“The great mystical Kirkpatrini can see the future, all I need is to see your palm.” Chris said reaching for her hand and Izzy shirked away from him,
“I’m not letting you anywhere near my palms. I’ll probably get a disease.” She teased,
“Aw, come on Iz, work with me. I have to practice my next career. I can’t sing and dance forever.” He said reaching for her hand again.
“Chris you’re not reading my palm.”
“Don’t forget the great mystical Kirkpatrini can see the future and I see myself reading your palm.” He wiggled his fingers in front of her face and she groaned wondering how she got stuck with Chris today.
Chris saw her distraction and grabbed her wrist pulling the palm up towards his face. Izzy yanked it back,
“Chris let go.”
“Relax, I’m just going to read your future.” He said pulling her palm to his face again,
“Chris, FUCKING LET GO OF MY WRIST NOW!!” She screamed at him and he dropped her wrist in shock, holding up his hands,
“Whoa, it’s okay.” Izzy closed her eyes and gently massaged the wrist that Chris had been holding. She took a few calming deep breaths and looked at Chris,
“I’m sorry, I just don’t like people touching my wrists. I didn’t mean to yell, I just freaked.” Izzy looked all nervous noticing that people were staring at them,
“Dude, it’s okay. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I, uh, I have to go.” She said and made a quick exit.
“What do you mean?” He asked as he tossed a ball in the air and caught it.
“I was joking around with her, grabbed her wrist and she flipped on me.”
“Maybe she doesn’t like people touching her wrists.” He said.
“Well thanks Sherlock I think I got the grasp of that. I was wondering if you knew why.”
“She’s never mentioned anything to me. She’s just always been like that.”
“Is that why she’s always wearing bracelets? I’ve never seen her without them on, I swear she sleeps in them.”
“Those wide, plasticy things she always got on? Yeah she does sleep in them. She never takes them off.”
“That’s weird.”
“You’re calling someone weird. That’s rich.” Joey laughed,
“Ha ha, you’re so funny Joey!” Chris said sarcastically, “So she’s never said anything to you about them, you know why she always wears them?”
“Nope, I never really noticed them until you pointed it out to me. It’s just bracelets.” Joey shrugged.
“Can you ask her for me? I just want to make sure that she’s okay and that I didn’t really hurt her or anything.”
“Yeah sure.”
“Yeah Lance?” She perked up instantly and went over to him.
“Can we go somewhere and talk real quick?”
“Yeah sure. Lead the way sweets.” She said quietly,
She followed Lance into their quiet room and leaned against the couch. She waited as he was quiet for a few moments and situated himself next to her.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a brat about you and JC.” She looked up at him,
“I’m sorry I hurt you. I miss you.”
“I’ve missed you too Izzy.” She reached over and laid a hand on his arm gently.
“I know it can’t be like it used to be.”
“JC’s not going to let you be friends with me?”
“NO! I would never give him such power.”
“I was kidding, we were friends before we can be friends now.” He shrugged.
“You’re okay with everything?”
“I want you to be happy and if Jace makes you happy then so be it.” Izzy moved over and hugged Lance,
“Thank you.” She whispered graciously and Lance wrapped his arms around her,
“I’m sorry I hurt you and that I wasn’t a very good friend.”
“I understand why you did what you did.”
“No one has the right to make you feel bad. I was really wrong for acting the way I did and making you cry.”
“I was only crying because I thought I had lost one of my best friends.”
“Well, you haven’t. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
“Good.” She hugged him tighter, “Cause I need someone to sing country with me. Jace hates it.” She joked,
“Anytime, anywhere, princess.”
“And you still have to teach me how to ski.” He laughed,
“You betcha.” He tapped her on the end of her nose. “Are you going to go camping with us next week?”
“Does your camping have room service?”
“Uh, no, it’s camping.”
“Well my camping does. You boys go and do your manliness out in the woods. That’s one party I can definitely miss.” She laughed and he joined in.
“I guess princesses don’t belong in the woods.”
“You got that right, look what happened to Snow White. Left to her own devices and she shacked up with seven midgets.” She retorted and Lance let out a long laugh. It felt good to laugh with Izzy again. Even through everything he had really missed just hanging out with her.
She took his hand and pulled him towards the door,
“Come on, let’s go find the guys and make sure they’re not getting into any trouble.”
“Hmm, they said something about buying fireworks …”
“And you left them alone?! Lance! What were you thinking?!” She joked,
“Come in!” She shouted and Joey poked his head in the doorway,
“Hey Iz?” She looked up quickly,
“Yeah Joey-bear?”
“Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure, pull up a seat.” She said nodding to the seat next to her. Joey quickly took and turned to her,
“What was up with you flipping out on Chris?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?” That was the last thing she was expecting him to be asking her,
“I was talking to Chris the other night and he was worried about you because you flipped on him about holding your wrists. You okay?”
“Oh, that. I’m fine, I was a bit tired and he was annoying me, no biggie.” She smiled hoping that Joey would drop the subject.
“You sure? It sounded like a little bit more than your normal outbursts.”
“Yes! Geez, you’re acting like I’ve never flipped out on someone before! It’s not the first time I’ve flipped on someone and probably won’t be the last. In fact you’re getting close to it now.” She warmed playfully and he laughed,
“Okay, okay princess. Just making sure that’s all.” Izzy ran a hand through her hair and Joey caught sight of her bracelets, “What’s up with those bracelets that you’re always wearing?” Izzy looked down at her wrists and instinctively shoved her hands in her lap,
“Nothing, I just like wearing them.” She shrugged,
“You sleep in them though.”
“Like I said I really like to wearing them.”
“Oh okay.” He said looking into his hands and saw the white envelope that he carried in. he held it up to her, “Hey you got something in the mail.” He said and handed the letter to her. “It was from your college, so I figured that you’d want to read it right away.”
“Kay thanks. Wonder what they want?” Joey watched as she opened the letter. Izzy pulled out the letter and read it silently. Then she just stared at the letter,
“What’s it say?” Joey inquired and a smiled crept across her face and she looked at Joey,
“It’s from my advisor at Edwards. I can’t, I just, oh my God!!!” She exclaimed,
“What?”
“Her grant! She got it!! And she wants me to go with her!!!” Izzy began jumping around the room excitably. Joey was now on his feet too.
“Izzy what are you talking about?”
“I’m going to Africa!!! Ahhh!!!” She screamed.
“I don’t understand, what are you saying?” Izzy calmed down a little,
“My advisor is taking me to Africa to do a study with her!! God this is so amazing!!”
“You’re going? When?”
“In the beginning of August.” She said staring at the letter in her hand.
“That’s right around the corner! Izzy the tour doesn’t end till the middle of August.” Joey said quietly and Izzy looked at him,
“I’m sure you’ll be just fine for the last few shows without me, Joey-bear.”
“Well how long is your trip to Africa? Maybe you can join back up with us.”
“Joey, this isn’t like a week long trip. I’m going to be spending at least two years there, maybe more, depending on the study itself.” Joey just stared at her,
“Two years? Or more? I’m not going to see you for two years? Or more?”
“It’s a once in a lifetime chance. They don’t just pick anybody for these types of studies Joey.”
“What about JC? What about your family? What about me? You’re just going to pack up and leave us all for two years?”
“You did and didn’t give me a second thought.” Izzy shot back and Joey looked down,
“Iz that was diff-”
“Different Joe? How?”
“That was my dream.” He said quietly,
“And this is mine. How is it okay for you to travel all over the world living your dream and not okay for me? I’ve worked really hard to do this. I won’t let you guilt me into giving it up, I’m going.”
“Going where?” JC said as he walked into the room. Izzy spun around,
“I got a position on my professor’s research team!” She said excitably.
“That’s great sweetie!” JC said hugging her. Joey cocked an eyebrow at the couple,
“Where’s the team located, Izzy?” He asked and Izzy shot him a look,
“What’s Joey talking about? Your team’s at school right?” Izzy looked down and then back at JC,
“The team is located in Africa. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. They rarely ask grad students to be a part of these teams.” JC dropped his arms from Izzy.
“Africa? You’re going to Africa? For the next year?”
“Next two years.” Joey spat out and Izzy turned on him,
“Joey will you fucking stay out of this? Go away!”
“Fine!” Joey said and stalked out of the room slamming the door in his wake. Izzy took a deep breath and turned to JC,
“Two years Iz? I won’t be able to see you for two years?” Izzy shrugged her shoulders,
“Yeah, I guess so. I don’t think I’ll have time off to visit much.”
“When do you leave?”
“Beginning of August.”
“That’s too soon! I just got you back and you’re going to leave me?”
“Why is everything about you?! I’m granted the opportunity of a lifetime and all you can think about is yourself! What about me? I’ve worked for six long hard years for this! Opportunities like this don’t come by everyday! This is my dream come true! You should be happy for me, not pissed off!” She yelled at JC.
