FicWad

Five hours later, it was midnight and I just couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned around in the bed, unable to get comfortable. It wasn't the bed's fault. As a matter of fact, it was a luxurious bed. The mattress was thick and padded, the blankets were crisp and light, and the pillow was soft. So why couldn't I fall asleep?
I didn't usually have problems falling asleep. Normally I was so exhausted that I instantly fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Unfortuantely, tonight was different. I had laid here on my back for four hours without feeling the slightest bit drowsy. Finally, after rolling over for what felt like the millionth time that night, I slipped out of bed irritably. My feet the light, oak floor with a slight creak. I froze, hoping I hadn't woken Tommy or Vince up.
Loud snores continued from the room adjacent to mine. Obviously they were still asleep. I padded over to the lamp with an ornately carved base and flicked the switch. Dim light flooded the room which had been pitch black a minute earlier. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced into the full length mirror next to the bed.
That was a mistake. My pale, twisted face frowned back at me. I looked like an absolute mess after tumbling around in bed for hours. Trying to forget about my reflection, I slumped back down on the edge of the bed and tried to think of what to do. I felt like doing something, but it wouldn't be safe to go out alone this late at night.
My best bet would be to try to get some sleep. Suddenly, I remembered that I had a bottle of melatonin in my duffel bag. My mom had given it to me last time I had taken a trip in case I had problems sleeping. Tonight, I was certainly having problems sleeping. Crossing my fingers that the melatonin was still in my bag, I got back up and walked back over to the bamboo table.
I dumped my duffel bag upsidown and allowed all the contents inside it to spill onto the table. Searching through the items, I found a camera, my wallet, keys to my house, and my phone. No melatonin. I flipped the bag right-side up again and stuffed the items back into the bag carelessly.
A small pocket on inside the bag instantly caught my attention. With eager fingers, I unzipped it. My hand rummaged around in the pocket for a few moments before my hand closed around two items. I quickly drew my fingers out of the bag and squinted at the items in my hand. They looked like black blobs because the lighting didn't reach to this side of the room.
Praying that the bottle of melatonin was one of the objects in my hand, I crossed the room quickly and held up the items to the light. The first object was indeed a small bottle. The small typing on it said "melatonin." I smiled happily and started to unscrew the top when the second object in my hand that I had forgotten about caught the light.
The item was a small photograph about the size of my palm. I turned it slightly so the light shone right onto it. The picture was one that I had asked Axl to take a month ago at Izzy's house. Three of us were all sitting on the old but comfortable couch on the far side of the room. Erin was hugging her knees to her chest and was flashing a red-lipped smile at the camera. Izzy was lounging on the couch and smiling lazily at the camera. I was pressed up against Izzy's chest and was smiling sleepily.
Just the sight of Izzy and me together made me completely breakdown. Dissolving into tears, I slumped down against the wall until I was leaning against the floor with my head in my hands. I couldn't seem to take my eyes off the photograph. I just had to keep staring at Izzy's light gray eyes. They seemed so warm and friendly in the picture.
Two tear drops plopped onto photograph, but I didn't care. I knew I should throw it away or get rid of it, but I just couldn't make myself do it. What if this was the last picture I'd ever have with Izzy again? The thought made me cry harder. Completely forgetting that Vince and Tommy were trying to sleep in the adjacent room, I sobbed and sobbed.
A sudden fatigue washed over me. I thought about climbing into the bed, but it seemed like the bed was miles across the room. Instead, I flopped down on my side on the cold, wooden floor. Still clutching the picture next to my heart, I tried to cry myself to sleep. Just as I felt myself drifting away to another world, a loud click sounded from across the room.
I whipped my eyes back open and looked towards where the sound had come. Was there a burglar? Tommy stood in the doorway, staring around the room blearily. He was wearing a long pair of plaid, flannel pants and was shirtless. His hair was sticking up in every different direction like he had just gotten up.
Knowing that I probably looked a little strange lying on the floor, I tried to get to my feet. In my haste, my foot slid on the slippery floor and I landed back onto my knees. Tommy had flicked the light on next to the door and hurried over to me. He knelt next to me on the floor and gave me a questioning look without saying anything.
I felt a little self-conscious. After all, I was only wearing a lacy night dress that landed about a foot and a half above my knees and my hair looked like hell. I raked a few fingers through my hair in an attempt to smooth it down. Tommy wasn't looking at my hair though; he just stared into my eyes with concern like a true friend. Thank god for people like Tommy.
After I didn't say anything, Tommy finally asked in a soft, gentle voice, "Amy, what is it? I've been hearing you sob in here for at least an hour now. Sorry for just coming in like this, but I had to make sure you were okay. Are you hurt?" I tried to smile and simply shook my head. I didn't think I could say anything until I calmed down a bit more.
"Well, something's obviously wrong," Tommy remarked. He stood up and extended a hand to me, "Why don't we sit on the couch or something? This floor isn't exactly what I'd call comfortable." I took Tommy's hand and let him lead me over to the peach couch. It felt nice and soft as I collapsed onto it next to Tommy.
"What can I do to make you feel better?" Tommy inquired, his eyes never leaving my face, "I'll do pretty much anything. Just don't tell me you want to go home." I shook my head and attempted to speak, "Nah, I don't want to go home. I'm s-sorry for interrupting your sleep. I j-just got c-carried away or something..."
I noticed Tommy's eyes wandered to the crumpled photograph that I had balled up in my left fist. Inconspicuously, Tommy stretched out a hand towards me, "Give me your hand, Amy." I figured that he wanted the photograph. That was something that I plainly wasn't willing to give him. Feeling a little rebellious, I gave him my right hand.
Tommy chuckled, "No, no, Amy. I meant your other hand." I put the hand behind my back and shook my head. Tommy was quicker than me though; he caught hold of my wrist and forced my curled up fingers away from the picture. Tommy grabbed the photo before I could do anything and pulled it up to his eyes to scrutinize it.
"Tommy!" I scowled loudly and tried to snatch my picture back from him. Tommy smiled at me teasingly, stood up, and waved the picture around above my head. I wasn't really in the mood for games right now. That was my picture and Tommy didn't have any rights to steal it from me like this.
"What the hell did you do to this picture, Amy?" Tommy asked, trying to bring it into the light. "It's all smeared and stuff. But wait...I think I can see three people in it. Hm, it's hard to see who they are though." That was too much for me. I stood up from the couch and made a flying leap towards the picture in Tommy's hand.
Tommy, caught off guard, stumbled towards me so we ended up colliding in midair. There was smack and then Tommy and I went tumbling to the floor. We laid there completely stunned for a few seconds. Tommy lay underneath me with his chest rising and falling rapidly. I had hit my head, but besides for that, no damage had been done. Poor Tommy had taken most of the blow.
