused and laughed at his gasp and then continued "I'm teasing, no so anyway yeah we're having a party at my house and I was wondering if you wanted to come"

"Yeah I'd love to. Is this invite extending to Milo?"

Ivy nodded, she almost forgot those two were roommates she only remembered Nate mentioning it during their catch up dinner "Yes it is. And anyone can bring a plus one"

"Right. Cool okay. We'll be there for sure"

"Good...that was basically it. I actually have to go and help Mariana she's looking at outfits for this thing already-oh yeah I forgot to say it's a fifties themed party"

Nate then laughed "Hardly surprising. I'll do my best to look like Elvis. We both know if there's one guy you loved more than me it was him"

"Not more. Equal"

"Comforting thank you. I'll see you tomorrow"

"Yeah. Bye" Ivy whispered. She hung up the phone and then rested her head in her hand as she stared into space and got lost in thought. It's going to be hard trying to have fun with Nate with his girlfriend strapped to his hip. If she's anything like Jesus had described her sister like, then she's in for a terrible time.

But as usual. She just had to bite her lip and get on with it.