“I’m sorry that I’m upset because the woman I love is moving to Africa for two years. God I am just so horrible!” He yelled back and Izzy shook her head,
“Whatever, do what you want Chasez. I’m going.” She stalked out of the room and slammed the door. JC quickly followed her,
“Don’t you walk out on me Izzy! We need to talk about it!” She whipped around,
“I think I get your drift of the situation Chasez!”
“Don’t call me Chasez.”
“I’ll call you what ever the fuck I want to call you.” JC took a deep breath trying to keep calm,
“What happens when you leave?”
“What do you mean what happens?” She said angrily and JC winced at her tone,
“I’m talking about us. When you leave, what’s going to happen to us?” He asked softly and Izzy’s anger died when she saw the pain in his eyes,
“I don’t know.” She said and turned away from him,
“Do you know where you’ll be in Africa?”
“No clue, I’m gonna be floating around.”
“It’s so far away.”
“I know.”
“It’s such a long time apart.”
“I know.” She repeated more strongly,
“Don’t go.” He whispered,
“What?”
“Don’t go, stay with me.” He said grabbing her hand, “I lost you for six years, I don’t want to lose you again.” She sighed,
“I-I can’t, it’s too much of an opportunity to give up. I would think that out of anybody you guys would understand that.”
“So we’re just going to end it like that?” He said and she shrugged,
“I guess, you yourself were saying how far apart we’re gonna be and how long it would be till we saw each other again.”
“I don’t want this to end. Jesus, I just got you back into my life.”
“You think I do? But how can we keep it together? I don’t think we can.”
“What would happen if you weren’t going to Africa?”
“I would go back to Edwards to finish my degree. I only have a year left. Maybe my leaving is a good thing.”
“How is it a good thing?”
“Because I don’t fit into your world.” She sighed and turned away from him, “This summer’s been great but it’s not my life, it’s yours. My life isn’t like that and wouldn’t fit into yours. I didn’t go to college for seven years to be a groupie. My line of work doesn’t allow me to leave for long periods of time. I mean let’s say that we stay together through Africa or I even don’t go to Africa. I would have to stay home most of the time while you were off traveling. Personally that sucks ass.” She said and he would have laughed at her brashness if their conversation wasn’t so serious.
“So when you leave, we’re over?”
“It would end anyways. I’d rather end it on our own terms and still be friends.”
“Why wait? Let’s end it now and stop wasting our time.” He snapped and Izzy looked down, trying to blink away the tears,
“If that’s what you want.” She said, her voice trembling with tears,
“No! That’s not what I want! I want to be with you! I don’t want you to leave! We’ve been through so much trying to find each other, and even more in our relationship. Fate brought us back together after six years, doesn’t that say something to you!? It says that we’re meant to be together!” Izzy quickly turned around and hugged JC tightly, pressing her face into his neck. Her body shook with sobs. JC held her tight, not wanting to let her go but let go of the tears that he was holding back.
Izzy held on to JC with all of her might and felt tears that weren’t her own on her neck. Her mind reeled with everything that she was feeling. Could she give up JC to travel the world? She had worked six long years for this moment. ‘But you’ve searched six long years for him too.’ Her conscious told her, ‘Can you live a night without his touch, hearing his voice, seeing his smile, feeling his love? At the end of the day what would make your day complete? Doing your job or being with JC?’
Izzy’s sobs died slowly and she shakily raised her head,
“Josh?” She called out softly and he slowly raised his head but didn’t look into her eyes, “Josh?” She called to him again, “Please look at me.” She pleaded softly and JC couldn’t deny her. He looked up into her emerald eyes,
“Ye-e-ss?” He barely got out as more sobs threaten to over take him again. She brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes,
“Ask me to stay.”
“What?”
“Ask me to stay with you.” She repeated, he looked at her for a few moments and then took a deep breath,
“Izzy please don’t go. Stay with me.” Izzy took a deep breath and closed her eyes,
“Okay, I will.” She opened her eyes again and saw a shocked JC staring back at her,
“You’re gonna stay with me?” She nodded her head,
“Yeah, I will.” JC picked her up and swung her around and then stopped suddenly,
“Are you sure? What about your dream?” She shrugged,
“I have more than one dream. You’re helping me live one right now. I’m sure there will be other studies that I can do.”
“You’re really sure about this?” He asked one more time,
“Yeah, I am.”