💫She's Different💫

Bella Starts Middle School

September 3rd, (First Day Of School)
"Bella, time for school babe." Mom said.
"I was already up." I made my bed and hopped into my bathroom shower. I had to be presentable, scholarly, poised. I put on my uniform quietly and did over my edges that got messed up over night. I didn't have to do my hair because it was in lemonade braids.
"Bella?"
"Hi Mom."
"You look beautiful sweetie."
"Thanks."
"Gotta make a good impression today. Be respectful and kind to everyone, and most importantly be yourself! Don't make anyone tell you that you have to be perfect. Nobody is, got it?"
"Yes Mom."
"Alright, come and eat breakfast and grab some water. Did you do lunch?"
"Yeah, I made myself a wrap. I heard the food there is good, just brought a little something in case I'm not full." I went downstairs and my little sister, Leia, was there eating some mini pancakes.
"Bella! It's the first day of school for just you and me."
"I know, are you excited for preschool?"
"Yes! I can't wait!" I dug into my French toast with eggs and sausages and snacked on some strawberries.
"Get your bag together, did you pack a sweater in case you get chilly? The A/C will probably be blasting today."
"Yes Mom."
"Hannah's Mom is going to be here in 20 minutes. We gotta take pictures."
"Who's in the carpool?"
"You and Kylie. Pais and Pax are riding with the Masons."
"Oh." I finished my plate and put it in the dishwasher.
"Come take some pictures guys." We stood in the gallery and did all of these poses it was so ridiculous. Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye.
"Bye sister!"
"Bye baby Lei!"
"Bella, come here."
"Bye Mom!"
"Be good, please. I love you, have a great day! Remember what we talked about."
"Alright!"
*************
Trinity School
So my friends and I just got our schedules. I was super nervous. What if I have mean teachers?
Bella Benson's Weekly Schedule
Monday: Homeroom, French, English, Latin, Advanced Math, History I, Lunch, Music, Physical Education
Tuesday: Homeroom, Latin, History I, Music, Advanced Math, Physical Education, Lunch, French, English
Wednesday: Community Meeting, English, Latin, French, History I, Music, Advanced Math, Lunch, (Early Dismissal)
Thursday: Homeroom, History I, Music, Advanced Math, French, Latin, Lunch, English, Physical Education
Friday: Homeroom, Music, History I, French, Latin, Physical Education, Lunch, Advanced Math, English, (Early Dismissal)
"Woah Bella, we share some of the same classes."
"Yeah, thank goodness. Hannah and I are in the same homeroom. What about you guys?"
"I'm with Paisley. Hey, on the bright side I'll see you soon. Catch you guys later."
"Bye!"
"Good Morning! And who are you two lovely ladies?"
"I'm Hannah,"
"I'm Bella."
"Excellent, make yourselves comfortable and choose a seat to your liking. Ms.Carlos by the way."
"Nice to meet you." Hannah and I chose seats next to each other and we talked about gymnastics and things like that. That's when he came. I just didn't get it at all. He walked to our little table and sat down quietly. He had this like, bad boy vibe. I liked it. He was just-
"Hey, What are you gals talking about?"
"Nothing." I said.
"What's your names?" He. Has. A. British. Accent. It's my favorite accent!
"I'm Bella, She's Hannah."
"Cool. I'm Brayden." Brayden. I've never felt this way about a boy before. But, he was cute. I'll admit it, not to my Mom or anything though. His eyes were like mine and he had blonde hair. Freckles. All of that. This all felt weird because I've never liked a boy before. And, I certainly didn't expect to like a boy on my first day of middle school.
"You guys seem cool. Wanna sit with us at lunch?" I looked at Hannah and then we both nodded.
*************
Advanced Math
Since it was Wednesday this was my last class before lunch. I was starving let me tell you. That, and I just couldn't stop thinking about Brayden. I share this class with Kylie and Pais. So we get to walk to the lunchroom together. We weren't really doing too much today, just some 5th grade review. Class was almost done and I was excited. I was going to sit next to Brayden at lunch! I was going to be cool. Right?
"Yo Bella!" I turned around and Brayden was telling my friends and I to sit by his table.
"He seems cool."
"Totally." We all sat and Axel looked at me, then at Brayden, then back at me. I wasn't sure why. Maybe he was just trying to figure him out. The rest of us though, liked him.
"Back in the UK, after school my friends and I would go and get Ice cream. Didn't make sense when it was rainy but it was for the fun of it."
"We should do that one day, that'd be so cool." Paisley said.
"What about next week?"
"That doesn't sound too bad!"
"Hey, are you guys joining any clubs?"
"There's so many clubs to choose from, I don't know what to do." Kylie said.
"What about joining the gymnastics club? That would make total sense, we all do it." Hannah suggested.
"I was thinking of joining the fortnite club. Sounds legit."
"Yeah that'd be cool. Right Ax?" Axel wasn't very happy but he nodded anyways. I bit into my wrap and kept speaking.
"What are you guys doing after school?"
"Going straight to music class." I said.
"And we have gym."
"Football."
"Dang, today would've been a great day to hang out. It's sweltering outside. Literally." His accent!
************
Bella's Room (Olivia's Perspective)
"Hey, how was school today?"
