Izzy, Karin, and Kenneth walked up to the Montgomery house, and knocked. Anna opened the door and smiled politely.
"Hey, Izzy," she greeted. "Is this your family?"
"Yeah," Izzy said. "This is my dad, Kenneth, and my little sister, Karin. Dad, Karin, this is Annabeth Montgomery."
"Please, call me Anna. Nice to meet you Mr. Daniels and Karin."
"It's nice to meet you, too, Anna," Kenneth said to Anna.
Just then Anna's mom walked out to the foyer.
"Mom, this is Kenneth, Izzy, and Karin Daniels. This is my mother, Julia Montgomery."
"Hello, it's nice to know that Annabeth has been making new friends." Julia smiled the same million watt smile that Anna had. Anna cringed at her full name.
"Do you guys wanna see the upstairs?" Anna asked Izzy and Karin as Kenneth went to converse with the other adults there.
"No, thanks," Karin said as she had just saw some of her friends.
"Sure," Izzy said. He didn't see anyone else his own age, and if Anna were to be his neighbor, he wanted to get to know her better.
They walked up to Anna's room, which was weird considering Izzy had been in the room a thousand times. But he couldn't recognize it. Instead of being a bright sunshine yellow color, the walls were a dark purple color with splashes of orange, black, pink, yellow, and blue. Her name was painted in white on a section of the walls that had obviously been painted the same color green as her eyes to differentiate the room and make it seem more her personality.
Ballet awards were spread on one section of the walls, with pictures of Anna in the different costumes, her smile the same one Izzy knew, and her flaming red hair up. Her bright eyes smiled along with her mouth, even when she was only three.
At the top of the ballet wall was her latest ballet picture and award. It was clear that she had been the prima ballerina for a while.
"Third year being the prima," she said as if she were reading his thoughts.
On another wall were different pictures and collages. Of celebrities, people, friends, family. He recognized her mother with her arm around a man that he didn't know. Anna had the man's face shape and facial features, only softer, as well as the emerald green eyes that Izzy had to admit, were mesmerizing.
"Your dad?" he asked her.
"Yeah, but he passed away a few months ago. That's why we moved."
"Too many memories." Izzy said. It wasn't a question.
"Yeah," Anna agreed. "Too many memories."
Izzy never remembered clicking with someone so quickly. Even though Mary had been able to relate to the pain of losing a parent, it wasn't the same way. Her parents had just gotten divorced. Her dad didn't get cancer and die on her bed as she tried to call 911 like his mother had. But they never brought that up.
"Cancer. It's the worst six-letter word in the dictionary." Anna was saying, too quietly to mean him.
"Yeah, I know." he said, unthinking.
"Do you?" she asked. "Do you know what it's like to have your father in your arms, and have him crumple against you as your mother calls 911?" she said.
"Kinda, only my mother collapsed onto my bed and I was the one that had to call 911," Izzy told her.
She looked up at him in disbelief. "It's amazing how much we have in common, well family wise. One parent, two kids, the parent lost to cancer, wow."
"You have a sibling?" he asked.
"My brother," she said. "He's twelve, and he's decided to go to bording school. He couldn't deal with the passing of our dad. It was too painful for him to handle."
She sighed deeply. "I can't blame him. It was either move to a new state, or go to a bording school in the same state where we were."
"Where did you move from?" he asked, realizing he didn't know.
"Colorado," she replied simply.
"Must be a different setting in New York," Izzy said.
"We only moved here because relatives live here. And my dad used to live here, so we decided to come back." she sounded worn down from the subject. "Anyway, when's your birthday?"
He was startled by the abrupt subject change, and without thinking, said, "February 21. I'll be 17."
She nodded. "Mine's March 7, I'l be 17, as well."
"I know, you said you'd be 17 soon earlier." Izzy said.
"Did I?" she seemed confused. "It must be from the paint fumes," Anna muttered so quietly Izzy couldn't hear her.. "I've been forgetting little things all the time lately. I bet it's cause we just painted the room."
"Oh," Izzy said.
They went on to talk about various things, and discovered that they had a lot more in common than just their families, but a lot that was different to talk about. They talked until it was after dark and Kenneth came up to get Izzy to go home.
"Okay, Dad," Izzy said as he picked himself up off the floor. "Lemme just say goodbye."
Kenneth went downstairs as Izzy looked at Anna.
"Bye, Anna, I'll see you tomorrow," he said so his dad could hear. Then he whispered to Anna, "If you ever need me just call my name from the balcony. I'll be able to hear." He smiled at her as he left the room.
Anna went out to her balcony and waited while the window opened.
"Hey, Izzy," she called.
"Yeah?"
"Goodnight."
She could hear the smile as he said, "Goodnight, Anna."
End of Chapter 2