October 4, 2007

 

Ialways new that there was something stange about the girl that sat write up front were all of the geeky kids that really wanted to learn about whatever subject you where in at the moment was. But this girl was different. unlke the other geeks she never raised her hand to answer all or any of the questions and she wasn't the teachers pet kind of kid. The only thing that really made her a geek was that she always got the highest grade you can possibley get on all of her papers. if you were to be  in the hall way or at the lockers the same time she was you wouldn't see her because she just blends in. But latley i have noticed her more then i used to. Her hair is never combed and her cloths are kind of ratty. Not that i am conparing her to a homless person but she kind of has that essens around her. i wonder if she has any friends at all?

 

 

October 8, 2007

 

 On Saturday we went to the circus. I found myself in quite a pickle while watching the elephants perform. The man next to me was dressed up as some strange charecter, I think it was a pirate, and constantly blowing his noes into Kleenex. All of a sudden there was the sound of fire trucks outside. Firmen came in rushing with hoses and sprayed the crowd untill they were competely drenched. After the water stopped we could all see that it was just the clowns starting the next act.

 

 

October 9, 2007

 

i unlocked the front door and yelled hello as i walked in. even though nobody is ever home when i get home from schooli always yell hello just in case. i walked into the kitch en to go get a snack before starting on my homework and notyiced a note taped taped to the referigerateer that wasn't therere this moring. it said,

 

                             Izzy-

                              your father and i wasnt be home for dinner tonight we both have to work late. will you please go pick up Eric and Casey                      and watch  them tonight. we sould be home no latter then 10pm

 

                                                                                                                       love mom

 

                                       PS there is money on the counter you will have to pick something up for dinner.

 

I hate it when she does this. dsoes she really think that i'm not busy at night EVER!!!!!

 

 

 

October 10, 2007

MAGNA CARTA 2

1. stuck up main charecter
2. fake dialog
3. has magic
4. 8 or more words that i don't under stand
5. a girl that is to absest with her boyfriend
6. poor me charecters
7.  a guy that doesn't treat his girlfrind nicely
8. all about bullying
9. has someone that can't stand up for them sleves
10. ending that is prodictable

 

 

October 11, 2007

 

"wake uuuupppp"

"mom its saturday, i don't have to go any where."

"But i'm hungry!!! And i'm not you mom."

suddenly i opened my eyes and say cinder sitting next to me. i sreamed. why was she talking? how was she talking?

" this is one thing i hate about being a dog you can hear way better then humans. And you have to go to the bathroom outside EVEN in the winter.

"how...."

"come on feeeed meeee"

"why...."

" are you done?"

"i don't want to know. but i do have one question."

"well what is it?"

"do you remember everything i eversaid?'

"yep"

"you haven't ever told anyone,rght?"

"Nope."

"ok"

"will you feed me now?"

"is that all you care about?"

"....yep, pretty much."

"well i guess."

"yippie!!!!"

 

 

October 15, 2007

when people are done reading my novel i want them to get a better understanding of what my intrests are and what kind of person i am. they should remember a good story and maybe a good example on how to deal with a similar situation. hopefuly it wil affect them opositively and help them realize that just because you are a kid doesn't mean that you can't do what adults do. ( we just don't get payed for it.)

 

October 16, 2007

the story takes place the summer before her freshman year

she lives in a nice neighborhood with old victoian houses.

 ther sister has two little kids of her own along with her.

here house has 8 bedrooms in it.

small town but not s small that there aren't any stores or places to go.

she is a freshman high school and attends Gregory Hughes High School

the town is a 15 minute bike ride from the lake

 

 

October 22, 2007

 

the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen was about a girl who really needed some one that would listen to her and that she could be comfortable around. the girls in the book was an honor student that only ever did home work. her parents owned a very sucsesful realastate company and were very shelterd. after her dad died though her mother and hjer grew appart and didn't understand each other any more. Then she met a buch of people that worked for a catering company and found that she liked all of the chaos and excitement so she got a job with them. after she started to become friends with the people that she worked with she met one of the guys there who's name was Wes. Wes was the only one that really understood her and that could comfort her aboult her parents and life in general. And of course they fell in love.

