“Okay, yes, yes, shh,” she told him, giggling. “You’re making ascene.”
And he was. People were looking at them, but she didn’t care. Going to the ball wouldn’t be so bad if Adrian was her date. Besides, she couldn't wait to see everyone’s expressions once they saw she had blue hair. They’d totallyfreakout.
Isa decided the Seaside Ball would be her new beginning. She’d finally come out as herself and show the world who she really was. She’d rub it in their preppy faces that she was never the girl they thought she was, butsomeonemore.
When they left the mall and got back into her car (with her new dress, of course), Isa pulled out of her bags something she’d been hiding fromAdrian.
“This is for you, Adrian,” she said, and she unwrapped the Atari from the wrappings. “I got it behind your back when you weren’t looking. It’s my way of repaying you for my hair and thedress.”
“You didn’t have to repay me,” Adrian said, though he was clearly in awe. He was geeking out over the oldsystem.
“No, seriously.” She pressed the console into his hands. “I saw you obsessing over it earlier. This is a thank you, for everything you’ve doneforme.”
Adrian grinned. “You don’t know how much this means, Isa. I literally just lost one of these—well, had ittaken.”
“Well, now you have it back.” She smiled at him and started the car. “Come on. Let’s go home andplayit.”
ChapterEleven
Adrian
Isamaria’s housewas really big. Way bigger than Adrianexpected.
He wondered how she was able to stand it, being so alone so often in such a big place. The palace was larger, but there were always hundreds of merpeople swimming about. Here, it looked like it wasjustIsa.
Isa had walked all around the huge complex, calling for her father, but no one answered. “Hm,” she said when she returned to Adrian, who was leaning against a counter in the kitchen. “That’s strange. He should be homebynow.”
“Your father is gone for the weekend, chica,” someone called. A small woman walked into the room. She screeched when she saw Isa’s locks “Isamaria, chica, what did you do toyourhair?”
“I dyed it. Do you like it?” Isa askedhesitantly.
“I love it!” The woman hugged Isa tightly, and Isa beamed. “It suits youperfectly.”
The woman’s smile brightened once again when she saw Adrian. “Oh? And whoisthis?”
“Lupe, this is Adrian, my boyfriend.” Isa took Lupe by the shoulders. “Adrian, this is Lupe. Shehelpsme.”
Adrian wasn’t sure what that meant, but he didn’t have time to reason, because Lupe was already throwing her arms around him and kissing him on the cheek. “How lovely! Isa hasn’t had a boyfriend in so long! And sohandsome,too!”
“Where is my father, Lupe?” Isa asked with a laugh, breaking them up. She practically had to pry Lupe offofhim.
“Oh, he was called away for the weekend, dear. Something about work,” Lupe told her, and she frowned. “He’ll miss the Seaside Ball. I’msorry.”
Isa’s face remained passive. “It’s fine, Lupe. Thanks fortellingme.”
“Do you want me to stay and cook you something? Dinnertime will be in an hour,” Lupe said with a glance at theclock.
“No, it’s fine. We were just going to order pizza, anyway. Go home and relax” Isa shooed Lupe away and closed the doorbehindher.
Isa looked so small pinned up against the doorway. It was like she was waiting any moment for Adrian to pounce on her like a tiger. She was just waiting for him to start groping her now that they were alone in herhouse.
That wasn’t hisstyle.
He raised the video game in his hands. “You promised me we wouldtrythis.”
Isa relaxed. “Yep. Come on, living room’sthisway.”
The TV in the living room was bigger than Adrian had seen in some movie theaters. He’d always loved televisions, but he never got to do anything as fun as play an entire video game or have a movie marathon. Electronics didn’t work underwater, and he’d always been cursed to only a few hours at a timeonland.
