Shauna and Izzy, Pt 1

"Hey," Matt said as he entered Sora and Amy's room, holding an open laptop. He approached Sora, who was working at her desk, and kissed the crown of her head. Then he moved to Amy's desk and placed the laptop on her open textbook.

"Rude," Amy scolded, grinning. Matt ignored her and pointed to the screen.

"Have you seen our performance schedule? You're after me." Which suited Matt just fine. If any friends wanted to see them both, they wouldn't have to stay long. Better yet, he wasn't the poor schmuck following Amy.

Sora's chair creaked as it rotated, and Matt turned, already smiling for her. "It's early in the semester for a performance."

"It's not a midterm," Matt explained. "Equal parts check-in and showing the professor where we are, I guess. Neither of us expect anyone to come, but you're welcome." He glanced at Amy for confirmation, and she nodded.

Sora joined them at Amy's desk. Matt tilted the laptop towards her, ignoring Amy's grunt of protest as he slid her textbook. "I think I'm free then," Sora said. "Make sure you tell the others." Sora paused until Amy offered a sheepish nod.

Serves you right. Although Matt understood and respected Amy's desire to grow more independent, he was still a little ticked at the stunt she pulled when she left for Ohio. Thank god TK knew how to handle her.

"Tell us what?"

The sudden addition of Mimi's voice made everyone flinch. "Oops!" Mimi laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up." Matt took a breath to settle himself before facing Mimi, who stood behind their cluster at Amy's desk.

"It's fine," Sora said. "We were talking about Matt and Amy's vocal performance."

The way Mimi's face lit with enthusiasm made Matt forget that he was annoyed with her. "Yessss! I'm there, unless I'm in class. And we have the first announcement for my board!"

Nope. Matt carefully kept his expression neutral. The last thing he needed was to know what Mimi was talking about, but naturally, Sora asked.

Mimi flapped her hands in a 'come here' gesture, like a kid calling their dog. "Look, look! It's in the kitchen."

Sora followed Mimi out of the room, and Matt grabbed his laptop and went along. If things got annoying, well, he'd be right beside the suite door. Amy sighed and trailed after him, likely mourning lost study time.

Mimi nearly bounced into the kitchen, a hub containing doors to both bedrooms (one for Amy and Sora, one for Mimi and Hana), a door to their shared bathroom, and the suite's entrance. The only wall free of doors housed the kitchen area. A table with four chairs occupied the center of the room, in the way of all foot traffic.

There was a bit of wall between the two bedroom doors, which was previously blank. Now, it housed a cork board, lavishly decorated with pink, green, and gold washi tape. Mimi twirled in front of it, then faced her audience. She smacked a palm to the cork board and announced, "This is for our friends to share info! We all have a lot going on, and I don't wanna miss anything! We only get to see our friends this much once in our lives!"

Matt blinked, trying to ignore the warm feeling hinting that he was touched. Sora showed much less restraint, gifting Mimi with a sweet, approving smile.

"That's such a wonderful idea. Thank you, Mimi. I'll be sure to use it."

It didn't seem possible for Mimi to look more pleased with herself, but somehow, she managed. "You're welcome! Amy, you have to use it, too! You too, Matt! So print out your performance schedule!"

"O-okay." Amy scurried back into her room, a hasty retreat. Matt saw his opportunity to leave and leaped on it, too.

But, instead of feeling annoyed, as he had predicted, he was grateful- and suddenly aware of how special and fleeting this period in his life was.

XXX

Izzy had no idea why the PAC was so damned difficult to navigate, but thankfully, a passing student directed him to the stage where Amy and Matt were performing. Although Amy mentioned that the performance was minor, Izzy set two alarms to ensure that he made it. Their relationship was flourishing lately. Frankly, he wanted to keep it that way... Which was why he brought a wrapped cookie from the cafeteria. True, Amy could easily purchase her own, but Izzy was reasonably sure she'd appreciate the gesture.

He entered the theater, squinting in the dark. A spotlight illuminated the stage, where a stranger sang. Izzy knew from Amy that he was supposed to enter quickly, stand near the entrance until the current song ended, then find his seat in the gap between performances. He gazed about the theater, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

It was one of the simplest theaters in the PAC. Between the tiny seating area and the sparse crowd, it wasn't difficult to spot Mimi, Joe, and Sora. When the singer took a bow, Izzy moved down an aisle, sat beside Joe, and placed his backpack at his feet.

"I'm surprised you made it," Izzy said. Joe leaned closer, looking a touch put-upon.

"I wanted to go to the library," he muttered. "But Mimi..."

