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You Don't Take Coffee with Sugar

Chapter 3
Bouncing off Clouds

--OCTOBER 31: HALLOWEEN--

It was the day of the party and Izzy stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was lazily brushing his teeth while wondering what he'll go to the party as. Without realizing it Izzy had been brushing his teeth for ten minutes before he finally left.

He knew he had to have a costume for tonight because everyone there would be wearing one. He knew everyone took Halloween way too seriously. Izzy already knew he wasn't spending the money on a costume. The only thing he was buying was a cheap ticket to a boring night. Even with Tai around he knew he was going to be uncomfortable sitting on a couch with people who probably didn't know he went to the same school as him.

He left the bathroom after rinsing his mouth and brush. Wiping his mouth as he entered his room he looked at his clock. It was close to 10:30 and his costume ideas haven't been that exciting. His mom suggested he go out as a cat but he brushed the idea off telling her that it would stupid compared to everyone else's costume.

Reading the morning news earlier that morning with his coffee didn't help his brain decode anything- he was still stuck for a costume. He sighed and looked back towards his clock, which now flashed 10:30. He then counted down the hours to the party: 10. He took out his homework. He had a test on Monday that he had to study for in physics and he knew that he had to get a head start on the essay for English. Practicing that week's math equation was a must, not to mention extra readings for his dissection on Monday in biology.

Izzy sat on the floor. Even though he had a perfectly good bed and computer chair he liked the idea of the floor because he could see his notes better by scattering them. He could read his notes, type on his laptop and scribble down thoughts without moving anything around.

He began reading but instantly got distracted. He leaned his head on his night table and stared at his bed with thoughts of the costume filling his head. His head lolled to the side and his eyes focused on his bed- suddenly he had an idea.

The time was 6:30pm and Izzy shakily walked up to Tai's apartment. His day of studying made him want to retire early but once his mother found out that it was a party he was going to she whipped up a batch of rice crispy squares and shoved him on the way with his costume.

Izzy wasn't concerned that his costume took him two minutes to make, he wasn't concerned that he was the tallest kid walking around right now, and he wasn't concerned that he was carrying around a pan of rice crispy squares. What made his arms shake and his heart beat was the fact that he was about to spend a night at a party with Tai.

He knocked on the door and Kari answered. She had her camera in hand and snapped a photo of Izzy immediately. Izzy's eyes went blurry for a few seconds and then he saw dots. He entered the house upon request of Kari and took his shoes off.

'Let me guess, a ghost.' She laughed slightly, letting her arm hang with her finger hand still around her camera. Izzy rolled his eyes and nodded. The white sheet over his head with two eyeholes didn't give Izzy's intelligence what it deserved.

'Where's my headband?' Izzy could hear Tai shouting from his bedroom and he stopped breathing.

'It's on the end of your bed' his mother shouted from the kitchen. A moment later Tai appeared in the living area dressed in an old soccer uniform that was torn. His hair was messy and he had fake bruises and blood on his face. Kari snapped a few photos while his mother fussed over the two of them.

'You two are adorable.' She said, grabbing Kari's camera. Tai brushed off her statement but posed for the picture, giving a huge smile and thumbs up. He reached around Izzy and pulled his close for the picture. Izzy's eyes shot to the side and never moved from Tai.

'We have to go now.' Tai said picking up his knapsack and slinging it over his back. Kari waved goodbye as the two left the house and began walking to the place where Matt's party was being held. One of the band members had a beautiful house and the two of them decided to have it there.

As they got closer to the house Tai and Izzy could hear the bands music faintly and Tai began to mock it. Izzy remained silent but understood why Tai was crabby. Tai told Izzy the house was big but Izzy didn't realize that it was that big. A huge pool in the front surrounded but a huge fence. Further down was a basketball net and plenty of space to play. The house had a huge backyard that had several people walking around on smoking, drinking and laughing in various costumes.

The pool was infested with girls and guys splashing each other- some of them drunk and some of them still in their costumes with paint running down their faces. A trampoline was in use by a couple dressed up as the Joker and Harley Quinn. Izzy's intake of the house's surrounded was just the beginning.

The house itself was something to behold. A living room filled with people and a makeshift stage in the corner where Matt was signing away. His band was dressed up as skeletons and so were their girlfriends.

That is when Tai noticed Sora and drifted away from Izzy. Suddenly Izzy began to feel stupid for going along with this. He backed away from the living room shoving his way through people until he found the kitchen. He leaned on the fridge while several people around him took shots and others talked loudly across the room to one another. He was in the middle of a party he didn't want to be at in a crowd where he didn't know any of the people.

It was obvious who these people were however, he had gone to school with most of them for 3 years or more but he wasn't friends with any of them. A few girls walked into the kitchen in bathing suits and grabbed sodas from a cooler and began to chat with some other girls casually.

