Objects in the Mirror ... (UC, AU, K/I, Teen) COMPLETE

[ISLANDGIRL5]

Title:Objects In The Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
Author: ISLANDGIRL5, aka Christian
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a healthy obsession for Kyle Valenti.
Category Kyle/Isabel. There simply aren't enough of these fics floating around. AU, No
Rating: Teen
Summary: Kyle and Isabel are best friends. She's hopelessly in love with him, buy typical guy, he's clueless. This has been done with Liz and Max before, but I had to try with Kyle and Isabel.
Author's note:This is going to be relatively short. I was just in the mood for a little Kyle....A few parts or so. Enjoy!

The reposting of this story is dedicated to Kath, who so politely reminded me that this story was burning on the back burner. LOL. *hugs, Kath*


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OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR
PROLOGUE

I don't know how it happened. I don't know when it happened. And I don't know why it happened. All I know is that it happened. I was in a hole that I couldn't seem to crawl out of. And all of a sudden, I realized I'd done the unthinkable. I'd fallen in love with my best friend.

We're a really close knit group of friends, actually. The eight of us. There's me and my brother, Max. The girl magnet. He's not that bad looking. He's a good looking guy. But he's got no clue. I guess that's why so many girls want him. He's so....modest. He can walk into a room, and every girl in the place will turn to stare at him and you can practically hear the hearts break. Because his eyes only search for one person. His girlfriend. Liz Parker. Roswell's very own Little Miss Albert Einstein. She's like the smartest person to ever grace the halls of West Roswell High. And not a jealous bone in her body. Max and Liz are so in love and in tune with each other that its sickening.

Then there's Michael. Liz's brother, and the smartest talking guy in school. He's the kind that needs someone to tone him down. Keep him in line. Enter Maria Deluca. The smartest talking girl in school. Definitely someone you don't want on your bad side. Apart, they do nothing aside from make rude comments and cracks. Together, they make perfect sense. Both of them, big and bad on the outside. But cuddly little teddy bears inside. They really are good people. They just give bad impressions.

Then there's Alex. He's the smart, grounded one of the group. The one with the most common sense. The one we go to when we need help with Math. Or English. Or Science. Okay. The one we go to when we need help with anything.

And there's Tess. Alex's girlfriend. Now talk about not making sense. Those two are complete opposites. She's beautiful, popular, and a cheerleader. But they are absolutely crazy about each other.

There's me. Isabel Evans. Sister to Max, head cheerleader, member of the National Honors Society. Liz says I'm the Elle McPherson of West Roswell High. I just say that I like to go shopping a lot and take pride in the way I look.

And...finally...last but not least, drum roll please, there's Kyle Valenti. Captain of the football team. Roswell's own Steve Young. My best friend. My savior. My calm in the middle of the storm. Oh yeah. And the guy who has stolen my heart right out of my chest. Jerk.

Okay. So he's not really a jerk. He doesn't even know how I feel. None of the guys do. Only Tess, Maria, and Liz. And that's how I'm going to keep it. The guys would have a field day with that one. And Kyle would probably never speak to me again. That's why I can't tell him. I'm afraid we'd lose what we have.

So, we're all friends. But between the eight of us, we all have our favorites. The ones we depend on just a little more. Like me and Kyle. Liz, and Alex. Michael and Max. And Tess and Maria.

Kyle and I are the only one's not currently attached. Max decided Liz was his soulmate the day he met her. In Kindergarten. Big surprise. He was right. Maria and Michael happened over time. We all knew it would happen, though. They had that whole, boy likes girl so he pulls her pigtails kind of thing going on. Alex and Tess is brand new. None of expected it. Not even them. Came as a big surprise. But sometimes I wonder why we didn't expect it. I mean, they are perfect. They fit so well. That leaves me and Kyle. The odd ones out. But we don't complain.


We have someone to veg out with on Starbucks Espresso Chip Ice Cream while the others go out on dates. I have a shopping partner, he has someone to play Playstation with. Okay, so maybe he grumbles while I shop, and I try to figure out how to make my man jump while his player beats me down on the Playstation. But it works. Me and Kyle. On the inside, I'm pining away like crazy for the boy. On the outside, we appear just what we are. Best friends.

It came to me one night while we were all on our way out to Vasquez Rocks to watch the meteor shower.

I'm in the front seat of Max's Jeep, and he's driving. Liz is in the back seat, with Kyle. We're driving down the road, under a clear starry sky. No one else on the road but us, and Maria's Jetta behind us. The wind was blowing through my air, and I couldn't help but stare up at the stars. Then something in the back seat shifted, and my eyes's darted to the rearview mirror.

Kyle was sitting there, laughing at something Liz had said. In the mirror, I could see my best friend, the keeper of my heart, one of those earth shattering smiles gracing his face. And I had to laugh.

Because printed across the mirror were words I'd read thousands of times before, but never really noticed.

It said... ‘Objects In The Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear.'

[ISLANDGIRL5]

OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR
CHAPTER 1

~Isabel~

"You are absolutely crazy if you think I'm going up there ahead of you!"

I had to laugh. Maria and Michael are at it again. We're climbing up the rocks, to have a little picnic on the rocks. Vasquez rocks has become our own little spot. Every single kid in Roswell High comes out to the desert. To Park. To talk. To hang. But as of now, we have kind of claimed this spot. No one else ever comes here. That's the way we like it.

Anyways, right now, Maria has her hands on her hips, and is giving Michael the death glare. He insisted on her walking ahead of him because she had on shoes that were definitely NOT made for climbing rocks, and he wanted to be able to help her if she needed it. Well, just as she has to step up on a rock that will put her a good foot above Michael's head, she realizes the real reason he wanted her to go ahead of him. She has on a short, knee length skirt.

Michael grinned at her. "Well, sweetie, it's only because I want to help you."

"Yeah, help me give you a better view of what's underneath my skirt," she snapped. "You are going in front of me. Isabel can walk behind me."

"How come she can look up your skirt and I can't?" Michael asked.

"Because what I have under this skirt is the same thing she has."

"Just hurry up and go, Guerin. This basket is getting heavy. And if you don't get a move on, I'm reaching in and taking your food out so it won't be as bad," Kyle grumbled from behind me.

Michael started promptly to ease past Maria and climb up, then turned to help Maria up.

That's it Kyle. Get Michael with that he loves best. His food.

I realized that Maria’s only competition in Michael’s life will be his food when we were in the fifth grade. The teacher asked what came first, the chicken or the egg. Michael raised his hand and said he didn’t care. They both got fried and eaten and it didn’t matter which order.

Maria stops, then turns around. "Kyle, give Michael the basket. Then you get up here and help Isabel up."

"Isabel has on running shoes," Kyle commented nonchalantly.

"Well, duh, doofus. But she's still a lady, and she might need help."

I throw Maria a warning glance. One of these days, I just know she's gonna let it slip. Then I'll go to jail, and surely never have a chance with Kyle. Cause I'm gonna have to kill her.

"Whatever you say, Ms. Deluca," Kyle says. He hands the basket up to Michael, hops up and turns to extend his hand.

"M'lady," he says, smiling.

"Why thank you, kind sir," I replied. I can't help but feel a little spark when we touch. But why now? I mean, Kyle and I have always had a touchy feely relationship. I didn’t even feel a spark when he grabbed my butt at the homecoming dance our sophomore year. More like his cheek felt a spark from the palm of my hand. But it's only been lately I've noticed a lot more feeling going on in those touches. From my part, anyway.

The four of us turn around to wait for the others to climb up. Max automatically jumps up, then turns and almost effortlessly lifts Liz up to join us. Then he kisses her, and pulls away to rub noses with her as she giggles slightly.

Right now, the sickness factor they bring with them is dangerously high. There's something unnerving about watching your best friend make out with your brother.

Then, what happens next is kind of funny. Alex isn't really the athletic type. He's tall, and kind of lanky, but really cute, in a weird, Tom Hanks look-a-like kind of way. So, anyway, he has on some new shoes, and they don't seem to be helping him climb any better. So Tess jumps up, then turns around and helps him up.

"Way to go Whitman, let your girl help you up," Max says, making Michael and Kyle snicker.

I elbow Kyle in the ribs, and he shuts up ASAP. "Max, don't make me tell everyone about the time that we went rock climbing with Uncle Will and you got scared halfway down the mountain, and I had to climb back down to pull you up. Ooops...I think I just told them. Sorry!" I said.

This time, all the girls giggle, while Max turns red all the way to the tips of his ears.