Before either of us could say anything, heavy footsteps plodded into the room. Vince strode into the room and peered down at the two of us lying on the floor. He widened his glassy eyes and laughed at us, "What the fuck are you two doing up at this time of night? And why are you two on the floor like that?"
Tommy and I both started to say something simultaneously. That just made Vince laugh harder, "Excuses, huh? Hey, what's this?" Vince was peering at the picture that was lying on the floor a few feet away from Tommy and me. God, why did Vince have to notice the picture? I made a lunge at the picture just as Vince picked it up.
There was a loud tearing noise. Not really wanting to look, I glanced at what was in my hand. Only half of the photograph, the half with Erin in it, was resting in my palm. I glowered at Vince as he looked at me baffled with the other half of the photograph in his hand, "Whoa, you're jumpy today, aren't you? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were hiding something."
Vince looked at the picture and tilted his head as he studied it, "God, this is a terrible photograph! It's all smeared and shitty. Good thing I have good eyes or else I wouldn't be able to tell what's in this. Oh, I see, it's a picture of you and Izzy from the party at his house that one night, isn't it?"
Tommy sat up from the floor and looked at me with big eyes. I hated having both of them staring at me with anticipation. I pulled my skirt down lower, trying to cover more of my thighs as I said, "Yeah, it is." Something about my tone made Vince and Tommy exchange nervous looks. Vince, still staring at my picture, asked slowly, "Wait, did something happen between you and-"
"Don't!" I interrupted him, throwing my hands over my ears. I didn't want to hear Izzy's name and I most certainly did not want to have Vince ask the question that I did not want to answer. Vince broke off and stood above Tommy and me, looking awkward. Tommy tried to lighten the mood, "Since we're all up, why don't we watch a movie or something?"
Realizing I was still lying on Tommy, I quickly got to my feet, "Nah, let's not. I'm not in a good mood and I'm really tired." Vince grabbed my hand, "Aw, c'mon, Amy! You can watch a movie with us. You woke me up; you deserve to watch a movie with me." Vince's eyes were wandering up and down my risque garments and I could see exactly through his thoughts.
Tommy climbed up from the ground and took my other hand, "Yeah, you owe us the movie. You just landed on me and just about knocked me out!" Tommy and Vince started dragging me into their bedroom. I was much too tired to protest, so I just let their hands lead me into the adjoining room resignedly.
"Fine, you guys can be so annoying sometimes, you know that?" I asked in a half-irritated, half-joking voice. Tommy and Vince sandwiched me between them on their couch so I couldn't move. Vince turned to me with sparkling blue eyes, "Yeah, we know. It's our job to be assholes." I couldn't resist smiling. Vince could be pretty funny sometimes.
Tommy flicked on the television and instantly the dark room was filled with bright light. Tommy skimmed through the channels before decided on a movie to watch. Even after he selected it, I kept my eyes on the floor. I was yawning and felt like I was about to fall asleep at any moment. It was so comfortable here. I could feel Tommy's and Vince's body heat flowing towards me and Vince's arm wrapped around my shoulder.
My head flopped to one side and I sighed in pleasure. In a cautious voice, Tommy spoke over the volume of the movie, "Hey Amy? I need to ask you something." Without bothering to open my eyes to look at him, I murmured drowsily, "Mm?"
"I want you to know that we'll always be here for you and that we'll do anything to help you or comfort you. It's not good to keep your emotions inside like you've been doing. So promise you'll tell us if something is wrong next time? We'll help you, won't we, Vince?" Tommy turned to Vince with a look that said you-better-say-yes.
Vince, who had been eagerly eying the movie, shot back to the present and exclaimed, "Yeah, of course. Tommy will always be your steadfast friend. Of course, if you ever need a lover..." Vince trailed off. Vince just wouldn't give up, would he? It was almost a year since our affair and Vince still was after me! I opened my eyes just enough to slap his wrist and say, "Vince, you just had a child and you have a wife. You need to leave me alone! Hey Tommy, maybe you should help me get back into my bedroom?"
Vince looked down at the floor sheepishly while Tommy reprimanded, "Aw, Vince! Now look what you've done! You've scared her out of our room now." Vince shrugged nonchalantly, "I could always follow her in there if she wanted me to." I rolled my eyes; Vince did so not get it.
Tommy put a reassuring arm on mine, "Don't worry, Amy. You can stay here. I won't let Vince touch you. You trust me, don't you?" On the brink of sleep now, I barely nodded, "Yeah." Vince guffawed from next to me, keeping me from my sleep, "I'm touching her right this minute, Tommy! Are you gonna stop me?"
I laughed to myself as I fell asleep listening to my two friends arguing. It was really nice to be here with them. Tommy was very comforting and Vince was...well...he was Vince. It didn't take long before the arguing faded away and I was embraced in the arms of a very deep, restful slumber.



Thirteen days later, I sat on a lounge chair sipping a margarita down by the hotel pool. Our vacation had passed by very quickly. The first few days I had gone shopping at the mall. It had taken a lot of effort to bring the boys with me. They kept complaining about how long I took at every store and it was a nightmare to try to get them to try things on.
On New Year's Eve, Tommy and Vince jammed with a local band down at the Inferno Club. They had invited me to go with them, but I had politely refused. I never seemed to have good luck at clubs. The rest of our vacation had been spent lounging down by the beach or relaxing by the pool. At the moment, Tommy was splashing around in the water like a little boy. As I took a long sip of my drink, I felt cool droplets splatter onto my bare skin.
I glared over at Tommy, who was splashing water at me furiously, "Tommy, don't! Now I'm freezing thanks to you." Tommy grinned and kept splashing water at me, "Come on in, Amy! The water is great. Look how crystal clear it is. Besides, it's not that cold one you actually get in. See?" Tommy sent another flood of water at me.
I flinched away and wrapped my beach towel around my shoulders. I may be gullible, but I wasn't naive enough to believe Tommy. The water droplet that I was currently drying from my skin were as cold as ice! I called back to Tommy, "It's fucking freezing in there, Tommy! I wouldn't go in that pool for a million bucks."
Tommy gave up on splashing me and floated lazily on his back, "I bet for a million bucks you would." I rolled my eyes at him and looked around the pool deck to see where Vince was. It didn't take long to find the blonde man. He was sitting on a stool surrounded by girls at a white table. The whole crowd were drinking beers and laughing loudly.
I was glad that we were leaving soon so Vince couldn't get involved with any of these girls. After all, Vince had a loving wife waiting at home for him and Tommy had Candice. But me? I had no one to go home to.
I shifted so I was lying on my back and staring into the bright, golden sunlight. I was doing my very best to get a tan, which wasn't a very easy thing to do. My skin was naturally pale so it took days and days of sunbathing to even see the slightest change in my skin tone. I was thinking about taking a nap.
