“What are you talking about?” Savannah said coolly, eyeing the approaching cops and Mr. Matthews as they descended on the pool area.
“I can’t believe I fell for this!” Izzie glanced at Mira, too. “You wanted us to get caught!”
“Izzie, just stop talking, okay?” Mira pleaded. “I’ll call my parents. They’ll get you out of this mess.”
But Izzie was too enraged to stop. “You got me into this mess!”
“No, I…” Mira hesitated, her face burning, and she looked at her pedicure.
Violet, Nicole, and Millie ran up behind Izzie, sounding out of breath. Millie held out the necklace. “Quick! Hide this!”
Savannah stepped back. “No way. I’m not putting my fingerprints on that.”
Violet looked like she wanted to strangle her. “You little…”
“It’s those girls right there, officers!” Mr. Matthews ran his hand over his toupee, which had flapped out of place in the wind. “I saw them! I don’t know how they found the key to the case, but they have the emeralds.” His hand shook as he pointed at Violet, Nicole, Millie, and Izzie. Millie quickly handed over the necklace, her face the color of beets.
“Mr. Matthews,” Savannah spoke up, her voice sweet like honey. Savannah’s family had practically been founding members of the club, so if the manager was going to listen to anyone, it would be her. “These three didn’t do anything,” she said, pointing to Violet, Izzie, and Nicole, who looked at her strangely. “I overheard the whole thing before it happened. Millie Lennon is the one who wanted to steal the necklace. The other three tried to stop her.”
“That’s not true!” Millie squeaked. Big tears plopped down on her cheeks.
“Wait a minute,” Violet said.
“Don’t cover for her,” Savannah cut her off. “The rest of us heard her say it.” She looked at Lea and Lauren, who mumbled their agreement. “We all know the truth.”
So did Mira, which was why she was so torn. On the one hand, this could be good—Izzie wouldn’t have to take the fall—but on the other hand, Millie was only a freshman. Now she was going to be known for the next four years as the girl who stupidly tried to steal Strausburg’s emeralds.
“Officers, if you would lead this young lady inside, I’d like you to write up a report while we call Ms. Lennon’s parents,” Mr. Matthews said.
Millie started full-out sobbing. Violet put her arm around her and looked at Nicole and Izzie worriedly. Mira glanced at Savannah, who winked at her as if to say, “See? We’re saved.” But Mira didn’t feel saved. She felt terrible.
“Wait!” Izzie yelled as a cop started to lead Millie away. “You can’t book her. She’s not the one who stole that.”
Mira felt her stomach start to swirl like a Jacuzzi.
“If you’re arresting anyone,” Izzie said, sounding not the least bit nervous, “it should be me. I broke into the club. And I stole the emeralds all by myself.”
Fifteen
“Isabelle?”
Izzie heard the knock on her bedroom door, and she closed her eyes, wishing she could disappear in a cloud of smoke.
“Can we talk to you?”
They didn’t wait for Izzie’s response. Two seconds later, her aunt, her uncle, and Lucas were standing in her doorway looking less than happy to see her, even though they were the ones doing the intruding. They were all in black tie for a silent auction at the school that evening. Her aunt’s pink floor-length gown shimmered as she rocked nervously on her heels.
“We’re trying to understand what happened today,” her aunt said, making a swishing sound as she crossed the room and sat on the edge of Izzie’s bed. “We know you didn’t steal the club’s prized emerald choker on your own. What really happened?”
Izzie stared at her comforter. There was no point in telling her aunt the truth. She could tell by the way Lucas was staring at her that he already had her rap sheet memorized. What was the use in speaking up now? EC was not going to give her a chance to show who she really was. That’s why she took the rap for Millie. It wasn’t a stretch to think that Izzie would steal a necklace, but if Millie had been blamed, her family’s reputation would have been ruined. Izzie’s already was. She just wished she hadn’t been stupid enough to believe making the swim team would change things.
“Is there more to the story?” her aunt asked hopefully. “Did someone put you up to this, perhaps? If you know something that could clear your name, you have to tell us.”
