Isa & Nate

Chapter 24 - Poetry and Meddling

Isa used the view of the mountains as an excuse to move to the front yard away from Nate's prying eyes.

It didn't matter, though.

A few minutes after they moved, Nate found an urgent need to work on his bike in his driveway. How convenient.

Isa turned her back to Nate and tried to focus on Brice's words. After he finished his last poem, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of gum.

He popped an orange piece of gum in his mouth. The same color as the gum by the shed. Was that a coincidence? Not exactly enough proof to convict the guy alone. But he'd been creeping around the shed too. Plus he'd admitted to watching her when he first moved here back in the spring.

Okay, maybe it was all adding up to a conviction.

Isa scooted a few inches away from him. A shiver went up her spine.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Nate peering over his bike at them. Thank goodness for meddling best friends and broken bikes after all.

Brice fingers skimmed Isa's arm. "Are you okay?"

Isa pulled her arm away. "I'm fine. Just nervous about the play." Not exactly a total lie. She was nervous about the play. Just not right now.

The noise of a bike whizzing up the sidewalk caught Isa's attention. Jake jumped off his bike and leaned it against the light post in front of Isa's house. What was he doing here? He pulled out his phone and started tapping on it. Guess he didn't want to text and drive. That was smart at least for an animal torturer.

"Want a piece?" Brice held a piece of gum out to Isa.

"No thanks." Isa studied the wrapper with orange stripes. "So where did you get that gum? I've never seen it before."

"I got a case of it on clearance at Dawson's Corner Store back when I first moved here."

"Dawson's?" She nodded. "That's Jake's parent's store." She gestured toward Jake tapping on his phone.

"Yeah, gum is my addiction. I guess I could be addicted to worse."

"True." Isa glanced at Jake. "So you say it was on clearance?"

"Huh?"

"The gum?"

"Yeah. They had boxes of it marked down. I don't think it was discontinued or something. Why the sudden interest in my gum?"

Isa forced a smile. "Just making conversation."

"Was my poetry that bad?"

"What? No! It was great—"

A cat's howl jerked her attention.

Jake stood at the corner of her yard holding Oscar by the scruff.

Isa jumped up. "Let go of my cat!"

Jake's head popped up, just as a piece of bright orange gum flew from his mouth.