Intro

Hi, my name is Isabella, please don't get it confused with that chick from twilight. My family calls me Izzy and I am almost 21yrs old. My family isn't what you would expect a normal family to be. Instead of a mom and dad, brother and sisters, I have friends. My friends are my family and my life. Without Lily, I don't know where I'd be, probably still sleeping at bus stations or alleys. So I guess I'll start from the beginning and how my life got to where it is now. It was about four years ago

Chapter 1

"Okay come on just, if you don't mind taking your shoes off by the door?" Lily asked setting her purse down and kicking off her heels. "Are you hungry? Or tired? Or thirsty?" Lily asked the timid girl. When she didn't answer Lily walked over to the petite child. "What is your name? Do you speak English? ¿Qué es su nombre?"

"Isabella." Her voice was soft and barely audible. "¿Y tú?" Lily wasn't exactly prepared to hold a full on conversation in Spanish. "It's okay I speak English too."

Lily smiled. "Isabella, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Lily." She tried to make the girl comfortable. This wasn't easy or exactly normal for her either but this child needed help. It wasn't the first time she had seen her around each time in the same clothes, each time looking tired, drained and thin. She was a child and a homeless one at that, how could she leave her on the streets? It took a lot of begging and pleading to get the girl into the car and promise she wasn't a lesbian rapist but simply a helping hand. Now that the women were home she didn't know what to do, how did she know this girl wasn't crazy or a murderer or a thief? Lily eyed her purse then back at Isabella. Although a complete stranger something told Lily she could trust her.

"Why did you bring me here?" Isabella interrupted Lily's thoughts.

"Did you have anywhere else to go?" Isabella shook her head no. "Then that's why I brought you here. So are you hungry? Name it whatever you want."

Isabella looked over the tall thin woman in her fitted black dress and long flowing hair. Her fingers and toes were decorated with French tips and by the looks of the house she was rich. It was mind boggling that someone wanted to help her, it had been two years and Isabella was lucky if someone gave her enough money for food that day. "Can I take a shower? Please?" It had been awhile since she had a real shower, jumping the fence at a local park to jump in the pool didn't really count.

"Of course just follow me." Lily lead teen up the stairs and opened the door to the large bathroom with a shower stall and tub, marble countertop and heated floor.

"Oh…my…god." Isabella couldn't believe her eyes as she stepped inside jumping at the warmth under her feet.

"Heated tiles, it feels great after getting out of the shower." Lily smiled grabbing a towel and wash cloth for Isabella. "Take a shower or soak in the tub it's up to you and when you're done just come and get me."

The hot water felt amazing so good that Isabella didn't want to get out and she couldn't remember the last time she was able to wash her hair. Stepping out the water and onto the warm floor Isabella dried off before noticing her clothes were missing. In a slight panic and confusion Isabella wrapped a towel around herself opening the door a small bit. "Lily? Lily?"

"Yes?" Lily appeared by the door.

"….Where are my clothes?"

"Oh I-" Not sure how to tell her guest that the clothes had holes, reeked and had so much dirt ground into the jeans they would never come clean so she threw them out she smiled politely. "I got you something more comfortable to wear."

Isabella's eyes grew large hearing that saying in the movies when a woman was going to get sexy for a man she waited as Lily came back with a large t-shirt and flannel bottoms. "We'll go out in the morning for under clothes okay?"

"Okay." Isabella nodded shutting the door to get dressed. Tying the pants around her waist there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Come in?"

"I brought you an extra toothbrush."

"Thank you." Once finished in the bathroom Isabella made her way back down the stairs in search of Lily who she found in the kitchen.

"So I was thinking I can get you something to eat? I know it's late and you just brushed your teeth but if you're hungry?"

"I am okay."

"When was the last time you ate?" Lily asked not believing her for a second that she wasn't hungry.

"I had breakfast this morning." Isabella assured.

"Well its 1am now so I am sure you are starving. Take a seat on the couch while I put something together."

Lily dug around in the refrigerator before thinking she really didn't know what the girl ate. "Hey Isa-" Lily walked into the living room but stopped seeing the petite teenager curled into a ball so small she fit on one couch cushion sound asleep. "Guess she was more tired than hungry." Lily said to herself going to the spare room to grab a pillow and blanket.

Isabella was a light sleeper, she had to be it came from the time on the streets and always needing to be aware of the dangers lurking. Even in their harsh whispers she could hear the couple arguing. Lily was defending why she brought Isabella to her house while the man basically thought she was nuts for doing so.

