I am Isabella Jackson
Lamar took me off the schedule and dealt with my clients today as I cannot live in a motel forever. I loved my condo but I know it'll break me to go back.
I don't have many friends. I was always with Amarion or my clients.
You can say I'm married to my job.
When I stopped living with my parents they moved back to my hometown in Prince Edward Island.
I don't have enough money right now to get my own place. I don't feel like getting a certain person involved right now. So there was only one place that wasn't messed up, within my price range and near the training centre, I can possibly live in.
I will have a roommate. That doesn't seem like a good thing for me. What if they are messy... I can't deal with messy people.
Joey Easterbrook. Apartment 34C.
Oh, you've got to be kidding me. From 32 to 34.
I walk up to the stairs to the fifth floor of the building and I'm praying that Joey is a girl.
There are a lot of people in the damn hall. I approach the door and before I could knock, it opens and a tall man crashes into me.
"Why are you standing in front of my door?" He snarls and takes a step back.
I was about to go off. Then I realized if this is Joey I should make a good impression.
"Are you Joey Easterbrook?" I ask.
"Who wants to know?"
"I need a place to stay and 34C is an offer."
"No." He says plainly
"What do you mean no?"
"No as in you can't live here." He shrugs.
I stay composed, "why?"
"I don't want to live with a girl, too whiney, makes too much noise. Weak. Can't deal with criticism. Just plain annoying."
He definitely doesn't have a girlfriend.
My jaw drops. What the heck?
Joey walks past me and I chase after him.
"Did I mention annoying?" He says before placing his headphones on.
I continue to follow the man.
He takes the stairs.
I follow.
He jogs down the street.
I follow. I pace with him. Joey's pace is far slower than my own.
"Joey please I am not messy, I'm not loud. It'll be like I'm not there." I am desperate.
"Being desperate is annoying." He starts to dash.
I am still able to keep up. I can see the way he looks at me from the side of his eye. He can't believe I'm still going.
Joey goes through a park. He's running towards a dead end, there's a fence in front of...he jumps over it.
So I do the same.
Joey makes an abrupt stop, "lady I don't like being followed, I don't know how the hell you did that but jeez." He speaks out of breath.
I barely broke a sweat. "I'm not just some lady I have a name. It's Isabella, you can call me Izzy," I tell him.
"How are you not out of breath!"
"Dude we only jogged like 300 meters. That fence is like a hurdle it's no big deal."
He takes a seat on the bus bench.
"I was running at my full speed. And you haven't broken a sweat. Who are you?"
I scoff. "I said I'm Izzy. And if that was your full speed you need to work on that."
"Don't tell me what I need to work on unless you've been on an Olympic track." He mutters.
"Perfect, you're breathing all wrong, you practice your speed when you should be training your pace-"
"Did you not hear me say unless you've been on an Olympic track that you shouldn't tell me what to work on." He grumbles.
I laugh, "well then, you're lucky. I have been on that Olympic track you heard of. I was there last year. And I won gold for the heptathlon, so have some respect will you."
He stands, "What did you say your name was?"
Is this guy hard of hearing? "I am Isabella Jackson get that into your thick skull!" I yell way too loud.
"Isabella Jackson!" We hear. We turn our head and I see a bunch of kids running towards us.
"Joey run." I grab his hand.
We run to the training centre.
"Theresa he's with me!" I yell at the receptionist.
We run in one of the recovery rooms.
"I'm really sorry about that. I try to keep a low profile that's why I moved to Toronto." I say catching my breath. I was born in Prince Edward Island. I was a small-town girl who got a great opportunity at the age of 10 and when you live in a small place news travels fast. My family moved to Toronto and the rest of it is history.
"You're Isabella Jackson. You are an Olympic gold medallist. You are one of the only women to reach that high in points. I ran away from fans chasing Isabella Jackson." Joey whispers to himself, trying to let it all sink in.
I'm just a normal girl who likes to run and jump and throw things. I'm still human. I avoid social media because I still want my life.
The media jumps at the chance to see me because I'm so off the grid. Well, I'm sorry I don't want to be found.
"Hold up. Aren't you like famous and rich? Why are you so desperate to live in a banged-up apartment?"
"Joey I enjoy being in control of my life. Yes, I have a decent amount of money, but not that much because I avoid the public eye. When fame hits you, you don't get your life back. Right now I can walk into a McDonald's without having a swarm of people around me, or bodyguards protecting me. But once I say the name people recognize me and my life is gone for that moment."
"Aren't you with Amarion Jacobs?"
I sigh, "I was with him... I broke up with him last night."
I can tell he wants to ask but won't push it. "He lives here too?"
I nod.
"Isa-Izzy." He takes a breath. "Izzy I don't think I can let you stay with me."
I won't go down without a fight. "Now that I think about it... I've seen you, Joey. You lost to Amarion at championships. I got him to the Olympics. I can do the same for you. Give me a place and you'll be on that world stage."
Joey looks tempted to accept. If he does this can be my revenge.
"You know what? You got a deal." We shake on it.
Well it's Tuesday.
The way I'm tempted to post the whole book right now is serious...
But I'm not gonna do that😅
I hope y'all enjoyed this.
Till Thursday.