Izzie shook her head, and she could see the disappointment written all over her aunt’s face. It made Izzie want her mom so bad she could taste it. She’d been thinking about her mother all day today, which wasn’t surprising. Today was her birthday. Or, at least, it would have been.
“Isabelle,” Lucas said her name sharply, “you have nothing to say for yourself? Nothing?” He looked like he was on the verge of having to breathe into a brown bag. He put his hand over his face. “Bill, this is the sort of thing that can sink your campaign before it even officially starts.”
“It’s not that big of a deal, Lucas,” Izzie’s aunt started to say. “Kids make mistakes.”
“Maureen, she’s an underage kid from Harborside,” Lucas snapped. “Her third week living with you guys, she steals a priceless piece of jewelry! How do you think that is going to look to your campaign boosters?”
Izzie winced. She hadn’t thought about how this would affect her uncle.
“Are you sure there is nothing you can add, Isabelle?” her uncle pressed. “Mira told us there were other girls with you, but your statement says you acted alone. That’s a little odd.”
He knows I’m lying, Izzie realized. How nice of Mira to mention Violet and Nicole, but leave out the part about how her best friend had orchestrated the whole dare.
She hadn’t had a chance to shower yet and she sat shivering in a tank top and shorts over her damp bathing suit. She wasn’t sure if she was cold or just lonely. It was funny how she could be in a room full of people and still feel empty inside. Seeing her mom wasn’t possible, but she’d give anything for the old Grams to be by her side.
“Do you think this is funny, Isabelle?” Lucas must have seen her smile at the thought of Grams, and now he was furious. “I had to move mountains to sweep this mess under the rug! I just got off the phone with Mr. Matthews at the club, and he’s agreed not to press charges.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I practically had to agree we’d bankroll the club’s next function to keep him quiet. We cannot have this sort of thing getting out to the press, not when we’re this close to securing that nomination. You’re very lucky, Isabelle. The least you could do is act appreciative of what this family has done for you.”
“Lucas,” Izzie’s uncle said sharply. “That is enough. Why don’t you both wait for me downstairs. I’d like to speak to Isabelle alone.”
“Bill.” Lucas’s face paled, but Izzie wasn’t sure why.
Her uncle cut him off. “I said I need a minute, Lucas.”
Izzie’s aunt hugged her before leaving the room. “Put a sweater on, sweetheart.” She touched her cheek. “You’re shivering.”
“I feel like I owe you an apology,” Izzie’s uncle said once they were alone. “Today is my fault. Maybe if I’d been around more…” he trailed off. Izzie didn’t think he was making sense. “I’m sure you wish Chloe were here right now. I do, too.” Hearing him say her mom’s name made a lump form in her throat. “Maybe she’d know what to say to get through to you. This is your new beginning. We want you to have the best of everything EC has to offer, but we can’t help you if you don’t trust us enough to tell us the truth.” He looked down. “What happened today is done. Hopefully it was just a misunderstanding, which is why we’ve decided not to ground you.” Isabelle couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her uncle moved to the door. “I’m always here, though, Isabelle, if you want to talk sometime.”
She knew he was trying to get through to her. She just didn’t have anything left to give. The day
had left her emotionally exhausted.
“Well, I guess I’ll give you a chance to get ready for the auction,” he said when she still had nothing to say.
Did they really expect her to show her face after all that had happened that afternoon? No one wanted to see her. She’d only tarnish the Monroe name more if she went. “Actually, I don’t think I’m going to go,” she spoke up. “I’m not feeling very well.” She glanced at the purple wrap dress hanging on her closet door that her aunt had bought for the occasion. “I’ll catch the next one.”
Her uncle actually looked disappointed, which made Izzie feel worse. “I understand. Feel better and get some rest.” He closed the door behind him.
Izzie flopped back on her bed, ready to sleep for a week. She thought about calling Kylie but then decided she needed to take a shower first. The whole world seemed brighter after five minutes under hot water. She hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since lunch, so after she blow-dried her hair, she headed downstairs. The house was eerily quiet. Izzie opened the refrigerator, grabbed one of her aunt’s sparkling waters, and drank it with the fridge door open. The cool air was just what she needed to decompress.
