"What are you doing?" I asked. He smiled suggestively.
"My brothers left, so I don't have to play 'role model' anymore. Want a drink?" he offered. I shook my head, having already secretly downed two cups of Rum and coke with Taylor. He shrugged and made some concoction of a drink, then led me back into the living room where the music was. Over the next hour, I lost track of the trips he made back to the kitchen for refills, but I knew it had to be taking its toll. I was standing alone in the living room, waiting for Ike to return from his latest voyage to the kitchen about ten minutes earlier, and decided to go after him. He was sitting on the kitchen floor with an empty cup beside him, a bowl of pretzels in his lap. He grinned at me when I knelt beside him. "Hey, where'd you go? I've been looking for you."
"Isaac, you left me in the living room a while ago," I reminded him. A thoughtful look crossed his face, then he grinned.
"Oh yeah. I forgot." I sighed and glanced at a clock on the kitchen wall. It was 11:15.
"Come on, Ike. I think it's time to go." I helped him stand up, which he was having trouble doing, and led him to the front door. He was having a hard time walking too, so I had my arms around him to keep him standing. We managed to escape the house without anyone noticing, and started the walk back to his house. Ike was attempting to sing some song that he had heard earlier, then turned to me with a wide smile.
"Any requests?" he asked. I shook my head, keeping my attention on the sidewalk in front of us to see where we were going. He started in on the chorus of MMMBop, and stumbled. I managed to steady him, and I had never been so glad to see his house. Ike stopped shortly. "Oh man, I can't go inside like this. My parents would kill me."
He turned to me with wide eyes. "Help me, Will. What do I do?" I sighed and tried to think. I couldn't bring him home with me, because Brad would lecture me. I didn't know anyone else who would welcome a drunken Hanson into their home at this time of night. Then I thought of the tree house in the backyard. I knew that Zac always kept a sleeping bag there, so I half dragged Isaac into the backyard. Once we reached the ladder, I helped guide Ike up and into the tree house. As soon as I climbed into the wooden shack, Isaac tripped and fell on me. He laughed hysterically, and I managed to roll him off.
"Isaac, this isn't funny. Your parents are going to murder us," I grumbled at him. Ike stopped laughing and laid down on the floor. He looked up at the ceiling in the moonlight that filtered into the windows. I pulled the gloves off of his hands, then leaned over him and unclasped his cape, prepared to hang it on a nail in the wall so it wouldn't get wrinkled. Ike grabbed my wrists and pulled me down so that our lips met. I struggled against his grip and fell away from him.
"What?" he asked, sitting up and giving me a quizzical look. I shook my head and picked up the cape. He grabbed my ankle to keep me from walking away, and gave me a serious look. "Willow?"
"Isaac, you're drunk. You need to sleep it off," I told him, hanging the cape on the wall. He shook his head.
"I'm not drunk. I feel fine," he insisted. I smiled down at him before sitting beside him Indian style. He took my hand and kissed the back of it, keeping his eyes on me. "I'm sorry if I ruined your evening."
"You didn't ruin anything. I had a fun time. It'll be the next-to-last night in Tulsa that I'll never forget," I promised him. His eyes lit up in the moonlight.
"Really?"
I smiled. "Well, maybe. If that's what you want to hear," I answered slyly. Isaac entwined his fingers with mine and pulled me closer. I cuddled into the cave of his arms, and he played with the shawl that was wrapped around my shoulders.
"Let's make it a night neither of us forget," he whispered against my hair. I smiled and gave him a playfully scolding look.
"See? I told you that you were drunk," I teased. Isaac ignored me and attempted to tug out the bobby pins that were holding my hair in place. I grabbed his hand and stopped him. "Ike? What are you doing?"
He grinned. "Nothing. Just admiring you." I blushed. Forgetting about my hair, Ike pulled the shawl away from my shoulders and brushed his fingers along my collarbone. I tensed up.
"Isaac-"
"Relax," he murmured, pressing his lips against my right temple.
"I am relaxed. I'm just a little tired; I think I should go home," I suggested, pulling away from him to reach for the shawl he had discarded. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back against him, grazing my forehead with his lips.
"Don't go yet," he begged. I smiled, then reached up and touched my finger to his lips.
"It's late." He looked away for a moment, and I brought my hand up to cradle the side of his face, forcing him to look at me again. "Sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow."
With those words, I kissed him gently, then slipped away and back down to the ground. I wrapped the cream colored shawl around my shoulders again and pulled it closed tightly. With one quick look back up at the tree house, I turned and ran home, the skirts of Diana's dress fanning out behind me as I ran.
"How in the world did I get up here?" I wondered aloud. I grabbed the cloak and black pair of gloves on the floor beside it, then carefully climbed down the ladder. I quietly opened the back door and sneaked into the kitchen, then turned to close it just as quietly as before. Somebody standing behind me cleared their throat and I froze.
