IZZY GREEN

I DO NOT OWN TDI OR JADE GREEN

ITS IN COURTNEY'S POINT OF VIEW

"Duncan," I said turning around to face him, "He scares me! Did you see the way Justin was looking at us up there?"

He glared where Justin was standing not to long ago, "He looked more at you then me."

"I don't like how he studies me sometimes. I don't think it's right for a cousin."

"Then you should tell him that. Directly to the point." Duncan said as his eyes softed and he opened the pinic basket. "Here, let's see what Gwen packed us for lunch."

He handed me a boiled egg and some dark bread, and soon we were settled against a rock, our bare feet strecthed out in front of us, enjoying our lunch and the breeze that blew in off the water.

At that moment I wished I could stay there the rest of my life, so comfortable I was with Duncan, with the sand, sun, and ocean. I could feel my skirt flopping about my legs in the breeze, drying against my thighs, and I didn't care at all if Duncan could see my ankles. I was delighted in the arch of my foot, the length of my toes, and thought how Gwen would cluck her tongue if she saw me.

"Princess, what was you thinking about before I showed you my lures?" Duncan asked as he put his hands behind his head.

"Nothing really, I was just reliving a memory about my family. How long have you known my cousin Justin?" I asked.

"I have known the Sparrow family ever since I can remember," Duncan answered. "I know who Justin is if I see him on the street, but I have never had much to say to him, or he to me.. He is more then twice my age."

"But, if you never knew him that good, why did you begin to dislike him and warn me, before I told you how he affected me?" I inquired.

"Two reason mostly."

"Care to go into detail?"

He signed, "One of them is because of his reputation. Two, is that Owen told me how he saw Justin study Izzy. Owen said that the look in his eyes were pure lust."

"What sort of reputation does he have?" I asked.

"Not like Trent's that for sure," Duncan said. Then he suggested that we share the blueberry tea cake that was in the basket, so the afternoon was blissfully whiled away. I sat down on the blanket, allowing my clothes to dry, and watched Duncan fished, he didn't catch nothing.

Around four o'clock, dark clouds appeared over the ocean and came rolling in, as though riding the waves.

"Like my parents did." I thought as we packed up for the journey.

For a moment, Duncan stopped and smirked to himself as we picked up the blanket and our hands touched. When Duncan brought his ends of the blanket over, he dropped it and quickly put his arms around my waist and kissed me.

For a second I was shocked at something that bold, but then again this is Duncan. I couldn't help myself but dropped the blanket and put my arms around his neck and kiss back.

That kiss, my very first kiss from a man that wasn't my father, was as wonderful as any tea chake I have tasted in my life, which only caused me be hungry for more.

But, Duncan drew away, started stroking my hair and asked, "Princess, why did you give me a picture of you when your ten? Don't you like what you see as yourself now?"

"It...it was all I had that would fit the frame," I said, my cheeks were turning pink, "Someday, I will get you a better one."

"I would rather have the picture then the frame."

I wanted to tell him everything. Everything that has happen in the Sparrow house! Yet, something kept stopping me. Only if I knew what the enormity of what I had done by bringing the color green back in my uncle's house, despite his wishes.

We walked hime and Duncan gave my hand a tight squeeze before he sent me inside. Even though the clouds brought rain, a drenching summer storm, my heart was filled with the delight of the afternoon, and I dared anyone to try and destoy it.

It was either the happiness on my face or a change in Trent. I didn't now but after dinner that evening he asked, "Courtney, how about a game of checkers in the parlor?"

"I would be happy to, but I don't think I have ever played," I told him.

"Then, I will teach you," he said with pleasure. With more teasing he said, " I believe you didn't know songs but someone taught you those."

So, with Gwen fanning herself humming the song Trent made for her sitting by the window, I sat down to begin my first game of checkers. Before long, one of my men was crowned and another.

"Aha!" Trent cried. "For a girl who has never played, Courtney, you are giving me a regular fight."