 

 

 

PROLOGE

 

Isabelle Benin was 10 years old when her parent car when of the road, that icy New Years Eve and tragically ended their lives. When she and her sister Olivia got that phone call they each reacted differently. Olivia went into complete mother mode and took control of her life completely. And at that time Isy didn’t mind because she went into complete shock. Isy never showed any emotion at all. Not during the funeral, not while everyone constantly said” I’m sorry” or “How are you?” She moved in to her sister’s house like it had been loaned from the beginning. She completely withdrew her self from all of her friends and family and still only came out on special occasions when she thought that it was safe. But the moment that she realized that she was happy or having a good time she went right back into her safe spot. She seemed to think that just because her parents died meant that she was never allowed to be happy again. Know matter how hard Olivia tried to reach her she never would confide in her.

Meanwhile while Isabelle is hiding Olivia gets married to her high school sweet heart, Josh Nelson and starts her own family she now has 3 beautiful children named Kevin who is 5, Rachel who is 2, and Lucy who is only 8 months old. Of course she misses her parents but she knows that they would want her to be happy. But there is always a little part of her that is always sad. She just wishes that Isabelle could do the same.

 

CHAPTER 1

“Do you have a list of thing that you need?” Olivia asked.

“Umuh.” I replied unenthusiastically. i hated going Shopping with my sister. Not that Olivia was embarrassing or that we didn’t have a good time because we usually diid. Olivia and i were a lot alike in many ways. but we are really different in many more ways. It was that I hated spending Olivia’s money. Even though she had plenty of it. Olivia was a very successful editor at the Washington Post and her husband was a Dentist at an office in the city. But I never felt right spending her money that was hers; i should be spending my parent’s money. But that was impossible because all of the money that they left to me went straight into a college fund. So i knew that she should just get over it.

“Don’t let me forget to pick up the kids on the way home okay,” Olivia said trying to make small talk.

“Yep” I said dryly. i heard sirens in the distance and felt a pit grow in my stomach. This of course wasn’t unusual since they were going through the city but any kind of siren made me think of that New Years Eve at the hospital. After the phone call that Olivia and i had gotten. sitting in the waiting room of the emergency wing of the hospital waiting to hear form the doctors the only thing that was going through my head was the sound of sirens. So even now almost 5 years later they made her hurt even worse then she always did.

There was a silence in the car, the kind that comes after someone is offended and I new that I had offended Olivia.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so snippy. I just don’t want to start school again.” I said apologetically to her. I wasn’t completely lying; I hated dealing with social things at school.

“That’s okay, I always hated going back.” Olivia new that Isabelle didn’t want to go back because i didn’t have many friendsbut that was not a subject they talked about. I had pulled away from anyone tried to reach out and help after the accident.it wasn’t somwthing that I was proud of but that was how I delt with it.

“Maybe this year will be better.” Olivia said squeezing my sholder gently. I knew that Olivia usually wanted to kill me but hat she would kill for me any day.

“ You now I wasn’t the most popular kid in High School. We had just moved to town when I started my freshman year. But make the best of it and try to meet some new people. Okay”

“I guess.”

“Have you met the people that moved into the Ruggers’ old house yet? It looked like they had 2 kids about your age. A boy and a girl. Maybe tomorrow if they are at the bus stop you could invite them over to dinner on Friday night. You know as a welcome to the neighborhood.”

“Yeah hopefully they aren’t stuck up like everyone else around here.” I said sarcastically knowing that they probably would be

“Hey not everyone is stuck up. Look at the……..” Olivia tried to think of a family that was anything like theirs. But she couldn’t. “Okay fine so there all stuck up. But that doesn’t mean that these ones will be.”

I shrugged doubtfully. People had moved in and out of their neighborhood before and they were all the same kind of people. They all either gave Olivia this look of disgust for having a child my age. Or they listen to the town gossips and found out about our parents and kept giving us care packages. Even 5 years later!

we stopped talking again. Only this time it wasn’t that uncomfortable kind it was the kind that just meant the conversation was over. Olivia turned up the radio to kill the silence. She hated it when things were completely silent.

