S E V E N T E E N

The door swung open and out steps a mass of pink hair, who quickly latches onto my arm, and drags me inside the house.

"Izzy!!" I tell as her black painted nails dig into my skin, as she yanks me into the dimly lit mud room.

"Sh. You have to be quiet. Naomi is trying to take her nap." She lets go of my arm slowly.

I nod my head and look around the room. Everything is still the same since last I was here.

The walls are still that ugly floral wallpaper, and the pictures on the walls are still there. Only everything is covered in a thick sheet of dust.

As if nobody has lived here in ages.

"Hello? Bianca?!" Izzy waves her hand in front of my face.

I jerk my head around to took at her. "Sorry. Got distracted. "

"I could tell." Izzy smiles slightly and turns in her heals, the back of her puffy black tee flowing behind her.

"Sorry. Lately has been a little...." I follow behind her, stepping over the broken corner of the wall that sticks out at a weird angle.

As I go to finish what I was saying, we hear small, barely noticeable feet pattering across the floor behind us.

"Beaa!" The small voice yells, amd launched themselves at my legs.

"Naomi, is that you, squirt?" I laugh and look at the small girl.

She just giggles, her bright blue eyes shining up at me.  "Duh. Who else is as cute as I am?"

I roll my eyes and pick her up, her bright green overalls bunching up slightly against my arms. "Of course. Now let's go see Izzy, and Aunt Barbara."

She swiftly nods her head, her blond curls bouncing up and down. "Auntie Barbara stays in the art room most of the time."

I nod my head and begin walking down the dark hallway, and into the room on the end of the hall.

The art room is different than the rest of the house. Barbara likes to keep her art clean and tidy. The floors are plain cement floors, and there are sheets of plastic layed out in places for when she is painting.

"No. I do not understand why it is not selling. You wanted it a year ago and now that it is finished you do not want it anymore?" Her soft voice floats through the doorway.

"Aunt Beaaaa! Look whose here!!!" Naomi screams, in my ear at her aunt.

As I round the corner, I watch Barbara turn with her phone still pressed to her ear.

"Uhm....call me back later, Bill...." She mumbled as her big brown eyes begin to water and she hangs up the phone.

"Bianca....my dear." She rushes towards me as I slowly put Naomi on the floor.

She wraps her thick arms around my waist in a good hardy hug.

Barbara Ann has always been like a second mother for me. She was best friends with my mother when they were growing up.  Her short, stout frame, her big brown  eyes, and her long messy red hair  has always been around. Before my mother died.

"Hi, Auntie Barbara." I smile and wrap my arms around her shoulders.

She leans back and looks at me. "I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a grasshopper. You have grown so much. And gotten so so beautiful, my dear."

I smile at her softly. "It has been a long while."

Naomi runs up and grabs Barbara's hand and goes to drag her off. "come play with me."

She smiles and looks at me. "I must go play with the queen. I will catch up later "

I laugh and begin walking to the white polished stairs. "Izzy? Are you up here?"

I hear the sound of something falling. "fuck. Shit. God damn piece of shit picture frame."

"Yup. Definitely up here." I laugh as I begin walking up the steps.

I slowly make my way down the hall, looking at the old pictures of all of us on the wall from before.  And the marker drawings that were in the corner from where when we would get in trouble and made to sit in the corners.

I walk into the room at the hall, where I find Izzy sitting in the corner, with her head in her hands. Surrounded by a broken picture frame.

"Iz? Are you okay?" I slowly step over all the broken glass and slide down the wall to sit down beside her.

I put my arm around her and pull her where her head rests against my shoulder. "It will be okay. I am always going to be here for you."

She looks at me, her dark eyes sparkling. "I know. But now everything is so different and complicated. I can't go to school anymore because you seen what happened the other day."

I just cock am eyebrow at her. "So? Those assholes can go to hell. They don't deserve your awesomeness."

She laughs lightly and scoots back a little. "So what you doing on this side of town?"

I look down at my hands. "Dad. Mom. Shane. Just everything tonight."

She stands up and offers her hand. "C'mon. Let's go to Valentino's. Nothin a milkshake and some fries can't fix. You can tell me there."

"You sure you wanna deal with it?" I take her hand and stand up, dusting the dust and glass shards off my jeans.

"If it makes my bestest and only friend better." She smiles back at me.

"Okay." I smile.

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Half an hour later, we slide into a booth at Valentino's, an old neon light themed dinner on the edge of town.

"If you start feeling uncomfortable. Even the smallest bit. You tell me. I mean it." I point my index finger at Izzy's face.

"Yes, Mom." She rolls her eyes and stares at me. "so what happened?"

I take a breath to tell her as soon as the waitress shows up and gives us our orders.

Izzy ordered a strawberry shake and some curly fries. And I ordered a chocolate shake and waffle fries.

As soon as she walks away, I take a drink of my shake and begin telling her everything. From what happened in seventh grade to the party incident then the conversation I had with my Father earlier.

"Wow. I can't believe that he can say that to you." She rolls her eyes and shoves her emply glass away from her. "And that dickhead Shane. He really did that to you? If I had been here! Oh I swear to God!"

At this point she was already yelling, and everyone was looking over at us with weird looks.

"Izzy calm down. It's whatever." I put my hand over her arm.

"If I see him I will...." She goes to say. "Ya know what? Nobody wants to even know."

As we both stand up to leave, the bell on the door jingles, and in walks the whole group of slappies.

Shane, Layla, Markus, Samuel, and Tina. All of my tormentors together.

"Oh look, it's Crazy Carson and Juvenile James." Markus busts out laughing at his lame excuse of an insult. And he is soon followed by everyone except Shane. Who just stands there, staring at me with a completely blank expression.

"Oh just shut up, Markus." Shane just rolls his eyes. "leaving so early, James?"

Layla Snickers and whispers something to Tina, and the both end up laughing.

"Yeah. We seen y'all coming, and we don't want some of Layla's Botox to fall into our shakes. Sorry." I look him dead in the eyes as I say this.

"Oh bitch don't start with me." Layla just yawns. "I am so not in the mood. But if you want Botox all you have to do it ask. Because you need it, sweetie."

I roll my eyes, and grab Izzy by the wrist. "C'mon Iz."

She nods and leaves a twenty on the table.

In the way out, Shane grabs my arm. "I'll see you later, James. Don't stay up for me."

He smiles evily at me, and blows a kiss as we walk out the door.

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Finally an update!!!! I know it is mainly just about Izzy, but still....and update none the less.

I hope you like it. It's longer than ever.

~£