Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
At noon, the little diner closed so the employees can eat lunch in peace. It was a routine for the three of them. The chefs would come out with the food and they would combine three small tables to eat together. Ivy sat there drumming her bowl with her chopsticks “Hurry up!! I’m starving!” she turned her head into the kitchen.
Her father and brother walked out with bowls of rice and a plate of sautéed chicken “Ivy, you’re a girl. Why don’t you get up and give a hand instead of sitting there waiting to be served.”
She gave him her famous puppy eyes “I thought that was the father’s job?” she laughed as she dodged the hand swinging towards her head “Anyways, what part of me looks like a girl?” she pointed to her flat chest and face. She lifted a leg on her chair and sat comfortably.
Tyler giggled “Ga Jei’s right, dad.” He placed a bowl of rice neatly in front of her and straightened a pair of chopsticks, which was then put evenly on top of the bowl.
Ivy slouched as she watch her brother do the same for the rest of the bowls “Why the hell do you go through all that trouble, Ty?” it was a nickname she made for him since the day he was born “They’re just going to eat lunch; not judge an Iron chef competition!” she picked up her chopsticks and began shoveling the rice into her mouth. Her dad snapped his own chopsticks on her hand. She sat up and gave him the eye “What was that for?” she grumbled from her mouth full of rice.
“Wait for the others.” He scolded.
She rolled her eyes while the head chef, who was her father’s best friend shook his head at his old friend “If she’s hungry, just let her eat first. Look at her, all bones…” he pointed to Ivy while she sucked in her cheeks and nodded in agreement “Eh…just let her be.”
He sat down and Ivy wrapped a comfortable arm around the elder man’s shoulder “Yeah, Hung Suk Suk knows me best!”
Mr. Yung shook his head at Ivy “You have no manners. Why don’t you learn some from your brother? Look at him.” Tyler was eating calmly and quietly as he chewed with his mouth closed “And put your leg down!” he scolded “I’ve never seen a girl that act like you.”
Ivy rolled her eyes “This is call being comfortable! Old Man, we’re born in the lower class not some filthy rich family. I don’t need manners, they’re for wimps and real girls.”
Uncle Hung smiled “It’s called personality, old friend. Everyone is born with it…it just so happened your boy and girl was switched at birth. Must have been some kind of a curse. I mean look at the boy!” he pointed to Tyler who was wiping the edges of his mouth with a napkin “He acts like a girl and your girl…” he pointes to Ivy who was picking her teeth with her finger “is like a boy.”
“The son from hell…” Mr. Yung snapped and turned to Tyler “And the daughter from heaven.” He shook his head with a laugh “Your mother will turn in her grave if she saw this right now.”
Ivy laughed with a snort. Her eyes snapped up to the entrance when she spotted a figure standing outside. She nodded to Tyler “Hey, your girlfriend’s here.”
He frowned “I don’t have one.”
She snickered “Well the girl comes by every day just to say hi…if you ask me, she wants to be your girlfriend.”
“Tara?” he looked up and surely it was his friend from English class. He got up to open the door for her “Hey, what’s up?”
She instantly blushed at his greeting. She was holding a binder in her hand as she asked shyly “Can I borrow your notes? I had to leave early from class today.”
He raised his brows “You did? Are you feeling okay?”
Tara nodded “I’m good, thanks…it’s just my mom. She’s okay though.” She added hastily “Uh…sorry, I didn’t know you guys were eating.”
Tyler smiled “It’s okay. Hold on, I’ll get it for you.” He ran inside, his steps were light and his arms swung from side to side.
Ivy arched her neck back when he ran passed their table “Come in Tara!! And close the door, you’re letting the cool air out!” she turned back to her food.
Her father flared his nose sternly at her while he looked at the shy girl who stepped inside “Don’t listen to her, Tara. Make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you, Uncle.” She replied politely.
He smiled happily but the minute he turned to his daughter, he caught her eyebrow arching, a sly smile on her face. His smile faded as he cleared his throat “Let’s eat.” He nodded to everyone.
Tyler rushed out five minutes later “Sorry, I had it organized so I had to take out the notes specifically for English. Here you go.” He handed Tara a neat folder where he put the notes inside.
“Thank you.” She nodded to everyone else “Enjoy your lunch.” Tyler walked her out and closed the door behind him as he rushed back to continue his lunch. He had a smile on his face and everyone was looking at him.
He turned up and was startled by the pairs of eyes looking at him with gawking smiles “What?”
Ivy’s smile dropped “Are you stupid or something? She wants you so bad that she can’t even talk.”
Tyler gaped at her in shock “Ga Jei! Sheesh, that’s a little harsh. She’s just a friend. Leave her alone, she’s a very sweet girl.”
“A sweet girl that wants to get into your pants.” She snapped sarcastically “I should warn her that there’s nothing to be excited about, I’ve seen it.” She pushed her forefinger and thumb together making an inch or so height.
Tyler’s face turned a bright red while her father sighed at his daughter “Would you leave your brother alone? He’s got enough from the kids that tease him at school.”
Ivy’s face frowned over “Teasing? Who’s been teasing you?” she asked Tyler.
He shrugged lightly “No one. Don’t listen to dad, I don’t get teased. The kids all like me.” He said trying to convince his sister.
“Bullshit!” she threw her bowl down.
“Ivy!” her father scolded.
She sighed “Sorry. Bullcrap…there…better?” Ivy looked at her brother in the eye “Tell me now. Who’s picking on you?”
