Isabella and the Slipper Read online

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. Published by Kindle Press, Seattle, 2017 Amazon, the Amazon logo, Kindle Scout, and Kindle Press are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Epilogue Victorine E. Lieske lives . . . Dedication

  Chapter 1 The school gymnasium bustled with excitement. Isabella winced as a brawny guy crammed onto the bleacher, practically sitting on top of her. He smelled of locker-room sweat, and Isabella grunted as the air squished out of her lungs. Her best friend, Savannah, turned to glare at him. “Hello? Someone’s sitting there.” The guy cast Isabella a blank stare. “Sorry,” he mumbled, scooting over a millimeter. “Maybe look next time before you sit?” Savannah said to him, rolling her eyes. “Won’t do any good. I’m invisible, remember?” Isabella pulled her phone out of her pocket and sighed. That was the story of her life. Savannah moved over to give her room and snatched the phone from Isabella’s grasp. “Let me see your new phone.” The cheerleaders ran onto the gym floor, shouting and waving their pom-poms. Ugh. There was so much to hate about mandatory pep rallies. “You have no fun apps.” Savannah nudged her. She had her hair up in pigtails, and she looked like she had just stepped out of

  Chapter 2 Isabella pushed open the front door to the Vibrant Hue Art Gallery, and the familiar bell sounded. Her heart pounded in her chest. Chase Hawkins was texting her. She had his phone. It even smelled like him . . . a little. Yes, she’d smelled the phone. She had a problem. She admitted it. Leilani looked up from the hostess desk. “Hello, Isabella.”Leilani was the epitome of petite; she always wore something hip, and her hair was cut short in one of those inverted-bob styles. “Slow day?” Isabella asked, trying to calm her pounding heart. “Mr. Kato came in and bought Water Lily. Other than that, we’ve been dead.” “He’s been looking at that one for a long time. I’m glad he decided to buy it.” Isabella took her backpack off and went into the office. “Elenore wants you to take it down from the website,” Leilani called. “Will do,” Isabella said, turning on the computer. She took in a deep breath. She loved the smell of the gallery, the bright artwork on the walls, and the intricate sc

  Chapter 3 Chase watched the city lights flash by as his mother drove home. “How do you think the audition went, honey?” She kept asking, making him feel guiltier. “Fine, Mom.” “I know, but did they give you any indication if they would call you back?” She gave him a hopeful smile. “Who knows?” He wanted to avoid talking about it, so he messaged the mystery girl. Where do you want me to leave your phone? Flatwater Park. There’s a loose brick by the bench with space under it. It’s the lighter brown one. Okay. I’ll hide it there tonight after the party. Thanks. He fiddled with her phone. It was driving him nuts, trying to figure out who this girl was. He knew a lot of people in school, but not everyone. He opened her phone app to see who she had called, but it had no calls logged in it. He opened her photos and a picture of him popped up. What? He swiped the screen and saw only one other photo, of Mr. Morgan about to kiss the pig. He laughed and swiped back to his picture. It had been tak

  Chapter 4 Chase sat on the living room couch, watching a television show his little sister put on. It was past her bedtime, but his mother usually let her stay up late on Saturday nights, and he was in charge tonight. His parents had gone out to dinner and a movie. He looked down at his phone. The girl still hadn’t answered. He decided to prod. You there? Yes. So? I’m not popular at school. He leaned back and blew out a breath. Was that all she was worried about? He couldn’t care less about her social status. I don’t care. We would never be friends in real life. Was this true? He tried to be nice to everyone at school, but he did usually hang out with the more outgoing type. Was he snobbish at school? He glanced at his sister, sitting on the floor playing with her dolls. He went back to his phone. Come on. You know I don’t care. You gonna force me to call you, Five? I like Five. It’s creative. Frustrated, he pounded on the keys. Chwolgnte sumetris which autocorrected to Chocolate sunri