When we got to the office supply store i carefully looked and calculated for the cheapest items in her head. Olivia and i had gone their separate ways at the door. Olivia said that she was going to go look for a new brief case because the old ones strap had finally given out.

I was hoping that the store was having a big sale so that i could spend the minimum amount possible not that Olivia care because she probably was going to spend two hundred dollars on a brief case. Even so, I new that college wasn’t that far away and i was going to be extremely careful about how much money I went.

“Isabelle, where are you?” I heard Olivia ask from a few isles over.

“I’m over here.” I called back.

“Are you almost finished? We need to pick up the munchkins at day care and get to the post office and the bank before they close.”

“Yeah, I just need to get erasers.”

Are you sure that you only need that stuff. We can come back some other time I don’t want to rush you.” Olivia said looking at the very few things in the basket. She new that I didn’t like to waist stuff but using the same exact supplies every year other then pencils and maybe some paper really wasn’t necessary.

“No this is all I need I still have my binders from last year. And my back pack is still in okay shape.”

“If you say so.” Olivia said fully knowing as well as I did that if I put to many books in my back pack it was going to fall apart.

“Oh my gosh. It’s already four o’clock we need to get going.”

“Mommy she want stop.” Kevin screamed up to Olivia

“Rachel, please stop singing. You know that bugs your brother.” Olivia said. She new that Rachel probably wouldn’t stop because she new it bug Kevin but it was worth the try.

I sat next to Lucy in the back seat. Giving her a bottle to keep her occupied while they ran errands. Lucy really didn’t want the bottle but I was making faces at her and that kept her happy and that was all that mattered.

“Isabelle will you please keep the monsters and the baby busy while I run into the post office?” Olivia asked but really wasn’t going to take no for an answer because she said this as she was getting out of the mini van and heading for the door.

I sighed, Kevin and Rachel had been fighting since they got in the car.

“Hey guys if you are really good when you go to the bank they will give you stickers.”

That kept them quiet for a little while. After about ten minutes thought they got tired of being completely quite so started playing with each other. loudly but happily which was okay by me. A few minutes later when Olivia got back into the car they started arguing again. This time it was about who could get the first sticker. I thought it would be nice to be able to hate each other one minute and then be best friend the next. Of course then the always hate each other again but deep down they wouldn't trade each other for the world.

“Where they this way the whole time I was in the post office? Because if they were they aren’t going to get stickers at the bank.” Olivia said loudly so that she could be heard over Kevin and Rachel.

“No they were fine when you were gone. You must bring out the worst in them.” I said jokingly.

“Well that is what every mother wants isn’t it.”

“Why do they have to grow up? If they all stayed Lucy’s age and slept the whole time they were in the car it would be a much more peaceful world.” I said looking down at Lucy’s porcelain face now deeply asleep.

“Sometimes I wish that to.” Olivia said with a sigh. She always wished that here parents could meet her kids.

As they pulled into the bank parking lot Both Kevin and Rachel went crazy. They knew that the bank gave stickers out to the kids in cars. I wondered if i always got that excited when she went to the bank when i was their age. It seemed kind of stupid to get that excited over sticker.

“Yeah we can get stickers.” Rachel yelled. Isabelle wondered how Lucy could sleep through all of the noise that Kevin and Lucy were making.

“What makes you think that you can have stickers? I told you had to be good to get stickers and I don’t think that teasing your brother is being good.”

“Hah- hah. I get your sticker.” Kevin said slyly. He obviously thought it was his turn to tease Rachel.

“What makes you think that you can have stickers? You haven’t been any better. You know that hitting isn’t a way to get what you want.”

“Hah-hah” Rachel shot back.

They stayed quiet while Olivia was at the drive through window. I noticed as the tube came back that there were four stickers in it. They always sent one for each person in the car that was under the age of 15 and sitting in the back seats. This of course included Lucy and I who had no use for stickers.

“Mommy can we plessssssssssssssse have them.” Kevin begged

“We promise that we won’t fight any more.”

