Izzy and JC walked down the hall together, talking quietly together. They were all coming back from a concert and were looking forward to having the night off.
Izzy and JC reached his door and he unlocked it as he said something that made Izzy laugh really hard. She threw her head back and then flipped it down shaking it a little. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Lance staring at her. He looked completely miserable and sadly turned away, walking down the hall. Izzy’s demeanor instantly changed and she grew quiet. JC looked up suddenly and saw Lance walking away and matched it up with her face. He felt the anger rise in his system at what Lance was doing to Izzy. It has been going on for at least a week now, Lance was making her completely miserable and he was sick of it.
JC let Izzy into his room and she immediately went out on the balcony. He knew that she wanted some time alone. He sat down on his bed and decided what to do about the Lance situation. He just couldn’t step aside and let him do this to Izzy any more. He heard her sniffles out on the balcony, it was becoming a nightly ritual. She cried every night over Lance and he sighed, this ended now.
JC got up and went out on the balcony, she was facing away from him holding herself and wiping away the tears. He slowly walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders sliding them down her arms,
“Hey.” She said quietly not turning around, “I hope you don’t mind, I just-”
“Just want to be alone.” He finished quietly for her, “I know, I wanted to let you know that I was going for a short walk. You going to be okay?” She shrugged her shoulders sadly, “Okay, well if you need me, I’m taking my cell. I shouldn’t be long.”
“I’m sorry.” She whispered.
“Why are you sorry?” He said and turned her around. She looked down at the ground and then up at him,
“Because I’m letting this affect us.”
“Izzy, anything that affects you or me, affects us. Just the way relationships go.”
“I don’t want to push you away.”
“You’re not, I’m right here.” Then it dawned on him, “I’m just walking to stretch my legs a little bit. Do you want me to stay?” She paused and then shook her head,
“No, go take a walk.” She half smiled, “I’m just going to be out here for a while anyways.” She shrugged,
“Okay,” he said placing a kiss on her forehead, “like I said if you need me, just give me a call and I’ll come right back.” She took a deep breath,
“Okay, thanks.” JC pulled her into a hug and she held him tightly. He pulled back and kissed her gently. He held her face in his hand, rubbing his thumb over her cheek.
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
“Hey can we talk?”
“I have nothing to talk to you about.” He sneered and walked back into the room. JC walked in and shut the door.
“Lance come on, this is ridiculous. I don’t want you mad at me.”
“Well maybe you should have thought about that before you stole Izzy from me.”
“I didn’t steal Izzy from you.”
“Oh and what do you call it? You knew I wanted her and you went for her anyways! You’re not my friend, my friend wouldn’t do that to me!”
“I guess it doesn’t matter that I love her and she loves me, huh? That we’re happy together!”
“You didn’t even show interest in her until after you knew I wanted her. Why don’t you just hammer the knife in my back deeper, right through my heart.”
“Damn it Lance! Get over yourself! If you really love Izzy like you say you do then you would suck it up and deal with it.”
“Don’t try and tell me what to feel or do. You’re the last person to even try.”
“Am I Lance? Because I’m the person who has to deal with the shit you’re putting Izzy through. I’m the one who has to see her cry her eyes out because you won’t talk to her. I’m the one who has to deal with the fact that nothing I can say or do will make her feel better. I see her beating herself up and feeling guilty for loving me, when she shouldn’t because she hasn’t done anything wrong. You make her feel that way and if you really loved her then you would do something about it, because I know I would do anything to take away an ounce of the hurt and anguish that she’s going through, that she’s putting herself through over you. She won’t even touch me around you because SHE doesn’t want to hurt you! Izzy cares for you so much and you are just treating her like shit! You were one of her best friends! You’re not her friend because friends don’t do that to their friends!” He mocked Lance’s words. Lance stood away from JC and let everything he just said sink in.
“It’s so hard, Jace, and it’s not fair. I mean I saw her first…” He trailed off,
“No you didn’t.” He replied,
“What?” Lance looked up in shock. JC pulled out a worn picture from his wallet and thrusted it at Lance. “What’s that?”
“Just look, be careful the picture’s old.” Lance took the picture and looked at it.
“I’ve seen this before, it’s of you and Melissa. What does this have to do with Izzy?” He said and held it out to JC. He pushed back to Lance gently,
“Flip it over.” JC instructed and Lance sighed as he did so. On the back of the picture he read the writing, ‘Bell and me-Summer of 94.’
“So, you said her name was Melissa Bell.”
“Her first name was Bell, well when I first met her, her name WAS Bell. Look at the picture, that’s Izzy.” Lance looked at the picture again, in fact he stared at it and it hit him. It was Izzy, you had to look closely, but it was her. She had lost a little weight, grew up a lot and grew out her hair, but the eyes were the same. Lance looked up at JC and back down at the picture trying to digest everything.
“I’ve been in love with Izzy for six years, I only said her name was Melissa because of Joey. Back then you know how he was about her. He would have killed me if he had known about us, so once again we kept it from everyone. Funny how history repeats itself, huh?” Lance didn’t reply and just stared at the picture, “Lance?”
“You really love her?”
“I do and I’m sorry that it all came out this way.” Lance handed back the picture and sighed,
“I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting.”
“It’s understandable, you were hurt.”
“She’s really something special.”
“Don’t I know it.” JC replied and then Lance looked up at her,
“You better take damn good care of her or I’m gonna beat your ass in.” He said with a smile creeping up on his lips,
“I wouldn’t expect any less, though you might have to get in line behind Joey. He gave me the speech already.” JC laughed and so did Lance.
“I’m not surprised.” He said and got quiet, “It’s not going to be easy, but I’m going to try.”
“That’s all I ask, man. That’s all I ask.”