Isobel Shields's Story

Blink, blink.

She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Trying to process information that had no correlation, in her mind, to the Drake she had known. Izzy had no idea how to respond and no idea what he wanted from her. Why would she care if he was rich? If it made him happy then sure, it made her happy but other than that… She could care how much cash he had in his pocket. Like a true friend she wanted him happy and healthy, that’s it.

Still, even the admission of quitting drugs tugged at her heart. How had she not known he had even been on them? Why had he taken them?

“That’s… good?” She turned it into a question then laughed, dragging her fingers up through her hair and tousling it behind her shoulders. “You sold smack to vampires? You were on drugs?! Drake…”

“Why not sooner?” Her head turned, searching his face for answers that he had yet to share. “If this was… is… a friendship then why block me out for so long? If you were in a dark place then why not ask for help?”

As with so many conversations that she had with Drake, tears threatened. She was adept at blocking emotions and holding things back but he had been one of her first friends in this town and it hurt that he continually blocked her out instead of allowing her to aid him.

“I would’ve done anything for you, Drake.”

Izzy’s eyes widened again as he surprised her. She had thought that he was going to play some sort of game. Walk in, tell her how fabulously he was doing then walk out of her life again. Only show her snippets and leave her wondering if there was anything left of the Drake she had known.

What she hadn’t expected were the harsh truths and the honesty behind his words. The emotion lingering there that made her wish he had trusted her enough to help him through everything he had been in his life.

If she had been there for him would things gone better for him? Would they still be friends?

There were too many what ifs to worry about and instead, she followed instinct. Closing the distance between them, she pushed herself across the bench and wrapped her arms around him in a grasping hug. One hand rubbed over his back in an attempt to ease whatever turmoil he was feeling.

“And you’re in a better place now, Drake? Honestly?” She bit her lip and allowed her eyes to close for another brief moment, exhaling softly as she murmured an admission of her own.

“I’ve missed you.”

Izzy pulled back, confused by the words that tumbled out of his mouth. Her hand settled onto the bench between them and her other hand drew away from him, pausing beside his scarred features for a brief moment before lowering to rest upon her thigh. “What did you make a mess of? Didn’t you want to be where you are now? You sounded happy when you first sat down.”

There was so much time lost between them that his brief synopsis didn’t help elaborate on. He sold smack, he was on drugs. Now both of those were finished with. “So let’s start anew. It’s been so long since we’ve just… talked. We can skip over the painful portion. The drugs and the dealing. What are you up to now? Are you happy?”

Izzy frowned softly. The downturn of her lips growing a little deeper with every passing statement that he made. “Everytime you speak, I think you’re going to wrap up all of my inquiries in some sort of neat little package so I am not left wondering but instead…. Instead you leave me with more questions.”

She chuckled softly, lifting both hands to rub them over her face before turning so that her leg closest to Drake was tucked up beneath her body. Her left arm draped over the back of the bench and for a flash of déjà vu she recalled being in a similar position one night long ago at her beach condo.

Shaking her head, she spoke again to break her own train of thought. “How did you come to own a robot army? Why sell it to someone evil? What business did you want to start up?”

She felt as if she didn’t know him anymore and that realization unsettled her the most.

“If I make you unhappy, Drake then stop….” Stop what? Visiting her? He rarely did that so that wasn’t exactly the issue. So she reworked her wording, “Just forget about me.”

“Ah and talking to me once is going to alter the course of your future?” She smiled ruefully. Their past history whispered words of doubt into her head. He was going to disappear again. Perhaps turn back to the same lifestyle he had recently quit. He always seemed to disappear in and out of her life and it never seemed to be for the better. Not recently, anyway. So why would today’s conversation change anything?

“So then if you’re not going to talk about any of that… Then tell me about your present. Your now. You have a chunk of change, what are you going to do with it? You’re off drugs and no longer dealing them either… What do you want to do with your life?”

She wasn’t expecting any soul shattering realizations but her words rang with honesty. It was a question that not many people asked themselves. If you could do anything you wanted with your life, if you didn’t have to work for a living, then what would you do?

Amusement flickered in her pale blue eyes for the first time that evening. “Ah, still a sweet talker, I see.” Light laughter followed and she waved away his question with her hand. “Long story. Boringly so. I’m not exactly working at the moment but I’m okay because I still have money saved from previous endeavors.”

Not lying, of course. She never could seem to lie to Drake but omission, that was a different story.

“I’ve also been training a bit. Came to the realization that without my magic, I’d be screwed and in this day and age power dampeners are a thing now. Did you know they’re a thing?” Panic flashed through her eyes as if she had personal experience with such a device but if so, she didn’t expand upon the topic.

“Sadly, I am not so awesome at hand to hand combat as I wish I was."

“Yeah, it would suck to lose my magic. I was born with it. I’ve become dependent on it. Think of your intelligence. You use it as a weapon often enough that you should get the reference. Now imagine someone had a device which would knock your IQ down a few dozen points. Scary thought, eh?”

Her words weren’t sharp or antagonizing but she had always felt that some part of Drake looked down on her for her skill set. He had badmouthed enough magic users and aliens in her presence to know that it was a bias and not just singling her out for the type of magic she used.

“A snooper? What for, Drake? You still haven’t filled me in to what you’ve got planned for your future.” Lifting her left hand, she kept her upper arm resting along the top of the bench as she rested her chin in the curve between her thumb and pointer finger.