An hour later, we've all eaten, and are sitting around watching the stars. Max is sitting against the rocks, and Liz is snugly set between his legs. Michael is sitting a little ways down beside him, and Maria is plopped on his lap, her head nestled on his shoulder. Alex stretched out in front of them, and Tess is stretched out next to him. Kyle is laying next to Alex, his head on his lettermans' jacket. I'm laying with my head next to Kyle's, using the other half of his jacket, but my feet are pointed the other way. This is usually how we all end up. We have our usual spots, and it goes without saying that you don't sit in someone else's spot.

"Remember how we used to try and count the stars when we were little?" Liz asked.

"You can't count the stars, Liz. There's stars up there that haven't even been discovered yet," Alex says.

"Thank you, Galileo," Liz replies. "I was just remembering what we used to do when we were little."

"I used to imagine which stars had aliens living on them."

We all look at Kyle funny, and everyone laughs. Somehow, the fact that he believes in aliens doesn't surprise me. It's actually kind of cute.

"Explains the ALF costume in the third grade," Michael said.

"My ALF was better than your GI JOE. Everyone and their brother wanted to be the American Hero that year," Kyle said.

I remember that year. Kyle's mom had gotten him an ALF costume, and he had donned it proudly. Max, Michael, and Alex had all shown up in the same GI JOE costume, and they had all been mad at each other all day for it.

"Speaking of," Max says, raising his head up. "What are you guys gonna do for Halloween this year?"

"We're going to the Haunted Trail at Mendoza Park, of course," Alex answered.

"No, Alex. I mean for costumes," Max says. I can practically hear him rolling his eyes.

"I already have ours picked out," Maria says, motioning to her and Michael.

"Oh no you don't, Maria," Michael said. "I ain't doing no Romeo and Juliet. No Cinderella and Prince Charming. No Antony and Cleopatra."

"I have the best costumes ever planned for us," Maria says. "And you don't even have to wear tights," she added.

"Great," Michael mumbled.

"Hey," Tess said. "Let's have a contest. We'll divide into couples, and we'll do couple costumes. Then we'll let our parents judge. Whichever couple wins, everyone else has to chip in and pay for their dinner."

"I'm game," Maria says.

"In," say Max and Liz at the same time.

"Me and Alex are in," Tess said.

"Fine," Michael mumbled.

"What about you two?" Tess asks, raising up to look at me and Kyle. "You guys can pair up."

I turn my head to look at him, and he does the same to look at me. He shrugs at the same time I do.

"We're in," Kyle said.

Halloween is a little less than three weeks away. For the next hour, everyone whispers about what they are going to do for Halloween. But not me and Kyle.

We just lay there, staring up at the stars. I can't help but overhear everyone else giggling, and stopping every so often. I know they're pausing to kiss and smooch. I'm jealous. I close my eyes, but all I see is me and Kyle. Smooching and kissing. But Kyle is way to involved with Football and other girls to even notice me. I open my eyes, and wonder what's he thinking.

Maybe the planets are aligned just right, it's my lucky day, and he's going to realize that he's head over heels in love with me.

"Iz?" he says.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I have you. You know. I'm glad you're my best friend."

Silently, I curse the planets for being out of line.

"Me too, Kyle."

I feel his hand reach up to play with my hair. I smile, and close my eyes. I guess I'll take him however I can get him. Being Kyle's best friend is better than being nothing at all....Right?

[ISLANDGIRL5]

Thanks for all the FB, guys. I really appreciate it.

~*~*~*~*~*



CHAPTER 2

~Kyle~

So, Halloween in Roswell is a special time. Not special as in you want to cherish the memories and tuck it away forever kind of special. Special as in you'd think we all rode the little yellow school bus special. And it gets worse every year.

It's the one time of the year when Roswell locals can act normal and no one looks at them funny. The only thing bigger is Christmas. Big surprise, huh?

It's even worse at school. They hang black and orange streamers through the hallways, and all the students get secretive with their costume selections. You know how towns have those little Santas that ring bells at Christmas time? Bet I can do you one better. Around October, Roswell has giant walking jack-o-lanterns that wave bloody hatchets. And they still get money. Sick, I tell you.

We don't have an organized costume contest. It's just everyone tries to outdo everyone else. I guess that the more people talk about your costume, the more you are considered the best.

Stepping up to the front door of the school, I pause to prepare myself. For the black and orange streamers strung through the halls. For the fake cobwebs that are going to be clinging to every bulletin board in the school. For the orange tinted mashed potatoes they're gonna serve us for lunch. Yum. I can hear my stomach growling already.

"Yo, Valenti, wait up, man!"

I turn around and wait for Max and Michael to make their way up the steps. Then we walk in and make our way to the quad to meet the girls.

"Man, does this get worse every year?" Max asked

"I know what you mean. Last year, for the third time, Mrs. Topolsky wore her witch costume to school and jumped out at us on the way to the gym. And last year for the third time, we all pretended to be scared so we could run," Michael said.

"So, you guys decided on what to wear for Halloween yet?" I asked.

"Yeah," Michael says. "And my costumes cool. I can't believe she actually picked something I can have fun with."

"What'd she pick?" I asked.

Michael shook his head. "No way, man. Maria threatened bodily harm if I spill the beans. And this body," he says, patting his chest and flexing his arms. "Is way too beautiful to be harmed."

"Dude, is it just me, or does his ego just keep getting bigger and bigger?" Max asked.

"Nope. It's not just you. So, what about you, Max. You guys have costumes yet?"

"Not yet. We still have to choose. Between what she wants and what I want. I think we're gonna end up flipping a coin for it."

"Why don't you just be a man and tell her that you're doing what you decided," Michael said.

"Because there are parts of my anatomy that I'd like to keep intact. I do want to have children in the future."

"Liz isn't that bad," I said.

That's a lie. One time, when we were kids I played a trick on her and hid her bike then told her Pam Troy took it. The next day, I got super glued to my bike seat, stuck in the tree house all day because the ladder ‘mysteriously' fell, and was approached by old Mr. Sands who somehow was tipped off that I was the one who left the smoke bomb in his mailbox. Liz don't play. And Kyle learned along time ago not to provoke.

"She's not that bad unless you make her mad. Then she's like Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde."

"What about you and Isabel, Kyle?"

"I told her to pick something and let me know. I don't do the planning thing well."

"Hey guys. What you talkin' about?" Alex asked, walking out of a classroom.

"Halloween.. You and Tess got any ideas yet?"

"Well, I told her that it would be cool if she were a hula dancer. You know, wear the grass skirt and the little coconut bra thing," he said, raising his eyebrows and making a naughty gesture. "She said she'd wear the bra if all I wore was a banana leaf."

Ewww. Alex in a leaf and Tess in a coconut bra? Like I said. Halloween gets worse every year.

"What did you say?" I had to ask.

Alex grinned from ear to ear. "I told her it would take more than one banana leaf."

Wish I hadn’t had to ask.

Max and Michael started pretending to cough, and I couldn't help but laugh.

Max and Michael suddenly catapult forward as they are attacked from behind. Liz and Maria are now perched on their backs, and they all four are a big bundle of giggles. Sickening, really. All lovey dovey and stuff. Couples make me sick.

Tess comes up and grabs Alex's arms, and kisses him on the cheek.

Did I mention couples make me sick? I suppose somewhere deep down part of me thinks they're kind of cute. It's just that little annoying thing called jealousy that makes me want to hate them. Because I am a lot of things. But part of a couple is one thing I'm not. I'm just a lonely, relationship-less high school student wandering lost and single in a world of couples in love.

"Hey Kyle," Isabel says as she comes up and hooks her arm in mine.

Good thing I've got her to keep me company. Now I'm a lonely, relationship-less high school student wandering lost and single in a world of couples in love. With a friend.

Makes me wonder though. Why Isabel doesn't have a boyfriend. She's absolutely beautiful. I mean, she's my best friend in the whole wide world, and I wonder why someone hasn't seen what I see and snatched her up yet. Probably because they know they have to go through me first. Grrrr!

"Hey Isabel. How's my favorite girl today?"

"Great. So. I picked out our costumes for Halloween."

"Do I have to wear tights, a skirt, a hat with a bell on the end of it, or a diaper?"

"Nope."

"Okay. I'm in."

Isabel takes the next few minutes to tell me what we are going as. And believe it or not, It sounds fun. I'm pretty sure it's never been done before, so maybe we'll have a chance at that free dinner
.
After a minute, Isabel gets up with Tess to go get some Orange Juice from the machine.

