Time to meet the Family (Izzy Tag Taki/Ben/Eden)

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy was very excited about lunch today. After going to get cotton candy, this was becoming a better day. Izzy knew Jett would like Taki. Jett liked everyone. However, she knew he could be a typical older brother, which meant he would give Taki the threat talk and then laugh about it. That would hopefully be the only awkward moment. She flipped open her phone and texted Jett to meet them in the cafeteria. Izzy also texted Taki. She had to leave him when she got back to drop something off for the news paper.

Izzy made her way to the cafeteria. She saw Taki first and smiled. Izzy walked over bouncing literally. She just could not keep her excitement inside. She leaned up and kissed Taki. However, mid kiss Izzy heard a voice behind her. A brotherly voice, "I hope this is the famous Taki, or else this could be very bad." Jett said running a hand over his head as he just stood there looking at the couple.

Izzy blushed a deep red. She was not use to being caught kissing someone. Unlike Jett who got caught doing a lot worse. Izzy looked at her brother and then at Taki. She was so distracted she did not see Ben or Eden approaching. Izzy cleared her throat and laced her fingers through Taki's. "Jett this is Taki. Taki this is my brother Jett." Yes Jett did not look Korean, but that should not matter. She just hoped it did not confuse Taki, like it did most people.

Jett held out his hand to the man, "So you are the one whose life depends on my sisters happiness." Oh god, as Jett said that Izzy cringed inside. This is that awkward threat moment Izzy spoke of. She hoped Taki did not take it too seriously. Jett had better be kidding. Seriously kidding.

[Ben Patridge]

Ben's morning had been rather uneventful. He'd gotten to school, gone to his classes, and that was that. Now it was lunch time and Ben was pretty hungry. Maybe he'd run into that Syn girl again. She was pretty hot and seemed like she was pretty cool yesterday. Or maybe he'd find Jett and catch up with him. Although Jett usually hung out with the other jocks during school, or was busy with whoever his girl of the moment was. Although to Ben's knowledge there hadn't been any as of lately, but who knew, Ben usually didn't pay attention to that sort of thing.

But as Ben headed down the hall, it wasn't Syn or Jett that he saw, but Eden. Eden was at her locker putting her books away and presumably heading off to the cafeteria as well. "Hey," Ben said, "lunch?" Eden agreed and the twins headed down the hall together and towards the cafeteria. They bought their lunches and then looked for a seat. "Hey--there is Jett and Izzy," Ben said, "is that Izzy's new boyfriend?" Ben asked. "Let's go," he said dragging his sister over to them. As the group sat down, Ben took a seat at the end of the table.

[Eden Patridge]

Eden was at her locker when she ran into her brother. She agreed to go to lunch with him and followed him to the cafeteria. She was glad that she was having lunch with her brother because it meant that she wasn't going to have to worry about anyone else. There was just so much going on with her right now. Between the whole thing with Jett and sleeping with Cole...maybe dating Cole. Then of course there was her new look. It was all so confusing.

Once they got their lunches, Eden looked for an empty table, only Ben spotted Izzy and Jett first. Eden did want to meet Izzy's new guy since she'd heard so much about him, but at the same time, she didn't feel like spending her lunch with Jett. But before Eden could protest, Ben was dragging her over there. Ben took the seat at the end of the table leaving the empty seat next to Jett open for Eden. Great, just her luck.

Eden took a deep breath as she walked over and slid down into the empty seat. She was wearing a fitted T-shirt today, but she'd paired with with a black studded mini to dress it up and it rode up slightly when she sat down and crossed her legs. She'd have to do her best to ignore Jett. Hopefully, given the circumstances, he'd leave her alone. "Hey," she said to the rest of the table. "You must be, Taki," she said to the boy. "I'm Eden," she said holding out her hand for him to shake.

[fryn]

Takumi held Izzy's hand firmly as he turned to face her brother. His dark eyes gleamed with his normal hefty ammount of amicable good humour and he threw Jett a bright smile, not even the slightest bit put out by the other boy's opening gambit. "Yes, I am that person," he replied. "And as you can see Izzy is most happy and so I have a feeling my life is safe... yes?" he asked with a slight lift of his slim shoulders. "I am honoured to meet you Jett-senpai." The honorific used in this case was in reverance to a senior student, despite Jett and Takumi being in the same grade. Jett was older and, by association to his girlfriend, revered in such a manner.

He added a short dip of his head for good measure, not all that sure if Jett would know he was being exceptionally polite. Such was Takumi's way.

"So... are you going to hit me, senpai?" he asked and he tilted his head a little to one side as if in preperation for a blow. Izzy said her brother punched like a girl but Takumi had seen many girls bring down boys twice their size and so hoped he'd be able to win Jett over instead!