It was something Izzy had a hard time with. Talking with people he didn't know very well. It wasn't like he was a loser he just wasn't approachable like most of the other people in the school and he liked knowledge and learning. He picked up a water bottle and then was at a loss as how to drink it.

He looked over his shoulder and he could just see Sora and Tai chatting up a storm. She was laughing at his jokes and he was trying too hard to impress her. Every time a song ended Matt would speak into the mic and everyone would cheer and clap until the next song came on. There were whispered hushes that Matt and his band sucked but it was a rich kids party.

Izzy claimed a bar stool and stared at everyone having a good time. A time that he thought he would have. He felt rejected by Tai without him having to say anything but he knew it would happen. He was too smart to believe that him and Tai would spend then entire night together.

At some point in the night Izzy flipped his costume back and drank back a bottle of water. Some people noticed him and some people didn't There were several people who talked to Izzy but it always ended with them walking away because he would always talk about current events or school.

Sighing, Izzy flipped his costume back down over his face pretending he wasn't there once again, hoping that no one would talk to him again. He looked back to where Tai and Sora were sitting but they weren't anywhere to be found. He stood and began walking to the living room when he saw the two jumping on the trampoline.

'This can't be good…' Izzy thought to himself and began to make his way out. He was stopped by a crowed of girls in costumes almost as bad as his. They slung their arms around him and began taking pictures. Izzy could smell the booze on their breaths and tried getting away.

Outside the window he could see Tai and Sora taking a break and by the fading smile on her face he knew that the light conversation was becoming serious. He knew that if he didn't get away from the drunken girls who were a fan of his costume, Tai would lose Sora forever.

When he reached the sliding doors leading to the back yard he knew he was too late by the look on Sora's face. Her expression tuned sour and tears began to wash away white face paint. Tai's face blossomed with regret, stupidity and sympathy. Izzy opened the door and watched as Sora jumped off the trampoline and rushed past him with her face in her hands.

Tai turned, his face now expressionless. His hands were clutching the material of his shorts and he sat in the centre of the trampoline staring blankly at the black mesh. He didn't notice Izzy walking up until he said something.

'Tai…' he began softly. 'I thought I told you Tai…' Izzy hoped he didn't sound conceited. His voice was gentle and seeing Tai like this made him want to hold him. Izzy wasn't angry with Tai he was angry at himself for letting Tai do this.

'But… I thought she felt the same…' he replied robotically. 'It all came out so fast… first I told her that- that she had changed since we were kids and she seemed like she knew where I was going. Then I told her I liked her and then she told me she used to like me when we were kids! Izzy, I'm so stupid- I told her to dump Matt! Now she's never going to talk to me again.' Tai's knuckles turned white and he was gritting his teeth trying not to cry.

Izzy almost found the scene comical while Tai was dressed up as a cadaver and shamelessly about to cry. Izzy leaned into the trampoline and was going to tell something when he noticed the music had stopped. He had the funny feeling that something bad was going to happen.

No later than he had thought it Matt stood in the doorway staring out at Tai- who hadn't noticed anything. Sora was no where to be found but Izzy knew that she had talked to Matt by the way he was boring his eyes into Tai's skin.

Once Tai finally noticed he jumped off the trampoline and ran up towards Matt who didn't seem open for discussion. Before either boy said anything Matt took a swing at Tai, who backed off, ducking out of the way of the attack. It wasn't the first time Izzy had seen the two fight but he knew that this could get ugly fast.

'What are you thinking Tai?' Matt yelled causing a scene. 'Sora's so upset because of you. Do you really thing you can just say whatever you what around my girlfriend because you've known her longer?' Matt moved forward getting in Tai's face.

'That's not what it was like Matt!' Tai shouted back with the same aggressive attitude. His eyes were swelling with anger; fists balled while both stared daggers at each other until Matt finally spoke.

'It's not my fault Sora chose the better man…' Tai attempted to jump at Matt but Izzy sprang forward and attached himself to Tai's arms stopping him from doing anything. With all the strength he had he dragged Tai towards the door. Matt simple made eye contact with Izzy and decided to just leave it alone.

The night air was settling around them in a cool mist. Random trick-or-treaters straggled though the street. Izzy had taken off his costume and strung it around his arm. He was still gripping Tai's arm and only noticed when Tai mentioned it.

'You can let go now Izzy, I'm not going to run back there…'

Izzy's stomach fluttered and his arm fell to his side. 'Sorry…' he mumbled but Tai didn't seem to hear- his head was lost in the night's events. Izzy was glad for the cool breeze that evening- Tai wouldn't take notice to the fact that Izzy was blushing.

Please review. I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can. I'm going to be travelling a lot for the rest of this month and then school starts up again. Whooppie. PLUS my job… so please bear with me- I am trying my hardest to finish this story- it's my first and it would be a great accomplishment for me. ;)

Again, Please review

The Chivas