The sun's warmth beat down on me, the calls of seagulls sounded from overheard, and the swish of water filled my ears. It was so calming here. The absolute perfect place to wind down. Suddenly, an annoying beep ruined the effect of the tropical atmosphere. Reluctantly, I reached over to the table next to my lounge chair where I had rested my phone next to my margarita.
I assumed it was probably my mom calling. She had called me about fifty times in the last two weeks to ask me annoying questions and make sure I was doing okay and "staying safe." In my haste to turn off the ringer, my hand knocked into my margarita glass, sending it toppling over.
Margarita dripped all down my legs, chilling me to the bone. Annoyed, I whipped open the phone and yelled, "Mom, what do you need? This is getting annoying. You just made me spill margarita all over me. Unless it's important, can you just leave me alone?" I waited for an answer as I started drying my legs off with my fluffy white towel. No sound came from the other side of the phone. That was strange. Usually my mom was always blabbing. Doubtfully, I added, "Mom?"
A burst of high-pitched laughter sounded from the other end of the phone, "Mom? That's a good one! Who the hell do you think I am?" Heat rushed to my face as I realized my error. Apparently, it was not my mom who had called after all. Feeling really embarrassed, I apologized hurriedly, "Oh god, I'm so sorry! I figured you were my mom because she's been calling me all week nonstop. The woman drives me nuts most of the time."
"That's apparent," the voice echoed, "Anyways, what's up, Amy?" The voice on the phone sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite identify it. There was too much background noise going on. Kids were screaming and splashing each other in the pool, adults were laughing loudly, and Vince was trying to get my attention from the table he sat at with the girls.
"Not much," I admitted. "I'm just sitting here by the pool trying to get a tan and keep dry. Which is harder to do than you'd think. I've already spilled margarita on myself and Tommy got me soaking wet earlier. Uh, no offense, but do you mind telling me who you are? Sorry, I'm having like a brain freeze right now."
I could hear the person from the other side of the phone turn and yell to someone else who was in the room with them, "Gah, she doesn't even fucking remember who I am! I don't think this was such a good idea to call after all." Then the voice said directly to me, "It's Axl...don't you tell me that you forgot who I am. You said you were going to call me."
Axl was calling me! A rush of adrenaline pumped through my blood and I turned away from Vince who was still waving me over to his table. Couldn't he see that I was busy? Apparently not. I said, "Sorry, Axl. It's just really hard to hear around here. People are being really noisy. So how have you been?"
"Eh, okay," Axl droned into the phone, "It would be nice if everyone showed up for band practice on time though. Erin and I both think we should get another guitarist so I'm on the lookout at the moment. But besides for that, we're just enjoying the New Year. Well, we're trying to enjoy it."
I was puzzled by why Axl was looking for a guitarist replacement. I didn't want to talk about Izzy, but I was really curious about the guitarist thing. Before I knew it, the question had popped right out of my mouth, "What do you mean by you're looking for a new guitarist? And what's up with you 'trying' to enjoy the New Year?"
"Always asking questions!" Axl exclaimed with a laugh. "To your first question, I don't think Chris Weber is working out all that well. He wants to do things his own way all the time. Plus he's one of the guys who always shows up late to band practice because he practices with Izzy earlier. It's not that I mind them practicing together, but geez! They should at least show up on time to be considerate of the rest of us who are patiently waiting for them."
"Yeah, that must suck," I agreed, listening to Axl rant. There was always something he was complaining about. Oh well, that was just Axl for you. There was a slight pause as Axl stopped for breath before continuing, "And about us 'trying' to enjoy New Year...well, I can't exactly say that cleaning up puke is a nice way to enjoy the New Year, don't ya agree?"
I scrunched up my nose. I could just imagine Axl on his hands and knees cleaning up puke from the ground, swearing all the while. Hoping he wasn't sick, I agreed, "Yeah, that sounds pretty gross. Too bad you're not here in the Cayman Islands with us. It's pretty nice here. The temperature is perfect and everything is so peaceful. By the way, you aren't sick, are you?"
"Huh?" Axl asked in a surprised voice, "I'm not sick. Where did you get that idea from?" I quickly explained my logic to him, "You said you were cleaning puke up so someone must be sick. If it's not you, is it Erin?" I frowned as I thought of Erin being sick. She was such a nice girl; she didn't deserve to have her holidays ruined by being sick.
"Oh, now I see why you asked," Axl answered, comprehending why I had asked him if he was sick earlier, "Nah, Erin's not sick. She's doing just fine. As a matter of fact, she's sitting next to me right now. Want to say hi?" Without waiting for a reply, I heard a crackling sound on the other end of the phone as Axl passed it over to Erin.
A few minutes later, a chipper voice greeted me, "Amy! It's good to hear from you. How was your Christmas and New Year?" To be honest, it hadn't been all that great. Even with Tommy and Vince to constantly keep me company, I still felt like there was a part of me missing. Like there was a hold in my heart that couldn't be filled.
Deciding to lie, I replied in as enthusiastic of a voice as I could muster, "It was great! How was yours? Did you stay at Axl's for it?" There was a light, ringing laugh from Erin, "Oh yes, of course I did! Who else would I want to spend my Christmas with? Anyways, mine was nice too. Axl wants the phone back, so I'm giving you back to him. Nice talking to you though!"
Axl's voice was back on the opposite end of the phone, "Okay, it's me again." I waited for him to say something else. I was feeling pretty jealous at the moment. More than anything, I wished I was Erin. Erin had someone special to spend her New Year's Day with. Erin had a lover, someone who would never desert her and who loved her more than anything. Erin was so lucky.
When Axl didn't say anything else, I started wracking my brains for something else to say. Not able to come up with anything else, I asked, "So are you gonna tell me who's been sick at your house or not?" Axl laughed. It was a low, pleasant sound to listen to. Then he answered, "It's Izzy. He's been puking all morning."
A lurch of sympathy tore through me and I immediately had the urge to pack up my belongs and fly to Axl's house so I could be there to comfort Izzy. As soon as the thought ran through my head, I felt stupid. Izzy didn't give a shit about me so I shouldn't give a shit about him either. That's just the way the game of love worked. Feeling like I should say something, I just said, "Oh."
Axl continued on, "You know, he's the main reason I'm calling you. All I've heard since New Year's day is 'I wonder how Amy is' or 'Have you talked to Amy' or 'I miss Amy.' So here I am calling you." I felt a little puzzled. If Izzy was really saying these things about me, wouldn't he just have called me himself? Why would he have asked Axl to call instead?
Feeling suspicious, I voiced my questions to Axl, "Back up a second. If Izzy was so desperate to talk to me, why wouldn't he just call me himself? Why are you the one who is calling me?" There was a loud sigh from Axl and then, "Goddamnit, I don't know why! I've told him a million times to just call you himself, but of course he wouldn't want to do that because he's too fucking shy to talk to his girlfriend of two months. He drives me nuts sometimes."
