v & vi

Book V
Juniper

I recoiled under Mia's comforter, away from the light of another day. I didn't want to face the world, or the fact that Isaac and Mia were busy today. I'd have to go home and face my family. I'd have to go back to my real life and I hated that thought.

"Juniper, let's go, get up! I wanna talk to you before I go to work." She took a deep breath and I knew she was going to say something that had the potential to insult me, "you've been staying at my house for a week now and I haven't talked to you for more than a half hour. Isaac's always taking you out...I miss my best friend."

I sat up on the bed and looked at Mia. We were closer than sisters not more than 2 months ago and now I some small way, Isaac had come between us. It's not that they didn't get along, they liked each other a lot, it's just that I made so much time for Isaac and got so lost in our love that I forgot about how important Mia was to me. She handed me a mug of tea, or favorite, jasmine. I inhaled the sweet aroma and took a long sip.

"Yeah, I missed you too, Mi." and it was true, I just now realized just how much I did. I sighed contentedly, I need a morning like this more often.

"You really like Isaac, don't you? I mean, you never been like this over any guy, and I've seen so many come and go through the years."

"Yeah, I do. I love Isaac. He's so amazing, and wonderful. He's affectionate and romantic, he always thinks of me first and he's totally sensitive and he's a great listener. At the same time he's got a crazy side and an awesome sense of humor, you know he doesn't take himself too seriously especially for his fame and all. He's so not stuck up. He always find a way to cheer me up�he's everything I ever dreamed of and hoped for..." I trailed off dreamily.

"He's good to you, but sweetie, does he know everything that comes along with you. I mean no offense sweetheart but you're no picnic."

"He does and he accepts that. I guess for the first month or so after he found out what was going on he tried to be my night in shining armor and fix al the problems. Then he finally realized tat the problem was so much bigger than he was and that there was nothing more he could do than love me. He's just totally supportive of me when the shit hits the fan on occasion."

"Jun, you're so lucky to have him in your life. Don't let go too easy, okay?" she smiled warmly."

"Okay," I smiled back and we hugged.

"It's good to talk like this again. I thought I was gonna lose you for a while there but I was wrong. I'll call you tomorrow and we'll make plans for the weekend."

"Mi, tomorrow is the weekend," I grinned.

"Whatever. Just go home and face your life for a day. Love ya," she hugged me again and headed off to work.

I close my eyes and fell back on the bed. The past two moths with Isaac ran through my head. They had been perfect, wonderful, marvelous, lovely�I couldn't ask for anything more and that's exactly what scared me. My life is so volatile, nothing ever lasts, especially the good stuff. I didn't want to think about losing Isaac, ever, but something internal told me we had to bide our time. And that was a feeling I hated with every fiber in my body, he was my lifeline and my sanity.

*~*~*~*

Book VI
Isaac

I looked away from Zac, the sincere pain in his eyes was too much for me, he couldn't understand. Though looking at Taylor was no better, he looked hurt too, though his look was less innocent than Zac's was.

"Ike, why? Why don't you want to hang around with us anymore?" I could hear the pain in Zac's wavering voice he was so naive.

"You just don't understand," I sighed, frustrated and defeated all at once.

"Just tell me!" he was so sheltered.

"Zac, its Juniper. She's taking him away from us," Taylor was so much more perceptive, he knew things Zac couldn't see. He was so angry now, more angry than hurt it seemed.

"She is not," I countered, but Tay was right. In the past two months I'd let go of my family and in turn my two best friends. I don't know why or how it happened, but lately Juniper had just become my world. I couldn't go a day without her that was like a day without sunshine.

"Don't shit with me Isaac, I'm not 10 anymore, I know how this works. You can't just ignore your family, we're not something you can throw away. We need you around, don't you see what you're missing and how much you're hurting us. Look at Zac, he needs you and misses you, so do the rest of us. I bet you don't even know that Zoe started to crawl or Avie lost her first tooth. You're not here to see Mackenzie wander around the house looking for you to play soccer with like you used to everyday, you're not here to see the look on his face when someone has to explain for the fiftieth time that you're not at home to play. And you sure as hell weren't around when I needed you. Isaac, you're my best friend and when I really needed someone around you were nowhere to be found, do you know how much that hurts? Listen to me Isaac, and listen carefully, I'm giving you fair warning that if you don't get your priorities in order real soon we will all shut you out of our lives. None of us need this kind of pain in our lives, we'll close you off, and we'll find someone else." Tay had pain in his piercing eyes, tears welled up slowly, but his voice carried and anger I never knew existed. I guess I missed that along with everything else: my family needing my presence, and my best friend losing the girl who meant the world to him. I should have been there, I needed my family just as they needed me and I couldn't deny that anymore. No matter much I loved Juniper. I'm surprised Tay and Zac let it get so far, they waited two and a half months to say anything.

"Sorry guys, I gotta deal with something," I had to talk to Juniper and straighten things out.

"Good, leave, just don't expect us to bee all happy when you come back!" Taylor shouted after me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him take a crying Zac into his arms.

*~*~*~*

"I can't believe I let this go on for so long..." a fist connected with my eye. "You little fucking fairy..." A blow to the stomach knocked me to the cold hard ground, "if you ever..." A swift kick that shattered ribs, "touch my sister..." another kick found itself connecting with a not-so-pleasant place, "again you little shit..." more solid kicks delivered by a heavy boot, "I'll fucking kill you." Suddenly my head was slammed into a pole and my world went black.

I'm not sure where things had gone wrong. I left to talk to Juniper and suddenly her brother Stefano, or Nickolas, one of them, was beating the hell out of me. All I wanted to do was straighten this out with Juniper, I needed to see her so badly.

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