I am very excited for the reviews I got! Thank you so much lordmarik (soul mates?! I'm so flattered!!!!! :D) and XamandaluvsyaX!! I'm so happy you like my story! Enjoy again!!
"I really wish I stopped fainting all the time," Isabella muttered as she paced around the ship, Tamaki's brown eyes watching her as she walked.
"Then don't be such a wimp when you go into the war zones," he muttered and C.C. slapped the back of his head.
"She's the one that's always getting shot. Be quiet and don't call her weak," the witch snapped as he shot her a dirty look while rubbing the place she had smacked him and Isabella ran her fingers through her black hair.
"We need to find Zero. C.C., you said he was missing," Isabella thought aloud and C.C. nodded.
"We're keeping this information from the public, however, to prevent any of us getting thrown in prison," she told her comrade and Isabella ceased pacing
"Who's posing as Zero?"
"I am," C.C. said and Isabella sweat dropped, feeling very stupid.
"That would make sense."
"Anyway, we're searching for him now. One day he was here then the next, he's gone," Kallen said as Isabella flopped down next to Tamaki, her head still aching from two days previously.
"I have to get back to school," Isabella groaned and twisted her fingers in her bangs, "I called in sick two days in a row…Nina and Shirley probably have been spazzing out because Kallen and I have been no shows for the past forty eight hours. I'll keep up with the search but Kallen and I both have to do so in a way that any suspicion won't arise. Constantly missing school in this day and age would raise suspicion and if I see one more Britannian solider, I think I might impale him. "
"Such lovely thoughts," Tamaki smiled and Isabella rolled her eyes.
"Baka."
C.C. bit into a piece of cheese pizza and hopped off the back of the couch.
"I'll be coming with you. Oh, Isabella, I need to stay in your dorm now," the green haired girl said through a mouthful of cheddar cheese and Isabella jumped to her feet, her face horror-stricken.
"EH?! I ALREADY HAVE FOUR PEOPLE IN MY DORM!"
"Good luck trying to prevent suspicion there Isabella," Tamaki smirked and Kallen slapped him on the back of the head.
A Week Later….
"Isabella-onee, are you sick? You haven't left your room all day," Rolo knocked on the door and Isabella yanked the covers over her head, not wanting to see him.
This twerp does not take no for an answer…he doesn't leave me alone!
"What do you want Rolo?" she growled from underneath the warm blankets and Rolo let himself into the dorm, closing the door with a faint click behind him.
"I really am misunderstanding why you don't like me, Isabella," he said, dropping the act for a few moments and Isabella gave a cat like growl into her pillow, trying to prevent herself from clawing his face.
"You're apart of the Britannian army…I hate Britannia. It's because of people like you I lost everything and this whole country is in turmoil. My parents and brother are dead because of you," Isabella snarled from under the covers and Rolo felt his heart skip a beat.
"How did your family die?"
"A bombing at the beginning of the war…all of them died that day and I was made into a slave. I lost Lelouch for a while too…" Isabella trailed off as the vision of exploding fire consumed her mother as she sadly gazed down at Isabella in the escape passage.
Mom…
A tear slipped through her closed eye lids and she swallowed hard, trying to shake to memory out of her mind. She tightened her body up into a ball and swallowed again, the slight pressure of being pushed up as Rolo sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry…" he said and carefully reached out his hand and stroked her ebony hair, "I guess I've been selfish these past few months. What I can't figure out though is how you are the only one without getting your memory rewritten?"
"God's on my side," Isabella sighed and relaxed her body; "either that or He hates me so He decided to make me go crazy."
There was a pause and Rolo stopped stroking her hair, making her sit up.
"Hey, what got you into this whole thing? You're just a kid," Isabella remarked and for the first time since she had met him, really looked at him. Rolo gave her an uncomfortable look and turned his violet eyes back down to his uniform shoes.
"I really don't have anywhere else to go," Rolo said and clasped his hands in front of him, "I'm useful to the Britannians so why leave?"
"What happened to your family?"
Rolo didn't answer and his eyes remained on his shoes. Isabella half consciously reached out and pulled the little boy to her, resting his fragile body against hers. She hugged him, trying to mimic the same way her brother would do to her when he hugged her…petting her head and embracing her tightly…making her feel safe…
"You're just a little kid…" she repeated and Rolo felt surprised by her sudden hug, but he relaxed against her, feeling safe and loved. "You should be in school and going home to your family every day…you shouldn't be with those Britannians…"
"Then, can I call you family? Even though nobody but you and I know this that I haven't known you for as long as everyone believes…but can I still call you Isabella-onee?" Rolo's violet eyes sparkled hopefully and Isabella smiled at him.
