Isabella LaRue

**Isabella Jolie LaRue** is an alluring and enigmatic daughter of foreign diplomats, who is spending a year as an exchange student with the Landry family. She quickly shakes up life in this small town, but her charm can’t hide the truth about her past or the real reason she came to live with the Landrys forever.

## Early History

Isabella was born in New York on February 11, 1982, to diplomat parents and lived in the States until she was six months old. The family lived all around the world, including India, Malaysia, England, Argentina, Japan, and most recently, France. She attended boarding school where she made friends with siblings Trevor and Lisa Cole. The pair were fast friends, and Isabella even dated Trevor.

On February 8th, 1999, Lisa and Isabella were swimming off the coast of St. Barthelemy's when Lisa drowned. The official report was that local police along with Search and Rescue officials discovered the body of the 17 year old from Shell Beach. Divers from the Search and Rescue brigade located the girl's body in shall water, an area that was popular among locals and tourists. Isabella was investigated for her involvement in Lisa's death as people had seen them argue before the drowning. Isabella claimed Lisa was drunk and Isabella had tried to stop her from going swimming. After her lawyer made the charges ago away, Isabella left boarding school.

She longed for an American high school experience and became an exchange student. She got Debbie Landry's letter about Chatham and her two daughters, Megan and Lily. Isabella decided a small town would be good for her, and accepted the Landry's offer to house her for the summer and the school year.

## Biography

### Summer 1999

On July 16th, the Landry family prepared for the arrival of their foreign exchange student Isabella LaRue. Debbie sets out a vase of flowers that cost a lot. Megan doesn't understand why she's trying to impress the girl, but she's just giving her a warm welcome. Lily excitedly states that the girl is here and the two rush outside just as Isabella is stepping out of the car.

The four women sit on the porch. Isabella was born in New York but they left the States when she was six months old, so she's lived just about everywhere. India, Malaysia, England, Argentina, Japan, just everywhere since her parents are diplomats. Lily thinks she's incredible and Isabella encourages Debbie to open the gift she brought, which is a glass vase. She gives Lily a bracelet and Megan reluctantly opens hers, which is a book titled “Grave Questions”, since she likes mysteries.

Megan hoses off the car as she listens to Debbie talking with Isabella. She heads into the air stream to snoop around. She finds a floppy disk in her bag titled “Summer 1998” and Isabella's passport. Isabella catches her, leading Megan to quickly leave.

Once inside, Debbie encourages Megan to hang out with Isabella, though Megan doesn't think they'll have anything in common as Isabella was born cool. She isn't changing her schedule for Isabella and has errands to run before meeting Luke at the Bloom. She refuses her mom's suggestion that she take Isabella but eventually caves when the girl rounds the corner, ready to leave.

They drive through the mountains while making small talk about what made Isabella choose Chatham. She never spent time in the US and her mom's letter was so nice, it made her feel welcome. She wanted to move to a small town so she could be part of a family, and a community, and to have that normal American high school experience. Megan warns her that nothing ever happens there, and everyone knows everyone.

They walk into the Shoreliner Café, greeting the bartender behind the counter. Isabella recognizes the Manhattan he's drinking, as her dad likes to drink those. She steals the cherries after they've soaked up some of the whiskey, earning flirtatious banter in response. Megan rolls her eyes and then asks for her check. Kim will be taking her weekend shift, with Megan working Monday and Tuesday to make up for it. While he assures her it evens out in the end, Megan knows it doesn't because of the weekend rush. He only gives Kim the good shifts because she flirts with him, but he jibes back that it's not his fault that she finds him irresistible. He asks if they have a problem so she hesitates, then takes the check from him. Once outside, Isabella asks where she wants to go to college. She wants to attend the University of Washington as a computer major, which impresses Isabella since numbers aren't her thing. They've always come easily to Megan. Isabella isn't really into school, as she's more of a student of life.

Isabella is excited to be in one place for a change, though Megan insists she can see it all in one day as the city doesn't have much to discover. Her friend Luke's dad owns most of the businesses around here, so the only real future someone has is if they work for him. Otherwise, they're stuck waiting tables like she is. She wants to go to college and then to Silicon Valley to work for a big company or a start-up. The thing about this town is to keep her expectations low, though Isabella is all about living in the now. It's pretty liberating, suggesting that Megan try it.

Megan sees Luke getting out of Sheriff Myer's cop car and jogs off to greet him, with Isabella joining a few moments later. Luke introduces himself and she asks if he just got arrested, but he didn't, he was doing a high school ride-along program. His dad thinks it builds character, and he admits that drunk tourists do have interesting stories. Having been one, Isabella agrees. Luke doesn't think there's anything wrong with the occasional vice, and Megan tries to join the light banter but makes it over serious. Luke asks if Megs gave her the 401 on Bloom that night, but she hadn't. Every July there's a bioluminescence in the water for a couple days. So of course, the town turned a cool natural wonder into an opportunity to sell snow cones and glow sticks. Isabella thinks it sounds fun, and she and Luke exchange a flirtatious look while Megan watches.

They walk down the street when they run into his friend group. He introduces her as a visitor from France, most recently. Brent gives a half-assed “bonjour” which isn't the worst accent Isabella's heard. Luke introduces the charmer as his brother Brent, the girl on his arm is Parker, then Kellie, and Amy. Isabella compliments Parker's shirt and she thanks her. One of the boys asks how to say “you're hot” in Isabella's language, which she remarks is English, unless he wants her to translate it into whatever it is he speaks. Jeff introduces himself while holding the camera and she compliments it. He's making cinéma vérité and remarks that she lucked out, as no one could ask for a better host than Megan. He turns the camera to her and she smiles.

Isabella and Megan arrive at the lake that night and Isabella asks how long she and Luke have been dating. Megan insists they're just friends as he's like her brother. She thought there was a vibe, but there wasn't. They meet up with Luke and his friends and Isabella takes a drink, but Megan turns it down as she doesn't drink. Luke's tried to corrupt her many times, but she's too much of a control freak. Megan jabs back that his drunk ass loves having a designated driver, then laughs as Jeff records. The group laughs and passes around the drink.