Luckily two other people chose that moment to arrive and Takumi mentally thanked them for their timing. "Konnichi wa, Eden," he replied, grasping her hand between both of his and shaking it warmly. "And yes, I am guilty as charged he added, smiling at her male companion.

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy was surprised when Eden and Ben walked over. She got so excited and hugged them both, "Taki this is my best Friends Eden and her twin brother Ben. Actually they live near you, in Venice Beach." Izzy had never been to Taki's house, but she knew he lived in Venice Beach like Ben and Eden.

Jett nodded, "Yo man, whats up." He said as he patted Ben on the back and then looked at Eden. A huge smile came across his face. "Eden it is always a pleasure to see you." He winked at her. His words meant a lot more then the others knew. Jett turned his attention back to Taki. He looked the guy over as the guy bowed and everything. The politeness the bow implied was lost on Jett. "Nah man, I won't hit you, unless you upset my sister...just keep her happy and you are good in my eyes man....after all thats all I care about..."

Jett looked at his sister and gave her a half hug, "So far you picked a good one. Defiantly an improvement." Afterall anyone that took his joking, yet semi serious threat with such grace was defiantly a good guy. "Just keep him away from mom. Not sure he is ready for her yet." He said laughing. Oh god, no one but Ben and Eden knew about Jett and Izzy's mom and well Jett and Izzy's mom could be something when she was in town.

"So Eden I have been meaning to ask you...how are things going....with Raine and all?" He winked at her, because his words implied the secret they shared.

"Hey Taki you know what, you should join Ben and I for surfing one day...this man is good with the surf." He told Taki, besides it would give him a chance to talk to the guy alone. "What do you say Ben?"

Izzy let out a breath of relief that Jett turned joking once more. When he mentioned Raine Izzy rolled her eyes in a playful manor, "Oh forget about Raine, besides you are just harping because she fooled you and made you actually want her...which is just funny." Cause Jett would never want Eden or vice versa ...right...

Izzy smiled at Taki for a moment. "I will explain later, but it refers to a joke Eden and I pulled on Jett."

[Ben Patridge]

"Yeah, really nice to finally meet you," Ben agreed, giving Taki a smile. It was sort of weird thinking of Izzy with a boyfriend but he was sure that he'd get used to it. "Oh, where in Venice do you live?" Ben asked enthusiastically when Izzy mentioned that Taki lived there. "Our house is right on the beach," he said, not mentioning that it was a semi-private beach, meaning there was no direct entrance to the beach except from their house or walking down pretty far from where the entrance was.

He wanted to offer the boy come by sometime. After all the four of them often hung out there, but it usually involved drinking and smoking a lot and Ben knew that Izzy was less into that than Jett or Eden and he didn't know this guy and wasn't about to scare him off with his affinity to drinking and getting high just yet. Surfing, yeah, that was a better start. "Yeah, you should totally come out surfing some time," he said. "Eden and I usually get up at dawn and go but we can do it some afternoon for your and Jett's sake," he offered. The best surf was in the mornings, but Ben would never really turn surfing down, any time.

Ben stayed sort of quiet when they talked about the joke between Eden and Jett. He'd helped by not saying anything, but for the most part he'd stayed out of it, not really wanting to think about Jett and his sister together in any way, shape, or form. "Isn't that all over with?" he asked. "Can't we just give it all a rest?" After all any thoughts of Jett and Eden together was way creepy and sort of made him loose his appetite more so than the gross cafeteria food in front of him.

[Eden Patridge]

Eden smiled. Taki seemed really nice so far. But she knew very well, that she wasn't going to enjoy the lunch. Not with Jett giving her a hard time, which she knew he would. Or would he stop? Now that they were....doing whatever they were doing, did that mean he would finally stop? And then the mention of Raine. Guess not, Eden though wistfully.

But luckily both Izzy and Ben snapped her her defense. It seemed that Izzy wasn't going to let Jett ruin their lunch by tormenting Eden the whole time and Ben seemed pretty sick of the whole thing too. "Yeah, get over it," she said. "I won, deal with it." She made a face at him as she said it before turning away and refusing to look at him. Oh why oh why did Jettson Chen drive her so crazy. She felt crazy. There was no way she could really be herself or feel herself with both Jett there and everyone else.

It was weird. She felt fine, like herself around Ben and Izzy, and then Jett would show up and ruin it all. And then there were the times she was alone with Jett, and she also felt like herself, but a different self, she supposed. More of the bad girl Eden came out that the others didn't know about of course. She had no idea what would happen if Izzy and Ben found out that she'd slept with...was sleeping with Jett. And she wasn't eager to find out.

