Room 406, Monday Evening

[izzyalienqueen]

After baking, Isabel had taken a long walk around the island, eventually winding up at the small, secluded beach she and Greg had picnicked at. It was nice to remember happy times and not have to worry about facing anyone that would ask questions about last night's radio. When it started to get dark she returned to the school, collected her cheesecake from the classroom fridge, and returned to her room.

The cheesecake's in the mini-fridge, Isabel is contemplating nail polish colors, and the door is mostly open.

Comments

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

He just shrugs at that and says, "I know about situations like this where you have to know. Would I have been happy knowing? No, but I would've known and I wouldn't have been woken up early in the morning and wondered if he was already dead and if I was too late."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're right," she said quietly. "You're absolutely right."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I can take a lot of things and I can adapt to a lot of things but I don't like being lied to," he says, staring at the cake. "I told him things that hardly anyone else knows and he lied."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"What exactly did he lie about?" Isabel asked. "I'm sorry, but I don't know anything but the very, very basics of what happened."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I knew none of the details of what happened to him last night," Cedric says, resting his plate on his knee. "This, apparently, had been going on for a week or two and he never let on. He had opportunities to tell myself or Sam and he chose not to. And I was with him last night or two nights ago and he told me nothing and then he left."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel sighed and put her own plate aside. "I don't think he did it to intentionally hurt you. I just, I don't know, I don't think he's used to having people care. I think he's used to taking care of himself."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"No, I believe you're right," he says and nods. "Which means, what I tell him just doesn't work. I've told him I care. I thought he knew."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'm pretty sure he knows that. Which is why he didn't tell you. He wanted to keep you safe." Isabel held up her hand. "Yes, I know that's stupid logic."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"And I want to keep him safe yet he insists on coming to England with me if I return," he points out. "He needed to do this, I'm sure, but if I left him alone to go back to England, I'd be the one getting yelled at right now. Or I'd be dead."

He doesn't add again to that statement.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're right," she said quietly. "You would be getting yelled at." Isabel refused to even think about the possibility of losing another friend. "He came to see me last night."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Hmm." He nods and smiles a little. "I thought he would. How was he?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Quiet, for Jack. He thought I was going to yell at him." Isabel shook her head, "But I really don't have any right to yell at him."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I'm done...well, I didn't really yell," he says and shrugs. "But the hurt hasn't gone away. It hurts."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It'll get better," Isabel promised. Leaning over, she hugged him. "He's lucky to have you. And he knows it. He was just dumb."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

He hugs her back and nods against her shoulder. "I do hope so. Time, I guess, is needed."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"We do have that," Isabel said, gently ruffling his hair. "Unless you've decided it's time to run off to Mexico?"

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"My bag remains packed and ready whenever you are," he says and smiles fully.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Ask me again in a few days, I might actually take you up on it," Isabel said with a weak smile.

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"All right," he says, getting to his feet, still holding the plate. "I should go and make sure my room is still where I left it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Because we have such a problem with rooms fleeing," Isabel chuckled. "Thanks for visiting!"

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"You're welcome," he says and sets the plate down. "Thank you for letting me talk with you. Sleep well."

He nods, smiles and leaves quietly.