Later on in the night, Isabella asks Megan again if she and Luke aren't a thing, and Megan insists they're not. Isabella asks if she would mind if she hooked up with him, then, so Megan tells her to go for it. Isabella's not sure if he's even interested or not, but walks off to find out. They end the night wrapped together and Megan watches as Freddy splashes some of the luminescent water on Luke. They laugh it off, though Isabella starts drying him off with her hands, starting at his chest to stomach. Megan watches solemnly.

The girls return to the Landry house and Megan apologizes for snooping through Isabella's stuff. After a long pause, she says goodnight, and the girls head in opposite directions. Isabella into the air stream and Megan into the house.

Two days later, Isabella writes a letter to Lisa, hoping she's in a place amazing as she reads this. People in Chatham look at her like she's an exotic creature from another planet, which makes it fun to mess with them. She thinks she's really going to like it here, but there's one obstacle. She waves to Megan who drives up to the house, but the girl ignores her.

Inside the house, Debbie shows Isabella how to make eggs but she smashes the egg on the counter. It takes practice, assuring Isabella she'll get it one day. When she was younger, they moved around a lot so it made it hard to make friends. She went to boarding school one year, though she didn't miss her parents much as it wasn't that different. She tells Lily that in boarding school, friends become like your family - at least Lisa did. She's super fun, smart, and incredibly ambitious, super driven, but a total control freak. It sounds like someone Debbie knows, except Lily knows they aren't friends. Isabella smirks that it takes time to get to know someone, but sooner or later, she'll crack it. She walks upstairs to Megan's room and looks at her things. She runs her hand over the keyboard and taps it, but the computer is locked. She spots a wallet on the desk.

Isabella goes into the Shoreline and Megan greets her from behind the counter. She gives her the wallet she left at home. Megan asks if she was in her room, and Isabella smirks that she thought it was the Chatham way. Luke walks up in line to order food, greeting Isabella as he does. She was just leaving but asked about his plans for the day. He's going to swim and play video games. Megan warns him about cramping up, but he cites experts who say greasy food is key to a good backstroke. Isabella wants to test that theory and orders a dozen more subs on her since one won't feed an entire party. He invites Megan and she might stop by after her shift. Isabella doesn't want to pressure her, as Megan knows where to find them if she wants to.

In the car, Luke asks Isabella about what made her decide to come to Chatham. It was more the people than the palace. She's an only child and always wanted brothers or sisters. He always wished he was an only child, but it might be more Brent-specific. The family option really appealed to her, especially when she read Debbie's letter. She loved the pictures she sent and it seemed like a fun palace to spend the summer. He's glad she chose them and hopes they live up to her expectations.

Once at the Chambers house, Brent grills while making innuendos to Parker, who sarcastically remarks how great it is when Isabella and Luke drop off more food. The amount of people at the party surprises Isabella, and Luke attributes that to the small-town nature of telling one person and suddenly everyone knows.

Jeff records Brent making a drink and Isabella flirting with him at the bar. She compliments two girls' suntan lotion smelling great, learning its baby lotion. She's had enough of Jeff's camera and pushes it down as she walks past. She compliments the song Parker played the other night, then starts to go through her music book. Parker quickly closes it as no one goes through the book, especially not strangers. Isabella insists she comes in peace, just wanting to see what Brent had for options. They aren't Brent's though, but Parker's, which makes sense to Isabella. Parker tells her to help Luke put on sunscreen as he's looking red. She forces a smile and walks off, finding Luke by the pool.

Isabella makes drinks while Brent flirts with her. She tells him to stick to squeezing his own and is sure Parker would love a demonstration. He thought European chicks would be more open-minded. She is open-minded, but not European. Megan greets them and asks Isabella to store her bag behind the counter while asking if everything is cool. Brent warns Megan to be careful as Isabella has a knife, sulking away after. Isabella offers Megan non-alcoholic lemonade, then imparts that she should pay attention as details are everything. Megan doesn't seem to think Isabella misses much, then walks away with her cup.

Luke opens the garage door to help Isabella find something. She's still trying to figure Megan out and asks for tips. It isn't personal as Megan isn't great at letting new people in. It's worth the struggle because once she can get through it, she's the most loyal friend - help you bury a body, loyal. Isabella asks if he's speaking from experience, though a good friend never tells. He tells her to be herself because she's kind of awesome, so Megan will come around. She asks him to put a good word in for her, and he already did. He hands her some tiki torches, leaving the fireworks behind. Once back at the party, Isabella spills soda on Megan's backpack and dries it off. She finds a bag of pills inside.

Isabella and Luke play with sparklers while Megan stares at Isabella. She gets out of the water and Luke hands Megan a sparkler. She's guessing it was all Isabella's idea since she loves the attention, but Luke insists it was a joint idea. He tells her to cut Isabella some slack as she's been in town for a minute and Megan's acting like she's radioactive. It wouldn't kill her to make a tiny bit of effort. Isabella watches them from a distance.

Isabella asks if she can join Megan in the hot tub. Megan remarks it's her party so she can do what she wants, but Isabella knows the real party is in Megan's bag. She's guessing the squeaky clean girl has her share of dirt. She was trying to rescue her bag when she found her secret stash. Everyone around thinks they know her, but clearly, they don't. She doesn't judge as everyone has their thing. Megan insists they're for school so she can stay up late and study. She's doing what she has to to get what she wants. Isabella remarks that the real Megan Landry has entered the building. She knows it wasn't Megan's idea for her to come here, and there's no rule saying they have to get along. She proposes they find a way to be okay with each other. Isabella assures Megan that her advantage is safe with her, then leaves.

She goes into the pool with Luke. They both love night swimming. His mom used to take him and he remembers the lights casting these shadows that looked like monsters. It was so quiet, and Mom had one rule - not to get her hair wet. But she always got her hair wet. They smile at one another before Isabella realizes her earring is missing, calling it special as her friend Lisa gave it to her. He tells her not to worry as it's probably in the pool. He dunks down to look for it, finding it under them. He gives it back to her and their hands linger. They kiss twice while Megan watches.

Luke and Isabella laugh together at the bar before Jeff tells them it's time for a photo. Megan is in the background, and he tells her to move, though Isabella insists she stays as she's meant to be in it. Luke puts one arm around each of the girl's shoulders, and Luke snaps the polaroid. Isabella asks to do another one and he does, printing out two versions of the Polaroid before the funny one.

