Dealing with it all...Izzy tag Any

[Izzy Chen]

The words kept running around in her head. Maybe she should be focused on the whole Jett and Eden sleeping together and she was, but what Jett reminded her of kept replaying. Words and the scene from the summer kept bouncing around. Izzy felt shaky all over, she was cold and could not get warm. feeling suffocated Izzy woke up that morning and dressed then ran from the house ignoring Jett like she had ignored him the night before.

Jett had reminded Izzy of a moment in her life she would love to forget. even more then her mother's death and that was saying a lot. Izzy drove, just drove and had no real idea where she landed. Once again she was at a semi isolated part of the bench sitting on a bench. A place where she could find some calm. If only it worked. Her whole body was shivering, her mind was racing and her heart was pumping. Everything was going through her mind. Eden didn't trust her, jett had kept a secret from her, Ben was mad at Jett and Izzy...that summer was coming back to haunt her.

During the summer of 1007 (last summer) Izzy had been at one of her mother's Hollywood parties. Just another night and another debut. Izzy wore a nice black dress and black heels. She had her hair done and her makeup looked good. The night had been going good until Izzy decided it was time to leave. Lucky for her she had ridden in a limo so she could take that back and it would return for her brother and mother.

Only she did not make it to the limo. She made it about 20 steps out the door before she was grabbed and pulled to the side. The music was loud so hearing her scream was out of the question. her hair was pulled, dress ripped, and she knew what was going to happen. She felt a slap, a hit and her mouth being covered. Some how Izzy managed to free her mouth enough to scream. The guy was just about too...and Izzy felt such fear in that moment, but lucky for her someone heard the scream. Some how...it was a miracle but Izzy had been saved from a full blown sexual assault. She had just been attempted sexual assault. At least according to the police.

Izzy had therapy and was doing so good now. Especially with her first boyfriend since the incident, and Jett had to go and remind her of it. So now Izzy was sitting at the beach freaking out over everything. The attempted sexual assault, her mothers death, the fight with Jett, and this whole Jett and Eden thing. It was too much. Izzy stood up and walked over to a tree. She screamed and started to kick the tree. Not hard but hard enough that it hurt her foot, but she was not done. She kept hitting the tree obviously upset.

(Tag any who wants to calm Izzy from a total freak out)

[fryn]

It was a glorious morning without a shadow of doubt. Ok, so the sun seemed a little reluctant to make her appearance, far preferring to hide behind the clouds that formed the bulk of the sky but... it was still glorious in Yoshino Takumi's eyes. The entire day lay ahead of him... That meant a stack of time to plot and plan the impending murder mystery event. Where should they hold it? A building was certainly needed and his thoughts immediately drifted towards teh old abandoned mansion a little further up the coast from the old lighthouse. Remote and deserted. It would make for the perfect setting. Of course, the fact that they'd have to break in and ultimately tresspass didn't enter into his head but maybe Connor would have a better idea? He knew the area far better than Takumi did, after all.

For now, though, he could be found heading back towards teh tree that he'd been found hanging from the previous evening. Takumi had pulled off his over shirt once he'd scaled up the tree and had forgotton to retrieve it after he'd dropped back down to earth. He wasn't worried that it would be lost as no one else would surely think to climb up into the tree. No, the shirt would still be there... and so was a figure he knew remarkably well.

"Izzy!" he called out with a waved hand high above his head.

He frowned... Was she striking the tree? Interest aroused he jogged over to join her. "Izzy!" he greeted. "Ohayu gozaimasu," he added with that slight frown still in place. "The tree... It said something to upset you? If so then it now has me to deal with as well!" She looked like she could use a smile...

[Izzy Chen]

Taki's voice jarred Izzy from her rage against the innocent tree. In that moment Taki was the last person Izzy wanted to see. Mainly because she cared about him so much, that she felt bad to keep putting him through her little breakdowns. She sighed and looked at him as a small smile graced her lips, "You have good timing. Just in time to see another Izzy breakdown." She commented with a laugh that did not sound happy.

"Poor tree didn't do anything, more like I am picturing Jett's face on the tree." Izzy said a bit angrily. "We had a fight and we never fight, but we had a fight. A big one." Izzy said as tears again graced her cheeks, "God look at me, You would think I am some victim, but it's just..." She said taking a deep breath. "I am not having a very good weekend."

"Now my foot hurts." She laughed again. "Oh I am a mess." She said finally looking at him. "I seem to be finding you topless a lot." She commented with another tiny smile. It felt kind of good, but she was still upset about everything. it was just not easy. Izzy had always been overly emotional. Jett use to tease her that she wore her heart on her sleeve.

"I don't want to bring you down okay. You do not need to hear any more of my problems." She said to him. "So what brings you out here? Things good at home?" She asked Taki. She knew the distraction might not work, but she could try. Izzy knew she would end up talking. She always did, but for now, for a moment she could have Taki talk.

