The Year I Became Isabella Anders (Alternative Edition) (Sunnyvale Alternative Series Book 1)

by Jessica Sorensen

  “I so am not.” I lie down with him so our heads, arms, and legs are touching. I look up at the stars twinkling in the sky, like handfuls of magic pixie dust. “And you wouldn’t say that if you saw some of the stuff I did when I was in Scotland.”

  “Enlighten me, then.” He tucks his arm under his head then looks at me.

  “No way.” I keep my eyes on the stars.

  “Come on. Just one tiny thing, and then I’ll let it go.”

  “Yeah, right. I’m learning you’re the kind of person who doesn’t just let things go.”

  “That does kind of sound like me,” he agrees then reaches over and tickles my side.

  “Kai!” I erupt in a fit of giggles. “Stop with the tickling!”

  “No way.” He travels downward to the bottom of my shirt and his sneaky little fingers dip under the fabric. He tickles me on my bare belly, which feels ten times worse, yet somehow ten times better. “It’s too much fun watching you laugh.”

  “You’re evil!”

  “I know. You’re the hero, and I’m the villain, right?”

  “Yep! But you’ll never win.” I flip onto my stomach, ungracefully push to my feet, and skitter away from him.

  He stands up, too, although it takes him a few attempts to get his feet under him. Then he moves toward me with his hands up but grinds to a halt as a group of older guys stroll across the grass toward us.

  “Hey, Kai. How’s it going, man?” one guy asks, and not in a friendly kind of way.

  Kai tenses by my side. “T, what’s up? I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

  “Of course I’d be here. There’s no way I was going to miss a chance to pay a visit to my friend.” He says friend like it’s a foul word.

  I squint through the dark, trying to see what the guy looks like, but I’ve got my drunk beer goggles on.

  “Who’s this?” T asks Kai, smiling in my direction.

  Kai grabs my arm and pulls me behind him. “What do you want?”

  “I just wanted to pay you a visit,” T says. “Make sure you haven’t forgotten the deal.”

  “I haven’t,” Kai replies through gritted teeth.

  Before anyone can say anything else, a car stops in the middle of the road and beeps the horn several times. I’m so relieved to see Indigo, and not just because I missed her. This T guy is giving me the heebie-jeebies.

  “That’s Indigo.” I grab Kai’s hand before I step off the curb, mostly because I’m worried he’s going to fall.

  “I’ll be in touch,” T calls out to Kai as I open the back door of the car.

  “Who was that?” I ask as I help Kai get into the backseat.

  “Just some dude who thinks he’s the shit,” he says tightly.

  I know there’s more to the story, but now’s not the time to press him, especially with T still watching us.

  I shut the door and slide into the passenger seat.

  “Having fun?” Indigo asks with an insinuating smirk. She has on her pajamas, her hair is braided back, and she’s wearing her square-framed reading glasses.

  I buckle my seatbelt and tell Kai to put on his.

  “It was just a party. No biggie.”

  “Sure it wasn’t.” Indigo shifts the car and drives forward, glancing in the rearview mirror at the backseat. “So you’re Kai, huh?”

  Kai, who seems to have gotten a second burst of energy, scoots forward in the seat and rests his arms on the console. “Yep, the one and only. The question is, how did you know that?” He eyes her over suspiciously.

  “Isa told me about you,” she says, pulling out onto the main road. “And I saw some of the texts you sent her while we were on our trip.”

  As his gaze glides to me, he props his elbow onto the console and rests his chin on his hand. “You’ve been telling people about me, huh?”

  “Don’t get too excited. I just told her about my annoying next-door neighbor; that’s all.”

  I blast Indigo with a warning look, silently begging her to keep quiet.

  “I’m not lying for you.” She laughs as she reaches for the knob on the stereo. “So don’t look at me like that.”

  A lazy grin expands across Kai’s face. “What have you been saying about me? I want to know.”

  “I’m sure you do.” I slip off my boots and prop my feet onto the dash, wiggling my toes.

