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But Bristol, who is standing nearby, looks miffed. I'm determined not to let her ruin this for me. And although it's selfish, I suddenly wish that she and Lily hadn't agreed to go to the movies with everyone tonight. For some reason that makes it feel less like a date.
    "Who's riding with me?" Isabella asks as she slams her locker closed. "I mean besides Adele." She grins at me as if we have this secret pact because I have been riding to and from school with her for almost two weeks now. And it's so much better than using the transit, not to mention a money saver. Sometimes Bristol rides with us, which puts me in the backseat since, as Bristol pointed out, her house is closer to Isabella's and why should she have to sit in back and then get in front after I'm dropped off. Whatever.
    At first I was curious why Bristol doesn't have her own car-especially considering her dad owns the Honda dealership in town. But Isabella confided to me that Bristol got her license revoked last summer. She got into a small wreck while driving with friends in the car (which was breaking the law in our state). Fortunately no one was hurt, but Bristol lost her car and her driving privileges. And since no one is supposed to talk about it, I don't.
    "Lily has choir practice, so I guess you're stuck with me, Bella." Bristol gives Isabella her most charming smile. And, as usual, she starts gushing about "old times" and silly events and memories I know nothing about. I think this is Bristol's secret technique for worming her way back into Isabella's inner circle. And for the most part it works. When Bristol wants something, like a ride, she can be extremely charming. And she knows just how to push Isabella's happy buttons. With flattery and jokes she warms Isabella right up, and sometimes they get so chummy I actually worry that I will be permanently shoved aside. Except Isabella has confessed to me that she doesn't trust Bristol ... and that I shouldn't either. So it's a weird sort of friendship. And I usually feel caught somewhere in the middle.
    "How much longer will you have to live in Westwood Heights?" Bristol asks me as Isabella turns her car into the condo parking lot.
    "I'm not sure," I say as I gather my things.
    "It just seems so dismal." Bristol shakes her head. "Your front yard is a giant parking lot."
    "But our condo faces the other direction," I point out. "It looks out over the river and it's actually rather-"
    "Yes, and our house is by the same river, Adele. Except that our house overlooks the pretty part of the river. Not the industrial section."
    As I reach for my bag, I can think of no response to that. So much of what Bristol says is like that.
    "Tell your mom she better come over and check out the house in our neighborhood," Isabella reminds me. "I heard someone else is interested."
    "You mean the Barker house?" Bristol sounds cynical. "That's like a million dollars, Bella. I seriously doubt Adele's mom can afford that."
    "Unless she's an heiress," Isabella says.
    "Yeah, right." Bristol laughs.
    "So we'll meet up with you and Jayden at the theater then," Isabella says as I'm getting out of the backseat.
    I nod and wave, hurrying through the parking lot toward our condo. I'm thankful to get away, and despite Bristol turning her nose up at Westwood Heights, I still feel extremely fortunate and thankful to be living here. I love unlocking the door and walking into the spacious room with hardwood floors and windows that look out over the river - and I know how to look south to avoid the industrial area. And I don't mind cleaning the granite countertops and polishing the stainless steel appliances. I like keeping it looking good. And I wish we could afford to buy some more furnishings because it's still pretty sparse-not that I plan to bring this up to my mom anytime soon.
    But really, this is the nicest place I've ever lived, and my biggest concern is that we could lose it. Of course, I'm trying not to think about that. And right now,