THE GRAVEDIGGER'S HANDBOOK → ISAAC LAHEY

[xxiv] Truth Hurts

November 15

12:46 P.M

BHHS Lunchroom

  "Are you absolutely sure he died?" Scott gave her a hesitated grin, "Maybe you just heard wrong."

"I went to his funeral, Scott!" Phoebe smacked her hands down on the table in frustration, tears still evident in her eyes. "I watched them close the casket and lower his body to the ground! Josh Diaz is dead!"

Lydia bit her lip and nodded, reaching across to grab her best friend's hand. "I was there too. It definitely doesn't make sense."

Isaac sighed heavily and brought Phoebe into a side hug, kissing her forehead. She still somehow managed to keep her distance from him, a perpetual frown on her face.

➴

   Phoebe shut her locker at the end of the day and was startled to see Isaac standing behind it. She yelped and her hands went to clutch at her heart through her red blouse.

Isaac raised a concerned eyebrow, "Are.. You alright? You and Allison's reflexes are always better than ours. And we're the werewolves."

"Yeah, sure." She shut her eyes and gulped, slipping a piece of her silky hair behind her ear. "I'm just kind of out of it. But I'll be okay."

She started to walk past him, going towards the front doors, and Isaac would be lying if he said he wasn't hurt by the evasive action. He turned around and grabbed her by the wrist, forcing her to stop in her tracks. Yet, she still didn't turn back to face him.

"I have an idea." Isaac told her, grip on her wrist loosening, "Meet me at the cemetery at 9 tonight. Bring your tools."

Remaining mute, Phoebe merely shakes her arm from his and walks out of the school without even glancing back.

➴

   "She hates me." Isaac mumbled as he stared up at the ceiling, hands folded over his stomach. He was sprawled out across Scott's bed while Scott sat at his computer, typing up a school paper.

Scott gave him a strange look and turned his nose up, "Why would you ever think that?"

"She's been avoiding me." Isaac sighs, tongue darting out to nervously lick his lips. "I tried talking to her at the end of the day to see if she was okay and she was really stand-offish, didn't even look at me."

Scott rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm sure you'd be acting strange too if you lost your best friend and another mysteriously came back to life."

"I don't know, man. This feels.. Different."

"Look." Scott grunts, spinning around in his chair to face him. "Phoebe could never hate you, no matter what. No matter how hard she tries to act, deep down, we know what she's really like. When just her and I were friends, she would ask about you, ya'know. Stuff about your personality and your values and all of that."

"And what'd you say?"

"I put in a good word for you "

"Well, thanks," Isaac blew, "But something terribly wrong must have happened between that time and now."

"Just give her time. She'll come around."