Prologue: At First Glance - FULL!

Prologue: At First Glance

A gust of wind pushed at the little girl's raven black hair, but she hardly noticed it, her mind too busy with trying to process the wonder displayed before her.
"Mommy what's that?!" She pointed to a big blue thing that went on for as far as she could see. And it was moving! It was never still! Like her brothers.
There was a silver bell laugh from above her. She looked up and saw a silhouette with long hair flowing out from under a wide brimmed hat.
"That is the ocean Isabelle. Beautiful isn't it?" Isabelle's mom knelt down next to her on the green grass as they both looked down at the wide ocean.
"M-hmm. Did God make that too?"
"Yes he did. Along with everything else you see. Even you!" She tickled Isabelle's tummy, making her scream with delight. Her mother joined in on her laughter, her bright blue eyes lighting up like stars.
"Let's go find daddy and your brothers. Okay?" The woman said as she held her daughter close.
"They're down there, see?" Isabelle pointed to three figures running across the sand. The two little boys were chasing the dad, who had a football tucked under his arm.
"They're crazy." Isabelle said. Her mother laughed with her as she watched her two little boys running down the beach.
"Yes, but that's just boys. Come on." Taking her little girl's hand, the woman led Isabelle down the hill and towards her family.

.:+++:.

She woke up with a jerk, almost crying out. Her hand flew to her sweating forehead like it could somehow stop the migraine.
Collapsing back onto her pillow she starred up at the ceiling for a few precious moments. Savoring the peace and quiet. Not that it's going to last long. She thought gloomily. Her thoughts wondered to the dream she had. She had been having the same dream for the past ten years. Nothing ever changed in it, and there were extremely strong feelings connected to it. Like her motivation to get through school, and all of her foster homes. It was the one thing that had kept her going through all these years. Well, that and God.
But the thing that had always got her wondering was: who was that family?
Isabelle had never seen that woman, or the boys down on the beach before, but she could remember each one's face distinctly, in their six-year-old form of course.
The two boys were well built and she could tell that they would have been great football players. The leader of the two had dark brown curls that were long in the dream, and though she couldn't be a hundred percent sure what his eye color was, she was pretty confidant they were brown.
The other one had short dirty blond hair that stuck out every which way, his smile however was his best feature.
The dad was a tall, muscular man who probably spent most of his life in a gym. But from the grin that spread from ear to ear, she could tell he was just as much a six year old as his sons were.

The ringing in her ears subsided enough to where it could be tolerated, and she forced herself to roll out of bed.
"Come on Isabelle. We've got to make it to the first day of school. Or Sarah will really give it to us."
She swung her feet off her bed and sat up. Stopping cold she laughed out loud.
"I sound like a total idiot talking to myself as I don't even exist! Oh man I must really be stressed."
She willed herself out of bed and shuffled over to her dresser.

Twenty minutes latter, she was dressed and ready to tackle the world. Snatching up her backpack and hand-me-down schoolbooks she opened her bedroom door.
Outside her room she was bombarded with the smell of alcohol and two-day old pizza. With the quiet steps of a mouse hoping not to be noticed, she made her way through the halls and down the stairs. Tip-toeing past her foster mom who was walking about the ramshackle house, with a beer bottle neck being strangled in her pudgy, greasy grip, she dashed the last two feet, and made it safely out of the house.

Breathing in the crisp autumn air, she started her journey to the Starbucks down the street. Glancing down at her watch she nodded.
"Good. I've got just enough time to get some cinnamon hot coco, before school starts." She smiled at the thought of the warm drink between her freezing hands, sitting in a window seat reading her old, marked up Bible. There wasn't any better way to start a day.

.:+++:.

Cliff couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed. Someone could have smacked him in the face and he wouldn't have seen it coming.
When his eyes adjusted, he glanced around the barren guest room.
Rolling out of bed, his feet touched the carpeted floor. He groaned as he rubbed the weariness out of his eyes, having half a mind to just flop back in the bed and go back to sleep.
Shaking he head, he tried to give himself a good reason to get up. Ultimately he couldn't come up with any.
"Cliff get up you lazy dog!"
He glared up at the door, wishing he could pierce through it with laser vision and singe his best friends hair.
"We've still got school today!"
"I'm up!" He yelled at the door just to get his friend to shut up.
"Really? I don't believe you. You're probably still in bed. Now get up before I have to get mom."
That was the shove Cliff needed to get his butt of the bed and move towards the closet.
"I'm up! For real this time." He hollered.
Throwing on jeans and a wrinkled up t-shirt he opened the door to his room and walked out into the hallway.
Making a pit-stop at the bathroom to brush his tussled dirty blond hair, he then moved into the kitchen area near the front of the house.