  Chapter 5 Chase dropped his books on his desk and sat down. The last period of the day. He actually liked the class. Physics with Mr. Morgan. He liked learning about force, power, and motion. It made sense to him. The tests were easy, and Mr. Morgan made the lectures fun. But today he couldn’t get rid of the anxious feeling he had. He wanted to call Five. His mother had set up another audition for the weekend, and he wanted to talk to her about it. Plus, he wanted to thank her. He’d been a little worried when he came to school that morning, but Five had kept her word. She apparently hadn’t told anyone about what he’d shared with her. Mr. Morgan walked in the classroom and grinned. “Beginning-of-class joke. A neutron walked into a bar and asked how much a beer was. The bartender said, ‘For you, no charge.’” A few students laughed, a few groaned, and Mr. Morgan clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “We’re at that point in the year, folks. It’s time to start working on our science p

  Chapter 6 Isabella pocketed her phone and started up the lattice on the side of her house. After her work at the Vibrant Hue, she’d walked home, grabbed a bite to eat, then made a show of stomping up to her room. She locked the door and snuck out. Mixed emotions tumbled inside her as she climbed. Getting paired up with Chase on the physics project was a turn of events she couldn’t have predicted. What if she slipped up and said something to reveal who she was? What if he recognized her voice? She’d tried to make her voice higher on the phone, but she wasn’t an actress. Once he found out the truth, he would stop calling. She was so far from his type, she was on the other side of the planet. She swung her leg over the balcony railing and hopped down. Sneaking back into her bedroom, she let out a breath. No one had missed her. Why would they? She did her work and then holed herself up in her room. That was her life outside of school. She set her backpack on her desk and started on her hom

  Chapter 7 “Come on. Let me take you home. It’s really dark out. I don’t think you should walk,” Chase said, hoping Isabella would agree. It wasn’t safe. Plus, he suddenly wanted to spend a little more time with her but wasn’t sure why. “I can walk. It’s not far.” Why did she keep insisting? “Then I’ll walk with you. You shouldn’t be alone.” She considered his request, looking at the floor. “All right.” He grabbed his jacket. “Great.” Before they stepped outside, he called to his mother. “I’m going to walk Isabella home.” “Okay,” his mother called, and they stepped outside. He closed his front door and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. A light breeze blew. He let Isabella lead. “Are you a senior?” he asked. “Yes. I can’t wait to graduate.” “Yeah, me too. Are you going to college?” “I . . . I want to. I’ve been applying for scholarships. I haven’t heard back yet.” She kept her gaze forward. Chase hadn’t thought of the possibility that she didn’t come from a wealthy family. All the

  Chapter 8 Isabella’s heart stuttered when Chase walked into Mr. Morgan’s class. He slid into his seat and turned toward her. “Hey.” “Hi.” Did that embarrassing squeak have to enter her voice? Chase didn’t seem to notice
. “You wanna come over after work tonight? We can put the engine together.” Her mouth grew dry, and she swallowed. Why did he have to be so handsome? She stared at his Adam’s apple. “Sure.” He grinned, his dimple showing. “Great.” He turned back around, and Mr. Morgan started the class. Isabella tried to concentrate, but she couldn’t stop staring at the back of Chase’s head. Her stomach fluttered. The class dragged on even though Mr. Morgan was her favorite teacher. She just wasn’t interested in physics today. Chemistry was on her brain. The bell rang, and she stood. Chase turned around. “You want a ride home?” Wouldn’t that be good? Delilah watching her getting in Chase’s car. She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” “Do you get a ride with your sisters?” He still looked lik

  Chapter 9 Chase dropped Isabella off a block from her house. He tried not to stare as she walked away, but he couldn’t help himself. There was something about her that he was drawn to. He’d felt a strong attraction when he had touched her hand. And that was bad because he had a crush on Five. He sort of felt like he was cheating on the girl, even though he had never met her. His life was weird. Isabella walked to her house, but instead of going to the front door, she went around to the side. A moment later, he saw her climbing up the lattice at the rear corner. He squinted, trying to see what she was doing. She swung herself over a balcony and disappeared inside. He wasn’t sure what that was all about, but he figured he’d ask her tomorrow. He drove home and parked in the driveway. After he was inside, he sat on the couch in the living room and pulled out his phone. He was anxious to talk to Five. Hey. You getting ready for bed? Are you asking me what I’m wearing? You creep. He chuckled