Still unsure of whether or not to believe Axl, I questioned, "Well, where is Izzy anyways? What has he been doing?" In a casual voice, Axl said, "Oh, you know, just the normal. The drugs, sex, and all that stuff. I think he's on the couch with some girl at the moment." My heart twisted painfully inside my chest. So Izzy was doing drugs and having sex? Had I been replaced that quickly by some other girl that Izzy liked enough to fuck?
There was a clashing noise from the phone and I heard a faint voice slurring, "Give the goddamn phone to me!" Then a louder voice, definitely Axl's, "Nope! You told me to call her because you couldn't or something. So now I get to talk to her. Hands off my fucking phone!" I listened to a short argument before Axl managed to get the phone back.
"You know I was kidding, didn't you?" he asked. I frowned. So Izzy hadn't been sleeping with a girl on the couch? Even though I knew it shouldn't matter to me, I felt like a large burden had been taken off my shoulders. I was in such a good mood that I even laughed at Axl's mean joke, "No, I didn't know you were joking."
"Well, I was," Axl stated. "Not about the drug part though. Izzy must've gone through six bottles of whiskey in the last couple days. And he's been doing...other stuff." I waited for Axl to go into more detail, but he didn't. I couldn't help but wonder what this 'other stuff'' was. I asked, "So does Izzy want to say anything to me? Like does he want to break up other the phone so we don't have to do it in real life? I suppose that would be easier..."
"Stop being so pessimistic!" Axl exclaimed. "You always automatically assume the worst. The reason I'm calling you is because Izzy thinks you're mad at him still. Please tell him you're not mad so he doesn't try to get himself anymore drunk. He's already a mess as it is." Axl's words came as a shock. Was there a possibility Izzy still wanted me?
"I'm not exactly mad," I admitted, choosing my words carefully, "I'm still a little bit confused though. So he doesn't want to break up with me? And he hasn't been seeing any other girls?" Axl responded, "Course he doesn't want to break up with you. And I talked to him about...that one night. He has interesting logic."
So Axl had talked to Izzy about why he hadn't wanted to make love to me. That was a surprise. I figured Axl would completely forget about it. I was instantly dying to know what Izzy had said. I prompted, "Well? What did he say?" There was a momentary pause before Axl said slowly, "I don't think that's for me to tell you. You need to talk to him yourself."
I felt irritated at Axl. It did me absolutely no good if Axl knew Izzy's problem but refused to tell me what it was. Annoyed, I spat, "Are you going to let me talk to him then or what?" There was another pause as Axl considered whether or not to let me talk to Izzy. Finally, he responded, "Um...I guess you can. He's not doing that well right now though so you shouldn't talk to him too long. He's lying on the couch and he looks kind of green. Oh well. Okay, I'm giving the phone to him now."
"Amy?" a quiet voice said my name with a questioning edge to it. My heart quickly picked up a few beats as I heard Izzy speak my name. I loved the way he said my name. Or maybe I just loved his voice. Trying to calm my racing heart, I answered, "Yeah, it's me..." I trailed off, not quiet sure what to say to Izzy.
"Are you mad at me?" Izzy slurred, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was only trying to prevent you from getting hurt. It's a long story." Izzy sounded pretty drunk from the other side of the line. His words slide together so that his three sentences sounded like one. I didn't care though; I was just happy to hear Izzy's voice.
"I'm not mad," I replied truthfully. "Although, I do expect an explanation from you at some point." A couple water droplets landed on my leg. I frowned and looked over my shoulder to see Tommy grinning from the side of the pool with amusement. Pulling the phone away from my mouth for a split second, I hissed over at Tommy, "Not right now! Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
Tommy gave me a hurt expression and continued splashing me anyways. Izzy's voice finally continued, "Yeah, I know you want an explanation. I don't wanna talk about this over the phone right now though. I think I'm gonna pass out at any moment so...how about we get together as soon as you get back to Los Angeles?"
"Yeah, definitely," I agreed, standing up and wandering around the edge of the pool to get away from Tommy's incessant splashing. I was suddenly in a hurry to get back to Los Angeles. It felt like this vacation had dragged on for an eternity; I needed to get home right away! I could just imagine looking to Izzy's big, brown puppy eyes and see that sexy little smile curve around his soft, pink lips. God, I wanted more than even I had imagined.
"I miss you, you know," Izzy went on, "I wish you had been here to spend New Years with me." My breath quickened and I forgot to watch where I was going. In my dream-like trance, I ran right into a little kid running around the edge of the pool. The two of us collided. I skidded to a stop and landed face-down on the ground. My knee scraped along the concrete ground. A dark pool of blood started leaking from it. Why did I have to be so clumsy all the time?
"Okay, okay, that's enough," a voice from the distance said from the other side of the phone. "You don't look good. The last thing I need is for you to puke on my phone. I had to pay big bucks just to afford a phone plan you know!" I could hear Axl and Izzy playing tug-of-war with the phone as I slowly got to my feet.
Vince and Tommy were both hurrying towards me. Vince leaned down and examined my knee with tanned fingers. Tommy was looking at me with a horrified expression and gripped my shoulder tightly as if he were afraid I was a china doll that was going to fall apart and break at any moment.
"Ah ha!" Axl burst out triumphantly as he managed to get the phone away from Izzy. I could hear Izzy slurring curses from next to Axl and then his voice called into the phone, "Love you..."
"Oh yes, all that sentimental shit," Axl snapped. "Izzy, you need to get some rest so do it now! Amy, I hear you're coming over soon? When will that be?" I was half listening to Axl and half trying to pull my knee away from Vince. Vince was attempting to wipe the blood off my skin with his towel.
"Uh...soon," I replied. "I'm not sure how soon though. Look Axl, I've gotta go. I just smashed into some kid like an idiot and now I scraped my knee all up and it's bleeding like hell. I'll call you back in a little while though. Take care of Izzy for me, won't you?" Axl chuckled and agreed, "Sure I will. He's pretty wasted right now though. Visit us soon though!"
"I will," I promised, yanking me leg away from Vince and scowling down at him. Vince merely smiled innocently up at me. He used every excuse possible to touch me. Damn him. Turning my attention back to Axl, I added, "Tell Izzy I love him and that I'll see him soon." Axl droned, "Aw...sweet little lovebirds. Yeah, I'll tell him. Talk to ya later."
As soon as I was off the phone with Axl, I glared down at Vince and pried his fingers away from me. Someone they had climbed up to my thigh. Glowering down at Vince, I said, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Keeping your dirty hands to yourself, will you?" Even though I was trying to scowl, a smile peeked through my lips and I found myself laughing and happier than I had felt in days. Vince dropped his hands from my leg and gave me a funny look.
"Amy, what is wrong with you?" Tommy asked curiously. "This is the happiest I've seen you all vacation...and you've just gotten hurt. Shouldn't it be vice versa?" I just shrugged my shoulders and started walking towards the hotel. Tommy scrutinized me and then asked, "Who were you talking to on the phone?"
