Section 2 of Part 4
Taylor jerked up. For a while he stuttered, but he finally was able to make sense. "Why are you here? And why aren't you totally pissed at me?"
Isaac had started looking through the bottom of one of the closets, stood up and started looking in the top dresser drawer. "Well, I'm here because I wanted to talk to dad, and I couldn't get a hold of him on the phone," he glanced at the phone Taylor still had in his hand. "And, I am still mad at you, but that doesn't change the fact that you are my little brother, and if you don't tell me now you'll just be worked up about it when we're supposed to be practicing. So go on." He pulled out a few hardbound novels that had been stuffed in the back of his drawer and sat down on Zac's bed.
"Well, it's about what happened in the hospital, with that girl..."
"Yeah, that Conninwell girl. What about it?" Isaac interrupted.
"Well, I just have to tell someone the whole story behind it. It wasn't just what you saw. I didn't do it out of any reason but sheer hatred. She made me so mad... she was talking about you and Jazmine, making up these disgusting lies... talking about how you and Jazmine had had... that you two were..."
"S'ok, Tay, I get the point. Go on."
Taylor looked up at Isaac. The tone he had just used was one that didn't seem an appropriate response to finding out something like that. A wave of curiosity came over him. "Have you?"
Isaac looked disgusted. "You believed that girl? God, Tay..." He got up and started to leave.
"No, Ike, wait..." He pleaded to his brother. As Isaac turned around Taylor could tell he wasn't willing to listen to much more. "I guess, what I should say now is that I'm sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have done it, shouldn't have said those things. It's just..."
"You hated her to the point where there was passion between you." Taylor looked confused at his brother. "Jazmine said it, she didn't want me to be mad at you for it. She tried to save your butt, man. Then you went and turned on her. I can forgive you for what happened at the hospital, but nothing more." He closed the door behind him as he left to get his father, leaving Taylor in a shocked, confused state.
As he got into the kitchen he found his mother, surrounded by his three youngest siblings, eating what looked like a small feast. She looked up as her youngest son started chanting his brother's name. "My, Isaac, nice to see you. How was your New Year's?"
"Oh, it was fine, mom, nothing spectacular." He looked around, trying to find where his father would be. "Do you know where dad is?"
She nodded to the window facing the backyard. "He's on the cellular, someone called a while ago, and he went outside, said he couldn't hear in here." A loud clanging came from behind her as her youngest daughter pulled a pan down onto the floor. "And I can see why," she got up and went to her daughter.
Isaac took the opportunity to sneak out back to his father. He stood behind him for a while, listening. "So, you sure Moonshine won't budge?... How long do you think... Is there anything I can do?... ok." He turned around and saw his son. "Steve, he's here. Want to talk to him?"
Isaac took the phone from his father. "So, Steve, what's up?"
"Bad news. Moonshine doesn't seem to care that we're going to bring up a suit. They say nothing can be done to them until the article's officially published."
"Are they right? Will it have to get to press first?"
"Unfortunately, I think they are. But Isaac, I'm going to fight them as much as I can... see if I can settle... there's no way I'm going to let them publish that."
Isaac sighed. He had faith in Steve, always had, there was no reason to disbelieve him now. "Thanks, Steve. Guess I'll see you around."
He handed the phone back to his father, but before he was out of earshot he heard some of what his father was saying. "We don't have a choice, Steve, what can we do with her? There's no way she'd go with anyone else... I know it would be for the best, but school starts... Isn't there a way to handle it discretely, not necessarily endangering the settlement... Ok. I'll tell him. Thanks Steve." He sighed and called out to his son, who had stopped in his tracks after he heard the conversation. "Isaac, there's something we have to talk about..."
"It's Jazmine, isn't it? You're not going to be able to be her guardians?" His father nodded. "But what's going to happen to her?"
"Steve doesn't want her involved with us until the settlement is over with. So, for now, she's going to have to move into the youth center, and not go to school until this is over with."
"Dad, that's ridiculous! She won't go for that, I won't go for that, isn't there a way she can stay where she is?"
"Isaac, it's what's best for everyone. If this settlement gets public, tabloid press from everywhere will be swamping you, it wouldn't work."
"But the youth center, it's, it's such a cold place. I don't see why she can't stay where she is... I'll come back over here, live here until this whole thing is over, then go back. That way, she can be with people she knows, in a familiar environment."
His father sighed and thought for a moment. "Ok, I'll see if that would work. But you should get back over here as soon as possible, we have no idea how quick this thing will happen. Have your things packed and be over here by this time tomorrow." Isaac nodded and went off, awaiting his ride back to Dave's.
* * *
"So, you're leaving me here?" Jazmine tensed up her neck to look directly at Isaac.
He sat down beside her. "I don't have any other choice. It was either this or you going to the youth center. I thought it would be better."