[fryn]

"I was up in this tree," he started to explain. "Last night. Connor-kun found me. I was... ah... the wrong way up." He bent at the waist to demonstrate, hair failling over his face. "But when I got home I remembered this...." He jumped upwards a good 6 inches or so and grabbed hold of the branch he'd been hanging from the previous evening. He flailed around with his free hand and finally managed to snag the end of his shirt.

He dropped back down with a smile and pulled on the shirt. "We saw a dog," he added. "On a big ball. It was like it was dancing. But as for home... Everyone and everything is good there."

He finished buttoning the regained shirt. "But you and Jett are always fighting, Izzy," he continued. "This time it is worse than that?" She nodded and he frowned slightly. It would have to be a heck of a lot more serious for her to be seeing his face on the poor tree!

"Nothing happens that can't be repaired," Takumi stated. "You and he just need to talk. It is clear to me that you are distressed over this fight and I am sure Jett is feeling the same way." He shrugged slightly. "It makes no sense for you both to be so unhappy when sitting down together will fix whatever happened."

He threw Izzy a gin. "But then what do I know? I am just a dumb foreigner, hai?" he finished with a wink.

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy smiled, "Sounds like you had fun last night, and I am glad your family is good. I hope to see them again very soon. The food was great. Your family is really good Taki." Izzy told him. She watched as he put his shirt back on and blushed slightly at a brief remembrance of him and her alone in her room. She sighed when the subject came back to her and Jett. "I was hoping to keep talking about you." She said with a brief laugh.

Izzy nodded and kicked the tree once more, but much softer this time, but it proved that the fight had been worse. "This was different. The other times are just playing bickering and nothing serious, but this fight...it was bad. Lots of things were said. hurtful things. It's just....bad." Izzy said with a shrug. She listened to him and she knew he was right. "You are far from dumb. Probably much wiser then anyone I know." She told him.

Izzy sighed, "A lot that was said made sense. I mean Jett made a point...see I found out her and Eden have been sleeping together behind my and Ben's backs. They never told us and it just hurts they both felt the need to keep this secret." Izzy explained. "We have been best friends for years. I feel at least Jett, my brother should have told me. We tell each other all our secrets and he kept this one from me and it hurt. So I yelled at him and he yelled back, hurtful things said and I walked out the door. i haven't talked with him since." Izzy told Taki.

"I bet you don't care to hear about all this. I seem to only have problems lately and that is not fair to you."

[fryn]

“Baka!” Takumi berated Izzy with a grin and his smile robbed that normally pretty insulting word of any offence. “Of course I want to hear about your argument. Why wouldn’t I? You are upset and that makes this very important to me. So they slept together. That happens all the time,” he pointed out. “Not with Eden and Jett all the time... I mean other people do it. So they didn’t tell you. They are allowed privacy aren’t they? Do you tell Jett and Eden everything we do? That time in your room after the funeral. Did you tell them how we kissed? That we were half undressed? That if Jett hadn’t knocked we would probably have gone much further...” He shook his head. “I am no gambler but I think I would win a bet that says you didn’t tell them about that. And it isn’t anything to do with them. Not their business. Not that I am ashamed as we did nothing bad. Neither have Jett and Eden. Sharing secrets when kids is one thing but we are all close to being deemed adults... if not already. Secrets are sure to be kept from each other and perhaps the yelling and shouting comes from realising things are changing between you and him.” Takumi grinned. “You are both becoming adults, hai?” he finished on a short laugh.

“Now... Where is Jett? At home? You should go and talk to him. Tell him why you yelled and stuff. Explain why you felt hurt... Just don’t tell him all of our secrets,” he finished with a wink and he leaned over to drop a brief kiss onto her lips.

[Izzy Chen]

"I know you are right. I never told him that. I am not ashamed either. I would not mind a repeat." Izzy said with a smirk. " I did not ask for details. But it would have been nice for Jett to tell me about being interested in my best friend. Or for Eden to say hey I am sleeping with your brother. Its just...the four of us try and have no secrets. Sure details are left out, but we have always told each other everything. Especially Jett and I. I might not tell Jett about what you and I do privately, but Jett knew when i liked you before we started dating, and Jett knows how my feelings for you keep growing. " Izzy said. "He could have told me he was with Eden. Thats all. But he kept it from me and it just hurt."

Izzy nodded, "But I don't want us as adults to keep things hidden. i get the need for privacy, but if he keeps a secret what stops him from keeping another and another. He is the only family I have left that I am close with. i don't want to keep secrets from him, even as an adult because I don't want to lose that closeness. he has been there for everything I have been through and believe me, it has been a lot. There is a strong connection with Jett and I." Izzy said to Taki. She grasped his hand in hers and smiled. at him.

"I guess what I am trying to say is I hate change. And i know as we grow older some things need to be kept a secret, doesn't mean I like the change. I know we can be close without secrets, but being able to tell him everything has always been a part of our relationship." She shrugged. "I just hope things are changing for the better." She truly did.

