#p:sutton

A lot of time had passed since they last saw one another properly. Adam had been all over the world and Sutton had found herself on the opposite side of it; set up with a pretty beach bar down on one of the hottest beaches in Oz. The times had changed and so had they—Adam had, more or less, cleaned himself up and Sutton had done the impressive thing and sought out rehab. He had always worried for Sutton, especially at her worst, but when she’d finally sent him a postcard and a rehab pamphlet like she’d promised he knew that everything would be better.

Sutton had earned herself a special place in his heart. Her time at Easton was a trainwreck to put it mildly—bad boys with bad habits that imposed themselves on her and he did his best to give her the cold hard truth of it, generally laced with the charm and shameless flirting that came along with Adam. He’d always joked about her falling madly in love with him and running away together—even with her protests that it would never happen, but as time went on and they both moved on, he never lost that relationship with Sutton. He’d always send her texts and drop little nostalgia bombs on her—and when they did get the chance to facetime or call properly, he’d spend until the early hours talking her ear off about all the things he’d been up to. The gallery, travelling—and they had time and time again suggested travelling across the world to see one another again, but time and time again it had fallen through. This time was going to be different, Adam had made her promise—and lo and behold, it was.

When she’d finally appeared from the terminal and he’d swept her up in his arms, he held her tight. It was hard to believe she was actually there, but he could feel her pressed up tight against him and he couldn’t help but laugh at it all. It’d finally happened. He set her down to her own two feet and nodded, a sharp boyish grin worn reminiscent of their youth for her.

As much as Adam loved travelling, he hated airports. He’d take train stations and boats even if they’d added hours or days to his journey because he loathed going through airports that much. It wasn’t flying he hated, in fact he loved it—it was the waiting in a busy airport surrounded by hundreds of people who were all too focused on their own business to be considerate to their fellow passengers. Naturally that was all avoided when the Lovelys or Arnaults flew them private—but those days were far and few between these days.

Though there was some temptation to do the cliché arrivals thing with the board and the flowers and the big gestures—he’d opted instead to play things a little more reserved. He’d texted her to let her know that he was waiting outside the terminal for her and left it at that. He wondered just how long it’d been since they last saw one another face to face—it felt like an eternity, and the years hadn’t been easy for either of them—but the thought of seeing Sutton gave him flashbacks to their school days and the shameless, playful flirting he’d throw her way. Nothing had ever come of it in the halls of that grand academy but there was no denying that Adam had his fair share of fun playing it up.

The September sun beat down and offered warmth in contrast to the slight chill that nipped in the wind. Adam leaned back against his latest impulse purchase; a silver 1973 Porsche 911 S coupe which hadn’t left his mind since he’d seen it on the silver screen. Blissfully Sutton had missed the mustache phase of Adam’s midlife crisis but the leather G-1 jacket and aviators remained. 

When he spotted the blonde he drained the last of his cigarette with one sharp drag and disposed of it post haste—pushing off his car to sweep Sutton up in his arms in a hug.

There was nothing worst than admitting defeat. Except admitting defeat to Sutton. She was not prepared to hear what Sutton had to say, but she needed to talk to her best friend about this. Not everything, because much of it needed to stay between just her and James. But the fact that he mattered to her, the fact that she found him attractive, and the fact that she may have began developing a small amount of feelings for him was enough for Sutton to know. 

Knocking on her best friend’s door, notebook in hand Jenna wasted no time walking into Sutton’s apartment, and dropping onto her couch, face buried into a pillow. She did not look up at Sutton, only handing her the notebook, open to the drawing of James that she had done the night in the elevator. She turned around, hugging the pillow against her body. “You were right. I like his growly face.” She told her friend. Her voice remaind solid as she gave a simple explanation for her odd behavior, but she was back to groaning as she dropped her head back into the pillow.

