Hey everyone! I know the chapters I do are small, but that's because I release two chapters every day, instead of only one long one every two days. I prefer it that way, and I think my readers do too :-)
Keep R&R'ing!
"Isabelle's here!!" screamed Lucy. They had been home for less than five minutes and already she saw Isabelle coming up the driveway. She flung open the front door, heading outside.
"Isabelle, hey!" exclaimed Lucy, meeting her friend halfway up the driveway. She took her friends overnight bag from her hand, leading her to the front door.
"Hey, Luce! I'm not too early am I? I just hurried home to grab my stuff and came over. I can't WAIT to have fun!" She exclaimed, her face shining, despite the darkened purple and black eye she dawned on her face.
Lucy grinned, trying not to stare at her friends eye. "Of course not, Izzy! You're right on time! I can't wait to have fun either!" She exclaimed, shutting the door as both of them walked in.
Isabelle's face turned pale, remembering what happened the night before with her father, and how he had called her Izzy. "Yea, it's gonna be fun!" She exclaimed, smiling softly.
Lucy's eyebrows furrowed. "You okay, Belle?" She asked, putting an arm around her friend.
Isabelle grimaced, shrugging Lucy's arm off her. "Yea, I'm just nervous about seeing your totally hot brother!" She exclaimed, grinning evilly.
Lucy began to laugh, shrugging off her thoughts. "Yea, I don't think so. He is totally not hot!" She exclaimed, leading Isabelle into the kitchen, where all her family was gathered, minus her father, Reverend Camden, who was still at work.
"Guys, I want all of you to meet Isabelle!" She exclaimed, placing Isabelle's night bag onto the floor.
Annie Camden, Lucy's mother, looked at Isabelle with concern as her eyes landed on her black eye, setting down the tray of cookies she had just taken out of the oven.
"Hello, Isabelle, My name is Annie, I'm Lucy's mom." She exclaimed, staring at the young girls face as she shook her hand,
Matt and Mary exchanged looks, smiling half-heartedly as Lucy introduced them.
"That's Matt, Mary, Simon, and Ruthie." Lucy exclaimed as she pointed them out.
"Wow, what happened to your eye?!" asked Simon, frowning as he stared at her face.
"Yea, it looks bad!" exclaimed Ruthie, the youngest Camden.
"Simon, Ruthie!" said Mrs. Camden, giving them a look. Lucy looked at her mom desperately, trying to register a message to make them be quiet.
"Go up to your rooms and read your English chapters. You can do the rest of it this weekend. If you can't keep up with all of the work, I am going to tell your teacher to take you out of your AIG class, okay?" Annie exclaimed, raising her eyebrows at her son.
Simon sighed, picking up his belongings. "Ya know, mom, if I were a teacher and I decided to enroll me in an Academically and Intellectually Gifted, I would give him LESS homework, ya know?" said Simon, shaking his head as he went up the stairs. Ruthie followed at his heels, dragging her book bag at her feet. "They think YOUR gifted?" She asked, their voices fading as they walked up the stairs.
"Hey Isabelle, it's nice to have you this weekend." smiled Matt sincerely, a look of concern in his eye. This must have been why Lucy has been acting so cryptic, he thought to himself.
"So, mom, Isabelle and I are going to go upstairs and drop off her stuff, and use the phone. Is that okay with you?" She asked, her eyes wide, trying to send signals to her mother, letting her know not to disturb them.
Annie smiled playfully. "Going to be on the phone all night, are we?" She asked, frowning while she smiled.
Isabelle, who had been quiet, felt a rush of panic go through her as she remembered what happened last weekend with her father, the weekend she stayed on the phone all night talking to Lucy.
"M-Mrs. Camden, I-If you're w-waiting f-for a c-call, w-we'll stay o-off the phone." She said in a low voice, a look of fear crossing her eyes.
Matt and Mary furrowed their brows, concerned. Lucy turned to Isabelle in surprise. She had never seen her friend look so scared before.
"Oh, no honey! I just want to make sure your parents could call if they needed to, that's all!" She exclaimed, laying a hand on the girls shoulder gently. Isabelle grimaced slightly, a sad look crossing her eyes.
"Thanks Mrs. Camden, but I'm sure they won't call." She turned to Lucy. "Is it okay if I run my stuff up to your room?" She asked, smiling brightly.
Lucy smiled half-heartedly, nodding slowly. Watching the stairs, she glared at her mother the minute she saw her friends face disappear.
"Mom, I told you Isabelle lives with her dad! Her mom left a couple of years ago, remember!" LUcy asked, her eyes wide.
"Oh, Luce. I am so sorry, I completely forgot. I was more worried about her eye! What in the world happened?!" Annie asked, her eyes wide with concern.
"Yea, Luce. I mean, if somebody is hurting her-." Matt said, cutoff early by Lucy.
"Will you be quiet?! For your information, she fell off her bike! I was actually going to ask you if you could fix it for her, but since you think something is so wrong, never mind!" Lucy spoke quietly but angrily.
"And your sure about this?" Mary and Annie said at the same time.
Lucy rolled her eyes, nodding. "I was there, hello!" She lied, frowning furiously.
"Oh Lucy, I am so sorry! I never would of said anything like that if I had known!" said Annie, a look of regret in her eye.
Matt looked down, sighing softly.
"It's okay mom. Now can we please treat my guest with respect!?" She asked, turning to run up the stairs.
Annie looked from Matt to Mary. "Well, I feel like a fool." She admitted, looking sorry.
Matt looked at Mary, then turned to his mom. "Ya know, mom. I don't think Lucy is telling the truth." said Matt.
Annie frowned, glaring at both of them. "And why would you say that?" she asked, crossing her arms.
Mary held up her palm in order to stop an argument. "Mom, trust me. Something weird is definitely going on. I see Isabelle around school, and that is NOT the first time I've seen her with marks on her." She exclaimed, her eyebrows knit together, looking scared.
"And my buddy, Jake, lives next door to Isabelle. He says her old man is a piece of work." Matt exclaimed, sitting on a stool that sat behind the counter.
Annie crossed her arms, glaring at her two oldest children.
"Mary, weren't you just telling me last week that you saw Isabelle on the soccer field, and how amazing you thought she was?" Annie asked her eldest daughter.
"Yes, but-." Mary stuttered, interrupted by Annie.
"But nothing!" Said Mrs. Camden, furious. "Lucy was there, and she saw Isabelle fall off her bike. And she probably got all of those marks that you saw, Mary, playing soccer." She then rounded on Matt.
"And you, young man. You don't know her 'old man'!" She exclaimed, putting air quotes around 'old man'. "So I suggest you two lighten up on the girl, okay? You heard Lucy. Isabelle is fine." She said, smiling brightly. "Isabelle is fine."
I hope so. I really do, Lucy thought to herself. She had been listening at the top of the banister for the past ten minutes.
That's it. I'm talking to Isabelle tonight, Lucy said to herself, walking back towards her bedroom, where Isabelle had gone after using the restroom.
Annie Camden looked up at the ceiling, sighing as her two oldest children went outside to play basketball.
Dear Lord, let the little girl be okay. Please.
Thanks for all the reviews! I really, REALLY appreciate it Please recommend this story to others, and let me know if there are any you want me to R&R. Thanks :-)
