Izzy grabbed her bag and stepped on JC’s tour bus. Two hands pulled her back against a warm body.
“So you think you’re taking my bus, huh?” JC whispered in her ear and she smiled,
“Well I could just take Joey’s if that’s what you want.” She said and turned around.
“Hmm, not a chance. You’re staying with me.”
“You are so spoiled.” She teased, kissing him lightly on the lips.
“And I am so loving it and you.” He replied kissing her again,
“Love you too, jerk.” She winked and he pulled her tightly against him,
“God, I love it when you talk dirty.”
“You love it when I talk.”
“Got that right. Need help with you bags?”
“Sure, here.” She said and handed them to him.
“I’ll go put them away.”
“Kay, thanks.” She kissed him one last time before he ran up on the bus. Izzy smiled to herself and turned to board when she came face to face with Joey.
“Hey, Joey-bear.” She cheered but he wasn’t smiling, “What’s wrong?”
“We need to talk.”
“Okay,” She said slowly, “what’s up?”
“We’ll talk on my bus.”
“I’m not taking your bus, is it important?”
“Why aren’t you taking my bus? You know what? Never mind, I don’t wanna know.” He said and stalked off.
“Joey!” She yelled after him but he didn’t stop. Izzy just stood there as he walked away. JC bounded off the bus.
“Iz, I put your stuff on-” he saw her face, “What’s wrong?” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Izzy shook her head and blinked back the tears,
“Nothing.” She took a deep breath, “I’m fine.” She turned and walked on the bus. JC quickly followed,
“Iz.” He pleaded and she turned to face him,
“Please don’t. I’m just going to lie down for a while.”
“Can I join you in a little bit?” JC’s look softened her mood. She knew that he just wanted to help,
“I’d like that, sweets.” She half smiled.
“Okay.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and she crawled into his bunk. JC fidgeted around the bus as Justin came on.
“Hey.” Justin mumbled and headed into the back.
“Hey.” JC replied not looking up from what he was doing. His mind was on Izzy and what was wrong with her. Finally he gave in and crawled in the bunk with her. She was half asleep and instantly curled up against him when she felt him near. JC sighed and kissed her forehead, letting her sleep.
“Iz what are you doing here?”
“Waking you up silly. We’re at the hotel. Get going.” Justin kept staring at her strangely but did as he was told. She didn’t wait for JC and left the bus, going up to their floor. Izzy threw her stuff in her room and planned on sleeping some more when she remembered Joey. She opened her door to see JC ready to knock.
“Hey baby, come on in.” She said and he walked into her room..
“Hey, yourself.” He replied, “Where’s your stuff? I’ll go and put it in my room.”
“Don’t bother, I’m all set here.”
“You’re not staying with me?” He asked worriedly and she smiled,
“Not my clothes, I will be. What’s the big deal? It gives you more space.”
“Nothing, I just assumed that you would be staying with me from now on.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She said and he strung his hands around her waist, bringing her close to him.
“That’s the thing, I do worry. I just want to be close to you, that’s all.”
“I want to be close to you too. I just like having my own place with my own things, okay? I’m still going to hang out with you and sleep over.” She rubbed her nose with his playfully and pulled him out the door into the empty hallway,
“Okay, I guess.” He sighed.
“You’re a pain in the ass.” She teased and JC grabbed her ass,
“Is that an invitation?” He asked and she kissed him,
“Not right now, it isn’t.” She winked and heard a door slam behind them. Izzy quickly turned and realized that it came from Joey’s door. She sighed deeply.
“What honey?” JC asked.
“I have to go talk to Joey.” She tried to walk away but JC held tight,
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” She said coldly breaking away from him.
“Izzy don’t be pissed. I’m just concerned that’s all.” Izzy continued down the hall,
“Jace, just go take a nap and I’ll be back later.”
“Fine.” He retorted still unhappy with the situation but he knew that he couldn’t do anything about it right then.
Izzy went down the Joey’s room and gently knocked on the door.
“Come in!” A grumpy sounding Joey yelled from within. Izzy opened the door letting herself in and closed it. Joey looked up from his suitcase and then looked down again.
“Hey Joey-bear. Is everything all right?” Joey gripped the edge of his suitcase tightly,
“No Isabella, everything is NOT all right.” He growled and she sat down next to his suitcase.
“Is it me? Did I screw up my job? Are you mad at me?” Joey stared at her trying to calm his emotions,
“You fucking up royally, Isabella.”
“What did I do?”
“Don’t act all innocent, you know exactly what you’re doing. Don’t you care about anyone but yourself?”
“I’m completely confused, right now Joey.” She said calmly,
“They’re my best friends! You can’t fuck around with them like you do with the guys at school! It’s not cool!”
