Isabelle rolled over pulling the covers back over her head with a groan. "I don't want to get up yet."
However she sat bolt upright when the phone rang shrilly from the kitchen.
Eric mumbled something incoherent under his breath that sounded vaguely like an expletive.

The phone rang again and he swore a second time, stumbling over to where his clothes were piled in the corner of the bedroom. "Who the fuck is that and why are they calling my place?"
Isabelle slid out of the warm bed. "It's probably Jeanie, my foster mom."
She caught sight of herself in the dresser mirror and winced. Her blue streaked black hair was tangled, there was exhaustion written into her green eyes as well as an ugly bruise on her shoulder from when Eric had grabbed at her.
The white backless halter top had been yesterday's.
Isabelle grimaced. Apparently she'd fallen asleep in it.

She raked one hand through her hair absently. "Hey Eric. Where did you hide my jeans?"
Eric shrugged. "Their your jeans. You look for them." He reached for a beer as he spoke.
Her jeans were tossed in an untidy heap at the foot of the bed. Isabelle noted with relief. "Whew."
The phone rang again. Eric picked it up, listened to the caller and slammed it back into the cradle again. "Fine. God damnit. Answer the fucking phone already."
Isabelle dialed Jeanie's number with a sigh. Her foster parent would probably be eager to tell her all about her latest in a long line of boyfriends.
Again.
Jeanie was sort of like a pack rat or a squirrel in that respect. Collecting things then forgetting about them later on.
"Jeanie?"
As she'd predicted. Jeanie launched into a long and very detailed explanation of her latest boyfriend. Matthew something or other.
Eric crossed his arms, glaring at Isabelle.
"Piss off." Isabelle mouthed, turning away.
She twisted the phone cord around her fingers impatiently waiting for Jeanie to let her have a break.
"Another boyfriend? Haven't I told you that you have too many of those?"
Jeanie sounded a little hurt. "You don't like him?"
"I don't know yet." Isabelle responded exasperated. "I haven't met the guy. It's just...that most of your boyfriends end up being players. Remember Jared?"
"That won't happen again." Jeanie giggled hanging up.
Isabelle stared at the phone for a moment.
"Sure it won't." She muttered sarcastically locating her rain jacket. A quick glance out the window told her she wouldn't need it though. It wasn't raining yet.

Halfway home the siren sound of the a fire truck made her stop indecisive. Despite the fact that it rained nearly constantly in Seattle something was usually on fire.
It was totally inexplicable.
Isabelle shrugged. Her complete lack of anything remotely resembling school made her want to check it out.
The truck raced by just as she made her decision.
Seattle's blue collar industrial section was a half hour ride from the apartment she shared with Jeanie.

"What the fuck?" Isabelle stared as the crowd milled around the police barrier. It was just a warehouse fire. Wasn't it? These things happened all the time so it was barely worth mentioning in the newspaper but then again most fires didn't look like this.
All twisted metal and blackened concrete. The roof was completely gone.
There was the scent of...gunpowder? Something acrid at least.
A grey powder stirred underfoot.
Isabelle knelt frowning. "Ash?"
One of the police officers spotted her. "Get out of here, girl." They walked toward her with an annoyed expression on their face.
Isabelle stumbled backwards, tripping over the shoelace that she hadn't bothered to tie up.
Someone caught her before she could embarrass herself by doing a spill onto the cracked cement.
"Err thanks." Isabelle flushed. "I probably should have done my lace up."
Probably." The guy agreed looking beyond her. "I was never here. Okay?"
"Um...Alright?" Isabelle stared at him. There was something about his half asian heritage that seemed familiar despite the dark glasses that hid his eyes. Even though she could have sworn that they'd never met before.
He smiled briefly but there was a seriousness behind it before he walked over to a black motorcycle half hidden behind an overturned dumpster.
Isabelle watched him ride off feeling troubled.

She turned away biting her lower lip. Random guys shouldn't feel familiar.
A plastic ID card on the ground caught her attention suddenly. Isabelle picked it up absently sticking it into her jeans pocket glancing at the cheap watch on her wrist. The worn strap had been fixed with duct tape in a couple places.
"Damn." It had stopped at 11:59 PM.
By the time finally she got to Jeanie's place it had just started to rain.
Isabelle shivered pressing the doorbell. "C'mon. Jeanie, answer the bell already please."
She rang it again. "Hurry up."
The door swung open revealing the inside of the small apartment.
A worn couch was forced up against the wall of the cramped living room. The coffee table and TV took up much of the remaining space.
Isabelle wasn't sure what the original color of the walls had been but they were a light tan now.

"Sorry." Jeanie said quickly. "I was busy."
"Doing what?" Isabelle demanded.
"Evidently the same thing you were." Jeanie's boyfriend remarked from his spot on the couch. "Without the bruising, of course."
Isabelle flushed. "Fuck off. It helps Jeanie pay the rent. Okay."
"I see..." The guy commented dryly. "Well, never mind that."
She shivered and not from the cold. Jeanie's boyfriend really creeped Isabelle out and she didn't know why. Most of Jeanie's previous boyfriends had been heavily tattooed bikers. This one was so normal it was scary. No tattoos, no piercings. Just a dark grey tee-shirt and jeans.
He spoke up again. "Jeanie told me about you. Isabella? Am I correct?"
"No." Isabelle corrected automatically. "It's Isabelle. I don't like been confused with that Twilight girl." She looked down fidgeting. "Even though I have a copy. Wait...what's your name?"
"My apologies and its Matthew Foster." Matthew answered. He glanced thoughtfully at Jeanie. "Why don't you get something warm for Isabelle? She looks ready to faint."

Isabelle blinked suddenly dizzy. She sat down pressing her forehead into her hands.
"How about coffee." Jeanie suggested causing Isabelle to look up in surprise. Her foster parent rarely offered to make coffee for anyone, claiming that she did enough of that at her waitressing job. "One day with Matthew and he's already turned you into a regular housewife? I thought you hated people like that?"
"Huh?" Jeanie stared. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"That's better. Kinda." Isabelle pressed her head into her hands again.
Matthew stood. "I really should go. I've got errands and a child to look after."
Jeanie spoke at the same time as Isabelle did, turning two questions into a mess.
Matthew laughed. "Sorry I can't stay and I'm a single parent, if you're worried about me being a player. She...my wife died a while ago."
He kissed Jeanie lightly then shut the apartment door behind him.
Isabelle pretended to throw up. "You really like this guy?"
Jeanie grinned. "Hell yeah." She paused. "Don't you have a meeting with your own guy?"
"Shit." Isabelle swore, grabbing her small backpack off the kitchen table. She was out the door before Jeanie could stop her.