“Thirsty, Isabelle?”
She spun around, letting go of the fridge door, which hit her head as it closed. “Lucas.” She rubbed her head. “I thought you guys went to the auction.” There was something about the way he was staring at her that was unnerving.
Lucas walked toward her. “You caused quite the scene this afternoon. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
“Look—” Izzie started to say.
“No, you look.” Lucas’s voice was as sharp as a knife. “You’re leading a pretty charmed life here, kid, one I’m not sure you deserve, so for all our sakes, don’t screw it up!”
Izzie almost let the water bottle drop and spill all over the floor.
“I’ve been working on this campaign with your uncle for months, and I will not have some kid come in here and blow our chances of winning,” Lucas said menacingly. All Izzie could think about was the fact that Lucas had used the word our. Whose campaign really was this? “Keep.
Your. Nose. Clean. Got it?” He leaned in and Izzie stiffened. “If you pull another stunt like the one you did today, or the one you pulled at the regatta party, ruining my planned press photo op, well, this relationship of ours isn’t going to be so pretty anymore.” He flashed a thin smile. “I can make your life hell. How do you think Grams is in such a nice nursing home, anyway? Do you really think she could afford to pay for a place like Coastal Assisted Living?” Izzie felt her face pale. “I don’t want to have this conversation again because if we do, you and that frail grandmother of yours are going to regret it.”
As Lucas walked out of the kitchen, a cold sensation swept over her and this time it had nothing to do with the fridge. It wasn’t till the front door slammed a few minutes later that Izzie felt like she could breathe normally again. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Had Lucas really threatened her? Threatened Grams? The Monroes’ house suddenly felt very small, like the walls were closing in on her, and that’s when she knew. She had to get out of there. Pronto.
She pulled out her cell and dialed. “Kylie?” she said, sounding choked up. “It’s me…. No, I’m not fine. I really need to talk to you. You’re where? The boardwalk?… I don’t know if I can get over there.”
The idea was so tempting, Izzie could taste it. She was an outcast at school and in this house, and she couldn’t handle it anymore. She needed to be with people who understood her, and there was only one place where she’d find that.
Home.
Her aunt and uncle would freak if she went to Harborside without telling them, but it was only seven thirty. Did they really even have to find out? She’d be home before the auction even ended.
“Okay, give me an hour,” Izzie said, feeling determined. “I’ll meet you there.”
Forty minutes later, she was walking as quickly as her legs would take her to a place she could find blindfolded. She ducked under the boardwalk near Fourth Street and grinned. It was a Friday night, which meant that everyone she knew in Harborside was there. Her friends were bundled up in sweatshirts sitting around a large bonfire. Just the sight of the fire was soothing.
Kylie looked up. “Iz-Whiz!” She ran over, practically knocking her down. Izzie laughed as Kylie put her hands all over her face. “Is it really you or am I seeing a ghost?”
“It’s me,” Izzie said, and squeezed her tightly. “You have no idea how good it is to see you. I’ve been trying to reach you all week!”
“I’ve been pulling double shifts at Scoops.” Kylie frowned. “Duke quit and—”
“Look what the tide washed up.” Their friend Molly approached and removed her gray hood, revealing her pink hair. She surprised Izzie by giving her a quick once-over. Izzie thought only EC girls did that.
“Hey, Molly,” Izzie said. She and Molly Boone were friends, but Izzie wouldn’t exactly call them close. To put it in perspective, if Izzie someday made the Olympics swim team, Molly might be the tenth or eleventh person she called—if she even remembered to call her. Molly never forgave Izzie for winning the only open spot on the swim team all those years ago, and their friendship had definitely suffered because of it.
“Pete!” Molly called to a guy lying on a beach towel. “Look who showed up. Iz-Whiz!”
“Look at that! Hey, Iz-Whiz.” Pete Booker had a new dragon tattoo on his forearm. Knowing Pete, that’s why he was in a tank top when it was only sixty degrees—he wanted to show it off. She had forgotten how cold it was down by the shore at night and she wished she’d brought a jacket. “We were taking bets on whether we’d ever catch you around here again,” Pete said, glancing at Molly.
