chapter five

Isabel walked briskly out of the house towards her car, she heard Justin walking behind her quietly.

"This isn't going to be any fun if you don't talk you know." Isabel smiled over her shoulder as she continued to walk to her car.

Justin felt a smile tugging at his lips, he picked up his pace, catching up to her. "So did you really want me to come, or are you just doing this as a favor for your mom?" He asked curiously stepping into the car.

Isabel smiled coyly as she got into the Eclips. Before starting it she turned and looked at Justin, a smile still on her colored lips. "Of course not, I love chauffeuring 18 year olds around town."

Justin's face completely fell. "Oh." His saddened eyes gazed at the floor.

A loud laugh escaped her lips as she brought her hand up to his curls, ruffling them for a second. "Don't get your boxers in a knot Curls, I'm cool with you coming along... as long as you don't bark at other cars on then road of course." She smiled starting the car.

Justin's face broke out in a smile. "I'll try to contain myself." He buckled his seat belt.

"Great now hold on tight."

He turned to her. "Why..."

Before he could say anything else, the car darted forward with surprising speed. Isabel laughed as her coffee eyes watched Justin's face. If his eyes grew any wider, they would have popped out of their sockets.

Justin clutched the sides of the seat as they sped down the street, dodging cars, his heart was beating a million beats per second. His body tensed as she made a sharp turn.

"Would you slow down please?" His voice came out shakier then he intended it to be.

Isabel smiled and released some pressure from the accelerator, Justin let out a sigh of relief as he felt the car slow down to the legal speed limit.

"Thank you."

As they paused for a red light she grabbed his shirt in a fist and pulled her to him so they were face to face. "Don't tell me how to drive." She whispered before letting him go.

He nodded vigorously and kept his eyes straight ahead. Isabel smiled and sped forward as the light turned green. The rest of the way until they stopped in front of a house they there consumed in silence. Isabel stopped the car and looked at Justin. 

"Stay here, I'll only be a minute okay."

He nodded. "Sure, no problem."

She nodded and stepped out of the car and walked quickly to the front door, knocking loudly.

"YEAH YEAH I'M COMING I'M COMING!"

Isabel smiled and waited patiently until he answered the door. Before long a familiar smile appeared from the opened door.

"Well you finally decided to come and see me at my house,"

Isabel smiled and stepped into the open arms of her best friend. "Oh be quite you fool, I've been here before. I was here last week."

He smiled and noticed someone sitting in the passengers side of her car. He pulled away and looked at her curiously. "Who's that waiting in your car?"

She looked back and smiled. "Someone, don't worry about it. Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Yeah let me feed JC and then we can get out of here." Jesse opened the door for her and they both disappeared into the house. Isabel smiled and found JC lying in a pile of his own mess. "JC! Didn't I tell you not to do that in the house!" Jesse bent down and scooped the chocolate shitzu in his arms. The small dog licked his face happily.

Isabel smiled and watched the two together, Jesse loved that dog more than anything. She reached across Jesse's arms and patted the dog's belly, she jumped up and down until Jesse let her down.

"Jesse you love that dog way to much, who's gonna clean up that mess? If that were me then I would have kicked that little piece of..."

"Isabel! Would you like to leave my house now?" He smiled.

She laughed wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "No, I don't think that you want me to leave, remember who's taking you to the store because your car's in the shop."

"Okay you got me, let's go."

"What about your dog? Don't you need to feed it?"

He shook his head. "No, I fed him already. Let's get going."

Isabel nodded and grabbed his hand pulling him to the door. Jesse locked the door and walked with her to the car. His curious eyes falling upon the stranger in her car again. He elbowed Isabel as they walked to the car.

She looked at him annoyed. "What do you want? Don't you know that can get quite annoying!" She pushed him.

"Who is that in your car? This is the second time that I'm asking you this question, you better give me an answer this time."