His best friend, and his friend's mom were already there in the kitchen, ready to take on the day, which was not how he felt. If anything he just wanted to curl up in a corner and ignore everyone else.
"Good morning Cliff." The woman said cheerfully.
"Hi, Mrs. Russo." He mumbled, still clearly half asleep.
"Please, you've been here long enough to call me Angela."
Cliff nodded as he slid into a bar chair next to his best friend.
"Hey Venn...what are you doing?" He asked. Peaking over Venn's shoulder.
"I'm beating my high score."
Cliff shook his head and dug into his bowl of cereal Angela had placed in front of him.
Venn groaned and turned off his handheld game console.

Venn Russo was a tall, well-built boy with broad shoulders and defined muscles.
He was constantly at the gym working out if he wasn't in front of a computer monitor, playing Annihilation 3 and eating Doritos.
Venn's curly brown hair fell over dark brown eyes which told anyone who looked in them, that he knew much more then the average sixteen-year-old.

"So...Cliff. How was your first day at school yesterday?" Angela asked.
"Boring." He replied with a mouthful of food. "I understand why we have to learn English and Math and all that yadda. But their PE curriculum is pathetic! At least give us a challenge. They need more interesting classes. Like...Espionage, or flight training. Something fun and useful."
"I think we're the only ones in the entire school who would go to those classes bud. And besides, it's just a public high school." Venn pointed out with a laugh.
"Speaking of which, why do you go to a public high school?" Cliff continued. "I mean you can afford to go to any private school in Washington DC!"
Venn shrugged.
"Private schools are full of primps. Took me forever to convince mom to let me go to the public school." He glanced up at his mom who eyed him suspiciously.
"Actually, his argument was," She corrected. "that the private schools only had Barbie dolls. I think he was looking for a real girl." She winked at Cliff as she dumped her plate in the sink.
"And I found one thank you very much!" Venn shouted, raising a fist above him in a sign of victory.
His mom chuckled and drained her protein shake.
"Yes you did dear. And Christie is very lucky to have such a loyal boyfriend. So tell me Cliff, did any girls catch your eye?"
That amused Venn, who joked.
"Cliff?! Find a girl?! Yeah right. He'd much rather take on the world then talk to a girl."
His mom glared at him as she picked up her purse and keys.
"Well your father was the same way young man. So watch what you say. Now both of you off to school. I can't have you both be late!" She shoved the two boys out the door as she made her way to the silver Mercedes parked in the driveway.
The two boys walked down the long driveway to the large iron gates at the end of the Russo Estate.
"So, going to talk to any girls today?" Venn smirked.
"Don't have any plans to. Nope." Cliff answered. Shrugging his backpack into a better position and fixing his hoodie.
"Didn't think so."
They both broke out in laughter at the thought of Cliff trying to talk to a girl.
"You're right. I'd much rather take on the world single handedly then talk to a girl." Cliff said in between laugh attacks.
Once, at school, the two boys went strait for the locker room.

Meanwhile, Isabelle found her way to the office. She was pleased to find that she hadn't been late despite the long line up at Starbucks. Though she was glad she had stopped for that hot chocolate, the wind was harsh in Virginia and her fingers would have been ice if she hadn't walked to school with the warm cup laced between her fingers.
"Hello dearie. How can I help you?"
Isabelle's thoughts were drawn back from her morning adventure to the thirty-year-old woman standing behind the office desk.
She stepped up to the desk with a nervous smile.
Not that she should be nervous, she had only done this a thousand times.
"I'm the new transfer student from Ohio. Isabelle Wood." She said quietly. The woman's eyes widened in recognition.
"Ah yes! Let me get your papers. Hold on just a minute dearie."
Isabelle nodded, and the woman scurried away. Glancing about her, she noticed a second assistant behind the desk on the phone while she played a computer game. Her tone sounding bored and tired. Isabelle frowned at her behavior but decided to look at something else before her mouth got her in trouble.
Outside the office, she could hear the normal lull of noise from the kids. Screaming, laughing, cursing.
She sighed and rubbed her temple. Dear God, please help me fight in and turn invisible. She always prayed to be invisible. She hated drawing attention to herself and she didn't like it when people looked at her for more then a glance.