I ignored Tommy's second question and said, "I'm just excited to get back home. I'm gonna go clean up this cut and then pack my stuff. I'll see you guys later." I left Tommy and Vince standing in the dust behind me with incredulous looks on their faces while I skipped up to my hotel room.
Even though I hadn't gotten an explanation for Izzy's previous behavior, I had gotten other answers. Apparently he wasn't mad at me after all. And he didn't have a girlfriend like I suspected. I couldn't wait to go home and see him.
"Where the hell are we?" I asked Vince and Tommy as we walked outside into a swirling world of white. "I thought we were going back to LA! This isn't LA...this is like some winter wonderland. Where have you guys taken me?" Tommy and Vince laughed at me as I huddled in my thin black jacket, trying to keep warm.
"We're in New York, Amy," Tommy explained calmly. I frowned at him. New York? I had never been to New York before. I didn't think I liked it much here. It was way too cold. I felt like I was going to turn into an icicle just standing out here in the frigid atmosphere. Here I was standing in jeans, sandals, and a tank top in the middle of the snow.
"Well, is anyone going to tell me what the fuck we're doing in New York?" I asked in exasperation, rubbing my hands together to try to build up some body heat. Vince took one look at my shivering figure and pulled me close to him, "Calm down, Amy. We're meeting the rest of the Crue here to get a slot at Ozzy Osbourne's Bark at the Moon tour. Didn't you know that we were going to be touring for a few months before we're going home?"
I looked at Vince with wide eyes, "You mean we wouldn't be back in Los Angeles for another couple months? But I need to go back!" Tommy looked worried for a few minutes and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder as we walking towards the parking lot, "What do you need to go back for, Amy? Is there something important you need at home?"
Hell, yes! I needed Izzy. I wanted to see me and I wanted to see him. Everything in me craved him. I wanted to feel his hand taking hold of mine, hear his voice in my hear, watch his eyes meet mine, and feel the sensation of his lips on mine. But of course, I couldn't tell Tommy any of that. Instead, I said, "I told a friend I'd be back to Los Angeles by now."
Vince rolled his eyes and squeezed me closer to him, "I'm sure your friend will survive, Amy. In the meantime, the Crue needs your support. Don't we, Tommy?" Normally, I would've pulled away from Vince, but today I needed his body heat. Grudgingly, I let him snuggle against me as we entered the parking lot.
"Yes, we do!" Tommy agreed with Vince as two figures came running towards us. One of the figures was Mick, with his dark eyes shining and a thin smile on his pale lips. The other one was Nikki. His hair was flecked white from the snow and he was wearing sunglasses. The effect was so funny that I forgot that I was suppose to be mad for a moment.
As soon as they approached, I snatched Nikki's sunglasses off his nose and said, "I don't think you're gonna be needing these in the snow, Nikki." Nikki grinned down at me and then glared when he noticed Vince's arm coiled around my shoulders. He decided to ignore Vince and instead answered my question, "But I like them, Amy! Besides, they make me look sexy."
I slapped Nikki's arm playfully. Honestly, the sunglasses did make him look pretty attractive. I stood on my tiptoes and planted them back on Nikki's head, "Okay, fine, you win. I bet you're the only guy in New York who is wearing sunglasses though." Nikki shrugged as we walked back to the car and climbed into Mick's truck.
Once we were all fastened into the car, Mick backed out of the parking lot and started driving through the snow that pelted loudly against our windows. I was starting to feel depressed again. The last place I wanted to be right now was cold, dreary New York. The place I most wanted to be was hot, sunny Los Angeles...or in Izzy's bed.
Nikki pinched my cheek and gave me a questioning look, "Why so glum, Amy? You look like you're preparing to meet your doom or something. You should be excited! The tour we're going on is going to be the biggest one yet. We should get a lot of publicity off of it. Besides, I've always wanted to meet Ozzy Osbourne."
"I didn't know that we were going on a tour right after the vacation," I complained loudly. "I haven't packed the right clothes or anything. Why doesn't anyone tell me anything anymore?" My words came out a little sharper than I had intended them to be. I bit my lip, hoping I was sounding too spoiled or anything.
"Someone's in a bad mood," Mick commented from the front seat. I was going to apologized when Tommy cut in, "That would be Vince's fault that you never know what's going on. Tell him to pay better attention!" Vince grinned over at me from my left and sneakily started to grab my hand.
I pulled away from him, "Hey, now I'm warm enough so hands to yourself!" Vince grumbled under his breath and kept his hands to himself. I sighed as I looked out the window. Everything was obscured by whiteness. I missed Los Angeles. I missed home. And of course, I missed my Izzy.



A week later, we were in Portland, Maine getting ready for the first support show. I had instantly taken a deep disliking to Maine. It was like New York, but even colder. I had bought a sweatshirt at the hotel's gift shop and was hugging myself to keep warm while Crue started setting up backstage.
I was feeling kind of lonely. For once, I wish I had a friend who was a girl. All my best friends were guys. It just seemed like it would be nice to have another girl to talk to. Maybe she could help me decode what was going on with Izzy. I needed a big, heaping dose of girl talk right now. I pulled my knees up to my chin and sat down in the corner of the stage.
Tommy was doing a warm up on the drums, Vince was looking into a little hand held mirror, and Nikki and Mick were unpacking their guitars. I started zoning out while the sound check started. Nikki tested his guitar and Mick strummed a few notes. Suddenly, a tall imposing-looking man swaggered confidently towards the Crue.
He had long, thick black hair that poured down his back. His eyes were black-rimmed and hypnotizing. Everything about him seemed to be black except for the silver cross chain that swung against his chest as he strode over to the Crue. I had a bad feeling about this man. He seemed...wild.
"Hey, it's Motley Crue, isn't it?" I could hear the man bellow out at the Crue. Tommy stopped tapping on the drums and Mick and Nikki set their guitars aside. Nikki gave the man a big smile and stuck out his hand in a friendly matter, "Yep, we're Motley Crue all right. You must be Ozzy Osbourne, am I right?"
The big man smiled, exposing sharp white teeth. For a moment there, I had actually expected them to look yellow. He reminded me of an evil wizard for some reason. I was probably being paranoid like usual, but I could sense something odd about this man. I wasn't sure what it was yet, but time would certainly help me figure out what it was.
"Yeah, I'm Ozzy," the man, who was obviously Ozzy, replied in a very low voice. He took turns shaking all of the Crue member's hands. I was surprised how each member of the Crue was actually able to smile genuinely at him. I got the creeps just looking at him. Ozzy continued, "Say, maybe we can travel on the same touring bus?"
I was crossing my fingers that Tommy would say no, but of course, he did the opposite. His smile widened and he agreed happily, "Sure! It would be fun to travel together. We'd love to have some company." Ozzy exchanged the smile before turning and started to walk away, "Great! I'll see you guys after the show then. I'm pretty excited 'cuz I've never heard you guys play before."
