The Grass Is Always Greener

  “Yes, we know she’s your aunt,” Savannah huffed. Izzie’s ambivalence about Zoe was something she had managed to keep quiet. “My mother hired her to take some portraits, and she liked her work so much that she hired her to chronicle the Founders Day activities for the Junior League. That includes our behind-the-scenes work.”

  Izzie spotted Zoe circling the parade float. She snapped away as Nicole and Violet tried to get the DJ stand and speakers set up for the float’s moving dance party. Izzie hadn’t seen Zoe since the day she moved into the pool house. They’d texted a few times about meeting up, but at the last minute, the plans always fell through. Izzie wasn’t sure how she felt about interacting with Zoe around her friends. Everyone in town was in love with Zoe Scott and her work. Izzie seemed to be the only holdout.

  “It’s fine if we work at your house, but don’t leave me out of the loop again,” Izzie warned Savannah quietly. Every time she and Savannah interacted, she knew everyone was expecting a showdown.

  Savannah’s smile was as fake as her oversize emerald earrings. “Oh, I see. It’s only okay if you leave me out of the loop, like when you went shopping for the booth supplies and forgot to invite me.” She waved to someone across the yard.

  “That was after you tried to ruin my Valentine’s Day,” Izzie reminded her.

  “Why would I do that when I had a date with Pierce?” Her voice was tight as she gave Brayden a look that could freeze water, which would be hard to do considering the temperature had reached the sixties. “You know, the guy I’m seeing from St. Barnard’s.”

  “Vanna?” Lea had a look of panic on her face as she ran over and interrupted them. “We can’t seem to get the papier-mâché to stick to the wire frame the art students made for Mr. Emerald’s costume. Can you take a look?”

  Mira was right behind her. “You’re here!” she said, seeing Izzie. “Good. The mining station is done, but we’re not sure if it will leak. Can you come see it?”

  Violet and Nicole were next. “We have the green songs loaded on the iPod, but one of Nic’s friends who DJs said our speakers might not be loud enough for the parade.”

  Savannah and Izzie looked at each other. Without saying it, they both knew: It would take more than one person to run two projects for an event as big as Founders Day. It was time to divide and conquer. They had to be a team, no matter how much it killed them.

  “I’ll tackle the mining station if you look at the papier-mâché,” Izzie suggested.

  Savannah didn’t argue. “When that’s done, we’ll look at the float,” Savannah told Violet, sounding more decent than normal. “For now, we could use more help with the costumes.” She modeled her own sparkly getup. “Isn’t it great?” Every time Savannah moved, Izzie was momentarily blinded. “We are wearing these for the float and the butterfly wings for the street fair.” Izzie opened her mouth. “Remember? You and Mira said I could get them since you picked out those miner’s hats that are so dull I could die.”

  Izzie could not imagine anything more humiliating than wings and glittery tees. “I remember,” she said weakly. Brayden looked like he was trying not to laugh.

  “Speaking of statements,” Savannah said as she began to walk away, “your friend who showed up today certainly knows how to make one.” Lauren snorted.

  “Ignore them,” Mira said.

  “What are they talking about?” Izzie asked.

  “Kylie.” Mira frowned. “Didn’t you ask her to help today?”

  No. Izzie glanced in Mira’s direction. Hayden was threatening Kylie with a paintbrush, and she was squealing so loudly that everyone in their vicinity was looking. Izzie couldn’t believe what Kylie was wearing to Savannah’s. She had on her favorite short shorts and a midriff-exposing T that was not suited for March. It felt strange seeing her friend in EC. It felt even odder that she hadn’t told Izzie she was coming.

  “I can’t believe Savannah let her in looking like that,” Violet commented.

  “Savannah would let the mailman pick up a hammer if he was willing to help,” Mira said. “You guys said we should invite everyone we know today,” Mira reminded Izzie. “Hayden offered to help and bring Kylie and thank God he did. They were the only two who would agree to pick up a hammer and nails.” For the mining station, Izzie and Savannah had drawn plans for a giant sandbox in which kids could bury jewels. A second section looked like a water table. The kids would pour sand through sifters and the water would wash the sand away till only their jewels remained. From a distance, Izzie could see Kylie and Hayden had gotten it right.