"It was fine. Ryan, you're slobbering me!" I laughed as our dog kept licking Bella.
"What did you guys do?"
"Well, we got our schedules and then we went to Homeroom and then we just went to our individual classes. I had to find them though. It was a bit difficult, for everyone."
"Well it was everyone else's first day too. Those sort of things could be really nerve racking." She nodded and I noticed Bella drifting off into space a bit. Like she was thinking of someone.
"Miss your old school babe?"
"Um, yeah. Yeah, that's all." She said while trying to get herself together.
"Any cute boys or anything?"
"I don't want to talk about it Mom." She laughed a bit and looked around the room.
"Why not?"
"Because that's weird. To sit over here and talk to you about it. You're my mother. And even if someone was cute I wasn't telling you." Now I could tell that something was going on, but I learned my lesson from assuming things...at least for now. She'd tell me, she'd have to eventually. We do live in the same house after all.
"Alright Missy. I hear you loud and clear."
"Woof!"
"Ryan!" I said while laughing.
"Anything else you'd like to tell me?"
"I like the school so far, everyone's nice and the music room is superb! Ugh the piano is so beautiful Mom! Wish we had a piano here."
"Was it a grand piano?"
"Yeah! I'm thinking of joining band."
"That sounds great, it's good to do some after school activities!"
"I already do though, hello gym and dance and music!"
"I mean school related!"
"Yeah yeah!" I gave her a kiss and she wiped her cheek.
"Mom, I'm too grown for that!"
"Absolutely not." We both laughed and I told her to get ready for bed.
"Teeth brushed?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, night sweet pea. Love you."
"Love you tons more Mom. Night."
"Night babe." I smiled and closed her door. My sweet pea.
**********
Starbucks (Amanda's Perspective)
"Hey!" I said to Bella.
"Long time no see! You haven't visited or anything?! It's like we don't exist anymore!"
"Sorry Aunty." I have her a hug and she laughed.
"How was school?"
"Same as always. I just had a math test today."
"How did you think you did on it?"
"Good. Math has always been my subject." I smiled and Bella drank some of her drink.
"Aunty?"
"Mhm?"
"Can I talk to you about something?"
"Do you wanna talk here or at my place?"
"Your place."
"Okay, Liv told you you're staying the night right?"
"Yep. Why do I have to stay the night again?"
"Your Mom and Elliot are going on a date."
"Those weirdos. Did you know that when Mom left he stayed with us?"
"He did? Thought Fin was watching you guys."
"Nope. He did, it was fun though. But, I wish you had watched us instead."
"I would've loved to watch you guys but my hands were full." Liv never told me that Elliot was watching the kids. Why would she leave them with him? Wouldn't it make more sense to leave them with Fin, someone they're more comfortable with?!
"Let's go pick up your sister, I just looked at the time." We walked to the dance studio. And Bella was quite happy, it's nice you know, to see her happy considering everything.
"Aunty Amanda!" Leia came over in her leotard and tights and gave me a hug.
"Aunty we gonna go play with Jesse?"
"Yeah, and you're going to sleep over."
"I like that, is BB coming?"
"Yes, Bella is coming."
"I love my sister."
"Aww. You're so sweet."
************
Amanda's Living Room (Bella's Perspective)
"Hey." I said after coming out of the bathroom from my shower.
"Hey, you said you wanted to talk?"
"Yeah, are the Littles in bed?"
"Yep. It's just you and me. What's up?"
"The other day, Mom and I had another talk."
"She told me."
"She did?"
"Well that's awfully embarrassing."
"How? It's a completely normal and beautiful process."
"It's blood exiting your body, how is that beautiful?"
"Well, it means you're healthy for starters. And not only that, without your period hun, without the reproductive cycle, humans probably wouldn't have been-"
"Earth is already overpopulated."
"Bella!" We both laughed and she held my hand.
"But, I don't want you to be embarrassed about this. It's normal, as if you don't want to talk to your Mom about it, I'll always be here. If you have questions about anything, I'm here. Liv too."
"Okay."
"I love you, and I don't want you to be confused. Hear me?"
"Totally."
"Aunty Amanda?"
"Yes Lei?"
"I had a nightmare."
"Oh no!"
"It was scary and I want my Livia." My sister cried and I tried to make her feel better.
"I want Livia." She whined.
"Poor baby."
*************
Bella's Room (Olivia's Perspective)
"Come down for dinner love."
"No thanks."
"Why?"
"Just because."
"Hmm, Okay." I don't fight with my 10 year old on dinner, you may say that's weird but I have my reasons. She's only doing this to see how far she can go before I yell. Testing me essentially. I wasn't going to get worked up over that. Not at all. I went back downstairs and Lei was eager to eat.
"I'm hungry." I put veggies and beef on her plate with some white rice.
"I like it. Can I have more broccoli please?"
"Yes you may." She smiled and finished her plate! A challenge for her as she tends to get disinterested halfway through.
"Good job Leia! You finished your plate!"
"I can have dessert?"
"Yes, when we all finish eating our meal."
"That'll take forever!" Bella came downstairs and went into the fridge.
"Mom mad beef Bella."
"I don't care." She grabbed something and then went upstairs quickly. What do you do when your child is being straight up...weird?!