The next afternoon, everyone was sitting in the girls' living room. Cassandra and Nick weren't in a talking mood, after she had sent him home last night mad. Just then Isabella got up.
"Do you want to go for a walk with me, babe?" she asked A.J.
"Sure," A.J. replied depressingly.
"Well then come on!" she called after him laughing.
"Hey can we come?" Nick asked standing up and pulling Cassandra to his side.
"No, we need to talk, if you know what I mean. We haven't had a chance to talk about us lately," A.J. argued.
"Okay, that's cool man," Nick said. He sat back down and pulled Cassandra onto his lap.
"I'm sorry," she said, a tear rolling down her face.
"No, I'm sorry. It's just so hard to believe."
"I know. I'll find some way to prove it to you." She kissed him and rested on him.
"We'll be back in a few hours. Don't hold any fun up on us!" Isabella added before walking out the door.
Isabella and A.J. walked about a mile down the road in total silence. When they started back towards the house about half way back, a bright pink car came towards them. Isabella knew the voice that was calling out for A.J. from somewhere. "Lucy!" Isabella pulled A.J., but he didn't budge. Lucy stopped the car beside them.
"Have you told her yet, A.J.? I think that I have waited long enough!" Lucy inquired.
"No, not yet," A.J. said in a low painful voice.
"Tell me what?" Isabella asked curiously.
"Oh noth-" started A.J.
"A.J. loves me now and not you. He doesn't want you any more, he wants me! So there Isabella! It's my turn with him. Ha, ha!" Lucy pronounced.
"No, no! I don't believe you!" Isabella looked at A.J. "Say it isn't true, A.J. Say it isn't true!"
"I'm sorry. It...it is," A.J. said in disappointment.
"Oh God no!" Isabella screamed. " You have messed with the wrong girl, one too many times! I'll get you someday Lucy! I swear, right here as God as my witness, I shall have my revenge!" With that, Isabella ran out into nowhere, and didn't stop, and didn't look back.
"Belle!" A.J. called after her.
"Aw, how sweet. Come on, get in the car. Let's go for a ride, sugar!" A.J. got in the car and Lucy draped herself over him and went to kiss him, but he pulled away. "Forget her. She was nothing, but simply a phase. I am the real thing," Lucy said with a smirk and then turned the car around so they were heading in the opposite direction of Isabella.
Cassandra was in the kitchen getting drinks for everyone and turned around when she saw A.J. fly into the kitchen. He had run in, leaving Lucy in the car.
"A.J. oh am I glad to see you! Where's Isabella? I have to talk to her," said Cassandra to A.J. as he ran through the door.
"I don't know," he said in a depressed voice.
"What do you mean you don't know? What's going on? A.J., talk to me, you're scaring me!"
"A.J. baby, what's taking you so long?" Lucy said walking into the kitchen.
"Ah! You get out of my house you bitch! You aren't welcome here! Don't you dare try to move on to my sister's boyfriend again!" Cassandra shrieked.
"Yawn, too late," Lucy whined.
"A.J.?" asked Cassandra with a worried look.
"Yeah, it's true," he said.
"How could you? I can't believe it! I won't believe it!"
"I know-"
"No. You don't know. Excuse me as I go try to find my loyal sister with my loyal boyfriend." She walked up to Lucy and spit in her face. She grabbed a vase from behind, full of flowers A.J. had given to Isabella, and she smashed it over Lucy's head knocking her unconscious to the floor. "Bitch!"
Cassandra ran out the door screaming Nick's name. He got up from the couch, and ran out to her.
"What? What happened?" he asked her.
"Nick, Nick, oh God! I....I....I....oh, Nick!" He hugged her in an attempt to calm her down. "Get your car, get your car!"
"Okay, okay, I will go get my car." He drove the car up to her. She jumped in and explained what she knew. Nick hit the gas pedal and started down on end of the street. They searched for hours then went back hoping to find that Isabella had come home. When they got there, there was no one home. Nick found a note on he table.
Hey guys, We all went out for dinner. We will be home late.
~All of us
"Isabella is probably with them. You can calm down now," said Nick.
"I'm tired. Do you want to sleep over tonight?"
