The Grass Is Always Greener

by Jen Calonita

  “I know.” Kellen’s voice was quiet.

  “So where do we go from here?” Mira asked. “Do we just stop talking?” She didn’t want that, either.

  “I’d hate to think that just because we’re no longer in the same state, we’re not going to be friends,” he said. “Isn’t this why Facebook was invented?”

  Mira smiled. Friends. Maybe that was what they were always meant to be. Even though she was still getting to know Landon, being around him felt more natural than it ever had with Kellen. Kellen felt like a term paper she had no clue how to finish. She would always remember him, but her friends were right; it was probably time to let him go. “I expect to see a post on my wall when I get home tonight,” Mira teased.

  “Will do,” Kellen said. “Now go finish that mural before Izzie hunts you down.”

  Mira actually felt lighter when she hung up. She snuck around the back of the booth and slipped inside the tent without Izzie noticing. Landon was putting the finishing touches on one of the mine walls. She was about to say something about wrapping things up when she heard him humming. “Are you singing a Taylor Swift song?”

  Landon looked guilty when he turned around. He had paint on his right cheek and a dab of black glitter paint over his eyes. She decided not to tell him. He looked even cuter when he was an art-house mess. “Who? Me? Nope.”

  Mira laughed. “Any chance Jillian’s mom is bringing her today? You can duet.”

  Landon gave her a wry look, then went back to his mural. He couldn’t stop messing with it, even though you could hear the people already in line outside the tent. “I think around lunchtime. There!” He dropped his brush in a cup of water. “What do you think?”

  The cave he’d painted on the tent walls looked lifelike. On one wall he’d painted a cave entrance that appeared blocked off by a boarded-up sign. The dreary brown cave walls were jazzed up with rocks and specks of green and gold glitter that hinted at emeralds and gold. Landon had even added a few shovels and mining tools lying around.

  “My brother Connor is going to flip,” Mira said in awe. “This looks so real.”

  Landon wiped his paint-covered hands on his jeans and looked at the tent surrounding them. “You didn’t do such a bad job yourself. If Selma were grading you on this project, I bet you’d get your second ‘exceptional work’ remark of the semester.”

  Mira grinned. “I’m not sure my fruit bowl was exceptional, but at least she seems to be overlooking my last name now.” The fruit bowl she’d painted the other day got huge points for the realism of her peach and grapes, while her banana left something to be desired. But that was okay. At least she was getting a real critique for a change.

  Landon started to pull off his long-sleeved navy T, and Mira felt dizzy. Is he taking off his shirt? Why is he taking off his shirt? Maybe I’ll see his abs! Then she realized he had a St. Barnard’s logo T-shirt underneath. It was kind of warm for March. Mira tried not to look disappointed that Landon wasn’t going shirtless after all.

  “I’d still give you an A for excellent effort,” Landon said. “I can’t believe you thought you could finish this up yourself this morning.”

  “I didn’t have a choice.” Mira leaned on one of the two large sandboxes Kylie and Hayden had built. One was filled with water for cleaning and finding the gems. The other was full of sand for mining. “Izzie is such a stress ball about cochairing. If I had told her I hadn’t finished, she would have wigged out.”

  Landon began cleaning up all their paint supplies. “Yeah, your sister seems a little rough around the edges, but I would be, too, if I’d been through what she has.”

  Mira looked up from the sand table, where she was letting the sand fall through her fingers. “I told you about Izzie?”

  Landon pushed the paints under one of the tent corners so none of the kids would knock them over. “You didn’t have to. Her story has been in every paper in town.”

  “She doesn’t trust people easily, but I can’t blame her,” Mira felt the need to say. “This God-awful reporter from the North Carolina Gazette, Grayson Reynolds, seems to have made it his personal mission to destroy my family and is using Izzie more than the rest of us.” Mira knew she sounded bitter. “It was bad enough when he was just focusing on my dad, but he wrote the most awful things about her when she got stuck at USC in that storm.” Mira’s hands clenched into fists without her even realizing it. “If I ever meet that guy, I am going to give him a piece of my mind.”