Just as Ozzy was about to exit the backstage area, his gaze fell on me. Crap! I squeezed myself into a tighter ball in the corner of the room and prayed that I would blend with the backstage curtain. Instead of continuing walking, Ozzy came to a halt and twisted around, gazing at my face with his dark black, bulging eyes. A shiver went down my spine.
"Hey, who's this?" Ozzy shouted back over at the Crue. "Is this a little runaway or did you bring her along with you?" All four Crue members spun around to follow Ozzy's pointed finger that was directed right at me. Four pairs of eyes turned to look at me. I wished I could disappear. I hated being the center of attention.
"That's Amy!" Nikki exclaimed, walking over to where I was sitting in the corner and extending a hand towards me. I frowned at him. I didn't really want to get up and go over to meet Ozzy. I was perfectly content just sitting here on my own without anyone to bother me. Since it would look rude if I didn't take Nikki's hand, I let out a long, exaggerated sigh and stood up.
Nikki pulled me over to where Ozzy was standing so we were face to face. I tried to put a pleasant smile on my face as I greeted him with a stiff, "Hello." Ozzy continued to look at me, but didn't attempt to shake my hand. After I was starting to get uncomfortable under his stare, he finally said, "Hi. Anyways, I'm gonna go get ready for the tour so see you guys later." With that, he finally disappeared off stage.
"You don't like him, do you, Amy?" Vince asked as soon as Ozzy was out of earshot. How Vince was able to read my mind was something I would never know. I admitted, "Not really. There's something weird about him. Plus I've heard strange rumors about him. He seems kind of crazy if you ask me."
Nikki who had gone back to testing out his guitar paused and chuckled, "You say that like your other friends aren't crazy." I scowled over at Nikki. None of my friends were crazy! Well, maybe Vince could be crazy at times. But besides for that, the rest of the Crue, Axl, and Izzy were all completely sane.
"Axl's crazy," Nikki replied before going back to the guitar. I was going to argue, but Nikki's music would've drowned out my voice so I just kept my mouth shut. Seeing that I was no longer needed around, I went back to my little corner to let the Crue prepare for their upcoming performance that was starting in a matter of minutes.
"Hey Amy, guess what?" Tommy asked. He had taken a break from the drums and had come over to sit next to me in the corner. I looked up drearily at him. I wasn't really in a good mood. I didn't want to be on this tour, I was homesick, and it was so fucking cold out that I felt like I was going to get hypothermia.
"Aw, can't you give me a little smile?" Tommy frowned, pinching my cheek. I slapped his hand off my cheeks that were bright red from the cold and scowling back at him, "No, I can't smile for two reasons. First, I'm not happy and people only smile when they're happy. Second, my lips are almost frozen so I couldn't smile even if I wanted to."
"I have some news that I think will put a smile on your face," Tommy commented slyly, waiting for me to ask what his news was. I couldn't deny that he had captured my curiosity. What was he planning to tell me? I decided not to let him see my interest and said flatly, "Well, it better be something good."
"It is!" Tommy insisted, "We're going back to LA after this! It will be a two week break from the tour before we head to Nashville. That way you can pack some more clothes and see Izzy again since I know that's why you want to go back to Los Angeles right away." I blushed, apparently Tommy had an easy time reading me too.
"So we're seriously going back to Los Angeles?" I asked, barely able to comprehend his news. Tommy rolled his eyes at me, "No, I just said that to tease you." I frowned and Tommy laughed, "God, of course we're going back to Los Angeles! I'm not that mean to tease you about something like that. I know how much it means to you."
For a moment, I completely forget the cold. I was actually going back to Los Angeles after this show! I would have to call Izzy and Axl and let them know that I was coming back right away. Unable to contain my bursting excitement, I threw my arms around Tommy and smiled at him, "Oh my god, this is so awesome, Tommy! I can't wait!"
Tommy unwrapped my arms from around his neck and smiled at me as he started walking towards the stage where Vince was waving to him furiously, "I knew you'd start smiling when I told you about going back to LA. Anyways, we're onstage now so just enjoy the show! Wish me luck!" I gave Tommy a thumbs up as he retreated behind the stage curtain to the roar of the audience.
I wasted no time in snatching my phone out of my bag. With stiff, cold fingers, I punched in Axl's phone number and listened to the ringing on the other end impatiently. After eight beeps, Axl's recorded voice said, "I'm not here right now so leave me a message and I'll call ya back if I get all my crap done."
I eyed the phone angrily and redialed Axl's number. He had to be home! I needed to talk to him and Izzy right away. Unfortunately, Axl didn't pick up the second time either. Feeling frustrated, I punched the redial button in one more time. I knew it would be futile, but I didn't have anything else better to do and I really wanted to talk to him.
After the sixth ring, an angry voice picked up, "What kind of person calls three times in a row, hm? I'm in the middle of band practice, goddamnit! Do you actually think your shit is more important than the band?" Oops...I hadn't realized Axl was in the middle of practicing with the band. I was half tempted to hang up, but that would be a cowardly thing to do.
Instead, I replied carefully, "Uh...hi Axl. I didn't know you were in the middle of band practice. I'm sorry for interrupting you. I...uh...guess I'll call back later at a different time?" There was as pause and then Axl said gruffly, "Oh. I didn't realize it was you. Sorry, I'm just getting a little pissed off at the band. So I'm guessing you want to talk to Izzy?"
I was about to say, "yes" when I heard Axl yell across the room at one of the band members, "No, it's not for you! Just go back to your goddamn playing! We're never gonna get anywhere with this band if you guys don't learn to work together." In a weak voice, I said, "Well, I did kind of want to talk to Izzy. Is he practicing right now?"
"Yeah, Iz and Chris are working on something," Axl replied then added, "So no, you can't talk to him right now. Is there something you want me to tell him?" I frowned at the phone, wishing Axl would cheer up a bit. His dark mood was ruining my newly acquired ecstasy. Trying not to get upset, I answered, "Well, I'm coming back to Los Angeles tomorrow and I wanted to get together with Izzy. Is he busy tomorrow afternoon?"
"How should I know?" Axl snapped, "I guess I can ask him though. Hang on a sec." As Axl strode across the room to see what Izzy's plans were, I took a break and listened to how the Crue's show was going. They were sounding really good so far. The audience was just loving them. I could hear loud whoops and applause as the Crue finished the song "Shout to the Devil."
I put the phone down for a second to give a loud holler and called, "Go Crue!" When I picked the phone back up, Axl was calling my name irritably, "Amy? Hello? Are you still here? Where the fuck did you go?" I quickly answered him, "Oops, sorry. I'm at a Crue performance right now. Anyways, what did Izzy say?"
