chapter five, emotional motion sickness

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The only difference between the Vera sisters was Kayla was the one who preferred marijuana, but Izzy preferred to get as drunk as she could. It sort of numbed everything she was feeling which was a relaxing feeling for Izzy.

She currently sat in Nina's room while the party was happening outside of the closed bedroom door. It had just started twenty minutes ago and their entire class had already seemed to be there. Nina also lived in a very large and expensive house (that was basically Izzy's dream home), so people liked to take advantage of the outdoor pool and movie room.

Both Izzy and Nina were fixing their makeup in Nina's room, Nina in her bathroom while Izzy sat at the girl's vanity mirror. Contrary to popular belief, Izzy wasn't a party person. She was good at pretending to be, though. She would much rather down a bottle of vodka next to someone she cares about and rant about her life than get shitfaced drunk in a room full of almost 100 people.

Although Izzy's focus was on fixing the smudge on her eye from her eyeliner, she could hear Nina's voice come from the cracked bathroom door in the room. "So, how's the fake relationship going? Did you invite Miguel here?" Nina asked.

Izzy huffed, finally fixing the makeup, and looked at her reflection as she spoke back. "I did, he said he was going to text me when he got here, but it's okay, I guess. Yesterday, we did this one-on-one fight in the park and I won three times out of six." Izzy spoke proudly, even though she didn't really win it all.

     Nina opened the bathroom door and had a smile on her face as she walked out, "So you guys tied?" She questioned in a playful tone and Izzy just scoffed at the question.

     Nina then leaned on the wall by the vanity Izzy sat at. She was quiet for a moment before her lips formed into a playful smile to a smug grin. "A one-on-one fight, huh?" Nina exclaimed.

     Izzy immediately knew what Nina was assuming and she shook her head. "Nope. I know what you're going to say —"

     "Relax! I'm kidding. I know you wouldn't dare to actually date Miguel." Nina cut the girl off, raising her hands up in defense and pushing herself off of the wall.

     A sigh left Izzy's lips as her eyes trailed down to her phone that lit up from a text from Miguel saying he was here. Another sigh came from Izzy, but it came out more as a defeated huff as she turned in the chair to see Nina putting a cardigan over her outfit.

     "Miguel's here." Izzy announced, "I need to go take some shots, my hands are getting shaky." She quickly spoke, getting up from the chair and went straight to Nina's bedroom door.

     "See you down there," Izzy told her best friend, Nina calling out a 'have fun' as Izzy shut the door.

     The music was now louder and people had migrated to the upstairs as a new place to hang out. As Izzy walked down the stairs, she observed the packed party scene around her. She had been to one party a little bit like this before, Izzy remembers Moon was the girl who hosted it and it was just before the school year started.

     Izzy acknowledged the people that said hey to her as she made her way to the kitchen where it was surprisingly less crowded. Boxes of alcohol and red solo cups were everywhere accompanied by desperate teens wanting to get drunk on a Sunday night, just like Izzy was.

     She let out a sigh, taking a miraculously closed bottle of vodka and twisting it open to use for the few shots Izzy then took before it got ruined by a presence approaching her.

     Izzy glanced over, seeing Hawk standing next to her. He looked down at her then pointed to the vodka bottle, "You gonna share that?" He asked, a smirk visible on his lips.

     "No," Izzy shook her head, "This is mine. Find yourself another drink." She snapped back at him, holding the bottle to her chest.

     Hawk scoffed, shaking his head. The two weren't really friends, but there was that awkward connection because Izzy was 'dating' Miguel, and Hawk was his best friend. So, neither of them was sure how to act around each other.

"Miguel is around here somewhere. You better get to him before Sam does." Hawk said it jokingly, but his words made Izzy's eyebrows raise as she leaned back on the counter.

"Sam is here?" Izzy questioned, looking at Hawk who nodded like it was obvious. "Well, hopefully she stays away from me." Izzy sighed, her eyes scanning the people that flooded into the kitchen.

That was when she noticed a familiar face in the crowd. Miguel was looking around like he was searching for someone and Izzy kept her eyes on him as he made his way into the kitchen. He finally made eye contact with Izzy and he smiled, like had he found who he was looking for.

He pushed past someone before walking up to Izzy and Hawk, "Hey." Miguel greeted Izzy and noticed the vodka bottle in her hand. "You're drinking." He observed, the girl just nodding.

"Not a lot and don't worry, I didn't drive here." She reassured Miguel who just nodded as a response.

     "The rest of Cobra Kai here?" Hawk spoke over the loud music, now holding a cup, looking at Izzy.

