𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬 | ᵍⁱˡᵇᵉʳᵗ ᵇˡʸᵗʰᵉ

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𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳's beginning of the second year at school after her return. The girl was light-footed as she awoke, on went the two articles of clothing she collected from Josie and Gilbert. She wore her pinafore which she had starched the day before. She knew she was all different hues, that pale yellow dress, Josie's purple ribbon and Gilbert's grey scarf. Her black wavy hair certainly had became longer, it was threatening to touch her middle back.

She bid her mother (who was still in the same conditions) goodbye. Bella had sang half her way to school. She didn't know what had come across her, singing was quite the nuisance in her opinion, but today was an exception.

"Hii Bellis!" and "Good morning, Bella!" had greeted her, she could tell which sentence was Diana's and which was Anne's. The autumn air was truly refreshing, the girls followed the trails of Anne's tales, soon coming across an arch made of branches intertwined. 

"A skeletons hand," Anne remarked, her crystal-coloured eyes darted around the area. Diana's eyes widened but Bella's had not. She knew and experienced what was real and what wasn't, although she didn't say anything to humour the two. 

"She... she wants us!" to which Diana asked, "Who's she?" Anne spun a story just like an elderly woman spun with a loom. "She lives in the haunted forest-" Bella assumed she was talking about their current location, "-and feeds on the lives of the innocent!" Certainly that Ned would be safe, she laughed to herself, earning a confused look from the Barry girl. 

"Anne, that's horrible!" Diana said, with a smile. 

"Why is she clutching at us now? Does she mean to do us harm?" the girl ignored her bosom friend, continuing. "Ghosts on the wind bare a warning: beware!" Bella joined in the imagination. "They're coming for us, we must go!" with that, the three girls ran away, giggling and stumbling over barely visible stones. 

Arriving at school, they set their milks in the pond. Bella remembered to thank God for being able to afford it, the girl may have been alone, still she was faring well in life. "I love you, God!" she whispered, placing her bottle beside a half submerged rock. 

"Is that not Cole Mackenzie?" the Barry girl questioned, Anne held the brim of her hat as she stared at the boy. Bella shook her head, why was she looking for so long? She tried to feel embarrassed, she could only manage a quiet laugh. "He looks positively mature," Anne mused, the ginger head was bent over a small book. One with empty pages, a sketchbook, Bella figured out. 

"He does," Bella turned away, he only reminded her of Gilbert,  sad and ha-, Bella thought of not finishing the sentence, she was not a Ruby, she was just saying what she saw. As plain as it could be. "Not at all as he did before the harvest," Bella heard Diana saying in the background. She snapped out of her sea of thoughts, she would not let herself drown. 

"Bella?" Diana offered for her to come along with her and Anne. She simply declined, she wondered if she was able to find a likewise spirit in Cole. He could be a replacement for Gilbert. She sat slowly beside him, she was not yet noticed.  "Good morning," she greeted. "I'm Bella Carter, I suppose you might know. I'm known as Bellis to few." 

Cole gave her a shy smile, "I know." She wasn't aware what he meant by that, she decided to ask for something else. "May I see your drawing?" Cole was alarmed, he hid it well, Bella noted. "Sure... I guess?" she gave him a grin, proceeding to peep over his shoulder. Her breath was understandably stolen, it was a tree... a magnificent tree, with pretty roots and all. "My Lord. You're so good at art, I'm not really good at anything school-related." She told him, honestly.