Izzy nodded, sparing Joe from saying the rest. Mimi always encouraged group togetherness and support, but she was pushing it even more lately. Surprisingly, Izzy was grateful for the memo board, which made it harder for social events to slip his mind. And really, Matt and Amy would only sing for about six minutes, combined. It was a simple way to show support, and Hana's advice emphasized that small efforts mattered.

Another singer began their piece, and Izzy turned his thoughts to his next class. He wasn't particularly interested in singing, and he had no idea how to judge performances, save for the extreme ends of abysmal and terrific. Still, when Matt took the stage, he paid attention. His singing seemed good, although admittedly, it was odd to hear Matt perform a classical piece, in what seemed to be Italian. Izzy was accustomed to something between rock and pop from him, or at least, that was what The Teenage Wolves sounded like, based on Amy's CDs.

When Matt's song ended, Izzy clapped with the others and grinned at Mimi's, "Woo!" Matt's bow jerked with his laugh, but when he straightened, his typical scowl was already restored. He walked offstage, and soon, Amy walked on.

And there it was, that odd feeling of seeing his girlfriend onstage. Although Amy likely couldn't see him, although they couldn't interact, Izzy smiled. She stared at the stage floor, and he realized that she was using a mark on the floor to guide where she stood.

When she was settled, she lifted her head and shifted into singing posture, with her shoulders low and back and her feet shoulder width apart. Then, at last, she turned her attention to the audience with a too-big smile.

"Good afternoon," she said- and it sounded just as stiff on her as it had on Matt. "I'm Amy Donahue. I'll be performing Nella Fantasia. Thank you."

The pianist led her in with a short, sweet opening- but as soon as Amy sang, the instrument seemed to vanish. Her voice rose, clear and sweet, in a melody that she seemed to embrace, to wrap her whole self around. Somehow, Izzy felt the reverberation of her voice, especially on the sweeping high note. The song was like fairy music, simple, but electric with emotional potency that he couldn't unravel.

And, just like that, her song was over, and her bow sent her long hair spilling over her shoulders. Stunned, Izzy clapped, but the sound was lost beneath Mimi's deafening cheering.

"Holy cow," Joe muttered when the theater quieted. "Did you know she could do that?!"

"Huh?" Izzy blinked, struggling to shift to a normal mindset. "Ah- yes. She performed at the Halloween party."

Joe smacked his forehead. "That's right. Guess I was too drunk to realize how good she is."

"She prefers not to sing in the dorms. She doesn't want to disturb people."

Izzy fell silent when Matt motioned to them from the end of the aisle. Izzy couldn't hear him, but he followed the others, hurrying to exit before the next performance began.

Matt led them out of the dark theater and back into the PAC's main lobby. "Thanks for coming," he said. "Man, I feel bad for whoever follows Amy. I told her that song is a flex."

Mimi laughed. "Good! If you got it, flaunt it! But man, we need to go to karaoke like yesterday."

They moved away from the theater door, making way for other students. Izzy fished the cookie from a compartment in his backpack while they waited for Amy. He glanced up when the theater doors opened, treat secured.

Amy stepped out, chatting with someone beside her. Izzy couldn't see Amy's friend or classmate from this angle- Amy's body was between them. Regardless, Izzy grinned, threw his backpack over his shoulder, and approached, stopping about a yard away, waiting for their conversation to end.

"Thanks for stopping by," Amy said to the person with her.

"I was curious. And I still am! How did you learn to sing like that? Is there a tutor or teacher you'd recommend?""

Hesitation tinged Izzy's good mood. That voice was so familiar, full and low, lulling. He froze, sensing a problem without understanding why. Amy looked away from her conversation partner to check for passing people. When her eyes met Izzy's, surprise and delight transformed her expression. "Izzy! You made it!"

Izzy smiled, somehow feeling a portion of her happiness- and realized that it stemmed from knowing he had pleased her. "I'm glad I did. You were incredible."

The person Amy was speaking with stepped forward, and Izzy's gaze flicked to them, drawn by the movement. One moment, he was happy, content with the knowledge that he had properly Boyfriended. The next, everything shattered, like a glass floor breaking beneath his feet. Though he still stood in the PAC lobby, the unpleasant rush of falling overcame him, along with a sickening jolt in his belly.

Then, Amy's hand was on his shoulder. He tipped his head up, registering her worried face hovering above him. "Izzy? What's wrong?"

Again, Amy's body blocked his view of Shauna, but her voice leaked into his consciousness, like some noxious gas slipping in through a crack. "Izzy? Amy, you know Izzy?"

"Huh?" Amy looked away for a second, but quickly refocused on Izzy. "He's my boyfriend. Are you okay?"

