Uprising

Chapter 19

I got back home eventually after running into traffic. I got in and kicked off my shoes, slumped onto the sofa and let out a sigh.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket as I set it to silent on the drive home. I took it out to find a text from Tori. Rather than opening the text, I opened all my messages to find the one from Jake from earlier and I replied.

I made it home. Thanks for today; I really enjoyed myself and I really needed it.

I hit the send button and then opened the message from Tori, saying she'd be over in a few. I let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose, as I knew nothing but trouble was going to be following her, as she'd probably end up telling me all the gossip about what was going on with Dan and she'd also be wanting the gossip about what happened between us.

I threw my phone to the bottom of the sofa and then got up and wondered into the kitchen and made myself a quick sandwich while I had a little time alone. I stood with my back to the counter, eating the sandwich, as I began to think about Jake. I let out a slow, frustrated sigh between the bites of a sandwich and looked out my window. Why had he gone out of his way to spend the afternoon with me? I knew what he'd said, but it felt a little too convenient that he was in the area too.

I finished the last of the sandwich and then went back into the living room and picked up my phone to see Jake had messaged me back. I unlocked my phone and read the text, smiling to myself.

I had fun, too. We will definitely have to do it again, but next time under better circumstances.

I shook my head a little and then went on to my phone book and found Eric's number. My finger hovered above the name for a moment and then I hit the call button and put the phone up to my ear. If anyone had insight into what Jake was up to, I figured it would be Eric.

"Nice of you to call me back." I could hear the annoyance in Eric's voice on the phone and I closed my eyes and silently counted to ten.

"I'm sorry, I wanted a few hours alone." I muttered back. "I needed to clear my head."

"So you and Jake didn't spend most of the afternoon at the beach together?" I couldn't tell if Eric's voice was full of amusement or if he was actually jealous. If he was jealous, I honestly had no idea why he would be considering those two were friends, and that's all Eric and I were.

"I did but..."

"Iz... you need to be careful." Eric jumped in right away before I'd even finished my comment. "He's starting to put two and two together and he's coming up with five and he seems to think your involved in all of this."

"I am, though, and you damn well know I am too." I snapped. I hadn't wanted to get snappy with anyone else tonight; I had wanted to keep my mood of feeling light and happy for a little while longer, but I knew it wasn't going to happen, not with Tori coming around with my stuff and not with the fact that I knew that Dan had packed up all my stuff. I knew it was going to be a hell of a night and after tonight, nothing was going to get better any time soon.

"I know, Iz; you just need to be careful. The last thing we need is the order putting it together as well."

"They probably already have if they've been following me, Eric." I sighed, feeling like I was sinking fast. "Anyway, I didn't call to argue with you about this."

"So, why did you call?" Eric's comment caught me by surprise for a moment. I then realised I had called him to talk about it all. Well, not so much as it all, but more along the lines of wanting to talk to him about Jake and find out what I should do. "From your silence, I guess it is kind of tied into what I was warning you about." I let out a sigh and then sat down on the sofa.

"Let me guess, called about Jake?" He asked as if there was a slight smugness to his tone. "I don't know what's going on between you two and if I'm honest, I don't want to think about it. After all, you both are grown ups, but I'm warning you, Iz. He is a good guy, but he can be trouble so if your planning on being involved with him, just know drama does follow him around, usually in the form of other women." I let out a slow sigh, lent my head back and closed my eyes.

"I know you've already warned me of that." I muttered, hoping he had something else to tell me. "It's just..."

"It was so easy to be around and talk to him. Yeah, I know that. That's one reason he's my best friend, but if I'm honest, I hold just that little more respect for you over him and I don't want to see you getting hurt any more, Iz. You deserve to be happy with someone who will accept you for who you really are and someone who will put you first and worship you." I heard a small laugh from Eric. "I say that, but then again, I don't think even if you did find someone like that, I'd agree to them being with you, Iz."

I couldn't help but laugh at the comment, too. As much as things were far from over between Eric and I, I still loved Eric as a brother and his opinions on certain things still meant everything to me, as I knew he only ever had my best interests at heart.

"Just be careful, is all I'm saying. He's a nice guy, but trouble, and he's a hunter, so of course there's always danger following him everywhere too."

"He'd fit in fine with my life then, with the danger and drama." I couldn't help but laugh quietly. "Thanks Eric. I really appreciate what you said."

"So what is going on between you two then?" I could picture him grinning at me as if he were hoping to get the truth firsthand.

