"Isabelle, please come with me, I don't want to go alone." My sister, Jenny, had been ditched by her flaky boyfriend again, and once again she was trying to drag me along. Her blue eyes pleading me. "You love reading anyways, don't you? It will be fun." She had been trying to convince me to take a road trip with her to Seattle's annual book fest, all week, though the real reason she wanted to go was to see the bands who would be playing at the fest.

Before my sister interrupted me, I had been peacefully sitting in my living room, petting our cat Humpty, waiting for my tea to set. He's called that because when I was younger he would refuse to come in our living room, but whenever the Hunchback of Notre Dame was on, he'd stroll in. His dark grey fur always floating through the air when he walked by, and he would purr on my lap for hours.

Our house was small, only one floor, and old fashioned, built sometime in the early 1900's. Mom had a very distinct sense of décor. Our yellow house stuck out from all the neighbors in Parkwood, Washington. We had a various mix of old and new, but somehow she always made it look good. Our kitchen had wood cabinets, a stone backsplash, and stone flooring. It looked like a hobbit kitchen, and it always smelled like cinnamon. Mom and Dad slept in the masters bedroom, and I shared a room with Jenny, though she was rarely around to share a room with. She was a very social girl, always out with her boyfriend Lou (short for Louis, but I call him Lou Lou,) or her two girlfriends Lisa and Brianne.

I sighed, "I love you, but I don't want to leave, I have plans this week, and anyways," I paused for a dramatic effect, "I can't get work off this late in advance." I saw the hurt in her eyes right away. "Mom wont let me go alone and nobody else will go with me!" We argued for a while after that, but she got angry and went for a drive. Sometimes being the oldest had its perks, sometimes it was tough. Jenny was sixteen, two years younger than me. She was very mature and well mannered for the most part, until she doesn't get what she wants and she turns into a selfish monster.

I grabbed my laptop and cup of tea, went to my room, and sat on my bed. It was positioned right in front of the window, and peered outside. Although our house was small, it never seemed crowded with just the four of us- well, five counting Humpty. Plus it had the most amazing view you could imagine. It was always rainy and the trees were evergreens, stepping outside and inhaling fresh pine and rain never got old. I cracked the window and watched a family of quail make their way around.

My laptop buzzed, so I sat up, yawning and opening my new Apple laptop. An email from Kayana Turner, my best friend who lives a few blocks away.

Hey Belle, what's up? I keep getting emails from Rainview Campus asking me to come in for a tour. I did some investigating, and these guys seriously have the best astronomy program! This is exactly what your looking for. They have cheap rooms, great instate tuition, and its in Seattle, so its close! I told them I already had a scholarship, but I mentioned you to them, so you may be getting an email. Anyways, lets go get breakfast tomorrow morning! Meet me 9:00am at The Rising Sun, love ya. -K

I tried not to be annoyed, not at Kayana, but everybody expects me to find a college in Washington. Mom has been shoving college letters at my face left and right, and although I appreciate them all trying, it doesn't change the fact that I want to get out of here. I've lived in this house my whole life, every year is the same routine, and once I graduate this spring I'll finally have a chance to get out of here.

Closing my laptop, I glanced at my green alarm clock. It was already almost ten, and now I had to wake up early to meet Kayana. I grabbed a t-shirt and some comfy shorts to change into, and went to the bathroom. I wasn't anything special to look at, if anything I was a misfit in my family. Everyone in my family has ocean blue eyes and dirty blond hair, except my dad who has brown hair, but I have bright green eyes and auburn hair. I'm 5'3", and decently fit from my boxing class I've been taking for two years now. Mom and Dad make me, but I've grown to like it.

After I finished getting ready for bed, I walked down the hall to my mom and dad's room. My dad isn't home, he's in Oregon visiting his dad who isn't doing too well because of lung cancer. I knocked on the door, "Come in," my mom, Millie, was laying in bed reading magazines and listening to a talk show. "Hey sweetie, how are you?" She put her magazine now, giving me all of her attention. She was such a timid and shy woman, but such a loving and caring mom. She always supported Jenny and I, no matter what.

I considered telling her about the college Kayana was determined to get me to tour, but I didn't want to get her hopes up and disappoint her. "Just came to say night. I'm going to breakfast tomorrow and I'll probably be gone for a while," I said, thinking about all the errands I needed to run.

"Oh if you go to the grocery store could you grab me a few things?" She asked, scribbling on a piece of magazine.

"Sure, why not." I smiled and looked around her room, the walls were a pale pink, same with the bed covers, and there were heart shaped things all over. I know Dad isn't the biggest fan, but he loves Mom and he puts up with it. To be fair, she puts up with a lot of what Dad does. He's always pulling pranks and messing around, he's a great dad but he has a very unique and cruel sense of humor; like the time he hid Kayana's car keys and told her it was the 'Kayana Key Mystery'. He didn't give them back for a week, and she had to walk to school.