"Izzy says that you and the rest of the Crue should come hang out at his house in two days when you guys get back. He says you guys should come around eight if that works. I hope it works because I'm not going to interrupt him from his band practice again," Axl remarked a-matter-of-factly.
I felt like I was soaring above the gloomy day on wings. Everything was going well now. I replied back eagerly, "Of course it works! I'll invite all the Crue members over after they finish their show. I guess I'll see you in two days then?" Axl yelled something to the band and then answered, "Um hm. Sorry I don't have time to talk but I've gotta work on the bang thing. Catch ya later."
A small click sounded as Axl disconnected. I was feeling happy for the first time in days. We were going home! I would see Izzy again, figure out his secret, and then we'd be on good terms once more.


Exactly two days later, I stood at the mirror and looked at myself one last time. I had done my best to look nice, but not to look too overdressed. I was wearing a dark purple tube top and a tan skirt that landed around my knees. My hair was pulled up into the usual ponytail, but I had attempted to apply light lavender eyeshadow to match my skirt. I was trying to figure out whether or not I looked like a clown with it on when my mom walked into the bathroom.
"Haven't you heard of knocking?" I asked her as she came barreling through the door with a pile of towels in her arms. She peered over a fluffy white towel and me and apologized, "Sorry, honey. I keep forgetting you're home. You know, maybe you should just stay home today instead of going out. It feels like we never spend any family time anymore."
"No!" I replied a little too quickly because my mom gave me a hurt look. I tried to cover up my error and added, "I mean, I'd like to, but I've already made plans so not today. By the way, does this eye shadow make me look like a clown?" Sometimes I regretted not spending time with my family, but when we did spend family time, it usually ended up in an argument.
"Hm, I think it looks quite pretty," my mom analyzed as she scrutinized my eyelids carefully. As she started putting towels in the drawer, she said, "By the way, Vince, Tommy, Candice, and Beth Lynn need you to pick them up to go to the party." What the hell? I needed to pick up four different people? Did they think I was a taxi driver or something?
"Why do I have to pick them all up?" I complained miserably as I slumped against the doorway, "They've all got cars. Can't they just drive for themselves?" My mom crammed the last of the towels in the drawer and slammed it shut. Then she stood up and answered me sheepishly, "Beth Lynn called me earlier and I...uh...sort of suggested that you could pick everyone up."
"What would you do that for?" I asked incredulously. I most certainly didn't feel like driving around for an extra hour to bring people who were fully capable of driving to the party. Besides, the last thing I wanted to do was spend a two hour car ride with Candice. I didn't like that girl one bit. I hadn't forgiven her at all for her stupid truth and dare game at Izzy's last party. Who had invited Candice anyways? Izzy had invited the Crue and me to the party, not Tommy's girlfriend.
"I'm sorry," my mom gave me a small smile as she slipped by me and out the bathroom door, "I was just trying to be polite. Things are hard for Beth Lynn with the new baby and all. I'm just trying to make things easier for her. You will pick her up, won't you? I'd rather not have to use my car and my time to pick up the other four."
"No, it's okay, I'll do it," I replied hastily. I couldn't even begin to imagine my mother driving in a car with the Crue. That was a situation that would end up in a disaster. I trudged down the stairs and called over my shoulder, "I guess I'd better get going now since I've got all these people to pick up. I'll see you back later here later tonight."
"Okay, sweetie!" my mom called back cheerily as I disappeared out the door, "Don't stay too late!" I frowned at her words as I jumped into my jetta and sped off towards Vince and Beth Lynn's house. I wanted to stay late...all night if I could. I wasn't going to push things though. Ever since I had learned that Izzy hadn't broke up with me, I had made a vow that I would be more careful around him and not try to push him into doing anything he didn't want to do with me. That was pretty hard though. I had a problem with losing all my self control around Izzy. All I could feel was passion and longing when I looked at him, not self control.
I pulled into Vince's driveway and screeched to a halt. Wasting no time, I exited the jetta, walked up to the doorway, and rapped on the door. I wasn't really in a mood to sit and wait around for them today. I was in a hurry to see Izzy and picking up these people was like a thorn in my side. I tapped my foot as I waited for someone to open the door.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door popped open and Beth Lynn stood before me in a sheer pink dress looking as perfect as always, "Hi Amy! What's up?" I pointed at the car and said, "My mom told me that you needed me to pick you up for the party tonight. So are you and Vince coming?"
Beth chewed on her lower lip for a moment as if thinking it over before she replied nervously, "Is this Axl's party or Izzy's party?" I was instantly suspicious at the question. Why did she want to know who's party it was? I hoped she didn't have any feelings for Izzy. I still remembered that amorous look on her face when she had seen Izzy for the first time.
"It's Izzy's party," I replied a little gruffly than asked, "Why do you want to know?" Beth let out a sigh of relief when I said it was Izzy's party. All that did was increase my suspicion. Beth must've noticed my scowl because she quickly interjected, "I wanted to know because Vince doesn't like Axl all that much I guess. I'm not sure why." She turned and called loudly over her shoulder into the living room, "C'mon Vince! Get your ass out her or we're gonna be late to Iz's party!"
I didn't like the way Beth had nicknamed Izzy as "Iz." Nicknames were like an intimate version of someone's real name. Beth Lynn certainly didn't know Izzy well enough to be nicknaming him. Suddenly, I decided that I didn't want Beth and Vince at the party. Vince would only cause trouble, and Beth Lynn might be a threat.
"Axl is going to be at the party though," I commented in an attempt to make Beth Lynn change her mind about the party. "If Vince doesn't like him, maybe you should come to a different party another time?" My voice sounded a little bit too hopeful. Vince's loud footsteps sounded behind Beth Lynn as his face came into sight.
The couple stepped out the door hand in hand. The two gorgeous blondes looked so perfect together. I felt a pang of longing as I stared at the two of them. It must be nice to be married; to have someone always there for you, to have someone to hold, and someone to love you no matter what.
"Oh, we want to go to the party, don't we, Vince?" Beth said as she and Vince hopped into the backseat of my jetta. Having no choice but to bring them along, I reluctantly started up the engine and pulled out of the driveway to pick up Tommy and Candice. Beth Lynn gave me a curious look from the backseat as I started driving towards Tommy's house, "Where are you going, Amy? I thought we were going to Izzy's party. It looks like you're going the opposite direction."
"We are going the opposite direction," I admitted to her. "I'm going this way because we have to pick up Tommy and Candice too. So I'm driving to Tommy's house first." Beth quickly cut in, "Oh, you won't want to go to Tommy's house. He said he'd meet us at Candice's condo. I think they've been living together for a while from what Candice has told me."
That came as a shock. Tommy had actually moved in with Candice? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find one good thing to say about Candice. Well, maybe she was a little pretty. But personality wise, she could be compared to a lump of dirt. But what surprised me even more than the two living together was the fact that Beth had spoken to Candice recently. Were the two friends?
