The apartment they shared was small. Not that he couldn't afford a larger one, but he chose not to. The unit had a small kitchen a bathroom, a bedroom, and tiny dining area, most of which was filled with the TV. Kasey had wanted a bigger apartment, but he had insisted on the smaller one. He was aware that he might not always live the luxurious life of pop-stardom. He wanted to get used to a 'normal' life and he wanted those he lived with to get used to that too. That was why he hadn't moved in with Taylor and Zac, who occupied a penthouse suite in downtown. Isaac was the levelheaded brother, the realistic one. He wouldn't get sucked into the misleading path of post-fame, and he wouldn't have to share a bathroom with two younger siblings and their girlfriends.

He and Kasey had fallen into a pattern of living amazingly quick. After only about 3 months of living together they had established a routine. He slept until 10 in the morning, before leaving for work at a recording studio. He did backup guitar and vocals for other bands. Sometimes he would work on recording his own material. He came home at 7 at night and they would eat dinner in front of the television. She awoke at 7 in the morning and went for a jog. She would run two blocks down the road to a park and then make 2 laps around the lake that was centered in the park. The lake was man made, but still, it was pretty. When she came back she would shower and get ready for work. Before she left she would leave a note for Isaac, which he would read an hour later when he got himself out of bed.

"Honey? Kasey?"

She rolled over and swatted in the air, like she was trying to smack a fly.

He shook her shoulders. "Kase, you gotta wake up. It's 10 o'clock. You're late for work."

She sat straight up in bed. "What?"

"You're late." He said it like it was no big deal. He was late almost every day for his work.

"NO! No I'm not!"

He laughed. "Better hurry." She flung herself out of bed and threw on clothes. "You're not even going to shower?"

"I'm late!"

"They'll understand."

"No, they won't." She stood with a shirt half thrown on her body and her jeans hastily pulled on.

"You wouldn't understand that though. You are a lazy musician who does whatever he damn well feels like. I, on the other hand, am a marketing executive who had a meeting 45 minutes ago. I get fired for being late. You get congratulated." She pulled her shirt on the rest of the way and walked into the bathroom.

"Hey, now you wait a minute. I am not a 'lazy musician.' I do things with my life. I work still."

From the bathroom she washed her face and then called back to him. "As opposed to your brothers who are nickel and dimming your parents to death, and living off the charity of ex-fans. Yes, I know all too well the tragedy of Hanson. Spare me Ike, I need to get to work."

"Just because you didn't get out of bed on time does not give you the right to take it out on me."

She walked back out of the bathroom, her toothbrush in hand. "I'm sorry." She kissed him half- hazardly on the cheek. "I'm late and I'm stressed out. Forgive me?"

He shrugged. "Brush your damn teeth." She laughed.

"Kasey, it's nine o'clock."

"I didn't go this morning, so I have to go now."

"Why?"

"It disrupts my entire day, routine, existence if I do not go on this run."

"I don’t want you going out there by yourself when it's late."

"Then come with me."

"No, running is ridiculous."

"Fine. Then don't come, but you won't stop me from going."
He grabbed her by the waist and hung on to her as she struggled. "Are you sure about that one."
"Well, unless you give me something better to do, I'm still going."
Isaac grinned, pointing to himself. "I've got something right here."

He woke up at close to seven in the morning. "What the hell?" He forced himself out of bed. "Kase? Just because you were late yesterday doesn't mean you need to go in early today." Still half asleep he began clambering over furniture through the apartment. "Kasey, you're screwing up my entire day. I'm supposed to still be sleeping." He walked into the bathroom, and into the kitchen and saw a frying pan and a plate, both dirty, left in the sink. He grumbled, "She never cleans up after herself." He glanced around and saw the sticky note on the cupboard.
Hey Ike,

I didn't get my run in last night and I decided I should go into work early, so I went out for my run early. I should be in by seven or seven thirty.
Love,
Kasey

Feeling somewhat relieved and annoyed at the same time, that he could go back to bed and that he had had to get up in the first place. He glanced at the clock, "Shit, only two more hours to sleep." He curled into back into his bed, when it occurred to him. "It's eight o'clock."

The apartment door clicked unlocked and opened slowly, "Isaac?"