"Ah, shit. Izzy, c'mon-"

Izzy knew Joe's voice, but he didn't understand any words. A hand landed on his other shoulder, much larger than Amy's, with more force. He felt like a child who sensed something was wrong, but couldn't understand what. Joe tugged on him, and Izzy obeyed the prompt to move, too lost to do more than rely on a trusted person.

Joe led Izzy past their group of friends, through milling students, and out the PAC's dramatic glass entrance doors. He didn't stop herding him until they reached an empty metal bench on the perimeter of the PAC's stone courtyard.

"Sit," Joe said, and Izzy collapsed onto the bench. Joe sat beside him and clasped his shoulder again, but gently this time. "You okay? Hey."

Somehow, a thought whispered though the shock, suggesting that Izzy had really ought to answer. But what was there to say? He stared, bemused, through Joe's spectacles. Jarring anger simmered in Joe's eyes, but quickly shifted to something much more familiar- worry.

Clomping footsteps sounded against the courtyard stones, and both boys looked up. Amy ran towards their bench, gait awkward and panicked. She fell beside Izzy with a dull fwump and seized his hand. "Are you alright?! I don't- am I missing something?"

Izzy's fingers wrapped around hers, seeking comfort. "I'm okay," he lied. He barely knew what was happening, but instinctively, he wanted to soothe her.

Amy's eyes narrowed as her head tipped. "It seemed like you panicked when you saw Shauna? She seemed to know you."

Izzy felt more than heard the awkward squelching noise deep in his throat, but it must have been audible to the others. Joe squeezed his shoulder, then asked Amy, "How do you know Shauna?"

Amy shifted towards Joe, but her eyes stayed on Izzy's. "Performance students bump into each other at the PAC, so we were... kind of friends, at one point? But... The more time we spent together, the more I noticed that she's… mean? Maybe fake, too? So I stopped approaching her, but I guess we're still... Sort of friendly?"

Izzy's grip on Amy's hand was nearly punishing now, but she didn't pull back. "Then you have more sense than I did."

Amy's brow knit, equal parts worry and confusion. "W-what?" She broke eye contact with Izzy at last, looking at Joe, perhaps hoping that he might offer a better explanation.

Izzy hesitated. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Amy about his history with Shauna. But he knew Shauna, knew how convincingly she could skew a story to an audience, make them believe, make them feel for her so strongly that they went after other people based on nothing but her word- and her performance.

"Izzy," Joe murmured, as if low volume could prevent Amy from hearing, "I think you have to tell her."

Izzy nodded. It seemed natural to feel dread, shame, or even anger- but mostly, he felt numb, as hollow as the strange ringing in his ears. He placed his free hand on top of Amy's, holding it with both of his, and leaned into Joe. The concept of pride was long gone- dead, even. All he could do was rely on the support being offered.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. "I should have told you- But I couldn't-"

Somehow, Amy slid even closer. The bench should have felt crowded, claustrophobic, but it was a bubble of safety in a distorted world. "It's okay," Amy said soothingly. "It will be alright."

How could he keep looking into her earnest, compassionate eyes? Izzy stared at their entangled hands, instead. "Shauna is my ex."

Amy twitched, hard. A long silence followed. At last, Izzy looked up, unsure if everyone was being quiet, or if his ears had somehow failed. It seemed possible, given how detached and blurry his senses were. Joe looked grim, and still concerned. Amy... That was harder to decipher.

When their eyes met, Amy drew a deep breath. "Shauna and I aren't friends," she said. "I wanted to be, when we first met, but... I guess I was right. She is mean."

Joe snorted, a sound so eloquent in derision that Izzy's lips snapped into a smile. It wasn't conscious, didn't indicate an improvement in his mood, but Amy smiled, too.

"It's okay," she said. "I won't talk to her anymore. And you can tell me about it when you're ready."

Joe released a long sigh that shifted all three of them, scrunched together as they were. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked. "We all have more classes today."

Izzy blinked, then shook his head. Suddenly, the world was clearer, and his senses no longer generated disorienting feedback. He glanced from Joe to Amy, who both offered smiles.

"You're... not upset?" Izzy asked. He wasn't sure what response he expected- to be struck by lightening, maybe? Derision and disgust from two of his most beloved people? Something bad, surely- but Amy kissed his cheek, and Joe patted his shoulder.

"I wish I hadn't met your ex. I'm really sorry you ran into her at my performance. But if you're okay, then so am I. So... are you okay?"

