After last night she couldn't sleep, what she experienced in the greenhouse was on her mind. She didn't believe in spirits and even if she did, the sensation on the places she felt a hand were way too real to be ghost lurking about.

 The hand felt solid and large. She wished she could place what had happened in a logical sense. If she were to tell anyone about it, they would think she had gone mad.

Her mother would think she's acting out for attention. No she couldn't tell anyone.. besides the only person whom would believe her was her beloved grandma.

 The house was sold now the family that moved in were settling in. She would never be able to visit the garden or greenhouse again. The new owners would probably rare it down anyway.

They wouldn't care about the memories she had there.

Ivey sighed loudly as she plopped down on the love seat. She couldn't believe how bored and lonely she had been lately. It was break and shev couldn't think of something to do. It was too hot to go play outside and she wasn't much of a talker.

In a way she was a loner , she didn't care about that. She enjoyed being alone, it was easier than pretending to be something she wasn't.

Ivey's mom was home early today, Mrs.Cooper wore the face of an exhausted woman as she dropped her purse on the table with a loud this.

"Is your pops home?" She asked

"Nope" Ivey answered

"Good. Maybe go out for a while. Poppa and I have to talk. He quit his job again" Mrs.Cooper explained.

 Ivey sighed and jumped up off the couch. She knew this was going to a few unpleasant months until her dad found another job and it be a matter of time till her quit his new one.

It was hard for her alcoholic father to maintain anything. He often spent all the family's income on booze and things he saw on day time tv. If Her or her mother spoke up, he would raise his voice and push them around.

 It was really bad now because there was no grandma to back them up and some how Ivey knew her father did this on purpose now that grandmothet was gone.

♥

She could of just went to mall , but she found herself in front of her grandma's house.. former house.
She just wanted to know if they started changing the old house already. If they were destroying her memories to build their own.

To her surprise nothing had changed too much. The bench was gone but everything remained the same. She couldn't help but smile with appreciation towards the new home owners. She hoped they would keep every more or less the same.

When she rides her bike past it she still wanted to see her memories.

Without really thinking she hoped off her bike, stowing it a nearby night shade bush. She began walking the old house. She just wanted to visit the old garden one last time.
She swore she would never visit after today.

Careful not to make herself look to suspicious, she crept to the window to peek inside; checking to see if anyone was home first. Then she opened the tall gate to the backyard, walking the heart shaped stones as she always did.

Surges of warmth greeting her as she got closer to the greenhouse garden. She felt home.

"Do you plan on creeping in my backyard everyday?" A voice said

Ivey jumped, startled by the sudden voice.

 On the back yard porch was a boy about her age, leaning against the railing.  His hair black and spiky, slightly faded on the sides.
A small soft cover book dangling from his fingers.

"Are you going to answer me Little Burgler?" He wore a quizzical expression.

"I didn't know anyone was home"  Ivey's heart was beating too loud in her ears.

"Here to visit the garden?" He asked

"How did you know?" She walked a little closer to the porch.

"The lady who sold this house to my family, told is about your grandma's garden."

"Oh, that's a weird"

"Only a little" he smiled wide at her. His teeth perfect and white. "What's your name little burglar?"

"Ivey" she muttered

"Someone named you after moss?" He snarled

"My grandmother named me. I climbed to her the moment I was held by her" she tried to keep her cool as she explained her name.

"Oh sorry" he looked away, slightly embarrassed

"It's okay" she was beginning to get shy, all she wanted to do now was leave the backyard.

 She wasn't very good at talking to people she didn't know. People would say she was always in her own little world. He mother would often call her a dreamer and a space case. But her grandmother said dreamers were the most beautiful people.

'Dare to be Different' she would always say.

"I'm sorry for sneaking into your yard, it just feels strange not being to visit here"

The boy looked at Ivey as he was studying her, trying to see what her deal was.

She was soft spoken and had sad eyes, he began to wonder what made them so sad. But you couldn't just openly ask people questions about their lives, to some people that would be rude.

"You seem like a nice girl, I'd be okay with you coming by every once and a while. You just gotta stop looking like someone are your birthday cake. Your mopey face makes me irritated"

"What's that suppose to mean?!" She shouted

"It means what it means sad girl"

"How dare you call me that and insult me. You don't even know me"

He turned to her and smiled wide again. "That's the spirit"

There was something very different about byte way he smiled.Most people didn't smile so wide, maybe they smirk or smile with a closed mouth but never full teeth.

 Ivey shook her head she was thinking too hard about a smart mouth garden stealer.

"So are you coming back tomorrow little burglar?"

"I'll have to think about it"

"You'll be back. I know it" he smirked this time before leaving the porch to back inside.

 As Ivey watched his back she thought she saw something glimmer against his shirt. Something like wings..

'Your going mad' she scolded herself. But Something told her she wasn't exactly wrong.

♠

He was right, she did come back the next day but she came because she wanted to not because he said she would. If he asked, she would say otherwise.
She had only known him for a day yet she already knew he would smile that smile of his. Silently gloating about being right. She had a feeling he enjoyed being right.

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Today he was sitting at table that wasn't there yesterday, looked like his family was setting up patio furniture now. This made Ivey a little sad.

"Your face is irritating" he said.

"Hello to you too" she snapped back.

He smiled again "since your here, sit" he patted the chair next to him.

Ivey was sure he was going to trick her so she chose a seat across from him.

"Are you hungry?"

" No I ate before I came"

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, he wore blue expensive looking sunglasses, his hair not so spiky today. He almost looked relaxed.

"Why do you look so tense, parents fighting?" She innocently asked .

Whenever she was tense , it was because her parents were fighting. That was all she knew , there was shame in simply asking.. who knew maybe they shared the same type of household.