  He sticks out his bottom lip and flutters his eyelashes at me. “Pretty please?”

  I shake my head. “No way.”

  “Oh, come on.” He pouts. “Most girls fall for that look all the time.”

  “Ah-ha! I knew you did that on purpose to try to get your way.” I point at him. “It’s not going to work on me. I’m not like most girls.”

  “I know you’re not.” He turns dead serious. “And that’s such a good thing. Seriously. We should hang out all the time. It’s just too much fun with you.”

  “Isa, he’s totally adorable.” Indigo practically swoons in her seat.

  “Hey, what a freakishly awesome coincidence,” Kai says, sitting up straight. “My friend calls you adorable. Yours calls me adorable. We should be adorable together.”

  “Aw,” Indigo says, pressing her hand to her heart.

  “Don’t aw anything he says,” I tell her. “He doesn’t even know what he’s saying. He’s too drunk.”

  “I am not,” he says as his eyelids start to drift shut, validating my point.

  “I don’t care if he’s drunk or not. He’s a cutie, Isa.” She slows down for a stop sign and twists the stereo knob, surfing through the stations.

  I peek back at Kai, who’s already dozing off, his head tipped back. He’s making this funny bubbling noise with his lips. He looks like a goof, but …

  “Okay, he’s a little bit cute, but in a goofy way.”

  “So are you.” She smiles at me. “But that’s why I love you.”

  Kai suddenly wakes up, bounces forward, and slams his hand against the console. “Holy crap. Turn this shit up!”

  Indigo leaves the radio on the station and cranks up the volume. A pop song I’m vaguely familiar with flows through the speakers and the bass booms.

  Kai and Indigo start singing, bobbing their heads, and shimmying their shoulders.

  “Well, at least you two share the same taste in bad music!” I laugh.

  They look ridiculous, and I love them for it.

  “Isa’s kind of a music snob,” Kai remarks between lyrics.

  “Don’t let her fool you,” Indigo says then belts out more lyrics as she drives through the intersection. “She knows this song.” She reaches over and pinches my side. “Come on, Isa, sing it.” When I shake my head, she pinches me again. “Do it, do it …”

  Kai chants with her until finally I throw up my hands, surrendering.

  “Fine! Only because I can’t take the peer pressure.”

  The three of us sing and dance together, creating a sound that kind of resembles a herd of dying cats. By the time the song is finished, Kai is passed out in the backseat.

  “I’m really glad you called me tonight,” Indigo says as she steers the car through the sleepy town of Sunnyvale toward my subdivision.

  “I promised you I’d never drink and drive or get into a car with someone who has been drinking,” I tell her, resting my head back against the seat.

  “That’s not the only reason I’m glad.” She flips the blinker on and changes lanes. “I tried to call you tonight after you sent me that text about getting another message from that unknown person. Are you okay?”

  I nod then give her a quick recap of what happened today. By the time I’m finished, she looks fuming mad.

  “I’m starting to wonder if maybe this isn’t Hannah,” she says. “I mean, the whole thing seems a little too smart for her.

  “That thought’s crossed my mind, too. If it’s not her, though, then who could it be?”

  Worry masks her expression. “Maybe Lynn … or your dad.”

  Although the thought has brief
ly crossed my mind, I ask, “Why would my dad do this?”

  She grows more concerned. “Maybe he thinks he’s scaring you enough that you’ll stop looking for your mom.”

  “Then why would he leave my birth certificate on my bed?” I point out. “Besides, he’s not even here. He’s gone on a vacation with Lynn.”

  “Oh.” She ponders something then shakes her head. “I have to tell you something else—or show you something, anyway. And I’m not sure how you’re going to take it.”

  “Okay …?” Nervousness bubbles inside me.

  “I found a box while I was going through some of Grandma Stephy’s old stuff,” she says as she pulls into my driveway. All the lights in the house are off, which hopefully means Hannah isn’t home. “It has your dad’s name on it, and I think I found something you might want.” After she pushes the shifter into park, she opens the console, takes out a crinkled photo, and hands it to me.