"Late night, Ike?" my mother asked. I gave her a guilty look as I turned around. She was standing in the kitchen door, her hands on her hips and an annoyed look on her face.
"I can explain…" I began.
"Oh please, enlighten me," she retorted, motioning to the chairs at the kitchen table. I avoided her glare as I sat down, and she sat down across from me. "Isaac, when I said 'no curfew', I most certainly did not mean 8:00 in the morning."
"Mom, it was late when I got in last night, and I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I crashed in the tree house," I explained, fidgeting nervously. My mother pursed her lips.
"How late?"
"Umm, I'm not sure. I don't remember," I answered. Mom shook her head.
"I don't buy it. You're not telling me something."
"That's all there is to tell!" I insisted. Mom pushed her chair away and stood up. I watched her cross the kitchen to the refrigerator and open it, then she tossed me a bottle of water.
"This will help the dry mouth I imagine you must have," she informed me. I averted my eyes away from her. Jessica, Avie, and Zac all came into the room and proceeded to get themselves some bowls of cereal. Mom stepped over beside me and said quietly, "Go upstairs, shower and change. You reek of alcohol."
My face reddened as I stood up and left the room. It was humiliating enough not to remember how I had gotten home the night before, but having my mother catch me was even worse. I cold shower and clean clothes helped me feel a little better, and I collapsed on my top bunk after I was done cleaning up. I was suddenly exhausted, and shut my eyes tightly to block out the pervading sunlight that burned my eyes.
"All partied out?" Taylor's voice came from the bottom bunk. I leaned over the edge of the bed to see Tay curled up on his side, his face pale and covered with a cold sweat. I grimaced.
"Dude, you look as terrible as I feel," I commented. Taylor frowned.
"Thanks," he grumbled. I cracked a smile.
"You broke rule number one, didn't you?" I asked. Taylor scowled at me, as if referring to my state of being. "Yeah, I guess I did too. Live and learn."
I rolled back onto my bed and shut my eyes again. We were quiet for a few minutes, until, "Ike, did Willow get home alright last night?" Tay asked. My eyes popped open.
"Uhhh…" I stammered. I climbed down to the floor and grabbed my shoes. Tay sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed.
"Come on, don't tell me you didn't get her home?" he questioned harshly. I gave him a guilty look. "God, Isaac! How much more hypocritical can you get?"
"I don't know! I don't remember…" I trailed off, hopping up and down on one foot trying the get the shoelaces on the other foot tied. Once I had accomplished that, I hurried out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Taylor's voice trailed after me as I thundered down the stairs and out the front door.
"Hi," I gasped, trying desperately to calm my breathing. "Is Will up?"
"No, not yet. She had a late night," Olivia replied dryly. I swallowed hard and stopped walking towards the door. Brad appeared behind her and said something quietly to her, then looked at me. Olivia disappeared back into the house, and Brad walked down to join me at the steps. I managed a meek smile.
"Hi," I said. Brad held up a hand and shook his head.
"Let's skip the greetings this time," he suggested. I nodded uncertainly. "Look, Isaac, you're a good kid. Willow likes you, I like you. You've never done anything to make me think twice about what was happening, until now."
I gave him a puzzled look. "What? I don't-"
"Just hear me out. I let Willow go to some stranger's party last night, because you'd be with her and I trust you. This kinda makes me look like an idiot when she return home near midnight alone, looking a mess in some strange costume, and wakes up the next day hung over. What am I supposed to do now?"
I shrugged and avoided his look by carefully studying the sidewalk beneath my feet. Brad sighed. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean for things to get out of hand. It was just a party, and-"
"Isaac?" My head snapped up at the sound of Willow's voice. She was standing in the doorway in a long white nightgown. Her face matched the came color of the material. She had my mother's maroon dress in her arms. Brad went back inside, saying something to her so quietly that I didn't hear him. Will walked slowly down the steps and handed me the dress, gloves, and shawl. "Tell your mother I thank her for lending me those."
"Will, I am really, really sorry," I started. "I've never done anything like that before, and I feel really bad. I don't remember anything, how I got home and stuff. I assume that you…"
She nodded, and smiled softly. "Don't feel bad. I'm sorry that Brad went all anal on you. He's a little protective of me." She took my hand and led me away from the door, looking over her shoulder cautiously. When she turned back to me, she had a nervous look on her face. "He doesn't want me to hang out with you anymore."
"What? But you're leaving tomorrow!" I exclaimed, my heart racing again. Willow nodded.
"I know. I tried to talk him down, but he won't give in." She paused for a minute, nearly choking on her words. "I feel so guilty."
"No, don't. It isn't your fault," I insisted, cradling the side of her face in my hand. Will pulled away quickly, glancing back at the house. "When does your plane leave tomorrow?"
"Six thirty," she replied in hushed tones, looking at me again. Her eyes were wide and misty.
"I'll be there. Don't worry," I insisted. I leaned down and kissed her forehead, then turned and headed back towards my house.
