What I Call Life

Chapter 18

"How far away are we from my house?" I asked quickly.
"Remember the whole thing about your house getting burnt up?" Isaac replied.
The image clicked in my head.
Isaac's mother. Kathleen. Laura's father.
Dead.
"Marcy, they didn't prove you innocent." Isaac admitted quickly.
"Wh-what?" I asked.
"Mike and I paid them off. To get you out." He replied. I watched him as his eyes scanned the road as he turned the wheel.
"That's impossible! That's illegal!" I snapped.
"Not if you ask the right person, and have the right amount of money." Isaac replied calmly. The car made a sharp turn.
My eyes filled with tears. I didn't think Isaac was the type of person to pay people off.
"You didn't have to do that!" I snapped.
"Would you of rather I let you rot in that nuthouse?!" Isaac shouted.
I shook my head.
"Marcy, I have never paid anyone off in my life!" Isaac said. "And I don't plan on doing it again!"
That untied the knot in my chest.
"Why did you do that?" I asked. "For me?"
Isaac's face turned bright red. It was as if he was about to say something he'd been holding back for a long time.
"Because I love you, Marcy." Isaac said, I saw the corners of his mouth fold up to a smile.
I looked up. My eyes widened.
"I-I." I stuttered, feeling myself blush.
Isaac stopped me.
"You don't have to explain. It's.... its complicated."
I smirked too. I opened the glove compartment and found the comb I'd thrown in there when we drove from Maine.
I quickly combed my hair, unknotting the dreadlocks that had formed inside. I looked civilized again. Except for the fact I was wearing, still, blood covered clothes.
"You can change." Said Isaac as we stopped off at a restaurant. He handed me my Hogwarts shirt and a folded up pair of leggings.
"Thanks." I muttered.
I went into the bathroom and quickly changed. When I came back out I looked to see we were at a diner.
I sat down at the seat across the table from Isaac.
"And what would you like?" Asked the waitress, taking a pen out from behind her ear.
"A large burger, two servings of sweet potato fries, and two chocolate milkshakes please." I quickly said.
"Two?" Isaac mouthed.
I smirked.
The waitress scribbled this down as she walked back towards the kitchen.
I looked back at Isaac. He awkwardly glanced away from me, not wanting to meet eyes.
A few minutes later, the waitress came back with our orders. She set them down carefully and walked away again.
I ate quickly, realizing again, how hungry I was.
When we finished we paid and quickly got back into the car. Isaac drove for hours not saying anything.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Your mother rented a little cottage for us." Isaac replied. "Although we have to share one......"
"That's fine, we shared dorm rooms before." I said quickly, trying to break the awkwardness in our conversation.
"Why is everything so weird today?!" Isaac said, as if reading my mind. "Why is everything weird between us? Is it because of what I said?"
I shook my head.
"No, it's not because of what you said." I admitted. "It's because of how I reacted. I've never had a friendship with someone other than my family. Not to mention, a relationship!"
Isaac shifted in his chair, still keeping his eyes forward.
"I don't know, Marcy." He muttered. He took a breath in. After another hour of driving, we pulled up in a little cottage about ten miles from a small town.
"It's.... it's...."
"It's amazing." Isaac says. He wraps his arm around me like he did at the funeral. I look up into his eyes. We take a step together. And another. Soon we're walking together.
"Isaac!" I shout. "What's that?" I point to a small batted gate at the back of the yard.
"Whoa!" Isaac says. We begin walking towards the gate. It's swollen shut.
I begin to climb the fence.
I jump onto the other side, almost tripping. The surrounding completely changes. I turn around three times.
"Isaac!" I shout. My voice is distant again.
Isaac quickly joins me on the other side of the fence.
"Hello!" He says. He gasps, then beginning to turn around like I did.
I bat tall weeds out of our path as we walk.
"Marcy!" Isaac puts a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe we shouldn't go here."
I push his hand off my shoulder and begin running.
"Catch me!" I yell. I run along the path, every now and then checking to see if Isaac is still behind me.
We come to a clearing. Light blinds my eyes, as I wait for my eyes to adjust.
I look up to see lanterns that are seemingly floating above me.
"H-hey!" Isaac pants. "I finally caught up to you."
Suddenly "It had to be you" begins playing again.
Isaac closes his eyes, as if thinking.
"Kathleen would've loved this." I say quietly.
"But you got revenge for her." Isaac replied.
I reach for his hand a grasp it in mine.
"Will you dance with me?" Isaac asks. He holds out his hands.
I look up into his eyes again.
"Yeah." I whisper. I take both his hands in mine.
And we dance again, our steps flowing beautifully together. It felt like forever, losing myself in the steps, losing myself in the song.
Suddenly a crash comes from the corner of the yard.
"Isaac!" I whisper sharply.
He takes a pistol out from his pocket and aims it for where the sound came from.
"Don't worry, Marcy." Isaac says.
"Come out!" I shout towards it.
Out of the bushes, covered in blood, emerges my psychiatrist.
My psychiatrist ms. Clarence.