As a long sigh he said something strange "My wings hurt under all these clothes, I'm not use to wearing so many clothes"

Ivey's mouth dropped open. "What!" Sputtering on her words.

He noticed he spoke in a confusing manner so he chucked and winked at the a gaped Ivey.

"Only joking little Burglar"

"I never broke into your house"

"You did trespass into my yard"

"I said I was sorry"

He leaned towards her, one hand under his chin, the other touching her cheek. "I was only joking Ivey"

Her name on his tounge was enough to make her blush. His hand on her cheek made her remember the day of the funeral. Something had touched her cheek in the way.

But she just met him yesterday how is it the was the same? He never touched her until now.

Freaky.

He lingered too long and noticed Ivey squirming. He looked away from her as he removed his hand.
"Sorry"

"Oh it's okay."

He still didn't return her gaze, instead he looked at the window and excused himself. "I'll be right back"

Ivey nodded and watched him leave, when he was inside she touched the cheek he caressed.
He was getting a little too friendly but she didn't mind. She never been touched, let alone kissed by a boy.

This was all new and exciting to the seventeen year old.

When he got back, he was holding a plate of sliced pinkish coloured apples. Ivey never seen pink apples before, she was surely it was just food colouring.

"Mom thought we could use a healthy snack" he wasn't smiling though.

"I never had pink apples before" Ivey admitted

"Well your in for a treat then. These come from my home town"

" Where's that?"

"I'll tell you later" he quickly changed the subject "have a bite"

"I don't know"

"It'll make my mom happy, please" he begged

"Oh okay, just one"

It was just apples, why was she no darn hesitant?

She chose the smartest slice and took a careful bite. It was sweet but tart at the same time.

"Mm, this is yummy"

"Have some more"

She took another bite, a bigger piece this time. She ate more and more. Soon she ate three slices while he had none.

Why wasn't he eating?

She didn't realize the air around her was visible and sparkling. The sky was pure blue and crisp.

"Whoa" she muttered.

"Beautiful isn't."

"What's happening?"

"I'm showing you my home"

"Your home.. but we didn't go anywhere. We're still in the backyard"

He chuckled "Nope, Were in my old home"

"It's beautiful" she admitted , surely she was dreaming so she went along with it.

"Your not dreaming my princess"

Ivey looked at him with wide eyes "Why did you call me that?"

'Because that's what you are, this is your home too"

Ivey stood up "This isn't funny anymore. Your teasing me because you know I like you"

He stood up and took her hand, "I would never tease you, and it's mutual"

She snatched her hand away. " Stop being like that. I barely know you."

"We've know each other for a long time actually"

"Stop"

"I've been looking for you and I found the other day"

"Yesterday?" She was so confused

"No that day you wore that black lace sundress. You were crying. I held you that day"

Ivey backed up "I wanna go home now"

"Remember yesterday, I showed you my wings"

"I was just seeing things"

"Nope" he smiled widely again. "You saw them, weren't they beautiful?"

" I didn't see them clearly, just a glimmer"

"Oh" he looked thoughtful then perked up "Because you haven't had enough food from our realms"

Ivey looked at him, this kid was mad. 

He was talking about looking a long time for her and having wings. Realms? What the blood hell was going on in his head.

"Take me home, I'm tired" she lied

"Oh yeah I guess this can be tiring for you. You haven't been home in long time"

As quickly as the air shifted, they were both in his backyard again. Everything normal and unmystical. 

"I'm going home now, I'll see you tomorrow"

"Kay" he said uncaring. He took a bit of an apple.

 The apples looked green, normal granny Smith apples.

 We're her eyes playing tricks on her?

Maybe she was the mad one.

"Say I never got your name" she said as she began to leave"

"Chester"

"I'll see you tomorrow Chester."

"Maybe"

Maybe? Didn't he just confess his love for her and call her his princess and other mushy stuff. Did she just imagine all of that? Seriously? Why was he acting so cool towards her allowed of a sudden.
What did she do wrong?

He got up and began to walk inside, not giving her a single glance. She watched him go inside, this time she saw a faint feathery outline.
Wings.

♣

   The next day she ride her bike back the garden. Chester was mowing the lawn today, when he saw her he cut it off.

"You came" he was frowning

"I missed the garden" she lied, she really wanted to see him again.

"Oh I guess, come in then. I'll be done soon" he cut the mower back on and continued to mow. Refusing to look at her as she watched from the porch.

 He was acting so cold to her, she didn't like it.

When he was done he sat on the steps and drank the bottle of water that was waiting for him.

"Sleep well?" He suddenly asked

"I guess" she shrugged.

"Cool" he said. He still didn't look at her.

"What happened yesterday?" She had the nerve to ask what was on her mind.

 He looked at her finally, he wore a confused look. "Nothing we hung out"

"No I mean with the thing about realms and the pink apples from your home town. You called me a princess"

He scoffed, making Ivey feel insulted.

"Your weirder than I thought." He laughed.

'I'm not being weired, you called me a princess and told me you been looking for me"

"Oh I see you have a crush on me. I'm flattered but your not my type."

Ivey felt like she had been slapped. Maybe she going mad.

"Um I gotta go"

"Kay, see ya tomorrow?"

"Maybe" she echoed what he had said to her the other day.

He chuckled standing up to push the mower back the greenhouse. "Oh little burglar, the bitter apple was a bit too much for you. Your just a stupid little fay after all"

Ivey turned back to him "what did you say?'

"Said the sun is getting to you. You should probably lay down".

Ivey looked around making sure she where she was. Her mind apparently played a trick on her before, this could easily be another one.

 Maybe staying away from him would make things clearer and little less confusing.

 Or so she thought.