Roadtrip

Izzie’s POV
We had been driving for 6 hours straight and I started to feel the consequences of skipping a night of sleep. The first 2 hours of the trip, Mia had done nothing else but cry, telling me she wanted to get as far away from the guys as possible, to make sure Josh would not be near them again. She was scared to death that Josh would hurt Jimmy anyway.

After the two hours of crying, she got quiet and then, after another hour she ordered me to stop and let her drive. It would keep her mind of things, she said, but I could see the hurt in her face and I hated the situation we were in. She had banned Josh out of her life and he still defined it, as Mia had stated so many times before, it just wasn’t fair. We had travelled most of the way in silence, not an awkward one, but more a “I really don’t know what to say”-one. I hated the fact that I didn’t know how to make her feel better, what kind of best friend was I, not even able to cheer her up.

The landscape flashed passed the window, and I stared out of the window, seeing the world coming slowly to life as the sun started to come up. I noticed we were close to Omaha, maybe this was a good place to stop.
“Mia, maybe we should find a hotel here? It’s a big city, we probably will be able to find a job there without too much effort?”
“Too close Izzie, let’s drive a little further”
And she was quiet again.
“Babe, talk to me?”
“What’s to say? I broke the heart of the man I might love, I hurt people I was really getting fond of, I took you away from the man you like” I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it again, maybe not the right time to complain about Brian.
“I feel miserable, Jimmy probably feels miserable, Brian is feeling miserable and you are feeling miserable.... Fuck my life”
“I don’t feel miserable and I’m sure Brian isn’t either”
“Don’t lie to me, I saw you looking at him when you walked out of the bar... that wasn’t a look from someone who was happy to leave the guy behind. What happened between you two anyway?”
I sighed and thought about Brian, she was right, I missed him, I hated how he had acted, but I also kinda liked us fighting, that was when we weren’t really hurting each other, that was if we would have been able to make it up again.
He was probably just happy he got rid of me.
“We had a fight, he saw me with Josh, drew the wrong conclusions and I asked him to let it go, but he couldn’t, he kept going on and on how he experienced all of this on Planet Brian” I huffed.
Mia chuckled “Planet Brian? Did he made that up or did you?”
“Me. He made everything about him. He never even paused to see how I felt, never even wanted to hear my opinion. And then he even called me a slut!”
“What did you do?”
“What makes you think I did something?! Some best friend you are!”
“Because Brian was all over you this morning, he was only bragging about the sex you had and then at once he calls you a slut? I just don’t believe it... really”
I blushed... She just knew me too well... “I might have flirted with the lifeguard under his nose”
“Oh Izzie... “
“I know it’s for the best, I would just have gotten hurt anyway”

Silence again.... Silence again for the next few hours, until we arrived in Des Moines.
“I really think we should stop here, rent a room, try to get some sleep, this is getting dangerous”
Mia just nodded and drove around asking some early birds for a hotel nearby.
When we finally arrived at a hotel we could afford, we rented a room and Mia let herself drop on the bed completely dressed. She wasn’t talking, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

“Babe, I will see if I can get something to eat and drink okay? I think I saw a little store around the corner.”
I didn’t get a reply, but I just assumed she heard me. I got my phone and the keycard and walked out of the hotel. I turned my phone on and ignored all the messages and missed calls I had... I couldn’t look at them, I didn’t want to know, it was bad as it was....I looked around at all the people passing me by. It was 9 in the morning and the world was living to the fullest, just when we wanted to be no part of it.

I was lost in thought when my phone rang, assuming it was Mia I answered without even looking at the caller ID.
“Babe, I’m on my way to the store, I will be back in a minute”
“Izzie?!” That wasn’t Mia...
“Matt?”
“Iz! So glad I finally got a hold on you. What happened, why did you go?”
“I can’t explain, I just... it’s best if you all forget about us, just erase our numbers, okay?”
I wanted to hang up again, hearing his voice was stabbing me straight through my heart.
“Izzie! Wait! Where are you?”
“Please, don’t make this any harder than this is” I almost begged him to leave it, but part of me wanted him to keep trying.
“If you think this is hard on you, you should see Jimmy, he hasn’t slept all night. Let me talk to Mia”
“No you can’t, she is exhausted and hurt, and I’m not with her”
“So she is hurt too? She wasn’t playing him was she? Was that guy that showed up even her boyfriend?!”
My heart stopped “What guy?”
“Jimmy went to a bar to get drunk when he noticed Mia was gone and this guy came over to him, telling him he was Mia’s boyfriend and she asked him to end everything with Jimmy. Jimmy believed him”
“It’s not true!” I almost yelled in frustration
“Izzie, please tell me what’s going on, you got me worried now”
“Where are you guys?” I made a snap decision, I needed to tell Matt, he needed to know to protect the others.
“We will leave for Omaha in a few minutes, we got our next checkpoint there.”
“Okay, we are in Des Moines, wanna meet halfway? I need to tell you something, but I don’t want to do it over the phone”
“Alright! 9 tonight?”
“Yes, that’s good... But Matt?”
“Please don’t tell anyone?”
“If that is what you want. Be careful Izzie, both of you. I will see you tonight”

Matt’s POV
I had excused myself from breakfast and actually reached Izzie this time when I called her.
I have been thinking all night about the situation and I knew that something had been wrong.

My room had been next to Jimmy’s and I heard him wandering around, showering in the middle of the night, walking around again, cursing...
I guess he also couldn’t sleep, he missed Mia even if he didn’t want to.