On July 19th, Isabella packs a suitcase in the airstream, as Megan reminds her that they're only going one night. She wants to be prepared for any scenario. Megan isn't sure what Luke told her, but this isn't going to be a romantic getaway. It's 24 hours of immature boys running around with jockstraps on their heads competing to see who can fart the loudest. Luke would understand if she wanted to bail, but Isabella is sure she wants to go. It's usually guys only, though Isabella points out how Megan is the exception. She can handle a fart war or two and considers herself warned.

Luke and his guy friends play horseshoes at the Chambers cabin when one teases that Luke's girlfriend is there. Isabella and Megan pull up in the latter's car, and Luke greets Isabella with a hug. His friends mock them from the game, and Luke assures Isabella that his friends will get used to having a girl around, then sends a “no offense” to Megan, who is getting the bags out of the car. Isabella assures him that Megan already warned her, and he's surprised Isabella still came. She doesn't scare that easily. Megan asks where Jeff is, and Luke finds him approaching them with a camera through a hockey mask while breathing creepily. Isabella playfully shrieks and curls into Luke, asking him to protect her from the killer. They tease Jeff and then walk off, so he helps Megan carry some of the bags. He brought a ton of scary movies - even Halloween, which excites her, and he knows it's one of her favorites. She notices Isabella and Luke hanging off one another as they walk into the cabin.

Freddy shoots a shotgun at targets while Brent, Parker, and the guys sit on a picnic table nearby. Brent makes a lame joke about sharpshooters and then wrestles with Freddy. Luke hands a gun to Isabella, who's never held one before, waving it around recklessly. He quickly stops her to give her the first lesson - never wave a loaded gun around, just keep it pointed at the gun until she's ready to shoot. She has diplomatic immunity so she could kill everyone and get away with it. He doesn't want to test that theory and helps her aim and fire. She misses all the targets, leading Luke to think she just needs more lessons. She can't wait and walks off. Luke goes up for his turn, but Megan takes it from him, teasing him if he's going to teach her how to do it too. She shoots the first can perfectly, asking if he and Isabella are together now. She knows labels are stupid but wanted to know what was going on since Megan is his best friend and Isabella's landlord. Isabella walks over with drinks, and Megan shoots a beer bottle. Isabella is impressed, reminding herself to stay on Megan's good side. Later, Isabella talks to her newfound friends but keeps an eye on Megan, who talks to Jeff.

Everyone sits around the fireplace and Isabella starts a game of two truths a lie so she can get dirt in case she ever needs to blackmail any of them. Luke decides to start: his mom was going to name him Xerxes but his dad said no, he's had a pen pal in San Diego since the third grade, and he's been to three of the seven wonders of the world. Megan tells him LegoLand doesn't count, and Megan asks if Xerxes is true, which it is. Jeff goes next; raw chicken legs freak him out, he dislocated his shoulder once and if he tries really hard he can do it again, and he was in a commercial as a kid. Isabella asks if the chicken legs are true, and Luke is sure the commercial is bogus because he would have mentioned it already. Megan can't believe he can dislocate his shoulder. Isabella decides to go next; she saw NSYNC at a tiny club in Brussels right before they got famous, she broke her leg in three places while skiing in the Swiss alps, and she has severe somnambulism - she sleepwalks like crazy. She does weird stuff, as a couple nights ago, Debbie found her in the backyard practically naked. She looks to Megan to back up her story, and Megan pauses and then supports it. Isabella winks at Megan from her chair.

Jeff talks about the *Blair Witch Project* that he's going to see, and Freddy calls him a freak. Megan calls him out for having eaten a bowl of dog food on a dare. It starts to rain so everyone hurries inside except for Megan, who looks up at the sky as the drops fall. Isabella joins her and thanks her for the assistance on the sleepwalking story. The rain doesn't bother her, as she and Lisa once spent the night in the ocean during a storm. She and Megan both love the sound of rain underwater. Isabella comments on Jeff's hard crush on Megan, but she doesn't believe the guys see her like that. Isabella calls her smart, fun, and hot, which is the crush trifecta. She was once one of the guys, but those days are over. The girls stand in the rain together in silence.

Isabella and Megan run up to the window and watch the boys goofing off inside with underwear on their heads. Megan invites her to leave and sleep in actual beds. They drive as both girls are happy to escape the boys' antics. Isabella asks Megan how she got Brent to leave. Megan just knows how to handle him. He acts tough but is just a stunted child. She used to think he was really cool but that was a million years ago before his mom died. Isabella feels bad for him, but Megan adds that he still “totally sucks”.

They drive up to the Landry house to find Debbie making out with a man on the front lawn. Megan is angry at the sight and storms into the airstream. Isabella follows, confused, as Megan can't believe Debbie would do this to them. The guy is her dad. His name's Keith and he's a musician who plays guitar in an old rock band. She never really called him dad because they weren't married, and he was only around a lot when she was a kid. He dressed up as the Easter bunny one year. She apologizes as this must be boring for Isabella, but Isabella assures her that it's not. Megan remembers him having long hair and sleeping in late, making up funny songs about mundane things. He sounds cool. When her mom got pregnant with Lily they were fighting a lot and by the time she was born, he was never around. Most of the time, Megan forgets that he even exists. Isabella is sorry for her as that sucks. Megan used to catch her mom listening to his music but it's been years. She doesn't understand why Debbie would want to bring him back into their lives, as all he's done is hurt them. Isabella is supportive of her talking to Debbie or staying mad for several days.

The girls sit on the floor of the airstream eating foreign candies. Megan asks if Isabella is close with her dad, and they aren't. He's older, serious, and they don't really talk that much. He and her mom were obsessed with their jobs. They were like copilots who only cared about landing the plane while Isabella was just some passenger in the back. She was more of an inconvenience than anything, and they just threw money at her to hide their guilt. Megan is sure they love her, and Isabella isn't convinced. She adds that Debbie might have her problems, but at least she listens when Megan talks to her. She doesn't think her parents have heard a word she's said in five years. Megan is glad that Isabella is here, and so is Isabella. She then admits that the candy is awful and they laugh. Isabella wanted her to try something from Europe, which was a very nice thought, but it was still very bad.