"Of course I do! Come on, I'll tuck you in."
"I like that idea." Suddenly the phone rang. Cassandra picked it up while Nick left to get a snack for them to share. "Hello?"
"Cassie! We have to talk!" Isabella screamed crying.
"Isabella? Where are you?"
"Um, on the other side of the state. I took a taxi and told the driver to take me as far away as possible."
"When are you coming back?"
"That's why I called."
"Yeah?"
"I'm not."
"What?"
"I'm not coming back, ever. I can't go back and face A.J. I will write to you and give you my address."
"You can't do this! Not like I did!"
"But I am."
"I can't deal with this right now. I am just now getting over my problems with Nick."
"I understand. Stay strong Cassie, bye." Isabella hung up.
"No wait-" Nick walked back in the room and sat down on a chair.
"Who was that?" he asked. Cassandra sat on his lap and began to cry on his shoulder. "Hey, what's the matter?"
"That was Isabella. She's gone Nick, and she's never coming back!" Cassandra felt her spirit dying quickly. Nick held her in his arms for a minute then brought her upstairs to bed.
Shortly after her phone call, Isabella found an apartment. It had four bedrooms: a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. Once she settled in, she started to write to her beloved sister. It read as this:
Dear Sister & Co.,
Hope all is well back home. I am doing well for the pain that I have been going through. My phone number is at the bottom so you can call me whenever you want to. I must go on now. I hope to hear from you soon. I will try to call when I can.
Love Always, Isabella
In a week, they all received the letter. Cassandra sobbed softly in the tight arms of Nick that held her. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. They all sat there staring blankly at each other. Emalia got up to answer the door. She slowly turned the door know and took a quick glance for reassurance, then opened the door. They all gasped as A.J. fell to his knees bawling his eyes out.
"Forgive me, I beg of you! Lucy is a bitch! I wouldn't be caught dead with her again," A.J. begged.
"You stupid bastard! Are you telling me she didn't die after that hit?" Cassandra protested jumping out of Nick's arms. She walked over to A.J. and slapped him twice.
"I know I deserved that, but you have to help me get Isabella back. Where is she?" A.J. continued.
"No thanks to you, she skipped town and refuses to come back, and why should I help you?" Cassandra interrupted. "But I know that if you still love her you wouldn't be here now. So I will give you her phone number so you can call her and leave a message."
"Thank you, thank you!" A.J. rose to his feet and took the envelope and fled back to the guy's house to make his call.
A.J. picked up the phone and dialed Isabella's number. "Shoot, she's not home. Better leave a message then." Her answering machine beeped, and he took a deep breath. "Isabella, what have we done with love? With our love? This is not an apology because I know you won't take it. This isn't an explanation because I know you won't believe it. This is more of a conversation.
"I saw our future in your eyes. You told me things I have never heard, I just drank your every word. We destroyed all that love could give. We built our love on sinking sand. I cry as you become jelly in my hands. What am I supposed to do? What do you want me to do? I can't live away from you any longer each day has been killing me. I'd like to know what's in your mind because it's not easy to see. I wish you'd come and set me free so that I can see, all the things I left behind and what is missing in me-" A.J. was cut off by the end of her machine, so he hung up and dialed it again. He waited for her message to be over, and then continued. "I can't remember the last time that we kissed goodbye, or the last time we said 'I love you.' I've been thinking and here's what I've come to conclude. Darling I could hold you and you know, but you'd believe, there is a light in your eyes that I used to see and a place in your heart where I used to be. I know now what I feel and what I want to do, I want to be with you.
"Cards, phone calls, and photographs, pictures of you, constant reminders of all the things we used to do together. Is there a chance in hell or heaven that there is still something here to belong? Should I keep on waiting or does love keep fading away? I haven't seen you in a while, so how have you been? There is a light in my eyes, and it's too bright to see and a pain in my heart where you used to be. I'm living and dying for you, A.J."
Isabella was sitting in a chair by the answering machine, and played back the message twice. She picked up the phone, and dialed Cassandra's number.
"Hello?"
"Cassie?"
"Isabella!"
"I just got a phone call from A.J. I just let the answering machine pick it up."
