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

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Really, I'm mostly fine. Just bruised up. But the aspirin is taking care of it," Isabel promised.

"Did something happen?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Ice bags. Use 'em." Parker rubbed her face. "It's no secret, so... Callisto had a pregnancy scare. And I don't think Angel handled it well."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It's times like these that I miss having Max around. Although he'd probably wind up just as mad as Greg."

Isabel blinked. "But she isn't seeing anyone is she?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Evidently? There's a prophecy. Or something. And Angel might get to have at leat one kid." Parker rolled her eyes and gave her lollipop an extra-hard slurp. "Which means this whole thing was just a massive mind-frell for both of them, to quote Aeryn."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Damn, that sucks," Isabel said fiercely. "No wonder he was in hyperbrood mode."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Parker sighed. "He used to draw sketches, in art class... anyway. I need to give him a call. Callisto has been even more fatalistic than usual. I don't know if he can help, but I want to give him a shot to not be a jerk to her." She was quiet a second, then lightly said, "And you missed last weekend's fun, with my surprise package."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"When you talk to him? Tell him I'm doing okay please?" she asked. "Package?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I will, if you actually are." Parker bumped her shoulder again, and sighed. "Crate. Huge. Present from home. Live."

Interesting. Angelo must be rubbing off on her.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'm not flailing, I'm not falling apart, and I'm not in the clinic. I think that counts as doing okay," Isabel said with a weak smile. "How huge?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Right, then. You're okay. Fragile, but okay." Parker held her arms out, up and down, and said, "Big enough to hold a person. Angelo. From Blue Cove. His idea of a vacation."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Angelo that you send sugar to Angelo?" she asked, eyes wide. "Oh my god. What did you do?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Turned my back for five seconds, then spent the rest of the night trying to chase him down through the air ducts." Parer rubbed her face, looking rueful. "And looking really stupid, coming out in the wrong rooms, or just after he left them. I gave up around 2a.m, then did the same thing, only not in the air ducts, for the rest of Saturday."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh god Parker," Isabel said, trying hard not to chuckle at the image of Parker popping out of her vent like the Muppet chickens did. "Did you ever catch him?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Noooo. Constable Fraser had him cornered at Nadia's room for a while, then he took off into the night-- and turned up at Jarod's for breakfast the next morning. The only thing he'd say about where he spent the night was 'ducks quack.' I was afraid to ask for more details." She rolled her eyes. "Bridge helped me try to find him all Saturday. I so owe that guy." Parker went quiet again, studying her lollipop.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like he had fun," she said. "Of course it must have been insanely frustrating for you." Isabel took a lick of her own lollipop and studied Parker. "But everything was okay right?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Mostly." Parker took a breath, then laughed a little. "Bridge says Angelo's my brother. Angelo had video files with him that seem to point that out too."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"But I thought," Isabel started to say before stopping. Parker had been lied to before. This was just one more.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yes. So did I." Parker looked at her, and raised her eyebrows. "So, yes. Visit from my... twin." She shook her head. "Who's back in Blue Cove now, don't ask me how, exactly. But he seems to be okay with this."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's just...wow." She returned Parker's gaze. "How do you feel about that?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker had had a few more days to process by now, so she could honestly say, "Relieved. My brother's not dead. He's not a creep. I already know and like him a lot." She was quiet a moment. "There's other stuff, but I'm not getting into it. It's complicated and weird and I'm still figuring it out. But the Angelo part? Is, all in all, cool." Her lips curved up in a smile as she said this, and bit into the Jolly Rancher pop with a crack of candy.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"If you ever need an ear about the complicated and weird stuff, you know I'll listen, right?" Isabel asked. "But I'm glad for you. I'm also sorry that I didn't get a chance to meet him."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker nodded. "I know you'd listen--" but I don't want to traumatize the hell out of you "--and if I do need to tell you, I will." She grimaced. "I hope I don't have to, though. I don't want to know this stuff. If I have to tell you, it's bad." She rubbed her eyes. "You would like him, I think. Maybe, sometime, he can visit again. Probably when I least expect it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel nodded, pretty sure she understood. "Got it," she said. "I hope he does. Then you to can experience the joy that is having a brother."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"You say that like ... it's Max," Parker said plaintively. "It's just your average sugar-hyped obsessive-compulsive empath."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"But Max is an overly emo, obsessive with a king complex. And don't forget I have to deal with Michael as well. That adds cranky, suspicious, and grumpy into the mix as well," Isabel whined back.