On or around July 23rd, Megan complains to Isabella that there aren't surprises in Chatham, as they do the same thing every year. She wants to change it up but isn't sure how. She's tired of being the boring, responsible honor roll girl. Isabella thinks she wants to be a bad girl and Megan does, not committing crimes bad, but taking risks and going on adventures. Isabella doesn't need convincing as unpredictable is her brand.

Later, Isabella and Megan sit on the beach while Luke and Jeff play frisbee. Megan wants to do something different and fun tonight. Isabella suggests a club and the closest thing they have is the Brownsville Pub, but that's a dive bar that cards. Luke knows Brent has a fake ID but he'd never let Luke use it. Jeff is good at Photoshop and offers to figure something out. He thinks Megan can help as the computer genius, though it is risky. She eagerly agrees to do it, which surprises Luke.

That evening, Megan and Isabella get ready together in the air stream. Megan wishes she could go back to before she saw her mom kissing her dad. Isabella suggests putting it in the rearview and forgetting about it. It's worked for Isabella so far. Tonight is going to be amazing, adding that Megan and Jeff are cute. Megan feels like she can be herself around him, similar to how she can with Luke. Megan asks to borrow a dress and Isabella lets her.

Once in the parking lot of the bar, the group practices their fake IDs in front of Isabella who grills Jeff, Luke, and Megan about the lives they've created. The boys give in-depth answers while Megan sticks to the fact, which pleases Isabella. They head to the door eagerly. The bouncer lets Megan and Isabella into the bar. He asks Luke what his Zodiac sign is, but Luke doesn't know it. The bouncer makes both him and Jeff leave.

Megan and Isabella enter the bar, and Megan wonders if they should go back since the boys got busted. Isabella refuses and takes her to the bar as her friend gushes over the atmosphere. She orders drinks for both of them, a rum and coke with them. She tells Megan she doesn't have to drink it, just hold it to make herself look cool. Their drinks were bought by a guy across the bar. Megan exclaims he's 30 and they giggle, walking off to the dance floor. This was the first drink Isabella had with Lisa in Barcelona. They thought they were so sophisticated because Hemingway drank them too. Megan thinks it should be her first too, with Isabella, and they toast to firsts. Isabella leads her to the dance floor where they hold hands and dance together.

They do shots in the bar as Isabella explains the body shots she used to do with her ex-boyfriend. Megan thinks it sounds sexy and heads to the bar for water. She sees Sheriff Myer enter the bar and go to a pool table, where he hands a man an envelope. She hurries to Isabella to warn her about the Sheriff, who is buying into a pool game and doesn't see the girls. Megan and Isabella run up to the van laughing. They tell Luke to floor it as Sheriff Myer is in there. Jeff asks Megan if she was drinking, and she was, which shocks Luke. He would have liked to see that, her first time. She insists there's plenty of time left for that.

The foursome reconvenes at the Chambers' house for beers. They toast to Isabella being the best cocktail sensei she could ask for her. Luke asks who Megan is and what she's done with his friend. She's still the same person she's just living in the now. Jeff asks her to go for a walk, and they head off. She teases him about not getting into the bar. He's happy someone else knows who Raymond Chandler is. She's bummed they didn't get to use his fake ID because it was perfect. It was perfect for him because he got to spend time with her. They kiss over the tennis court divider. Over on the patio, Luke stares at the new couple while Isabella gushes over the bar. She wishes he would have gotten in, and he does too. She smiles as they had a lot of fun, so he kisses her.

Back at the Landry house, Megan tells Isabella about Jeff's kiss. It wasn't exactly like she imagined, but she can't wait to do it again. She asks what happens next - if she should call him, or wait for him to call her. Isabella tells her to enjoy the moment, recapping the epic night. Megan doesn't want the night to end and invites Isabella to sleep over. She would love to, so long as Megan doesn't snore when she drinks. They take turns hitting each other with a pillow.

### Winter 1999

With fifteen days until 2000, Megan lies on the couch watching Countdown. Isabella comes in excited for a surprise and shows her a college envelope. Megan worries she didn't get in, but Isabella encourages her to open it. She got into the University of Washington for the class of 2004 and was awarded the Gate Scholarship for excellence in academics. She cheers, and squeals, and the girls hug. She's so happy Isabella is there with her right now, as her being there is the best thing to ever happen to her. Isabella agrees with the sentiment. They're going to get into so much trouble this Winter break. It's going to be the best two weeks of their lives. They dance to the music on the TV.

In the airstream, Megan asks to borrow Isabella's red dress for Luke's dad's Christmas party, then starts doing her makeup. Isabella has never seen her this happy, with Megan attributing the happiness to finally getting the scholarship. There's one thing she's always wanted to do but never did, making them laugh over her always being a rule follower. She's lucky that Isabella came along and corrupted her. She wants to do it now, taking her hands.

The girls trek up the cliffs, as Megan is no longer afraid of heights. Once at the top, she toasts to Isabella, the best friend she could ever ask for - her ultimate ride or die who helped her see things in herself she never believed were there. She never wants her to leave. They strip off their clothes, but it's really cold. That's the point because anyone can do it in the summer. They hold hands to repeat their “ride or die” sentiment, then leap off the cliff, smashing into the water below.

The next day at the Chambers Christmas party, Jeff walks over to Luke, Isabella, and Megan with his video camera rolling. Isabella talks about the cool, hot bartender that goes to school in France so she scampers off. Megan knows she's irresistible when she wants something, and Luke remarks it sounds like someone he knows. After a while, Isabella runs up to Luke and Megan, unknowingly interrupting their first 'I love you's'. She proclaims that the bartender is the dumbest person she met, but Megan asks if he's hot enough that she doesn't care, and he is. Luke calls them ice cold, but Megan knows guys are the same way - they're just honest about it. She loops an arm through each of theirs and they walk off.

As the night progresses, Megan and Isabella sing and dance together in front of Luke and their friends. Megan later watches Isabella and Luke laughing together, having fun. She keeps a loose smile.

