"Lemon and grapefruit? You gotta be kidding me." Isabel has been looking in the fridge for a long time now and the only thing suitable for eating were two yoghurts, unfortunately in flavours that were too off-putting. She put a hand on her stomach as she heard it rumble.

"To hell with it," she said and grabbed the grapefruit yoghurt and a spoon and sat down on a couch, after she threw a bunch of hers and Pete's clothes of it.

She's been living in Pete's apartment for five days now and although for a short second she was shocked what a crappy place it was, she got over it really quickly and now she was enjoying the freedom of putting glass on a coffee table without using a coaster. She became a big slob now and she feared the painful transition back to being mommy's tidy little girl. Of course, she wasn't worried only about the neatness factor. She dreaded the moment when her parents discover that she's not at Auntie's and that she lied to them smoothly in every phone call. Her living with a 26 year old man was only a bonus. Come September 3rd she is grounded forever, which made every occasional beer taste heavenly, everything was twice as hilarious, amusing and interesting. For the first time in sixteen years she saw colours so bright that sometimes she felt like wearing shades.

Of course, Pete himself wasn't so amused with living with Izzie. After she paid him off and they had a first fight about order of things, he made it clear that offering her to live with him was one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He wasn't the kind of guy that would break a promise, but his statement sure did make the first days awkward. Isabel tried to make things better with cooking and joking around, but she couldn't help calling the place 'crapartment'. She apologized constantly, saying that she watches too much television and can't stop making used up jokes, but Pete didn't seem to appreciate that. It was the same evening when she accidentally broke the bookcase and Pete punched the wall. There was a long uncomfortable silence and finally Pete mumbled that he's tired and is going to sleep. After he closed the door of his bedroom she stood still with open mouth staring at the hole in the wall. In that moment she considered leaving home and spilling the beans to her parents. She's never seen anyone to vent anger in that way and it really scared her.

However the next morning didn't feel that courageous anymore, so she decided to give the guy a chance. But she swore to herself that the first time he hits her, she's out of here. So now while Pete was at work she was enjoying the empty apartment, eating breakfast and watching Gossip Girl re-runs.

She heard the key in the lock and she frowned, looking at the clock. It can't be Pete yet, so who the hell is it? She jumped on her two feet and grabbed a pair of scissors to protect herself from the intruder. The door opened and a tall pretty brunette stepped inside. She threw her keys into the key frog, only then noticing Isabel staring at her with bugged out eyes. Isabel guessed she must be surprised, however she hid it well.

"Hi!" the stranger greeted her with a huge smile, exposing her shiny white teeth. Isabel didn't say anything. After few seconds she realised that she is staring at the newcomer and she quickly looked the other way. The brunette let out a little laugh, that wasn't as sweet as her tone tried to be and asked: "Is Pete here?"

Isabel shook her head. "No, he's at work."

"He was supposed to have a day off today." The girl said accusingly.

"Well, he doesn't." She didn't like this girl. She made her feel uneasy. She was beautiful and confident and full of herself. She was everything Isabel wasn't.

"So what are you doing here if Pete's at work? Who are you anyway?" Isabel took a deep breath and started to answer her questions but she stopped her.

"You know what, don't tell me. If my boyfriend's fucking a thirteen year old in my bed, I really don't want to know."

She frowned and whipped out her cell phone. Isabel could only guess that she is calling Pete. Although she couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, she easily guessed what is he saying.

"Hi sweetie, it's me."

"(Sigh. 'I'm sorry, who is this?')"

"What do you mean, 'who'?"

"(Grandma, is that you?)"

"You're a funny guy, Pete. It's me, Catherine."

"(Laugh. Through the tears.)"

"You don't recognize the voice of your own girlfriend?"

"(I'd rather not.)"

"You're pathetic. Where are you, anyway?"

"(At school. Where the fuck should I be?)"

"We were supposed to meet today at your place, honey."

"(You don't say.)"

"Well, I'm saying. I have an appointment for today, you know that, sweetheart."

"(Silence.)"

"Pete we're in this thing together! You said you'd come with me. You said that you'd hold my hand." Her voice cracked.

"(I've fucking changed my mind.)"

"So, you're not coming?"

"(No.)"

"Pete…"

"(Yeah?)"

"If you don't go with me now, we're done, are you aware of that?"

"(Yes, I'm aware off that. I have to go now. We'll talk about it some other time, alright?)"

"Pete, don't you hang up on me. Pete! You hang up. You asshole." Catherine put the phone back in her purse.

"What are you staring at?" she snapped at Isabel.

"Nothing." Isabel sheepishly eat a spoon of yoghurt, just so she had to do something with her hands.

"Is that my yoghurt?" Catherine observed, and by her tones would someone think that Isabel stole her grandma's diamond tiara. "Give that back to me!"

She tried to take it from Isabel, but Isabel's clumsiness kicked in again and she spilled the yoghurt all over the floor.

"Bitch." Isabel groaned in disbelief.

"What was that?" Catherine raised her voice.

"It was only a yoghurt, you could've let me keep it."