  Chapter 10 Isabella dipped her fingers into the smooth acrylic paint and dabbed it on the canvas. She loved everything about her art: the feel of the stretched canvas under her fingers, the smell of the paint, and the connection she felt with light and form as she worked. She’d gotten brave and asked Elenore about the missing painting. She’d taken it as punishment for arriving late to the gallery. It was in the attic, with the others. Isabella was annoyed, but her punishment could have been worse, so she let it go. She continued to dab on colors, working quickly as the final image formed in her mind. Her father had taught her how to make the paint thicker where she wanted to show more movement, and she used his strategies, helping the image to materialize in front of her. The night stretched on, and before long it was after ten. Her bedroom door opened and Delilah walked in, her arms folded, a serene look on her face. “What are you doing?” Isabella looked at her for a moment, trying to

  Chapter 11 Chase hung up and ran to the couch. His mouth went dry. His sister lay on the couch, convulsing, his mother by her side, brushing her hair out of her face. “Gary! She’s burning up. We need to go to the emergency room!” His father rushed into the room, pulling his jacket on. “I’m on it.” He grabbed his keys and headed for the front door. “I’ll pull the car out of the garage and come back for her.” The seizure didn’t last long. She stopped convulsing and lay still. “Cora? Honey?” His mother tried to get her to respond. Cora stirred and moaned. “Thank goodness,” his mother said under her breath. His father came back inside and scooped Cora up. Her nightgown hung down as he walked to the door with her. “I don’t know how late we’ll be,” his mother said. “Just go on to bed and I’ll send you an update when we know something.” Chase grabbed his jacket, his heart pounding. “No, I want to come with you guys.” “But it’s late, and you have school tomorrow.” His mother opened the door fo

  Chapter 12 Isabella stewed about the fall formal dance the rest of the school day. As she slid into her seat in physics class, she wondered if a person could die from being nervous. It sure felt like her heart was going too fast for her body. Chase walked into the room and grinned at her. He seemed relaxed. She assumed it meant his sister was still doing well. He sat down, then turned to face her. “You going to the game tonight? Delilah said something about you being there. She seemed happy.” Isabella swallowed. “Yeah.” His grin widened. “Great! You’ll have fun, I promise.” He tapped her desk and turned back around to listen to Mr. Morgan’s opening joke. Chase was going to be at the game. And he sounded like he wanted her there. Did that mean anything? Or was she reading more into his smile than was really there? Thoughts of the fall formal, and now the football game, swirled around in her head. Could she ever have a chance with Chase? Was there a possibility that he could like her, as

  Chapter 13 The last thing Isabella wanted to do was act like a baby in front of Chase Hawkins, but she didn’t have much choice. She didn’t want to yank her hand away. In fact, it felt good to hold Chase’s hand. Too good. Tingles shot up her arm and electricity hummed across her skin. He didn’t let go until they’d left the sports center and began walking across the gravel parking lot. She tried to hold it in, but by the time they’d made it to his car, she could feel the ugly cry coming on. He turned to her. “Ignore them. They’re stupid.” She nodded. “I know,” she said, trying hard not to make her crying vocal. Wailing right now would be the icing on the humiliation cake. Chase pulled her to him in an awkward cry-hug. She buried her face in his chest, her tears making wet spots on his T-shirt. She sniffed, trying not to add snot to the list of bodily fluids she was depositing on him. He pulled back and opened his glove compartment, pulling out a tissue. “Here.” She blew her nose, glad it

  Chapter 14 Chase tried to calm his racing heart. What was he thinking? Isabella wasn’t interested in him. Why did he think she’d go to the dance with him? And he wasn’t really interested in her, right? Five was the one he wanted to go out with. He’d just gotten caught up in the moment. Being close to Isabella affected him, and he’d overreacted. She was pretty, that was true. Sure, her big, thick-rimmed glasses hid some of it. But he’d noticed how her brown eyes shone when she was excited. How her lips curled up into an easy smile. And he’d felt the chemistry when they touched. But he had a bigger connection with Five. He could tell her anything. She understood him. And he really wanted to meet her in person. Guilt pressed down on him for letting his crush on Isabella go a little crazy. Normally when he liked a girl he shut out all the others. He gave their tickets to the woman standing at the door and they entered the planetarium. He pointed to the seats. “Where would you like to sit?”

