Chapter 2: Fight Is Flight Without The 'L'
Max POV
"I…I can't believe this!" Isabel yelled, attracting the attention of everyone in the airport.
"Isabel, honey calm down" Her mother tried to soothe her.
"NO! First you drag us out here to this God-forsaken town and now the airlines lose my luggage! Why did we have to move here anyways?"
"Isabel, you're making a scene." I tell her, trying to at least get her to stop yelling.
"Yeah, at least I'm making an argument, Max. Aren't you angry we had to move here too?" Yes I'm angry, but I don't tell her this because I know she's just going to keep arguing.
"Isabel, there's nothing we can do about it now. We're here, the movers are bringing the stuff tomorrow, there's no point in arguing because it's not going to change anything." She seems to have listened to me because her shoulders sag and she stops arguing. My mom sends me an appreciative look and moves towards the exit.
"Come on Iz" I tell her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and leading her out into the hot desert sun and slowly to the cab that will take us to the new house.
After a few minutes of silence, Isabel mumbles out an apology and turns to look out her window.
The truth is I was mad, but I know that my parents weren't doing this to us purposely. If we could have stayed we would have, but I knew as well as my dad that if he didn't accept this promotion now he might not have been offered it later. Isabel might not see it now, but it was something Dad had to do. I turn my head to look at Isabel again and notice her shoulders shaking. She's crying. I put my arm around her shoulder again and pull her closer to me. She rests her head on my shoulder and allows me to comfort her.
I think on some level Isabel knew our parents didn't have a choice, but this is hard for her. We lived in Albuquerque all our lives and moving to a new place where she doesn't know anyone scares her.
"I'm sorry Mom." I'm pulled out of my thoughts as Isabel speaks. "I know it's not your fault that we have to move here and I didn't mean to take it out on you at the airport or cause a scene." She says softly. "It's just… I've been friends with Marissa, Alyse, and Michelle for so long… what if I can't make any friends or…or."
"Sweetheart you're going to be just fine, I know it. You've never had any problem making friends and I don't think you will now. You're an amazing girl and I'm sure everyone will see that." I can see Isabel allows her words to sink in. She doesn't fully believe them, but she puts on a small smile and nods her head.
I know what Isabel's worried about, but the only thing that ever holds her back is her. When Isabel steps into the unknown she puts up this wall around her, scared of getting hurt. She tends to keep people at a distance and that's the only reason she would have trouble making friends.
"Isabel, sometimes when you let people in you let the bad in with the good." I whisper to her. She turns to look at me for a second and then smiles. Mission accomplished. She shoves me hard on the shoulder.
"Jerk!" Huh? "You totally stole that from 'She's All That'!" She said starting to laugh.
"Oh." I say feeling the embarrassment rise in my cheeks.
"That's okay; at least I know you learned something from when I forced you to watch it with me." She said laughing again.
"We're here." My mom says from the front seat. I look up at the house that's going to be our new home and help Isabel out of the cab.
"Come on Max, I got dibs on the biggest room!" She says braking off into a run towards the front door. I feel an arm wrap around my shoulder and turn to look at my mom.
"Don't worry Max; she's going to be just fine." My mom laughs and we head to where Isabel is standing in front of the door.