The Infinite Imagination of Isabella Ives (Chapter One: Wishes)

A mix of sultry jazz, clanking dinnerware, and minimal chatter swam through Isabella’s ears, while the scent of decadent dishes swam through her nose. Draped in an elegant red gown, she rested comfortably at the velvet-covered table for two. The flickering candlelight illuminated the pair of water glasses and lovely rose bouquet at its center. She glanced down at her menu and the empty plate before her. “May I take your order, Madam?” a handsome voice called. She always heard the voice but could never see who it belonged to. It was hypnotic yet somehow satisfying. It had to be a waiter this time, she assumed. “I’ll wait for my date,” Isabella sighed. “Very well,” she sensed him nod and turn away. Isabella peered at her watch. “Time seems to be moving awfully slow,” she pouted, shooting her gaze back over to the entrance door, “And he seems to be moving awfully slower.” Suddenly, an alarm rang out. “Fire! FIRE!” everyone began yelling as they ran in a panic. Disappointed, Isabella slumped back in her chair. Just as heat began filling the restaurant, the sprinkler system activated. Drenched, Isabella finally popped up and ran for the door.

Isabella awakened drenched, head resting on her open window’s sill. “It must have rained last night!” she scoffed, shaking her head as an alarm rung loudly in her ear, “I have a full-sized bed, but somehow I always manage to fall asleep in the window.” Reaching to silence the clock, she caught a glance of her cell phone. “Thirty-nine new notifications?” She sighed in annoyance. As she read through them, she soon remembered what day it was.

“Guess what? It’s June Thirteenth!”

“Happy Birthday, Izzy!”

“The big TWO FIVE!”

“Whoop whoop!”

“Happy Birthday, honey! We love you.”

“Isabella, we have to do something awesome.”

“You know it’s Friday, right? #superstitious #happybirthday”

“How could I forget?” she asked, slapping herself in the forehead. She rushed to the bathroom to shower and get dressed.

She locked up her little house and rushed off the front porch. Glancing up at the giant clock tower in the midst of her gated community, she smiled, noticing the rainbow arched above it. With her head in the clouds, she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and tripped, kicking something heavy on the ground. Yanked out of the rainbow’s trance, she looked to see a small smooth stone. She knelt to pick it up, rubbed it with her thumb, and placed it in her pocket. Then, she loaded into the red bug parked in her driveway and started off to work.

At the Coffee Corner, her co-workers insisted she go out to the club with them later that night for her birthday. “You know I don’t go to clubs like that,” she protested. “It’ll be fun! You’ve been legal for four years and you still haven’t had your first drink,” Sharlisa snapped. “Or your first kiss, for that matter,” Michelle bragged. “I know, guys, I just really don’t think all that stuff is so important right now,” Isabella shrugged. “When WILL you think it’s important, Izz?” Sharlisa said, bucking her eyes. Suddenly, a man swaggered in. “Can I get a choco latte with light foam, four creams and six sugars in a large paper cup to go?” he smiled, licking his lips. “Yes, sir! Coming right up,” Sharlisa beamed, trying to contain her attraction. “He is so cute!” she whispered after relaying the order to Isabella who was standing at the coffee machine. She peeked back to see who her co-worker was swooning over. “Well, a little I guess…” Isabella cringed. “A little??!!” Sharlisa shouted in disbelief, smacking Isabella in the shoulder. “Hey!” she whined, “You made me spill his coffee.” After Isabella added the creams and sugars, Sharlisa wiped off the cup with paper towels and handed it to the gentleman. “Here you are, sir,” she squirmed in falsetto. “Thanks to the pretty little girl back there who actually did all the work,” he cheesed, handing Sharlisa a folded note, “Can you slide this to her? Thanks.” he turned and left out. “How BOLD!” Sharlisa stomped in anger. “What on earth did he say?” Isabella questioned with concern. “It’s his phone number and a five-dollar tip,” Sharlisa frowned. “Well, alright. You keep it then. That was sweet of him, though.” Isabella shrugged. “If I call him, he’ll think I’m a dishonest twit who didn’t give the stuff to the person he really thought deserved it, so I don’t even want it anymore,” Sharlisa slurred, tossing the number into the recycling bin, “But I WILL keep the five dollars, though. He won’t have to find out about that.” she raised her eyebrows as she slid the money into her bosom.