Tyler glanced at his dad who only shrugged “Well…there’s this guy named Joe…”
Ivy put up her hand “Okay. That’s all I need to know.” She began stuffing her face again.
He was curious to know what his sister had up her sleeve “What are you going to do, Ga Jei?”
She pushed the food on one side of her cheek “I’ll find his home, rape him then burn down his home.”
“IVY!!” her father cried.
She laughed, “I was kidding!” she looked at her brother who’s eyes looked ready to pop out. She gave her father a glance as he was busy eating again, she lipped the word ‘Not’ to Tyler. He whimpered while she cackled with laughter.
**************
A.F. Talent, Inc.
Ben walked into Mr. Kong’s office “Where’s your partner?” he asked Ben.
“She’s busy working on our new project. Here are some pictures and recorded pieces that she’s gotten so far. I think you will be very satisfied.” Ben was so sure of himself.
Mr. Kong skimmed through the pictures of Ivy sitting and pulling out her underwear, which was glued to her butt and a few others of her wiping her nose with her sleeve. His face grimaced in disgust “She’s perfect. I don’t think I want to hear any dialogue.” He clasped his hands together “Ben, do you think you can change her in 6 months? You know we only have 3 months to do a proper training before she is put out into the entertainment market.”
Ben nodded with a grin “She’ll be ready, I guarantee it. I’ve never let you down, have I?”
He shook his head “Not yet…but there is a first for everything. I hear your other fellow co-agents are doing well too.” Ben didn’t look at all worried “Let me give you a last piece of advice. Don’t take on a challenge that even YOU can’t handle. By the looks of this girl, it might be an impossible mission.” He leaned back in his black leather chair “But…I have faith in you.”
“So do I.” Ben smiled firmly.
The following day, Ben prepared to move into the small apartment next to the Yungs’. He had gotten her information from the files his partner kept and made arrangements to be next door so he could work faster. She might be harder to deal with than he thought, he didn’t want to take any chances of their project failing.
The apartments were so close to each other that neighbors were able to hear every noise or conversation that each other had. Ivy was sleeping in since it was her day off when she heard heavy objects grinding on the ground outside her window. She covered the blanket with her ears but it was useless. She grumbled with annoyance as she crawled up to her window and looked outside. Surely enough, they were getting new neighbors.
Ivy tried unsuccessfully to sleep but it was useless. She eventually pulled the sheets around her shoulders and pulled her fingers through her messy hair. She walked over to the home next to hers and knocked on the door rudely “Open up!!! I know you’re in there!!”
Ben heard as he walked over and opened the door, he smiled and leaned on the door “Can I help you miss?”
“You can help me by moving in later. Like at 6pm, when I’m NOT home.” She said with sarcasm.
He shrugged carelessly “Sorry, this is the only time I’m free. Are we too noisy?”
“Noisy?” She asked in shock “You could wake up a whole town with the racket you’re making!” she snapped while he laughed off her anger “Just keep it down.” She rolled her eyes and returned to her home.
Ivy went straight to her room and closed the windows with a bang. Returning to bed with a yawn, she tried to go back to sleep. But after 30 minutes of unsuccessful snoozing, she got up. She was fixing breakfast when she noticed the noise had stopped. Ivy groaned in frustration “Sure, now you stop!” she said to herself.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Her brows knit together as she answered the door, it was her new neighbor “Hi, I just wanted to-” he didn’t finish as the door slammed in his face.
Ben rolled his tongue around with a grim smile, he pressed on the doorbell again. Ivy smiled to herself as she answered the door “You again?”
He smiled “That was very rude.” He said calmly “But I wanted to apologize for-” for the second time, she slammed the door shut. He laughed to himself as he nodded, she was a tough cookie. Ben decided to knock this time as he knocked three times.
Ivy opened the door “It’s too early for Halloween. I don’t have candy for you.”
“As much as I enjoy getting the door slammed in my face, I just wanted to say sorry for all the noise. How about I make it up to you?” his grin was friendly but inside, his blood was boiling. How long would he have to endure her attitude?
“Uh, let me think about it.” She tapped her chin and then without warning slammed the door.
Ben lifted a brow “Oh, she’s charming.” He said with sarcasm and prepared to knock on the door but this time, it opened on it’s own.
Ivy peeked her head out of the door “If you didn’t get that answer, it’s a no.” she was about to shut it when Ben used his body to hold the door open. Soon, the two were in a tug and war with the door. After all, she was still a small girl; there was no way she could be stronger than him as he eventually gained the upper hand. Ivy knew she would lose as she abruptly jumped back making Ben stumble through the doorway.
He straightened his back “Well…that was fun.”
“What do you want?” Ivy asked with her arms crossed “I have a black belt in taekwondo.” She moved her arms in a chopping mode while her leg straightened up until it was pointing at his face.
Ben stepped back with a look of disgust as he covered his nose “Don’t you mean a black belt in toe fungus? Don’t you shower?”
Ivy retrieved her foot and smelled it, she whipped her head back and her eyes popped open “Shit…whew! Yeah…I guess it’s my shower day.” She scratched her armpit while laughing.
He narrowed his eyes “I’ll wait for you.”
“Hold…hold up!” she put up a hand “Wait for me? Why?”
“I’m taking you out to lunch.” He said casually.
Ivy glanced at the clock on the apartment wall “It’s like 2pm, I’m cooking breakfast… and you think I want to eat lunch? That’s not until 6pm…unless you want to wait that long.” she said nonchalantly.
Ben pointed at her quickly “You said it. I’ll be back at 6 pm.” She dropped her jaw in shock, the freak tricked her!