Race Against Time

I sat down on my couch, beer in my hand. I wasn't much into the Christmas spirit, so I flicked on the TV, hoping to find something that wasn't a Christmas special. I saw something on the news called 'New York's Top Tragedies'. I shrugged and left it on. I heard something about the Pacino crime family and my head shot up. It was a special about the Pacino rape. I had remembered something about it on the news a long time ago.
"And New York will never forget the tragic story of Armando Pacino's granddaughter's vicious and brutal attack", a woman was saying. A picture of Isabella as a young girl before and after the attack. It was horrendous. Text came up onto the screen.
"Isabella Pacino was only fourteen years old and an aspiring ballerina when she was viciously raped and assaulted at knife point by Thomas Sanchez. Doctors said she shouldn't have survived the attack, but she beat the odds. She was the youngest freshman at Sinclair's Prep, attending on scholarship, as well as one of the smartest. She was beautiful and popular and an amazing athlete, but fell from the status after the attack. Thomas Sanchez, brother of Charlotte Sanchez brutally attacked her after an argument between Isabella and his sister and was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and rape", the woman continued. Poor Isabella. Newspaper clipping showed on the television and statements were given, as well as old news clips. I had been at that party that night, but didn't remember Isabella. My sister was in her dance class, but I'd forgotten all about it.

It was the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone. She must have been so embarrassed.
"Isabella rose back in her own time after moving back to her hometown. It is said that she became a law enforcement officer and is still that occupation today", the lady continued. My phone rang and I looked down. It was Danny. I answered it.
"You watching that story, Flack?" he asked. I knew what he was talking about.
"You weren't in the spirit either?" I said. I felt even more mad that the DA let that bastard go.
"Nah, I was home alone. Why the hell would the DA let him walk after he went after her again?" Danny said. I shared his anger.
"I was there, Danny. I was at that party that night. I'd forgotten all about that incident until this special came on. I knew Sanchez", I said, kicking myself internally. I had known Isabella purely through reputation. I only knew that she was scary smart and the most popular freshman at Sinclair's.
"Damn, Don. What're you gonna do?" Danny asked. Question of the year. Right now, I wanted to go straight over to her, kiss the hell out of her, and protect her from Thomas Sanchez's clutches forever.
"I dunno, Danny", I replied honestly. My phone beeped. It was her.
"It's Isabella", I said to Danny. We hung up and I switched it over.

"Please tell me you're not watching TV", she said. I was quiet.
"You are, aren't you?" she said.
"Yeah, I am", I replied. She swore in Gaelic.
"I was banking on that you weren't", she said simply.
"Well, I'm not very much in the Christmas mood", I replied.
"So now you know most of the story", she sighed. Most? The TV had switched to the story about the Endecott murders.
"It doesn't change anything on how I view you except it just broadens the fact that I think you're a hell of a woman to live through that", I said. Silence.
"You put up with too much with me, I'm more trouble than I'm worth", she replied. I chuckled.
"You're too hard on yourself. Everyone comes with baggage, yours just stands out from the others", I assured her. That came out wrong.
"See? I'm just a liability!" she said.
"No, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was, everyone may have baggage, but it takes a special person to take that baggage and turn it around so it makes them a better person, not who they are", I explained. That sounded cheesy and jerkish.

"Yeah, right", she huffed.
"Ya know, if you were here now, I'd prove you wrong", I said. Annnd, that sounded creepy and perverted.
"Not in the mood, Flack", she retorted. She was teasing, I could tell.
"I just keep saying stuff wrong, I wasn't talking about THAT, although...", I teased. She scoffed.
"Nice save", she said. I chuckled.
"I wasn't talking about that, I just realized how dirty that sounded, I swear", I said. She chuckled.
"It's fine, don't worry. I'm sorry I snapped at you, I'm just pissed I have to be reminded of that", she said.
"I'd be pretty pissed too", I agreed. It was really late, I was wondering why she was up.
"I'm sorry I just dumped that all on you, that wasn't my intention", she apologized.
"I know, it's okay, don't apologize for that", I assured her. She sighed.

"You don't sound okay", I said.
"I'll be fine", she assured me.
"It's late, you can't sleep?" I said.
"No, I can't. Boomer is a bed-hog", she replied.
"You sound like you couldn't sleep anyways", I surmised.
"That's just scary. You know me too well", she said, laughing.
"I'll bet I could guess what you're wearing too", I teased.
"Perv alert", she joked.
"What? It's nearly midnight, you're probably in pajamas", I said innocently. She laughed again.
"I know why I feel so bipolar. It's really easy to get my mind off stuff", she said.
"Or I'm just so charming, you're falling under my spell", I joked.
"Oh, you know me better than I thought", she teased. I'd always loved that she was so easy to talk to. I'd known her almost four months and I could talk to her about anything. I heard a growl and a grunt. Then a crash.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"My dog just shoved me off the bed", Isabella replied, laughing. I looked at the time. I was glad to have the next couple of days off.
"Well, I'm not doing anything now", she said.
"You busy tomorrow night?" I asked. She laughed.

"You asking me out, Don?" she teased. I realized then that I was indeed.
"So what if I am?" I said.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that", she said, obviously surprised.
"That's mean. You just broke my heart", I teased.
"Can't break what you don't have", she replied innocently.
"Bitch", I joked.
"You sure know how to charm a girl", she laughed.
"See you at seven?" I said.
"Sure, why not?" she replied. I smiled. After another hour, we finally got exhausted, said our goodbyes and hung up.