Bella's officially graduated middle school. After 3 years of ups and downs will high school prove to be the "best four years of her life" or will it be her most challenging time? Leia's getting older and beginning to form new thoughts, experiences...
Casa Vega Restaurant (Sat, Feb 26th) (Olivia's Perspective) "Bella, can you cut this up please?" Leia asked. We were having dinner at Casa Vega because Elliot and I had a special announcement. "So guys, do you know why we're here?" I put my arms around Noah and Eli. "Ummm, for good times?!" Noah replied. "Yes...but also for another reason. El, take it away." "I know that some people have been having a lot of questions about the new addition." He looked at Lei with a smile. "Leia's social worker will be coming over soon to check on her...and to do a home study so that we can officially begin the adoption process." "Baby sister." "Wait are you guys going to adopt a baby?" Bella asked. "We decided that adopting an older kid would be better for a family. A kid around Leia's age." "I would love a sister my age. We could play princesses together because Bella never wants to." She rolled her eyes. "So, we need you guys to be on your best behavior during that home study, it's really important that the social worker sees the type of people we are and how we live." "Mommy, Bella pinched me!" "See none of that, no name-calling, we're all going to be civil." "And what do we get in return?" "A happy family?" "You guys will get a surprise." "You don't have to bribe me to be good." Bella said quietly. "So, are we all in agreement?" "Yeah." The kids nodded and we clinked our glasses. "Wait. One more thing." "What?!" "Before we move and have that home study, we're going somewhere for spring break...." "Can we get a drumroll please?!?" "Dad, that's lame.." Bella said. "I'll do it, I'll do it!" Leia did it excitedly. "We're going to Florida with the rest of the Stabler fam!" The kids seemed more energetic. "Everyone's coming?" "Yep." "Cool! We haven't seen Kyle and Klaire in so long." "And Ava!" Leia said. I smiled sweetly. ^^^^^^^^^ Home (Long Island) "El?" "What's up?" "Did you realize at the restaurant that the kids weren't excited as they were last time?" "What do you mean?" "Like they weren't as enthusiastic." "They already knew, you can't expect a big hurrah." "I guess so. We need to talk to each of them about it though separately." "Okay, is that it?" "What do you mean is that it?" "I don't know, you seem a bit on edge these days. Is everything alright?" "There's something that I need to tell you.." "What?" "You know how I found out about Simon?" "Yeah, what? Have you heard from Olivia?" Olivia's my niece. We've met several times before but the kids haven't seen her. "No, El, I have a younger sister too." He sat up. "Wait, what? How?" "Apparently when I was five...my mother got pregnant with another child and gave her up for adoption." I explained how we met and how we've been talking these last few weeks. "Liv, this is amazing. With the way things went down with Simon, and you never really getting closure with that, this is like your second chance." "I never thought about it that way." "I'd love to meet her and I'm sure the kids will too. Have you told them?" "No, and before we do that we need to talk to them about everything." "Agreed. I'm happy for you honey, I really am." I smiled while stroking his beard. ************ The Basement (Monday) (Noah's Perspective) Morgan and I haven't talked since she ran out of the store the other day. Not that I haven't tried to talk to her, she just keeps leaving me on seen. I'm worried now, because I might've just ruined the best thing I've had these last 4 years, and I can't let that happen. I can't. "Come on, pick up." I whispered. "What do you want?" She asked. "I want to get my girlfriend back. You know, the one that was smiling, happy, the one that paid attention to me. I ruined that. Instead of being passive-aggressive with you... I should've told you how I felt." "But your assumptions weren't wrong. Which makes it my fault too." I heard footsteps. It was Bella making her way downstairs. She realized who I was on the phone with and sat on the couch quietly. "So what's been going on with Dave?" Noah asked. "Please don't hate me." Bella looked concerned. "Before