"Are you crazy? What were you thinking?" The man asked Lily.

"She needed help! She is so tiny and thin, her clothes were encrusted with filth! You didn't see her Jake." Lily stressed. "She is a child."

"How old is she? Do you even know? What do you know about her? How are you sure she isn't lying? Or a thief?" Jake hissed. "What if she is an undercover cop?" His voice became harsher and lower at the question.

"I don't know how old she is or anything else besides her name. What I do know is in my heart I did the right thing." Lily defended.

Feeling as though the argument or discussion was over Isabella opened eyes jumping back into the couch seeing two eyes watching her. "She's awake!" The young man yelled loudly before smiling at the startled girl. "Hi I'm Jesse."

"Hi?" Isabella sat up with the blanket wrapped around her.

"Don't be scared, I don't bite." Jesse smiled. "Not usually."

"Behave and shouldn't you be getting to school?" Lily asked with her hand on her hip.

"Yeah, yeah I'm going." Jesse stood up. "I'm out." Doing a little man hug with Jake he picked up a bike helmet and bag leaving the house.

"Isabella, this is my boyfriend Jake and that was his little brother Jesse." Lily smiled.

Jake came into view and immediately a chill went through Isabella's bones he wasn't a very big guy. Not skinny but not buff either and certainly not tall but his face alone said he wasn't to be messed with. "Okay so I am going to leave you two alone an-." As Lily began to leave the room Isabella found herself reaching for her new found savior.

"Please don't leave me alone with him?" Her voice was so low again it could barely be heard.

Lily glared at Jake and Jake looked at his feet "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to ask you a few questions." Jake wasn't purposely trying to intimidate her but he had to be careful of who he let in.

"Are you a cop?" Isabella asked pulling her knees to her chest taken back when the couple laughed loudly.

"No, no I'm not a cop." Jake laughed now with a big smile on his face. "So how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen."

Jake nodded "A year younger than Jesse. Alright, are you in school?"

"I graduated when I was fifteen." Isabella wasn't sure if the look on Jake's face was shock or disbelief.

"You graduated when you were fifteen?" Jake asked.

Yep it was disbelief. "Yeah was in advanced classes in elementary school and skipped a few grades and graduated early." Her voice still low yet she defended her intelligence.

"Really?" Jake asked thinking for a minute before noticing a piece of paper on the floor. Picking it up he saw Jesse's last math test. "Every month, a girl gets allowance. Assume last year she had no money, and kept it up to now. Then she spends 1/2 of her money on clothes, then 1/3 of the remaining money on games, and then 1/4 of the remaining money on toys. After she bought all of that, she had $7777 left. Assuming she only gets money by allowance, how much money does she earn every month?"

"What are you doing?" Lily walked back in looking at Jake.

"She said she graduated when she was fifteen, I want to see how smart she is." Jake looked at the teen again.

"Want to give her at least a pen or pa-." Lily was cut off by Isabella.

"She has a really rich father because she would have to get paid $2,222 every month."

Jake furrowed his brows looking at the paper and indeed that was the answer. "10 times 9 times 8 times 7 time 6 times 5 times 4 times 3 times 2 times 1 equals 10. Yes or no?" Jake read off another problem.

"Once you break it down and factor it out…..yes." Isabella answered.

Lily smiled "You did all of that in your head? That is amazing!" Lily laughed.

"Looks like Jesse has found himself a tutor." Jake nodded impressed. "I don't understand what you're doing on the streets then."

Isabella shrugged. "Sometimes things just happen."

"I've seen you around the last few months, how long have to been out there?" Lily asked taking a seat on Jake's lap.

"Since I was fifteen."

"Two years?" Lily asked her heartbreaking even more. "How did you last that long?" Although very thin and homely looking Isabella didn't look completely awful.

"Did homework for kids at the schools and got paid or cleaned up around the corner store and the lady would give me food or personal items if I needed." Isabella shrugged.

Jake nodded and stood up taking a wad of cash out of his pocket. "Take her shopping and get her cleaned up a bit. I'll see you tonight okay?" Jake handed the money to Lily and gave her a sweet kiss. "It was nice to meet you Isabella." Jake nodded and walked out of the house.

Lily smiled "Is this kind of creeping you out a bit?"

"Yeah just a bit, I mean I'm so thankful you gave a warm place to sleep and a shower but I don't understand you are like….are you asking me to live here? You just met me." Isabella played with the ends of her hair.

"Call it being a good person or doing what is right." Lily shrugged. "If you want to stay here you are more than welcome."