Of course then came the unison PLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEAAAASSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! Olivia knew that that wasn’t true. But she told them if they absolutely promised then they could have them. And that is another day in the life of Olivia Nelson Super Mom and Sister.

 

Chapter 2

The alarm clock on my bed stand went off, singing the national anthem the way it always did at six o’clock every morning on 98.9 WOKO. I turned over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. i had been awake for about an hour already thinking about what the day would bring.

“Isabelle gets up! It’s the first day of school.” Olivia said knock on the door. I slowly crawled out of bed. I lokked at my reflection in the mirror and sighed.

“Another year” i said to myrself. i grabbed a towel and went into her bath room to get ready. If i had to go i was at least going to smell good.

I had decided to wear a new skirt that Olivia had bought her for school with a polo shirt. i wore clothes that were sophisticated but still a little girly. Not that i really cared.

i finished getting ready and went down stairs for breakfast. Usually i had to fend for myself for breakfast but Olivia always made chocolate chip pancakes on the first day of school. our mom had always done this because they were both of our favorites. It was on of the few things that we kept a tradition sense oue parent’s death. i ate a full stack of them. Olivia’s always tasted just like her moms always has. Plus I knew that the schools food was probably going to be gross and i wasn’t going to eat much of the schools food at lunch today and i needed a sugar high to get threw the day.

I helped Olivia pick up the dishes grabbed my back pack and headed for the bus stop. Normally i took the bus to school but I was thinking about walking this year. The school really wasn’t that far from my house and them i wouldn’t have to deal with the nasty smelling bus. Maybe she would just ride on those days that the wheatear was bad. Isabelle looked ahead of her and saw two other bodies standing at the bus stop. Normally she was the only one that got on the bus in neighbor hood. Them i remembered that Olivia had said that the new people in the Ruggers’ old house had two kids that were about h my age. i then remembered that Olivia had also said to invite them over for dinner. I really needed to stop remembering things especially the ones that I didn’t want to do. i really didn’t want to go up to these people that I hadn’t ever met before over to our house. But wait i thought, i had stayed in my shell for almost five years and it was time to break through it, strike up the first words of a conversation instead of waiting to be spoken to. And with that thought in my mind i walked the rest of the way to the bus stop before i could talk myself out of it the way i usually did.

“hi you must be the new people that moved into the Rugger’s old house” I said to the two kids standing on the corner, they looked kind of shy but that was understandable considering that they had just moved here.

“ yeah I think that was the name of the people that used to live in our house.” The girl said

“ well my name is Isabelle Benin. I live just down the road from you guys welcome to the neighborhood.” Isabelle couldn’t believe how fake she sounded. Maybe she really does belong in this neighborhood.”

“Umm, thanks. I’m Eric Komer this is my sister Lisa. And yes we are twins” Eric said.

“Eric don’t be rude to her.” Lisa said sternly to her bother who just answered with a disgusted look.

“I’m sorry about that. Please don’t take an offense to him he is kind of upset about moving. You are the first person around here to be at least a little nice to us. Is everyone around her stuck up?” Lisa asked but seemed to know the answer.

“I’m sorry to say so but yeah.” The bus pulled up to the curb and i smiled at Lisa maybe i would make some friends after all.

 

My homeroom teacher was Mrs. James. She taught English and Language arts. She seemed nice but strict. This was okay with me because I usually was an all around good student. I wandered in to the classroom just after the warning bell and took a seat in the middle of the classroom. i looked around and saw a few familiar faces but nobody that i really cared about. She thought about the Eric and Lisa. She couldn’t believe how rude Eric was. But he was kind of cute.

I looked up at the door to see who was coming in. The person i saw was Lisa. Lisa smiled and walked over and took the seat next to me. She seemed like a nice enough person.

“hi” Lisa said quietly.

“Hi” I replied trying to sound friendly. the final bell rang and Mrs. James walk in closing the door behind her.

