Better Sorry Than Safe

“Ugh, shit.” Isabelle sat up in bed the next morning with her head throbbing. Maybe last night’s drinking had been a mistake. She knew immediately that she’d pay for it with the hangover that had already began.

She pulled herself out of bed and went to grab a shower, hoping to just spend the day at home and recover. After her shower she brushed her hair and teeth before grabbing her cell phone from the nightstand and heading out into the kitchen. Thankfully Lilly had made the coffee already. Isabelle was pouring herself a cup when she heard the voices.

“Lilly do you think that she’ll like it?” She knew the voice all too well, it was Chris.

“Chris she’ll love it, now stop worrying okay?” Ah, so Lilly knew about whatever Chris was worried about. Isabelle cut her eyes and took a drink of coffee. There was another surprise coming her way. Wonderful.

“You are here early Chris. You didn’t tell me that you were coming over this morning.” Isabelle smiled when she walked into the living room only minutes later. He didn’t notice the disappointment that was hidden in her voice at first, he was too happy to see her.

“I wanted to surprise you.” He watched as she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Her face fell from the smile and she looked at him critically.

“Chris, I hate surprises you know that. Why do you insist on pulling them? Even little ones like this? Don’t you know how crazy they drive me?” This time his face fell at her words and tension filled the room.

“Alrighty then, I have no real reason to be in here for this, so I’m going to retreat.” Lilly stood up and hurried from the room, not wanting to be there incase a fight broke out between the two.

“Isabelle,” He sighed and stood up. “Why do you hate it when I surprise you? Other people are allowed to but I’m not. Why aren’t I allowed to surprise you every now and then? It’s not like I’m over here everyday trying to throw one surprise at you after another. Just every once-in-a-while I’d like to be allowed to surprise you.”

“There are two, three people tops that are allowed to surprise me Chris. You know that. It isn’t just you it would be anyone. I just hate surprises okay?”

“And who are those two, three people tops Belle?”

“Zacky, Lilly, and my parents count as one.”

“Well I think there is someone else who is, or used to be allowed to.”

“There wasn’t! Now please don’t make me argue with you!”

“Why? You love to argue.”

“I have the hangover from hell alright?”

“Aw, baby I’m sorry.” He approached her and wrapped his arms securely around her body, kissing the top of her head.

“So am I.” She wrapped her arms around him as he chuckled. She instantly felt bad for being mad at him, even though she felt that she had a right to be. He only wanted her to be happy, he just wanted to surprise her. The thought was sweet but that didn’t change how much she hated it.

“I love you.” He whispered in her ear.

“I love you too.” She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. I just hope Zack sees it too.. If he didn’t see that they loved each other she feared the worst. She feared that her twin would somehow run Chris off.

♥♥♥

When Matt walked into his living room the next morning Jimmy was passed out on the couch. He laughed to himself and headed for the kitchen. His friend’s plan had backfired and Matt’s secrets were still safe and unknown to everyone else. He had warned Jimmy that it wouldn’t work, and he had been right.

After making coffee and getting through the first cup Matt heard Jimmy stirring in the living room. “Uh great, hangover.” Jimmy stood up and stumbled into the kitchen. He headed for the coffee and had already drank half a cup when he turned and glared at Matt.

“What Jimmy?” Matt watched as Jimmy cut his eyes at him even more.

“You ruined my plan you jackass.”

“I warned you, but you didn’t listen.”

“Its about Isabelle isn’t it?” Jimmy watched for any change in Matt’s stance. He noticed very little, not enough to confirm the question that is.

“What about her?” Matt managed to keep his voice even, although inside he was freaking out. How could Jimmy know about any of that? How could Matt even admit it when asked about it? He wouldn’t and no one would ever know.

“Your distraction Matt. You still love her don’t you? You miss her. That is why you haven’t been completely here for the past few days.” Jimmy spit out his theory and watched as Matt took it all in.

“No I don’t still love her and I don’t miss her. Why can’t I just have the song idea in my head? Just drop it Jim! Nothing is causing my distraction except that song idea! Nothing!” Matt hadn’t meant to get angry over it, he hadn’t even felt angry until he started talking about it.

“Okay then I’ll drop it. There is nothing going on.” Jimmy didn’t believe a word of it, but he did know better than to push Matt when he was angry. There was no fooling Jimmy anymore, eventually he would find out. But he could let it go at least for the morning.

“Well I’m going to head home. See you later man.” Matt waited until he heard the door close and Jimmy drive off before he sighed. He knew that he shouldn’t have gotten angry like that, it didn’t help him prove anything. That was something he’d have to learn to control better than he was.

