secret admirer. 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

13💌 i'm protecting you

Isabella.

The most foolish girl I have ever met.

My eyes stay on her the whole day, never once leaving her side. When I catch her in the halls and especially during tennis after school. 

But I don't go up to her. No. That'll be saved for later. I'll let her write in that notebook one more time. Her last time. She won't go anywhere near Noah ever again. So I'll be merciful. 

Aren't I just so kind?

• ღ •

I smile to myself as I lean on the pole right outside our school. Waiting for Isabella to come out.

After Isabella wrote in the notebook for the last time today I gracefully snuck inside and took the notebook after she left, putting it in my backpack. She didn't notice a thing, what an idiot. 

I took the opposite way out from school and now I'm waiting on the pole, watching, anticipating for when Isabella will step out. And soon she does. A smile tugs at my lips. She catches sight of me but looks away. 

Trying to play ignorant now? 

I get up and call out to her, "Bella!" with a bright smile on my face. This makes her stop on her tracks, but she doesn't walk up to me. Ugh. Why do I always have to do all the work?

I go up to her, keeping a smile on my face.

"How's it going with Noah?"

"Noah?" she asks. "I told you already, there's nothing."

"You two seem pretty close."

"Well we're not."

I give her an astounded expression, "Really?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't look that way to me."

Her grip on her backpack tightens and my eyes flicker back up to her, holding in a smirk at the clear display of her discomfort. "Look. Bianca, I'm not trying to steal Noah away from you or whatever. Whatever you think is going on — isn't. Noah is close with everybody, there's nothing there." I wonder, did it hurt for her to say that?

I blink at her, my smile growing. "Does he know?"

"... Know what?"

"That you're the one in the notebook. Mysterious H."

Her eyes go wide and she stagers backwards, her mouth quivering a bit. What a beautiful sight. If only I could frame it.

"How—how..."

"How do I know?" I finish for her. "You're too obvious Bella. Too messy. You left tracks everywhere, it was only a matter of time before I'd follow them." I pull out the notebook from my backpack, the pretty pink matching my white nails. How cute.

"Well, does he?"

"He doesn't." She rushes out. Aw, is poor Isabella scared?

"I told you not to go against me. You were supposed to be my friend, yet here you are, going behind my back. It hurts Bell. You really hurt me."

Her eyes shake, slowly being coated in tears yet the tears won't fall. Annoying. "I'm sorry Bianca! I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, I— I—"

"Save it."

I let out a deep sigh and look away. Now, what to do? Isabella's eyes remain on the ground, not having the guts to look me in the eye. I step in closer to her, raising her chin with the notebook. I pull the notebook away and pat her on the head with it, "So what should we do hm? You've gotten too close to him."

"I'll stop writing to him," she whispers.

"That won't be enough."

"Then I'll—"

"I'll keep the notebook," I say. "You're not getting it back. Ever. I'll expose this little secret of yours to everyone or better yet I'll only tell Noah. You'll look like a total freak."

She nods causing me to laugh. Her eyes filled with fear yet she still listens. 

Like a docile little dog. 

"Ha... Bell, if you stay away from him then I'll spare you. I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me. So just stop writing to him. Stop talking to him. Stop looking at him. Stay away from him. Okay?" I hit her head with the notebook again. "Don't cause problems for me to deal with. I'm just trying to protect you, making sure you won't get broken-hearted again."

She doesn't say anything back but the look in her eyes tells me that she understands.

Good.