     She just shook her head. "No, I mean I was going to invite Tory, but she was working and.. Robby probably wouldn't have even come, Kyler and Ethan would've ruined it, and —"

     "Yeah, I get it." Hawk said as a way to shut her up, indicating he got the big picture.

     Izzy brushed it off with an eye roll as her eyes moved to look at Miguel's smiling face. "Are you going to drink?" Izzy asked the boy.

     Miguel glanced down at her and let out a sigh, glancing around. "I'll probably just have, like, one." Miguel shrugged, reaching to grab a small bottle off of the island counter and he held it up to Izzy, like he was proving he was having a drink.

     "Smirnoff ice. Safe choice." Izzy nodded at the drink.

     Hawk then departed from the two when a little bit of alcohol entered his system and he had the urge to do anything but stand around next to Izzy and Miguel. The two stood in the kitchen together besides the frequent people passing by to get drinks.

     "So, when is Nina's game happening?" Miguel then asked, moving to stand next to Izzy and leaning against the counter.

"Um," Izzy huffed, reaching into her back pocket to take her phone out and looked at the time. "Probably in a few minutes. Do you want to go outside?" Izzy asked to which Miguel nodded.

Before Izzy led the way, she held up one finger to Miguel and put the bottle of vodka to her lips, taking a long sip that made her wince when it went down her throat. Whatever tonight had in store, she needed to be prepared.

Miguel followed the girl through the crowd until they reached the living room and Nina quickly approached them. "Hey! Are you guys going to play the game? We're starting now." Nina spoke loudly over the music.

"No!" Izzy shook her head, "We'll be outside." She told her friend who gave the girl a thumbs up to say she understood and Nina turned to bring her attention to the group playing the game.

When the two got outside, the large backyard was less packed than Izzy assumed it was going to be. There were a few people in the pool, and another group having a smoke sesh by the fire pit, but that was pretty much it.

"Oh! Come on," Izzy suddenly gasped, the hand not holding onto the bottle of vodka grabbed ahold of Miguel's, leading him down the stairs and into the backyard.

When her fingers wrapped around his hand, Miguel looked down at their touch. He didn't want her to let go, that's all he could think about as Izzy led him through the grass and back towards two trees where a hammock was connected to them both.

It wasn't that far from the house, but it was far enough that the music wasn't blaring loud and they couldn't hear the cheering and hollering of the other teenagers. They could actually hear their own thoughts and hear the other speak.

"Shouldn't we be inside? I assume this breaks our 'no one-on-one things' rule." Miguel spoke as he watched Izzy take a seat in the hammock followed by another sip of the vodka.

After she swallowed the harsh liquid, Izzy twisted the cap back on and placed the bottle by her feet in the grass. She rolled her eyes once she processed this word, but she smiled.

"Just shut up and sit down in the hammock."

     Miguel raised his hands in defense, "Alright, alright." He muttered as he sat in the open spot next to Izzy.

     It was quiet between the two for a few seconds, Miguel taking frequent sips of the drink as Izzy let the alcohol soak in. Once she felt the lightheaded feeling hit her, Izzy felt a small smile grow on her lips. The only thing about Izzy when she drinks is she doesn't know when to shut up.

"Whenever I would sleep over here, I would always come out here and watch the sunrise in this hammock." Izzy admitted, gesturing to what they were sitting in as she and Miguel looked at each other.

     "You're a sunrise person?" Miguel questioned.

     Izzy laughed at the question, but she shrugged. "I guess I am." She quietly spoke, leaning her head back against the hammock to look up at the sky through the trees.

Miguel was trying to think of something to say. He had so many things he wanted to ask her. He wanted to get to know her, even if it was the smallest detail. He just felt himself grow nervous about even bringing a topic up. He glanced over at her, thinking of what he could possibly ask, but there was one thing he wanted to know the truth about.

     "I have a question." He said, seeing Izzy lift her head to look over at the boy.

     "What's up?" Izzy responded, a curious expression on her face.

     Miguel let out a nervous sigh, adjusting himself so that he was sitting up and turning slightly to face Izzy. "What happened with you and Ethan? It's alright if you.. don't want to tell me. I just —"

     "No," Izzy cut him off, "It's okay." She reassured him.

     "Okay," He nodded, but he had a look on his face like he didn't mind if she didn't want to talk about it.

     "So, we started dating last semester, and we were fine for about three months until I finally met his parents. Um, his parents basically didn't like that I didn't have my mom or dad in my life. They thought I wasn't good enough for Ethan because I lived in Reseda with my older sister who smokes weed." Izzy explained, laughing as she finished talking.