  “Kylie knew what she was doing,” Violet admitted, “when she wasn’t stopping to try to pull Hayden away for a make-out session.”

  “I think they’re cute actually.” Nicole looked over at them. “Hayden’s so jokey around her.”

  “Hayden’s always jokey,” Mira and Izzie said at the same time.

  Hayden did look happy, but did they have to make out in Savannah’s backyard while Zoe was running around with a camera? God, I sound like my dad, Izzie thought and cringed. She just didn’t understand why Kylie couldn’t tone it down.

  “Well, I guess we should see how the station came out,” Izzie said. Brayden took her hand and they walked across Savannah’s lawn. Mira, Nicole, and Violet started talking about the Crystal Ball again and walked a short distance behind them.

  “So I heard from Dylan last night,” Brayden changed the subject. He and his sister, Dylan, didn’t have the best relationship, but they had been trying to make amends. “She wants me to visit her at the University of South Carolina.”

  Izzie had already made her peace with Dylan. She couldn’t hate the girl after she had gotten Brayden and her back together at cotillion. “That sounds fun. You should go.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that, because I want you to go with me.” Brayden gave her a sheepish grin. “I thought we could make it an early birthday celebration of sorts. You know I can’t ignore your birthday,” he stressed. Izzie had said a dozen times already that she didn’t want to do anything special. Mira’s party-planning for their joint bash was too much to handle as it was. “We can do something small while we’re there.” He paused. “Or go to a big frat party.” Izzie laughed. “What do you say?”

  Her actual birthday was only weeks away. Aunt Maureen kept saying they needed to do a big dinner, but she didn’t feel up to it. Going with Brayden to USC sounded like the perfect alternative. “I’m in. Let me ask my dad.”

  Brayden squeezed her hand, which was a lot more appropriate than the lip-lock Kylie and Hayden were in the middle of when they approached. Izzie was embarrassed by the way they were acting at a Butterflies prep session, but she couldn’t help being impressed with their work on the wooden structure they were now leaning against. The only problem she could see was in the thin pegs they had used to hold up the tables. They didn’t look too secure. As Izzie approached, one leg started to buckle and Brayden reached out to grab it.

  “Whoa!” Hayden pulled Kylie back before the whole table buckled. Brayden quickly pushed the peg back in place. “Guess I don’t know my own strength,” Hayden joked, making a muscle with his arm.

  “Strength?” Kylie made a face. “Who pushed the Charger to the side of the road last Friday when it ran out of gas? Me!”

  “Seriously? Who runs out of gas?” Violet interrupted, her voice disapproving.

  Hayden winked at Kylie. “Two people too busy talking to look at the gauge. It won’t happen again, that’s for sure. We had to walk two miles to a pump and Miss Athletic over here was wheezing. Tell me again how I have no muscles?”

  Izzie felt funny hearing Hayden talk about her best friend. Last Friday she had called Kylie twice and her phone had gone to voice mail. Now she knew why. Couldn’t Kylie have just told her she was with Hayden?

  “So what do you think, Iz?” Hayden asked, and knocked on the wood structure. “You’re lucky the two of us showed up or you’d still be staring at a pile of two-by-fours. Kylie was the bra
ins behind this operation. She knows her way around a toolbox.”

  “Hells yeah.” Kylie gave everyone a wolfish grin. “Not everyone will risk breaking a nail to get the job done.” Violet huffed, getting Kylie’s attention. “What is your problem today, princess?” Her demeanor had gone from almost giddy to grim in less than a second. “Oh, I know. Maybe you’re jealous that you have to live inside this shallow plastic bubble while I can do whatever I want.”

  Izzie winced. Is that what Kylie really thought of EC? If so, then why was she suddenly spending so much time here?

  “Jealous of your life in Harborside?” Violet sputtered. “Don’t flatter yourself. No one is jealous of anyone who lives there.”

  So that’s how Violet really felt about Izzie’s hometown. Izzie was getting more uncomfortable by the second. She didn’t know whose side to be on.

  Kylie stepped forward, her blue eyes full of anger. “Are you really going to let her talk about Harborside like that, Iz-Whiz?”