  Landon’s mouth twitched. “I shiver just thinking about your wrath.” Mira threw her apron at him and he caught it. “Are you sure this guy is out to get you guys? Maybe he’s just doing his job.”

  “Some job. He gets paid to spread lies about my family!” Mira shook her head. “Nothing bothers me more than being judged by my name alone.”

  “I know the feeling,” he said. She tried to remember what Landon’s parents did for a living. They were lawyers, maybe? Landon didn’t talk about them much.

  He came up beside her and adjusted her butterfly wings. “Try not to worry about this guy. Your wings will droop.” His face was so close they could bump noses.

  “I can’t have that.” She wondered if they were about to kiss.

  That was, until Savannah ruined the moment. “We’re about to let the first group in!” Savannah said, startling them. “Act natural! Smile! Be friendly!”

  “Savannah, chill.” Izzie pushed Savannah into the tent ahead of her. Neither of them seemed to notice how uncomfortable Mira and Landon were. “We’ve got the Junior League grand-prize fair award in the bag. Look at this booth. It’s like Disney World.”

  Savannah touched the diamond pendant around her neck as she stared at the booth in awe. “I did do a good job, didn’t I?”

  “We did a great job,” Izzie said, but Savannah had already headed to the front of the booth to greet the first guest, her wings bouncing as she walked. “I’m going to wrap those wings around her neck by the end of the day,” Izzie warned Mira.

  Mira laughed nervously. She didn’t want Landon to think Izzie was a total psychopath. “Iz, meet Landon. Landon, Iz.”

  “Hey,” she said, sounding normal. “Art class guy, right?” She glanced briefly at Mira. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Have you?” Landon gave Mira a look, and she wanted to die of embarrassment.

  “Where’s Brayden?” Mira asked.

  “He’s working the Emerald Prep information center.” Izzie noticed Landon’s shirt. “You go to St. Barnard’s?”

  “Izzie! Let’s go!” Savannah stuck her head back in, interrupting them. “A dozen kids are already making hats, and there is a line of at least ten more waiting. I can’t be expected to take care of everything on my own while you sit back here chatting with—” She noticed Landon. “Who are you, anyway?”

  “This is Mira’s friend,” Izzie emphasized. “Landon goes to St. Barnard’s. Isn’t that where that guy you’re seeing goes?”

  “Did I say St. Barnard’s?” Savannah thought for a moment. “I meant St. Benedict’s.” The first kids made their way inside the tent wearing mining hats decorated with foam stickers and glitter pens. Several of the Butterflies and parents followed them in and the tent suddenly felt crowded. “I’ll meet you up front. Mrs. Fitz said your father should be here any minute to see the booth. And he has a press entourage with him.”

  “I do not want to be paraded in front of the press,” Izzie groaned when Savannah was out of earshot. “Can you deal with them?” she begged Mira. “You know Dad is gung ho about making us look like good Southern girls after my USC disaster, and I don’t think I have it in me to turn on the charm. Especially when I am wearing wings. I’d rather save my cheer for the kids.” A little kid tripped in front of her and Izzie caught him. “Please?”

  “Okay, but you know Dad is going to want to know where you are.” Mira almost forgot Landon was listening to her family drama. “I’m sorry,” she apologized to him. “I have to go deal with this.
You can hang back here if you want or you can come meet my dad.” A second later, she felt stupid for even suggesting it.

  “I’m all for making a good impression on the parental units, but I’m not sure covered in paint and with a camera crew on the scene is the way to go.” He shuffled to the side to allow kids to get to the sandbox. “Maybe I should meet him another time.”

  “Smart move,” Izzie mumbled.

  Mira was actually relieved. “Sounds good.”

  “I’ll bring Jillian back later, but if it’s too crazy, I’ll just see you tomorrow,” Landon said as he made his way out of the crowded area.

  “Tomorrow?” Mira questioned.