      Miguel listened as she continued, "They basically told me I wasn't who they wanted their son to be with. It was like a dinner full of nothing but petty remarks and judgmental looks whenever I talked about me." Izzy shook her head, like the memory of it made her angry, because it did.

     Izzy then glanced over at Miguel, but he was already looking at her. "After the dinner, Ethan took me outside and told me he wasn't going to listen to his parents. Over Christmas break, he ghosted me and then finally broke up with me when school started. It was because if his parents said it, then 'they were probably right'." Izzy huffed.

     It fell silent as she reached down to pick up the bottle of vodka again, "But fuck him." Izzy shrugged, taking a sip of the alcohol.

     "Wow, I underestimated how much of an asshole Ethan was." Miguel muttered, "I'm sorry he, and his parents, did that to you." He had a soft and meaningful expression on his face as he looked at the girl.

     "Well, it's the past. Does it still piss me off? Yes. Can I change the fact it happened? No. So, I just live with it and pray it never happens again." Izzy said with a playful smile on her lips.

     Miguel assumed she was tipsy, if not borderline drunk, by how she was smiling and more lighthearted with the topic than Miguel expected. At least she wasn't a sad drunk. He watched as she set the vodka bottle in the grass once again, swaying the hammock a little bit as she moved.

"Oh yeah, my sister wants to meet you." Izzy told him, shifting so that she was now facing him as well.

His eyebrows raised. "Seriously?"

     "Seriously." Izzy nodded, smiling a little bit as the two looked at each other. "Don't worry, she's cool. She won't make it awkward or anything." Izzy said reassuringly.

     There was still a question itching in the back of Miguel's throat. "Does she knows it's fake?" He asked.

She just shook her head. "No, I didn't tell her. I love her, but I know she would open her mouth to someone and ruin the whole plan." Izzy explained, shrugging her shoulders a little bit.

     She stared down at the grass for a split second while Miguel kept his eyes on her, not daring to look away. Izzy looked back up at him when she had something else to say. "The only other person who does know is Nina. It was her idea." She confessed to the boy.

     "It was Nina's idea?" He asked like it was a surprise, but Izzy nodded to confirm.

     "And to think I thought you came up with amazing ideas." Miguel spoke while trying to hide the smile on his lips, Izzy couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or genuine. (It was the latter).

     "I do come up with amazing ideas. I invited you to this party, that was an amazing idea." Izzy pointed out like it was a good point, "And enough about me. I have some questions for you." Izzy told him, the smile on her lips not leaving her face once.

     Her face was warm and her head was light, she was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. Miguel, on the other hand, just felt a little buzzed from the only drink he had. He nodded, indicating he wanted her to go on with these questions she had in her head.

     "Are you finally over Sam?" Izzy asked the Diaz boy who had a look on his face like he should've expected that question.

     A sigh left his mouth as he looked out at the rest of the backyard, he seemed like he was thinking about the question, but he finally glanced back at Izzy and their eyes met. His mouth opened up to speak, "I'm working on it." He admitted, but didn't tell her how, or that the 'how' was actually her.

      Izzy was oblivious, though. The alcohol in her system wasn't helping her think the straightest. "Good." Izzy smiled.

     Miguel nodded, staying quiet as he observed Izzy's facial expression change as if she was trying to decide what other question she should ask next. All he could think about was how much he didn't want to get up and leave her side. If he could spend the entire night sitting with her and just talking, he would.

     The only problem was that while Miguel was feeling this way, he knew Izzy thought of him as nothing more than her fake boyfriend.

     Izzy leaned her head back to rest against the hammock and stare up at the sky full of stars. "Do you like to stargaze?" She asked out of curiosity.

"I don't think I've ever really done it before." Miguel shrugged, glancing at Izzy who kept her eyes on the sky.

"When I was a kid, it was kind of me and my dad's thing and he would always call me 'his little star' whenever I would win anything. Kayla and I do it now that he's gone." Izzy explained, glancing over at Miguel who was already looking at her.

His heart stung just a little bit, only because he knew what it was like to not have your dad in your life, no matter the circumstances it all hurt the same. He also didn't know why Izzy was telling him this, but he remembered that she was also drunk. She was bound to start oversharing, the only people was that Izzy was going to regret it and hate herself for it the next day.

"You know, you're not as bad as I thought you were." Izzy spoke up, "I mean, you're still insufferable, but that's just my competitive side talking." She continued, shrugging her shoulders a little bit.