‘Hello everyone” she said “I’m sure you know that I am Mrs. James. I would like to welcome you to homeroom and English. I will be passing you out your schedules and then we will start my ice breaker activity. I was the second one to get my scheduel.i opened it and saw that i had algebra, American History, Biology, and Study Hall in that order for classes. i would eat lunch along with the other freshman at eleven thirty. That wasn’t to bad. At least i could get all of the classes that i was required to take done early in the year.

Mrs. James was coming back up the isle with Lisa’s schedule. She handed it to her and then looked at me.

“the principal, Mr. Hughes asked me to tell you that you and Miss Komer have the same schedule and would appreciate it if you would help her find her classes. I know that you are a freshman to but you have seen the building many times before so you know basically were everything is.” And with that she was gone. I was kind of shocked that they would ask me to do it. i was kind of nerves about her first day as it is i really didn’t want any extra responsibilities.

I turned to Lisa i didn’t want her to think that i was going to be one those snoty kids that they both hated.

“well I guess you will be seeing me qure a bit. We are class budies.”

“ don’t feel abligated to lug me around with you every where. You have your own problems to deal with. Its your first time here to.” Lisa said you could tellt hat she waass just being polite and that she really wanted me to be her friend.

“I don’t mind” i replied. i was trying to look on the bright side of things. It could be nice to have someone that could potentionaly be a friend.

Lisa and i sat down at a lunch ytable together. I was kind of happy that she didn’t have to eat by myself on the first day of school.

“ so,” I figures she could start up the small talk. “where are you from?”

“we moved here from Texas but Eric and I were born in Washington.”

“DC?

“no the state.”

“so you are not from are around here. How long did you live in texas?”

“only about 3 years” Lisa said looking at what ever they put on her tray. I wasn’t even sure what it was.

“is it just you and eric or do you have more siblings.?”

“we have a little brother who is 5 and a sister who is 3.”

“oh really isn’t 5 a wonderful age. My nephew is that age and he is always a bundle of joy.” I said sarcastically

“Oh yeah, she’s always so much fun.”

“yeah but you have to lve them anyway.”

“so you have a nephew?” lisa asked

“and two nieces. My sister is 12 years okder then I am.”

“wow I always thought that it would be cool to have an older sister.’

‘yeah she’s pretty awesome” I said. If only i could tell Olivia how she thought and could thank her for all of the things that she has don for me.

The at the rest of there lunches in silence but both of us were happy to be with each other. Maybe our freshman year wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Eric, Lisa, and i decided to walk home together instead of talkin the bus. It turned out to be a beautiful day. lisa and I made small talk and Eric pretended to be happy. He was being nicer to me then he had been that morning. I was just about to walk away from the Komer’s driveway when i remembered that i had to ask them if they wiukd like to come over for dinner on Friday night. i didn’t know how to ask so i just would.

“hey guys I almost forgot my sister asked me to invite you over for dinner on Firday night you know as a welcome to the neighborhood.”

“ thanks ,I’ll ask my parents and tell you tomorrow.” Lisa said and gave i a big smile. Lisa had a feeling that she might have made her first friend in Alexandria.

 

 

Chapter 3

The rest of the week of the week i walked to and from school with lisa. Eric usually was with us but he didn’t do much talking but he started to warm up to me and maybe was even being a little flirty. On firday night the Komer’s came over around six o’clock for dinner. Josh and Olivia were buisy in the kitchen making dinner and i was keeping the kids entertained and out of the way. Usually i did her homework right after school but today Lisa, Eric and i had decided to do there homework together after dinner.

“there here “ Kevin shouted from the entry way. i picked uo Lucy and took rachels hand and hurried them to the dorr so that i could let their guest in.

“hi “ i said to lisa and eric. i wasn;t to shy around them anymore but i was always a little shy and uncomfortable around adults.

“ mom, dad this is isabelle benin.” Lisa said formally.

“and this is Lucy and Rachel.” I said. Lucy was starting to curl up into my sholder and Rachel hid behind my leg.

“well it is very nice to meet all of you.” Mrs. Komer said politely.

“please come in.’ i said and showed them to the kitchen. i noticed that Kevin was coming around the corner at full speed and then stopped abrubtley when he saw lisa’s little sister and then went and hid behind josh.