  “At the Crystal Ball.” Landon raised one of his eyebrows. “You are going, aren’t you? That’s the whole reason I agreed to go. I didn’t think you’d miss a party that big.”

  Izzie started to laugh and Mira glared at her. Landon was going to the Crystal Ball! “Nope, I’m going, too.”

  Landon leaned against the sandbox, being careful to avoid a mini miner who seemed to think the booth was his own personal water park. “Great. That top hat I rented won’t go to waste. Want to meet there?”

  It sort of sounded like Landon thought this was their first real date. Mira liked the sound of that. “Sounds good to me.”

  A new group of kids entered the tent, and Izzie began escorting those who had full bags of jewels back out. Mira and Landon got separated in the commotion, so she made her way out front. It was even more of a mob scene than inside the tent. The fair was well under way by that point, and the street was packed with people, strollers, dogs, and shoppers. It didn’t hurt that the weather was beautiful. As far as Mira could see, the rest of the stands had visitors, too, but the line at the Butterflies’ booth seemed to be the longest. Nicole had a group of parents waiting to check in, and the tables out front were packed with kids decorating mining hats.

  “Can you believe all the donations we’ve gotten already?” Mrs. Fitz sounded happy as she walked by with a jar stuffed with money. Mira and Izzie did a double take when they saw her. Their club adviser was wearing a pink T and wings, too. “I’m going to put these donations in a safe place and get another jar to fill.”

  “I hope Zoe is getting pictures of this,” Mira said as Millie ran by with another stack of jewel bags and hats for kids waiting to start. “Has she come by yet?”

  Izzie looked uncomfortable. “No. We sort of had a thing. I haven’t talked to her since.”

  “What kind of thing?” Mira was immediately worried.

  Izzie looked around to make sure no one was listening. “I found out that Grams asked Zoe to be my guardian twice—once when my mom died and again last year.” Her face hardened. “Which means she knew about me for years and wanted nothing to do with me.”

  Mira inhaled sharply. She knew Zoe was selfish, but she hadn’t realized how much. Mira braced herself for Izzie’s anger, but it didn’t come. “Why are you so calm?”

  Izzie watched the kids happily waiting in line to go into the tent. “I’m not happy, but what point is there in getting mad again? She apologized. Does it matter when it happened?”

  Um, yes. “I guess not,” Mira said because it seemed to be the answer Izzie was looking for. Not only had Zoe lied to her—twice—but she also had completely abandoned her after her mom’s funeral, which she’d said she never attended! Zoe might not have been a bad person, but she was someone who thought only about herself. She hadn’t finished Mira’s head shots, she never called Justine, and she hadn’t sat down with Izzie to talk about her mom till recently even though Izzie had asked for weeks. She’d also left Izzie stranded at USC because she was having a party. Zoe was never going to be someone Izzie could rely on. Mira was about to say that when Izzie dropped another bombshell.

  “She asked me to go live with her in California.”

  “What?” Mira exclaimed.

  Izzie pulled her into a corner. “Don’t freak out. I didn’t say yes.”

  “Did you say no?” Mira asked. “You’re not considering it, are you?” Izzie didn’t answer, and that made Mira nervous. Zoe couldn’t be serious. She would never follow through on her promise, and Izzie would be crushed. “But you love North Carolina. You can’t move!”

  Izzie looked uncomfortable. “California is North Carolina with a different beach.”

  Mira had to think fast. “No, it’s not. They have earthquakes.”

  “I’m not moving, okay?” Izzie snapped, but it worried Mira that she was so fidgety. “I was just tempted because who wouldn’t want the chance to start over?”

  “But you did start over—here!” Mira reminded her.

  “Yes, but here people knew my life story before I even opened my mouth.” Izzie’s normally bright hazel eyes seemed cloudy. “Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off going someplace where my Valentine’s Day dinner and my weekend activities didn’t make Grayson Reynolds’s news feed.”

  “It’s not always going to be like this,” Mira promised, but she wasn’t sure she believed that. Her life had been under scrutiny as long as she could remember.