"Well let me hear it."
"All right." Isabella held the phone receiver to the machine and played back the message to Cassandra.
"Oh dear," said Cassandra.
"I'd say so!"
"So what are you gonna do?"
"Well I have a letter that I wrote, but I am not sure if I should send it."
"Let's hear it."
"Well, okay. Dearest 'Living And Dying For Me' A.J.,
I don't know where out love is right now. Maybe it has finally sunk to the bottom of your sand pit that we supposedly built it on. Our so called "love" was destroyed by your heart and your selfishness. In spite of you and Lucy, I thought we were one just as you, but I guess we were wrong. No, you and that stubborn heart of yours had to change directions. After all, we have only just gone through the good and bad together. You decide to go the other way with that good for nothing whore of a slut, Lucy.
What are you supposed to do? Well, that is the story of my life. What am I supposed to do, huh? Keep hiding in my little corner until the pain's gone. You cut me deep, deep in the heart and there are scars that are there forever. I know now, that that pain will never die and it will never change, either. What should you do, well you could apologize. I don't know why you would think that I wouldn't take it, it is all part of our little "conversation." When you saw our future in my eyes, did you see Lucy or the pain that I will and have gone through? No, you didn't. You only say a "light in my eyes."
How dare you ask me how I am and what is going on? Or did you think that was important in your persuasive essay, that is supposed to convince me that you are the only one for me and just to forget the past and our little side imaginary world is what is best for me. I hope the pain in your heart kills you.
No Longer Living And Dying For You, Isabella"
"You can't be serious about sending that! That is so low," exclaimed Cassandra.
"That's how I feel. It gives you a reality check of what Nick could say to you right now, doesn't it?"
"Shut up! That's so cold!"
"But so true."
"I have to go."
"Yeah I know. You need time to think. I am with you there." They both hung up.
Weeks went by with no word from Isabella. Cassandra began to worry about how her and her sister had ended their phone call those weeks back, until she received a phone call which she couldn't believe.
"Hello?" Cassandra asked as she picked up the phone.
"Hey, have you seen A.J. today?" Isabella said into the phone.
"No, not yet. We haven't gotten the chance to go over to the guy's house yet, why?"
"Well, A.J. should have gotten that letter today. You know, the one I read to you on the phone last time we talked."
"Oh my God, you sent it?" Cassandra said in disbelief.
"Yeah, I had to send him something."
"I have to go."
"Why do you always have to go? What's going on?"
"A.J. needs me to comfort him? That letter was cold, Isabella, and knowing him he probably already spazed out!"
"Traitor!"
"Whatever, Isabella. I'm hanging up now."
"Bitch!"
"Excuse me? What did you just say to me?"
"I am so sorry, I can't believe I just said that. You know that is not me, Cassie, right?"
"I don't even know you anymore. What ever happened to the nice sister that loves A.J.?"
"Cassie, you know he dumped me and that I am the victim here."
"Yeah, I also know that there is the best guy you could ever had who knows he made a bad mistake. Isabella he has pain too, in his own way, and knows the pain you're going through. Right now, you just made his pain worse than yours."
"So now you're on his side?"
"Well-" There was a pause that lasted about three minutes. "Yes! Yes Isabella, I am on A.J.'s side until you get your act together, goodbye!" Cassandra slammed the phone down that made a loud thunder sound on the other side of the line.
"Thanks for being the best sister I could ever have," Isabella said to the dial tone. She put the phone down it's base then walked towards the door. "I'm coming back Cassandra, I'm coming back with the old Isabella."
A.J. held the letter in his hand.
"I think it's from her," he told Nick.
"Well what does it say?" Nick replied.
"I don't know I haven't opened it yet."
"Open it then!"
"I don't know if I want to. I am scared of what it might say."
"You have to open it. What if it's a letter like Andrew sent Cass? Or if it says she still loves you and she is coming back to spend the rest of her life with you?"
"The suspense is killing me."
"Don't make me read it to!" pried Nick.
