TFIOS: What About Isaac?

Lets do this

It was about 7pm on a Wednesday night, when Hazel called. I knew it was her due to the ringtone- The Hectic Glow.

"Isaac." Her tone was serious, it actually kind of frightened me. Hazels serious voice usually still had it's little hint of happiness. This time, her tone was completely deprived of happiness. And replaced by anger.

"Hazel, what's up?" I curiously asked, targeting her tone. "Are you going to support group?"

"Shove support group up your freaking-"

"Hazel!" I cut her off. I switched my cell phone from my left ear to my right, because, well, to be honest- she left a ringing in it from her high frequency screaming.

"Isaac, what have you done to Kaitlyn? she rarely answers her phone! And you know that's unusual for Kaitlyn! The fucking thing is glued to her hand! She won't meet me at the mall, or come over. I went over to her place today and she totally blanked me!" She paused for a second, and then I could hear her sobs.

I started to sob too, because, well, Kaitlyn was doing the same to me. When I called, she blanked it. when I texted her, she didn't reply. When mom dropped me over, she never answered the door.

I would have been worried, thinking she was in trouble Or something if mom hadn't met Barry in the mall one morning, and told her Kaitlyn was just upset over something.

He didn't know, I didn't know and Hazel didn't know.

But I sure as hell knew it had something to do with me.

Maybe I was a mistake.

Maybe she realised, she couldn't love me. Someone who could never see her. No matter how adjusted I became to being blind, she would always have to help me. It would be like dating a toddler.

and she just couldn't face telling me.

Or her dad.

Or Hazel.

Honestly, I see where she's coming from.

Monica did too.

"Isaac." hazels tone was more sympathetic. "I'm sorry, it's just...whats wrong? What happened?"

"I...we..." I started to stutter.

"Are you home?" She questioned.

"Yeah, alone. Mom took Graham to Grandma's."

"I'll be there in 15 minutes."

And she hung up.

Precisely 15 minutes later, Hazel Lancaster was knocking my front door.

"It's open!" I yelled for the couch.

In silence, Hazel entered and sat next to me, oxygen tank not far behind.

"Hey isaac." she spoke in her usual silky smooth voice. The voice that made Augustus fall in love with her instantly. I can understand why.

"Hazel, I swear, I never done anything-" I began, leaning towards her and fixing glasses.

"Hush." She whispered. And I did. "Start from the beginning. When it started to go sour."

"It didn't! that's the thing! we had an amazing night and then she promised she would call and she didn't! I tried to reach her...she just ignoring me Hazel. And I know why." I started crying. Hazel started to hug me as I sobbed like a two year old in her bony shoulder.

"Why?" She whispered and smoothed down my hair as I wailed. God I must look like a pathetic wimp.

But I don't care.

"A few nights ago...when her dad was on a business trip- I spent the night with Kaitlyn."

"I know. She told me." She answered. "but Isaac, it wasn't that that is bothering her."

"How do you know? " I wailed. "Thought she wouldn't talk to you?"

"She did that day her dad came home. Isaac, Kaitlyn had an amazing night with you. She told me." She sighed. "Then she stopped talking to me."

A long pause.

"I told her I loved her." I sobbed, sitting back from Hazel, drying my eyes. "It was too soon. And I made a fool of myself. What am I going to do, Hazel?" I started crying again.

"Isaac, she loves you. How couldn't she?" Hazels comforting wasn't going to fix this.

"Because I'm blind!" I bellowed and let my tears flow like Niagara Falls. "Kaitlyn has the pick of any guy in Indianapolis, why the hell would she settle for a blind, dependant guy like me?! She's beautiful smart and amazing. She's too amazing to settle for me, Hazel. I love her, but I'm holding her back. And of I love her so much, maybe I should just let her go? She would be better without me! at least she could live a normal life!"

At this particular point of my melt down, Hazel just resorted to hugs and whispering "shhhhh" to me.

And it worked.

The last time I really cried like this was with Augustus, on the Night Of The Broken Trophies- as Hazel would call it- an when I started to think of him, it made it a million times worse.

"I want Augustus!" I wailed into hazels bony shoulder. "He would know what to do, what to say!" Hazel smoothed down my hair and just let me wail in her arms.

" I know, Isaac. I know." She whispered.

After a while- after my melt down- Hazel and me moved to the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

"You hungry?" Hazel questioned, propping me up and then hauling her cart to over near the fridge- I think.

"Starving." I whimpered through my dying down sobs.

i could hear Hazel opening the fridge and taking out food.

"Grilled cheese?" She asked, sounding...relieved.

I think she was happy that I confided in her.

I was glad she have me the chance to. Even though the thought of Augustus was still ripe in my mind- and always would be- and I was still worrying about Kaitlyn, I felt better after my cry.

"Sounds great." I said, forcing a smile on my probably pale face.

Hazel hustled around my rather small kitchen making us grilled cheese singing along to The Hectic Glow's new song.

She actually had a lovely singing voice. Soothing, actually.

"You should start singing." I smiled towards her.

"Hah!" She laughed. "And burst the ear drums of people around the world? Na, it's okay. I think I just stick to singing at home." She laughed.

"And my house." I added.

"And your house." she confirmed.

"Ta dah!" She yelped, setting a plate infront of me. It smelled amazing- probably because I hadn't ate since breakfast.

"Yum!" I replied and we both tucked into our sandwiches.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do about the whole Kaitlyn situation," Hazel started, around a mouthful of grilled cheese. "It's 8pm now. Barry works until 10pm on a Wednesday. Once we are finished this rather amazing grilled cheese, I'll drive over there- with you, of course- and well talk to Kaitlyn. Find out what's up."

I swallowed a mouthful of cheese. "And if she doesn't let us in?" I questioned.

"Smoke her out?" Hazel suggested and burst into fits of laughter, I laughed too.

That's what I loved about Hazel, when you were down, she could just pick you back up again with a flash of a smile-not that I could see it, of course- and a girly giggle.

I took the last bite of my sandwich and washed it down with a glass of milk.

"Let's do this" I smiled, and together, we headed out the front door, into hazels minivan and prepared to get some answers.