Obstruction

Ballroom Blitz

-Sweet, Ballroom Blitz -

- January 30th -

There was no fun being ill. My stint in the january cold had cost me a few days in bed.
Fever.
Coughs.
Runny nose.
Generally unsexy behaviour and unattractive clothes.
I hadn't spoken to Ethan, but I worried about him being ill too.
Or... more precisely, I worried about him not being able to practice for the contest. Or even worse being ill for the contest.
He would hate me for life if I fucked that up for him.

I was still sporting a red nose and puffy eyes when I heard three sets of heavy feet stomping down into my basement. Three guys in prime health walked in with laughter a fresh supply of happiness.
After giving me a hug and a box of chocolates, Oddball sauntered straight over to the recording equipment, Ethan got my guitar off the wall and started tuning without more than a concerned look at my puffy face.
I crawled deeper into my blanket as Simon sat next to me.

"That bad, huh?" He asked and stroked my hair.

"What's bad?" Oddball asked.

"Izzy is watching 'City of Angels'," Simon explained.

I rested my head on Simon's shoulder.

"And? It's a cutesy, girly, sappy movie," Odd laughed.

"How many times have you watched this?" Simon asked, ignoring Oddball.

"Today? Or ever?" I asked with a badly hidden shameful smile.

"Today?" Simon asked.

"Twice," I replied.

"What's with you and people who die in movies?" Ethan asked.

"What?" I asked.

"I mean.. 'Terminator'. Kyle dies. You like this sugary stuff, but Maggie dies... what gives?" He asked with a weird frown.

I shrugged.

"Izzy watches this when she's upset or sad and Terminator when she's happy," Simon said and caught himself as he said it.

"Hey... is something wrong? I mean something other than a cold?" Simon asked quietly shifting to look at my face.

I shrugged.
I couldn't exactly tell Simon about my somewhat bruised, stupid heart when the cause of it was right there.
Simon must have caught something. A tightening of my face.
A flicker of my eyes.
He wrapped his arms around me.

"Whoever it is. He's not worth it," he mumbled into my hair.

I hugged him back.

"So what's with the movie?" Ethan asked with a suspicious frown.

Simon sent me a questioning look. I nodded.

"Izzy has this weird thing about some guy dropping everything to be with her. Like angel dude - Seth - gives up immortality and angel powers for Maggie.... Oh and there's that damned song!" Simon explained.

Ethan and Oddball looked at him all mystified.

"She's made me watch it like a thousand times. I swear I know this film by heart," Simon chuckled and nudged me.

"What song is that?" Oddball asked.

"Iris.... Goo Goo Dolls," Simon grinned.

"Ugh... " Odd exclaimed.

"Yeah. You think the man of your dreams is gonna just randomly sing that to you and win your heart, dont'cha," Simon teased.

I whacked him.
He grinned back.