28 The calm before the storm

"So you're telling me nothing happened?" Cassidy asked with an eyebrow up, stopping her drawing midways.

"Nothing!" Isabelle said, frustrated. "I mean… I feel kind of guilty of being this insensitive after what happened. But what happened with his dad is something that won't make me stop seeing him, you know?"

Cassidy nodded. "That was just like coming out from a drama. Fucking crazy, girl." She continued to draw, with her head wrapping around what Isabelle told her.

"Yeah, but what do you think?" Isabelle sat in front of her best friend, looking at her with big eyes.

"Well, nothing." Isabelle pouted, making Cassidy sigh. "I never thought I'd say this, but give the man some time." Suddenly, Cassidy's smile sent chills over Isabelle's back. "You're such a freak." Then, she burst out laughing.

With a fast sweep of her hand, Isabelle slapped Cassidy arm. "Shut it!"

"Ouch!" Cassidy dropped the pen, rubbing her now painful arm. "You asked me, little shit!"

Isabelle sighed, pouting. "Sorry. I just feel so embarrassed…" Her voice got lost in a frustrated moan.

"Then just control yourself, jeez." Cassidy rolled her eyes, and rested her back on the seat. "It's fine if you're that thirsty, we're humans, but stop the drama already. He's still into you."

The red head relaxed, throwing her gaze down to the floor. Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered Allen's expression while they were in the park. It has already been a couple of days since then, but his face was still fresh from that moment. The aw emotions he was having made it clear to her that Allen was in pain.

They didn't speak about it further. Isabelle knew he did not like to talk about those things, so she was waiting for him to talk about it first. If he ever does.

Cassidy noticed her friends sulking on her own in front of her, so she slowly sat down beside her. "That's just a part of your preoccupation."

Isabelle nodded. "Am I that naive?" She raised her head to meet Cassidy's eyes, only to find her confused by her words. "People suffer daily for many reasons. Even people we care about. And we don't even notice."

"Iry. It's not like you've known him for a long time. How could you've known?" Cassidy put on hand over her shoulder and squeezed it.

"I felt kinda stupid when I asked him why they called his dad 'father'" She laughed bitterly. "It's like I took for granted every person has a dad like mine. A family and friends like mine. I'm so stupid."

"You're not. Stop it. First you were acting like this horny bitch, and now you're all depressed because his father is a dickhead?" Cassidy shook he head. "Are you mental?"

"Maybe I'm going mad, yeah…" Isabelle closed her eyes, trying to avoid the tars from falling down. She brought her knees together and closer to her chest, hugging them tight.Cassidy snorted. "Are you on your period?"

"It's in a couple of days…"

"That must be it." Cassidy sighed, stretching an arm over Isabelle's shoulders, bringing her closer. Isabelle rotated like a potato, practically lying on Cassidy's lap. "Just cry it already."

And so she did.

Little tremors and spasms shook Isabelle's body, as she sobbed her pain away.

She was not sure on why she was acting like that. Maybe it was indeed her period making everything worse than it actually was. But she sure a hell knew her heart was aching for him. That moment, all his indifferent facade and his cold demeanor made sense to her. How he somehow struggled to find the words to speak his feelings out started to make sense.

"I know what his dad said hurt you. He acted like an asshole."

"I—It's n—not that why I'm c—crying." She stuttered. "I d—did feel bad about i—it, but that w—wasn't even my d—dad. I c—can't even imagine how he m—must feel when his father t—treats him like that."

"Breathe." Cassidy commanded, breathing out loud, in and out, slowly and steady.

Isabelle followed, relaxing with each breath she took. After a few minutes, she finally raised from her position. She took one last deep breath, drying up the remaining tears.

"For what I could understand, Allen has lived like that forever. He only knows that: contempt, anger, frustrations."

"Correction: he only KNEW that." Cassidy made emphasis on the word. "Because now he met you. He had a taste of that sweetness and, the way I see it, he fucking liked it."

Cassidy said the last part with a huge grin, proudly speaking her truth as a way to encourage her friend.

Isabelle thanked her words deep in her heart. The same words that ignited something deep inside of her. Her desire for stopping him from ever feeling like that again. Her own thoughts made her feel self-conscious; did she think that much of herself? Enough to believe she could spare him from a fate where he keeps being alone?

She did not know, but she felt the tingles in her stomach; eager to find out.

-----

A couple of days had passed, the raging storm from the past weekend had left the following days with the sky full of clouds or light rain.

Allen offered to take Isabelle home from the time being. Wanting to avoid her using the bus and getting soaked in the rain. Of course, it was just the perfect excuse to see her outside of school.