“Of course you were going to see me again,” Izzie said. It had only been three weeks. Three very long weeks. “I’ve really missed you guys.”
Molly kicked the sand. “Missed us, huh? We heard about your new digs. Pretty sweet gig you’ve got going for yourself. I heard you even go to private school now.”
“She’s gone high-class on us!” Kylie joked. “Izzie goes to Emerald Prep with that hot surfer boy.” She nudged her and Izzie blushed. “Does that mean you two can finally go out now?”
Izzie shook her head. She wanted to tell Kylie everything, but she didn’t feel comfortable in front of the others. “It’s complicated.”
Pete stuck his hands in his pants pockets to warm up. “People from EC don’t do complicated. When you have money, nothing’s complicated.”
“It’s not my money,” Izzie reminded them.
Molly startled her by running her hands through Izzie’s hair, her sterling silver rings scraping Izzie’s scalp. “Maybe it’s not technically your dough, but they’ve still given you quite a makeover. This isn’t a cut from Lemon Tree.”
“New haircut, new makeup, better clothes.” Pete walked in a circle around her. “Look who got a princess makeover.”
“Ha-ha.” Izzie was starting to feel uncomfortable as they dissected her like a frog. “It’s still me.”
“How much are those jeans you’re wearing, princess?” Molly asked, thumbing Izzie’s thigh.
“Guys, back off.” Even Kylie was getting annoyed. “You’re acting like jerks.”
Molly touched the bag over Izzie’s shoulder. “And whoa… what is this? Do you know how much we could get for this bag?” Molly yanked the bag toward her.
Izzie pulled the bag roughly from Molly’s grasp, and the others stared at her. Her aunt had given Izzie the bag as a gift before her first day of school. She felt funny having an “it” bag, but she hadn’t received a gift in years. This bag meant something to her. “This was a present. I can’t hock it.”
Molly rolled her eyes and zipped up her oversize sweatshirt. “Whatever, princess. You just want that bag so you can pretend to be one of them now.”
Kylie’s eyes narrowed at Molly. “You wish you had someone to buy you a gift like t
hat.” Then she smiled at Izzie. “I think it’s cool that they’re being so good to you. You deserve it.”
“We all do,” Molly said. “Can’t we tell your new ’rents my family disappeared so they can take me in, too? I’m kidding. You know I’m kidding, right, princess?”
“Sure,” Izzie said quietly. She wasn’t, but she wasn’t about to rock the boat. She was just happy to be with her real friends, somewhere she wasn’t judged.
Oh, wait.
But they were joking with her, right? “Do you guys want to do something?” Izzie asked, hoping to change the subject.
“We are doing something,” Molly said, looking around the dark underside of the boardwalk.
Izzie looked around. There was a couple sucking face on a beach blanket, some guys singing with a guitar by the fire, and others just burying each other’s feet in the sand. If nothing was going on at the community center—and even that was hard to drag her friends to sometimes—hanging out under the boardwalk was what they did every weekend. Weeknights, too. She had already forgotten how quiet it was down here. There was no DJ Backslide blasting the latest hit, overpriced lattes, or girls smack-talking someone whose gown was so last season.
But Izzie also realized as she looked around her that there wasn’t much to do under the boardwalk, either. She wanted to do more than sit on the sand every night for the rest of her life. She didn’t want to wear Vera on a daily basis, but there had to be more than this. And that’s when it hit her. She’d only been in Emerald Cove a few weeks, but apparently it was changing her. She didn’t fit in there, but she wasn’t sure she belonged here, either. She didn’t belong anywhere. Suddenly she felt more depressed than ever.
“I should probably get going,” Izzie said hastily.
“You can’t go yet,” Kylie begged. “You just got here! We haven’t even caught up yet.”
“I know, but…” Izzie trailed off.
“When you said you were coming, I got everything together,” Kylie told her. Izzie looked at her strangely as she began pulling things out of her purse. She held up a lighter. “I didn’t forget what today is, Iz.”