"Well, that's it I guess. You ready to go?" Dad asked. I nodded apathetically and followed everyone to the gate. Olivia gave me a tearful hug.
"I'm going to miss you so much. Don't forget to call anytime you need someone to talk to," she insisted. I squeezed my eyes shut to keep myself from crying and hugged her tightly. When she let go, Brad gave me an uneasy look.
"Am I going to get a hug, or are you still mad at me?" he asked. I smiled slightly and wrapped my arms around him. He kissed my cheek and crushed me in his embrace. "I love you, Will. Come back for a visit anytime."
"I love you too," I answered. Dad and Rose shook their hands then gave their boarding passes to the ticket lady and walked down the boarding ramp. As I handed my boarding pass to the lady, I looked back once more, silently saying goodbye to Isaac and his family. Just as I was about to turn and enter the terminal, I saw them. Isaac, Taylor, and Zac were running full speed through the crowded airport right at me. A grin spread across my face and I stopped. All three of them reached me at the same time and we shared a group hug.
"Were you about to leave without saying goodbye?" Taylor asked, a playful gleam in his eye. Zac pouted.
"See? She's forgetting us already," he whimpered impishly. I smiled at both of them and gave each of them a separate hug.
"I'll never forget about you just as long as you don't forget about me," I promised them. They stepped back to let Isaac say goodbye, and I just wanted to reach out and hold on to all three of them forever. Isaac handed me a small package, then smiled.
"Here."
"What-?"
"Don't open it until the plane takes off," he interrupted. I gave him a questioning look, but stuck it in my bag. The ticket lady handed me back the stub and walked over to the terminal door, waiting for me to pass so she could close it. I gave Isaac a panicked look.
"I have to go." I put my arms around his neck and held him tightly, resting my head on his shoulder.
"Willow, look at me," Isaac whispered. I pulled my head away and our eyes met. He ran his hands over my hair and smoothed it down my back. "Everyone says that teenagers are too young to feel things so strongly for others. I want to agree with them, but I can't. I'd like to say that you going away isn't breaking my heart, but you are the only person I've ever given it to."
He rested his forehead against mine and I willed my ungrateful tears not to fall, but they did anyway. Ike gently wiped away one of my tears. I sniffled.
"Please don't, don't cry," he said softly. I smiled and took a deep breath. Behind us, the ticket lady was growing impatient. "You have to go now."
"One thing first," I insisted. I tilted my head up and kissed him softly, holding him tightly. After a moment, I stepped away breathlessly, grabbed my bag, and hurried onto the plane. The jet had just lifted off when I remembered the gift that Ike had given me. I fished it out of my bag and opened the little box. Inside was a cassette tape with Isaac's scribbled handwriting on it.
"Hear me," it simply stated. I smiled, then grabbed my Walkman from my backpack and put the headphones on. After slipping the tape in, I pressed play. The soft sounds of a piano serenaded my ears, and I closed my eyes, letting the music sweep over me. Soon, Isaac's gentle voice joined the instruments.
"I love you more than anything, than anything, I do. And I'd give anything and everything I have just to be with you," he crooned. I was unaware that I had started to hold my breath, anticipating his next words. As the song continued, I felt my tears well up again. "When I look into your eyes, I see something special about you. And when I hold your hand, you seem to understand that I love you more than anything…"
"It wasn't a romance," I corrected.
"Then,praytell, what was it?"
I shrugged, picking up my baby nephew and cradling him in my arms."I don't know.It was confusing."
Olivia watched me hold the baby with a smile on her face. "Someday, Willow,you will make a man very happy. And your children will be so very lucky to have such a caring mother."
I rolled my eyes at her."Yeah,right. Who would want to marry plain, little old me?" I asked. Instead of answering my question, Olivia flipped my diary around in her hands.
"Is that the last entry?" she questioned. I shook my head.
"No,I wrote in it once more about that summer I came back to visit you and Brad, but Hanson was on tour and I didn't get to see them," I told her. She nodded slowly, looking carefully at the binding of the journal.
"What's this?" she asked, holding up a slim silver chain with a ring on it. I smiled.
"That's Isaac's. The one he gave me on Christmas," I explained to her. Olive toyed with the ring, spinning it around on her finger. Then she looked at me.
"You know, Hanson isn't touring this summer," she hinted. I shook my head hastily.
"No, I couldn't. I've only talked to Isaac three times in the past few years. It's been awkward," I admitted.
"Love is awkward. That's how it goes," she explained gently. She took the baby from my arms and looked at me. "Go see him."
"I don't think I should…"
"True love always wins in the end,Willow. Remember that."
At that moment, everything clicked. It was like the missing piece to a puzzle was finally fit in, and I was whole. The ring Isaac had given me, the tape that I still had sitting in my dorm room back in Boston, the lazy summer afternoons we had spent together in his yard, the very special moments we had shared. I knew right then that it was inevitable, that 20 minutes away love was waiting for my return.