A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I have had computer problems (my computer decided-with my help- that it was going to delete 6,000 words and not tell me how to get them back) and personal issues. My yellow lab is dying and we can't figure out what is wrong with her. Pile all of that on top of college nerves and a heavy work schedule, and you've got yourself the reason why I haven't found time to write.
I hope you like this chapter. Please tell me what you think, how you want this story to go (since I still have no idea), and anything else that you want. I love talking to other readers and writers! Enjoy!
Chapter 3
"This is pathetic, Allison," Allison told herself, pacing the room. She clutched the pink post-it note in one hand, cell phone in the other.
"Stop being a baby and text him. But he said call him and I don't want to call him."
She flopped on her bed, notes and homework assignments fluttering to the ground. Why was this so hard? She remembered the difficulty she had with Scott, trying to schedule dates around the overprotective eyes of her parents, but never this. Things had flowed easily with Scott.
"Maybe I should text Scott and ask him what to do. Or would that be awkward?" She was in the midst of pondering this possibility when her father stuck his head around her door.
"Everything all right in here?" he asked.
Allison sat up quickly, shoving the post-it note under her legs so her father wouldn't see.
"Perfectly fine. Why?"
One of his eyebrows rose. "Really? I thought I heard you pacing and talking to someone. You wouldn't happen to have Scott hidden in here, would you?"
She cringed, remembering the times when Scott had been hiding in the closet. "No, Dad. I don't have Scott in here. We broke up, remember?"
"That doesn't mean he can't come over? You're still friends aren't you?"
"Dad, are you trying to encourage a friendship between me and Scott?"
He rubbed at his eyes, one of the few gestures that gave away his emotions. "No, that's- Never mind, Allison. I just wanted to see if you were okay up here, alone and all."
Allison smiled. "I'm fine, Dad. You don't have to worry about me; I can protect myself."
He smiled back. "I know. It makes me worry more."
When her father finally left, Allison returned to pacing the room, this time without the muttering.
Just do it, Allison. What's the worst that could happen? He seems to want to go out on Friday. You can't screw it up that bad.
She totally could, given the chance.
After more pacing, debating, and finally consulting of the Internet, Allison deemed herself prepared to text Isaac. Not call. She wasn't up for that yet.
Allison
Hey, Isaac. It's Allison.
There wasn't a lot of room to mess up with "hey."
Isaac
Hi :)
Hi? How was she supposed to respond to that? "Oh hey Isaac! I have no idea how to text you because I haven't texted a boy since my ex-boyfriend Scott, with whom you are currently living."
Allison
How's it going?
Isaac
Scott and I are doing chemistry homework. How about you?
Allison jumped off the bed and threw her hands in the air. Why must he ask her such hard questions? Something about "I am running around my room like a chicken with its head cut off because I can't figure out how to text you" just didn't sound like the right thing to say.
Allison
English essay. I think the recurring theme in The Scarlet Letter seems to be "don't have sex because you'll become like Hester Prynne and no one will like you until you die." Great sex prevention campaign our school has developed.
Isaac
I believe the scholarly analysis of The Scarlet Letter has come to the same conclusion. I would cite some of those sources if I were you.
Allison wasn't sure whether that was a smartass response or if he was being serious. She hadn't known Isaac long enough to tell when he was being sarcastic or not. Being the teenage girl that she was, she decided to take his comment as praise for her witty comment.
Allison
Already done, in perfect MLA format to be exact.
Isaac
Clever. I never knew you to be so witty.
Allison
I never knew you to be sarcastic.
Isaac
There seems to be a lot we don't know about each other.
Isaac couldn't have been more correct. The little Allison knew about Isaac, she had found out through Scott. Scott only knew what Isaac had told him, and Scott wasn't sure that he had all of the facts.
Allison
I know. How do you suggest we fix this situation?
Allison could hardly believe how formal their conversation was. Sure, she liked to have somewhat intelligible grammar, but right now, her inner grammar nazi had emerged and matched the formality of Isaac's messages. If their conversation got anymore awkward, or less teen-like, she might have to look in the mirror and make sure she hadn't aged thirteen years.
Isaac
We can take care of that at dinner on Friday. We are still on for Friday, correct?
Allison
Yes. You do need to be forewarned about my father.
Isaac
He won't greet me at the door with a gun filled with silver bullets, will he?
Allison
I'm not quite sure, considering the last date I went on was with Scott, and we both know how well that went.
Isaac
I will be on my best behavior. Appeasing angry fathers happens to be a specialty of mine.
Another hidden hint of the abuse he had taken from his father. Isaac seemed to drop them casually, downplaying their importance, but Allison couldn't tell if he had adjusted enough to joke about it, or if this was a deep seeded cry for help. Either way, now was not the time to try and go through their emotional issues together.
If things went the way she hoped they would, she and Isaac would have lots to talk about in the future.
Allison
My father is not like most fathers. He hunts and kills werewolves. One of whom was you.
Isaac
It's all in the past. Forgiveness is a virtue. Or so I have been told.
Allison had been told something similar after her mother had died and her grandfather had tried to kill all of her friends, but she hadn't paid any attention to them. If they weren't feeling the same pain she was feeling, Allison had blocked them out.
Isaac had felt lots of pain, and if he could forgive, maybe she could too. But again, now was not the time to get into emotional territory. Now was the time to feel each other out. Not up, out. But she could see herself being felt up…
"Allison."
Allison was too caught up in texting Isaac to hear her father. Despite all her training, she had not heard him approach.
"Allison."
This time, Allison heard him, but ignored the annoying voice that tried distracting her from creating a fantastic response to Isaac.
"Allison, if you don't stop texting whatever boy you are texting and come down to dinner in five minutes, I'm going to take away your training privileges. And maybe your car."
Allison whipped around and stared at her father. "How did you know I was texting a boy?"
"I wasn't quite sure, but I definitely know now. And you had the same look on your face that you did whenever you were around Scott."
He shut the door before she could think of an appropriate retort.
Had she really been looking at her phone the same way she had looked at Scott? Allison knew that she didn't look at Scott the same way she had.
It used to be that the rest of the world would fade away and all she could see was Scott's face. His smile was so bright that she wished she could bottle it up and put it in her pocket for times when she needed some light. Now she looked at him with sadness. A sadness brought on by the realization that their time was over. At least for now.
Allison also knew that she didn't look at Isaac the way that she had looked at Scott. Whether that was a sign of maturity or a sign that she wasn't into Isaac the way that she had been with Scott, she wasn't sure. Either way, she couldn't wait to find out.
"Two minutes!" her father called from downstairs.
Allison
My dad wants me to go to dinner. Unfortunately we have a no-phones-at-the-dinner-table rule.
Isaac
Enjoy your dinner. I will see you at school tomorrow. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!
He was so cute and Allison found that she couldn't wait to see him at school tomorrow. Three days until her date night with Isaac. How was she going to survive?