Steve calls everyone's attention to thank them for coming. When he and his late wife Jane started throwing the parties, it was just a handful of friends with Brent and Luke as babies. Brent is now at Branson and Luke is following in his footsteps this fall, raising his glass as he expresses his pride. Megan rubs Luke's arm supportively. This year's Christmas movie is one of Jane's favorites and one that holds a special place in Steve's heart as well. The movie starts and Megan asks Luke if he wants to go inside, which relieves him. The sounds of gasps and moans distract them, pulling their attention to the screen where a sex tape is projected. It features a girl that everyone realizes is Isabella, because she's wearing the same pink sweater as in the video. The boy in the video isn't seen for a while, and Steve shouts to turn off the film while everyone murmurs. The boy in the video lifts his head, revealing himself as Luke. Megan looks at her boyfriend while Isabella raises her eyes. Steve shouts at Luke to turn it off and he runs over to the VCR, ejecting it. Megan rushes after him and then turns to stare at Isabella, while Kellie sneers to Isabella that she's some best friend.

Megan runs out of the house, crying, while Isabella and Luke chase after her. She grabs her hand, but Megan pulls away. Megan stares at both of them and then walks away, sobbing. Isabella glances back at Luke.

Two days after the party, Isabella gets out of the airstream to find the lawn riddled with blow-up sex objects, including a doll with the words “go home, slut” sprayed on the chest. Debbie finds Isabella in the kitchen making breakfast. She just spent an hour trying to convince Principal Bowers not to suspend her. The whole town saw her having sex, but Bowers agreed to probation instead. One false move and she'll be expelled. Isabella thanks her and appreciates it. She doubts it's enough to convince Megan to forgive her, but she has to start somewhere.

Isabella brings Megan a tray of food. She's watching the rest of the sex tape and Isabella apologizes again. She knows already and pauses the video, shocking both of them to see Megan's face instead.

Megan worries that Principal Bowers will find out it's her on the tape and she'll lose everything, including her scholarship. Isabella offers to keep it a secret, to make sure no one finds out the truth. She'll be gone in a few months anyway, so it doesn't matter if people think she slept with Luke. She can handle people calling her a slut. She's not going to let Megan, who is like a sister to her, lose her scholarship over this. Megan thinks it's too much of a sacrifice, but it's what best friends do - they take bullets, give kidneys - she's not going to let the tape ruin Megan's future. She loves her and wouldn't do it for anyone else. Ride or die isn't just words, because they actually mean it, and Megan agrees.

They go to the backyard to pour gasoline on the sex tape, while Megan tries to make sure Isabella is okay with taking the blame. Chatham won't ever let her forget the tape, but she gets it, as Americans are prudish about sex. She promises not to regret this - as long as the truth stays between the three of them, no one will ever find out. Megan keeps trying to figure out who would do this. Isabella can think of one aspiring filmmaker with a grudge. Everyone talks about a woman scorned but men are even worse. Megan isn't convinced as it doesn't seem like his style. Isabella promises to find out who it was. She lights a match and sets the tape on fire.

The girls tell Luke their plan to let everyone think that it's Isabella on the tape. He's not sure he's okay with everyone thinking he cheated on Megan, including his dad, who is throwing a family meeting because of it. Brent will deny any involvement and his dad will buy whatever bullshit he's sold like always. Isabella still thinks Jeff made the tape, but Megan doesn't think so as Jeff's stuff looks more professional. Luke thinks it reeks of Brent. He just got a video camera for his birthday and is always bringing girls to the cabin. Megan isn't convinced he would play it at the party, not in front of Steve, leading Isabella to think it was a team effort. Jeff and Brent working together. But either way, they have to talk to both of them. Luke isn't convinced, agreeing to go along with whatever they want, but will handle his brother himself. Isabella doesn't think that will ever happen, and Megan cuts them off when she notices Deputy Hardwicke staring at the trio. Isabella thinks Luke owes Megan and threatens him if he doesn't make things right, angering him, as he's known Megan all her life. Isabella's known her for five minutes and is just a tourist. Megan separates them, but Hardwicke calls Luke over. He tells the girls to lay low until he talks to Brent. The last thing they need is to make things worse. When he walks off, Megan wants to go home and gives Isabella the keys. She'll drop her off but has something she wants to do.

She heads to the Chambers' house and peeks in the windows, but it's dark. She finds Parker outside even though she and Brent broke up. Parker admits that Brent tried to film her once even though she said no, but now she's worrying that he did and she doesn't know about it. Isabella wants to get in the house, offering to help her find the hide-a-key that Parker knows is hidden somewhere. As they search, she asks if Megan kicked her out. It surprises her that Megan didn't, because Parker would be pissed if her best friend slept with her boyfriend. Things are tense for sure, but Isabella is only worried about getting in the house to find those tapes. She picks up a planter in search of the key, to no avail. She turns and throws the planter through the plate glass door, shattering it instantly. She merely asks if Parker is coming.

They open the VHS closet, and Isabella starts pulling the film out of them. Parker stops her before she can ruin the ‘88 tapes since their mother was alive then. She shows her a row of Brent's “sports” tapes, so Isabella sweeps them off the shelf. They stomp on them, jumping up and down, and chuckling after a while. They hear the garage open before they can get to the stash in Brent's room. One of the tapes that were destroyed reads, “Football Playoffs”.

Back at the Landry house, Isabella tells Megan about her adventures at the Chambers residence that afternoon, shocking Megan with the planter incident. It's a little crazy, but there's nothing Isabella wouldn't do for her girl. She knows Megan's scared but promises this is all going to work out. They hold hands and Isabella promises not to go anywhere because she's stuck with her. This will all blow over soon and everything will go back to normal.

As Megan and Luke spend time together in Megan's room, she admits that he's the most important person in the world to her, and she's not going to let anything, or anyone, get between them. Ride or die. Unbeknownst to either of them, Isabella eavesdrops from the top of the stairwell and leaves angrily. She comes downstairs to find Debbie at the table. She stands in front of her and admits there's something she needs to know.

