Portal Read Online Free Page A

mouthwatering aroma was strong, my stomach grumbled. I decided that I was perfectly capable of doing nothing and eating at the same time. I quickly grabbed my dirty jeans and hoodie from the laundry basket, put them on and went to get Ella from her bedroom.
    Ella looked at me in disgust. “Arizona, those clothes smell.”
    I ignored her, grabbed her arm and led her down the stairs.
    As we walked down, I noticed large pieces of framed artwork, Mom’s digital art. The giant hallway from last night came into view. It was covered in framed black-and-white photos. I’d need to take a closer look later. I followed Ella into the kitchen and into a scene out of the Brady Bunch – perfect domestic bliss. There were Mom and Dad preparing breakfast together.
    There was another person in the kitchen. She was standing by the refrigerator with her back to me. She turned as she closed the refrigerator door. I did a double take. It couldn’t be, but it was– Grandma ! I was overcome with emotion again, so unlike me. Tears started streaming down my face. I brushed them away hastily before anyone would notice. My grandma had passed away a few years ago, how could this be? Whatever the explanation was, this was the best ever. I rushed over and hugged her.
    “Are you ok, Arizona?” Grandma whispered as she wiped the escaped tears drops off my cheeks.
    “I think you must be coming down with something, Arizona. You seem overly emotional today,” offered Mom unhelpfully.
    “Sit down, kids and help yourselves,” said Rupert.
    I sat down between Ella and Grandma and found myself helping Ella select items to put on her plate – bacon, eggs and pancakes. This was extremely unlike me. Maybe I was coming down with something. My hand then decided to pat Ella’s head. I didn’t seem to have control of my emotions or body parts by the look of things.
    There was nothing wrong with my appetite though. I helped myself to bacon, cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate and ate without a sound. Gertrude, who had finished her own bowl of bacon, sat by my feet staring at me, hoping for stray bits to hit the floor. Mom and Rupert joined us at the table and proceeded to chatter endlessly about mundane stuff. Rupert had his arm laid comfortably over the back of Mom’s chair. They seemed very close. I had never seen her like this with Dad. It made me angry but I ignored it by concentrating my attentions on Grandma.
    Most of all, I just liked listening to my grandma’s voice. I had really missed her wicked sense of humor. She had apparently just returned from London where she’d been vacationing for a few weeks so she recounted tales from her vacation, the wonderful shopping and sights. I recognized places and names she mentioned–Wimbledon, Harrods, Harriet, Mortimer, Paddington… all very familiar. I gathered that she lived nearby and that we were to go over to her house for lunch next week. I was so happy to see her; I reached for her shoulders and squeezed them.
    Once breakfast was over, I excused myself and went back to my room. I needed time to think. Closing the bedroom door behind me, I looked for my most important gadget, my cell phone. I had to talk to my dad and my friends.
    There was an orange leather bag sitting on the couch next to the prissy dressing table. I picked it up and unzipped it. Hermès , not surprisingly, as my mother is a fan and is always trying to get me hooked on the brand. I found a wallet (Hermès again), credit cards, some cash and a driver’s license. I looked at it closely. It was a California license with my photograph (the Barbie version). I looked for my name, but found the name Arizona Darley instead. Who’s Arizona Darley ? This was really strange.
    I found a cell phone in the bag, my iPhone, which was comforting. Well, that’s until I checked my contacts, music and applications. Someone had messed with it. I didn’t recognize most of my contacts but I did notice Simla and Justin in there though. I had a look at my