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CHAPTER TWO:
It was almost Christmas time, and Isabel Evans felt better than she had in months. Things had been so crazy since her birthday party, and her encounter with Whitaker. Between Skins, dupes, and emotional turmoil, life had not been kind of late. It took a while for things to get back to normal between Isabel and Max, after the latter found out about Isabel's secret regarding what Whitaker had told her about Valandra. Of course, it didn't help that he had been upset with Liz for some reason, too. But, things were a little better between them, too. Kyle and Tess had even been working through their differences, so there were less fireworks there as well.
And it was Isabel's favorite time of year-Christmas. She became very obsessive with the holiday every year, which earned her the nickname of "Christmas Nazi". For Isabel, Christmas was the one time of year where she can put aside everything alien-related, and just be another merry celebrant spreading cheer and goodwill.
"Isabel," said Max, knocking on her door. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm coming," said Isabel.
She went with Max to the Jeep and drove over to the Crashdown. They were meeting Michael and Tess there for dinner. When they got there, they found not only Michael and Tess sitting at a table waiting for them, but Liz and Maria were also standing there talking to them, on a break from waiting tables for a few minutes. Alex and Kyle were also there.
"Hi Max," said Tess. "Hope you don't mind, but Kyle tagged along with me."
"No problem," said Max, in a non-committal tone. Things were still pretty tense between Max and Kyle lately. Of course, they had never been best buddies, but the tension had actually gotten greater of late.
Isabel and Max exchanged greetings with everyone. Isabel said an enthusiastic hello to Alex, who returned a more guarded "hi". She actually had not seen much of him since her birthday, and since the day he told her that their friendship could not continue because Alex did not trust her. With so much going on lately, Isabel had only been able to give a passing thought to the situation with Alex. She felt he had probably been deliberately avoiding her, to show her that he meant what he said.
"Max, Isabel," said Liz, "Alex was just telling us about his trip to Sweden that's coming up."
"Sweden?" asked Isabel.
"Yeah," said Alex. "I'm going there for a month as an exchange student. I can't wait. I've never even been to another country before."
"You know, I'm jealous as hell," said Kyle. "You're going to the land of blond bombshells, and I'm stuck here for the winter."
"Well, maybe if they had an exchange program for hard headed jocks, you could go," said Tess.
The conversation continued for about a half hour. Alex said goodbye to everyone, then got up to leave. Isabel half got out of her seat to follow him, to try and talk to him, but she hesitated. Then, finally, she got up, and ran out the door.
"Alex!" she called out, running up behind him. "Do you really have to go now? I haven't seen much of you lately, and....I don't even know when you're leaving."
"Three days," said Alex. "Day after Christmas."
"Oh," said Isabel. "Look, Alex...so much has happened lately, and..."
"Isabel, I think we said all that we needed to," said Alex.
"I disagree," said Isabel. "Alex, I miss you. I miss you hanging around all the time."
"Well, you've been busy, so have I," said Alex. "And if you needed someone to hang with, you have a lot of candidates. Max, Michael....Grant."
"Actually, he went home for the holidays," said Isabel. "Nebraska. He'll be back in a week."
"Oh," said Alex. "Look, I'd better go. My parents aren't going to see me for a whole month, and my Mom is spastic about me spending time with her before I go, so..."
He turned to walk away, then stopped in his tracks. Alex turned and faced Isabel, an unreadable look on his face. He stood there, staring at the beautiful girl in front of him, whom he couldn't help but still love. But he closed his eyes, and shut out the emotions that were churning within him, letting reality take over once again. He pulled something out of his pocket, then handed it to Isabel.
"Merry Christmas," he said.
"Alex," said Isabel, looking at the small package. "You didn't have to..."
"I almost didn't, but...tis the season, so," said Alex. "Don't worry, its just a knit cap. Nothing...well, special."
Alex turned to walk away. Isabel watched him go, then spoke to him a few moments later. "Its special because its from you." She looked down at the bracelet he had gotten her for her birthday. She was still wearing it, and barely ever took it off.
Without turning around, Alex spoke. "See you when I get back," he said.
He continued down the sidewalk, leaving Isabel standing there, lost in a sea of emotions she couldn't navigate. Finally, the young woman turned and went back to join her friends in the restaurant.
End of Chapter Two. Chapter Three coming soon.
Thanks to my readers who have provided feedback so far. Feedback is always appreciated, so please do post a review of this chapter. Any comments you have would be welcomed. Thank you for reading, and be sure to look out for the next chapter to see what happens next.