That's when it happens. I hear that voice. The one that makes you cringe. Kind of like when someone drags their fingernails across a chalkboard, and you can feel your ears turning inside out.

"Hey Kyyyylle," she says.

Everyone in my groups stops talking, and Maria narrows her eyes. I cringe, and close my eyes hoping that when I turn around, she'll be gone.

I turn around. Just my luck. She's still there. With her fake boobs, fake blonde hair, and real attitude.

"Hi Pam." If open my mouth to say anything else, I'm not sure what's gonna come out. Better to keep it shut.

"Pam," Maria says, coming up and leaning on my shoulder. "Kyle doesn't want to talk to you. And I'm pretty sure last time you tried, he didn't want to talk to you. So, I suggest you turn around and go back to your friends."

Pam scoffed, and just stood there. Pam isn't a pushover. She doesn't just back down. She's proven that by chasing after me for the last 5 years.

"Let me clarify that for you," Maria said. She stepped across me and right into Pam's face. "I said...Take your skanky self back over there to your skanky friends and finish your discussion on whose chest cost more before I take out all the anger I've been holding back over Mr. Lawthorne's English-lit midterm on you. So either you go back over there, or you go outside and practice falling down and wait for me to come get you."

This is really funny. Maria's about two inches shorter than Pam, but she's staring right up into her face, hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. Maria's like a whole truckload of Christmas presents stuffed into one cute little package. Definitely someone you want on your good side.

"That's my girl," Michael says coming up behind Maria and sweeping her into his arms as Pam turns around without a word and heads back over to her friends.

"What did we miss?" Isabel asks, sitting down with her can of OJ.

"Oh nothing. Pam tried to talk to Kyle. Again. And he was nice to tell her off. Again. So Maria told her off," Liz said.

"Again," Alex added.

"You just need a woman to fight for you, Kyle," Michael said. "That would get Pam off your back.

"We just need to get you a woman and Isabel a man," Alex says.

Noooo thank you, Alex. Last time they tried to hook me up with someone, I ended up with a girl whose biggest concern was whether or not she had lipstick on her teeth.

I think this time, I'll actually go it alone. Who knows. Maybe I'll even ask Isabel for help.

[ISLANDGIRL5]

CHAPTER 3

~Isabel~

I have no idea what I am doing. I'm standing in front of the mirror staring at myself to make sure I look perfect. Not that it matters Kyle never notices anyway. Unless I'm wearing something too short or too tight or revealing. Then his big brother instinct kicks in, and his over-protectiveness can give Max a run for his money.

Of course, I end up outrunning them both. I always win. Because I am woman. Hear me roar. Grrrrr!

I've got on my favorite blue jeans, and a white, 3 quarters sleeved shirt that stops just above the waist of my jeans. Just enough room for my belly button to show. Giving my hair a once over, I grab my purse and head over to Kyle's house.

Two minutes later I'm there. We live across the street from each other, so it doesn't take me long.

Another minute, and I'm climbing in his window. That's how I always get into his room. That's how he always gets into mine. We're kind of like Dawson and Joey. Except for the whole talking with three syllable words things. And Kyle is not obsessed with Steven Spielberg, and I am not and never have been with one of my teachers. And although there is a really big sun shaped bird bath in between our houses, we don't live anywhere near a creek. Okay. So we're not like Dawson and Joey at all. Which, now that I think about it makes me really happy. Because Dawson has a really long face. Like someone grabbed it and stretched it too far. You know, like Stretch Armstrong. Hah!! Dawson looks like Stretch.

Oh. Yeah. Right. Back to the task at hand. What can I say. My mind wanders.

"Isabel, how many times have I told you to use your key?" Jim Valenti says, walking into Kyle's room just as I pop my head in the window.

"But it's so much fun this way," I say. Truth is, I lost the key he gave me in the third grade. After I fell off the trellis and skinned my knee. But I probably wouldn't use it if I had it.

"You better be careful," he says, coming over to help pull me in.

"I will, I promise."

"You kids don't stay up too late," he says, heading back out the door.

"Yes dad," we both say at the same time.

"So what are we watching tonight?" Kyle asks.

It's another movie night for us. Everyone else is out on dates.

"The Cutting Edge."

"Haven't we watched that like, 20 times?" He asks, groaning.

"Not even close."

That's a lie. We've watched it 17 times. Not that I'm counting.

"Fine. You're lucky it's your turn to pick. Or it would be Night of The Living Dead. Part 12."

"How many times have we watched that?"

"None," Kyle said. "We've only watched the first 11 parts."

Yippee. I can hardly wait.

So, the first parts of the movie go by uneventfully. I love this movie. I can totally see Me and Kyle there. Except for the ice skating thing, I imagine the Halloween costume contest.

"Do you hear me, Kyle? Somewhere in the middle of all this, I fell in love with you. I'm saying I love you. And I'm saying it out loud."

"We're doing Peter Pan and Tinkerbell," he says, not acknowledging what I've just told him.

"What?"

He walks away. "We're doing Peter Pan and Tinkerbell."

"No, Kyle, we can't. You said wearing tights would ruin your image. It's too risky."

"We're doing it. That's it."

"But Kyle-"

"No buts. Get dressed."

Later, as we stand before the large crowd assembled to watch our costume contest, we're smiling as they all stand up to applaud me in my sparkly blue tutu and Kyle in his green tights and brown shirt.

I turn around as he grabs my hand. "Why?" I ask him. I have to know.

"Because," he says. "I love you too."

Then he kisses me. And I go weak in the knees as the applause around us gets even louder.

When I wake up, it's just now at the part where she's curled up in his hockey jersey and he's reading the book she gave him. And I can't help but laugh out loud at my little...dream.

"What's so funny?" Kyle asks. He doesn't even know I dozed off, he was so into the movie.

And he tries to say it's a chick flick.

"Nothing."

"You don't just crack up laughing at nothing."

"Sure I do."

"Tell me."

"I just think she looks silly in that jersey."

"You've never laughed before."

"I just now noticed it."

"Whatever."

He's so gullible.

When the movies over, he goes to get us some ice cream. Mandatory after movie food for the two of us.

"So, I have a plan."

Uh oh. This can't be good. Last time he had a plan, we both ended up working extra shifts in Liz's parents restaurant. With no pay. All because he thought it would be fun to get me to help him trick Paulie Lancaster into eating a piece of strawberry pie doused with tobacco sauce. We didn't know he was allergic.

"What is it?"

"I need a girlfriend."

My heart stops. Has he finally realized that he's head over heels in love with me?

"So I need you to help me find one."

I know I didn't just hear him say what I think I heard him say.

"So, can you help me find a girl?"

Breathe, Isabel. Breathe.

"C'mon Isabel. If you help me get a girl, I'll help you get a guy."

I think of an answer. My brain finds the words. I want to say But Kyle, I can't. I'm in love with you. I can't help you find another girl. Because I don't want another guy. I want you.

"Sure."

My lips are such traitors.

I sneak a look at my watch, because I never leave Kyle's until 1:00 which is curfew time. It's only 11:13. My heart is breaking open in my chest. Did I actually just agree to help my best friend, the guy I'm in love with, the person whose name is doodled all over my biology notes, that I would help him find a girlfriend?

This is going to a very long....life.

[ISLANDGIRL5]

This part is for Elena, who made the wonderful banner you see on the first page, like, a million years ago when I first started this story.

And for everyone else, thanks for the FB. It keeps me posting.




CHAPTER 4

~Kyle~

Something is tickling my nose. Something is moving across my face. Something is crawling down my arm.

Wait. Crawling down my arm?

As I raise up suddenly from my sleep, I turn my head and groan. I pick up my pillow and throw it at Isabel. She's got a piece of string and she's using it to wake me up. And it's working.

Sometimes, I really wish that window had a lock.

"What are you doing, Isabel? It' Saturday Morning. This is sleep in late day, remember?"

"Not today, Kyle," she says giggling. "It's Halloween. We have to go get our costumes. I know exactly what we are looking for."

I really hate it when morning people wake me up. 9:00 on a Saturday morning is way too early to be perky.

"I changed my mind. I don't want to do it." I lay back down, and pull the blanket over my head.

"Fine," she says. "I'll just call Paulie Lancaster. I'm sure he won't mind being my partner."