“What are you talking about?” She asked and Joey began to pace,
“First you’re all over Lance and you make him think you want him and now you’re all over C! It’s not right Isabella! You just can’t move from guy to guy because you want a good fuck!” He yelled and tears sprang into her eyes at Joey’s harsh words,
“That’s the meanest thing you have ever said to me.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t let you treat my friends like that. I’m not going to allow you to mess with their heads!”
“Mess with their heads? I’m not-”
“Please Isabella, I know your game. You love it when guys follow you around like little puppy dogs. You get off on it!”
“Well you should know, I learned from the best Mr. Fatone!” She shot back.
“Don’t bring me into this Izzy. I’m not the one messing with people’s hearts! Did you ever think of what you’re doing? I mean it’s fucking JC! I thought you were through with the pranks Izzy!”
“I’m not playing any prank on JC!”
“You two have hated each other from the start of the tour! You actually want me to believe that you like JC now? The man you swore to hate forever!? That’s a sick prank to pull on a guy, Iz. I mean he’s already had his heart broken once this year, he doesn’t need someone fucking with him for shits and giggles!”
“Did it ever fucking occur to you that I might love JC?”
“Yeah, don’t lie to me Izzy.”
“Fuck you Joseph Anthony Fatone Jr.! You can’t tell me what to feel or what I’m feeling! I do happen to love JC! I don’t care if you believe me or not!”
“What did you just wake up one morning and were like, ‘Oh, I love JC.’? I don’t buy it for a minute! You two were just fighting last week and now you’re all lovey dovey?”
“Who the fuck, are you? You’re not my best friend, because my best friend would be happy that two of his best friends have found happiness together!”
“Izzy drop the act! If you don’t, I’m gonna tell JC the truth!”
“Tell him, see if he believes you. If he does, obviously he doesn’t love me!” She got up to leave and turned, “You know I never thought that I would be let down by you Joey, but you’re just full of surprises this summer.” She said and left the room trying to blink away the tears.
“Izzy what happened?” JC asked. He had been waiting for her in the hall. He went for her and she pushed him away,
“Chasez, I just wanna be alone.”
“Izzy,” JC panicked because she never called him Chasez anymore.
“Please! Just let me be!” Izzy shouted and ran off to her room slamming the door. JC turned to Joey’s door and saw him come out.
“Joey what is going on? Why is Izzy so upset?” He asked and Joey sighed,
“C, she’s been playing you. It was one of her pranks. She’s upset because I caught her in it.”
“What? You’re wrong. Izzy hasn’t played me at all. She loves me and I love her.”
“Did you ever think that she could love you? I’ve never seen her hate anyone more, C. I’m sorry, I couldn’t let her do that to you, it was just so wrong.”
“Joey, stop. Izzy doesn’t hate me, she never has. I don’t believe you.”
“God you’re further gone than I expected. JC listen to me. Who knows Izzy better than me? Don’t you think I would know if she was in love with someone? She doesn’t love you, it was all some sick joke.”
“Well she’s one hell of an actress, because she’s kept up appearances for awhile. We’ve been seeing each other for little over a month.”
“What? I didn’t know that!”
“Looks like you don’t know her very well.”
“No, JC, you gotta believe me.”
“Stop, Joey, I don’t want to hear it.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Well that’s my problem and not yours. Excuse me; I’m going to go find my girlfriend. Maybe if you’re lucky, she’ll still want to talk to you.”
“Jesus, C, are you even listening to yourself? None of this makes sense! She was just telling me how much she couldn’t stand you and now she’s claiming that she loves you! It doesn’t fit together. Something’s not right!”
“You’re right about that Joey, something isn’t right. Like how you can stand there and say these things about your best friend. That’s what doesn’t make sense.” JC walked away from a speechless Joey. ‘Why would he even think of something like that? It had been like pulling teeth to get Izzy to commit to him, she had to love him.’ JC gently knocked on Izzy’s door. There was no response so he knocked a little louder, “Izzy? It’s me, JC. Can I come in?” Silence followed, so he tried again, “Izzy, please, I-” The door opened a slight crack and a teary eyed Izzy peeked through, “Hey honey. I just wanted to see if you were okay.” The door opened enough for JC to slip in and he shut the door. JC went right for Izzy and held her tightly. She began crying again and clung onto JC. “Baby, Joey’s wrong for what he said to you.” She lifted her head a little,
“You don’t believe him?” She sniffled,
“No, I know you love me and would never do that to me.” At his words she started crying harder and JC couldn’t figure out what he did, “Baby, baby, what’s wrong? Did I do something?” Izzy shook her head,
“No, you’re just too wonderful for words sometimes.” JC pulled her face to meet his,
“So are you.” He kissed her lips lightly and then pulled her towards the bed, “Let’s go lay down for a while. You’ve been through a lot today.”
“Chasez’s secret to success, a good nap.” She said laughing a little,
“I couldn’t have said it better.”