  Izzie seemed to sense this. “It’s only going to get worse if Dad gets elected.”

  Mira knew Izzie was going to make this decision on her own, just like she had made almost every other decision about her life, and that frightened her. She did not want her sister to leave. Not when they were finally becoming a family.

  “Hi, girls!” They heard their dad and turned around. Five or six reporters and a camera crew surrounded him near the front of the booth. Her dad had on his Founders Day tie with the town insignia, while her mom had on a simple navy dress and a scarf that said Emerald Cove in tiny print all over it. They had their public-appearance smiles on. Izzie’s shoulders sagged. There was no escaping now.

  “These are my daughters I was telling you about,” their dad said when the girls were within reach. He put one arm around each of them and turned them toward the cameras. “They’re members of our town’s most charitable school club, the Social Butterflies.” He turned to Izzie. “Would you mind telling everyone what your club’s mission is? Isabelle is one of the club’s cochairs.”

  “I’d be happy to tell them, Mr. Monroe!” Savannah appeared from out of nowhere and quickly recited the club’s mission statement before anyone could stop her.

  Their dad looked on in confusion. “Why, thank you, Savannah.”

  “My pleasure. And I’d be happy to gather the club if your friends would like a picture of all of us.” Savannah was so busy smiling she didn’t notice Izzie’s piercing glare at first, but once she did, she quickly faded into the background.

  Mira’s dad turned his attention back to the pack of reporters. “I know many of you came here today hoping to hear my views on state policy and the recent tax bill, but I wanted you to see my wonderful family doing things they love. My daughters are role models for others their age, and I deplore the way Grayson Reynolds and his associates at the Gazette have focused on their occasional missteps rather than the points of this election. My children are not running for office and they should be left out of such affairs.”

  Mira smiled warily. Her dad was trying to do right by them. Unfortunately, his comment opened up a can of worms.

  “Bill, what do you have to say about Grayson’s accusations that you can’t control your own children?” one reporter asked.

  “I would say that Grayson should worry about his own family,” Bill said. “He has two sons of his own and I would question if he knew their every move. If there is something that worries me, I take it up with my kids directly. I don’t need a photo in the paper to remind me that kids are kids and sometimes they mess up.”

  “Do your children have curfews?”

  “Did Mirabelle get special treatment from the North Carolina Aquarium when she visited them after hours?”

  “Did you know Isabelle was visiting the University of South Carolina?”

  Things were out of control and even
some of the parents waiting in line for the mining station were starting to notice. Mira’s dad tried to rein in the questions, but it wasn’t working. Finally her dad’s campaign advisers hurried the press away, but it was too late.

  Mira couldn’t read minds, but she feared she knew what Izzie was thinking. The press were never going to stop hounding them, and if that’s the way it was going to be, maybe she didn’t want to be a part of this family after all.

  Seventeen

  To: ISABELLE SCOTT

  From: ZOE SCOTT

  Subject: Hey

  I know how upset you were the other afternoon after our run-in with Patty Brooks, so I thought I would give you some space. I’ve gone to Miami for a few days to squeeze in another couple of shoots before I go back to California. I know you’ve tried to call me, but I think it might be good if we both clear our heads first.

  I meant what I said about you coming to live with me. What happened in the past is the past. The important thing is I’m here now and I think I’m ready to grow up and be the parent you need in your life—one who gives you freedom and shows you how to have fun! I know the two of us would be a great team.

  Sorry I skipped out on the street fair, but my return flight should get me back in time for the Crystal Ball. Hopefully you will be ready to talk by then so we can discuss our future. I want to get back to California as soon as possible.

  Sending you love and peace,

  Z

  Izzie dove into the pool and swam underwater as long as she could. It was so freeing. There was no commotion, no distractions, and, today, there were no times to beat. Coach Greff had made arrangements with the school so that the girls could swim laps over the weekends, but since it was the morning of the Crystal Ball, Izzie seemed to have the pool to herself. It was the perfect time to think, which was good because there was a lot to think about.