Page 2 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

‘We spent a week at town hall tracking down the blueprints for the house. Once we understood the original structure, we made every effort to keep the historical details in place including the beamed ceilings, shiplap walls and turn-of-the-century fixtures lighting most of the house.’

When I reached the corner of the island, edging closer to the ladder, a flicker of white caught my eye. Before I could correct my footing, I hit the corner of a rug someone had placed near the sink. Like a bad movie in slow motion, my boots skidded out beneath me. My brain knew what was happening but my body lagged behind. I tried to turn, avoid the ladder, but I rammed it with the corner of my shoulder.

Everything slid by like my body was in a Matrix glitch. The gallon can fell off the ladder and grazed the top of my head. A cold river of paint splashed over my hair and down my back. The chemical scent coated my nostrils. My mind went wild with images of green splashed across the soft white cabinets and dripping onto the heart pine floors we’d worked so hard to restore.

‘Torran, do not move or open your eyes.’ The panic in Manny’s voice pinned me in place.

Oh God, it was bad. So so bad.

Paint ran underneath my shirt and down the length of my overalls. My father had warned me that buying this property was a mistake. Half the town wanted this place torn down, and I’d ignored them all. A wave of grief, fear and rage swirled within me. I tried to tamp it all down, but surprise, surprise the rage won out.

‘What the actual fuck! Why can’t one thing go right?’ Panic climbed the walls of my throat and the air became too thin. ‘I don’t know why we even bother to help Ivy Falls. No one gives a crap about what we’re trying to do here. What we’re trying to save. All they do is gossip behind our backs. Question whether or not we’re doing right by the town, but are they doing anything besides sitting on their asses and complaining? No. And don’t get me started on my father, who’d rather smile for the camera and the local papers than do his job and be a real mayor!’

As soon as the words were out, I regretted them. The town wasn’t the issue – I was. I’d been so caught up in thinking about how everything had to go right that I hadn’t bothered to survey the room.

‘Stop rolling!’ Lauren’s shout vibrated in my ears. ‘And someone google how to safely remove paint from the face and hair!’

‘I’ve got this.’ Manny’s voice drew closer. ‘Tor, that can bumped your head pretty hard. Sure you’re okay?’

‘Yes, I’m fine. It barely hit me,’ I said in a trembling voice. ‘Please just get me out of here.’

His warm hand landed on my shoulder. ‘I’m going to lead you out of the house and over to the shade of a tree so the heat of the sun doesn’t dry out the paint.’ His fingers curled around my arm and a light autumn breeze brushed over my cheeks as we made our way outside. The wood on the restored front porch squeaked beneath my boots.

‘Do we have a crowd?’ I asked.

‘No. It’s quiet out here. Must be lunchtime.’

Since we’d started filming, a regular crew of Ivy Falls characters including Silvio from the hardware store, Mrs Vanderpool and her little dog, even my dad on some days, stood outside the rope blocking off the yard from the street. Their eyes set firmly on the house while a flurry of activity and filming happened. I sent a quick word of thanks to the karma gods that my screwup was not on display for the town gossips.

Once Manny had me down the steps, he barked out, ‘Get me some turpentine and dish soap. Haul the hose over this way too!’

The quick shuffle of feet said the crew was in frenzy mode. Manny stayed stoic helping to slow my racing heart which I was sure was about to rocket straight out of my chest.

Rivulets of paint continued to race over my skin. The weight of it dripped from my ponytail. All I could think of was my mom. How she was so much like Manny. She would have told me to stay calm. That this was the type of mistake that could be fixed. My stomach clenched at the thought that I couldn’t go to her after this. Be soothed by her positive attitude that seemed to make any shitastic situation actually bearable.

Manny used turpentine and then soap and water to scrub the paint off my head and face. Besides the ache in my shoulder and slight throbbing at the back of my head, I was otherwise fine.

When Manny said it was okay, I opened my eyes. He tried to smile, cheer me up in his own small way. I could only manage a shrug, using all my willpower not to crumble in front of the entire crew who’d formed a semicircle around me. Their eyes clouded with worry. Lauren, on the other hand, refused to look at me.

Manny slung an arm around my shoulder. ‘When you screw up you go all in, don’t you, Tor?’

He always did this. Teased me when I’d messed something up. It was meant to make me feel better. Let go of whatever stupid thing I’d done, but after what just happened in the kitchen that was impossible.

‘I’m very sorry, Manny. How bad is it?’

‘Don’t worry. We’ll clean up the mess. Get back to work like we always do.’ He gave me a reassuring glance that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

I knew it. It was worse than he was admitting.

He walked in the direction of where Lauren stood next to one of the production assistants. The tight line of her shoulders warned she was at a breaking point. We were already over our production budget, and I didn’t want to think how long we’d have to delay filming to clean up my mess.

I moved away from the camera crew and across the fresh sod we’d laid down in the front yard. The heat of the sun warmed my cheeks and I took a deep breath. Manny was right. It was an accident, plain and simple. Nothing we couldn’t fix.

It wouldn’t be until days later I’d learn the true fallout of my mistake thanks to a viral video uploaded to YouTube. A video that showed not only my hometown, but the entire world, what I really thought of Ivy Falls.

I’d wanted to be the town hero, but I turned into its villain in one click.

So much for my freaking win.