She noticed that Justin had his head resting against the head rest his eyes closed. She smiled and turned her attention to her friend. "It's someone that's coming with us. Don't worry about it."

They both made it to the car, Jesse opened the door just as Justin opened his eyes. Isabel couldn't help but laugh at Jesse's reaction to seeing Justin in her car.

"Uh Isabel, do you think I can see you for a second?" Jesse looked up at her.

She nodded and walked around the car and met him half way at the trunk. "What?"

"Are you crazy? Why are you driving around that little Pest!? I refuse to ride in the same car as him. Either you take him back to where you found his sorry butt, or you leave now without me."

She shook her head. "You have got to be kidding me right?"

He shook his head. "Nope, I will not step into that car knowing that he's in there."

Isabel rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Oh please stop your bellyaching you big baby."

He sighed bringing his hands to his forehead. "Fine, come on, just don't expect me to talk to him."

Isabel rolled her eyes "Fine, let's act like we're two years old again why don't we. Now get your ass in the car and let's get going."

He nodded and walked back around the car and looked into Justin's confused eyes. "Hey do you mind if I sit in the front seat?"

Justin shook his head and stepped out of the car and got into the back seat. Jesse thanked him and stepped into the car. He turned to Isabel and smiled. "Let's get out of here."

She nodded and started the car.

"So who are you if you don't mind me asking?" Justin asked curiously looking at the man in the front seat.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Actually..."

Now was about the time that Isabel butted into the conversation before Jesse said anything life damaging to the young man. "Justin this is Jesse Harris. Jesse this is Justin Timberlake, I'm sure that you've heard of him." She smiled.

Jesse looked at her angrily "Why yes, I have heard of him before." He replied through clenched teeth.

Isabel smiled and looked at Justin, he was looking out of the window resting his chin on his open palm.

"You're from that music group *Nsync aren't you?"

The bright smile that formed on his lips brought a smile to Isabel's face, she couldn't help but admire the sparkle in his eyes at the mention of *Nsync.

"Yeah, I am. Do you listen to our music?" He sat up straight looking intently at him.

Jesse rolled his eyes and sighed. "Not regularly, I do like listening to it once in a when I'm in a pissed off mood. It helps me know that I'm not the most pathetic person in the world." Isabel quickly whacked him in the stomach. "Ugh!" He doubled over and looked at her angrily.

She ran a hand across her neck.  ""Knock it off, or I'm taking you back to your house if you don't grow up, do you understand that?"

He nodded and sat up holding his stomach. Isabel looked in the rearview mirror and glanced at Justin who looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She sighed and stared ahead at the road. 
_____________________________________________________________________________
The car rolled to a stop in front of a run down store, Justin looked out the window "What are we doing here?"

Isabel smiled and stepped out of the car. "We're here to get some supplies."

Jesse opened the door and stepped out of the car moving aside for Justin to get out. As the young man stepped from the car, Jesse smiled. "Shouldn't you be wearing some sort of disguise or something?"

Isabel glared at him again. Justin shook his head. "Naw, I don't think too many fans will be here. I think I'm pretty safe."

Jesse walked around the car to the entrance of the store passing Justin. "Sure you will."

Justin lagged behind, Isabel waited for him, suddenly feeling sorry for the kid.

"Don't let him get to you Justin, he's just a bitter old guy who doesn't have anything better to do then make fun of cute curly haired guys. Personally I think he's a little jealous." She smiled wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Justin smiled and looked at her. "Come on don't say things like that, you know they'll go straight to my head."

She laughed and walked with him into the  store. The strong fumes of paint invaded their noses. Isabel surveyed the store and found Jesse near the spray paints. Justin let his eyes look around the store.  "So why are we here?"

"Didn't you ask that already?" She looked at him.

"Well..."

"You did, and I'm going to tell you exactly what I told you before. We're here to get some supplies." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the paint brush isle. A delicate hand reached for a thin paint brush.

"Supplies for what?" Justin watched her closely.

