A Gust Of Wind

Chapter Four- Lost Keys

Izabelle looked around for Eve, but couldn't find her. She looked back at the pretty girl- and gasped. The girl was gone.

She took a few steps to get used to her surroundings. But she realized that she was quite late. A quick glance at her watch showed that it was 3:13. She should get going and walk home from school. "Crap. I must have missed Eve. So I have to walk home from school alone! On my birthday, of all days..." Izabelle mumbled to herself. She twisted her gold hoop earring anxiously.

"Where has the time gone? School got out a half hour ago." She started walking again. She got home in 15 minutes- a record!

She was in front of her door with just a few minutes to spare. But she had no keys. She glanced at her keychain and saw that her spare key was missing.

Her parents weren't home, so that was a problem. She wondered if she would need to walk to her mother's office. No, she thought. That's not a good idea. I don't want to interrupt her. "I'll have to call Eve." She picked up her cellphone. Izabelle dialed Eve's number. "Hello?" she could hear Eve's voice through the speaker on her phone. "Hi Eve, it's me. I think I left my spare key at school today. I can't get inside. I was wondering if I could maybe come over?" "Sure! It's your birthday, after all! Do you want Flora to take us for ice cream now?" Eve asked. "Yeah! That would be awesome. We need to pick up Katie and Ashley, though!" Izabelle replied. "Yep. Wanna head over right now?" Eve questioned. "Sure! I'll head over on my bike right now- good thing I left it in the backyard instead of in the shed!" Izabelle said. "Ok! I'll see you in a few!" Eve replied. "Okay. See you then!" Izabelle headed out of her house and pedaled as fast as she could to Eve's house.

🌁🌁🌁

Eve was waiting in the driveway when Izabelle arrived. "Hi, Evie!" she greeted her friend. "Hi, Iz! Nice bike!" Eve said. Izabelle laughed. "You're just saying that because it's my birthday. You've seen it a million times before!" Eve chuckled. "Okay, whatever."

Izabelle got off her bike and they walked into the house. Flora was nowhere to be found. "Where is everyone?" Izabelle asked. "Uh... Maybe in the other room? Or downstairs or upstairs," Eve said. "Yeah, they're probably just not in this exact room," Izabelle said. "I'm betting upstairs?"

"Good, then lets go up!" Eve replied. 

Eve led the way. They ran up the ornate staircase and found Flora folding laundry. "Want to head out and get ice cream?" Flora asked them. "Yeah!" they replied in unison.

"I want to just finish folding Aspen's laundry. She's still too little to fold it by herself." Flora sighed. "Do you girls mind?" "Not at all!" they both said. "And I love your skirt, Izzy, by the way." Izabelle blushed as she glanced down at her cute black with a floral print skirt. "Thanks."

Just then, the little girl came toddling in. "Effee!" Aspen greeted her older sister. Then the toddler turned to Izabelle. "IWEEBA!" She looked very excited to see her. "Hi, Aspen!" Izabelle said. "Hawow!!" Aspen replied. Flora smiled. "Izzy can hold you, sweetheart." She handed the little girl over to Izabelle.

Izabelle and Eve walked outside with Aspen. Eve plopped down in the soft green grass.Izabelle gently put Aspen down and bent down to pick up her bike. 

Aspen gasped and clapped her hands excitedly. "Do you want to ride your trike, Aspen?" Eve asked her baby sister. "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Twike!" Aspen responded. "I have TWEE wheels! Way more dan you do, Ibee!" she happily exclaimed. Flora laughed, walking outside. "Can I wide my twike?" Aspen asked happily. "Uh... I guess so!" Flora said. Izabelle smiled.

Eve got out her bike too and the best friends rode around the long driveway, Aspen trailing behind them. Izabelle soon went into the backyard. The long grasses brushed against her feet. She grinned. This was a pretty fun birthday so far.