  Violet didn’t back down. “Hey, you’re the one knocking EC, which is where Izzie lives now, if you’ve forgotten. And you’re the one embarrassing her here.” Violet looked her up and down. “Who dresses like that in public? You could benefit from this thing we have here called cotillion.”

  “I like what Kylie is wearing.” Hayden tried to ease the tension, but it didn’t work. His eyes willed Izzie to step in and stop what was happening, but she froze.

  “You have a problem with my clothes, too?” Kylie snapped. “You’re unbelievable! You know what I think your problem is? You’re threatened by me.”

  Violet crossed her arms. “Is that right? Want to tell me why?”

  “You’re afraid Iz-Whiz won’t become a cookie-cutter clone like the rest of you and she’ll come running home to me instead!” Kylie’s voice was growing louder.

  Izzie felt ill. Why were they fighting like this? It was embarrassing. First off, Violet hadn’t done cotillion, either. And Kylie, for all her knocks, was spending more time in EC than ever. At least Violet was keeping her voice down. Kylie was getting louder and louder as they argued, suddenly reaching forward to give Violet a light shove.

  “Don’t touch me!” Violet yelled.

  Izzie noticed Savannah watching from across the yard with Mrs. Ingram and Zoe. Kylie and Violet bickering… Savannah laughing… her friends staring… Izzie couldn’t take it anymore. “Kylie!” Izzie finally snapped. “Just shut up, okay? Shut up!”

  Kylie looked as if she’d been slapped. “Iz, she just…”

  “I don’t care.” Izzie was shaking she was so mad. “You can’t just go around fighting people. You know what would happen if you decked someone at the Ingrams’ house?” she hissed. “They’d drag you away in a cop car. Then what would we do?”

  “Let’s let them talk.” Brayden steered Violet and the others away, but Hayden wouldn’t budge. She could sense he was disappointed in her, but Izzie was beyond caring.

  “What is your problem?” Kylie played with the bottom of her T-shirt. It had ice-cream stains on it, but Kylie never cared about that stuff. Izzie had always felt the same way, but even she showed up at Butterflies’ events dressed a certain way. “Hayden and I had other plans, but I said, let’s come help you. Not that you invited me. I was good enough to take you to the party-supply store so you could get my mom’s discount, but an actual event with your friends? That you don’t want me around for.” Kylie sounded hurt.

  “You mean the way you don’t want me around when you have plans with Hayden?” Izzie asked. “We were supposed to hang out last Friday and instead you sent all my calls to voice mail. Who’s the one leaving the other out?”

  Kylie glared at her. “You wouldn’t have wanted to hang out with us anyway. You won’t even say Hayden’s name around me. It’s like we’re not even happening.”

  “As much as I like being a hot topic of conversation…” Hayden tried to butt in, but both girls ignored him.

  “That’s not true and you know it.” Izzie was starting to feel weird.

  “It is true!” Kylie barked. “I know you’re embarrassed of me. I’m not stupid, Iz. I see it all over your face any time I’m around your prissy new friends or Hayden.”

  “You’re wrong,” Izzie said, but she wasn’t, and they both knew it.

  “God, at least be honest!” Kylie said. “Did you forget how when you moved to millionaire land?”

  Izzie hated it when Kylie bashed EC. “No, I learned how to have a little bit of class.” Kylie looked stung. “You can’t just say what’s on your mind all the time! It’s like you say and do these things just to get a rise out of my new friends! As long as I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you threaten someone unless it was for a legitimate reason. I’m trying to fit in here, Kylie,” she whispered hotly. “And you’re not making it easier by causing scenes or starting Silly String fights in a store that is being watched by the press.”

  “I didn’t know that photographer was there and neither did you! Just admit it, already.” Kylie pushed Izzie, which only made her angrier. “You’re embarrassed of me!”

  “Yes! Okay?” Izzie blurted out. “Is that what you want to hear? If you’re going to make scenes, then yeah, I don’t want you here!” Hayden’s face fell. Izzie had actually shouted that last part, and now she was embarrassing herself, too.