  Chapter 15 Disappointment settled in Isabella’s gut as she walked, her backpack slung over one shoulder. She had been looking forward to spending the evening with Chase. Especially after last night. Now she’d be stuck at the gallery all night, rearranging the sales floor. Thoughts of Chase standing behind her, showing her his phone app, made her pulse race. She unlocked the gallery door and flipped over the Open sign. After turning on the lights and waking up her computer, she leaned back in her chair and waited for someone to enter the gallery. Twenty minutes later, the front door chimed and Mr. Kato walked in wearing his ever-present three-piece suit. Isabella ran to the front room to greet him. “Welcome, Mr. Kato. Come on in.” “How’s my little art mouse?” He pulled her into a hug. Isabella laughed at the silly name he’d started calling her when she was younger, back when her father had run the gallery. “I’m fine. How are you?” Mr. Kato wore a smile like some women wore makeup: with

  Chapter 16 Chase stood in the back room, stunned. Were Isabella and Five the same person? He followed her into the showroom, his mind reeling with the possibility. As he thought about everything he knew about Five—the artwork, her home life—it made sense that it could be Isabella. But if he asked, and it was true, she’d freak out. She might even shove him out the door. It was best if he didn’t let her know his suspicions. He ignored the blush on Isabella’s cheeks and stood on the stepladder, turning the spotlights, moving the ladder, and doing it again at the next vacant spot. As he worked, she took down the art she wanted to move. She brushed her hair from her forehead when they were done. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” All he could think about as the night progressed was Five and Isabella, reconciling the two as one person. He knew Five
’s father was an artist. It went right along with the art gallery. He made a mental note to go online and do some research into who owned the Vibrant

  Chapter 17 Isabella woke up to the sound of Elenore shrieking her name. She moaned and rolled over, putting her pillow on her head. Why was she even up now? It was too-early-thirty. “Isabella!” Someone pounded on the door. “We have a mandatory meeting at the gallery in fifteen minutes.” “All right.” Isabella crawled out of bed and threw on some clothes. They never had mandatory meetings at the gallery. What on earth had Elenore all fired up? Ten minutes later, she walked into the kitchen. Elenore stood there, dressed in some flowy Asian getup. Delilah and Ava sat at the table. “Everyone come with me. We need to be at the gallery—now.” Isabella’s mouth fell open. She grabbed a banana and followed Elenore and the girls to the garage. “You want me to ride with you?” Elenore motioned to her Porsche. “Of course.” She said it like it was the most logical thing. Like she hadn’t spent the last five years making Isabella walk to the gallery while she drove her daughters everywhere. Isabella cli

  Chapter 18 Chase stood in the back room, looking at the artwork to be hung. He wasn’t sure what to say. They looked like something he’d see in a third-grade art show. And what was the deal with the hands and feet? He scratched his chin. “This one looks like someone sat in wet paint and then—” “Yep.” Isabella cringed. “That’s what happened. These are Delilah’s paintings.” “So, that’s . . . ?” “It is.” “Huh.” He tried not to laugh but a chuckle came out anyway, and then a full-fledged gut buster, and Isabella burst out laughing, too. “She’s decided to join the art world?” he asked. Isabella nodded. “Mmm hmm.” “How interesting.” He almost asked if Isabella’s paintings had ever been in the gallery, but stopped himself. Isabella had never mentioned her paintings. Only Five. He had to be careful what he said to her. They hung and redistributed artwork until he grew hungry. He checked the time on his phone. “Want to go to lunch with me?” She hesitated. “I don’t know . . .” “Come on, we’ll be