The Beach

One trip to the emergency room later, we found out that Izzy's wrist was broken, not a little fracture, flat out broken in half. He was about to go into surgery as soon as the anisthetic they just gave him kicked in. We were currently alone in the little curtained off section of the ER, the boys were all in the waiting room, save for Jack, who was pacing back and forth just beyond the curtain, talking to Mrs. Barakat on the phone. I watched Jack's silloheutte moving back and forth.
"I'm scared, Nessa." Izzy admitted, looking up at me with wide, childlike eyes. Aw, baby...
"It's gonna be okay, Iz." I assured him. "It's a really simple procedure. You'll back on the bus in no time."
"Really?" He whimpered. This laughing gas thing they gave him seems to be kicking in.
"Really."
"Nessa...don't leave me..." Izzy begged. Is this how he's gonna be when he starts drinking?
"I won't leave, Iz. Not until the very last second." I promised.
"I don't mean just now, Nes. I mean..." He was struggling to keep his eyes open now. "...not ever. Don't leave me, Ness. I need you. I..." His eyes closed and he yawned. "I love you." He said it so softly I wasn't sure I'd heard it.
"I won't leave. Ever. I...I love you too, Iz," I whispered softly to the now knocked out boy in front of me. He didn't mean it like that. No. He meant it like every other time he'd said before. Like best friends. Right? His words played over and over again in my head. I need you. I love you. I sighed. What did I mean when I said it? Do I even know what in-love-kind-of-love is? I considered this for a moment. I would die for him. No doubt. I can't imagine my life without him. I can't see myself with anyone else. He's my rock. My best friend. My other half. Maybe I do love him like that. I shook the thoughts from my head as Jack pulled the curtain back.
"He's asleep. Gas kicked in, I guess." I stated. Jack nodded, looking at his brother with a worried expression. "He's gonna be okay, Jack."
"My little brother is about to go into to surgery. He got hurt while he was under my supervision. His safety is my responsiblity." Jack said dejectedly.
"Jacky..." I looked at him. "It's not your fault. Izzy and I have both gotten a hell of a lot more hurt under our own parents supervision. You did perfectly well. You got him to the hospital in record time and he's gonna be just fine. Okay? Just. Fine." Jack nodded slowly. "C'mon. Let's go find that nurse and tell her he's asleep."

********

We were back on the bus and Izzy was safe and sound, sleeping off his surgery in his bunk, a bright blue cast on his right arm, running from his hand almost to his elbow. I was sprawled across the couch with my head in Jack's lap and my feet in Zack's. Celeste was sound asleep in Alex's arms, on the couch across from us in the front lounge. Alex was looking down at her little face with a look of such love and fierce protectiveness I couldn't help but smile. Rian was in the back lounge skyping with Cassadee. I pulled out my phone and texted the girl I considered an older sister, Izzy's words still spinning in my head.
New Message
To: Tay
Hey, I need to talk to you.
Girl's night on my bus?
I have ice cream!
A few minutes later, my phone vibrated.
1 New Messages
From: Tay
Sure thing, little sis.
I need to get away from all this testosterone anyway.
I'll jump on your bus at the next stop. Bus driver says we're stopping soon to refuel.

When we stopped for gas, the boys all got off to get snacks and Tay came in, carrying a bag over her shoulder. We walked to the back lounge, I grabbed some pajamas from my bunk on the way and the ice cream and spoons from the kitchen. We kicked Rian out of the back lounge and closed the door. When we'd changed into our pajamas, we sprawled on the couch with the ice cream between us, each of us grabbed a spoon and dug in. The movie started to play and we settled under our blankets, our eyes on the screen. We were going to watch all the Harry Potter movies. We felt a lurch as the bus started moving to the next destination. About halfway through the first movie, we got bored, we already know every word, so we started talking, the movie just becoming backround noise. I told her everything that had happened at the hospital with Izzy today, and about him being so touchy yesterday.
"Isn't it obvious?" Tay asked when I was done.
"Isn't what obvious?" I replied.
"That Izzy's in love with you." She stated simply. I was taken aback at her bluntness.
"What? No. We're only fourteen. We don't even know what love is! We're freaking freshman!" I protested.
Tay rolled her eyes. "You and Izzy have been friends for a long time. You've always been there for each other and I think if anyone in high school knows what love is, it's you two." I considered the thought.
"Fine. I like him. Love him, maybe," I said. Tay smirked in victory.
We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before I spoke again.
"Alex broke up with Lisa yesterday," I said.
"Really now?" Tay asked. Don't you act all nonchalant.
"Yeah. Like, for real this time. Not like a quick, 'we need a break' or 'I can't deal with this shit' like he usually does. He said he was over and done with her and that he meant it forever," I continued.
"What happened, like why'd he get so mad?" She asked, seeming genuinely curious. Because he's in love with you.
"Well they were fighting 'cause some girl kissed him last night or whatever and you know Lisa doesn't trust him as far as she could throw him." Tay nodded. "But I don't think he would have really really ended it except she said something she really shouldn't have about someone he cares about." Tay raised her eyebrows.
"What'd she say about who?" She asked.
"Well," I began. "Um. She kind of called you a whore and she said she'd seen all those pictures and stuff of you two and he completely lost it after that, he said that she'd better not ever talk about you like that and that you are not a whore. Then she said that Alex was probably sleeping with you. He said that he'd always been faithful in their relationship and that he'd never even kissed you and most of the pictures and gifs and stuff was from when they were broken up. So then he said that it was over and that they aren't good for each other and that she'd better be out of his house by the time we come home. And then that bitch said some other mean things that I'm not gonna tell you, Alex will tell you if he wants you to know. So yeah." Tay smiled to herself and I elbowed her in the stomach playfully. "You liiiiiiike him!" I sang in a sing-song voice.
"Do not," she countered, her face reddening.
"I knew it! You totally do! You like him! You like him! TAY AND ALEX SITTIN' IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-" Tay jumped on me and put a pillow over my mouth, glancing nervously at the door. "-N-G! FIRST COMES LOVE! THEN COMES MARRIAGE! THEN COMES LEX PUSHING A BABY CARRIAGE!" I continued singing, my voice muffled by the pillow. Tay glared daggers at me and I giggled.
"I'm going to remove the pillow," she said seriously. "When I do, if you so much as mention Alex and I in the same sentence, I will rip you apart limb from limb. Understand?" I nodded. "Good." She removed the pillow and got off me, going back to her place on the other side of the couch. We watched the movie in silence for a few minutes until I spoke.
"You know, I think he likes you too." Tay gave me a look like: 'Yeah, right.' "No! Seriously! I really think he does! I think he's liked you for a long time, he's just never said anything because of Lisa. I think he wants to be with you but he's never had the chance because he was really trying to give him and Lisa's relationship his best shot. But since that hasn't worked out..." I waggled my eyebrows suggestively. She threw a pillow at me. I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Fine," she said. "I like him. Happy?" I nodded, smiling at her.
We talked about random stuff until both of us fell asleep.