  Kylie’s face paled. “Fine.” She started to walk away and thought better of it. “You know, when you couldn’t stand this place, you came to Harborside all the time.” Kylie’s voice dropped considerably and Izzie could hear how hurt she was. “I wasn’t so bad to hang out with then, was I? I even introduced you to my new friends. Dylan was my friend, but I didn’t try to keep you away from her. I included you! Now she’s gone, you’re gone because you’ve settled into your new digs, and you don’t want me to hang out with a guy I really like. Guess I am not good enough to have anyone, huh, Iz?”

  Izzie’s stomach lurched. “Kylie.”

  Kylie grabbed her bag from the grass. “You swore you wouldn’t let EC change you.” Her face was more sad than angry. “Well, look at you now. I hope you’re happy.” Kylie headed toward the back gate, making sure to bump into Violet on her way out.

  Izzie turned to Hayden to explain. “She always has to cause a scene. This is exactly why I didn’t invite her today.”

  Hayden eyed her disapprovingly. “Kylie felt funny being at the Ingrams and around your new friends, but I told her, ‘It’s Izzie. She’s not going to let you feel unwanted.’ ” He headed after Kylie. “Guess I was wrong.”

  Izzie could feel everyone watching her. She needed air. She put her head down and ran for the privacy of the Ingrams’ gazebo, praying Brayden would keep the others away.

  “Hey. You okay?” Zoe startled her. She ducked down to enter the gazebo. “I saw you head this way and wanted to check on you. You put on quite the show back there.”

  “I’m never going to live this down,” Izzie mumbled, thinking of Savannah.

  Zoe removed her camera strap. “What are you talking about? We heard you yelling, but I couldn’t make out a word of what you said. Mrs. Ingram had me taking pictures of the patio furniture she wants to sell.” Zoe rolled her eyes. “Glam work I have in this town. Family photos of the fabulously unfamous and photos for Craigslist.”

  For some reason, the idea of Mrs. Ingram selling her lawn furniture was highly amusing and Izzie started to laugh.

  “It’s not funny,” Zoe lamented. “God, I am so bored.”

  Izzie bristled. “I hope you’re not staying here on my account.”

  Zoe grabbed her hand. “That came out wrong. I would have been on the first plane back to California weeks ago, but I am here to make things right with you.” Zoe sat down on the gazebo bench next to her. “I am the only Scott you have left in this world and I owe it to you to tell you about our family. As much heartache as there was, there are good memories, too.”

  Izzie felt a strange sensation in her stomach. This might have been the
first time she’d ever heard Zoe talk about someone other than herself.

  “One summer when your mom and I were little, your grandfather broke his leg and was out of work for six weeks,” Zoe recalled with a smile. “So your grandmother got it in her head that it was the perfect time to travel down the coast. Your grandfather said we didn’t have the money, but she produced this huge jar of change that had over a thousand dollars in it. We went to Florida and back, staying at all these motels and seeing every crazy tourist site you could imagine. I think it was the most fun we ever had together.” She reached over for her camera bag. “The other night I was going through old photos your mom sent me and I came across this from that summer. I had brought them with me when I came to town, but haven’t had the chance to give them to you yet.” She pulled out a slightly bent Polaroid photo. The picture was of Zoe and her mom around the ages of six and ten. They had their arms wrapped around each other on the beach. Zoe was missing her two front teeth and her mom’s legs were badly sunburned, as was her nose. Izzie didn’t think she’d ever seen a picture of her mom at this age. “I thought you’d like to have it,” Zoe told her. “There are others, but you can’t have them unless you promise to stop by some night and let me tell you the Scott stories behind each one.”

  Izzie held the picture in her hand wistfully. She had been longing to hear stories about her family. She looked at Zoe. “I’d really like that.”

  When Zoe grinned, Izzie thought of her mom. They had the same face. “Good. I have albums, too, you know. When they cleared out Grams’s house, Kylie’s mom mailed me a bunch of pictures and family things. Grams would want you to have them.”

  “I didn’t know Grams had any pictures of Mom when she was little,” Izzie said in surprise. “The past few years she had been forgetting a lot. She kept throwing things out. I was always rescuing pictures from the garbage.” The words got caught in Izzie’s throat. “I thought anything important like albums were long gone.”

  Zoe rubbed Izzie’s shoulders. “You have been through a lot, kiddo. No one I know needs a vacation more than you do. Is your dad planning on taking you on one anytime soon?”