"No, that's okay I'll read it to you." A.J. read the letter to Nick. A.J., embarrassed at the letter he had just read to one of his best friends, got up and walked over to the wall and slammed his fist into it. "Ow! Son of a bitch!" he yelled. He took a quick glance back at Nick with a tear rolling down his cheek and ran out of the house until he was out of sight. Nick knew that he couldn't stop A.J. from never returning, or at least not by himself.
Nick go up from where A.J. left him and went into Howie and Kevin's room. Angel was in there, for some reason unbeknownst to Nick.
"Hey, you guys A.J. is mad, and, here read this." Nick handed them the letter and they read it.
"That's heavy!" said Angel grabbing Howie's hand.
"So how, um, did, um, A.J. react?" Kevin said nervously.
"He punched the wall and ran out of the house," Nick said calmly.
"Where do you think he's going?" Howie asked still confused, he looked out the window.
"Let's get in the car and see if we can find him," Kevin interrupted. The four of them went downstairs and piled into Kevin's car, and headed towards the direction A.J. stormed off in.
Cassandra ran to the guys' house and walked in. Brian walked down the stairs to Cassandra.
"Where is A.J.? I can't let him read that letter!" Cassandra yelled while grabbing Brian's shoulders to gain balance.
"Well I think that Angel, Howie, Kevin, and Nick are out looking for A.J. right now. You are about five minutes late and about five minutes early."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I found out that Isabella is on her way back here to sort things out with A.J. and you, but she won't be here for another hour or so."
"You're joking, right?"
"Nope," said Brian walking back upstairs.
"Okay thanks for information, Brian. See ya!"
"No problem, good luck!"
"Thanks again!" Cassandra went home to clean up to take some of the pressure off her sister. Then she picked up the phone and called Brian.
"Hello?" Brian said cautiously.
"Brian!" Cassandra screamed excitedly. "I have a great idea to get A.J. and Isabella back together!"
"Oh God help us all! She has another idea!"
"No! Stop! We have to get them back together Brian! They can't live without each other! Please help me, Brian?"
"I don't know Cass. I mean what if they don't find A.J.?"
"They will!" Cassandra screamed.
"My ears, Cassie, my ears!"
"Oh sorry! Here is what we are going to do, but you can't tell anyone, not even Mercedes."
"Listen, I will call you back later, the guys are back."
"Is A.J. with them?"
"Yeah, I got to go, bye!"
"Okay, don't say anything."
"I promise, goodbye!"
"Bye!" Cassandra said finally letting Brian go.
The guys walked in with Nick on A.J.'s left side, Kevin on his right, and Howie and Angel in the back just in case he tried to get away.
"Let me go and leave me alone!" A.J. yelled
"Oh no I don't think so. We are going to dunk your head in cold water to cool you off," said Kevin. They all walked upstairs and forced his head in the sink full of ice cold water. Brian snuck downstairs and called up Cassandra.
"Okay, what's your plan?" he asked.
"Bring Nick and Angel and we will give Isabella and A.J. a candle dinner they will never forget!"
"You got it!" Brian called Nick and Angel downstairs.
"What?" Angel yelled back down.
"I need you two for a while!"
"All right!" Nick yelled back down. Angel gave Howie two short kisses on his lips.
"I'll be back later, sweetie. I promise," Angel said.
"I'll miss you!" said Howie.
"Come on!" said Nick grabbing Angel's hand. Angel got one more kiss from Howie, before she was dragged downstairs by Nick.
"Occupy the boys, we've got work to do!" said Brian. Nick ran upstairs and told Howie to keep A.J. busy until he got back. Brian, Nick, and Angel walked over to the girls' house, passing Mariah, Coreene, Nicole, and Emalia.
"Where are you guys going?" Emalia asked Nick.
"Um, we're, er, where are you guys going?"
"Well, Brian said that we should go over to his house," said Coreene eying Brian.
"Well, you are," started Brian. "Just go on over and knock some sense into A.J."
"Um, okay," said Nicole, not wanting to argue. When Brian, Nick, and Angel got away from the girls, they helped Cassandra make a gourmet meal for their friends. When they were done decorating and preparing the meal, they heard a noise as if a car was pulling up in front of the house. Cassandra ran to the window and saw Isabella getting out of a taxi.
