chapter seven I leaned back against the lamp post and waited until my heart slowed down. I had seen Isaac on TV many times, but meeting face to face was totally different. He was really good looking in real life, and he had a presence that just didn't show through in photos. Gathering my thoughts together, I made my way back into the cafe. Katie looked up as I walked over. "Where'd ya go?" I pulled out my chair and sat down, picking up my glass. "I thought I saw my Dad walk past," I lied. "But it wasn't him." Katie raised an eyebrow and went back to reading her magazine. "I thought your Dad was out of town on business," she murmured, flicking through the pages. "Oh, well, he is. I just didn't think about that until I got out there." I took a sip of my coke and picked up another magazine from the table. Katie shook her head quietly and carried on reading. I knew she thought something was up with me. She seemed really suspicious. Because of Isaac, I hadn't been seeing much of her at all recently, but I didn't want to tell her the real reason why. So I lied. And she knew I was covering something up. It really killed me that I couldn't tell her. Katie would not take the news that I thought I was in love with someone I'd never met casually. But I had met him, I corrected myself. Even if he didn't know it yet. I was so excited about meeting Ike and I had no-one to share it with. I swallowed quietly, scared that I would burst into tears right there in the cafe. I missed talking to Katie, but I was afraid of her reaction.
My Mom always feel the need to wake me up at 7am every morning, whether it's a school day or not. This Saturday, however, she didn't get the chance. I was up, dressed and ready to go when she came into my room. She frowned. "Are you feeling okay hon? Maybe I should take your temperature..."
"I'm fine, Mom. Really"
"Is something happening today? Where are you going?"
"well, there's this guy-" Mom cut me off
"Say no more! I knew there was an ulterior motive for getting up this early. Bring him home to meet us sometime, okay?" She smiled and headed out of my room. I sighed. I wanted to tell my Mom, at least, about Ike. But I had no idea how she would react. So I left it. She was happy, anyway.....The taxi pulled up outside the hotel, the designated meeting place. Breathing carefully, I grabbed my bag, paid the driver and climbed out. I was supposed to go into the restaurant and wait there for him. He said he'd be down around 10am. I looked at my watch. 9:55. Fiddling nervously with my bag, I made my way into the hotel and followed the sign for the restaurant. It was nearly empty, except for a scattering of people who were having late breakfasts. He wasn't there yet. I took a seat at a small two seater table in the corner, one that faced the doorway. I placed my bag on the table, and I waited.
He didn't notice me straight away. I wondered if he'd make the connection as soon as he saw me. Swallowing back my nerves, I stood up and slowly walked towards him. He blinked when he saw me.
"Uhm, Hi Isaac." I smiled, and held out my hand. "I'm Stephanie Marks." It seemed very formal, but also the right way to do it. I waited for him to say something back. He hadn't made the connection until I said my name, I could see that in his eyes. He obviously thought I wasn't the girl he knew. I opened my mouth, and just as I was about to speak, he gasped. "It IS you! When I met you yesterday, I thought you were her! I mean, I thought you were you! You were just like I'd imagined she... uh, you... would be and now, it IS you! Why didn't you say anything yesterday??" He said it all in such a big rush and before I had time to answer, he threw his arms around me. I hugged back, breathing in the smell of his clothes and thinking that I could not possibly ever be happier than I was at that moment. He let go of me, and grinned. "This is amazing, I can't believe we're finally meeting. And you do look exactly like I'd imagined you would - everything is just like I imagined it would be... except of course for the meeting yesterday... Why didnt you tell me who you were?" He was rambling, I thought, smiling.
"I don't know why I didn't... something just stopped me. I mean, I wanted to tell you who i was, but I was scared, I guess. It was easier to meet you today because I'd had the time to prepare myself... if that makes any sense..."
He smiled. "It does." We were silent for a moment, and then he blinked. "Uhm, do you want to have something to eat here, first? I want you to show me the things to see in New York, and I imagine that's going to take a long time..."Isaac
I was shocked when the girl I'd met yesterday walked up to me. I couldn't help wondering if she had followed my taxi yesterday. And then she introduced herself, and I was even more shocked. I had met Stephanie yesterday and I hadn't even known? As I listened to myself babble on about something to her, I knew I sounded like an idiot. But I didn't care. I was there, with Stephanie. I smiled at her, taking in her shoulder length brown hair, with a slight wave in it, and her green eyes. She was a few inches shorter than me, but still quite tall, and she had a very graceful figure. I could see her as a ballet dancer, for sure. When I told her I wanted her to show me around NY, she seemed quite enthusiastic. I smiled as we headed out of the hotel and towards the rest of my life.Stephanie
Walking through Central Park has always been special to me. It's surprising how little I go to Central Park, when I live in the same city and everything. But I live in the suburbs, and it's often much easier, if I want to go for a walk, to just go to one of the many little parks that are scattered around the suburbs. But I still remember, as a child, walking through the park with my parents. It was a magical place, a pool of nature, set amongst the smoke and lights of the big city. I loved it then, and I love it now. Taking Isaac there seemed only natural, and he obviously found it just as beautiful as I did. We walked along the path, slowly taking in everything about the park, and just enjoying each other's presence. After we'd stopped to pet a dog, he took my hand as we carried on through the park. Every moment with Isaac was better than the last, and I was utterly happy. We'd spent the day looking around New York, doing all the touristy things. We'd eaten ice creams on the Statue of Liberty, ridden to the top of the Empire state building... where I felt a lot like Meg Ryan in 'Sleepless in Seattle'! I was having a wonderful time and I was pretty sure he was too...We stopped to sit down on a park bench, and watched the children and their parents wander past. I sighed, and looked over at Isaac. He was watching me.
