Chapter six: One month later

Izzy POV

Well, my first month here was certainly interesting. I'd grown closer to Alice, Emmett, Edward, and even Rosalie, kind of. Especially Emmett, though. He was a character, all light-hearted. But not wimpy, he was kinda rough around the edges, but that just made him all the more awesome to me. He was almost a brother to me. Kind of like…no, don't think about Jake, Izzy. Don't go down that road again. Anyway, I'd never been really good with my own gender, but Rosalie and Alice were probably the closest I've ever gotten to having 'girlfriends'. Rosalie and I had a kind of unspoken bond of mutual respect, and I liked her. She was kind of cool under her shell. I'd even gotten her to smile once. It was small, but it was definitely a smile. Alice, on the other hand was…well, she was different. She was kind of like…bubbly water with a maybe a shot of tequila. And with a hint of something sour there, too. She could sometimes act like a spoiled brat, especially about fashion, but otherwise she was nice and likeable. But she definitely had a rougher side, one that she tried to keep covered up.

In fact, I was pretty sure that everyone in our little group had something they were hiding. Huh, I guess we definitely have that in common. It made things more interesting. Like how Alice distances herself sometimes, and her eyes glaze over, and then she and Edward will have some whispered conversation. Or like how the subject of alcohol can really set Emmett off or how Rosalie seems ultra-aware, almost paranoid, about guys that she doesn't know. Actually just about every guy except for Emmett, Edward and Jasper. Oh, Jasper. Now, he definitely interested me. I mean, he was really intriguing, how he was always sort of tense in a relaxed-looking way, periodically scanning the room. Of course, I knew those motions all too well, but it wasn't just that. I wanted to know…everything about him. Why he always smirked like he had his own thing goin' on, how he viewed the world. What he looked like when he laughed. Wow, I really sound like some obsessed idiot. Don't start getting all that close to any of them, Izzy. Remember what happens to people you get closed to. But even as I thought this, I knew it was kind of too late.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Destiny~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey Izzy!" And there's Emmett.

"Hey. So, what kinda trouble have ya been getting' into now, Emmett?"

"What? I am offended! Why do you always expect me to be in trouble?"Oh, please. Like he didn't know.

"Hmm, maybe because you always are?"

"Touché."

"Since when do you speak French, Emmett?"

"Huh. Touché." He said, a twinkle in his eye, dimples showing. He was insufferable. But in a truly Emmett way.

"So…you're pretty much good friends with Rose, right?" Ha! I knew this was coming. "Hey, you don't have to smile all knowingly-evil like, Izzy. I know you know that I…kinda' like her."

"That's an understatement. Obsessed is more like it."

"Shut up! Anyway, I was kind of thinking of asking her…you know, to go out, with me, on a date. So, do you think I have a chance?" Huh, he looked like he was really insecure about this. He shouldn't be.

"Well, judging by the way she looks at you when she thinks no one's looking? She's equally obsessed about you."

"Really? Wow that's…that's amazing. Wait, how do you know these things? That's kind of creepy, you know. I swear, there's more than a little of devil in you, Iz." He he. He didn't even know half of it. "So…how should I ask her? I've never liked someone as special as her…and something tells me I've gotta ask in just the right way."

"Humph! You've got that right. Well, it has to be at a good moment too. I think, you should ask in a way that's kind of perfect in an understated way. Maybe make her laugh and feel really good first. Knowing Rosalie, it has to be nice, but not entirely overdone." I hoped I had given him the right advice. With Rosalie, it was always hard to tell.

"Alright, I sure hope she says yes." I knew she probably would. Well, she wouldn't say no. But something told me that if he didn't ask in just the right way she wouldn't accept until he did.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Destiny~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I slung a towel across my shoulders and took a drink out of my water bottle. I had just finished working out/training. I couldn't just become weak, now could I? I had to make sure I was ready for anything. Especially now that I made friends. If they found out, they'd definitely use my friends against me.

I knew that someone was there before they rang the doorbell. I vaulted up the stairs from my basement/gym area, and opened the door, prepared for an attack. I never got anyone over.

"Hey Izzy! Whoa, why are you all sweaty?" Alice. I breathed a sigh of relief. But, wait, how-

"Don't ask how she knows where you live. She showed up at my house, made me get in her car and took me here. I've been trying to figure out how she figured out where my place is, but she just looks all mysterious and smiles. Seriously, she's creeping me out."

"Oh, hey Rosalie. What are you doing here then, Alice, and why did you kidnap her?" I asked the little elf, still a little suspicious.

"Well, it's Saturday! I thought we could have a girls' night!" Was she out of her mind?

"Alice, I'm not really a girls' night kind of girl. You should know that by now. Second of all, if we're gonna have a girls' night here, you might find it kinda hard. I don't even own a TV."

"I know, I know! That's why I brought my own mini TV!" She owns a mini TV? "Also, too bad. We're going to have a girls' night! Right now! I brought snacks and everything!" Rosalie just rolled her eyes at me, clearly expressing that she knew Alice would eventually convince us, and we should just let her play this out now, instead of wasting energy arguing with her. I had to agree. Alice was Alice.

"Fine, fine. Come on in," I sighed, opening the door wider for them to come in, "I'm gonna go take a shower. You can go do…whatever it is you're gonna do." This was gonna be interestin'.