At noon, she punched out to take her hour lunch break, Isabella drover her little red beetle to the nearby grocery store. She bought a tiny celebration cake and twenty-five golden candles. “This’ll be for later. No one wants to celebrate my way, so I’ll celebrate by myself. It’s MY birthday after all. I don’t need anyone else.” Looking at her watch, she saw that she didn’t have to be back at work until forty-five more minutes had passed. “I think they’re having a bazaar at the park today. Maybe I should swing by since I have a little extra time.” Because of this, she picked up a baguette to feed the birds while she was there.

She drove to the park and halted her car in the lot. She glanced over at the tents and booths that were set up not far off. There was a table with jewelry, a seller advertising exquisite garments, and an old man selling antiques. Curious about the treasures of old, she walked over to the booth. The first thing that caught her eye was a golden lamp. It was extremely shiny, glistening in the sun as if it longed for her to reach out and touch it. She couldn’t resist the urge. Seeing that the seller was heavily engrossed in a heated conversation with a bargaining customer, Isabella quickly reached out and rubbed the smooth artifact. Once she did so, the lamp moved to reveal a price tag that read ”$399.00″. Worried to be blamed for any consequential damages she couldn’t afford to cover, Isabella left the table and ran to the bench where she sat for a while, breaking bread and scattering crumbs. Suddenly, a ladybug landed on her hand. “Aww… so cute,” she sighed, admiring its beauty for a while until it flew away. After she was done, she got up from the bench, accidentally dropping her phone from her lap. Kneeling to pick it up, she noticed a dandelion. After making a wish and blowing the seeds, she walked down the path to the parking lot. On the way to her car, she found a deep bronze penny glistening on the ground. She started to step over it, but it was so mesmerizing that she couldn’t take her eyes off of it. She stopped, bent over, clasped it in her hand, closed her eyes, and shoved it into her pocket. As she continued, she came upon a fountain. She fumbled through her pockets, pulling out the penny but returning it because she just couldn’t bring herself to let it go. Finally, she retrieved a quarter and tossed it in with a wish before she headed back to work.

As her shift neared its end, she was ‘elated’ to get home, binge watch her favorite TV show and stuff her face with cake all by herself. Just as the crew was done locking up, wiping down tables, mopping, and cleaning the windows, they all gathered around Isabella. “Before you go home, we have a gift for you!” Michelle squealed, handing her a sparkly red bag. “Oh, thanks guys,” Isabella smiled, “See you all tomorrow… I mean on Monday.” Isabella headed towards the door. “No!” Sharlisa screamed. Shocked, Isabella stopped and turned to her friends. “I mean, it’s a dress. PLEASE try it on now to make sure it fits.” the girl smiled. “Ohhkay?” Isabella sang in suspicion. “I just-- you know. I want it to be perfect for you. If you don’t like it, I’ll take it back and get you something else.” “You guys are so sweet,” Isabella laughed warmly. Inside the bathroom, Isabella pulled out the garments. The dress was more red and sparkly than the bag itself. “Wow. It’s actually kinda cute,” she gasped, “It’s not even too revealing for me.” “Cool, girl!” her co-workers shouted from the lobby, “Come on out here so we can see you, girl!” Isabella stepped out and spun around. The body of the dress flared out ending just above her knees. The sleeves were three-quarter length, and the bust wasn’t too low. “I love it! Thank you guys so much. This is just my style.” she cried, giving the girls a group hug. “What if I told you we bought you shoes to match?” Michelle grinned. “OH WOW! I’m feeling so spoiled. Thank you.” Isabella gaped as she removed her red sneakers and slipped into the red sparkly pumps and clicked her heels together. Little did she know, while she was inside trying on the clothes, her co-worker Vincent was outside sabotaging her car by letting out the front left tire’s air.