On December 19th, Megan runs into the airstream to confront Isabella for telling her mom that it was her on the sex tape and not Isabella. She's angry as there was no conversation or hesitation to blurt out the most humiliating secret that didn't even happen to Isabella. Debbie was looking at Isabella like a monster, and she couldn't handle Debbie thinking that Isabella would betray Megan like that. Megan feels betrayed now because it wasn't her secret to tell. She was the one who said no one would know outside the three of them. Isabella knows and is sorry, but Debbie has become like a second mom to her. Megan snaps that Debbie's not her mom, she's Megan's and this whole thing was Isabella's idea. Isabella would do it again because that's what ride or die means to her. But the way she's been leaning on Luke instead of Isabella these last few days has her wondering. If the tables were turned, Megan would even consider doing the same thing for Isabella. Megan remains silent.

Megan and Isabella are in the car outside the Shoreline. Megan admits she would do the same for Isabella, ride or die. Taking the heat for the tape is a huge deal and she appreciates it more than Isabella knows. Isabella thanks her, and Megan gets why she told Debbie. She sort of hoped that Debbie never had to find out it was her on the tape so it could be like it never happened, something Isabella understands. Megan apologizes - she hates having Isabella mad at her and asks for forgiveness. Isabella already has, and Megan couldn't imagine going through this without her. Isabella assures her she won't have to.

Megan serves a customer his food and then sees Isabella sitting at a booth with Lily. Megan serves Isabella and Lily at the Shoreliner Café when Jeff enters with Freddy. They make a snide comment about meeting up with Isabella later, with Jeff asking if Isabella's only into dudes with girlfriends. Megan yanks Jeff aside to scold him for talking about it in front of her sister. Freddy wants to get back at Luke by making a movie of their own, and Jeff offers to hold the camera. When Freddy is gone, Megan asks if this makes him feel better, and it does. She chose the wrong guy because he never would have done that to her. The tape cut out before they got a look at the heroine, but he knows that laugh anywhere. It used to be his favorite thing about her. She acts like she doesn't know what he's talking about so he walks away.

That night, Isabella and Megan lean against the car as a jeep pulls up. Jeff gets out to ask why they called him there. Isabella reminds him that whatever he thinks he saw on the tape, he can't prove it, but he acts like he can. Megan interjects that she can prove how he paid for all that fancy equipment. Unless he wants them spilling his dirty little secret, he's going to keep his mouth shut. Jeff steps to Megan, as she promised that she'd never tell. She doesn't want to as she had a great time with him last summer. She doesn't want to ruin that now by getting messy. He surmises this is blackmail, but it's more like mutual destruction. He can choose his own adventure, or not. The girls get back in the car and drive away.

On or around December 23rd, Megan is on her computer when Isabella comes up. Megan read an article about white hat hackers, and one of the guys went to the same program as her at U Dub. She could make good money in college by doing it. Isabella asks if Megan's going to see Luke later, but a loud clang from downstairs distracts them. They find Debbie in the kitchen under a burst pipe that's dripping everywhere. Megan goes to call the plumber.

The plumber leaves and Debbie tells Megan it's $6,000 in full upfront. Megan thinks they should tap the emergency fund, but it's empty because of the roof repairs last year and Lily's retainer. Megan is mad that her mom didn't tell her. She can't lean on Megan to pay for things and then keep her in the dark, wishing she would be the grown-up around there for once. She has $900 in her savings account, but Debbie knows that's for college. Debbie will talk to Steve, but Megan doesn't like it as he's her boss, they're dating, and Megan's dating Luke. Debbie doesn't know what else to do and Isabella walks in with an envelope full of money, $5,000, that her parents gave her to buy herself a Christmas present. Megan refuses to let her help even though Isabella insists they're family. Megan calls her family but they'll find a way. They can't stay there tonight, so Debbie tells the girls to pack a bag so they can stay at Steve's.

The girls arrive at the Chambers' house. Megan and Isabella recap that they won't mention the tape or anything that happened, leaving them little to talk about it. Isabella tells Megan she should have taken the money, which upsets her. Isabella quickly says she was joking, but doesn't think it should be that complicated. Megan knows, but money always complicates things. Steve lets the girls inside and Debbie explains that Lily is at a sleepover. Luke slyly tells Megan to sneak into his room for a sleepover later. Steve calls for Brent to come down and greet their guests, but the boy doesn't show. The kids head upstairs.

Megan, Isabella, and Luke head to the kitchen where the sliding glass door is already repaired. Luke warns the girls that Brent is on the warpath because Steve is making him work for the company next year instead of going to college. That excites Megan, and Luke grins that he promised he was going to handle it. She kisses him and then asks to use his shower and he lets her know where the towels are, and that Alma made up the guest bedroom. She also made the crispy potatoes that Isabella loves, which makes her smile, as she missed her.

Later, Isabella searches Brent's drawers when Megan catches her. She claims she's seeing if Brent had any more tapes. She sees the bikini that Megan's holding and takes it, glad to have it back as she was wondering where it went. It must have gotten caught up in the laundry to end up in Luke's bathroom. She asks if Megan found anything else, but she didn't. Megan asks when she left it there, but Isabella isn't sure. She surmises it was sometime last summer. Megan grills her about the timing, though Isabella insists it was from before. Megan admits that if there was any overlap or if Isabella still has feelings for Luke, Isabella should tell her and Megan will deal. Isabella can't believe she's really asking that. She let the whole town call her a slut and a lousy friend. Everywhere she goes people whisper behind her back and now Megan is accusing her of sleeping around with Luke. Megan apologizes as the pipes have her stressed out, but Isabella doesn't care. She asks how far she has to go to prove her loyalty to Megan. After a moment, Isabella asks if she needs Isabella to kill for her then storms out of the room.

Brent, Luke, Isabella, and Megan talk before dinner about him being grounded because of his pitiful snitch of a brother. Luke calls him out for the pervy shit he did. As they argue over the table and he makes a crude remark to Isabella, Megan shouts that she used to make excuses for him. That he was just damaged but he went too far this time. He tells them to get over it as it's not that big of a deal. He accuses Isabella of being a slut and banging Luke behind Megan's back. Steve and Debbie enter the room and Steve shuts down the fighting, telling everyone to sit.