“hello every one” Olivia said sonding surprised.”I didn’t hear you come in I’m Olivia and this is my husband Josh. Welcome to the neighbor hood” Olivia said reaching her hand out to Mrs. Komer and then to Mr. Komer. Josh waved from behid the island but his hands were busy cutting up chicken so he couldn’t shake any one elses.

“thank you” Mrs. Komer replied.” My name is Debbie and this is my husband Hank.”

“Nice to meet you” mr. komer said

“oh I see you have a little ones to”

yes this is Jason and Maggie” Mrs. Komer said pushing the kids ahead so that Olivia could see them “say hi.”she said

“hi” Jason mumbled but Maggie just ran bak to eric who’s hand she had been holding.

Olivai laghed quietly “oh mine are just as shy.” She said ‘that one over there is Kevin and you’ve met lucy and Rachel.” Olivia smiled

“Um Olivia,” i steped in.” can you take Lcy so that we can go and do our homework.?”

“oh of course hun. Im sorry. I’ll call ti you when supper is ready”

“okay thanks. Come of guys lets go u to my room” Lisa and Eric followed me up to her room with there back pack slung over there shoulders.

I made my way down the hallway to her room. There house had lots of rooms in it and they were huge.

“wow this is your room “Lisa said as they walked in.

“yeah this is it”

“I love it”

“okay lets get started. Do you guys understand the algebra homework?” Eric asked.

“um yeah its not that hard.”m Lisa said to her brother looking at him like he was an idiot.

“here let me help you”

I tried to help Eric understand his homework but didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. Eric seemed smart but math must have judst been his weak subject.

“dinners ready guys.” Olivia called up stairs

“c’mon Isy I’m hungary!” Kevin yelled up he always had to addd to what Olivia said.

“we’er coming” I called back as she shut her text book.”we’ll continue this tutering leson after dinner.” I said to Eric.

“good luck because I don’t think any of it is sinking in” Lisa said giggling at the same time.

After dinner Mr. and Mrs. Komer took Jason ands Magie home so that they could get to bed and told Eric and Lisa that they nedded to be home by eight o’clock. When we got back up the stairs to finish our homework. But ended up doing a lot of talking instead.

“so Olivia is your sister not your mom.”Eric asked.

Oh no these were always the questions that i hated the most. But people always seemed to ask them.

“yeah she’s my sister.” I said quietly

“so were are your paeents ? what happened to them?” Eric asked.

“Eric that isn’t polite to ask. if Isabelle wanted us to know then don’t you think that she would have told us.” Lis scolded him.

“that’s okay. I knew that someone wold ask eventually.” I managed to mumble out. This was the ladst thing that I was thinking about. I was having a good school year so far even if it was only a month into it but this thought made my head wurl around on the inside and my mouth go dry

“so what happened’ Eric insisted

“Eric we need to go” Lisa said picking up his and her stuff and pushing him to get out the door sencing that I didn’t want to talk. At least she respected me “I’m really sorry about him. And about what ever happened to your parents” Lisa said

Isabelle nodded and tried to force a smile onto her face but it was more of a wobbily line.

“are you going to be okay?” Lisa asked. She seemed really conserned.

“yeah all be fine” I said but on the inside it felt like I was melting into a big blob. i didn’t know what to do.

 

Chapter 4

I had managed to avoid making eye contact with Lisa and Eric at the bus stop for almost a week now. I really need should just get ovedr not being able to talk about my parents because it is always going to come up no matter how badly i didn’t want it to. Lisa still seemed kind of irritated with Eric and stayed away from him. I could tell that she was really sorry for the way that he acted. So why was I being so cold to her. Lisa hadn’t ever done anything. she had just been trying to protect me from being hurt. I thought that i should thank her. But i also thought that it would be rude not to answer the infamous question so she decided that just not talking at all would be safe.

Buy the time the bus pulled up to the curve I had run a million different ideas through her head on ways to handle my situation. i had concluded that i needed to some how apologize to Lisa. But how was still the question running through my mind.

