Letters to Isabella

forty one.

Isabella's POV

"Bella I really would feel better about driving you there." Dad urged for what felt like the millionth time in the last hour.

I grabbed an apple from the kitchen and headed into the living room with my dad still following closely behind me. "Nope!" I chimed happily.

He had been following me around the house all day like a lost puppy, asking questions about where Natasha lived, who was going to be there, what time I'd be coming home and I hadn't been able to answer a single one clearly enough for him.

Mom laughed and rolled her eyes from the couch and shook her head in my father's direction. "Honey she's told you ten thousand times, she doesn't want you to drive her."

"I really don't." I added with a smile. I grabbed my rucksack from our old grey armchair and headed towards the door with a spring in my step.

"Bella it's going to be getting dark soon. I know that we live in a safe enough neighbourhood but you never know who could be out there." Dad pressed again, holding his car keys tightly in his hand and biting his bottom lip like his life depended on it. "At least let me drive you halfway. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened and I hadn't tried my hardest to take you there safely."

I groaned and threw my head back dramatically. "Dad I'm twelve. I'm not completely helpless you know."

My mom stood up from the couch and wrapped her arms lovingly around my father's shoulders. "Your dad used to roam the streets by himself when he was much younger than you."

My dad gasped and turned to face her with his arms crossed over his chest. "Laur don't go putting ideas into her head!" He then turned back to me and shrugged. "A boy knows how to handle himself... a girl on the other hand —"

I rolled my eyes and opened up our front door, feeling the cold crisp February air as it brushed against my cheekbones. I turned back to face them both and grinned. "I'll be back home by eight." I hurried down our driveway and waved frantically to the both of them as I headed in the direction of Natasha's house. "Don't wait up!"

I giggled excitedly to myself as I passed by all of the houses on our block and realised that for the first time in my life I was actually going to spend time with a friend who didn't happen to be Dean Morris.

Although I missed him and wanted nothing more than for my best friend to come back into my life I was also looking forward to the future ahead of me and all of the possible friendships I could make as the years went by. It was a new start and I had to remember that.

Natasha had invited me to come over to her house last week after our sleepover for a small get together with a few other people that I didn't know yet. I was nervous but also weirdly excited. I wanted to get to know new people and make more friendships than the ones I currently had.

It felt good to finally be known and seen as Isabella Lynch and not some half Italian girl with an overprotective father. Perhaps Dean was holding me back all this time from even forming any other relationships outside of the one him and I shared. Or perhaps I was just trying to make excuses so that I'd feel better about his disappearance. Either way, I was happier, and I really hoped that's the way my feelings would stay from now on.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly retrieved it, rolling my eyes when I realised who it was. "Are you kidding me? I just left the house!" I hissed to myself before answering. "Hello?" I asked sulkily.