"She's here!" Cassandra screamed. She ran out the door as Brian, Nick and Angel hid the candle light dinner. Cassandra ran out and gave her sister a hug. "You have no idea how hard it's been without you around!"
"Yeah I do. I spent that whole time alone, remember?" Isabella replied.
"Well, it doesn't matter, you're here!" Cassandra hugged her again.
"Listen, I am really, really sorry about the phone call! Can you ever forgive me?"
"Consider it forgotten." They walked inside.
"Welcome back!" Nick, Angel and Brian said together.
"Thanks. It's nice to see you too," Isabella said. They each gave her a friendly hug. Nick took his place by Cassandra's side. "I am glad to see you two doing so well!" Isabella said to Nick and Cassandra. They both blushed. She turned to Brian. "How is the second best couple in the world?"
"We are together and doing well," Brian said laughing.
"Well if you don't mind I have had a long trip and I would like to take a nap in my own bed for a while." No one said anything so Isabella made her way up the stairs.
"Perfect! Go get A.J.! Angel and I will stay here in case she comes downstairs," said Cassandra. Nick and Brian saluted her and dashed out the door back to their house.
"Oh yeah, Angel, in all the commotion, I totally forgot!"
"What?" Cassandra held out a note to Angel. Cassandra clasped her hands to her face.
"Read it!" she squealed. Angel gave her a weird look and unfolded the letter. She read it aloud. "Dear Angel,
Hey, I've been thinking about you a lot. I don't know why, but I really like you, not that that's a bad thing! I know I've really just met you , but I feel like I've known you forever, and I really like what I know so far. Anyways, I know that we haven't spent too much time together, but I want to spend more time together. I want you , and everything there is about you, I want. Do you think we could develop something more?
Love, Howie"
"So?" Cassandra asked.
"I-I'm speechless! I feel the same way about him!"
"Well, I'm sorry to do this to you, but you can't go to him now, I need your help."
"I understand. What do we do first?"
When Brian and Nick got back over to their house, A.J. was sitting on Howie's bed crying his eyes out.
"Why? Why me? I try to be nice and loving and-and, I love her and-what have I done? Do you think I deserve this torture?"
"Well, A.J., I mean, first you couldn't get enough of her, and then you are cheating on her? What's up with that?" Howie answered him.
"I don't know why I did it. I think it was Austin that pushed us apart."
"Don't you dare blame this on Austin! She didn't go out an cheat on you with him. I don't think she would have even thought of even considering it!" Kevin added.
"Okay, so I am a big loser with no future with Isabella," A.J. said toughing up.
"Not for long!" Nick said smiling. "Boy, are you gonna owe us big time!"
"I don't understand," A.J. said confused.
"Oh you will, don't worry, you will," Brian answered. They grabbed A.J. and walked him over to the girls' house, and rang the doorbell.
"They're here! You get the door, I'll get Isabella." Angel nodded.
"Come on in! Have a seat," said Angel. A.J. walked in and sat down at the table. The table was covered with food of all sorts. The first thing A.J. noticed was the fine wines and champaign that was in front of him. He put his napkin on his lap then looked at Nick.
Upstairs, Cassandra dragged Isabella out of bed.
"Isabella, put on your most elegant gown," Cassandra announced.
"Why?"
"I didn't tell you to ask me questions. I told you to get on your most elegant gown."
"Whatever."
"No, seriously! You'll thank me later!"
"Fine, but this better be good!"
"Oh it will be." Isabella opened her closet door and pulled out an exquisite yellow evening dress. It was a long ballroom dress with a pair of yellow gloves.
"I bought this a long time ago for a special occasion with A.J. Yellow is his favorite color," Isabella explained. Cassandra smiled, thinking about how ironic it was that she would wear his favorite color for him not knowing that he was downstairs.
"It is unimaginably ravishing. Let me put your hair up for you. I have just the thing." Cassandra ran out of the room and came back with a yellow satin ribbon. Cassandra put Isabella's hair up then guided her downstairs.