I made my way into American History that morning very quietly. I double checked that Lisa had made it to class but did not speak to her.i really nedded to talk to her but this was one of my classes that Eric was also in so I defenitley was going to have to keep quiet because what I needed to tell Lisa was the one thing that Eric wanted to know trhe most and I was not about to give him that saticfaction.

“Okay class today we are going to start our first project.” Mr. Gregor announced over enthusiastically especially considering that the whole entire class was groans as he said it.

“I know you hate this but the project will be comparing your family history to another class mattes family history. I have assigned you all partners and this project will be due in one month on December 15.”

I though that this was going to be a fun and great year but know I was going to have to do a project on the sorest subject in my life at the moment. The positive part is that i wouldn’t have to pick my partner. i hated it when you had to pick partners because I was always the only one that was left without one.

“ I want this to be a very detailed project. I want complete family histories from both partners and then a good comparison of the two.”

Even better I thought.

“Okay partners are Kelly and Fank, Lisa and Greg, Tommy and Hillary, Eric and Isabelle….”

My world began to spin again. This ptroject was alredy my living nightmare and now i was going to have to do it with the person that was dying to know about my history and i was uncomfortable around. Perfect. i looked over at Eric who kind of smile and waved and then at Lisa who gave me a sympathetic look. This could end up being not such a great year.

At lunch that day i pulled Lisa aside and asked her to walk home from school with me alone. i didn’t want Eric to hear about my parent before I apologized to Lisa and told her. Lisa told me that she would and we ate the rest of our lunches in peace. Thoughts kept running through my head about this dissision. I had never told any one aboiut this before. All of the people that know know because the hjeard about it on the news or saw it in the paper. Olivia was always telling me that I would feel better if I told some one or if I talked about it. I guess that today after scool I would find out.

I left the lunch room that day trying to feel confident and promising that I wouldn’t try to chicken out.

I waited for Lisa out side of the front entrance by the steps. Lisa was one of the last few to straggle out of the school.

“hi I’m really sorry that I made you wwait so long but my locker was jammed.” Lisa said completely out of breath. Oi think she ran from her locker to me.

“that’s okay” I said as we began to walk away from the school.

“so what I ment to talk to you about was that Friday that your family came over for dinner” I looked down at my feet.

“you don’t need to apologize. The way that my brother acted was completely immature and rude. If anything we should still be apologizing to you.”

“I agree with you completely about your brother but you didn’t do anything to me except defend me. I owe you a thank you and an apoligie. So thank you and I am truly sorry about the way that I acted.”

“I ecept that apoligie. So does this mean we can be friends again.” It was Lisa’s turn to look down at her feet.

“of course.” I said wse were walking down King Street through the center of town. We walked in silence for a little while until we turned up th our street.

“there is one more thing o was going to tell you.” I finally said

“okay” Lisa said. I think she knew that I was going to tell her my secret.

“ my parents did die.” I said quietly. “But it was almost five years ago on New Years Eve.” Ilooked down. I really didn’t want to see Lisa’s exprecin.

“Isy, I’m so sorry are you okay.” She asked. Then it happened. I never cried in public but something came over me that I just couldn’t control. I looked up at Lisa and it just made the tears come out faster and stronger. Lisa just wrapped her arms around me and gave a gentle squeeze that made me give in and sob right there on the side walk. They were the kind of sobs that I couldn’t control but it felt good. When I finally got a little more control we walked the rest of the way home. Lisa brought me all the way to my house and stayed until Olivia got home so that I wouldn’t have to be alone.

“thank you so kuch for staying with her” I heard Olivia say to Lisa as she was leaving.

“oh that’s fine. We actually had a good time in a strange way”

“you are probably the frist person to treat isy the same way after you know, everyone else always seemed to take pitty on her and she is to strong to have htat.”

“Isabelle is my first good friend here and I really don’t want to mess it up.”

I realized that my sister must have always been concerned about me and how much thing changed after the accident.

That Friday after school was over and i was at home doing my homework aand thinking about how i was going to approach her project for history. The dorr bell rang which was unusual because I haddent invited anyone over. When I went to the entry way to get the dorr and saw that it was Eric. Oh joy.

