"You're pulling my hair!" Isabelle squealed and Cody sighed.
"Watch it, Runnels!" Jon warned from the living room and Cody sighed.
"You have got to start relaxing. Have you never got all done up for a date?" He asked as he curled her hair and she made a face into the mirror. "Seriously?"
"Colby is the only boyfriend I've ever had, and the only real date we went on was after a volleyball game and he just took me to Denny's." Isabelle defended and Cody sighed.
"How are you Jon's sister? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're polar opposites."
"He didn't become such a horn dog until he started wrestling. He was never like that before then."
"Makes sense, I guess. And you aren't blood related."
"There's that, too."
"Colby's jaw is going to drop when he sees you, Izzy." Natalie cooed and Isabelle grinned.
"I'm just glad that you're all not overly upset over the week of wrestling that's occurred." Isabelle said quietly and Cody shrugged.
"There will be other chances. The creative team works in mysterious ways." Cody mumbled, still a bit bitter over losing the tag titles, and then his rematch because of Lesnar.
"The who?"
"Isabelle doesn't care about backstage politics," Natalie reminded and Cody nodded. "she still likes the wonder behind the storylines."
"You're probably the best adult wrestling fan, Izzy. You recognize that there is a line between what happens in the arenas and what happens outside the arenas, but you still find joy in the pretend fighting and don't focus on the real world while you're watching wrestling. I like that." Jon said as he poked his head into the bathroom to check on Isabelle.
"It's a world that will get my mind out of the real world for a couple hours." Was all the young woman mumbled and Cody nodded before continuing to curl her hair.
"Your hair is so fucking long."
"But it's soft. I like the softness." Isabelle mumbled, twirling a lock of hair before Cody slapped her hand away.
"No touchy touchy."
The restaurant they were having dinner at was way too fancy for Isabelle's tastes. She was in good company, but she couldn't pronounce anything on the menu.
"Jon." She whispered behind her menu, and he looked over at her.
"What?"
"What's my price limit?"
"You're serious?" The look in her eyes told him that she was dead serious and he chuckled. "You're serious. You don't have a price limit, Monkey."
"For serious. Happy birthday."
"I can't pronounce anything on the menu."
"Secrets don't make friends, Izzy." Phil scolded playfully and Isabelle set her menu down to look at the Chicagoan.
"I was curious as to my price limit, and I was telling Jon that I don't know how to pronounce anything on this menu." Isabelle admitted with a smile and Phil chuckled. "College student problems."
"Well, Iz, you like fish, so I'd suggest anything that sounds like it has fish." Colby suggested and Isabelle nodded. "I don't know how to pronounce half this stuff either, babe."
"Oh, good. At least we're in this together." She mumbled with a small smile and he kissed her cheek before they both went back to their menus. "What are you getting, Phil?"
"Salad. It's safest."
"Of course." Cena muttered and Isabelle giggled.
"There's nothing wrong with pescetarianism. If I hadn't sold my soul to Taco Bell, I'd do it."
"Seriously?" Nikki asked and Jon nodded.
"She'll buy a week's worth of food and that's what she'll eat."
"How the hell are you so thin?"
"Volleyball and CrossFit. If I'm not in class, I'm working out."
"She really is the perfect girl for you, Lopez." Phil said with a smirk and Colby smiled down at Isabelle.
"Why couldn't we just go to iHop and get pancakes?" Isabelle asked and Cody smacked the table lightly.
"That's what I said!"
"Well, we're here now. We'll get desert at iHop." Jay decided and, since he was the oldest at the table, that was that.
"Present time!" April cheered and Isabelle smiled from where she sat in Colby's lap between Jon and Cody. Everyone else surrounded the table and Isabelle took a sip from the milkshake she and Colby were sharing. "Open mine and Phil's first!"
"Easy, short stack. She'll open them in her own order." Phil chuckled, playing with April's hair.
"I'm assuming yours is in the Batman wrapping paper?" Isabelle asked and April nodded.
"We had the ultimate battle of Marvel or DC, and I hope you like it." Phil explained as Isabelle started to gently tear at the paper.
"I'm actually a fan of both."
"Oh, good." The pint-sized Diva's Champion clapped as Isabelle opened the box and grinned at all the tshirts.
"This is comic book nerd heaven. You two are incredible."
"Wait until you get to the bottom." Phil informed with a smirk and Isabelle neatly pulled the shirts out to reveal an Avengers comic autographed by Stan Lee.
"Phil, you did not."
"I have friends."
"Well, now that Phil and April have successfully upstaged everybody without making much of an effort, who's next?" Jon asked and Phil chuckled as Isabelle put all the shirts back in the box. "I know I'm going last."
"Why do you get to go last?" Cody asked and Jon shrugged.
"Big brother is always last, so ha. Who's next?"
"I'll go." Jay offered. "It's the shiny silver one."
And so they continued. Isabelle had a good time being surrounded by people that made her happy. She got to know April, Nikki, and TJ better and they were wonderful to her. April was nothing like she was on TV, and that was a huge relief to Isabelle. They talked and laughed and joked around while she opened the various gifts that they had given her, and she really felt like one of them. She wasn't a wrestler by any stretch over the imagination, but she felt like she belonged with them, and she had never felt like she truly belonged with a particular group before.
"What a haul." Jon laughed as he carried her up to her apartment and she smiled.
"Yeah. I'm a bit overwhelmed by how much they like me. Or it's the booze."
"You're a great girl, Isabelle." Colby stated from where he and Joe followed behind Jon, both carrying Isabelle's presents.
"I've never gotten drunk at iHop before." Isabelle mumbled and Jon chuckled, laying her down in her bed.
"Have you ever gotten drunk before?"
"Nope. You'll cuddle me, right?" She asked and Jon looked back at Colby before he shrugged.
"Sure thing, Monkey. I've got to make sure that everyone else is comfortable first, okay?" She nodded and he kissed her forehead before headed to her hall closet where all the spare blankets were kept.
Meanwhile, Colby stood in the doorway to Isabelle's bedroom. She had fallen asleep, he could tell. He was a bit disappointed that she wanted Jon in bed with her, but he knew that he hadn't earned that right just yet. So, he crossed the room and sat beside her on the bed and kissed her forehead.
"Good night, pretty girl." He whispered against her soft skin before he took out the headband Joe had bought her and left her to sleep in peace.
"So, Phil got John, Nikki, and April to their hotel, and Jay took care of Nattie and TJ. Al we have is Cody, who has his own ride and made a nice bed on the floor. Joe pulled out the couch and is willing to share with you." Jon informed and Colby nodded as he unbuttoned his shirt.
"Sounds good. Goodnight, man."
"Night, Colby. I'll see you in the morning."