"Bye Eric." I told him and hung up. I dropped my phone next to me and took another deep breath. Use him. I could hear Cordelia's voice telling me to use him again in my head. I hadn't felt comfortable at the idea of doing that. As much as Eric had warned of the trouble that usually followed Jake around and as much as he probably did deserve to be used to keep me alive, I just couldn't find it in my heart to do that to him. We'd hung out together as just Jake and Iz, just two people with no care in the world and he'd accept me as being normal. Would he accept you if he knew the real you? A small shiver ran through me, but a voice spoke up from within me.Yes, he'd accept you, he knows about that world and he'd still see you. I shook my head again to clear away the idea of him and I being friends.

I let out a slow sigh and went to get up as I heard the door and let out another sigh. Here came trouble in the form of Tori and I knew the gossip would follow. I walked to the door and opened it to find her standing with a small box in her arms.

"Sorry to be the delivery person for this." She passed the box to me right away and then walked in. I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes as I kicked the door shut, walked into the living room and put the box down.

Tori wasn't the type of person you'd expect me to be friends with. She was like the party girl who always wanted a reason to be out drinking all the time. She was also blonde, tall, and skinny, and she was the type of person who drew the guys to her. I actually had no clue why Tori and I were friends, as she only ever seemed to talk to me when she wanted something and I knew that she wanted gossip.

"So, what happened?" She sat down on my sofa, looking up at me expectantly.

"It's complicated and if I'm honest, I don't really want to get into it as I'm not ready to talk about it." I went into the kitchen to go and make two coffees, as I knew that's what she'd want.

"Mmm, so did Eric have anything to do with the breakup then?"

"Why would you say that?" I stopped dead in the kitchen.

"Let's be honest, you and him, despite being broken up, are still pretty close. Don't tell me..."

"NO! Hell to the no!" I answered as I realised just where that conversation was going. "There's no one else in the picture, well, at least not on my end, but he broke it off with me and I just accepted what he wanted as I wasn't getting into it with him. I guess he just got bored of me." I went and switched on the kettle and began to bang about so that I couldn't hear what Tori was saying, as I didn't want to have to listen to her version of what she thought was going on.

"You know, you were always too good for him." I turned around and saw Tori standing in the doorway of my kitchen. "He never treated you like Eric did and if you two got back together, honestly... I wouldn't be disappointed in you."

"There's nothing going on with Eric and I. Eric is like my brother. Him and Jen... They are perfect and they are soul mates and I'd never get between them and in all honesty, Jen knows I wouldn't and Jen knows I think of him as a brother now, just like she's my sister to me, as I know they both always have my back." I shrugged.

"Whatever..." Tori seemed to shrug as well. "I'm just saying what people think." I couldn't help but look at her at that comment. What had people been thinking? Had Eric and I really been the center of some theory? I just shook my head a little and went back to the cups. "So what are you doing tomorrow for your birthday? Party?"

"Tori I really don't feel like it, if I'm honest. I have a lot going on and all I want to do is just sit at home and do nothing all day."

"Well, I'm sorry but I can't leave you moping around like this, especially since I've already got it all planned for you. I mean, Jackson has already said we can party at his."

I let out a sigh of frustration, pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes before I really did lose my cool tonight. Was today all about testing my limits to see if I had patience or something?

"And you do know he only said that because one, he wants to try and show off like normal, and two, he's been waiting for like forever to hear I'm single, as I'm guessing you kind of mentioned that to him." I opened my eyes to look at Tori seriously. I really needed to get better friends than this—ones who would listen to what I had to say and respect my decisions, not go and do as they please.

"Yeah, I might have mentioned it. And even he agreed you needed a birthday party to drink and let loose a little."

"I don't drink; you of all people know that." I looked at her seriously and then shook my head. Why was I even wasting my words? She'd only do what she wanted and it was clear she just wanted any reason to party and my birthday had just been that reason.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway because I'm coming to pick you up at eight sharpish and I already know your not working, as I asked Hayleigh."

"How do you... you know what? I'm not even going to finish that." I muttered to myself. "Whatever. And are you going to be dropping me off at home or am I expected to just pass out drunk at the house?"

"Well, I did ask Eric and Jen to come to the party and I did ask Dan to come too, so maybe you two will get back together."

"YOU DID WHAT!" I clenched my hand into a fist and began to count to ten to calm myself before I really did let my red rage take over.

"Well, I better go." I looked at Tori to see her moving towards my hallway to leave pretty quick, as she knew she'd overstepped the line. "I'll pick you up tomorrow. Don't be late and make sure you dress for the occasion, which is your birthday." Before I even had the chance to answer her after abandoning the coffee cups, I followed her down the hallway and to the door. She'd gone and let herself out of my house and shut the door behind her.

"Great... I see everyone is pushing me to my limit." I let out a slow, deep breath and then went to the door and locked it. I hadn't wanted any more guests tonight. I just wanted to go curl up under my quilt and forget the day; however, I knew that wasn't going to happen as everything that had happened with Cordelia was going to keep me up most of the night, if not all of it.