What Real Life's Like Thread 3 (CC TEEN) TESS OPEN

Sternbetrachter · Post by **Sternbetrachter** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:16 pm

How I'd love to be sure he gets no cookies

KYLE

And I'm stranded again, is this some sort of, 'Leave Kyle alone' evening?

Trotting into the house, I smell ... cake or something. Hearing my stomach growl - I didn't really get to eat earlier - I follow the smell into the kitchen.

"Oh ... hey Alex." I mumble when I see him standing next to the counter. Grabbing some cookies quickly, I move to the other side of the room and sit down, feeling Alex's gaze on me the whole time.

"So ... care to share why you were left behind?"

I note some bemusement in his voice. I'm pretty sure that soon, he won't be feeling all happy anymore!

"Oh well, you know, ... just a slight misunderstanding between Isabel and me." I mumble between cookies. I just hope I'm not in the same room with him when someone tells him the real reason for Isabel's sudden leave.

~Ruby~ · Post by **~Ruby~** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:20 pm

ISABEL

There’s another knock at the bedroom door and I feel my heart jump into my throat thinking that’s it Alex but then remember that he’s still out on his date. His date, ha! I’m actually starting to feel a little sorry for that Ashley girl now and I never thought that that would happen.

“Hey, Isabel? It's Max. Can I come in?" Max’s voice comes from the other side of the door.

I consider saying no but you know what they say. Misery loves company. I turn my head and look at Liz but she doesn’t say a word, obviously leaving the decision up to me. I pretty sure that she has no idea how to deal with me at the moment and its just another reason why I miss Kathryn so much. She would kick my ass and make me feel better.

“That depends. Have you got a ulterior motive?” I ask from my place on the bed. The lights are still out, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good because I enjoy sulking in the dark and bad because I can’t read the expression on Liz’s face.

isabelle · Post by **isabelle** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:49 pm

*Max*

Ulterior motives? "Well, yes. I want to be sure you're okay and to apologise. I think you may have gotten the wrong impression from Kyle."

It's the best I can do right now. I don't know what she's thinking. I know I can't fix this entirely, but I want to mitigate the damages and the hurt feelings if I can.

~Ruby~ · Post by **~Ruby~** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:07 pm

ISABEL

"Well, yes. I want to be sure you're okay and to apologise. I think you may have gotten the wrong impression from Kyle."

I try not to roll my eyes. I had given up on the idea that it had all been a big mistake about ten minutes after I had crawled under my covers. That said, Max has been a good friend if I ignore the supposed conspiracy that Kyle had told me about.

“Come on in then,” I say, sitting up in my bed so that my back is leaning against the headboard. I reach across and switch the bedside table light on so that the room is no longer in complete darkness. “Just be warned that you are not getting anywhere near my cookies or milk.”

isabelle · Post by **isabelle** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:28 pm

*Max*

I walk in and find the room almost completely dark except for a light over her headboard. Is Isabel alone in here? No, it looks like Liz is here, too. Isabel sounds really unhappy, and I hate that. I hate knowing that our good intentions have backfired so completely.

“Just be warned that you are not getting anywhere near my cookies or milk," Isabel adds and I have to smile. It's nice that she's at least trying to be funny.

"Don't worry. I already took a few downstairs," I tell her. I look around, wondering if I should take a seat in the chair by the desk, but that seems too far away. Sitting on the bed seems a bit too personal when she's lying on it, so I settle for standing there.

"Isabel, I talked to Kyle. He told me what he told you and what happened. I don't know exactly what he said, but I want you to know that nobody ever meant you any harm. You're my friend, Isabel. At least, I've thought so," I tell her. There's so much I want to say, it's hard to know where to start without know exactly what she's feeling.