Aww man. She had to pull the Paulie card. I really hate that guy. He's been after Isabel for about as long as Pam's been after me. He's not good enough for her. He's trouble. He's ugly. And he's got bad teeth. Like he's been chewing on rocks or something. Like someone took out his teeth, played yahtzee with them and threw them back in. One of these days, I'm gonna open up a serious can of kick-butt and he's gonna be sorry.

"Okay. Okay. Give me twenty minutes."

I raise up out of bed and see Isabel grin triumphantly. She knows I hate him. It's not fair that she can use that against me.

"I'll just wait here," she says.

"What if I don't want you to wait here?" I say, trying my best to sound nasty.

"You'll get over it."

"Well, don't mess up my room."

Isabel scoffs as she looks around. I feel a smart comment coming on.

"Kyle, I hate to tell you this, but I don't think any more messing up is possible."

"Don't make smacks about my room."

"Maybe I'll clean it up for you."

"No. If you move anything, I won't be able to find it when I need it."

It's true. At this precise moment, I know that my Tommy jeans are underneath the Pizza box from Thursday Night. And I know that my calculus book is in my underwear drawer. I also know that one of my Nike's is under the foot of my bed, and that the other one is in my closet. Sitting on top of my Monopoly game.

"That's just wrong, Kyle."

"Whatever you say, Isabel."


~Isabel~

As I look around the room, I know what you're thinking. How can I be in love with a guy that keeps his toothbrush in a cup on his desk with his pens and pencils?

It's simple, really.

He's so...lovable. When he smiles, you can see his cute little dimples. And when he's nervous, he's got this adorable habit of biting his lip. Oh, and when he has to pee, his leg shakes real bad and his eyebrows furrow together.

Wow. I’m worse off than I thought.

Really, there are some things that make him lovable.

Waiting for Kyle, I decide to sit down and watch TV. Saturday Morning cartoons are on.

I used to love cartoons. The real ones. The good ones.

But now, we have to watch things like The Powerpuff Girls and Pokemon. Whatever happened to the good ones? Like Thundercats. GI Joe. Transformers.

I know. I'm weird. Now you know why Kyle and I get along so well. I won’t even leave the house to check the mail without lip gloss, but my favorite cartoons consist of men with guns and talking robots.

Aha!! I flip it to Nickelodeon. Spongebob Squarepants is on. He cracks me up in his little pineapple under the sea.

As Kyle walks into the room, I can see his reflection in the TV. Right over Patrick's face. And he has on no shirt. He looks so good.

Kyle, not Patrick.

It's all I can do to keep from turning around to watch him pull a shirt over his head.

"You know," Kyle says, "We could have used Spongebob Squarepants. I could have painted myself yellow, gotten some brown shorts, a white shirt and some knee socks. That would be an awesome costume."

I have to turn around now and give him an odd look.

"Kyle, we're supposed to do couple's costumes. If you went as Spongebob, who would I go as?"

"Easy. You can wear your cheerleading uniform, put your hair in a pony tail, and go as Pearl.."

I know he didn't just say I could go as a whale. At least I think Pearl is a whale.

"Not gonna happen, Kyle."

"Okay. I'm ready. Where are we going?"

As I get up from my seat to follow him out, I'm telling him my plans.

"We're going to Nothin' New."

"That's a secondhand store!"

I have to chuckle at this. Kyle isn't the neatest person in the world. But he doesn't even know what the inside of a second hand store looks like. He has to have everything brand new. From Wal Mart. Target. Anywhere. As long as its brand new.

"It's a vintage store. And that's exactly what we need to find your outfit. They have some great clothes there."

"Can't we just go to Hecht's or JcPenney?"

"Sure, If you want to spend 50 dollars on a white shirt, and another 80 on some pants."

"I've always wanted to see what Nothin' New was like," he says.

Sucker!! Kyle will do anything to keep from spending all his money.

"I thought you'd see it my way."

Going in the store, I can't help but laugh at Kyle. He looks like a little boy in a toy store. The bright clothes, outrageous hats, and vintage styles have already hooked him. Before I stop him, he's got on a pink fuzzy hat and some sunglasses. Very Elton John.

"Kyle, if you don't be careful, someone might actually think you like it in here."

"This place is cool. How come you never brought me here before?"

"You never wanted to before."

"Right. Well, come on. Let's find our costumes."

After I tell him what to look for, we go off in different directions and twenty minutes later, we're in dressing rooms, side by side, trying on clothes.

Five more minutes, and Kyle is already complaining. Too many things to try on. He swears what he's putting on now will be the last thing.

"Alright already. Step out. Let me see. I've found mine," I say, adjusting my outfit in the mirror.

When I step outside, Kyle bursts into laughter. Ignoring his hoots, I take a look at his outfit.

Whaddya know? Looks like he found the one.

"Isabel," he says, still laughing. "I think you are a genius. Even if my costume sucks, yours is gonna take the cake."

"Well, let's hurry up. Now we have to go meet the others for lunch and to discuss where we're all meeting tonight."


Twenty minutes later, we're leaving and on our way to meet the others for lunch. And I hope that Kyle doesn't catch me glaring at the two bimbos coming in the door that smile and giggle when he holds open the door for them.

Tramps.

[ISLANDGIRL5]

CHAPTER 5

~Kyle~

Halloween is supposed to be a time to let loose and have fun. You’re supposed to look crazy and unusual. Right?

So, why have I been sitting on Isabel’s bed, waiting for the past two hours for her to emerge dressed and ready to go?

I’ve read all her magazines. I now know which colors of lipstick suit my tones, which kind of perfume best describes me, and what my locker at school says about my personality.

I’ve eaten half a dozen Krispy Kremes, downed 4 bottles of Snapple, and gobbled a whole pack of Twizzlers. If she doesn’t hurry soon, she’s going to have to roll me to the Crashdown.

I sneak a look at my watch. Now it’s been two hours and 7 minutes.

“Isabel! It’s been two hours! How much longer?”

“Another two hours if you don’t quit whining!” is her muffled reply.

If she doesn’t come out soon, she won’t have to finish perfecting her costume. We’ll both be old and gray and we can go as granny and Jed from The Beverly Hillbillies.

I lay back against the pillows, and my head hits something hard. I reach behind me and pull it out. It’s the ugliest baby doll I’ve ever seen. It’s got red hair, painted on freckles, and a little pink outfit and matching hat.

Her arms, legs, and head are hard, but her stomach is soft. There’s-

Ewww! This thing just blew her breath at me. It smells like a scratch and sniff sticker, and it’s sickening.

Gross!! She did it again.

Help! I’m being attacked by a strawberry doll!!!

I throw the doll across the room and am grinning satisfactorily when she lands behind the dresser.

~Isabel~

We better win tonight.

I’m not going out in public in this get up for nothing.

And I’m definitely not wearing this ‘booty shaper’ just to have to end up paying for someone elses dinner.

So I’ve called in reinforcements. Alex and Tess hadn’t decided on a costume, so I pitched my idea. They’ll be here in five minutes to complete mine and Kyle’s family. We’ve just doubled our chances of winning.

I take a look in the mirror, and smooth down my skirt.

I take a deep breath, and head out to see what my ‘other half’ thinks.

~Kyle~

Oh-My-Goodness.

I cannot stop laughing.

I knew Isabel’s costume was going to be good, but I had no idea how good until she walked out.

She’s got on black hose, and black spiked heels. Her red dress is so short I’m surprised it’s covering anything. It’s so tight, I’m going to have to double check to make sure it’s a real dress and isn’t painted on. And her butt is huge. No lie. We bought something called a ‘booty shaper’, and shaping is definitely what it does. I saw it in the store when we were looking for hose, and I convinced her to buy it. I thought it was hilarious.

She put some temporary dye in her hair, and she used about ten cans of hairspray to make a hair do so big that I’m sure even the 80’s are jealous.

And her makeup is so thick, she’ll probably have to chisel it off tonight.

We are so going to win.

If my free dinner comes from McDonalds, there will be some seriously injured people.

~Isabel~

“Kyle!”

I can’t believe he’s laughing at me. That means the whole town will laugh at me.

“I’m sorry, Isabel. It’s great, really, it is,” he says.

Then he doubles over in laughter again.

And what do I do? I want to cry. I want to run back into my closet, lock the door, and never come out. He has never laughed at me before.

“I’m not going,” I say, as I plop down on the bed next to him.

He straightens up immediately.

“Iz, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help laughing. But hey-that’s what’s going to guarantee us a win. Your costume rocks.”

“You really think so?” If he laughs again, I’ll deck him. But not too hard. Don’t want to ruin that pretty face of his.