I woke as I felt a pair of muscular arms pull me up against a toned chest. Zack. I opened my eyes groggily.
"Hey, I'm gonna carry you to the hotel, okay?" He asked me sofly. I nodded and closed my eyes again. I was vaguely aware of the sounds of the boys talking and myself being carried across the parking lot, the night air cold against my bare arms. I buried my face in Zack's chest. Shortly after I felt us go inside, the air temperature chaning, Zack stopped and I opened my eyes a little. We were in the elevator. Jack was carrying a sleeping Celeste, Alex was carrying a sleeping Tay, and Izzy was leaning against the wall, holding my unicorn pillow pet, Steven, in his arms.
"Where's everyone else?" I asked sleepily.
"We didn't fit in one elevator," Alex answered. When we got to our floor, Zack set me on the bed in the room I'd be sharing with Izzy and Celeste. Jack laid the still sleeping Celeste on the other bed and Izzy plopped down next to her, falling asleep instantly. I could see Alex through the doorway to my room, walking over here with Tay. Cameron Hurley came into view and said menacingly, "You'd better not be taking her to your room, Gaskarth."
"I was planning on taking her to my sister's room, actually, Cameron, but if that upsets you, why don't you wake her and ask her where she'd like to spend the night?" Alex said angrily. By this time Tay had woken up and was curling her fingers around Alex's shirt, glaring daggers at Cameron.
"I'd like to go with Alex or Nessa, actually." She said, looking pointedly at Cameron, who stood his ground. She looked up at Alex. "Do you have your own room or are you with Jack?" She asked.
"Jack," he answered. She winced and he laughed.
"Nessa's room then," she said. Cameron glared at Alex and Tay like: 'this isn't over' and walked away. Alex carried Tay into the room and set her on the edge of the bed next to me. He kissed my forehead, hugged Tay, and tucked Celeste in, kissing her forehead as well, before walking to the door.
"Night, girls. Love you," he called you.
"Night, Lex. Love you," Tay and I said in unison. I raised my eyebrows at her and she blushed. I glanced at Izzy and Celeste. Asleep. Good.
"What the heck was that about?" I asked Tay, lowering my voice to a whisper so as to not wake my best friend or my baby sister. "What is Cameron's problem? He always seemed so chill."
"He's just trying to protect me," she sighed. "He's like my brother and he's afraid Alex will hurt me. Which is completely stupid because not even dating."
"But you will be soon," I said teasingly, unable to resist. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh, shutup," she said.
"So...Taylex is real," I said.
"I hate you," she stated.
"Whatever. You know you love me," I grinned cheekily and she shoved me off the bed. "Meanie," I stuck my tongue out at her as I climbed on the bed, leaning against the headboard. She crawled over and sat next to me. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she spoke again.
"You and Izzy are wearing the same shirt..." she muttered.
"Yep," I said. "We both have the exact same shirt and we switch every night so that every night I wear a shirt that smells like him and he wears one that smells like me. We also have the same 'AWG' t-shirts to wear when these get dirty."
"Awww, how cute," she pinched my cheeks.
"Oh, quiet you," I muttered. Tay laughed. I yawned. "We should probably get some sleep." She nodded and we crawled under the covers. Tay switched the only lit light in the room, the lamp on the nightstand, off.
"Night, Tay," I said sleepily.
"Night, Ness."