~Ruby~ · Post by **~Ruby~** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:52 pm

ISABEL

"Isabel, I talked to Kyle. He told me what he told you and what happened. I don't know exactly what he said, but I want you to know that nobody ever meant you any harm. You're my friend, Isabel. At least, I've thought so,"

I nod and gesture to where Liz is sitting on her bed, “I thought so too and that’s why I’m willing to hear what you have to say about the whole thing. I really don’t know what to think at the moment and I really hoping that things aren’t as bad as Kyle made out because I’m feeling really stupid. I don’t like feeling stupid and I don’t like feeling that I’ve been manipulated and that’s how I’m feeling right now.”

isabelle · Post by **isabelle** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:30 pm

*Max*

"You're not stupid. We haven't been trying to manipulate you, we were just trying to help Alex," I say, hoping I'm not making things worse. I don't really know what she knows, what she's said, or what Liz has tried to explain. I only hope I don't say anything to contradict Liz.

"It's true, Alex does like you. We all like you, although, yes, Alex might like you in a little bit different way." I stop myself, breaking that chain of thought. I look forward into Isabel's eyes. I want her to know that I'm being completely sincere. I decide I'd best speak just for myself.

"But nothing I did was to manipulate you. It was Alex. Alex made a rather bad first impression -- you thought he was an escaped lunatic and I thought he had a crush on Liz." I allow myself a small smile of self-depreciation. "But I figured out he was an okay guy, even after he hit me. He really is. I was just trying to help him get some confidence and regain his 'face' so you could see what he was really like. Whatever happened after that would be up to you and him."

Sugarplum7 · Post by **Sugarplum7** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:48 am

<center>~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Liz ~*~ ~*~ ~*~</center>

Max comes in after Izzy’s reluctant invitation, and I find myself listening to what he has to say and hoping that she knows how sincere we are both being about this, but I can’t seem to wrap my head around what she meant by Alex’s ulterior motive. Was it something I said that made Alex seem like he was trying to be her friend just so he could take advantage of her and damn any of her feelings?

He likes her, yes, but he doesn’t want to use her. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have been helping him out. But instead of letting Max continue on with anything else he wanted to say, I get up from my bed and walk across the room to sit on the opposite corner of her bed.

In the dark it was fine to be farther away, being closer didn’t matter since there was no light to really see by. With her bedside lamp on it’s almost isolating sitting on my bed on the other side of the room.

“Izzy, what did you mean about ulterior motives? Alex doesn’t have any. He’s not trying to be your friend because it’s some stepping stone in a master plan. He’s trying to be your friend because he wants to be your friend. It’s not because he likes the way you look in some designer dress with stiletto heels. It’s because he likes who you are.”

isabelle · Post by **isabelle** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:38 pm

*bump*

Sternbetrachter · Post by **Sternbetrachter** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:52 pm

ALEX

"So, ... your date went well?"

Smooth, really smooth Alex. Why don't you just ask him if they are together now?

"Oh ... it did, kinda. We realized that we are better off as friends, so ... I got a new friend today which is great."

It certainly is great if you ask me. Maybe I could have a little chat with Ms. Anderson later. "Really? Making friends is always good." I say after a moment. "You have an idea where everyone else is?" Better change the subject before I say something wrong.

"Michael's watching some ... hockey, I think. Maria and Tess are ... bonding? Max and Liz are talking to Isabel."

"Really? Are they having a secret meeting or can anyone join?" I ask with a smile, wondering if I can find an excuse to join them.

"Uh ... it ... seemed serious, I think and ... Max and liz wanted to talk to her, I guess and if you join them then ... it would be like you're crowding Isabel. I guess. Better not join them!"

Kyle stutters and I can't help but frown at him. Why would it be crowding if I join them? Oh! Maybe they are talking about ... me! Guess I better not interrupt them then. But being in the kitchen with a nervous Kyle isn't very cool either. Especially not when I have no idea why he's nervous (but I do have a bad feeling about that) and he's also eating *my* cookies. Or at least the ones I claimed to be mine.

"Leave some for the others, okay?" I comment as I turn to leave the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kyle cries shocked, standing up alarmed.

"Uh, upstairs. Taking a shower. Maybe playing some music." I state slowly, wondering what exactly I'm not getting here.

"Oh ... cool ... great. Have ... fun!" Kyle mumbles as he sits down again.

Giving him a confused look, I nod before I turn and leave. Why do I have the feeling that something more than 'becoming friends' happened during his and Isabel's date?