"Sure, Rolo-chan!"
I'm so happy she's not rejecting me anymore…her smile makes me feel like I actually can be loved…and I'm not just a tool to be used by everyone...she's making me feel like…I can truly be human and have the family I've longed for…
Later…
"C.C., I understand your obsession with pizza, but seriously, you're running me dry of hard earned money. I've paid for six different pizzas this week!" Isabella scowled as the witch bit into her third slice of cheese pizza.
"You know how I am. It's like a drug…I simply can't resist it," she said casually and munched happily. Isabella stress marked.
"I'm cutting you off unless you pay for it yourself. I don't mind having pizza delivered to my dorm but you pay from now on."
"I can't."
"WHY NOT?!"
"I don't have any cash."
"THEN DON'T FRIGGIN BUY IT!"
"You have money."
"I have my own needs rather than paying for six pizzas a week! That's beyond ridiculous!" Isabella cried and C.C. shot her a cold stare.
"I gave you your Geass and I'm the reason you're a part of this war…like you wanted to be might I add. I made your dreams come true, so you owe me big time."
"BUT SIX PIZZAS A WEEK?! I HAVE STUDENT LOANS TO PAY OFF!"
"You'll get a hero discount when the war's over," C.C. sassed and snuggled against her Cheese-kun.
"You've got to be kidding…" Isabella whimpered.
"No, I'm not," C..C. said and smiled to her self as the warm pizza was once again in her mouth.
I swear I don't see how Zero could survive her…when she wasn't with me before this whole ordeal she was probably running Zero dry with her pizza obsession…
"Aside from this, we have a war to be fighting a hero to be searching for," Tamaki grumbled and Isabella let out a shaky exhale.
"Right…finding Zero is our main priority but also keep in mind we have to find Nunnally as well," she said and Kallen nodded.
"However, I thought you were getting attached to Rolo," she thought aloud and Isabella rubbed the back of her neck.
"I am but I'm the only one that has all of my memories and as far as I know, Nunnally could be in moral danger. If Lelouch gets his memories back and finds out I knew something about his sister and didn't do a thing about it…" Isabella trailed off and tried to shake the horrifying thought from her mind.
There was a pause and Isabella stood up, resuming her former pacing about the ship.
"Wait…" she paused, her green eyes flooding with thought, "Lelouch's memories are rewritten at the same time Zero goes missing…I remember Zero having a violet eye when he saved me only two days before Lelouch challenged Albern…C.C. in Lelouch's dorm building…so many more details…wow I'm an idiot…" Isabella trailed off and slapped her palm to her forehead.
"Lelouch is Zero…" Kallen concluded and Isabella shot her green eyes over to C.C.
"Isn't he?"
"I won't answer that. You have to come up with your own conclusions," the witch said and Isabella chewed her lip.
"For now, we have no solid proof and we can only assume," she said to Kallen and Tamaki let out a rude groan.
"So, if he does turn out to be Zero, what do you plan to do, Isabella?" he asked unenthusiastically but wanted to know the answer.
"Fall more in love with him of course," C.C. answered before Isabella could so much as open her mouth.
"Shut up," she growled and C.C. didn't attempt to hide her gleeful smile as she bit into another slice of pizza.
Two Days Later…
Kallen spotted the swish of a black half pony tail and turned around to grab Isabella's upper arm with a shocking amount of strength. Isabella turned and signaled her friend to follow as they walked around the campus, casually chatting about current school events, homework and the usual.
"So it's true then," Kallen switched her note in mid sentence, dropping her voice to a low whisper.
"What's true?"
"Lelouch…"
"I told you, there's no solid proof. The best we have is the fact I saw his eye color but so many people have—"
"No, I mean you being head over heels in love with him," Kallen sighed and Isabella's face shone red. "Don't try and hide it. It's obvious now…your face goes redder than the rose pendant you're wearing whenever his name is mentioned. Plus the history you two have…"
"No need to give me a review lesson on my own life. Yes, I admit it, I'm in love with Lelouch Lamprouge, just like every other girl in this God forsaken school," Isabella growled so only Kallen could hear her.
"It's not real love with the other girls. That's just obsessive fan girl love. I honestly think the only one that truly loves him is you because you've been around him longer and you two have had experiences together no one in this school has ever had. My opinion is, if there's anyone in this academy that deserves Lelouch, my vote goes to you," Kallen said quietly and smoothed a strand of dark red hair behind her ear.
Isabella was quiet and pushed back her rippling black hair as a breeze blew through the campus.
"I don't know if I'm the only one that is truly in love with him," she said softly, thinking back to Shirley and Kallen sighed.
"Really, what is holding you back? To be honest, I think Lelouch feels the same way about you," Kallen told her honestly and Isabella's heart leapt.