"But," Jazmine sighed and closed here eyes. "When are you coming back? You know I think this place is to big for me."
"Steve's going to go as fast as he can. I'm guessing a week or two, three at most." He brushed away her hair that had fallen in front of her face and left his hand next to her cheek. "But after that, I'll come back, and it will be like nothing ever happened."
"At the risk of sounding pathetic, three weeks without you will be torture." She leaned her head into his hand as he gently stroked her cheek.
"It's not like you won't hear from me. I'll call; a day won't go by that you won't hear from me."
"Promise?" she said in a hopeful tone.
"Promise." They both smiled. Isaac's hand gently pulled Jazmine closer and they kissed a long, loving, sensitive kiss. As they stopped he whispered to her, "But I'm still here now, and I'm not leaving till tomorrow afternoon..."
She smiled and whispered back, "And until you walk out the door, I'm never letting go."
* * *
Mike sat on the sofa in the main room reading. He looked up as he heard a door open. Jazmine and Isaac walked past him, hand in hand. On one shoulder Isaac had a canvas bag, with corners of books and shirt sleeves sticking out the top. Before they reached the stairs they turned to each other and wrapped their arms around the other's waist. Jazmine rested her head on his shoulder, and when she lifted it up they kissed, then she resumed her previous position. "So, the time has come, has it?"
"Yeah, Mike. But it's only for three weeks at most. You look after her, ok?"
"Isaac, I'm not a ceramic doll, I won't break."
Mike looked at the cast on her ankle and the one on her arm. "On the contrary, Jazmine. From the looks of thing's you do break, quite a lot."
A smile came across Isaac's face, but he noticed a glare from Jazmine, and stopped. "Well, you know what I mean, Mike. Make sure she doesn't just sit around the house."
"Well, Michelle said something about going window shopping tomorrow. I'm sure she'd like it if Jazmine came along, she'd be much better company than I would."
Isaac looked down at Jazmine. "You want to go?"
"Well, I don't know. Maybe..."
"Jazmine..." Isaac gave her a stern yet concerned look. "Go with her, ok? You need to get out."
Jazmine sighed and gave a pleading look to Isaac, but realized he wasn't going to give in. "Ok, I'll go." He smiled at her and took her hand.
"Bye Mike. See ya," Isaac called as he walked down the stairs and out of view.
* * *
"Jazmine! Come on! You said you would!"
"Michelle, I really don't feel like it... I'll just slow you down."
"I don't intend on rushing. The whole point of window shopping is to take it easy. I'm not going to let you sit around the house, you need to get out." Noticing this had no real affect on Jazmine she used her last resort. "You promised Isaac you would."
Jazmine sighed and reached for her crutches. "Fine, I'll go." Michelle smiled and helped her up.
"You've been moping around all day. You'll be glad to get out of the house."
* * *
"Are you kidding me? I'd look horrible in that thing!"
"Come on, Jazmine, just because it's red doesn't mean you'd look bad in it!"
"Michelle, dear, that wasn't red. That was the most disgusting color pink I've ever seen in my life. I've had nightmares about wearing that color!" Both Michelle and Jazmine laughed for a short time, then they stopped as the scent from the far off food court overwhelmed them. "They do that just to make you buy more... you can smell the food a mile away, so it makes you think you're more hungry than you really are."
Michelle took a deep breath. "But, you've gotta hand it to 'em, it sure does work." They rounded the corner, prepared to head for the nearest food establishment when they saw a bunch of people crowding around someone, then being forced away. "Wonder who that is?" Michelle craned her neck to see something of the seemingly popular person. "You know, from this side, he kind of looks like Isaac."
Jazmine took a quick glance, shrugged, and kept going. "I'd really only care if it was him. This guy probably loves all the attention his appearance gets him."
Michelle slowed down, almost stopping. She examined the person some more, then completely stopped and held onto Jazmine's shoulder. "Come on, I'd like to get a closer look."
"Oh, seriously Michelle. You're living in the same house as the real person, and you become amazed at some cheap look-alike?"
"Jazmine, come on. No harm will come from it. I'm curious as to just how much he looks like Ike." Jazmine sighed and followed Michelle who had already begun to walk towards the mysterious look-alike. As they walked up behind him Jazmine was beginning to regret coming. When they reached him, his back was turned; Michelle started to greet him, "Hey..."
"Look, I'm not a Hanson, and if you people don't stop bugging me," he said in an angry tone as he turned around. He looked as if he was about to finish off, but his declaration was cut short as he looked at them. "Jazmine?"
She had been looking past him to the lines of people getting food, and nearly jumped when she heard her name. When she saw him her face showed a blank expression, trying to figure out who this guy was. Suddenly her eyes grew wide and her lips barely parted as she remembered, "John."
Part 5