Izzy considered, trusting Amy and Joe to understand his need for time. The initial shock of seeing Amy and Shauna together was wearing off. If Amy had said that they were close, he probably would have panicked. But... How could he blame her for being drawn by Shauna's charm? It worked on everyone, at least for a while.

This time, Izzy was the one staring into Amy's eyes, desperate to know if there was any difference between what she said and what she felt. "You truly don't mind stepping back from her?"

"I already did- the things she said made me uncomfortable. But even if I hadn't... I won't be chummy with someone who hurt you."

Izzy knew better than to ask, but of course, he had to know. "Did she ever… say anything about me?"

Amy's gaze shifted as she thought, and her mouth slowly contorted into a wince. "I'm… not sure. She talked about her exes sometimes, but never mentioned names. It was normally mean stuff, though."

There was a sick, sludgy feeling in Izzy's stomach. "Fantastic." And, for once, he decided that he didn't want more information. "Will you be alright for the rest of the day?"

Amy offered a gentle smile. "I'm fine. I'm more worried about you."

Izzy was worried about himself, too... Something he usually vehemently denied. He sensed that this sick, woozy feeling wouldn't fade until he and Amy talked things out, but the thought of telling his story with Shauna sat about as poorly as seeing her with his girlfriend did.

"I'll have class to focus on," Izzy said at last. "Joe, most of your classes are with Amy, right?"

Joe blinked, and Izzy wondered if the sudden shift towards normalcy caught him off guard. "Er, a lot of them, yeah."

"Good," Izzy sighed. "I hate to impose, but I'm glad you'll be with Amy. We'll talk tonight, alright?"

The was movement somewhere in their entwined pile of hands. Izzy forced his fingers to relax around Amy's, and they separated. "Okay," Amy replied.

"Great," Joe sighed. He cuffed Izzy's shoulder one last time, then stood with a groan. "Crisis averted. Izzy, why did you have this cookie?"

"Huh?" Joe held up a wrapped cookie, and Izzy couldn't help it. He laughed, struck by the utter ridiculousness of his life.

"Thank you," he sighed. He plucked the cookie from Joe's hand and gave it to Amy. "I truly enjoyed your singing. I'm sorry... Well. Here?"

"Aww, Izzy... Thank you." Amy accepted his offering, then kissed his cheek again. "It's going to be alright, I promise. Text me if you need me."

"Yes," Izzy murmured. "Same to you. See you later. And, Joe- Thank you. Truly."

"Oh, uh-" A goofy grin overtook Joe's face. He cleared his throat, made an obvious attempt to look less pleased, and said, "No problem. I'll look after Amy during classes, so you focus on yourself."

"I don't need looking after," Amy scoffed, swatting Joe's arm. "But you were really great! You acted so fast, it took me a bit to catch up!"

That stupid smile returned, and Izzy choked down a laugh. Joe was unused to praise, and Izzy was beginning to realize how unfair that was. But before he could offer more, Joe asked, "Where did the others go?"

Amy smacked her forehead. "Oh! Right! It seemed bad, so I asked them to go to their classes and let me check on Izzy. Can I text them that you're fine?"

Izzy sighed, relieved that fewer people witnessed his system failure. "Yes, thank you. You're both such quick thinkers… While I hate to ask, what did Shauna do?"

Amy looked away from texting and blinked. "I don't know. I just followed you two, and I think the others left."

That was another mercy. Izzy assumed Shauna would try to bend the situation in her favor, or at least mitigate any potential damage to her reputation. But if everyone scattered, then there was no audience- and therefore, no power for Shauna.

"Forgive me," Izzy sighed. "Have I made you late for your next class?"

"We're free for a period," Joe said. "But aren't you running late?"

"I am," Izzy admitted. "If you're both alright, then I'll leave."

Amy sent her message, stored her phone, then wrapped her arms around him. Izzy stiffened, having recovered enough to find public contact embarrassing. But her heat, scent, and the reassuring pressure of body contact were irresistible comforts. A brutal release of tension rocked him, and he clung to her, blinking back tears. He remained there, knowing that she wanted him to take all the time he needed.

"Thank you," he murmured, easing back. Izzy was still rattled, still fretting over the conversation to come. But, while he wasn't alright now, he understood that he was safe.

He said goodbye and left, wishing he could stay.

XXX

Joe sat at a desk in the science library, shoulders hunched to remain hidden by the privacy partitions. He glanced at the desk next to his, where Amy worked, her upper body shielded by her dividers. This was their favorite library, one of the smallest and quietest on campus, squished into two stories of the chemistry building. It was a convenient place to productively pass time between science classes.