Justin, sitting on the sofa said, "When did we give up the conservation for checkers?"

"I will talk with you," Gwen said. "Tell me, Justin, how would you cure a sleepwalked?"

I wasn't pleased where this conservation had turned, I frowned at the board and moved one of my men to the left.

"A sleepwalker? Tell me what does this sleepwalker do?" Justin said.

"That we will know sometime in the future, I'll bet, but as of now, she came downstairs and played a tune on the piano," Gwen said.

I knew by the tone in her voice that it was only teasing on her part, but I couldn't help but wonder why did she bring this in front of Justin, I could only guess that it still weighed upon in her mind --- that she hoped each time the subject was aired and she might be able to convince herself sispicious that the ghost of Izzy Green would be lurking around, or it was a mere superstition that made her avoid the subject.

Justin, however, looking in my direction, "Well, Gwen my sweetie," at this comment Trent's face went up in anger and I could tell that he was going to start a fight with Justin if he talked like that to Gwen again, "perhaps the solution is to lock the offender up. After all, she may fall down the stairs and break her neck. She might go to the stove and set the house on fire. Put her in her room at ten o'clock each evening, lock the door, and keep the key in your nightdress until seven the next day."

The anger in his voice didn't escape Gwen's ear for she said quickly, "Oh, that is too serious of a solution, Justin." She laughed as through it was all a joke.

I heard Trent mumble on his breath, "If Justin trys to hit on Gwen again I will make sure I hit him...in the face." Then his normal voice, "Now Courtney, you are not paying attention." I saw that I had moved a man in such a way that Trent jumped three, capturing all of them.

At work the next day, I asked Leshawna, "What do you know of my cousin Justin? You have lived here in Whispers all your life. What do they say about him around town?"

Leshawna rolled her eyes at Katie and Sadie who were jumping up and down like it was they haven't seen each other in years, and I knew that this too was not a topic of conservation to be talked about in the shop. So, at lunch, where we ate our lunches out on the bench, sharing between us a small box of berries, she said, "If you want the truth about your cousin Justin, ask the ladies."

"What ladies?" I asked looking around.

Leshawna gave a laugh, "You won't see them now, Love, for they don't get up til six in the evening. The ladies of the night, I'm talking about."

I gasped, "You mean ...?"

She smiled and nodded her head. "Those are the sort of ladies your is out with. Why do you think he keeps in rooms in town? Why, his father would throw him out if he ever brought that sort home with him."

"Does everyone know about this?"

"Almost 's nothing to be done about it, is there? I mean, he's a man of forty -- he can do what he likes. Oh no, looks tweedle idiot brought a friend," Leshawna said as she began to glare.

I turned around and saw two boys coming towards us. One was wearing a red headband, red jacket with a 't' and red pants. The other ine was wearing a light tan shorts, dark green color shirt, his hair looked um ... stupid, and he kept smiling. I could sworn that his teeth was blinding the sun.

"Why hello there Leshawna. Fancy meeting you here. Who's your little friend?" said the one with the stupid hair as he brushed my hair out of my face.

"What do you want Chris?" Leshawna growled.

"He wants your little friend to be his while you be mine," said the man in red.

"Beat it Tyler. I don't want you and she doesn't want you Chris." Leshawna said while hissing.

The dude who pushed my hair out said, "You didn't ask her Leshawna. Hi little girl, I'm Chirs. Would you like some candy?"

"Dude, that just sounded wrong!" the dude in red who I am guessing is Tyler said.

"Does it matter? Come with me sweetie. I can make sure you have the best night you have ever had," Chirs said.

Leshawna began to growl as I said, "I think I will pass on that. I already have the best life I could ever dream of and I don't want no one night being the best to ruin my life."

Chris glared at me while Leshawna and Tyler held back their laughter, he growled at me and I can tell that I had made him angry, "Looks like I will have to take you by force then."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Tyler got out of Leshawna's way while she walked over and tapped Chris on the shoulder, "Don't you dare touch her!" then she punched him in the face.