The awkward dinner continues in silence until Debbie admits to thinking Brent owes Isabella and Luke an apology. Steve instructs Brent to do that, and he does apologize for what he did. Megan urges him to keep going, though Steve cuts her off as he did apologize. Debbie thinks some genuine remorse would be great. Luke just wants to have a nice dinner, something Steve seconds. Megan refuses as she wants Brent to admit to filming those girls without telling them. Luke asks Megan if they have to do this now and Debbie realizes there was more than one tape. Megan tells him there is and that Steve must be so proud. Debbie is horrified to learn that Steve knew and tells Brent his mother would be so ashamed. She can't believe Steve isn't more upset. He admits Brent made a serious lapse in judgment but has been punished - end of story. She rebuttals that he filmed those kids without their knowledge without consent. That is more than a lapse in judgment that is criminal. Steve doesn't want her to critique his parenting in front of his kids. She accuses him of letting Brent coast for a few months, so Steve offers to talk privately. She refuses as the kids can handle this. Steve had Jack back off so it wouldn't go on his permanent record. Debbie thinks real lasting consequences might just be what he needs. Steve coldly asks when she became the morality police since Keith got her pregnant and she didn't marry him twice. Isabella stands up for Debbie, telling Steve not to talk to her like that. The trio bickers and Debbie accuses Steve of sweeping things under the rug to protect his social status. She knows reputation is everything to him, but this is what he gets when he prioritizes the Chambers name over his family, hoping it's worth it. She leaves the table as Megan smirks proudly.

### Summer 2000

On July 16th, a fisherman finds a body in the lake, which results in the coastguard being called. Megan stands at he crime scene tape to watch the officers escorting the body bag when Steve arrives with Brent. Steve pushes past the crime scene tape despite Sheriff Myer trying to stop him. He unzips the bag, pausing before identifying Luke. Isabella stands next to Megan and they look at each other. Isabella tells her they have to get their stories straight, and Megan nods.

Two days later, Isabella joins Megan on the front porch of the Landry house. They both said things they shouldn't have, but now that they found Luke's body people are going to ask questions. So Megan can't shut her out forever. Megan looks over at her and then stands, walking inside without a word.

Isabella and the Landry family drive up to a memorial for Luke. She knows he'll have a million new best friends soon enough, just like Princess Diana. People who never cared when she was alive suddenly started crying at her memorial, as they loved her. Debbie merely drives on while Isabella looks at the memorial, then Megan in the backseat. They arrive at the Chambers house looking for Steve. Brent is there, telling them that Steve got called down to the station. Luke didn't just drown, they think he was murdered. The news scares Megan and Isabella.

Parker walks onto the airstream where Isabella is frantically packing while trying to book a flight to Paris. Parker takes a seat and Isabella forces a smile, as she needs to get out of Chatham. She opens her drawer and sees a Polaroid of her, Luke, and Megan together from last summer. Parker sighs that Paris will have to wait because Sheriff Myer is making everyone go back down to the station. He's going to interview everyone all over again.

Isabella and Parker arrive at the station. Freddy snidely asks if she killed Luke to have Megan all to herself, with Jeff commenting on the bizarre love triangle. Parker tells her to ignore them as their assholes, but Isabella knows they're just saying what everyone thinks. She sees Megan in the car and joins her. Megan tells her to get out, but Isabella needs to know what she plans to tell the sheriff. They have to stick to their story so it'll all be over. She's leaving on Tuesday which angers Megan. As happy as she'll be to never see Isabella again, she's not going anywhere until this is over. Not if she wants Megan to keep her mouth shut. She gets out of the car and stalks into the station.

Isabella takes a seat across from the Sheriff for her interview, Debbie to her left, as he asks her about her relationship with Luke. How they dated then broke up before he dated Megan. Then came the illegally recorded tape of them having sex. He muses about how things changed after that. She scoffs - she's a minor and thinks he should be more concerned about who made the tape. Debbie asks what his question is. After all, he's been through, he asks why she's still in town. She corrects his question as being why she didn't let herself get run out of town. Debbie stands up to leave, but Isabella tells her to sit as she's got this. When he talked to her back when Luke disappeared, she was ready to leave town once school ended. That's true, but Debbie got sick so she decided to stay and help out. He calls it kind of her but also convenient, given her situation before she came there. She went to three schools in three years and didn't even finish her junior year, having left before she could finish. She asks if that's all he has on her, and it is, for now. It's kind of hard not to notice a pattern of trouble following her wherever she goes. She stands up, but he's not done. She insists they are and won't be saying another word without her lawyer. The women leave and Deputy Hardwicke emerges from the observation room. He asks Myer what seventeen year old knows to ask for a lawyer. It's one who had to ask for one before.

Back at the airstream, Isabella makes a phone call to her mom, who asks if everything is okay since it's late. Isabella needs her help, as she's in trouble. She takes a prescription from the bathroom and opens the bottle, pouring the green pills into her hand. She smashes the bottle under her foot, throws away the plastic, tears up the label, and then flushes the pills down the toilet.

On July 19th, Isabella sits with her lawyer, Rebecca, and doesn't want to start playing games with her. Rebecca thinks Isabella looks well given the circumstances, but didn't think she'd be seeing her again so soon. They decide to start with her fingerprints on the gun, which is explained by all three of them using the gun last summer when Luke was with them. Rebecca understands there's a sex tape, though Isabella admits it wasn't her on it. It was Megan but she took the blame so Megan wouldn't lose her scholarship. It felt right at the time, but pointless now. Only a few people know that it was Megan on tape, but she asks if it still hurts Megan more than Isabella. She's the wronged party, the one with an ax to grind with Luke. Rebecca tells her it harms both of them, but in a town like this, people will always look harder at the outsider. Isabella hasn't seen too many friendly faces lately. Rebecca is sure the police will pursue another angle, one with the two of them working together, but Isabella hasn't spoken to Megan in months. It won't matter, and she tells Isabella to keep contact with Megan and Debbie to a minimum. Isabella wants to claim diplomatic immunity and get on a plane, but it would look very bad. Especially after what happened in St. Bart's last winter.

In the gazebo at the Landry house, Isabella tells Debbie to get a lawyer. Debbie is sure Sheriff Myer will sort it all out, but Isabella reminds her that he's not her friend anymore, but a cop. Megan accuses her of knowing a lot about the law, but Isabella ignores her. She tells Debbie to just get a lawyer - a really, really good one.

