Chapter Two: JC and Elizabeth (Izzie)
JC Chasez woke up to the annoying constant sound of a beep going off in his left ear. Even when he thought he could tune it out, it seemed like it grew louder and louder. He buried his head under his pillow, wrapping the blanket tightly around his body to try and block out the outside world. It was Saturday, there was no reason he should be up this early.
Just when he felt sleep take over his body, the constant beeping noise drowning out, he heard his bedroom door creak open and the rush of clothes rubbing together before something landed on the bed making it sink under their weight and felt a small body land on him with a grunt.
“Dadddddyyy” came the small voice of his son Andrew as he poked at the sleeping body.
JC groaned, trying to burry his face more into the pillow.
“We have basketball todaaaayyy” his son sang to him as he stood on the bed and started to jump up and down.
JC sighed again, that’s right that was why they had to get up this early on a Saturday. His best friend and Andrew’s God father Justin convinced him that Andrew was ready to start a sport, basketball. Unfortunately that meant waking up at the crack on dawn on Saturday so that the team could practice.
JC reached over and grabbed Andrew’s legs making him fall onto his butt with laughter as JC brought him into his arms.
“What are you doin up so early?” he questioned, his voice still groggy from the sleep.
“Basketball!!!” Andrew screamed with a smile wiggling around in JC’s arms trying to escape his hold.
JC chuckled as he held him close, “It’s too early” he whined.
Andrew giggled, “Nooo … up!” he said wiggling out of JC’s arms and standing up on the bed again reaching down again to grab a hold of JC’s arm.
“Alright,” JC sighed sitting up and rubbed his tired eyes “Go get changed and brush your teeth” JC replied as she swung his legs out over the side of the bed.
Andrew jumped off the bed onto the hard wood floor with a soft thump and raced off out of the room and down the hall. JC chuckled as he ran his hand through his short hair and let out a long yawn stretching his legs and arms out.
He got up and went to his dresser pulling open the drawer and taking out a pair of faded jeans and a black polo shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror, the bags under his eyes ever so evident as the laugh lines around his eyes. He was felling much older then he was, raising a kid alone will do that to you. He wouldn’t change having Andrew in his life for anything, that little blue eyed boy was the light of his life.
He changed quickly and went into the bathroom that was connected to his bedroom and washed his face, brushed his hair and teeth. He slipped on a pair of sneakers before walking out of the room stuffing his wallet into his back pocket.
“Are you ready kiddo?” called JC as he made his way down the hall towards the room at the end, which was Andrew’s room.
“Yeahh!!” he heard before seeing Andrew appear from his bedroom with a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top that looked 2 sizes too big.
JC chuckled taking in the sight of his son, “Where are your sneakers?” he questioned.
“In the living room” Andrew replied before walking towards JC and made his way down the hallway to the living room.
JC followed him making his way to the kitchen to get a granola bar and a water bottle for Andrew to eat on the way to practice.
“Is unkle Justin gonna be there?” questioned Andrew as he sat down on the floor and pulled on his sneakers.
JC shrugged, “I don’t know, he worked late last night” he said, knowing Justin had been out late at the bar like he was almost ever Friday night.
“Oh” replied Andrew as he tied his laces.
“Maybe we’ll go see him on the way home ok?” JC questioned,
Andrew nodded with a smile. JC smiled before walking towards the front door “Alright, time to go” he said, opening the front door.
Andrew hopped to his feet before making his way towards JC to exit the house. JC disarmed the alarm on his Jeep letting Andrew climb in as he closed and locked the front door.
JC watched his son struggle with the door before climbing into the car like it was a mountain and smile at him through the window. JC smiled back, not knowing where he would be without his son in his life. Having him there definitely changed he way he did things and thought about things. He really wouldn’t have it any other way.
*
Elizabeth’s eyes began to open even though she didn’t want them too. The sun that was shinning into his small one bedroom apartment was too bright to keep hidden. She pulled the covers over her head groaning as she tried to keep the sleep from leaving her body.
She was about to let out a frustrated groan when she felt a pair of warm strong arms wrap around her from behind pulling her back towards a hard bare chest. She let out a sleepy sigh before trying to let sleep take over her again.
Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard a cell phone vibrate against the bedside dresser. She lifted her head to see whose it was, but before she could make an assessment a hand reached over her and grabbed the vibrating phone. She felt the bed shift and knew he got up and watched as he left the bedroom.
She rolled her eyes before turning and trying to get comfortable again under the covers. She actually had the weekend off and she intended to stay in bed as long as she could. Pulling the covers over her head once more she closed her eyes, but to no avail sleep had left her body and she took the covers off her face with a sigh.
“What a waste” she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.
She sat up moving the pillow against the headboard as she leaned against it and started to put her long curly brownish blond hair into a pony tail to get it out of her face.
As she turned to get out of bed, she heard the floor board squeak as Johnny made himself known. She looked up at him as he stood in the door way watching her, yawning and scratching his bare chest.
“You gotta go?” she questioned,
He nodded simply as he made his way back into the bedroom as he rubbed his face that was all scruffy from him not shaving last night.
“I gotta go with Megan to meet her folks” he replied as he sat down next to her on the bed.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and groaned before lying back on the bed with a huff. Johnny looked down at her and smiled before leaning down to face her, his body resting on hers.
“Izzie” he replied, reaching down to move her bangs from her eyes.
She looked at him, a pout forming on her lips and he smirked before leaning down to kiss her lips lightly.
“You know it doesn’t have to be this way” he said, his green eyes looking into her brown ones.
Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes, “Yes it does” she said,
“How come?” he questioned,
“Cause” she said opening her eyes again to look at him seriously.
He knew why, he just wanted to hear her say it. To remind her, that them not being together had nothing to do with him and everything to do with her and her past. She couldn’t bring herself to be in a relationship with anyone, she rather be single and able to date whom she chooses then to be tied down to someone.
He chuckled before sitting up again, “Well I should get going then” he said, standing up and going to his pile of clothes and started to pull on his jeans and t-shirt.
“Are you gonna be gone all day?” She questioned as she sat up again watching him get dressed.
Johnny ran a hand through his hair that was going in all different directions from sleep before replying “I don’t know” he said, “I’ll call you”
She nodded. He slipped on his shoes before walking towards her again and leaned down to kiss her lips lightly, before deepening the kiss. They broke the kiss and Johnny leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
“I’ll see ya later ok?” he questioned.
She nodded. She waited until she heard him leave her apartment before she got up and grabbed some track pants and a tank top to change into. She really didn’t have anything planned today, now that sleeping was out of the question she had to find something to fill her time.
She usually was working on the weekends, she was a Creative Director for Teen People magazine, and Johnny was one of the photographers that the Teen People used which was how they met. Johnny had also been with his girlfriend for year, but their fling starting up 6 months into that relationship.
She knew it was wrong, she knew that she should have ended it before it even started but she couldn’t help it. Something about him had her completely attracted and she was unable to resist.
After changing she slipped on a pair of walking shoes grabbed her IPOD, cell phone and keys and headed out of her small apart for a walk. Sometimes some time to herself helped her clear her head and think about things clearer. She needed to make some changes in her life before it was too late.