“what do you want?” iasked as I opened the door. That was probably a pretty rude thing to do considering that I really didn’t know why he was here.

“I came over to apologize for the way I acted about your parents.”

“well it tookj you long enough. Thvis doesn’t mean that I am going to tell you right now.”

“fair enogh but you do know that I am going to have to find out eventually. You kknow because of the project.”

I thought about that even though I had already knew that I was going to make him wait until the last minute.” I realize that but you’ll find out when I’m ready to tell you.”

“ah! Going to play hard to get are you.”eh said and I he wasn’t talking about the project

“yep” was my only response but I gave him a smile that was ment to send a message. And he got it. Even if I had been really mad at Eric there was a little bit of an attractin that had developed between the two of us.

“that’s okay” he said “I like a challenge.” And he left.

It left a creepy feeling in my spine. But I liked it.

 

Chapter 5

For the rest of the week and the following Lisa, Eric and I did just about everything together. Eric had come over to our house everyday to work on our project. We disided to go back 8 generations and get into it pretty good. We were going to go see my grandpa in a nursing home. I don’t see him very much so it will be nice to see again.

I think that Eric really likes me. He keeps accidentally grabbing my hand or bumping into me. I think that he is kind of cute but he has a temper problem that needs work.

“so after we go see you grandpa pn Saturday do you want to go out for hot choclat or something?” he asked me on in Friday as we were going to our separate drive ways . I thought about it for a minute. Lisa wasn’t there with us and I don’t think that he would have asked if she was there. Plus I really didn’t want this to get under anyone’s skin. But she really wanted to go with him.

“sure. That would be great.”

“okay I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He turned around and went into his house. I thought that what I had done was incredibly stupid but I really didn’t care at the time I was high on life.

“that went pretty well considering that your grandpa slept most of the time.” Eric said as we sat at a table in the conner coffee shop.

“hey he’s like 90 years old he is intitled to sleep.” I said to him. My grandpa kept doesing off the whole time we were with him.

“hey that’s fine.”

“so … why did you ask me to come with you?” I had to ask just because I wanted to hear the answer.

“because I really like you and this seemed to be the only way to get you out.”

That’s not true. I get out”

He gave me this look that spoke the truth. I never get out.

We seemed to talk for hour and all the way home .

“so I’ll see you Monday.”

“yeah”

Then he leaned in and kissed me. I couldn’t believe that he haddone it. But what was even harder for me to believe was that I kissed him back. And it felt good. It felt right.

“ I’ll see you Monday.”

“yep.”

For about a week while we walked to school Eric kept grabbing my hand but when ever Lisa looked he would drop it and look the other way like I wasn’t even there. Was he trrying to hide our relationship from Lisa. I really didn’t want something so important to me to a secret.

At lunch on friay Lisa fpund out about our relationshio and it wasn’t pretty. It all started when Eric started teasing me about our projecoming to an end.

“so you are going to have to tell me what happened to your folks pretty soon.”

‘or we can fail the project.” I said leaning into him.

“geeze by the way you two act together you could almost swear that yu were a couple.” Lisa said and laugfh like it was such an outrageous thought that it would never happen.

We bothjmust have looked guilty sitting there as I scuched away from Eric alitle at a time and he looked down at his lunch tray.

“you can’t be serious you two are ging out with each other!!!” Lisa cried peopke were startong to look at us.”just when did you plan on telling me?”

“Lisa it hasn’t been that long.” I said quietly.

“just exactly how ling has it been going on?” she asked. Anyone coulod heaer the anger in her voice.

“only 2 weeks.” Eric said

“so I have been in the dark about this whole thing for 2 WEEKS!!! How could you do this. I thought you and I were friends.” Lisa yelled as she stormed out of the lunch room. At this point every one was staring at us but I really didn’t care.

“Lisa wait. Ccome one Lisa we didn’t mean to hurt you.” I yelled after her.mni tried to catch her but she was t`o quick

“get away from me” she cried and I relized that she was acctualey cring.

“isy don’t bother” Eric said as he finally caught up with me. “let her cool down she will forgive us eventually.”