Isabelle invited Allen to her place to hang out a couple of times, but he was still too sensitive about what happened the other day. He did not know how to face her parents just yet, even though Isabelle told him they were not mad at him.

And like that, the fateful day had come.

Friday, three in the afternoon.

The so waited guests would arrive in a couple of hours, but the Hayes family was already dressed up. Mr. Hayes was in his office, re-reading all the important details to be discussed during the dinner. As for Mrs. Hayes, she was sitting in the living room, reading with little to none motivation a little folder; filled with the guests' profile. To make sure she would not screw up, Mr. Hayes gave her the task to learn everything from them.

Allen, on the other hand, was in his room.

He stood in front of the mirror, looking at the expensive suit he bought just for this occasion. He eyed his reflection again and again, making sure everything looked perfect. He had always tried to be as perfect as he could around him; avoiding trouble as much as he could.

Today was not an exception. He had been a little down since what happened with his father and Isabelle the other day, his catastrophic thoughts always intruding and making him believe Isabelle would just walk away. His anxiety decreasing when, every day, she ran up to him with a huge smile on her face just to greet him in the morning.

She looked at him as sweetly as she always did.

Allen sighed, finally raising is gaze to his face; his ice-blue eyes staring at him. They looked like a cold void, swallowing everything in his path. They always looked like that: dead, yet unsettling.

He averted his gaze to one side, and looked out for her phone.

Isabelle had been texting him since he arrived home from school. She looked a little nervous during lunch, but after he took her home, he could feel her anxiety over her messages. And, even though he wanted to ignore it, he knew why she was acting like that.

He carefully texted her back.

A: Iry… I'll be fine. I can deal with this, trust me.

Gotta go now, I'll text you back later.

And with that, he turned his phone off.

His father hated when meals are interrupted by someone's phone.

Allen grabbed the folder his father gave him a couple of days back and eyed it one last time. He already knew them all too well for him own taste.

He hated checking on other people's lives, but his father always liked to be one step ahead; and basically collecting their private information was the key to success. To know what they like or don't like, where they work or who their family is part of his job, he says. It helps him win them over for his benefit. Of course, it's not like they won't be getting something for themselves too.

The business world, the world of huge enterprises and tons of money, can be scary. Full of accommodations and luxuries, but very merciless indeed.

He took the folder with him and headed out of the room straight to the stairs.

He was looking for Priscilla, who he just found sitting lazily on the kitchen's counter. She looked stunning as she always did for these meetings, but her face only showed how bored she actually was.

Allen approached her from behind, slowly, and the moment he was near enough, he stabbed her with his two index fingers right on her sides. She let out a loud shriek, followed by a flying kick Allen managed to dodge.

"You scared me, asshole!" She half screamed, a little bit of ice cream poking out of her upper lip.

Allen laughed. "Stuffing yourself before dinner?"

"Shut up" she hissed, grabbing another spoon. "I'm surprised you're this relaxed."

"What else should I do? Cry in my room until the Winters arrive?" Allen rolled his eyes.

Priscilla licked his lips, and proceeded to look at him. "At least I imagined you'd have the same old poker face."

He shrugged. "I guess I'm just not in the mood for that."

"I wonder whose fault is that." Priscilla said with a huge grin. "How's Iry doing?"

"She's great." He answered almost too fast. "I guess worried about today. She was pretty shocked that day. She's not used to parents like ours"

"I bet she was. Maybe we're just used to their shit."

"Yeah, I guess…" Allen rested his weight on his arm while he leaned over the counter. "She's just too nice."

His words did not finish their way out when Priscilla was looking at him with a surprised look on her face. Allen raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, It's just I'm having a hard time hearing you compliment somebody." She bit her lip to contain a laugh.

"Get over it." He growled.

Not a second had passed when Mrs. Olivier's face appeared from the back of the house. She approached them, letting them know theirs guests have arrived.

A knot formed on Allen's throat. He was nervous, as he always was during these business dinners. It only hit him later rather than sooner this time.

Both siblings walked side by side to the front door, where their parents were already waiting.

Mr. Hayes body turned slightly towards them, as if acknowledging their presence, only to turn to his font again.

Allen could now hear the car clearly approaching the house, coming to a stop right in the front porch. As the butlers opened the door for them, Allen noticed the figure in front of him move, but his mind so concentrated on what was coming he could not react in time.

He felt a weight on his left shoulder, followed by his father's voice; which waked him up from the little haze he was in.

"Don't mess this up." His stern face pierced through his chest, the pressure on his shoulder slowly turning into pain as his father's grip grew stronger. "Or I'll kill you."

Allen swallowed, remembering the old days.

This was going to be a long night.