Usually, working with Amy was comfortable and mutually beneficial, since they could ask each other questions. But today, for the first time, having Amy around was... awkward. Although she wasn't looking at him, Joe imagined the weight of her stare, her thoughts. He rubbed the back of his neck, but of course, it did nothing to ease his emotional discomfort.

Frankly, he thought Izzy and Amy handled the Shauna incident as well as he could have dared to hope- maybe better. Somehow, somewhere in the space between when Joe visited Izzy over the summer and now, Izzy had either matured or seriously reconsidered how he related to Amy. When Joe saw Shauna at the PAC, his top priority was to remove Izzy. After that, he hoped to mitigate damage as Amy asked natural questions and Izzy answered defensively- or worse, pushed her away outright.

Instead, they had calmly discussed things and agreed to talk more later, and they each checked in on how the other was feeling. And Joe was still reeling over Izzy thanking him for his help, and for literally leaning on him when he needed it.

How am I supposed to keep up with him? Back when I found Izzy half-starved over the summer, I was shocked because he had been doing so well lately. Today, I thought everything would implode, but they handled it.

But, as kind and reasonable as Joe knew Amy was, there was no way she could be feeling calm about all of this. He had expected a constant stream of questions from her, but so far, she hadn't said much.

Honestly, I'm supposed to be studying... Swallowing a sigh that might attract Amy's attention, Joe checked his phone. He blinked when he saw a notification from Izzy. He touched the screen, opening a text.

How is Amy? it read. Has she asked you any questions?

Joe rubbed his forehead, both amused and mildly alarmed that he and Izzy were on identical wavelengths. She seems okay, he responded. Quiet, though. She asked if I thought you were really alright.

Three dots appeared as Izzy typed, followed by the words, What did you say?

I said that it couldn't be easy for you, since your relationship with Shauna didn't end well.

There was a pause, likely Izzy considering his words. Anything else?

She seems worried about having hurt you by knowing Shauna. I said it's probably fine, since she doesn't want to be friends with her, anyway.

It's not her fault. She didn't know. And we both know how easy it is to be led on by her.

Joe grimaced. Shauna hardly spoke to Joe, but she wrecked Izzy emotionally, then humiliated him to their high school's student body. A casual observer might not have noticed a change in Izzy after the breakup, but Joe watched him recede further into himself than ever, saw the signs of self-loathing that weren't there before. Joe didn't want to use the word hate, because it did no one any good.

But he did not like Shauna Cross.

I don't want to tell you what to do, he began.

Immediately, Izzy replied, If you have any advice, please tell me. I'm at a loss.

I'll bet, Joe thought grimly. He typed, I can't imagine how you feel, but... Try to be gentle with Amy. She was shocked, too, and Shauna...

Joe hesitated, staring at the messenger screen. He really didn't want to finish his thought, but... What if it saved Amy and Izzy pain?

We both know what Shauna is like, but... She IS beautiful. And she knows how to make people like her.

Joe cupped his forehead, fighting the urge to groan. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself... When he first met Mimi at the frat party a year ago, Amy ceased to exist to him, despite having a long, pleasant conversation with her beforehand. And, in the following days, he treated Amy as a means to meet Mimi again. It wasn't done maliciously, but the point remained: Amy lacked the instant wow factor that gorgeous, socially adept girls like Shauna and Mimi possessed.

And she seemed like the type to notice- and feel- that difference.

At last, Izzy responded with a single question mark. Joe pulled himself out of his thoughts and typed, I'm worried Amy will compare herself to Shauna, physically and socially.

Another long, heavy pause, then a single-word response: Shit.

Desperately, Joe clapped a hand to his mouth. He couldn't avoid snorting, so he coughed into his palm. Thankfully, Amy didn't react.

Thank you, Izzy wrote. I see your point. Anything else?

No, Joe typed, with gratitude. As important as it was to warn Izzy of potential trouble, he wanted to be done with this conversation.

Alright. And Joe? Can I treat you to dinner sometime? I can drive. Perhaps Mimi and Amy can join us, if you'd like.

Joe's eyebrows leaped towards his hairline. He read the message again, just in case he was having some kind of stroke, but no. Izzy had, in fact, initiated a social event of his own volition to show gratitude.

This is such a weird day. I'm so freaking tired.

Still, wanting to encourage Izzy, Joe responded, Sounds good. Then he shoved his phone into his pocket and stared at his textbook, praying for the words to make sense.

Author's Note: We finally get the whole Shauna story next update! Please look forward to it!

Maybe I should warn you now, I planned this (and foreshadowed it too much to backtrack) in 2012, and 2012 Hidden was much more dramatic than 2021 Hidden. So, uh, I guess… Warnings for deliberate cruelty and humiliation in the next update.