Since 1998

Chapter 3

One Year Later in Spain

"Maria?"

Allison peeked into the kitchen. She didn't come for the breakfast bell, she came for a strange laugh. A sound she had never heard before, from a girl sitting on the kitchen table.

Maria looked up quickly. "Oh! Ali... This is my daughter, Anna. She just got here." She turned to Anna, "Well, that's Allison. Isn't she beautiful?'

But none of them pay attention. They just stared at each other. Allison was thrilled to see a girl her own age.

Anna was Maria's daughter, a secret thug girl known for her mischief. She was the opposite of the mansion's perfection.

At lunch, Allison asked Lauren. 'Mom, can Maria and Anna eat with us? Why do they eat separately? "

Lauren looked at her daughter, stunned. "Oh... Right, Ali. I didn't think of that."

When they sat down, Maria looked worried, but Anna didn't care. She sat right next to Allison.

"Mom," Allison said, "What if Anna stays in my room? We can go to school together, too."

Anna choked on her food. "Me? Seriously?"

"Of course," Lauren smiled. "You two could be like sisters. How cute is that?"

"Not a good idea," Maria warned, waving her finger. "My daughter is... she's different."

"Mama, she said she wants me!"

Anna interrupted. "I like her, too!"

Maria sighed. "Anna, behave yourself. I know you too well."

"Mama, you always think I'm the bad girl," Anna grinned. "I’m just a little feisty. Deep down, I’m cool as hell."

"Hell?!" Maria gasped.

Lauren tried to maintain a straight face, but a stray giggle escaped anyway.

Upstairs, Anna spun around the room. "Wow! You’re a real princess, Allison. This place is glamorous."

"Be careful," Allison smiled. "Don't break anything."

"Can I jump on the bed? I expected a waterbed, but it's much better."

"Haven't seen one yet."

Anna fell onto the pink silk. "If you are a princess, where are the glass shoes?"

"They're dangerous, Anna."

"Not if you know how to wear them!" Anna said with her thick accent. She sat up. "I really like you. I think we're going to be good friends—not just friends, I’ll be your buddy, your bodyguard."

"You? But you're a girl."

"Girls are cooler than men," Anna smirked. "The boys back home? They're all scared of me. I know martial arts and dangerous words."

Allison laughed, feeling the loneliness of the mansion finally start to fade. "For real?"

"For real?"

Back in Carolina

Devin was sitting on the front steps of the Austin estate when a voice suddenly cut through the silence.

"Excuse me!"

A boy, roughly thirteen, stood at the fence's edge. He wore the typical "starter kit" of a Harvard legacy, with messy black hair and a grin that implied he had never known disappointment.

"Pretty hot, huh?" the boy said, shielding his eyes.

"Yeah," Devin replied shortly.

"My family just moved in next door," the boy continued, undeterred. "I'm Sam. Sam Cook."

Devin took the offered hand briefly. "Devin."

Before he could step back, a girl appeared from behind Sam. Although only twelve, she carried herself with a polished confidence, making her tennis skirt and cashmere sweater draped over her shoulders seem like a regal uniform. Her dark hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her hazel eyes swept over, but Devin didn't care.

"So, this is the 'quiet neighbor' you were talking about?"

"Devin, this is my sister, Cathy."

Cathy stepped closer, her Tiffany bracelet catching the light as she offered her hand. Devin didn't take it. He gave a small, polite nod. "Nice to meet you; I should head in."

As he walked away, he heard Sam mutter, "Well... that was cold."

"Maybe he's just shy," Cathy whispered, her eyes narrowing as she watched him retreat.

Inside the Cook residence, their parents, Robert and Eleanor, were already busy turning the massive house into a home.

"This estate has soul," Eleanor remarked, polishing a crystal flute.

"It has soul, but it also has ancient plumbing," Robert laughed. He looked at his children and let out a low whistle. "Look at you two. The neighborhood won't know what hit them."

Eleanor's smile faltered, her eyes landing on Cathy's skirt. "Catherine... the length. It's a bit spirited for a first impression. We have rules. You represent this family."

"Mom, it's 1999," Cathy pouted, hopping onto a stool. "Dad, tell her it's fine."

Robert winked. "Eleanor, loosen the corset. They're the Y2K generation. Let them wear the cashmere."

Cathy did a theatrical twirl, but the playfulness vanished the moment she reached her upstairs bedroom window. "Sam," she called to her brother. "Look."

Outside, bathed in golden light, Devin sat on a stone bench, writing something on paper.

"Who writes letters in 1999?" Sam groaned. "We have AOL. Just send an IM."

"To whom, though?" Cathy murmured. She watched Devin fold the paper and head toward the beach with purpose. "Wait, he's going somewhere."

They trailed him from a distance, staying low behind the manicured hedges. When they reached the dunes, they stopped.

The Glass House construction has now begun.

Back in Spain, Allison began to write.

Dear Devin, I met a new friend, Anna. She's Maria's daughter.

Just as she finished, the door swung open without a knock.

"Allison, what's that?"

Anna stood in the doorway, her sharp eyes landing on the stack of airmail.

Allison felt a prickly warmth crawl up her neck. She quickly smoothed the paper against the desk. "Letters from my best friend."

"Ohhh, stop it. No such thing as best friends who write letters to each other," Anna remarked, sliding into the room with a knowing look. "He's probably your boyfriend."

"No, just best friends," Allison insisted.

"I know that look," Anna grinned, hopping onto the edge of the bed. "I've already had three ex boyfriends. One was a gang leader." Her smile faded, her gaze drifting toward the window. "I miss them sometimes. People judge them, but they were the coolest people I've ever met."

"No way! You're too young for that," Allison said, her posture straightening in surprise.

"Young? I had my first crush when I was six," Anna replied with a shrug.

"Really?" Allison asked, her curiosity sparked. "If you asked about mine... my first crush, I saw him last year. Twice." Her eyes softened, losing their focus for a moment as she thought of the shore back in South Carolina.

"Whoa, that look in your eyes—this time you're being bold. It means the feeling is real," Anna giggled, nudging her shoulder.

Allison smiled. "Why couldn't I stop thinking about him? He's not even interested in me."

"Allison, just tell me who he is; I'll help you lock him down," Anna said.

"He lives in South Carolina. I'm shy to reveal who he really is."

"My bad. How can we even put him under the spell? I know how to make a love potion."

"Love potion?"

Back in South Carolina, Devin sat on the edge of his bed, the thin airmail paper rustling in his hands. His eyes snagged on a new name: Anna.

Thanks, Anna, for taking care of Allison.