“Really.”

I look at Kyle. He’s wearing brown pants that are a few inches too short, a white shirt, and a tie. I’ve given him a shoebox to carry around to get the full effect.

Know who we are yet? Good. Maybe you can figure it out when Tess and Alex get here.

The doorbell rings, and Kyle and I make a mad dash for the door. I beat him there. Actually, we get there at the same time, but he bumps into my fake butt and falls a few steps back. So he turns around and flops onto the couch.

And as soon as I open it, I know why Kyle laughed.

“Isabel, you look great,” Tess says.

I have to smile at her. She’s wearing a black leather miniskirt, and fishnet stockings. She’s straightened her hair, and left it long, parted down the middle. She’s got on a cut off t shirt with the playboy bunny on it and big silver earrings. And she’s busy chomping on a wad of bubble gum.

Alex has on baggy jeans, a jean jacket, and a t-shirt and tennis shoes. I told him not to shave for a couple days, so he’s got a bit of a stubble on his chin. And he’s carrying around one of those blow up plastic dolls.

“Where’s Kyle?”

I step back and let them see.

He’s sitting on the couch, his legs out in front of him, a frown on his face, and his hand stuck down the waistband of his pants.

“Well, I see someone is already in character,” Alex says as his walks in.

“Isabel! Your butt his huge!” Tess exclaims.

I turned around and modeled for her. “I know. It’s a booty shaper. I had to get the full ‘Peg’ effect, ya know?” I asked.

“Well, with that, you certainly have it,” Alex says. “And Paulie is going to fall out when he sees you.”

“Well, he’s going to lose some teeth when I see him,” Kyle said from the couch.

Kyle’s strange protective streak is kicking in again. I can’t help but wish it wasn’t because he thought of me as his sister.

“What are the others doing?” I ask Tess and Alex.

Alex shrugs. “I think Liz and Max are doing Arthur and Guinvere.”

“Are their costumes good?” Tess asked him.

“I don’t know,” he shrugs. “But part of this is based on originality, right? Well, Crista Harris and Johnny Sawyer did that two years ago. Besides, they bought their costumes. We got em beat in creativity by making our own.”

“What about Maria and Michael?” Kyle asked.

“I don’t know,” Tess and Alex say at the same time.

This could be bad. With Maria on the job, our free dinners are on the line. Not to mention that they have been very hush hush with what they were doing.

“Well, let’s go,” I say.

We all get up and head out. Hopefully, towards a free dinner.

Because if I am wearing this booty shaper and have no free dinner by the end of the night, then someone is going down.

Regardless, I know we are in for some fun.

Because Roswell ain’t never seen a Bundy family like ours.

[ISLANDGIRL5]

CHAPTER 6

~Kyle~

As I’m driving, I hear the other three occupants of the car sing. And here’s what I’m thinking.

I’m really starting to worry about Alex.

“I’m not a girl…” Isabel and Tess belt out.

“I’m not a girl, don’t tell me what to believe,” Alex joins in.

“Not yet a woman…” Isabel and Tess fling their heads back to get the last note out correctly.

“I’m just trying to find the woman in me,” Alex finishes with his head flung back and his arms in the air.

Now you see what I mean.

“All right, Whitman. Please. Can you stop? You’re freaking me out with the Britney Spears.”

“Dude, Britney Spears is a Diva,” Alex says. Then he holds up his plastic doll. “And Bud likes divas.”

It’s only now that I realize what Alex's doll is wearing. It has on catholic school girl outfit, and the shirt is tied to show the painted on belly button. There’s a wig on its head that has the hair pulled into ponytails. And the neck is a sign that says “Hit Me Baby, One More Time!”

It’s quite disturbing.

“Okay, Alex, that’s just freaky,” Isabel adds.

“Hey! She dressed her!” Alex says, pointing to Tess.

I give her a questioning look in the rearview mirror.

“What?” she asked. “He wouldn’t carry the thing unless I dressed her, and it was either that or Pamela Lee. And I refuse to have him carry around a doll that wears a 44D!”

I have to laugh. The image of Alex carrying around a doll with fake boobs is hilarious. Then I realize that Alex is carrying around a fake doll. That in itself is hilarious.

Pulling up at the Crashdown, I to groan. Pulled right up front is Paulie’s Honda.

I absolutely refuse to let the guy near Isabel. He better keeps his hands to himself.

“You guys ready?” I ask, turning to the back seat where Tess, Alex, and “Brit”, as he’s affectionately dubbed his doll, sit.

“I’m ready,” Isabel says.

As we walk in the door, I see our parents, all gathered at the back of the restaurant. They’ve taken up, two booths, and part of the ‘Employees Only’ area, since the Parkers own the place.

Thirty minutes later, after everyone is there, me, Isabel, Tess and Alex are busy celebrating. We won, and now we get a free dinner.

Michael and Maria showed up in the same costumes as Max and Liz. Well, sort of. Maria and Michael came as Guinevere and Lancelot, and Max and Liz came as Guinevere and Arthur. Michael got to carry a sword and shield, so he thinks he’s cool.

He keeps wiggling his eyebrows and asking Maria what she would do if he poked her with his sword. I’ll be laughing in a few minutes when he’s pulling said sword out of his butt.

Guess they all kept their secrets a little too well, and it paid off for us.

~Isabel~

Despite the fact that Kyle is dressed as a belching, farting, woman-insulting TV character, I can’t help but think of how good he looks.

Man, have I got it bad.

“I can’t believe you actually wore that,” Maria says, coming up behind me and pinching my fake butt.

“Yeah, well, it worked, didn’t it?”

“That it did,” she said. “Everyone’s talking about the Bundy family,” she said, motioning to the Crashdown’s patrons.

It’s true. Seems everyone is looking at us. Guess we get the vote for Roswell’s best this year.

It’s only at this moment that I hear the bell above the door jingle, and I hear Kyle stop talking.

And I kid you not. Every single person in the room that has a Y chromosome turns to look at the door with their jaws on the ground.

All the girls just turn to see what their boyfriends are staring at.

There’s a girl walking in, and she is absolutely gorgeous.

She’s tall, with lightly bronzed skin and jet black hair that’s long and wavy. She has on a tan colored outfit, adorned with beads of all colors, and strappy sandals that lace all the way up her legs. There’s a headband with a single bright turquoise feather sticking straight out of the top of it on her head. And she’s oozing with exotic beauty.

I hate her already.

Because Kyle is drooling.

“Who is that?” Tess asks, walking up to Maria and I.

“I don’t know,” Liz says, joining us. “But she’s gorgeous!”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Kyle says, breaking the silence.

Max’s eager agreement earns him a stern look from Liz.

I hear Kyle move away, and he comes to stand right next to me.

“Is she new?” he asks.

“Must be. I’ve never seen her before.”

My heart is tightening, and I feel like crying.

“Isabel, remember how I said I needed a girlfriend, and I asked you for help, and you said you would help me?” Kyle says, trying not to let anyone else hear. He’s moved so that he’s standing right in front of me, and his hands are on my shoulders. I’ve never seen him so excited before.

All I can do is nod my head. Because I know what’s coming next.

“Well, now is the time. Please. I need you to go over there.”

“For what?” I whisper a little too loudly.

“Invite her over here. She’s by herself. Find out her deal, check her out.”

Think, Isabel. Think.

“What if she’s waiting for someone, Kyle?”

“Then she’ll tell you. Isabel, please. You said you would help. I need you, please, you have to help me.”


I look at his eyes, and I know I can’t resist. Just like I’ve always been able to get whatever I want out of him, he’s always been able to do the same with me. It’s one of the pros of being so close. Right now, it’s seeming more like a con, and I’m silently cursing my inability to resist him.

I nod my head, and force my mouth to work. “Okay,” I say, softly.

I realize I have two options.

One, I can go over there, like I promised, find out who the girl is, and practically hand over the love of my life to some exotic looking stranger.

Or two, I can be like that boy at the end of that movie, Radio Flyer.

You know, where he flies off into the great blue yonder to escape all his problems in a homemade airplane his extremely caring and mature-beyond-his-years brother helped him make out of his red Radio Flyer wagon.

But I don’t have a brother that’s mature beyond his years, and I don’t have a red Radio Flyer wagon.

I’ve got Max, and an old Cabbage Patch Kids Big Wheel I rode when I was five.

Besides, the buffalo in that movie creeped me out. I’d be afraid he’d find me.

So option two is pretty much a non-option.