"Hm," I murmured to myself as I contemplated this over. "Are you and Candice friends?" Beth looked away from my piercing gaze in the mirror and replied softly, "I'd say so." Vince burst into laughter at her words, "You've been over at her house every single day this week! You two are like best friends!"
That hurt. So Beth was hanging out with Candice everyday now instead of calling me? I wonder what I had done to have Beth Lynn favor Candice over me. Maybe I wasn't the nicest person to be around, but at least I wasn't half crazy like Candice. I didn't know what else to say, so I stayed silent until we reached Candice's condo.
Getting out of the car, I yelled, "I'm gonna go get Candice and Tommy. I'll be right back." Beth eagerly popped out of the backseat and followed me to the small white door, "I'll come with you." Unable to protest, I shrugged and the two of us walked up to the door. I gave a small knock.
From inside the doorway, I could hear people yelling loudly. First, there was a high-pitched voice that screamed, "What the fuck is this, Tommy? Hm? Don't you think that you have something to tell me?" Tommy's remorseful voice replied back to her, "Calm down, Candice. Those pictures were taken ages ago, relax, okay?"
"No, I will not relax!" Candice screeched back hysterically. Beth Lynn and I exchanged wary looks. Apparently, Tommy and Candice were in the middle of a fight. I wasn't sure whether I should knock again or just go inside. Luckily, Beth Lynn made up my mind for me, "Why don't we just go inside? Maybe we can help them sort out their argument."
Feeling like an intruder, I pushed open the front door and silently stepped inside. Candice and Tommy were standing in the kitchen. Tommy was pressed against the back wall with his hands in the air with submission. Candice stood at the opposite end of the room, waving a picture in Tommy's face.
Abruptly, Candice picked up a glass plate that was sitting on the kitchen counter and flung it at Tommy with all her might. I cringed as the sound of glass splintering into little pieces sounded from across the room. Thankfully, Tommy had ducked and missed the blow, but the plate was ruined.
"Um, hi guys?" Beth Lynn asked nervously as she took a hesitant step into the kitchen. At the sound of Beth's voice, Candice looked around wildly. Once her eyes fell on her friend, she rushed over to Beth and pushed the photograph into her face, "Beth! Look at this! Look what Tommy did to me!"
Tommy ran over and snatched the picture out of Beth's face and crammed it into his pocket. His face was red with embarrassment and anger. Hoping that we could just end the fight and get moving, I smiled cheerily and suggested, "So guys, what do you think about getting to Izzy's house now so we aren't late?"
"That sounds great!" Tommy shot me a grateful look and followed me right out the doorway. Beth and Candice lagged behind. Candice was whispered furiously to Beth and Beth was trying to comfort Candice. As we stepped outside, I shot Tommy a sideways glance and questioned, "What was that picture of anyway?"
Tommy's face reddened even more and he looked down at the ground, "Oh...it was nothing." Candice apparently overheard our conversation because she replied hotly, "I'll tell you what the picture was of! It was a picture of Tommy having sex with all these girls on the beach. I found it in his photo album."
Candice and Beth Lynn slid into the back seat of my jetta next to Vince, leaving Tommy to sit in the passenger's seat next to me. As I started the car engine up for the third time, I glanced at my watch. I was going to have to hurry if I didn't want to be late. As we started driving again, I whispered to Tommy, "Is that true what Candice said? And what did she mean by 'all these girls'?"
"Yeah, it is true," Tommy answered apologetically with his head in his hands, "It was only three girls I met in high school. It wasn't like it was twenty girls or anything. We were just having a good time at the beach. It happened years ago so I don't even see why it even matters anymore." I felt a wave of sympathy towards Tommy.
He was right; what did it matter if it had happened years ago? There was a possibility that Candice was even more paranoid than me. I gave Tommy a consoling glance and said, "It really shouldn't matter. Don't worry, Candice will forget about it sooner or later." Tommy bit his lip, not believing me. From the backseat, I could still hear Candice raving to Beth Lynn.
I wanted to slap Tommy and tell him how stupid he was being for putting up with a girl like Candice. There were so many other nice girls out there; why did Candice have to be the one? Tommy deserved far better. The rest of the car ride was spent listening to Beth Lynn and Candice chattering incessantly in the back and Tommy sitting glumly next to me. I made a mental note to never to be the tax driver for such a big group of people again.



Just when I thought my ears were going to burst with chitchat and gossip coming from the backseat, we pulled into Izzy's driveway. I let out a sigh of relief and quickly swung into the driveway. Wasting no time, I threw the car door open and escaped outside. It was cold since it was only February, but at least it was much warmer than Maine.
Without waiting for the others, I started up the driveway to the front door. I stopped when I saw the window was open. Even though I was being nosy, I couldn't help but peer into the room. Loud music was erupting from the living room. The five members of the Hollywood Rose were all assembled around the room jamming on their instruments.
Axl was singing loudly and jumping off the furniture with excitement. I laughed to myself as I watched him. I knew his voice was nice, but today it completely hypnotized me as I watched from the window. After watching Axl for a few seconds, my eyes quickly searched the room for Izzy. It didn't take me long to find him. He was dancing around the room next to Axl with his guitar.
Axl flung his arm around Izzy's shoulders as he sang the finally notes to the song they were performing. The two looked so right together both doing what they did best with their eyes squinted up in concentration and their hair flying around wildly. A little tap on my shoulder made me jump and spin around.
Tommy was standing behind me, giving me an amused little smile, "What are you looking at? Don't you want to go in instead of standing at the window all day like a stranger?" I blushed at being caught staring and quickly took the last two steps to the door before ringing the doorbell twice. Behind me, Beth Lynn and Candice had their arms around each other to keep warm in the cold. I still wasn't sure how they had become such good friends.
"Oh, it's time for you guys to leave," I heard Axl proclaim loudly from inside the living room. "Everyone out! We have a party we're suppose to be having here." Axl waved everyone out with an arm. The five of us standing in the doorway moved aside to let the three Hollywood Rose members walk past us out the door.
Chris Weber gave me a little smile as he passed, but none of the other members acknowledged that they knew me at all. Once they had all shuffled out the door, Axl appeared into view and smiled at us, "There you all are! Come on in, don't be strangers!" I stepped through the doorway and took a look around the room.
It was just as I had seen it before besides for the fact that there were instruments lying all over the floor. Axl followed my gaze and barked at Izzy, "Go put those things away, will ya, Iz? They're bound to get broken if you just leave them on the floor like that." Izzy, who had been playing a little tune on his guitar, looked up at Axl. His black hair fell into his eyes and he made a little face as he carefully picked the guitars from the floor and retreated to the hallway.
It was only then that I realized my hand was trembling slightly. What the hell was it doing that for? Was I nervous? A little. After all, I hadn't seen Izzy for quite a while and I had no idea how he was going to react to me today. I would just have to cross my fingers and wait and see what the night held for me.