"Surfing sounds fun though," Eden agreed. "But can we count Jett out? He sucks anyway," she said rather innocently. Okay, maybe Jett wasn't the worst at surfing but she was better than he was so she liked to throw that in his face as one of the few things she could hold over him.

[fryn]

Takumi turned to speak with Ben, animatedly telling him where his house was located. "It's not all that far from the beach either!" he declared with a beaming smile. "We are neighbours, hai? Westminster Avenue. I am always on the beach. We could meet up some time if you like? Hashi likes meeting new people," he added. "Hashi is my dog... He is... ah..." He glanced at Izzy uncertainly, having forgotten the name. "I have never tried to surf but Lia has said she will teach me. I would be honoured to come and surf with you." That sauid, Takumi had a feeling most of his time would be spent well submerged but it would be fun anyway. More so if Izzy came as well.

"Dachshund," she provided.

"Arigatou, anata," he replied with a very different kind of smile.

"Dachshund." He repeated the word to try and commit it to memory, knowing full well he'd soon forget it again. "Hashi means chopsticks," Takumi told Ben.

The conversation then got a little confusing for the Japanese youth. He got the impression something was going on between Jett and Eden but he'd leave any questions for later and when he and Izzy were alone as the topic seemed sensitive.

He laughed when Eden asked to leave Jett out of the surfing get together... and more so at her reason for that. "Believe me, Eden-chan, I will make ANYone look good at surfing," he told her in what could only be called a stage whisper. "I have never even *seen* a surfboard before and so you can imagine how terrible I will be at actually standing on one." Yes, Lia had said she'd teach him... he knew that... but there still had to be a certain... aptitude and Takumi had a inkling that would be very hard to find.

"This weekend looks already busy with Izzy and me both out on Saturday and then bowling on Sunday... But if its early I think I could make it... oooor... perhaps next weekend would be better?" He looked at Izzy. "What do you think?" he asked.

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy was glad both Ben and Eden did not want to talk about it. Jett was just being Jett. He always had to poke fun, but right now was not the time to poke fun. He could do that later. Last thing Izzy wanted was for Jett to look like a douche. So Izzy elbowed him in the side.

"Ow...hey..." Jett said to his sister an stuck his tongue out.

Taki talked to Ben and Izzy just looked at her brother to silently tell him to be nice. But when she heard Taki struggle for the name of the dog she helped him out. "Dashaud." Then she looked back at Jett. Typical brother and sister interaction.

Jett just smile and told Izzy, "Do not give me that look, I am not over that stupid prank and I have revenge in mind." However this was said in Korean so odds are Eden, Ben and Taki had no clue what Jett even said.

Izzy just rolled her eyes and replied back, "You are a big baby and a hopeless case." She also spoke in Korean and then looked at the group and spoke in English. "Typical older brothers...annoying..." She stuck her tongue out again at Jett and began to laugh.

Jett looked at Eden as she spoke, "Hey you are just mad cause the last time we went surfing I actually schooled you...but she has a point..I am much better at other activities then surfing, but I try and do my best." Jett looked at Eden, it was a brief look...he was referring to sex, but to anyone else it was just Jett not wanting to admit he did suck.

All the sudden a student came running down the Hall, "It's posted...it's posted...the roles for Grease...its posted."

Jett heard the kid and watched him. "I hope he sees the..." The kid ran right into the trashcan..."Trashcan... Should we help him?" Before anyone could help the kid he was up and running. "You guys care to come with me to check out the roles..I auditioned." He told the group and then motioned for them to follow him.

Izzy laced her fingers with Taki's. "I say we surf next weekend, although any morning before school is fine with me. I am not as good as them. I tend to go just so I can watch Jett make a fool out of himself. But it will be nice to have you along." She told him.

[Ben Patridge]

Ben laughed when Jett and Izzy started to talk to speak to one another in Korean. "They do that a lot," Ben explained to Taki with a smile. Usually when Jett and Izzy started to do this, Ben and Eden would talk jibberish to each other as a way to mock them, but judging from Taki's accent, Ben was guessing that English wasn't his first language and he didn't want to offend Taki by suggesting that other languages sounded like jibberish. It was just a joke that he and Eden had, since they couldn't just bust into a another language when they wanted to keep a secret. They usually would revert to some sort of code speak which usually wasn't hard for the other's to break.

Ben laughed Jett tried to say he was better at surfing than he was. He wasn't as bad as Eden was saying, but Eden was definitely better than him at surfing. But he wasn't really about to say anything either. He figured he'd just stay out of their squabble like he usually did.

"Yeah, well I go almost every morning as long as the weather is good," Ben said, "so you're more than likely to join whenever. Or we could do it next weekend or any day after school next week. I'll never say no to surfing so you tell me," he said with a shrug.