"I'm still very confused about all this," Isabella said, but Cassandra didn't say anything back. As soon as Isabella walked in the room, all three guys' mouths dropped open. A.J. rose from his seat and walked up to Isabella and kissed her hand. She couldn't believe that she was letting him kiss her. She drew her hand back and walked over to Nick and Brian. She took each of their hands, put them on their chins, and closed their mouths. She then strolled over to the opposite end of the table as A.J. and sat herself down with a little help from Brian. A.J. sat down and Nick, Cassandra, Brian, and Angel left and went upstairs into Isabella and Nicole's room.
"I still can't believe this note from Howie!" Angel announced to the group.
"What are you gonna do?" asked Cassandra.
"What happened?" asked Brian.
"I don't know, what should I tell him?" Angel asked.
"Tell who what?" said Brian.
"I don't know! What do want to tell him?" said Cassandra.
"Who!" exclaimed Brian.
"Oh sorry, did you say something Brian?" asked Cassandra.
"Yes! What's going on?"
"Well, Howie wrote Angel a love note!"
"Let me read it!" said Brian excited.
"I'll read it to you," said Angel. She read the note aloud. When she was done, Brian said,
"Whoa! Howie must have fallen hard for you!"
"Why do you say that?" asked Angel.
"Because Howie only writes like that to people he really loves!" interrupted Nick.
"Oh really?"
"Yup!" said Brian.
"Um, hey Nick?" said Cassandra.
"Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Yeah, sure."
"I mean alone. Come into my room." Nick got up and followed Cassandra out.
"Have fun Nick!" Brian said with a sly smile.
"Very funny Bri!"
Cassandra sat down on her bed, and Nick sat down next to her. He kissed her neck. "What's on your mind?" he said still kissing her. She pulled away and sat on Mariah's bed.
"Nick, please."
"Whoa, you're serious. What's wrong?"
"Well I wanted to talk to you. You know that note that Isabella wrote A.J.?" He nodded. "Well, when I was on the phone with her and she read me that note, I told her that she shouldn't send it and that it was really cold of her to write that to him. Then she said something that I haven't been able to stop thinking about."
"What was it about?"
"It was about you."
"You look extraordinary, and extremely yellow. You know how much I love yellow," A.J. said, desperately trying to start a conversation.
"Thanks." There was a moment of silence. "Are you going to pour me some champaign or do I have to do it myself?" A.J. laughed then walked to her end of the table and began to pour the champaign. "That's enough, enough. Boy, you really want me drunk don't you?" A.J. smiled then sat back down.
"I'm sorry. What I did was stupid," A.J. began.
"That's for damn sure!" Isabella interrupted.
"Please just give me a chance to show you truth. All my life I have prayed for someone like you and I pray that you still love me too. I will never find someone sweeter than you and I will never find someone more beautiful than you-"
"Except for Lucy, right?"
"I know that right now I have screwed things up beyond belief, but you have to know that I love you and I will that way forever. Each day that we aren't together takes away some more of my breathing air. I am begging you please not to hate me and come back into my arms arms."
"I don't hate, I could never hate. Sure sometimes I can get really mad at you, but never hate you. I'm not sure that I can believe your words, you said them once, and I got burnt, bad. Tonight, can we just forget everything that has happened in the past few months and just play it normal."
"Yeah, sure." They heard music beginning to play. A.J. got up walked over to Isabella. He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" Isabella got up and they walked hand in hand into an open area. Isabella rested her chin on A.J.'s shoulder as A.J. cautiously put his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as possible. Isabella began to sulk. She wanted to go back to A.J., but something held her back. She turned her lips toward A.J.'s ear and whispered,
"I love you too, but it's going to take a while to build things back up."
"I agree," he whispered back. "I agree." The song ended, but they just held each other.
"What?" asked Nick, back upstairs.
"When she finished reading me the letter, I said that that note was so cold and that she couldn't be serious about sending it. Then she asked me if it gave me a reality check of what you could say to me at any moment."
"Why would I?"
"For what I did to you. All those months I was gone."
"Oh, that."
"I need to know. Would you say that to me now? Are we back to where we used to be? Can we ever be back to where we used to be?" Nick didn't respond right away. He looked down at his feet and thought back to the day that she left him. He thought about how he felt all those months. Then he thought about how he felt right then. He could feel love and pain. "Nick?" He took a deep breath.