Voices grew louder, and she turned to see two boys in gym clothes walk up to the opposite end of the counter.
The one boy with the brown curls started talking to the lady who had been playing the computer game. Her voice took on that flirty tone and Isabelle couldn't help but roll her eyes a little. But then she noticed the second boy.
Subtly pulling her hair out from behind her ear, she let it hide her face as she observed them.
The quiet boy, had tussled dirty blond hair and stormy grey eyes.
He had a slight build, but obviously spent a lot of time lifting weights, and he wasn't very tall compared to his friend.
Despite the curtain of hair, she saw that both boys were watching her. Something struck her as odd about them. She felt something stir deep within her. A feeling of recognition. For a fleeting moment she had a strong urge to run up to them and hug them.
She shook her head and tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

"Here you go dearie."
Relief washed over Isabelle as the first assistant came back with a small stack of papers.
"This is your class schedule, along with a map of the campus. Homeroom is room 7 in wing B and, it looks like you have two free periods through out the day. Lucky you. I hope you enjoy your time here in this school, along with the rest of DC."
Isabelle nodded her thanks, but didn't get away quick enough. The lady decided to extend her a little more hospitality.
"Oh, boys! Come here for a moment would you?"
Isabelle bit her lip and clutched her papers tightly as both boys walked over.
"Isabelle, this is Venn Russo," She pointed to the boy with the curls, and shockingly old brown eyes. "and this is Cliff Kentin. Boys say 'Hello' to Isabelle Wood. You three are about the same age, so I'm sure you'll kick it off splendidly." The assistant exclaimed with an eagerness that Isabelle thought was a little strange.
Claiming to have business to attend to, she left the threesome to stand awkwardly by themselves.

"So, what grade are you in?" The brunette asked.
"Oh, um, tenth." She mumbled.
"Cool, we're all in the same grade. At least we have that in common. So, do you need a tour of the school?"
"Well, I've got a map so I think I'll be okay." She said slowly. She looked up at the two boys, her gaze falling on Cliff. It suddenly hit her like an electric shock.
"Cliff Kentin?" She asked. "As in Alexander Kentin's son? The owner of Kentin Industries?"
The boy nodded and Isabelle's shock was clear for all to see.
"Yeah. He's also the heir to his dad's estate, money, and company." Venn chimed in, swinging an arm around Cliff's neck.
"Oh." Isabelle said quietly. "Well it looks like you're set for life."
Cliff shrugged modestly.
"Can't claim it 'til I'm eighteen." He stated.
"Huh. Two more years. That's not too bad." She pointed out.
"So...you from around here?" Venn asked. "And where did you get those shoes?"
Isabelle glanced down and grinned at the sight of her bright orange converse.
"Oh, I've had them for forever. I picked them up from Goodwill. And no, I'm not from around here. I like to claim I'm from Tennessee though." She said with a playful grin.
Cliff cocked his head and rose an eyebrow.
"Where are you really from?"
"Um...Everywhere really." She confessed.
"How's that?" Venn crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight to one foot.
"I-uh...I'm an orphan. My parents passed away ten years ago in the car crash of the year in Tennessee." She explained.
Both of their faces dropped and a dark shadow of pain crossed Cliff's face.
"Oh. I'm really sorry to hear that." Venn said quietly.
Isabelle nodded in acknowledgement.
"It's ok. Their much better off in Heaven then they ever were here."
Both boys nodded in a silent agreement.
"Well hey," Venn piped up. "At least you two have something to talk about."
Isabelle's brow furled, while Cliff groaned.
"Venn I don't think she wants to talk about parents that have passed on." He growled.
"Oh..." It dawned on Isabelle. She remembered hearing it on the news a few months ago. Alexander Kentin had been killed in a car crash with a drunk semi driver. She gave Cliff a comforting smile, telling him she knew what he was going through.
"My heart goes out to you Cliff. I hope God gives you closure, and just remember that you don't have to go through it alone."
The screaming of the bell broke the moment.
"I've got to get to class. I'll se you guys latter? Maybe?" She looked from Cliff to Venn, who both nodded.
"Yup. See ya 'round." Venn said as she walked off.
As soon as she was gone, both boys looked at their watches. Grave looks were passed between them. Abruptly, they sprinted off to the gym.