CHAPTER TWO:
It was almost Christmas time, and Isabel Evans felt better than she had in months. Things had been so crazy since her birthday party, and her encounter with Whitaker. Between Skins, dupes, and emotional turmoil, life had not been kind of late. It took a while for things to get back to normal between Isabel and Max, after the latter found out about Isabel's secret regarding what Whitaker had told her about Valandra. Of course, it didn't help that he had been upset with Liz for some reason, too. But, things were a little better between them, too. Kyle and Tess had even been working through their differences, so there were less fireworks there as well.
And it was Isabel's favorite time of year-Christmas. She became very obsessive with the holiday every year, which earned her the nickname of "Christmas Nazi". For Isabel, Christmas was the one time of year where she can put aside everything alien-related, and just be another merry celebrant spreading cheer and goodwill.
"Isabel," said Max, knocking on her door. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm coming," said Isabel.
She went with Max to the Jeep and drove over to the Crashdown. They were meeting Michael and Tess there for dinner. When they got there, they found not only Michael and Tess sitting at a table waiting for them, but Liz and Maria were also standing there talking to them, on a break from waiting tables for a few minutes. Alex and Kyle were also there.
"Hi Max," said Tess. "Hope you don't mind, but Kyle tagged along with me."
"No problem," said Max, in a non-committal tone. Things were still pretty tense between Max and Kyle lately. Of course, they had never been best buddies, but the tension had actually gotten greater of late.
Isabel and Max exchanged greetings with everyone. Isabel said an enthusiastic hello to Alex, who returned a more guarded "hi". She actually had not seen much of him since her birthday, and since the day he told her that their friendship could not continue because Alex did not trust her. With so much going on lately, Isabel had only been able to give a passing thought to the situation with Alex. She felt he had probably been deliberately avoiding her, to show her that he meant what he said.
"Max, Isabel," said Liz, "Alex was just telling us about his trip to Sweden that's coming up."
"Sweden?" asked Isabel.
"Yeah," said Alex. "I'm going there for a month as an exchange student. I can't wait. I've never even been to another country before."
"You know, I'm jealous as hell," said Kyle. "You're going to the land of blond bombshells, and I'm stuck here for the winter."
"Well, maybe if they had an exchange program for hard headed jocks, you could go," said Tess.
The conversation continued for about a half hour. Alex said goodbye to everyone, then got up to leave. Isabel half got out of her seat to follow him, to try and talk to him, but she hesitated. Then, finally, she got up, and ran out the door.
"Alex!" she called out, running up behind him. "Do you really have to go now? I haven't seen much of you lately, and....I don't even know when you're leaving."
"Three days," said Alex. "Day after Christmas."
"Oh," said Isabel. "Look, Alex...so much has happened lately, and..."
"Isabel, I think we said all that we needed to," said Alex.
"I disagree," said Isabel. "Alex, I miss you. I miss you hanging around all the time."
"Well, you've been busy, so have I," said Alex. "And if you needed someone to hang with, you have a lot of candidates. Max, Michael....Grant."
"Actually, he went home for the holidays," said Isabel. "Nebraska. He'll be back in a week."
"Oh," said Alex. "Look, I'd better go. My parents aren't going to see me for a whole month, and my Mom is spastic about me spending time with her before I go, so..."
He turned to walk away, then stopped in his tracks. Alex turned and faced Isabel, an unreadable look on his face. He stood there, staring at the beautiful girl in front of him, whom he couldn't help but still love. But he closed his eyes, and shut out the emotions that were churning within him, letting reality take over once again. He pulled something out of his pocket, then handed it to Isabel.
"Merry Christmas," he said.
"Alex," said Isabel, looking at the small package. "You didn't have to..."
"I almost didn't, but...tis the season, so," said Alex. "Don't worry, its just a knit cap. Nothing...well, special."
Alex turned to walk away. Isabel watched him go, then spoke to him a few moments later. "Its special because its from you." She looked down at the bracelet he had gotten her for her birthday. She was still wearing it, and barely ever took it off.
Without turning around, Alex spoke. "See you when I get back," he said.
He continued down the sidewalk, leaving Isabel standing there, lost in a sea of emotions she couldn't navigate. Finally, the young woman turned and went back to join her friends in the restaurant.
End of Chapter Two. Chapter Three coming soon.
Thanks to my readers who have provided feedback so far. Feedback is always appreciated, so please do post a review of this chapter. Any comments you have would be welcomed. Thank you for reading, and be sure to look out for the next chapter to see what happens next.