“Go,” Kyle says, as he pushes me towards the counter, where she’s sitting by herself.

Walking over there, I feel like my feet weigh a hundred pounds a piece. And it seems like it takes me an hour to cross the few feet to her seat.

As I step up to her, she turns to look at me.

I want to scream at her that she can’t have him. I want to turn around and scream at him that he can’t have her, because I love him. I want to pass her by, and run out the door, and go home and cry all night long because I know Kyle will never look at me the way he just looked at her.

But I do nothing. Except stand there and wish the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

“Hey, you okay?” she finally asks, after I stand there and stare at her forever.

“Yeah,” I say. “Are you new here?”

She nods her head. “My family just got here this week.”

“Well, my friends, you know, just wanted to know if you want to join us.”

Please say No. Say you brought your boyfriend here with you. Say you’re engaged. Say you don’t like friends. Anything.

“That sounds great! I haven’t met anyone my age yet. What’s your name?” she says.

I can’t help but feel my heart drop.

But I remember my promise to Kyle, and I suck it up and force a fake smile.

“Isabel Evans.”

She holds out her hand and smiles brightly. “It’s nice to meet you. My names Serena. Serena Jordan.”

[ISLANDGIRL5]

Apparently, someone was making jabs on Jenny's thread for Indigo.....

So, Pooh, this new update is for you, lol.



To all the other readers....thanks for the feedaback, I appreciate it!

CHAPTER 7
~Kyle~

I’m in love.

I had tonight all planned out.

I was going to come to the Crashdown, we were going to win a free dinner, I was gonna throw a few punches if Paulie cracked too many remarks. And then we’d all go out and party. Scare some trick or treaters. Get sick on too many chocolates.

But now all that’s changed.

And I think watching her talk with Isabel is going to make me hyperventilate.

“What do you think they’re saying?” I ask Max. He turns to look at Isabel and Dreamgirl talking.

“Isabel’s probably telling her about you, and she’s probably telling Isabel that you’re ugly and you’re mom dresses you funny.”

I can’t believe he just said that.

“My mother doesn’t dress me funny!” Max gives me the oddest look. “I mean I’m not ugly. I mean....my mother doesn’t dress me and I’m not ugly.”

“Relax, Kyle,” Michael says, laughing at me. “It’s just girl talk. They’ll be over here in a minute. Take a chill pill.”

“I am not sick. I don’t need no pill.”

Max, Michael and Alex look at me and start laughing, and I just want to turn and run. I know they are going to embarrass me.

I turn around to leave, and I almost keeled over right there.

Because something is blocking my way.

I mean someone is blocking my way.

~Isabel~

As I lead Serena over to where Kyle is, I’m painfully aware of the fact that every step I make is one step closer to handing off the guy I love to someone I just met.

Because Kyle wants to know her.

And Kyle always gets what he wants.

What is wrong with me?

Why in the world would I do something as stupid as agree to help him get a girlfriend?

I mean, I could have refused. I could have told him I wasn’t good with other girls. I could have told him I don’t know how to get him a girlfriend. I could have said matchmaking gave me the hives.

But nooooo. I had to be the good little best friend and agree to help him break my heart.

I hate my best friend abilities.

Just as we get over to him, Kyle turns around, and almost runs right into us. I mean her.

He’s fidgeting like a 5 year old who has to go to the bathroom.

He keeps looking from her to me, and back again. He’s waiting for an introduction.

Michael, Max, and Alex are all watching Kyle with interest, wondering what he’s going to do next.

Maria, Liz, and Tess are all watching me, wondering what I’m going to do next.

Knowing they’re all waiting on me, I start introducing her to everyone.

And the fact that Kyle and Serena are staring dreamily into each other’s eyes makes me want to break up their little staring party.

Better yet, maybe I’ll grab that feather out of her headband, and poke her eye out with it.

That’s a no go. I’m not a violent person, usually.

Wonder if I cold tickler her to death with it…

Taking a deep breath, I start. “Guys, this is Serena. Serena, this is the guys. That’s my brother, Max, and his girlfriend, Liz. That over there is Michael and Maria, and next to them is Alex and Tess.”

I leave off there, hoping everyone will forget I didn’t introduce her to Kyle.

I feel an arm go around my shoulders. “Well, you going to introduce your best friend to your new friend?” he asks.

Guess Kyle’s memory is better than I hoped. Why didn’t it work that well in 10th grade science, when he mixed the wrong chemicals and turned our lab table purple?

“Sure. Kyle, this is Serena. Serena, this is my best friend, Kyle.” And the guy that I’m head over heels in love with. So go right ahead, and steal him from me.

My head starts to spin, and I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes when Serena and Kyle walk off to a corner booth to sit down.

“Hey, are you okay?” Liz asks, coming up next to me.

“Yes. Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

She nods over at Kyle and Serena.

Oh yeah.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I tell her, and run past Kyle and Serena to the bathroom.

~Kyle~

I can’t believe it.

Twenty minutes ago, I was celebrating because I’d just won a free dinner.

And now I want to celebrate because I’m sitting with the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.

I see Isabel run past me, and Liz, Tess, and Maria aren’t far behind.

That’s weird.

“Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” I tell her. “You want something to drink?”

She tells me what she wants and I head to the counter to tell the waitress.

“Hey, Michael, what’s up with the girls?”

“Don’t know. Isabel’s sick or something.”

Great. I just won a free dinner, and met the girl of my dreams, and now my best friend in the whole wide world is sick and can’t even share in my joy.

I wonder briefly if I should go make sure she’s okay, but then the waitress is back with our drinks, and I take them to Serena.

You know, I never realized how good a root beer tasted until I drank one with Serena.

She’s great.

Her dad is a doctor, and he just transferred to Roswell General last week.

She has an older brother, drives a pickup, and loves the outdoors. Her favorite football team is the 49'er’s, and she knows the name of every single player that has ever played for the Atlanta Braves.

Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe I have found the perfect girl.

Now all I have to do is land the deal.

“So, are you busy this weekend?”

She sipped her soda and set it down in front of her. “I figured I’d show myself around town.”

“That’s crazy. You need a tour guide. What if I show you around?”

He shoots.....

She smiles again. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. I’ll show you all the hot spots. And the not so hot spots.”

“You’re not an axe wielding serial killer who wants to chop me into pieces and hide me in his freezer?”

I shake me head no and smirk at her.

“Okay, then. It’s a date.”

And he scores!

She looks at her watch and gets up. “It was great meeting you, Kyle, but I really have to go. I have to pick up my brother.”

I stand up and walk her to the door.

“I’ll see you Saturday, then,” she says. “For our date.”

“Right, our date. I can’t wait.”

She looks over her shoulder and winks. “Me neither.”

And now I’m all jittery because I have a date with my Dreamgirl.

I can’t wait to tell Isabel.

[ISLANDGIRL5]

CHAPTER 8

~Isabel~
After watching Kyle with Serena, I got really sick, and needed some air. The girls weren’t ready to leave yet, and since we had planned to go back to Maria’s for the night, I went up to Liz’s balcony so I could sit outside for a while.

I decide right then and there that I need to get over Kyle. But considering the fact that all I can think about is him, and what might have been, I realize that I’m going have to derail my train of thought.

So I decide to think about music. Aaahh. Right now, the song I can’t get enough of is Hot in Here by Nelly. That song rocks. The first time I heard it, I was with Kyle, and he-.

Okay. No thinking about music.

Movies. Movies are great. The last movie I saw was The Ring. It was so scary. We all went to see it together, and everytime I jumped Kyle laughed and said-.

Looks like I can’t think about movies either.

TV. Oh yeah. Alias rocks, baby. If Vaughn and Syd don’t soon get together, I’ll die. I bet Kyle that-.

Scratch TV off that list too.

Why does everything in my life remind me of Kyle?

Am I horribly pathetic, or just horribly cursed?

What’s that you say? Oh. Yeah. Both.

While sitting on Liz’s balcony, wallowing in my self misery, I heard footsteps on the pavement below. Leaning across the railing, I saw a guy, about my age, walking along the alleyway. He was listening to a walkman, and singing along softly with the music. As I watched, he snapped his fingers and spun around, clicking his heels to the rhythm of whatever song was playing. And as he turned around, and knocked over the trashcan, he was too slow to side step it and landed flat on his butt.

And I lost it.

I couldn’t stop giggling. When the guy ripped off his earphones and looked up to see who was laughing.

And he had the cutest smile. “Am I smooth or what?” he asked, holding his arms out and cocking his head to one side.