I started dating you... I dated Kev as you know. Kev and I...filmed a video together and when we broke up he shared it with his friends. Dave got ahold of it, and he said he'd send you said video if I didn't...talk to him." Bella and I looked at each other. "I'm not mad at you, but we should probably tell my Mom." "No, Noah, I know you want to help but I don't want your Mom to see me in that way, and if we tell your Mom my parents will know and... I can't deal with that." "But that would put a stop to things way quicker than what I could ever do." "I just. I don't know. I'm tired of talking to him though. I just want this all to go away." "It will, we'll figure something out." I got off the phone with her. I can't believe she hid this from me. "You okay? That was a lot." Bella said. "I don't know, man." I sighed and walked back and forth. "Noah, it'll be okay. We'll figure out something..." "Yeah, right." ********************** Midtown Manhattan (Wednesday, March 1st)(Leia's Perspective) It's snowing! I stuck out my tongue so I could catch a snowflake. "What are you doing, silly?" "I'm eating snowflakes!" I told Lucy. Right now, we're gonna go ice skating because I have no school and I'm super excited! My best friends Ella and Bailey are gonna met us there and Bella said she'd come after her club meeting! "Which train are we taking?" "The F train, come sweetie." "Lucy, what's your favorite season?" "Hmm, I'd say summer." "Why?" "Because it's warm and in the summertime, we can play in the water. What about you?" "I love summer! I love going to Coney Island and swimming and going on vacation! But I like winter too, guess why!" "Why?" "Because I don't have to have school on a snow day and there are only snow days in winter!" We both giggled. ^^^^^^^^^ Rockefeller Center "Careful girls!" "Woah!" Ella fell. "Wait, I'll help you!" I skated over fast to Ella and I fell right on my bum. "Ow!" I said while laughing. "You should've seen how you fell! Your feet just went up and you were flying in the air!" Bailey said. "Are you okay?" "Bella, you're here!" I hugged my big sister. Bella started doing some tricks. "How do you do that?" "You just kinda put your feet like this and push! But, I mainly learned this in ice skating." "You did ice skating?" "Yeah, Mom let Noah and I do it in the wintertime." That sounds awesome. "Maybe we should ask our parents if we could do ice skating together!" I suggested. "Yeah, that would be so cool and we could do tricks like Bella!" My friends and I kept skating and talking. "We should have a sleepover." "And watch Princess Patty." "No, we should watch Faith in Fairyland! Leia, when are you moving into your new house?" The move. I don't wanna move. I wish we didn't have to. "Lei?!" "U-um soon!" "Cool, we should have it at your new house!" ************** Paisley's Bedroom (290 West 89th Street) (7:31 PM) (Bella's Perspective) "You still haven't told your Mom?!"
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I collapsed on Paisley's bed. "No..." "Well, why haven't you?" Sapphire asked. "You don't get it." Hannah told her. "Yeah, I don't. Bella your Mom is going to kill you and then you won't be able to go to Costa Rica with us and we need you." I sighed. "That's exactly why she doesn't want to tell her that she stole and read her case file!" Clara said. My friends started arguing amongst themselves. "Alright, everybody shut up!" They stopped talking. "I'll tell her when I feel like doing so." "But how are you going to get better if you don't fully explain what happened....soon?" I sighed. She's right, so very right. "The quirkier you tell her and your therapist, the quicker you can move past it, and the quicker you can work towards being a new person."
"Victim was found handcuffed to a wall, bruised and naked." I looked at the crime scene photos. I instantly remembered everything. Flashback* "Call a bus!" Aunty Amanda and Mom came over. "You're okay, sweetheart. We've got you." Mommy covered me with her jacket. "No more bad guys?" "No, no more bad guys."
I rolled off of Paisley's bed. I can't keep feeling like this..... "Owww..." "Oh my god, Bell are you okay?!" "Sorry to interrupt, but would you guys like some dinner?" I gave a thumbs up and Mrs.Aberdeen left the room. "Bell??" "I'm just great."
