Blondie//Isaac Garcia

22

"Here, take this!" Grace exclaimed, offering Jackie a hat and Thalia some cowgirl boots. Jackie hesitated, her eyes glancing over the offered accessories.

"Since Alex is still mad at me, it doesn't matter what I wear," Jackie remarked, a tinge of frustration in her voice. Grace, curious, questioned the source of Alex's lingering anger.

Thalia, added, "The awards dinner was ages ago." Jackie, not willing to let Thalia off the hook, noted, "Don't be so quick to judge. You've been ignoring everyone since then." Thalia, choosing silence, returned to her book, leaving the air thick with unspoken tension. The unresolved issues between Thalia and Isaac lingered, a silent divide among friends.

In a gesture of gratitude, Jackie handed Grace Lucy's shirt. "Thanks for this," she said.

Thalia, immersed in her book, spent the remainder of the day grappling with internal conflicts, her mind oscillating between contemplation and a desire for resolution.

As they arrived at Alex's competition, Thalia positioned herself next to Danny. The swell of emotions rose within her as she cheered for Alex, her enthusiasm genuine. When Danny emerged victorious, a sense of shared triumph echoed among the friends, briefly overshadowing the underlying tensions.

As the group left the competition, a resolute determination settled within Thalia. The unresolved tension between her and Isaac weighed heavily on her mind, a burden she could no longer ignore. As they walked, she subtly signaled for Isaac to join her, a silent acknowledgment that they needed to talk.

Isaac, initially resistant, joined her reluctantly. The air around them held a palpable awkwardness, a reflection of the lingering hurt from Thalia's prolonged silence. His initial response was laced with bitterness, a defense mechanism against the pain he had felt.

"You've been ignoring me for weeks," Isaac remarked, his tone a mixture of frustration and hurt. Thalia took a deep breath, acknowledging the gravity of her actions.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Thalia admitted, her voice carrying a genuine sincerity. "What I did was wrong, and I should have talked to you."

Isaac, still nursing the wounds of her silence, remained guarded. "You kissed me two times, and then ignored me" he said, his voice betraying a hint of vulnerability. Thalia met his gaze, her eyes reflecting remorse.

"I know," she replied, a somber acknowledgment of her own mistakes. "I just-  I feel like i'm not enough, and I messed up."

Isaac, caught off guard by the raw honesty in her admission, softened slightly. The tension between them began to ease as Thalia continued to express her regret. She explained the insecurities that had fueled her actions, laying bare the vulnerabilities that had driven her to distance herself.

"I felt like I wasn't enough for you," Thalia confessed, her voice tinged with a mix of self-discovery and regret. "I thought you deserved someone better, and I didn't want to hold you back."

Isaac, listening to her words, felt a complex wave of emotions. The hurt was still there, but so was a flicker of understanding. Thalia's admission opened a window into her struggles, and he grappled with the conflicting emotions that surged within him.

"You should have talked to me," Isaac finally said, his voice softer than before but still carrying the weight of hurt. Thalia nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words.

"I should have," she agreed. "I was wrong, and I hurt you. I want to make it right."

As they continued to walk, the conversation unfolded, both of them laying bare their feelings and insecurities. Thalia expressed how she felt, contributing to the fear that had fueled her actions.

"I felt like everyone treated me as if I were made of glass, like I couldn't handle things," Thalia admitted, a hint of frustration in her voice. "But that's not an excuse for what I did to you."

Isaac, absorbing her words, began to see a broader picture. The wounds of the past days slowly began to heal, replaced by a tentative willingness to understand and rebuild what had been broken. The path to forgiveness was uncertain, but the sincerity of Thalia's apology marked a pivotal moment in their complex relationship.

✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦

Isaac and Thalia found themselves immersed in a shared moment of warmth, stealing a kiss in the snug living room. Unaware of Kathrine's entrance, an awkward silence filler the space as the door swung open.

Kathrine's eyes widened in surprise, catching the couple off guard. Isaac stammered, "Uh, hi, Kathrine. We... didn't expected you to be awake..."

A mischievous grin played on Kathrine's lips as she teased, "Well, clearly. Looks like I interrupted something."

Thalia blushed, trying to ease the tension, "It's not what it looks like, Kathrine."

Amused, Kathrine decided to play along. "Oh, don't worry. I remember what it's like to be young and in love. Just try to get keep it down next time, okay?"

Exchanging relieved glances, Isaac and Thalia were met with a twinkle in Kathrine's eye as she addressed the elephant in the room. "Speaking of which, maybe it's time for a little chat about, you know, the birds and the bees."

Isaac turned crimson, and Thalia buried her face in her hands. Kathrine embarked on an unexpected but much-needed conversation, leaving the young couple with a mix of embarrassment and enlightenment. "Just don't have... that in the house."