“I’m sorry for laughing, but that’s really what I needed at the moment.”

“Well then,” he said, bowing to me. “I love to help a lady in need.”

I smiled again, and thoughts of Kyle started to flee from my mind.

“Are you okay?”

“Nothing wounded but my pride,” he said, holding his hand over his heart. He smiled again, and winked at me.

And I’m not even thinking about Kyle. Nope, no sirree. I’m not even thinking of the fact that this guy has hair the color of Kyle’s. Or the fact that he has on a sweater just like the one Kyle wore yesterday.

I giggled again, and he put his head down and I could see his shoulders shaking from laughter.

“Leave it to me to make a fool of myself in front of a pretty girl.”

And suddenly, I realized that maybe I could get over Kyle after all. Because I have big red hair, makeup that’s five inches thick, and a big blow up booty, and this guy calls me pretty. Is he for real?

“If it’ll help, I’ll pretend I didn’t see,” I said back down.

“Oh, it’ll help. So, think you can help me out a bit?”

“Sure,” I said.

“I’m new in town, and I’m looking for the Crashdown. Can you show me where it is?”

“You’re looking at it.”

He got a funny look on his face, and he pointed at the building.

“This is the most happenin’ spot in Roswell?” he asked, raising one eybrow.

“Well, actually , this is the back of it.”

He nodded his head, and grinned. “Right. So, if I go in, you gonna be in there?”

I think this guy’s flirting with me!

I’m trying to nurse a broken heart, and he wants to hit on me? What is going on here?

“I don’t think so,” I said.

“Aww, c’mon. You can save me from the killer trash cans,” he said, pointing towards the trash can that tripped him earlier. “Please? I’m the new guy. The cans might listen to you.”

So, this guy is kind of cute. He’s got great eyes, and a really nice smile. What have I got to lose?

Not Kyle, cause I’ve already lost him.

I have to get over him sometime, right? So I can A.) Change my mind, and make a new friend, or something more. You know, Rebound. Or B.) Not change my mind and spend all night crying over Kyle.

If I pick B, then I can eat lots and lots of ice cream from Liz’s freezer. But on the other hand, if I pick A, then I can spy on Kyle and get myself a rebound relationship to help me get over my heartbreak.

A it is.

“Okay, I’ll be right down,” I tell him.

I walk inside Liz’s room, and check myself in the mirror, knowing fully well just how bad I look.

Picture Peg Bundy with a hangover. Well I’m so much worse. I grab some tissues and blot at my face.

As soon as I head downstairs, I try not to notice the fact that Kyle is standing at the door with Serena.

And I also try not to notice the fact that he’s smiling, and he looks really….happy.

But, behind Kyle and her, I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Fancy feet from the alley is coming in the door.

And then something happens that makes me want to scream. Serena turns around and starts talking to him.

That girl takes my best friend, and now she’s talking to my rebound!

Hey! Pocohontas! I saw him first!

Kyle motions over, and all I can think about is walking over there, tapping her on the shoulder and telling her the heck off.

So I smooth my dress, wallk over there, and say. “Hi, guys. You having fun?”

I have no guts.

“Isabel, you met Serena, right?” Kyle says, slinging his arm casually over my shoulder.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Well, this,” Kyle says, motioning to Fancy Feet, “is her brother, Scott.”

Can I just stop a second to ponder the irony of the situation?

Kyle’s dreamgirl’s brother is my rebound that’s supposed to help me get over Kyle in the first place.

My life sucks!

But who cares. At least I’ll have some fun while my life sucks.

I put on my best happy face, and hold out my hand.

“Right, we’ve met,” Scott says, grabbing my hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss it.

And they said chivalry was dead.

I can’t help but notice Kyle gives Scott a funny look. “You’ve met?” he asks.

“Yeah, earlier. She watched me trip over my feet,” Scott says, winking at me and squeezing my hand.

And I can’t help but smile back.

“Nice butt,” he whispers. If any other guy had said that to me, on any other night, I probably would have decked him…if Kyle hadn’t already. But I can hear the smile in his voice, and I know he’s poking fun at my costume. I start to feel ten times better, and wiggle my hips just a bit when I laugh at his remark.

~Kyle~

Did he just comment on her…..On my freaking goodness! Who is this guy?

I mean, yeah, he’s Serena’s brother and all, but right now, that pretty boy is looking at Isabel like he’s going to devour her.

Is he for real?

“You guys want to go sit down?” Serena asked. “I was late, and it looks like he got tired of waiting. So now I don’t have to leave,” she said, looking between me and Isabel.

“Sure,” Scott says, stepping up to stand next to Isabel. “What do you say we get to know each other a little?”

Isabel glanced over at me, then back at Scott. “Sure,” she says. “Sounds like fun.”

Okay, something about this pretty boy dude just irks me the wrong way, with his khaki pants, and striped sweater. He looks like something out of a magazine. Oh….yeah, an Abercrombie and Fitch magazine. I hate those guys. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s a stranger, and he’s already macking on Isabel.

Maybe it’s the fact that she’s smiling and giggling with him.

Maybe it’s the fact that he held out his hand, and now he’s holding hers.

Maybe, just maybe it’s the fact that he’s prettier than me.

Dude! Did I just think that? I think I’ve had too much chocolate. Or maybe it’s the repercussions of that strawberry doll I found in Isabel’s room. I now have a fear of anything strawberry. The little red seedy berries are evil, I tell you. E V I L!!

Serena and Scott go to sit down, so me and Isabel go get drinks. Since we know the owners, and all.

“Isabel, be careful,” I said, once we were out of earshot.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re awfully flirty with him.”

Isabel scoffed at me, and I could have sworn she was angry.

“I’m a big girl, Kyle I can take care of myself.”

“I’m just watching out for you, Isabel.”

“Well, Kyle, I’m a big girl, and I already have a brother watching over me. I can take care of myself.”

“ You were holding his hand! You just met him.”

“Kyle Valenti, you were over there practically drooling over his sister, and now I can’t flirt with her brother? Can you say double standard?”

“If I took her to the bathroom and had sex with her, would you do the same with him?”

I don’t know where that came from, really. Or why I suddenly have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Whoa. Isabel’s really mad. I can tell she’s veeeerrrryyy mad at me.

“Isabel, I’m just trying to-”

“Don’t try to do anything, Kyle. I know what I’m doing. You have Serena, and now I have Scott. Deal with it.”

She grabs two of the sodas off the counter, flips her hair in my face, and stomps away.

I don’t know how things got so heated and vicious so suddenly. Something is definitely in the air. And I think she’s PMS-ing. This could be bad.

[ISLANDGIRL5]

CHAPTER 9

~ Kyle ~

“Isabel, I’m sorry.”

I take three steps, and grab her arm. She spins around, and I have to duck to dodge the killer lasers from her eyes before my hair is singed and I’m burned to death.

Well, not really, but you get the picture.

“We don’t have anyone. We just met them tonight. Why are you being so weird?”

She rolls her eyes. “I am not being weird, Kyle. I just want to be left alone. Don’t talk to me, don’t chase after me.”

She pauses long enough to jerk her arm from my grasp. “And definitely don’t touch me. I can’t believe you said that, Kyle! Why don’t you take your man-ho self back over there to Serena.”

My first thought is what’s a man ho?

My second thought- I know she’s referring to the sex remark. “Yeah, well, you obviously don’t want everyone to leave you alone,” I said, looking at Scott.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kyle narrows his eyes. “It means that you look like Peg, but you’re kind of acting like Kelly. You’re practically throwing yourself at him!”

I see her eyes widen in shock, then narrow in anger. I’ve really done it now. I’m going to get chewed up and spit back out by Isabel’s temper. Oh! And then, I bet once she spits me out, Liz and Maria will mop me up and drown me in a bucket of Clorox. “You know what, Valenti?” She asks, her eyes narrowing. “Hold these.” She thrusts her sodas out at me and they hit me square in the chest, splashing coke on my shirt. I raised my hands and my eyes go wide when she bends over and grabs the hem of her skirt.

I watch as she struggles, somewhat awkwardly, before she stands up, her hands full.

“You,” she says, taking the soda’s with one hand, and placing something big, cloth, and oddly familiar looking in my hands with the other. “…can kiss my butt.”

She scoffs triumphantly in my face, then stomps away from me for the second time in as many minutes.

It’s only then that I look down and realize I’m holding her booty shaper.

If it wasn’t for the non-humorous situation, I’d laugh.

