Whole New Complexity (A Sequel to Crazy As Normal)(Izzal)

Chapter 11

I felt like I wanted to ask you to leave Erin. It was an instant, really.

How many times has Izzy's voice rewound in Axl's head? Axl doesn't take "an instant" importantly. Izzy actually thought the separation was desirable. That's all it really matters, isn't it? Axl stares at his friend in front of him, who ordered pancakes and a cup of coffee but is still reading the menu, both sitting beside the window, at a diner near Hell House. Thanks to a hundred dollars from Izzy's hard work, the band distributed them in twenty dollars each, and the two decided to spend an indulging time here.

"Anything bothering you?" Izzy says, his eyes are looking down.

"Nothing. Why?" replies Axl.

"You're staring at me."

"No. You're reading the menu. How do you know that?"

"Because I know."

Axl ignores him and turns his face to the window. He knows why Izzy's hazel eyes enthusiastically follows the letters on the menu. He'd shot cocaine before they left Hell House. Axl knows it without being a witness because they'll be at the Troubadour for tonight's gig in four hours. Izzy's getting high and will be fully ready until soundcheck. If not, he'll snort some cocaine. Axl watches the reflection of him on the glass, which is vague due to the sunray from the outside, but he catches as Izzy's restless finger moves, twiddling with his glossy hair.

Izzy was sober when they argued about Annika. His sane brain judged that he didn't want Axl to be with Erin, though he was upset and the unsteadiness possibly affected his thinking power. However, Axl could count the unsteadiness as the key for pouring out his honest feelings.

Axl digs for the answer on and off in his spare time like now. It's getting odd to light up the topic over time, so they've not had a debate about it yet. "If only I asked him." He talks to himself.

"Ask what to who?" The man who has the answer asks.

"You heard me? I thought you were so fascinated with the menu."

The dishes are served as Axl responds, Izzy puts the menu aside. The hamburger and the French fries are in front of Axl, and the pancakes are also slid before him by the drug addict.

"It's yours." Axl pushes back the plate.

"I ordered them 'cause you said you wanted them." He holds the coffee cup and sasses him over the cup.

"No, I said you need to stuff your stomach. I picked the easiest food to get down."

"I don't feel like having anything."

"Eat."

Izzy pouts and starts cutting the pancakes into tiny pieces and spears one of them with his folk, then brings it to Axl's mouth.

"I eat a piece, you eat the rest. Alright?"

Izzy nods so Axl takes the piece in his mouth. Izzy's a total maron in terms of eating when he's on drugs. Axl always goes to a lot of trouble to feed this big baby, who still cuts the pancakes.

"Hey, don't monkey around with your food!" He roughly pours syrup over the pieces.

Izzy groans but starts to eat when he notices that Axl's not going to take his complaint seriously any longer. Axl also starts to eat and dwells on the thought again in peace.

This big idiot sitting in front of him, who is basically not, wanted him to say goodbye to Erin. Does he now? This question leads him another question. Does Axl himself want him to say goodbye to Annika now? Yes, he does. The time makes him capable of explaining the reason logically. He didn't have any evidence but what happened was the intuition. He trusts in his right inference; Annika doesn't deserve Izzy. So, Axl's matter isn't very complicated. However, why did Izzy give himself away in that moment? He said that Erin was a 'pain in the ass' but he kept it in his mind for long time. He could avoid direct answers at that time of arguing as he always does. He's a master of answering with non-answers to people.