no one said it would be easy

Chapter 8 - chocolate covered strawberries

Casey

„Hey, it's Casey", I speak into the microphone of my mobile. I only have a limited amount of time, I told Izzie I had to use the toilet, so I've got 3 minutes, maybe 5 if I blame it on the Burritos we just had.

„Case, is everything okay?", Dad asks.

„Yes, everything's fine. Dad you know I love you, right? And you love me...", I try to schmooze my father.

„Oh what do you want?", he asks with a quiet chuckle.

„Would you do me a favor? It's important", I need him to say yes. Izzie would be so happy and if she's happy I'm happy.

„Anything for my beautiful daughter", dad says.

„Okay, type it in your phone, so you won't forget anything. You won't be able to call me after this", god, I sound like Elsa.

„If you're that fussy about it it really has to be important. You're sounding a bit suspicious, tho. You don't want to hide a body somewhere?", dad jokes, but I hear his undertone. He's curios about what I'm up to, but doesn't want to push me to tell him.

I check the time. I have three minutes left.

„No, I don't want to hide a body, actually I wouldn't hide it at all, I'd destroy it somehow, maybe with hydrofluoric acid", now I really do sound like a murderer. Definitely watched too much Breaking Bad.

„What?", my dad says, clearly not knowing what's going on anymore.

„Dad, please go to the grocery store and get two cans of soda, Twizzlers..."

„I didn't know you liked them?", he interrupts me in confusion.

„Just get them. And one box of chocolate covered strawberries", I really hope she'll like my idea and that it will lighten up her mood.

„Chocolate covered strawberries? Those are sensual fruits", he takes a moment to think about it, „Wait a second, you won't go to Evan's with those?"

„No, I want to surprise Izzie with a spontaneous Picknick at the lake", I say, starting to fiddle with the seam of my sweater. I still haven't talked to dad about Izzie and me. Wouldn't have thought Elsa would be the first to know about such important stuff about me.

„Izzie, huh?", he asks, still skeptical.

„Yes, I promise. I'll talk to you later about it. I really need to hurry now, please put everything in your trunk and keep it there, I'll take your car later. Oh and don't take the blankets out of the trunk either, okay? I gotta go now, thank you so much, love you", and with that I hang up.

I walk down the stairs, trying to keep a straight face, but because I'm so excited to surprise Izzie it's very hard to do so.

„Jeez, you took forever in there, Newton", Izzie states as she notices me walking towards the couch.

„Yeah... The burritos, you know? Wouldn't go in there for a while", I say, placing myself on the couch.

Izzie scootes up to me and lays her head in my lap. I instinctively start to play with her hair.

„You're gross", she says, shaking her head a bit, but I know she's smiling and trying hard not to let me see it.

She really has no idea what I'm up to.

~~~

Izzie

„Cotton candy flavored slurpees again?", I ask in disbelief, as Casey moves the stickshift.

„You wanted to leave so fast after your dad arrived, because you wanted a slurpee? I told you sugar's not good for you", I say, being wiseacre. 

„I still want one", Casey says like a stubborn child. She puts her hand on my leg, causing my skin to burn where she touches me. I take a closer look at her hand. It's veiny and skinny with long fingers but short nails.

Even her hand is attractive. Absolutely everything is attractive about her.

„Hey, you made the wrong turn", I notice.

„No, I didn't", Casey says.

„Yes you did, you had to make a left turn at that corner", I insist. 

„Hmmmm...", she voices, making a right turn again, suddenly standing on a field with a Lake on it that's surrounded by trees.

„Casey? Why are we here", I say, still looking at the setting.

This has to be one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. Nobody's here and it seems so untouched, like nobody has been here before. The sun is going down, causing the sky to appear in lots of different colors. The light is breaking through some tree branches, creating shadows on the ground. 

Casey gets out of the car and opens the trunk. I'm following her.

She holds up a basket and a blanket and asks: „Picknick?"

Its just now I realize what's going on. She wanted to surprise me with a romantic picknick at this place and used the desire for slurpees as an excuse.

I can't believe she did this. That she did this for me. A big smile crosses my face as I'm almost jumping into her arms, placing kisses everywhere on her face. I cup her face in my hands. Her eyes are the most beautiful ones I've seen. I could get lost in them and I wouldn't mind. She has no idea about the galaxies I see in them.

„I take that as a ‚yes'", she chuckles and hands me her arm so I can hold onto it.

We find the perfect picknick spot pretty quick, so we didn't go too far.

Casey's spreading the blanket over the ground as I'm watching the lake. It's so silent here. The sun is slowly setting and it's getting a little darker, but not too dark to be afraid. There are some birds chirping in the distant which completes this whole setting.

Suddenly I feel Casey how she's hugging me from behind, placing a soft kiss on my jaw and then burying her face in my neck.

I feel goosebumps rising on my arms and it feels like my whole body is tingling.

Casey takes a few steps back without letting me go, and Flops us both on the blanket. I'm sitting with my back against her chest now and I can feel her heart beating fast. I snuggle myself closer to her, inhaling her scent. How can she be this perfect?

~~~

Casey

I wish I could live in this moment forever. I never thought I'd be this happy sometime.  Izzie let's me feel things I never felt before. She brings out all the good in me.

„Let me see what snacks you got us", she crawls towards the basket and her eyes light up when she sees the Twizzlers.

„Twizzlers, oh my god!", she says in excitement and continues to look at the other snacks.

„You got us chocolate covered strawberries?", her eyes widen and she forms a little „oh" with her mouth.

„To make it a bit more romantic. And to show you how much you mean to me", I start blushing a bit and look away. The strawberries seem dumb now for some reason.

Izzie crawls back in my lap, holding the box with the strawberries in one hand.

„You are the absolute best", she opens the box and places a berry in my mouth, then in hers.

I look at her and it feels like the butterflies in my stomach are having a rave party.

I put my forehead against hers.

Izzie wraps her hands around my neck and closes her eyes, living in the moment. Her face is so close to mine, I'd be able to count the freckles on her nose if I wanted to.

She opens her eyes again and speaks in a soft and low tone: „I love you, Casey."

„I love you too, Izzie."

I think I'm the happiest girl on earth right now.