Tom, Debbie, and Megan arrive at the Sheriff's station. Megan sees Isabella in an office room with her lawyer and they lock eyes for a long time until a deputy shuts the door. in an interrogation room, Sheriff Myer asks if she had any contact with Luke up to that point. She claims she didn't, as they weren't that close then. He asks Isabella why her fingerprints were on the gun; Luke had taught her how to shoot because she'd never held a gun before. He asks why everyone else's prints weren't on the gun, and Rebecca advises Isabella not to answer. Myer asks if Isabella wanted revenge for him betraying her, but Rebecca responds with no comment.

Myers questions Isabella about not being in the cabin since last summer, which she claims is the truth. He leaves the room and then returns with a backpack. He asks her to explain why they found her bag stashed in a crawl space at the cabin, the scene of Luke's murder. He opens the bag and removes a wad of fifty-dollar bills. He asks what all the money is for.

Late one night around July 23rd, Megan takes a bag of trash to the trash cans. She looks around to make sure no one saw her then heads back inside, unaware that Isabella is watching from the airstream. Isabella gets out of the airstream and jogs to the trash, removing the bag to find bloody clothing inside.

The next day, Megan and Tom enter the sheriff's station and she sees Jeff at the counter. Isabella and Rebecca leave as the duo are entering.

## Personality

Isabella is a confident, snarky, compassionate, and stylish teenager. She has lived in many different places worldwide almost her entire life and chooses to have fun while living in the moment. A big reason Isabella came to Chatham is to stay in one place and feel a part of a family. Usually, she's friendly and accommodating and can be seen as exceptionally social. She has shown to be a very loyal friend, even with the ones she's known for a short time. She is considered very girly and has a strong-willed, bold attitude. Isabella is also very secretive and often lies or goes through over-the-top scandals to get what she wants or make someone else happy. She can also feel remorse and guilt for her actions and has apologized and taken responsibility for them

Unlike Megan, she is not overly academic, nor is she that serious about school. Instead, she relies more on her street smarts than academics. She's very manipulative, using everyone's weaknesses to her advantage. One of her flaws is her lack of disregard for rules. She's loyal to Megan and deeply cares for her, even breaking up with Luke when she discovers that Megan likes him. In the Summer of 1999, she was very outspoken and expressed herself quietly and respectfully, but in the Winter of 1999, more of her assertive and snarly side came out.

## Physical Appearance

Isabella is a seventeen-year-old girl with curly brown hair, a diamond-shaped face, round lips, and upturned-shaped brown eyes. She has a shorter and curvier physique compared to Megan's. During the summer of 1999, Isabella dressed very femininely, unlike Megan's clothing style but more chic and high class. Her wardrobe usually consists of expensive dresses, short shorts, high heels, sandals, and designer handbags. She usually wears her blonde-highlighted curls down and wears very colorful and eye-catching makeup like eyeshadow and lipgloss. In the winter of 1999, Isabella's wardrobe turns more mature and sophisticated. She usually wears skinny jeans, long-sleeved blouses, cardigans, and leather boots. She removes her highlights and starts wearing her hair similar to Megan's, showing how close they've become, straightened with added waves. Her makeup has become darker, changed to less vibrant-colored eyeshadow and dark lipstick instead of lip gloss; black eyeliner has also become a prominent part of her makeup. By the summer of 2000, Isabella has taken on a subtle grunge appearance. Her hair is back to curly but almost always in a ponytail. Her makeup is minimal but still dark, sporting lipstick usually halfway between a nude and deep red. She wears more earth-toned clothing in a tomboy but edgy fashion. On another note, Isabella's style and color palate change over the three timelines. In the Summer of 1999, she tended to wear brighter colors (light green, rose red, purple, white, lemon yellow); by the Winter of 1999, she wore a mix of bright and darker colors (neutral white, black, burgundy, blue, bistre brown, deep pink). By the Summer of 2000, Isabella is wearing edgy-tomboy clothing, sporting dark colors, mainly brown, green, dark gray, and beige.

## Notes and Trivia

* Isabella was initially going to be played by newcomer, Eloise Payet, but was recast on April 27, 2022, due to the decision by the writing team to redevelop and recast the role the previous week’s table read.
* As shown in "Bloody Knuckles" and "All I Want for Christmas," Isabella is a pathological liar.
	+ She once lied to her friends telling them she sleepwalks and was half-naked the last time she did it, which Megan reluctantly covered for.
	+ The second time she lied about the real reason about "what happened last winter." She claims she was intoxicated and got arrested for being in the public, while also getting arrested for urinating at a public park. Her friend from Europe, Trevor, knows this isn't true but goes along with it.
	+ Also revealed in "All I Want for Christmas," Isabella never actually sent any of the postcards to Lisa. She tells Debbie it's because Lisa is on vacation and wants to read all the cards at once. This is debunked in Winter 2000 when Trevor sends Megan a letter telling her that Isabella hadn't told her the full story. With this letter came with a news article and obituary for Lisa, who drowned just like Luke.
* Lexi Underwood's real-life beauty styling inspired Isabella's Summer 2000 look.
* In "All I Want for Christmas," her middle name is revealed to be "Jolie" by her instant message screenname.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 In "All I Want for Christmas," Isabella's screenname on instant message is *isabellajolie1982*.
2. ↑ As seen on the drivers license that Megan has possession of in "Ride or Die".
3. ↑ Isabella uses this alias for her fake ID in 2.04 - "Springing a Leak".
4. ↑ She tells the passenger next to her that her name is Lisa in 2.10 - "Endgame".
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 As seen on her passport in "Welcome to Chatham".
6. ↑ Debbie states in "Ride or Die" that she convinced Principal Bowers not to expel Isabella, only suspend her, after the sex tape was released.
7. ↑ ttyl! @cruelsummer @freeform #cruelsummer
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 2.01 "Welcome to Chatham"
9. ↑ As seen in Lisa's newspaper obituary in "All I Want for Christmas".
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 2.02 "Ride or Die"
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 2.03 - "Bloody Knuckles"
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 2.04 - "Springing a Leak"
13. ↑ ‘Cruel Summer’ Season 2: Lexi Underwood to Star in Recasting