  The picture is of a woman holding a little girl, probably around two or three years old, and they’re smiling at something in the distance. They have the same blue eyes and brown hair, looking similar enough that they could be mother and daughter.

  “Who is this? Wait. You think …?” I blink at Indigo. “You think this is my mom and me?”

  “I’m not sure, but I wonder if it might be. I don’t even think your dad knows the photo was in the box. It was rolled up and stuck inside the bottom of a lamp. I actually thought it was a joint at first, but then I pulled it out and …” She trails off, staring at the closed garage door. “It was so weird how it was put in there, almost like someone hid it.”

  “Maybe my dad did it,” I say quietly. “Maybe he wanted to keep something of my mother’s and didn’t want Lynn to know about it.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe your mom put it in there for you to find.”

  “That sounds like a huge stretch. How would my mom even get a lamp into a box of my dad’s old stuff? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  Her gaze glides to me. “I asked Grandma Stephy why the box was there, and she said your dad asked her to store it for her.”

  “Which means he probably put it there.” I look down at the photo and swallow hard. We look so happy together. Happy. God, I want to feel it again, how I felt in this photo. “Maybe he’s still in love with her, and that’s why he hid it.”

  “That doesn’t explain why he won’t tell you about her,” she points out. “Or why you lived with her for three years before she gave you up.”

  My lungs ache as I struggle to get air. “Maybe she died. Maybe he took me in because she died, and he keeps this photo because he wants to hold on to her memory.”

  “That’s deep, Isa.” She thrums her fingernails on top of the wheel, frowning. “Maybe a little too deep for your dad.”

  “Who knows how deep my dad is?” Tears prickle in the corners of my eyes. “I don’t know him.”

  “No one really does when you think about it. He’s practically secluded himself from the entire family.”

  She’s right. No one really knows my dad, except for maybe Lynn, who practically controls his every move. I wonder if, at one time, my mom knew him. Like, really knew him. Were they happy? How did they end up together? Did she make him laugh? Did he make her smile? Was he the one who took the picture? Did the three of us ever spend time together?

  All questions I may never get the answers to.

  I smash my lips together as I stare at the photo.

  Who are you? Where did you go?

  How do I find you?

  I tuck the photo into my pocket, say good-bye to Indigo, and then climb out of the car. Kai doesn’t get out right away, so I open the back door and give him a little shake. His eyelashes flutter open and he blinks at me, disoriented.

  “We’re home,” I tell him softly.

  He sticks out his hand and wiggles his fingers. “Help me up.”

  I grab his hand and tug on his arm.

  He slides to the edge of the seat and ducks out, bumping his head on the way.

  “Ow.” He rubs his head, frowning. “The sad thing is, I didn’t even feel it.”

  “Then why’d you say ow for?” I tease as I give Indigo another wave and close the door.

  She backs away, her headlights vanishing as she turns onto the road.

  “Because it seemed necessary,” Kai replies, belatedly answering my question. He hikes down the driveway, weaving back and forth.

  Concerned he’s not going to make it, I hurry after him as he heads for the sidewalk. Right at the last second, he skips to the side and bounds over the fence, clipping his boot on the top bar. His knees bang the fence, and then he lands on the other side on his back.

  “Shit.” I rush over to him and swing my leg over the fence.

  I must be drunker than I thought, because climbing over is a lot more complicated than it should be. But I manage without falling then rush to Kai’s side, kneeling in the grass beside him.

  His eyes are closed, and he’s lying still with his arm draped over his waist.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, then panic when he doesn’t respond. I lean over him and cup his scruffy cheek, trying to remember if he hit his head. “Kai, can you hear me?”

  “No, I think you need to lean a little bit closer,” he whispers. Then his eyes pop open, and a lazy half-grin spreads across his face. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” I exhale, relaxing. “You scared me.”

  “It was just a little fall.”

  “Did you hit your head?”

  “I don’t think so.” His nose twitches as strands of my hair tickle his face. “Your hair smells good. Like cookies.”