Izzy kissed Taki back. "He is probably at home. Thats where I left him this morning. I know I need to talk to him. I just cant help feeling hurt and mad at him for not telling me. i know this is probably stupid to you. A stupid thing to be mad about." Izzy sighed.

"I guess I feel a bit guilty because of what he brought up in the fight. There are things I haven't told many people about stuff that has happened and he kind of threw it back in my face. Meaning he used it against me, which was not nice. i think that is why I am mad." She told Takiumi. She smiled at him. "Why are you letting me ramble like this. I am sure you do not care to hear all this. So please shut me up with those lips." She smirked and leaned up to give him a much longer kiss.

[fryn]

Takumi grinned at Izzy. “I am always right,” he teased and he laughed when she poked him in the middle of his chest in response. Things DID change, though. He knew that. His own life had altered far beyond anything he’d ever imagined after the Yoshino family had uprooted and moved to America. Yes, he missed a lot of his old life back in Osaka but there were far more benefits to living in the USA... and he was currently looking at the main one.

“But its not stupid,” he added. “How can anything you say, do or feel be stupid?” Izzy’s final comment, though, told Takumi there were secrets she kept from him as well... things she hadn’t told him. Of course, nothing in her past affected his feelings for her now and if she ever felt the time was right to tell him he knew she would. For now, though, there was no way in hell he’d ask... or press her for details. That would have been hypocritical as he’d only just told her that it was ok to have secrets... not that he had any for himself.

“I would be happy to shut you up,” he said with a broad smile and he moved in closer to do precisely that, content to keep on shutting her up for just as long as she wanted... or that they had the breath for.

Finally they broke apart and he ran his tongue slightly over his bruised lips, still able to taste her cherry lip balm. He was all too aware that Izzy needed to go back home and talk to Jett but he had one thing to tell her first.

“Izzy...” he began. “I... aah... You know graduation is soon...” He was a senior and Izzy was in a lower year. She was sure to have considered the fact that seniors would soon be leaving. “And you know how I am still learning English...” She nodded. “My grades... they aren’t as good as my ones back in Osaka... and...” Would she be angry or pleased? “... and I have to retake my senior year,” he finished in a rush.

He still had to tell his parents yet. That said, he had a feeling they would be understanding. He’d been pulled out of his final year in Japan and right at a crucial time...

“I will not be graduating this year...”

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy gladly kissed Taki back. It was a nice, hard, passionate long kiss. One that left her lips bare and breathless. She had slid her tongue between his lips to mingle with Taki's tongue during the kiss. Izzy would not mind doing that a few more times. She didn't have to talk with Jett this very moment. No doubt she would see Jett at home later. Besides she preferred tobe swimming in the sea of kisses right now.

"By the way, if you want to greet me topless more often I would surely not mind. Its a very nice sight to see." Of course she would not mind having it a bit more private either, but this woulddo. "Thank you for listening. I truly lucked out when I met you." Izzy had not expected to find a boyfriend. Let alone one who was as great as Takumi.

When Taki started talking about graduation Izzy was sure he was going to say he was leaving for Japan after it. But when he said he had to repeat his senior year, Izzy felt for him. She was a bit selfish in being happy Taki had to stick arounf for her senior year. Still she felt bad for Taki."Thank you for telling me. I am so sorry about that. Must be hard to have to hear you have top repe3at a year. But I am here...I will always be here if you need me. I will make sure you graduate with me next year." Izzy gave Taki a small smile and a sweet kiss.

She had to replace her cherry lip gloss now, as it was now smeared all over Taki's ips again. "You know what this means right. This means late night English lessons over at my place. Perhaps up in myroom, with certain incentives to make sure you learn the language." Izzy said softly with a wink. "Are you okay? With the news about repeating your senior year? I know most people might hate to hear that."

[fryn]

"I am fine with it," Takumi assured Izzy. "Buuut... I haven't yet told my m,um and dad. I'm not so sure how they will take the news. He frowned slightly, clinging to the hope that they would understand. Losing face was crucial in Japanese culture and once lost it was virtually impossible to regain. He prayed they wouldn't see it as that serious. It was only one year, after all, and they'd known it would be hard for him to adjust in his senior year.

He threw Izzy a bright smile. "Connor and I want to hold a murder mystery evening. You know when a person is killed and the others have to work out who did it." He paused, feeling the need to clarify. "We wouldn't really *kill* anyone. Just pretend. That wouldn't be fun. Well... unless you really didn't like the person buit even so... no, we will paint the line at killing." He frowned again. "Not paint... draw. Draw the line." Takumi looked at Izzy uncertainly. "Or is it paint?"

He drew in a deep breath and huffed it out noisily. "I am sure I will never truly grasp this language but am glad you will help me through this next year and to graduate. I like the sound of learning in your room although I have a feeling we would not be practicing much speech," he finished with a wink.

"I will walk you home," he stated decisively. "You shouldn't let me distract you from talking to Jett." Takumi laughed as he spoke, knowing all too well that could easily happen!