Isabel rolled her eyes. "For repairing a car Justin."

He smiled and grabbed the brush from her, running the soft bristles down her nose. She laughed and grabbed the brush from his hand. "Give me that!" Her eyes landed on Jesse who was staring at them like they were the most disgusting things alive.

"I'll be back," Justin nodded and watched her make her way to Jesse. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're really acting like a jerk. Would you please grow up, he's not as bad as you make him out to be. If you tried, you might realize that he might be a really good guy." She grabbed a bottle of crimson paint then set it back down on the shelf and reached for another.

"I don't want to get to know the little Twerp, and neither should you Isabel. The kid is only 18 years old, you are older then him, you shouldn't be wasting your time on that. He's probably not even interested in you for the real you."

"The real me... what are you talking about?" She picked up a green bottle of paint. "I need this color, I'm running out of it." Her soft eyes continued in their search of more colors she needed.

Jesse nodded. "I'm talking about how beautiful you are, you're hot, and if I were straight you know I would be on you like white on rice."

Isabel stopped looking at the paint bottles and eyed him questionably. "What are you getting at Jesse?"

He grabbed her arm. "What I'm getting at, is that the kid's motives are not what you might think they are."

She pulled away from his grasp. "Oh and since you know him so well Jesse, tell me exactly, just what are his motives?"

A loud sigh escaped his lips. "I'm just saying..."

"What you're saying is that he's going to use me," she looked into her friends eyes. "did I ever at anytime say that I wanted to pursue a relationship with him? For God's sakes Jesse, I just met him yesterday. Yes he's attractive, yes he's funny but Babe... that's as far as it goes, right now."

He nodded, "Fine whatever."

She smiled and wrapped him in a hug, he smiled and hugged her back, it was always hard to stay mad at her for more than a few minutes. "You do know of course that if you do try to purse more than friendship with that guy... I will beat you senseless." He laughed.

Isabel pulled away and pushed past him. "And you know if you do... I will never introduce you to JC." She turned lifting a fine eyebrow, her lips poised in a smile.

"That's not fair!"

"Oh yeah and getting a beat down for liking him isn't? I don't think so... if I suffer then I'm bringing you down with me." She felt her eyes surveying the empty store and she found what she was looking for. Her target was looking at one of her paintings. Isabel tapped Jesse on the arm. "Hurry up Jesse, I think that we're boring him. Plus I still need to go get some more clay to finish my project."

He nodded and waved her off, Isabel walked to Justin. He hadn't heard her approach so when she touched his shoulder he jumped. She snickered and looked at the painting analytically. "Ya like?"

Justin looked at her. "She's beautiful."

She looked at him, their eyes catching each other for a second. "What?"

Justin pulled away shaking his head. "Umm the painting, you asked if I liked it. It's beautiful." He looked at the painting again. "The colors express the desperation in her face perfectly, the love that she's lost, she looks alone."

Isabel nodded. "That's exactly what the artist wanted the people to think."

"Who painted this?"

"You're looking at her." She pointed to the familiar signature.

"You... you painted this?" He asked looking back and fourth between the painting and her.

She nodded proudly. "My masterpiece."

"You're a painter?"

Isabel sighed and looked at him. "Have been since I was young, I also draw."

Justin nodded. "You're fantastic, are all those paintings in your house done by you?"

"My parents love to exploit my work around the house. I swear one day they're going to make that place a museum." She chuckled.

He smiled and turned around so his back was facing the painting. "Have you ever thought about putting them up in a museum?"

"No. Enough people see my work at my house, why have thousands of people see it in a museum? Plus, they aren't that good. I still have a lot of work to do before I feel confident enough to expose my work to others."

"So if I told you that you were good enough, you would think nothing of it?" He crossed his arms over his chest looking at her intently.

She grabbed his arm. "Precisely, now let's pay for these so we can get outta here."

He nodded and walked with her to get Jesse and pay for everything.

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