Around two they headed down to the MTV studio. Pauley had to go off to work but Tony was able to come along and keep Izzy company.
The fans were so excited to see the boys at the studio. They talked to the fans and sang a couple of songs. They wound up spending like two hours or so there hanging out. Tony and Izzy sat behind the scenes watching them. He was really enjoying it and he couldn’t believe how crazy the fans were for them. Izzy kept on catching JC’s eye, especially when he was singing, it was almost like he was singing to her.
“So what’s going on with you and JC?” Tony asked her and she looked shocked,
“What?”
“What’s going on between you and JC?” He repeated and Izzy blushed a little,
“There’s nothing going on. Please half the time we can barely stand each other,”
“For two people who can barley stand each other, you two have been staring at each other for the past two hours.”
“We have not Tony.”
“He’s staring right now.” Izzy glanced up and saw JC looking their way.
“He’s just looking in this direction, not at me.” She said and Tony raised and eyebrow in disbelief,
“Okay, I’ll prove it to you, come on.” He grabbed her arm and made her move to another spot, behind the cameras. “See,” he said nodding in JC’s direction, “he followed you all the way over here.”
“That’s because he wanted to know where we going. Tony this is ridiculous, there’s nothing going on.”
“Okay whatever Iz.”
Izzy sat back and thought about Tony's comments. Was her relationship with JC just sex? Had it developed into something more? She looked up and saw him staring at her, it wasn’t a happy look but it wasn’t one of anger. It was something that she couldn’t place, maybe frustration? She was completely confused now, which is exactly what she didn’t want in the first place. No strings, no ties, no feelings, what the hell happened?
“Oh, sorry didn’t know anybody was out here.” She turned to leave when JC said,
“No, it’s okay, it’s not my deck.” She turned back,
“You’re right.” Izzy went over and sat down next to him on the bench. JC was staring out into the backyard.
“So,” Izzy said trying to break the uneasy silence between them, “what are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you mind if I sit with you?”
“Would it matter if I said no?”
“I don’t know, try me.” She replied and JC sighed,
“No, I don’t mind.” There was another awkward silence between them then Izzy spoke,
“Look I’m sorry I yelled at you this morning, I was a little freaked out that’s all.”
“Doesn’t matter does it? No feelings, not ties. I just don’t know why you were so worried.”
“You just don’t understand my parents, they’d go nuts if they found you naked in my bed. They would kill you.”
“So I guess you were just protecting me then, right?”
“Yeah I guess, I mean if they killed you, who would I have random sex with? Chris? I don’t think so, and Lance is way too nice to sleep with, I’d feel like Mrs. Robinson.” She joked and JC laughed as Izzy went on, “I’m not even going to comment on Joey, although Justin, might be a consideration, though he’s not really my type and he is kind of hung up on Britney. So basically you’re it.”
“Oh well thanks.”
“Well I try.” She said laughing.
“So you don’t agree with, what, 78% of America’s population that thinks Justin is the hottest guy alive?” He joked.
“I don’t know, he’s just someone I just wouldn’t go for, though he has those hips, mmm, damn.”
“So you like hips huh? Is that part of your type?”
“I guess, I don’t really know what my type is, I’m more of a buffet kind of girl.”
“Buffet?”
“None of the guys I’ve seriously dated have anything in common. Okay for examples, there was Charlie, who was a skate border, Link the art student. That had to be the most fucked up relationship, whoo. Then there was Carl, Mr. Frat boy himself, ugh.” Izzy said shivering slightly and JC chuckled, “Then there was Preppy boy Greg. Oh and let’s not forget the ex-boyfriend of all time, Joseph Fatone.” She said and JC spit what he was drinking,
“You dated Joey?”
“Yeah, in high school, we just figured out that we made better friends than lovers.”
“You family doesn’t think so.”
“God tell me about it, they took the break up worse than we did. I know they’re secretly planning our wedding and one day they are going to just spring it on us and force us to get married.”
“Wow.”
“I know, so, tell me, what about you? What’s your type?” She bumped his shoulder lightly and JC shrugged his shoulders,
“My type? I don’t know, tall, blonde and beautiful.” He joked and she playfully pushed him, “Really, I don’t know, I like brains and a good heart.”
“Oh don’t you sound PC.”
“I’m serious, looks are one thing but if you can’t have a decent conversation with the woman what’s the point?”
“I’ve never heard a guy say that before, actually I did but he was just trying to sleep with me.”
“Well I’m already sleeping with you, so we know it’s not a pick up line.” He smiled and there was quiet silence between them, this time JC broke it, “Brunettes.”
“What?” She smiled at him in wonderment; he looked deeply into her eyes,
“I go for brunettes, I was just thinking about it and most of my girlfriends were brunettes.” He said and Izzy had to look away from his gaze, because this was getting weird. She felt that he was talking about her, including her in the ‘brunettes’. JC went on, “Bobbie, my last girlfriend had this long, beautiful, brunette hair.” He paused a minute and then looked down, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, if you want to talk about her you can. I didn’t know her, what happened?”
“She broke up with me after two years, no warning, nothing. It was the worst thing in world. She had this way of treating me that I couldn’t get enough of. She had this way of laughing that would drive me crazy, but in the end I wanted more of it. I thought she was the one, I was so in love with her.”
“I know.” She said quietly,
“What?”
“I remember how miserable you were after your break up, I also remember I wasn’t the nicest person to you, I’m sorry.”
“No, at the time I didn’t appreciate it, but in reality you helped me get over her faster because it was a distraction. The more time I spent on getting back at you the less I thought of her until it just stopped hurting.”
“Do you still love her?” Then she realized what she just asked, “Oh, I’m sorry you don’t have to answer that.”
“No it’s okay because I don’t know if I still love her. She hurt me so bad when she left me, it would take a lot for me to go back to her.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” She said and looked at him, “This is so weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“This, us, do you realize that we’ve actually been talking for a while and we haven’t fought yet.”
“I know maybe there is hope for us.” He said grinning and staring at her, she was so beautiful, if only she would lean in a little more.
“Yeah, maybe.” She said softly leaning in a little bit.
“ISABELLA MARIANI!” A voice screeched from behind them and they both jumped apart from each other and looked behind them. It was a slim girl, with long blonde hair and a slight upturned nose. Izzy recognized her instantly,
“JoAnn! What are you doing here?” She went over and gave her a huge hug,
“I should ask you the same thing, you realize that you have the hottest boy band in America in your living room.” JoAnn realized that JC was standing there.
“Oh, hello, JC, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m JoAnn Steeple, I’m one of Izzy sorority sisters.” She said holding out her hand and JC took it,
“It’s nice to meet you JoAnn.” He stood up straight and looked at both of the girls, “Well I should get to bed, it’s getting late and we have a busy day tomorrow. I’ll let you two talk, sounds like you two haven’t seen each other in a while. So goodnight ladies.” He did a little wave and walked past both of the girls. JoAnn leaned in towards Izzy,
“I didn’t interrupt anything did I?” She said in a not so soft voice and Izzy looked after JC, shaking her head,
“No, there’s nothing between me and JC, he’s just one of the guys.” JC was just inside the door and heard Izzy’s comment; his heart sank.