"Well it was my yoghurt and I can do whatever I want with it."

Isabel grabbed a towel and kneed to clean up the mess on the floor. "And it doesn't apply only to a yoghurt, does it," she muttered. Isabel noticed the girl was staring at her.

"You seem have an annoying habit of poking your little nose into my business, precious. Hasn't your mommy toughed you any manners? Well, I guess it's my bad, when I expect a girl to mind her own business and not to do things like listening to other people's conversation or fucking someone else's boyfriend, right? Mommy raised a whore and now I have to deal with consequences. Just remember, precious. I'll get you. When you least expect it." With that she grabbed her keys and left. Isabel went to bathroom to freshen up after tiresome last hour and when she saw herself in a mirror she had to laugh. Her hair was all messed up because she hadn't brushed it in two days. She had no make up on, making her look like she was eleven year old with eyes so small one would wonder if she could see at all and skin so pasty she looked like a flour moth. Why would anyone ever think that Pete Dunham would shag that was beyond her.

"That crazy pregnant slut."

She decided that it'd be best if she groomed herself and went out to eat, maybe even stock the fridge. Her phone beeped. She got a text message from Milo. He was wondering if they could meet and grab a bite. She smiled at his perfect timing. Too bad they weren't meant to be together. Her crush on Milo lasted only 4 days and it disappeared just as quickly as it started. She came to a decision that a boyfriend would only mess up the already complicated situation. "Ok. Meet u Joes in 20 min. C u l8er." She pushed SEND, grabbed her own pair of keys and left the apartment, where the air still smelled like awkwardness mixed with little frustration blended with displeasure.


Much to her discontent the atmosphere in the apartment hadn't changed whenn she came back in the late afternoon.
"Hello stranger! How was your day?" She put the bags with groceries on the kitchen counter. He mumbled something in return, but Isabel didn't catch what.

"You're alright?" She asked and sat down on the couch with pack of Pringles in her hand. Pete was sitting in front of her in the comfy chair with his pretty head in his hands and he looked like he needed to cheer up. He didn't say anything.
"I went grocery shopping. I don't know what you had for breakfast but I almost starved."
She felt like he wasn't paying any attention to her rambling so she got up to the fridge and started putting things she bought where they belonged.
"I've met your girlfriend today. What do you want for dinner?"
She turned around to see his reaction. He raised his head and his face lost that blank expression. "How about you shutting up with some chips on aside?"

"Well, that was uncalled for." She put down a box of cereal on the counter. "I was just making the small talk."
"Mind your own business, princess." He grinned at her and took the box from her hand. "Or you'll be back in that scary arse house of yours sooner than you can say 'quidditch'."
She gave out a small laugh and then started choking on dry cereals immediately.
"Careful there, Iz. Don't you die on me." He said dryly and poured some milk into his bowl and patted her on the back. He grabbed the bowl and sat down on a couch, put his feet on the coffee table and turned the TV on. They didn't finished the movie they watched last night and Isabel had to smile as she watched Pete Dunham flicking through the scenes of Philosopher's Stone to find the one they saw last. She sat down next to him, careful not to spill any of the milk.
"You teach a bunch of ten year olds, right Pete?"
"Yup." He nodded.
"Then how is it possible that you've never seen any of the Harry Potter movies? How can those kids respect you? You are SO uncool." She chuckled.
He threw the pillow at her and smirked.
"Shut up. I'm listening to professor Bumblemore, you annoying twat."
When she saw his serious face she masked her laugh by burying her face into the pillow.
"Aw. You have the other films, too?" He asked when the movie ended. She lifted her head so she could see his face and find out if he was serious.
"Really?"

"Why not? I'm a single man, and while I'm past the phase of drowning my sorrow in tons of beer, I still don't feel like dancing. Besides, if you think it'll make me cool, I'll do it. I'll watch all three Harry Potter movies. Just for you." He mockingly gestured to his heart and then pointed at her.

"You know that there will be seven movies, right?" She yelled at the direction of bathroom where he was taking a shower. She sat on the floor in front of the TV, looking through the bunch of DVD's she had brought from home to see if she could find The Chamber of Secrets.
"Seven? Fuck. And you saw them all?"
She looked up from the pile and looked at him, standing in the bathroom door wearing only boxers. She noticed he had a West Ham crest tattooed on his chest.
"The last two are not filmed yet." She got up and grabbed her pajamas and towel and headed to the bathroom. "And put some clothes on you tart. Jesus, you really do love yourself, don't you." She pushed him gently out of the door and closed it behind him. She took a quick shower and in 10 minutes she was hard asleep, lying across the notsocomfy couch.

Isabel opened her eyes wide, but still she couldn't see much in the darkened apartment. She didn't know what woke her up and she couldn't find the switch on the lamp. Her heart was racing so fast and loud she thought it would woken up the whole neighborhood. After what felt like hours she finally found that damn switch and turned the light on. She turned around and she kind of wished she didn't. There was a man in the apartment and it wasn't Pete. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Then she screamed again. And again. She took a deep breath and attempted to scream some more but to her horror someone put a hand on her mouth. Uh oh.