@suttonfitzgerald

Isaac shoved an unpacked suitcase under his new bed. He had grown accustomed to living out of the bag instead of unpacking and repacking a few months later when he inevitably got kicked out of the home for some reason. All his foster parents knew he was a problem child going into the fostering, but when it came down to it, most were not prepared to put in the work they had signed up for, and traded him off. It hurt the first few times, but by this point, Isaac was just aware of that fact. He really didn’t care. He knew better than to get attached, because that would only lead to heartbreak. 

Isaac’s thoughts were interrupted by the grating sound of laughter. And it wasn’t the joyful kind, either, it was the kind that was at someone else’s expense. Isaac rolled his eyes, realizing that this home really would just be a repeat of the others, as he stormed over to wherever the laughter was coming from. He saw a couple of kids huddled around a blonde girl in the corner, obviously picking on her for some reason. Once again, he was going to start a fight and get kicked out. And he wouldn’t even last three weeks this time. 

Isaac pushed past to of the other kids, so he could shove the ring leader of this bullying circus. “Leave her alone. What did she ever do to you?” Isaac said flatly. 

“You and what army?” The kid asked, his friends snickering. Isaac just sighed, pulling back his fist, and punching the other kid in the jaw. He had learned over time how hard to do it so he didn’t knock out teeth or dislocate any bones. His social worker always liked to remind him of those times, and how he was almost charged with assault, though he could never bring himself to care.

“That army.” Isaac said, rubbing his knuckles. “Now leave her alone before I do actual damage.”

For as long as he can possibly remember, Isaac has been saving someone. He was saving turtles from roads, saving caterpillers from high traffic sidewalks, saving kids from bullies, saving Sutton from assholes, and most importantly, saving himself from the truth that he had always been so impossibly scared to face. As he laid on his bed, staring at the celing, unable to to find any motivation to move, he remembered one of his first fights. 

“My parents are coming back for me. They wouldn’t leave like this,” Isaac said, standing taller, facing the larger kid. 

“Alright, little orphan Annie,” The kid sneered, “Let’s get something straight. No one is ever coming for you. No one will ever be there for you. Your parents don’t love you and they never will.” He shoved Isaac back. “My parents didn’t love me either, but you don’t see me crying about how they’ll come back, because they won’t.” He shoved him again, harder this time harder so that Isaac fell backwards. 

“Why would you say that?” Isaac aked, looking up at the other kid, tears pooling in his eyes.

“Because it’s the truth. And the truth hurts.” 

And from there it was a blur. All he knew is all of the sudden, he agreed. He agreed with everything that boy had said to him all those years ago. He covered his eyes, wiping them free of the tears he hadn’t even noticed. He couldn’t do this alone. No one could handle this alone. And Isaac was all too aware that only one person would understand: Sutton. 

She wasn’t a fan of his at the moment, and Isaac couldn’t seem to fix it. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t say the right things, and every time he opened his mouth he just seemed to push her farther away. Not to mention he had already lost her. She was married, she had a new name, she was something incredible that he couldn’t even fathom. She might have still been Sutton, but he didn’t know this girl. Not like he knew the girl stuck in the Foster system with him. But, maybe, somewhere she would remember who they were before life tore them apart. That was the Sutton he needed right now. 

With the weight of the world bearing on him, he pulled himself up from the position he had been in on his bed for hours. And with all the weight forcing him down, trying to force him to crush under the reality of this new discovery he made his way down two flights of stairs and to Sutton’s door. He didn’t know what would happen if she wasn’t there, but he didn’t want to know. The only thing Isaac needed right now was Sutton.

With three gentle knocks on the door, Isaac leaned against the doorframe and spoke. 

“Sutt, it’s me. Isaac. I know that I’m the last person you probably want to see ever again. And I don’t blame you. How could I after everything I’ve done to you? But--” He sighed, heavily, shaking his head, “I need to talk to somebody. I need you, Sutton. Something crazy is happening and... and no one is going understand but you. No one will ever understand me like you will. So, can I just talk to you? Please?” And with that Isaac fell silent and allowed fate to take it’s course. Maybe she would ignore him or maybe she wasn’t even back in her apartment yet. @suttonfitzgerald