“What are you doing Matt? She’s gone and she is never coming back. You don’t even care about her anymore. You love Val, and only Val.” He spoke aloud to himself, hoping to make the words be completely true.

Week and a half until they would be in Vegas. Merely a week and a half until Matt would find himself constantly thinking about if he’d see her and fighting the same battle: to just go talk to her or leave it alone and stay away. He planed to fight the battle for the last time, he couldn’t keep doing this.

Either he would talk to her and find out if they stood a snowball’s chance in hell of getting along, or he would walk away. If he walked away it would be for good. He would make himself move on and he would dedicate every ounce of love he had for Isabelle to Valary. This was really it for him.

♥♥♥

Zacky paced back and forth in the living room as he thought. The phone was sitting in the base and the urge to pick it up and call was becoming too strong to ignore. Just the pushing of a few numbers, a few rings, and then her voice would be on the line.

“Leave it to you Zacky to fall for your sister’s roommate, who lives in another state.” He stopped and looked at the phone as he spoke to himself. The thought was driving him crazy and he was starting to cave.

Only minutes later the phone was in his hand, ringing. When it kept ringing he knew that she wasn’t going to answer it. “Hey it’s Lilly, leave me a message if you want and if you don’t well then it is your loss.” BEEP

“Hey Lilly, its just Zacky. Call me when you get a chance.” He hung up the phone and sat down. Only a week and a half left to wait.

Zacky found himself strumming on his guitar to occupy himself as he waited for the phone to ring. It was easy for him to get lost in music, it was a place where he could just forget about everything else. It was his escape from the real world. His place where nothing could sneak into his mind.

Not even thoughts of meeting his sister’s boyfriend.

The melody filled the house as he strummed the guitar and sang along to it. He had almost finished the song when the phone rang. The second he saw that it was Lilly he dropped the song and answered the phone, feeling extremely happy.

♥♥♥

Isabelle sat on her bed with the photo album in front of her, hesitating opening it. The names of all her friends were still written on the cover in whatever color of sharpie that they’d chosen all those years ago. She had decided that their senior yearbook didn’t represent their lives through high school enough so instead she’d made each of them their own. Now she sat with the one she’d made for herself, afraid to open it.

She finally reached for it and opened it, the old pictures flooding her with memories. Some of them made her smile, and others made her wish that she had never opened it in the first place. Finally she came to the last page, which had a single picture. It was a page that she had only included in two of the books: Matt’s and her own.

In the picture Zacky stood facing the couple with a scowl on his face and arms crossed. Matt had his arms wrapped around her waist and his lips pressed against hers. Her arms were wrapped around his neck with a diploma in one hand and her graduation cap in the other, kissing him back with everything she had.

She gently ran her fingers over the picture, remembering the day and how it had felt when he’d done that. She forced her eyes to avoid the note that was written above the picture, she’d save it for last.

Flipping away from the picture she went back through to read the rest of the notes from her friends. Most of them just made her laugh, the guys were never serious with her and these were no different. On the back cover she finally found the serious ones from each of the guys.

To Isabelle Baker:
You will forever be Belle the Smartass to me. And I mean forever. I’m sure that you’ll have something to say to my little note. Hell, you know that I suck at this shit, so I’m gonna keep it to the point. You rock and I’ll see you tomorrow.
-Brian A.K.A. Synyster Gates, the awesome.
P.S. Show this to anyone and you’ll pay. Tell anyone and I’ll deny every word of it.

Dear Isabelle,
To my future side-kick in terrorizing the guys I only have a few things to say. One: we actually did it! Two: I swear to God I am so sick and tired of seeing you and Matt kiss, cool it ‘kay? And three: if you ever change, for anyone, it will be call for a mass intervention that will be so good you will have to listen to me. Seriously though you shouldn’t ever change. Because face it, I need a damn side-kick!
-Jimmy, the coolest damn person ever!

Dear Belle,
Well lets face it, since we are twins I am stuck with you for the rest of my life. Shit! Nah, I’m just kidding. You know that I love you and that I would do anything for you. That also includes kicking anyone who hurts you’s ass. And I do mean anyone. Well I think you already know everything else that I would say so I’ll leave you with that.
-Zacky V.

Belle,
I love you so much. You’ve made these last few years the best and I’m looking forward to every year that we have ahead of us. I can’t wait to find out where time takes us. But in the mean time, keep giving the guys hell because its hilarious.

-Matt

She closed the book and tossed it to the floor, unable to read the last note. “Why did I have to pick today? Couldn’t I have waited until I wasn’t hungover?” She asked herself before plopping back on her bed.