“Now, you look perfect, birthday girl,” Sharlisa smirked, “Let’s get outa here. You’re too fancy for Coffee Corner.” The three laughed arm in arm skipping out of the door. In the parking lot, Vincent sat in his big black shiny SUV with the windows down. “What were you guys doing in there, working a second shift?” he joked. The two girls shot him a look as Isabella waved goodbye to him and headed towards her car. Suddenly, she screamed in shock noticing that her tire was flat. “What is it?” Michelle asked, sounding genuinely concerned. “Oh my gosh. Her tire is like SO flat,” Sharlisa gasped. “Don’t worry, Izz. We’ll give you a ride home. Right, Vincent?” Michelle smiled. “Sure we will,” Vincent said slyly, revving his engine. “Wait, you guys ALL got a ride with Vincent today?” Isabella asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just a typical little carpool, you know,” Michelle sang. “Yeah. We do that sometimes,” Sharlisa nodded, “SAVE THE EARTH, right?” Isabella sighed and retrieved the grocery store bags from her car. As she climbed into Vincent’s passenger seat, she noticed his silky blue half-buttoned shirt and black pants. “Where are YOU going tonight?” she asked, “You and Michelle got a hot date?” “Something of the sort,” he exhaled, one hand resting on the wheel. She looked around for the girls, but she couldn’t see them anywhere. “Where’d they go?” she asked. “Oh, I think they forgot their purses inside,” Vincent said plainly. “Oh,” Isabella nodded in deep thought, “Both of them?” Vincent nodded. Just then, everything clicked. “NO.” she shook her head as she saw Sharlisa and Michelle emerge from the coffee shop, uniforms and sneakers replaced with cocktail dresses and heels. “No no no. Let me out of this car!” Isabella begged, trying to yank open her door. “Too late, sister!” Sharlisa shouted as she and Michelle climbed into the back. Vincent started the engine and sped off followed by the laughs and cheers of his companions. “This is NOT funny you guys. I said I didn’t want to go to any club!” she puffed, slamming back in her seat. “It’ll be fun. We promise!” Michelle grinned. “This is kidnapping,” Isabella murmured with her hand to her forehead.

As they arrived at the club, they exited the vehicle. A valet attendant stared her down as he took the keys from Vincent. She tried to look away from his hungry eyes attempting to lock with hers. Inside, the music was loud and rambunctious, and so were the people. She heard words uttered that she never even imagined ever coming out of her mouth. “Oh yeah!” Michelle shouted. “OOUUWWW!” Vincent howled, loosening another button on his shirt. “Let’s get this party started!” Sharlisa yelled. Isabella inched slowly behind them, gazing all around her, trying hard to resist the urge to plug her ears. “Izzy! Keep up!” Michelle barked, hunching her shoulders. Isabella felt like a fish out of water. She smelled liquor everywhere, and dancing people kept bumping into her. “Isn’t this fun, girl?” Sharlisa grinned, “Look at all the cute boys!” Isabella let out an awkward whimper. “I’m gonna go talk to that fine gentlemen over there. Deuces!” Sharlisa said, running over to the corner where a couple of men were standing. Isabella shook her head.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Michelle dragging her to the bar. “Two martinis please,” she smiled with an eyebrow directed at Isabella. “Make one of those virgin?” Isabella quickly added. “Killjoy!” Michelle pouted, folding her arms. “I’m not going to do it, Michelle,” Isabella insisted, “And if you spike my drink, that’s a federal offense.” “FINE.” Michelle huffed playfully, yanking up her chin and swinging her shoulder. “Can I pay for your drink, hot chick?” slurred a man seated at the counter who already obviously had at least one too many himself. “Ugh,” Michelle breathed, turning away from him, “That-- is NOT the kind of guy you want. Okay? You want somebody like Vincent I’m sure.” Isabella glanced over at the boy out on the dance floor, cup in hand, who looked just as drunk (if not a tad bit more). “Look,” she started, scrunching her nose, “I’m sure Vincent probably works for you, but I-- I just don’t think I’ll find what I’m looking for here.” “Wait. So you mean to tell me you’re actually LOOKING?” Michelle gaped. “Well, I’M not looking, but, I’m sure that me and whoever the guy may be will find each other at the perfect time in each of our lives.” “What on earth are you expecting?” Michelle laughed with a gulp, “A sappy rom-com?” “Well…” Isabella sighed shyly, looking down into her drink. “Not exactly, but, you know. I’ll be able to tell when it finally happens,” she drawled, stirring her cocktail around, “I know it won’t be perfect-- nobody’s perfect-- but it will be ideal. Someone like me who’s trying their best, you know?” She looked up to see Vincent had moseyed his way over and was making out with Michelle. “I’m sorry, what was that Izzy?” she gasped pushing away from her boyfriend. “Oh, nothing. Never mind,” Isabella exhaled looking away. “Come on, babe!” Vincent smiled, pulling Michelle out onto the dance floor with him. They began dancing and running their hands through each other’s hair. Isabella glanced over to Sharlisa who had obviously hooked up with the first hot guy she saw. “Just as expected,” Isabella sighed, “All of my so-called friends are distracted. I’m sure they wouldn’t even miss me if I were to leave right now.” She paused, realizing her brilliant idea.