She handed me a list which I shoved in the pockets of my shorts. "You know, Jenny really wanted you to go to that festival with her." I looked up, rolling my eyes. "Mom, I can't get work off." I explained for what felt like the ninth time today. "You can get someone to cover you?" She had a determined expression on her face. "I don't know, that's not really my thing, all those people." She didn't look pleased, "You love reading. Honey, please just try. This means a lot to your sister."

I was laughing in my head because she probably didn't care, she just wanted to see her friends who were going, and all the 'cute band boys', she could care less about reading. I had always been the reader, she was the watcher. Always on the TV or a video game.

"Okay, I'll try, but no promises." I gave her a hug goodnight and walked back to my room.

At this point I was extremely sleepy, I laid on my bed and pet Humpty, eventually falling asleep.

I only woke up one more time that night when Jenny came home around midnight, I remember her saying something to me but I don't know exactly what she said, I was too tired.

I woke up the next morning at eight, got ready for the day, jumped in my pale blue bug, and drove to meet Kayana. "Hi!" She hugged me outside the restaurant when I got there, I was still out of it. "Good morning," I mumbled, hugging her back. "Whoa, someone has some negative vibes. Lets get a table and you can tell me all about it."

She always seemed to know when something was up.

Kayana was very into the whole 'cleansing soul, vibes, Buddhist' thing. She was always so optimistic and looked for the good in people. I've known her for thirteen years and I've only heard her talk bad about one person, her mom, an alcoholic who no longer is allowed contact with Kay.

Sipping my coffee, I looked around the restaurant. Kayana liked this place because it had a very earthy vibe, the green table cloths, wooden benches, hanging lanterns, and even a waterfall seemed to do the trick. It always smelled like fresh maple syrup. Kayana ordered the veggie omelet with a side a fruit, typical for a vegetarian I suppose. I ordered eggs, bacon, toast, and a side of hash browns. We both got coffee to drink.

"Okay now tell me what's wrong." She looked at me with her golden brown eyes, and shoulder length black hair. Her brown skin looked almost the color of her eyes in this dim light.

I sipped my coffee and pushed the last of my eggs around on my plate, "Nothing." I lied, but she obviously didn't buy it. She gave me a loving glare, which she's very good at. "Okay, truth be told I'm just so stressed out about college. I don't know what to do. Everybody expects me to find a school close by, but I'm not sure that's what I want." I didn't look at her, scared of what she might say. I was biting my lip and strictly looking at my plate.

"Listen, Belle. I expect you to do what makes you happy, and I expect that you'll give yourself the best experience you can. Whether that's here or in Canada, I just want you to be happy." She paused, "Look, why don't you and I go to Seattle this week to check out that college, and if you don't like I promise I'll help you explore your options. Deal?" I looked up at her and smiled. "Okay, I'll have to get work off.." I trailed off, thinking about Jenny. If I went to Seattle I could take her to her book fest. "And, can Jenny come? She wants to go to this book thing in Seattle."

"Absolutely! Alright, I'll pay for breakfast this time." She paid, left a tip, and we headed out.

"I have to run a few errands for my mom. Thanks for going to breakfast with me, I'll text you when I get home." I informed her as she got into her car, "Alright, bye Love!" She smiled, then blasted her Indian rock music that she's eternally listening to.

I got in my car and rolled the windows down, even though it was raining. It was always raining here. Driving to the store, I was on autopilot, looking at the road ahead of me. Driving was always my thinking time. After about seven minutes I pulled into the grocery store, parked next to a hot pink jeep, and went in. Whipped cream, potatoes, boneless chicken, peppers, ice cream- cookies and cream, and pick out a treat for yourself kiddo. Love Mom. She had stuck a five dollar bill on the paper and I hadn't even noticed it.

Being me, I automatically wandered into the book section. Nothing new, I would know. I check every time we go shopping. But then.. Something caught my eye, I reached up the silver shelves and picked up a book with some sort of beast on it. Almost like a bear, but not. The picture showed the creature standing upright, and it almost looked like a circus in the background. I read the title, Beastly Brave. I flipped through it, and it told me about a man who was filled with so much hate that he turned into a beast. He joined the circus because nobody else would accept him, and became their prisoner.

The book was so detailed and depressing, and almost seemed like desperation was being called out. I swiftly placed it back on the shelf and continued shopping. That poor guy.. I thought to myself, although I assumed it was just a myth.

That evening I packed some of my clothes that I was taking with me, just as Jenny walked in. "Going somewhere?" She asked, eyeing my blue flowered suitcase. "Yeah actually." I said, a smile playing across my face. She had a puzzled expression, "Where?" I looked at her and grinned.

"Jenny, we're going to the book fair."