A Gust Of Wind

Chapter One- A Gust of Wind

Izabelle Parker, a fifteen year old girl, was working on her homework outside when a gust of wind blew her paper in a circle around her. It did that sometimes.

She never really knew why. She had looked up in all sorts of ways "wind that blows in a circle" and hadn't found much anything. The wind set her paper back on the table.

Izabelle always wondered if it had to do anything with her real parents. She was adopted by Daniel and Vanessa Parker when she was only a month old. The adoption center had told her adoptive parents that Izabelle, perhaps born yesterday or even that day was brought in by strange, angry men who said her mother wasn't allowed to keep her.

When the adoption center asked why, they had said, "Because we decided it!" and left the center employees perplexed about what had just happened. When Daniel and Vanessa came to the center, they decided they wanted to adopt her, and adopted her a month later.

Izabelle was turning sixteen the next day. Well, she was pretty sure it was the next day. It was the day she was brought into the center, but sixteen years later. She was excited. She was going to go get a treat with her best friend, Eve, and her other friends, Ashley and Katie.

She'd known Eve since she was a baby. Eve had been at the adoption center before Izabelle got there. She was adopted by locals, Flora and her daughter, Magnolia. Eve's full name is Evergreen. Her adoptive mother, Flora, has adopted not only Magnolia and Eve, but three more girls! Aspen, Willow, and Clove. Apparently Flora likes trees...

Ashley lived at a foster care academy before. She now lives with Mr. Lavason, who is apparently her closest relative. Her great uncle's wife's brother, or something like that.

Katie is actually named Katherine, Katie is just a nickname. She was at the same foster care academy as Ashley. They were friends there until Mr. Lavason went and got Ashley. Katie just moved here from the academy. She was moved to a foster home. She now lives with Mr. Lavason's next door neighbor, Miss Lakeson. Ashley and Katie think that Miss Lakeson and Mr. Lavason are in love. Izabelle thinks they just want to live together and be "sisters".

Izabelle pondered about what treat they should get, and where they should go. Shaved ice? Cookies? Cake? Ice cream? Ice cream cake? Ice cream with cookie crumbs? Ice cream cake with cookie crumbs? There were endless possibilities! She thought about it some more, and decided on ice cream. With cookie crumbs, if preferred! She would let her friends chose their own flavor and toppings. She wondered what they would get. Strawberry? Chocolate? Vanilla? Cotton candy? Cookie dough? Brownie? What toppings would they get? Sprinkle? If so, chocolate or rainbow? Cherries? Cookie dough balls? Brownie bits? Chocolate chips? Chocolate syrup? Caramel syrup? I guess I'll have to just wait and see tomorrow when we get to eat the ice cream, she thought. She couldn't wait! And yes, she knows that it's kinda babyish to get ice cream, but it's what she wants. She still isn't ready to grow up.

Izabelle ran inside to tell her adoptive mother about the treat she chose to have the next day to celebrate her birthday. Then, she told her that she was going to walk down the street six houses down to see Eve.

Eve was swinging on the swing that was hanging from an evergreen tree, reading a thick book. "Hey, Eve!" Izabelle called. Eve jumped off the swing in surprise. Then she looked up and saw Izabelle. "Izzy! You had to scare me like that?!" Eve grumbled. "Sorry! I didn't mean to," Izabelle replied.

"I decided on ice cream as the treat tomorrow. What do you think you'll get? Raspberry with gummy bears?" Izabelle asked. "You know me well!" Eve said. "Or pineapple with gummy sharks, or strawberry with gummy worms, or..." Eve kept naming various fruity ice cream flavors and gummies. "Okay, okay, I get it!" Izabelle exclaimed.

They talked for a bit, then Izabelle walked home to finish her homework. When she got home, it wasn't there! Then she realized a breeze had carried it to the other side of the yard. She was about to cross over the sidewalk to retrieve it when a gust of wind carried it across the yard and into her hands. It swirled through her crimped brown hair. "Well, this just gets stranger and stranger," Izabelle mumbled to herself. 

She sat down in the grass and stared at the sun shining on the mountains. She wondered about the wind and why it always came to her. It was like a little friend.

Izabelle hadn't told anyone, of course. Not even Eve. Her friends and family would just think she's crazy. She had tried telling her parents once, when she was twelve, but they didn't listen and just laughed. They called her 'An imaginative little girl'. And maybe she was just imagining it. But she sure didn't think so.