Status: moved here from quizilla.
Bella
four
Stacy hugged me tightly, carefully, though, so that her bag didn’t fall off of her shoulder. “Take care, Bell,” she said. “My mom texted me this morning and told me that I needed to start packing immediately. Seems like we’re going on summer vacation in Landon.” Stacy ended the hug and waved to me, letting herself out of the front door.
I waved at Stacy through the window and watched as she slid into her Impala and drove off. This was going to be a long summer without her. In the living room, Ranger and Dad were having a shushed conversation. Though I knew that it was none of my business, I stood by the front door and listened. “I’ve got it all covered. I just—I didn’t know how to explain it. I know that Julie is scared to, especially of what her parents would think of it. I took all the blame when we went to tell her parents late last night. And I accepted the punch in the jaw I received because I knew I deserved it.”
“The bruise should heal soon,” Dad said. “How come you didn’t tell us sooner?” I shook my head, no longer wanting to listen in on the conversation. I had heard all that I needed to. I proceeded towards the kitchen, where I could hear her chopping vegetables. I rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen, almost hesitantly.
I didn’t really like asking my parents for things because I wasn’t necessarily the type of child to do that. I did most things on my own; I didn’t like help. I wanted to be as independent as possible. “Mom,” I said, in a voice so low that I was surprised that she heard me. She laid the knife down on the cutting board and grabbed a paper towel, wiping her hands off. “Could I, maybe, borrow a few bucks? Just this once?”
“Why do you look so unsure of yourself, Bella? Of course you can have some money. Don’t even worry about paying me back. My wallet is right here on the counter by the microwave. Don’t take more than a hundred fifty,” she said. I smiled and thanked her wordlessly with a nod of my head. I sauntered over to the counter. Her wallet was sitting there, its leather skin wilted.
I grabbed the wallet and unzipped it, pulling out a few bills. “Don’t worry. I don’t think I’ll need that much. Ninety-five at the most,” I assured her. I slid the bills in the back pocket of my jeans and zipped her wallet back up, setting on the counter. “I’m going to make a trip to the mall. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
It was quite astonishing how much you could by with ninety-five dollars, especially when you buy everything from a thrift shop and majority of them are inanimate objects. I pulled into the driveway and put my car in park. I took a last sip from the soda I picked up from a local fast food restaurant and put it into the cup holder.
I grabbed the few bags I could from the passenger seat and opened the door up. “Home sweet home,” I muttered, opening the door further with my elbow. I left the door ajar and started towards the porch.
A voice was yelling, and I was tempted to turn around, but I convinced myself that they weren’t talking to me. The voice kept calling out and I paused in my tracks. I turned around. It was our new neighbor who had moved in yesterday. “Yes, finally,” he said. “Could you do me a favor?” He was standing at the end of our driveway, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“I’m kind of busy at the moment.” I gestured to the bags in my hand. “And trust me, there’s about five more in my car.”
He turned around and for a minute, I thought he was about to walk back across the street and go home. Instead, he paused midway and turned back around. “What I need you for is not big at all. I promise. And if you want, to speed up the process, I could help you take your things inside.”
I chewed on my lip and shifted my weight to my other leg. “Do you not have anyone else to help you?” I asked. He shook his head and shrugged. “I’ll take that as a no. I just—go ahead. Open up the doors to the backseat and grab what youcan first. Feel free to follow me up to my bedroom. What’s your name?”
“Acel Sykes—feel free to forget it. There’s no need to keep it in your memory,” he said. He gave me a soft smile, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.
I smiled to myself and proceeded to walk to the porch. “The name’s Bella Davis. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I waved at Stacy through the window and watched as she slid into her Impala and drove off. This was going to be a long summer without her. In the living room, Ranger and Dad were having a shushed conversation. Though I knew that it was none of my business, I stood by the front door and listened. “I’ve got it all covered. I just—I didn’t know how to explain it. I know that Julie is scared to, especially of what her parents would think of it. I took all the blame when we went to tell her parents late last night. And I accepted the punch in the jaw I received because I knew I deserved it.”
“The bruise should heal soon,” Dad said. “How come you didn’t tell us sooner?” I shook my head, no longer wanting to listen in on the conversation. I had heard all that I needed to. I proceeded towards the kitchen, where I could hear her chopping vegetables. I rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen, almost hesitantly.
I didn’t really like asking my parents for things because I wasn’t necessarily the type of child to do that. I did most things on my own; I didn’t like help. I wanted to be as independent as possible. “Mom,” I said, in a voice so low that I was surprised that she heard me. She laid the knife down on the cutting board and grabbed a paper towel, wiping her hands off. “Could I, maybe, borrow a few bucks? Just this once?”
“Why do you look so unsure of yourself, Bella? Of course you can have some money. Don’t even worry about paying me back. My wallet is right here on the counter by the microwave. Don’t take more than a hundred fifty,” she said. I smiled and thanked her wordlessly with a nod of my head. I sauntered over to the counter. Her wallet was sitting there, its leather skin wilted.
I grabbed the wallet and unzipped it, pulling out a few bills. “Don’t worry. I don’t think I’ll need that much. Ninety-five at the most,” I assured her. I slid the bills in the back pocket of my jeans and zipped her wallet back up, setting on the counter. “I’m going to make a trip to the mall. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
†
It was quite astonishing how much you could by with ninety-five dollars, especially when you buy everything from a thrift shop and majority of them are inanimate objects. I pulled into the driveway and put my car in park. I took a last sip from the soda I picked up from a local fast food restaurant and put it into the cup holder.
I grabbed the few bags I could from the passenger seat and opened the door up. “Home sweet home,” I muttered, opening the door further with my elbow. I left the door ajar and started towards the porch.
A voice was yelling, and I was tempted to turn around, but I convinced myself that they weren’t talking to me. The voice kept calling out and I paused in my tracks. I turned around. It was our new neighbor who had moved in yesterday. “Yes, finally,” he said. “Could you do me a favor?” He was standing at the end of our driveway, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“I’m kind of busy at the moment.” I gestured to the bags in my hand. “And trust me, there’s about five more in my car.”
He turned around and for a minute, I thought he was about to walk back across the street and go home. Instead, he paused midway and turned back around. “What I need you for is not big at all. I promise. And if you want, to speed up the process, I could help you take your things inside.”
I chewed on my lip and shifted my weight to my other leg. “Do you not have anyone else to help you?” I asked. He shook his head and shrugged. “I’ll take that as a no. I just—go ahead. Open up the doors to the backseat and grab what youcan first. Feel free to follow me up to my bedroom. What’s your name?”
“Acel Sykes—feel free to forget it. There’s no need to keep it in your memory,” he said. He gave me a soft smile, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.
I smiled to myself and proceeded to walk to the porch. “The name’s Bella Davis. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”