Isabella arose and walked outside. She went to the valet section and asked to get her bags out of Vincent’s car. “I’m not supposed to do this, but I recognize your sexy self from earlier when you got out of the car with your three friends,” he smiled, sizing her down. Isabella laughed nervously, more uncomfortable than flattered. After retrieving her items, and rejecting the valet attendant’s request to give him her phone number, she stood out on the curb and hailed a taxi. Inside the vehicle, she peered out of the window at the high full moon. She looked to it, closed her eyes, and sighed.

Finally home, Isabella sulked to the couch with a deep exhale. “I can’t believe that! Even after I told them no, they did it anyway.” she suspired with a facepalm, “I’m sure they meant well-- er, I THINK they meant well…but… dang. They know me by now. They know I’m not into all that junk. Would they really slash my tires just to make me let them give me a ride and trick me into going with them to the club? Should I think that they are really good friends for premeditating all this, or should I question their very purpose in my life? I realize now that I have no true friends in this world that really understand me.”

She headed to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and retrieved a carryout carton. Shoving it into the microwave, she grabbed a large bottle from the counter, a wine glass from the cupboard, and a lighter from the drawer. She lit a candle on her living room coffee table and collapsed back onto the couch. The microwave beeped. “Leftover Chinese is done.” she sighed. Returning with the dinner, fortune cookie, and celebration cake, she sat back down on the couch and turned on the television. She laughed and nearly cried at her favorite shows, all the while chugging sparkling water and scarfing down lo mein. When she was done with her meal, she placed and lit the twenty-five golden candles on her celebration cake. “Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. I’m twenty-five, you see. Happy birthday to me.” she sung, then closed her eyes, made a wish, and blew out the flame.

After eating nearly half, she was gorged out on sweets, but she couldn’t resist the urge to read the fortune, so she cracked open the cookie, prayed, and at it. Then, she unfolded the paper slip from her fist. “If you can shape it in your mind, you will see it in your life…” she read curiously. Near eleven forty-three pm, she finally turned off the TV and headed straightaway to her room. “I’ll clean up this mess in the morning,” she dragged, glancing over at the coffee table. On her bed was the Peter Pan novel she’d been reading this week. “I guess I could sneak in a few more chapters,” she shrugged. Without turning on the light, she knelt in the window, lying the open book upon the sill, and reading by the light of the moon, stars, and clock tower. After a few pages, Isabella’s eyes wandered up to the night sky, fixing their gaze upon the second star to the right. “straight on ’til morning…” she sung drowsily. As she rested her head and elbows on the windowsill, her eyes drifted shut.