When I talked to Izzie my suspicion became true... they didn’t leave because they wanted to, they left because they had trouble.
And now we all were miserable, I wouldn’t let my friends be miserable. Not Jimmy and Brian and of course also not Mia and Izzie. They belonged to us, Jimmy hadn’t been wrong about his feelings... she never played him... they didn’t fool us.

I called the Charity Race Organization right after I talked to Izzie and asked them for a job in Omaha.
We still had a long drive ahead of us, that’s why we were up so early.
Johnny was behind the wheel now and at the next stop Zack had to take over. We wanted to get their as soon as possible, get our Checkpoint in time and settle into the hotel and then move on to our next job.
I got for us 4 jobs at a Cocktail bar, two of us would be cocktail waiters, one a bouncer at the door and one just helping to keep the stock of alcohol in check.
I had to name each of the persons for the Jobs.
I wanted to give Jimmy a little fun and signed him and Johnny in as the cocktail waiter, Brian was the bouncer and Zack would be responsible for the stock.
And I would have this evening free, everything was working as planned, I just had to convince the guys that I would be doing some song writing in the hotel while they did the work.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at the hotel where our rooms were rented for us.
I told the guys to go upstairs and have some time for them, while I would take care of the checkpoint.
I walked to the lobby and talked to the guy at the reception, scanned the checkpoint and saw the small message that we were on time and receive our extra money.
When I wanted to get back up and get ready for the night I saw Jimmy sitting at the bar.
Damn it.

“Jimmy? What are you doing here? I told you to relax for an hour. We need to be at the bar 6:30 for the instructions. You gonna be cocktail waiter, I know you like to play around with alcohol, perfect job, right?”
He looked up to me give me a small smile and then looked back at his beer.
“Yeah, perfect.”
I sat down next to him and clapped him on the back, I longed to tell him that I talked to Izzie, that Mia hasn’t left because she wanted to, that she left because they thought they had no other chance but I promised that I wouldn’t... for now.
“If it makes you happy, I will go upstairs.” Jimmy said and got up from his chair.
“Jimmy... I...” I didn’t know how to cheer him up without telling him too much so I just stopped.
“I know... It will pass... I’m stupid for still wanting her back, right? Even if I know now, that it was just a cruel game for her, I still want to see her again, kiss her again...” He laughed sarcastically and moved to the elevator.
I really didn’t know what to say... how to help... I had to talk to Izzie and make her see that whatever it is that made them leave, we would still be better together.

At 6:30, we arrived at the Cocktail bar on time and were greeted by the owner, Mark Jonson.
I had talked to him on the phone.
“Guys, hey. Come on inside. I will give you a little tour around the bar and then I will show you to your working places for the night.”
“Thank you.”
We followed him inside and after the tour was done and we had the short instruction, he asked who was working on which place.
“Brian?”
“Yes, that would be me.” Brian nodded and took a step forward.
“Perfect, you go together with Al, he will show you what to do and how to react on the doors.” Mark said and Brian went to the back.
“Zachary?”
“Zack or Zacky is enough.” Zack stepped also forward and Mark introduced him to a woman responsible for the stock and Zack would be the support in their department.
“And last but not least Johnny and Jimmy?” Mark nodded at them and they both turned towards me.
“What will you be doing?” Johnny asked.
“Oh, they only needed 4 tonight, so I will head back to the hotel and do some song writing and will pick you back up later.” I said with a shrug and saw Jimmy looking at me suspicious.
“Hm.. alright.” Johnny nodded. “Come on Jimmy, don’t look so sad. We are the cocktail mixers, girls love the guys behind the bar... What will bring you better to other thoughts then lose yourself between the thighs of another girl, huh Jimmy?”
Oh no, that was not my plan... not if I could fix the thing with Mia and Jimmy... Jimmy would feel even worse, if he would sleep with another woman and tomorrow Mia could be back..
Jimmy shook his head at Johnny to my relief.
“Come on Jimmy... that’s the best way... Let’s see what the night brings, huh?”
“Yeah let’s see maybe you are right...” Jimmy nodded sadly and I wanted to say something to bring him to other thoughts but I couldn’t...
“Alright guys. I will be gone now. I will pick you up later, earn us some good money.” I clapped them on the back and walked out of the door where I met Brian.
“Hey, where are you going?” Brian asked.
“They just need you 4, I will go back to the hotel do some writing.” A thought crossed my mind.
“Brian?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask you for a favour and you will not ask me why and what’s behind it.”I asked him.
“Sure, what is it?” Brian looked also as if he hadn’t really slept this night. He was trying not to show what the whole thing with Izzie meant a lot to him, he didn’t succeed, we all knew he was into her, maybe even more than he knew by now.
“Don’t let Jimmy go home with a girl tonight. Don’t let him try to... you know... forget her that way.”
Brian looked at me, trying to read my face but I stared at him emotionless.
“Yes, I can do that.” Brian nodded finally.
“Thanks... See you later.” I hugged him and walked back to the Van.
I looked at my phone and saw a message from Izzie just a couple of minutes ago.

If we both drive for about one hour, there must be a gas station with a small restaurant in the middle called “Danny’s Diner” Meet you there. Izzie

I started the engine and made my way to meet with Izzie and Mia and finally I would find out what this all was about.

Notes

Goodmorning,

So Matt is meeting up with Izzie, see where this goes...