  “I’m surprised it doesn’t smell like beer and sweat.” I start to move back, but he combs his fingers through my hair and draws me closer.

  “No, don’t go,” he whispers, his fingers finding my cheek.

  I realize a second too late what he wants to do, and the lag in my thought process gives his lips just enough time to reach mine.

  I gasp against his mouth as he urges my lips apart with his tongue. Warmth pulls through my veins, steals the air from my lungs, and sends explosions of heat throughout my body.

  Holy hell almighty.

  Right as I kiss him back, headlights shine across us as a car pulls into his driveway.

  I trip to my feet and scoot back from him as reality sets in.

  Oh. My. God. I just kissed Kai.

  Kai sighs, pushing onto his elbows. “Well, this is going to suck.”

  At first, I think he’s referring to the kiss. Then, as he gets to his feet, he mutters, “Isa, I’m so sorry you have to see this.” He places himself in front of me, as if he’s protecting me from something.

  Before I can ask, the headlights turn off, and I peek over his shoulder as I hear the doors slam. The only light around is from a few street and porch lights and the moon shining in the sky above us. I can barely make out his parents’ silhouettes, though I can feel the tension in the air.

  “What the hell are you doing out here?” Kai’s dad asks as he stares him down with his arms crossed.

  “I just got back,” Kai says, sounding unsure of himself, so unlike the Kai I know.

  “Do you realize how late it is?” his mother asks. “No, I don’t even want to hear you try to lie your way out of this. Of course you know how late it is. But just like always, you don’t care if you worry us.”

  “You were looking for me?” Kai asks, surprised.

  “No. We were at an event,” his mother replies curtly. “What if we had been looking for you? Imagine how worried we would’ve been.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think you would’ve been that concerned.” Kai yawns then shakes his head, getting sleepy again.

  “Are you drunk?” his mother huffs, tapping her foot against the concrete.

  “I’m sorry.” Kai doesn’t even try to lie his way out of it.

  “Dammit, Kai. How many times have I told you, if you’re going to act like a loser, then don’t come home
?” his dad snaps. “Why do you have to be such a fuck-up? Kyler never put us through this shit. Why can’t you be more like him, instead of such a fucking loser all the time? Why don’t you try making our lives simple, instead of so damn hard all the time? Fuck!” His dad kicks the tire.

  “Because then we wouldn’t get to have these little chats of ours,” Kai mumbles under his breath.

  “Get your damn ass in the house,” his dad growls as he points at the door. “Right now, before I make you.”

  Sighing, Kai gives me a little push back toward the fence before he walks toward the house with his shoulders hunched. I slink into the shadows, wondering what will happen if they see me. Luckily, they seem too distracted by Kai.

  His dad scolds him the entire way to the back steps then slaps him upside the back of his head as they disappear inside.

  Poor Kai. I feel so bad for him. He sounded so beaten down, like he heard the same speech a million times. It reminds me so much of the way I react to situations.

  I know how terrible he’s probably feeling right now, and I want to go knock on the door and give him a hug, but know it’ll probably just upset his parents more.

  I make a promise to myself that, even if things are awkward tomorrow, which I’m guessing after the kiss they will be, that I’ll give him that hug or something.

  Chapter 18

  I drank more than I thought last night and end up spending almost the entire next day in bed. I keep having the same dream, where someone sneaks into my room while I’m sleeping and stares down at me in my bed, holding a paintbrush. Around six o’clock or so, I wake up and realize where the dream came from.

  The second I open my eyes and fully come out of dreamland, my nostrils are assaulted by paint fumes. I sit up, look around for where the smell is coming from, and then smile.

  A partially finished mural is painted on the wall opposite my bed. The colors are bright, forming a city, yet the shadows and fine lines give it a darker, gothic vibe.

  Painted in front of the industrial scene is a girl who resembles one of the superheroes in my sketches. She’s wearing a cape with her hands on her hips and a look in her eyes that reads: I’m about to kick your ass.