"This is really awesome, Steph. Thank you for doing this."
"It was no problem. I enjoyed it just as much as you." He smiled, fiddling with his sleeve. "Steph," he said, taking a deep breath, "I want you to be my girlfriend. Oh god, that sounded cliched," he grinned nervously, "I know you don't believe in cyber relationships.... You and RR talk about it enough for me to have figured that out... but I think we could make it work. My family's always travelling, so we'd see each other quite often. And there's vacations and stuff - "
"Isaac! You don't have to convince me." I smiled. One thing I'd noticed about him, when he got started talking about something, he found it difficult to stop. "Isaac, I would love to be your girlfriend." I guess I could take this as a pretty good hint that he liked me as more than a friend. He smiled at me, and before I knew it, he was kissing me, and I was kissing back. Right there in the middle of Central Park, with people all over the place. But I didn't care. The only thing I cared about right then was Isaac.
chapter eight Isaac
"Zac! Would you stop moving already?? I'm trying to get some sleep here!" I turned my back to him and stared out the window of the plane. My brother never sleeps on planes. It's incredibly annoying, because it means I can never get any sleep. I sighed. I didn't usually yell at him like that.. but I was not in the best of moods. I was leaving New York, and I wouldn't see Stephanie for three months... and even that wasn't certain. She was going to ask her Mom if she could come to Tulsa for Christmas, and while she thought it would be okay, she didn't know. I fluffed my pillow up and moved it around until i was comfortable.I started thinking about the day we'd spent looking around New York, and then the next day when I'd gone to her house and met her family. I frowned. I missed her already, and we had only been apart for an hour or two. I moved the chair back, closed my eyes, and started to plan what we would do at Christmas.
Stephanie
"Steph! wake uppp! I'm talking to you!" I blinked and focussed on Katie.
"Ugh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking."
"Yeah, on another planet. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm just tired." Katie frowned, and twirled around in my desk chair. "I don't believe you."
I looked up at her, and sighed. "Katie can I tell you something? You have to promise you won't tell anyone."
"I promise."
"I'm in love." I grinned. Katie laughed. "Ahhhh! with who?"
I paused. "Welll... you don't know him. He's not from around here."
Katie narrowed her eyes. "Where's he from?"
"Tulsa."
"Tulsa??!! How do you know him if he's from Tulsa??"
"I met him in a chat room... and we talk on the phone. He came down last week."
"To New York?? And you didn't tell me? Steph!"
"Well, I was scared you'd think it was stupid. Going out with someone over the internet.."
"Well it is kind of strange... but if you love him, I guess I'm okay with it. What's he like?"
"He's really nice. You'd like him. He's really kind and funny, and talented..."
"What's his name?"
"Isaac."
"hah, he's from Tulsa and his name's Isaac? Is it just me or is there an uncanny likeness to someone famous here?"
"there is, because he is. He's Isaac Hanson."
Katie stared at me. "Steph, I don't like being tricked..."
"I'm not tricking you!" I frowned and looked around my room. "Here! We took this picture when he was down, in Central Park" I pulled open my top drawer and grabbed a polaroid picture of the two of us. "Oh my god, that is him!" Katie cried, taking the picture from me. "Steph, you are SO lucky!"
I smiled. I was glad I'd finally told Katie. I hated lying to her. "Okay, tell me all about him... and that means everything, Steph!"I slammed my locker door and headed towards my English class, humming "Weird". Katie came up behind me. "Hey Steph."
"Hey Katie. What's up?"
"Not much. We have English now, right?"
"Yeah. Katie?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm worried. I don't think Isaac likes me any more..."
Katie raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, deadly. He hardly ever rings me any more, and when he does, it's not the same. We don't really talk anymore, you know? I think.. Well, I know if he were here, this wouldn't be a problem, everything would be amazing. But it's different." Katie stopped walking and steered me over to a bench.
"Well.. maybe you should see when you go there at Christmas. It's only a month or so away. I'm sure when you see him again everything will be fine. It's just because you're apart."
I nodded. I had been really looking forward to visiting the Hansons at Christmas. It had taken so long to convince my parents, and now I wasn't even sure if Isaac wanted me to go.
"Yeah, but then what?" I complained. "I come home and all this happens again. Katie, I don't know if I can stand only seeing him once or twice a year!"
"Steph, all I know is that you really really like him; love him, even. And I think you shouldn't just waste that. But you should also make your own decision. I can't tell you what to do." I nodded and smiled.
"Thanks Katie. That helps."
"No problem."Babybird: Hey guys
hippie^chick: hey bb
Dr^Pepper: heyyy steph! :)Isaac opened a private chat and we started a conversation. It was running smoothly until I said,
babybird: Isaac... do you really think this is working out?
Dr^Pepper: What? Yes!
babybird: Well, I don't know. I think maybe we should take a break for a while. I don't know if I can cope with only seeing you a few times a year. You should find someone who lives in Tulsa, who you can actually see...I sniffed, and blinked back tears. When he didn't reply, I turned off the computer and stared at my hands. Obviously we couldn't be together, and it was best to break it up now, before we got more attached.
Isaac
I stared at the screen. I couldn't believe Steph had just said that, and left. I couldn't believe she wanted to break up. I switched off the computer and reached for the phone. I had to talk to her.Stephanie
The phone rang and I stared at it. I knew it would be Isaac, and I didn't want to answer it. I wasn't ready to talk to him. I reached down and pulled the plug out. I had a lot of thinking to do.