     Miguel laughed at her words, "Yeah. Thanks, I guess." He muttered, smiling at the girl who took yet again another sip of the vodka. The smile stuck to his face as he spoke up again, "You're not as bad either." Miguel told her.

     Izzy swallowed the alcohol and looked over, her cheeks were flushed red from the alcohol in her system, but her smile was a sign that she was enjoying this just as much as Miguel was. But Izzy wouldn't admit that to herself or to anyone else, but any other teenager looking out at them couldn't tell that the relationship was fake.

     "And you're a really good fighter, I think you're better than me sometimes." Izzy said with a smile on her lips, turning her head to look at Miguel. They had absentmindedly shifted closer to each other so when their eyes met, their faces weren't too far apart.

     Miguel laughed quietly at her words, "Wow, that means a lot coming from you." Miguel smiled, "I had no idea you could think someone was better than you." The banter made Izzy feel a lot better after thinking about her dad.

     "You're the only exception," Izzy said softly, a genuine and sincere look on her face. But then the Izzy that Miguel was used to came back, "If you tell anyone I told you that, I'll shave your head." She muttered to him in a serious tone.

     He just smiled and nodded, not taking her as serious as she tried to be. "Your secret is safe with me." Miguel whispered back.

With how close their faces were, they didn't have to talk too loud for the other to hear. They were looking at each other and Miguel had a very impulsive thought to kiss her, but he didn't. Instead, he sat there and smiled at the girl who was staring at him with a warm smile.

If Miguel didn't know any better, he would've thought Izzy liked him too just from how she was looking at him.

But then reality hit him when Izzy finally spoke, "Do you want to go kick everyone out of the movie room and watch something?" She asked, she was definitely drunk for suggesting to spend more time with Miguel, but he didn't mind.

     Miguel's eyebrows furrowed at the mention. "There's a movie room?"

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The next morning, Izzy woke up to Nina pulling open her curtains and the sun blinded Izzy even with her eyes closed. Her hand came up to cover her eyes as she rolled over in Nina's bed, making a whining sound from the brightness added to the room.

"Get up! Unfortunately, our hungover asses have to endure school." Nina frowned as she moved over to pull the covers off of Izzy.

     "You're an idiot for having a party on a Sunday night." Izzy muttered, keeping her arm over her eyes as Nina stood there, waiting for the girl to get up.

     "And you're an idiot for coming to my party and getting shitfaced on a Sunday night." Nina retaliated, crossing her arms over her chest.

     Nina began talking and moving around the room as Izzy sat up and got out of the bed, feeling a pinch of a headache happening to her — "I've been up since six cleaning and this place looks spotless. Also, I can't believe you were so drunk you kissed Miguel!" Nina laughed, picking up Izzy's overnight bag and putting it on the bed.

     Izzy felt her heart drop to her stomach. "What?!" She exclaimed.

     "Chill! I'm just kidding, but you were drunk enough to willingly kick everyone out of my movie room so you and him could watch Mamma Mia." Nina reassured her.

     Izzy rolled her eyes at the joke she didn't find funny, grabbing her bag to pull the change of clothes out. "From what I can vaguely remember, I spent majority of last night just talking to him. It was weird." Izzy sighed, going over to the bathroom.

     Nina knitted her eyebrows together, turning so that her gaze could stick on Izzy. "Weird because it was with your karate rival or weird because you like him?" She questioned her friend.

     The Verá girl was quick to shake her head. "What? No. No, I don't like him. Not in that way." A shaky laugh left her lips as she told the other girl.

     Nina made a face like she didn't believe her. "Mm. Alright. I'm just saying, the more time you two start spending time together, the more likely one of you is going to fall in love." Nina shrugged.

     "Well, that's not going to happen." Izzy pressed her lips together, "We both promised no real feelings." She reminded Nina who nodded at the words.

     "Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and get dressed." Nina rushed her friend, Izzy finally closing the bathroom door to get dressed and fix her appearance before going to school.

     Izzy couldn't believe Nina would suggest that her or Miguel would fall in love with the other, they weren't going to break their promise of no real feelings. At least, Izzy wasn't going to.

     She just hoped Miguel would do the same.

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authors note.
wow, i got carried away writing this chapter because i didn't mean for it to get this long. i hope you guys enjoyed it!! writing that miguel and izzy scene made me cry and scream and rip my hair out, they are my favorites rn :')

ignore any spelling errors, i was just excited to get this chapter out. i'm pretty sure the next chapter will match up with the show timeline so i can actually get into the show plot.

anyway enjoy this that i made