How many guys do I know that would give their right arm for a handful of Isabel Evans’ butt?

~ Isabel ~

As I walk away from him, and see his aloof, what did I do look, I almost feel bad.

Key word in that sentence would be almost.

He’s really getting on my nerves right now. I know I probably over reacted. And I know I’m probably being a little harsh. But, hey. Years of panting after the guy and suffering through unrequited love kinda get to you after a while.

Kyle really knows how to push my buttons.

You know how people always tell you not to push the little red button? Well, Kyle just pushed mine. If there was an ejection seat, he’d be flying through the air right now.

I’ve had enough.

I hate him.

The time I’ve spent mooning over him just screeched to a sudden stop.

“Thanks,” Scott says as I slide in next to him and hand him the soda.

“You’re welcome,” I say sweetly. Then I turn to Serena. “Sorry,” I say with my sweetest smile.

She looks at me confused.

“For what?” she asks.

Kyle picks the right moment to come bounding up to the table, plus two sodas, minus one fake butt.

“For you having to deal with him.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” she says, her eyes twinkling.

Does she think I was joking?

“Oh, I don’t mind,” she says. “I think he’s cute.”

I force a snort and act like I’m choking on my drink. “Yeah, if you can get past the pug nose and big forehead.”

Kyle ignores my remark and looks at her and smiles.

As if in response to me, she pinches his cheeks. “Adorable!” she says.

Hey, Hiawatha. I think your feathers are looking a little brown on the edges.

“So, what do you guys do for fun around here?”

I turn to Scott, and notice him looking at me. He’s got his head cocked to one side, and he’s watching me, like he’s really waiting to see what I have to say.

“There’s a fifteen screen movie theater, a skating rink, we have a kick butt bowling alley, the Mall….you kinda have to visit them all to see what suits you best. Lots of good wholesome fun lurking around Roswell.”

“Kyle’s taking me around Saturday, to show me the sites. Maybe you guys can come with us!”

The little Indian girl is looking way to excited about her suggestion. I guess she can’t read the mental brain waves I’m sending in her direction. You know, the ones that are telling her to go back to her teepee and practice her rain dance.

“That sounds like fun,” Scott says.

I turn to him and try to give him my evil eyes. But he’s so cute that I can’t help but smile. “Yes, it does.”

I have to do something about my mouth. You see, it doesn’t work when I want it to, and sometimes it works when I don’t want it to. Like the time I got hollered at in Food Lion for asking this really big lady when her baby was due. How was I supposed to know she was just big?

Kyle’s face lights up, and I wonder momentarily if he is dense enough to think that I really am happy. I raise an eyebrow at him as he smiles and leans forward on the table.

He takes one look at me and his smile falters for a second before he leans back and puts his arm around Serena’s shoulders. “It’s no New York City, but I promise I can show you a good time,” Kyle says. “And Isabel’s a lot of fun too when she’s in a good mood.”

My mouth forms a large “O” and my eyes are wide with shock.

He looks at me from the corner of his eyes and grins smugly. He raises the fingers that are on Serena’s shoulder and waves them at me mockingly.

If I grab the butter knife that they set out on the tables with the forks and spoons, I wonder if it will cut those fingers off.

I smile sweetly at him and wave back.

Suddenly, I wonder what in the heck has happened. We just went from being best friends to being worst enemies, in about ten minutes. Why are we all of a sudden trading jabs like we haven’t spent the last years of our lives in each other’s bedrooms?

I try to take a deep breath, but it doesn’t work. I’m inhaling nothing. As I look at Kyle and Serena, and realize they actually look good together, my eyes start to burn.

I mumble a quick goodbye to them, and tell Scott I’ll see him tomorrow.

Five minutes later, I’ve made it to Liz’s room, out the balcony down the ladder and away from the Crashdown.

It’s only as I’m almost home that I realize I could have used the front door.

~Kyle~

You know, there are few things in this world that man hasn’t figured out. I mean, we’ve figured out how to turn a bunch of metal and four wheels into something that can go from zero to sixty miles in seconds. We’ve figured out how to get intricate model ships inside tiny glass bottles. We’ve invented e-mail, the fax machine, and a microwave that knows when to shut itself off.

So why, in the world can’t we figure out a woman?

I don’t know what happened.

One minute, we’re having fun, making jokes and laughing.

The next. we’re throwing around harsh words and insults like we’ve always been enemies.

Watching Isabel leave the Crashdown, I couldn’t stop the sinking feeling in my chest.

What if she slips in the street on the way home and twists her ankle?

What if Pauly and his friends find her and harass her all the way home?

What if she’s abducted by aliens who want to force her to have alien babies and move to Mars?

That’s not really what I’m worried about. But, hey, it’s me. If I don’t make a joke, I’ll lose my mind.

I clearly am at a loss here.

There is only one person in the world that can fix this, and I have to talk to her.

“Serena…”

She nods in understanding. “It’s okay. She’s having a moment. Look, Kyle, it was really nice to meet you, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow, but it’s been a long day for us.” She stops as she motions between herself and her brother. “Why don’t you go after her, and we’ll go home.”

I don’t know what’s happened, but suddenly, as she’s speaking to me, I have no desire to follow through with my plans for tomorrow.

A few minutes later, I’m standing in between our houses.

My back is to my house, and I’m staring up at Isabel’s window. It’s pitch black dark, but I know she’s in there. I also notice that the ladder I use to get into her room is gone.

I almost giggle as I picture Isabel, in her short skirt and high heels, lugging that ugly rickety thing across the lawn.

I contemplate going back to the Evans’ storage shed to get it but think better of it.

They have a dog named Jesse that, even after seeing me every day for the last 7 years since they’ve had him, still would love to take a bite out of my butt. I contemplate momentarily, again, putting on the booty shaper then running for the shed. But I think better of it when I wonder what people would say when they saw Kyle Valenti walking around with Buns of Cotton.

I’ll just have to use the door.

Three minutes later, I’m standing at the top of the steps just outside Isabel’s bedroom door.

I stop when I see what’s on it.

There’s hastily scrawled note, adressed to me, and a picture.

I flip the switch and frown at what I see.

It’s a picture of Isabel and I, taken last year at Halloween. We’re standing with our arms around each other. Isabel is sticking her tongue out at the camera, and my face is hidden.

Why is it hidden, you ask?

Because there’s a skull and crossbones sticker stuck over my face. I cross my legs involuntarily when I notice that there’s a big black X cut into the picture right where no man wants to be “‘X’ed”.

“Isabel?” I ask lightly as I tap on the door.

“Hey, I know you’re in there.”

No answer.

“So, I really need to talk to you, Isabel. Come on, open up, please?”

There’s no noise from inside.

“What if I would admit freely, of my own will, that I was wrong?”

I press my ear to the door and listen.

Oooh!!! You remember how in Scream 3 when that guy is in the bathroom he leans his ear against the stall to listen, and suddenly, you know, he gets a butcher knife through the ears?

Well, I do too. And I also remember the X on my anatomy and the fact that Isabel keeps scissors in her dresser. So I take my ear away from the door. I’m contemplating whether or not Isabel would really stick it to me between the ears when I hear the soft click of the door lock from the other side.

I open the door, and surprise. It’s pitch black dark in there. But that’s okay. I know Isabel’s bedroom like I know my own. So a few seconds later, I’m seated on the side of her bed. I feel the bed moving slightly, and I can hear her breathing. I know she’s sitting at the head of the bed and she’s leaning against the headboard.

She’s probably hugging Phil, the monkey I got her when she turned 14. She always holds him when she’s upset.

I hear her sniffle, and I want to grab her and pull her into my arms. I want to wipe her tears away, and touch her face. I want to tell her everything’s going to be okay, because I love her.

I pause for a minute, and take a deep breath. It takes a minute for a clear thought to form in my head after I hear her sharp intake of breath and realize that I was thinking out loud.

I hear her sniffle, and all of a sudden, my heart is in my throat.

I feel it pounding, and can hear it ringing in my ears.

I can’t seem to get this itchy feeling out of my throat, and my hands are sweaty and shaking.

The atmosphere in the room has changed, and it’s suddenly so think I can’t breathe.

I reach over to turn on the lamp.

“Don’t,” she says softly.

“Sometimes it’s easier to talk when you’re in the dark.”

I nod my head without conscious thought, and bring my hand back to my lap, realizing that she can’t see me nod.

It’s at that moment that I know these next few minutes are going to define my teenage years.

I have a profound feeling that things are about to change.