"MY FACE!" he yelled as he ran away.

"Sorry about that. That's tweedle idiot. This is my friend who is sometimes forced by Chirs to come with him. Tyler meet Courtney. Courtney Tyler." Leshawna said

"Hi, sorry about that. I have a girlfriend and well, I better get going." Tyler said as he ran away and he somehow tripped on flat ground.

What Leshawna said to me about my cousin, I almost wished that I didn't hear what Leshawna told me, but I asked for gossip, and gossip is what I got. It didn't make me feel any more friendier toward my cousin, though. At the dinner table that evening. I felt a great rebellion toward him, which I was certain he couls sense from his chair at the end of the table.

"What has our orphan, been up to, that she has been so quiet this evening?" he asked feigning friendliness. I could barely keep a growl in as he continued, "Was she climbing about on the rocks with her panting boyfriend in pursuit? Was she moving her naked foot up and down his leg? Was she lying in the waves so her clothes ---"

"JUSTIN, THAT IS ENOUGH!" boomed his father suddenly, "STOP THIS! I WILL NOT STAND THIS SORT OF QUESTIONING AT MY TABLE! BETTER YET, IN THIS HOUSE!"

All of us stopped eating, we have never seen Uncle Trent quite so angry, his face was a deep purple. "IF YOU HAVE ACCUSTATIONS TO MAKE, MAKE THEM BOLDLY, BUT BY GOD, THEY HAD BETTER BE OF NATURE AS TO WARRENT OUR ATTENTION. COURTNEY IS NOT A SLAVE OR A PRISONER HERE. SHE IS ALLOWED BOTH HER FRIENDS AND HER FREEDOM, AND IF I MAY SAY, SIR, YOU SHOULD BE THE LAST TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS ON A PERSON'S CHARACTER!"

I had expected a loud and lengthy arguement to follow. Gwen got up quickly and made some excuse to attend to the kitchen, but Justin surprised Gwen and me, and apologized.

"What was mere joking was taken far too seriously, and I withdraw all my remarks so far,: he said as he lifted his wineglass and took a drink.

I knew Justin was lying but Trent didn't. I looked quickly at my cousin's face and I could see his eyes laughing, while the rest of his face looked sorry. When the cherry tart was brough to the table later, we each ate a piece with many compliment to the cook.

Justin left soon after dinner.

"Gwen," I said, "It's a warm evening, and you are still flushed from the cooking dinner. Why don't you and Trent go out in the garden and let me set the kitchen? I insist upon it."

She was fanning herself, and I could see that my offer had wanted her to move.

"Go!" I said again. "The blue (I don't know if this color exists) rosebush far back by the gate is in bloom, and I think that you shouldn't miss it."

"Then I will go!" Gwen said, getting out of her chair.

"The blue rose?" Trent inquired, "Of all the flowers that ismy favorite."

So they went and as Trent walked past me he whispered, "Thank you."

I rolled up my sleeves and set about washing the pots and pans, rinsing the silverware, and taking the unused potatoes and onions down to the root celler.

I was coming back up when I heard a noise in the kitchen. It was familiar sound, as though Gwen had returned and was starting to make dinner all over again.

"Justin?" I thought. Had he come back and was rummaging about?

I got to the top step and stopped, listening.

Chop, chop, chop, the nouse went.

"Gwen?" I called.

The sound stopped for a moment.

I stepped up into the kitchen and look about. Out the window I could see Trent down on his knee with a ring and Gwen was shaking her head up and down before she hugged his neck. I smiled at this and glanced to my right, waiting for the sound to begin again, then to my left. Chop chop chop. I whirled about as the noise seemed to be coming from a back corner.

There on the chopping block was a cleaver, methodically hitting the boards, rhythmically chopping. Grasping the cleaver was the ghostly hand.

It's getting intense isn't it? I have another question that has to do with my spanish project, Does anyone know what Santa Claus is called in Canada? Read and Review. Please and Thank you!

~Snowleopardlover~