"Even so…"
"What is holding you back, Isabella?" Kallen demanded more harshly than she had intended. A few students turned their attention over to them but the two girls ignored them.
"My best friend," Isabella said and started to walk back to her dorm.
I cannot interfere with Shirley's chances…I just can't. As long as we're friends and she's around, I don't want her to have the broken heart in the end…even though I want Lelouch…I can't do that to her…
A few hours later in the Dorm…
The rain pattered against the window pane as Isabella pulled her knees up to her chest, staring out into the black sky.
"Isabella, are you going to sleep?" Nina asked tiredly from the opposite side of the room and Isabella shook her head.
"I wanted to wait for Shirley to get back. I haven't seen her all day," she said and Nina switched her bedside table light off.
"You know, I've been wondering where you've been running off to," the young genius remarked through a yawn and Isabella focused her green eyes on her.
"What?"
"You're always rushing off somewhere suddenly then you return after two or three days. Do you just play hooky or is there something else?"
Isabella shifted uncomfortably in her bed as Nina's light purple eyes stayed on her.
"I can't tell you."
"Why? Is it really personal?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, you were just wondering. I don't mind."
The two girls sat in an uncomfortable silence as Isabella continued to stare out the window, her memories flashing back to her last kiss with Lelouch.
I love him…I really am in love with him…
"Isabella?"
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to say something else then I'll leave you to sleep," Nina shifted to her side and Isabella listened, "I have a feeling you're a part of the war, fighting against Britannia. I'm a Britannian myself but even so, I'm always thinking how I hate women with no depth. Some girls here are so fake and…so shallow…cowards…but, when I talk to you…I see…a person with…" Nina trailed off and when Isabella looked at her, she was asleep.
"Save it for another rainy night, Nina girl," Isabella said softly and turned her gaze back out the window.
A another few minutes passed and Shirley entered the room, her red hair damp from a late swim meet and her eyes were slightly puffy as well from what Isabella was able to make out in the dim light. The door clicked shut and Shirley murmured a quiet hello to her best friend then slipped into the bathroom to change. The rain outside fell harder against the window pane and Isabella shivered, burrowing deeper under her covers and laid down. Shirley re-entered the room and there was a long pause when the red head stood next to Isabella's bed, making her shift awkwardly.
"I need to talk to you," Shirley finally said and walked out of the room, Isabella following after pulling on a pair of jeans and casting a curious gaze at her friend.
"Shirley, were you crying about something? What's wrong?" Isabella asked as she followed Shirley down the dim hallway.
"Before you came here, some things happened and I got my memories rewritten. A few months ago, some thing else happened and I had my memories tampared with again," Shirley began slowly, as if she were holding back tears, and Isabella was able to pull the rest together.
"You have them back now, don't you?"
Shirley nodded and then stopped walking, her head hanging.
"Shirley, if there is something you need to tell me then tell me," Isabella said worriedly and placed both hands on her best friend's shoulders, "what is it you're holding back from me?"
"I'm so scared...Isabella, were your memories rewritten...?"
"No, not at all. I woke up from being in the hospital a few months ago and no one had any memory of Nunnally or anything. I thought I was in a parallel universe," Isabella tried to be comical but honest at the same time and Shirley swayed, her head landing on Isabella's shoulder. "Uh...Shirley--?"
"I feel like everyone is spying on me...none of my friends but you have memories...I'm so scared..."
"It'll be okay. Like I say about Lelouch, I won't let anyone hurt you."
Isabella wrapped her arms around her friend in a sisterly way and Shirley's body shook.
"There's no need to be scared."
Isabella let go of Shirley and started back to their dorm.
"Isabella--"
"What's wrong?"
Shirley paused, her hand curling in front of her mouth and her eyes were cast down at the floor.
"Never mind."
Isabella studied her curiously and then the red head followed her room mate back to their dorm.
I can't tell her about the conversation between her and Kallen I overheard earlier...Kallen thinks Isabella is the only one that truly loves Lulu...she's probably right because of all the history she and Lulu have had. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Lulu was reciprocating the feelings...but still...
"Shirley?"
"I'm coming," Shirley snapped out of her trance and followed the ebony haired teen back to their dorm.
"You know, we haven't been out for a while. How about we go to the mall again next weekend?" Isabella suggested and Shirley's face perked up.
"Yeah! that would be fun! This weekend?"
"For sure!"
;.; Next chapter is very sad. ;.; Two or three reviews would be amazing. I love getting reviews. I sometimes think this story is too boring because of so little feedback...but maybe I'm just being a spoiled brat...XD Anyway, 2-3 reviews before next update please!! And Merry Christmas!! :D