🌟She's Special🌟

Halloween Terror

The Next Morning (Bella's Perspective)
Last night wasn't the best. Mom is still kinda on my case this morning.
"Bella, I have to leave. Do you wanna talk?"
"I'm okay."
"Bella. We were making a huge amount of progress. You were finally starting to open up more than usual, and I'm so proud of you. That was a problem for a very long time. But, now you're receding. I'm not going to let you go back there. We need to talk."  I finished up my chocolate chip pancakes and sighed.
"Mom, it's 7:15. I need to go to the train station."
"I could drive you." She insisted.
"I'm capable of taking the train. I'm not going alone. Thank you, but no thank you." I gave Leia a kiss and put on my shoes.
"If you insist sweetheart." I slid on my shoes and went outside. Preston? What is he doing here?
"Happy Halloween."
"Same to you." Kylie, Hannah, and Carson were behind him.
"Hey Bells!"
"Hey, guys!" We made our way to the train station. I was starting to feel better. Being around my friends make me feel so much better. They make me smile and laugh, they don't know exactly how much that means to me. I love how kind they are to me when I'm so difficult.
************
Ad Hoc (Jake's Perspective)
"Bella!" Bella put her phone down and looked at me.
"Hey." She said quietly.
"You fell asleep on me last night."
"Yeah. I was really tired." She said sadly.
"Are you okay? You seem kinda down."
"I'm okay. Just a bit tired."
"Are you sure?" She suddenly smiled.
"Positive. She offered me a pretzel.
"It's okay, enjoy it."
"I can't wait for later. I'm going to get home as fast as I can."
"I'm getting driven home. Wanna come?"
"Sure! I don't think my parents will mind." Bella seemed kind of quiet. I wasn't really sure why.
"Did anything happens in class today?"
"No." She answered.
"Are you sure you're fine?"
"Yeah." She left homeroom and went down the hall.
"What's up with her?" Ethan asked.
"I dunno."
"She's been kinda weird all morning. Like she didn't even laugh at my jokes. Bella always laughs at my jokes!" He said.
"Yeah, something's definitely wrong." I went down the hallway. Luckily, I know which direction she went. I followed quietly. She went to the bathroom.
"Mom?" I heard.
"Mom, I wanna go home. Can you or Dad pick me up? Please?"
"Because I forgot my medication and I really don't feel good Mom." Medication? Bella isn't sick.
"Bella, I can pick you up in an hour. Just sit tight babe."
"I'll try. Bye." She hung up.
"Jake? What are you doing here?"
"I was going to Ms.Conway's room."
"Her room is over there. I know you were listening."
"Look, I had to check up on you. Why did you lie and say you're fine when you're not?"
"Because."
"Because what?"
"You don't get it. I gotta go. Ad hoc is almost over." She walked away and went back into homeroom. I have to get to the bottom of this.
************
Trinity School (Olivia's Perspective)
"Did you gather all of your schoolwork?"
"Yeah." I held Bella's bag as she put her sweater on and wiped her face.
"What exactly happened?"
"I had an anxiety attack. I felt dizzy, nauseous, I was shaking and everything. Then I threw up my breakfast. I felt horrible. Like something bad was going to happen. I hate that feeling."
"This is why you need to take your medication. How did you forget?"
"I don't know, I just did."
"Bella, what has been weighing you down so heavily these past 12 hours?"
"I don't want to talk about it, it's personal."
"Not even to your therapist?"
"No. Ugh, I have a session today. I just wanna go trick or treating with my friends."
"You can only go trick or treating once you've done your session. I mean it."
"But even if I go I don't need to talk. I could just be silent."
"You're going, Bella." Why do boys always have to ruin my life? Actually no! Why did the men who raped and tortured me have to ruin my life? It isn't anyone's fault but theirs! Now, I have to pay the price. It isn't fair. A tear fell down my face and I cried silently.
"Honey, is there something I could do to help you before I drop you home?"
"Can I have food? I'm hungry, it's lunch time at school."
"What do you want to eat?"
"A turkey sandwich. That's what I would've had at lunch today with my friends. They don't even know that you picked me up. Well actually, Jake does." I said while crying.
"Okay, we can go buy one. You know, Jake might tell them."
"He will. He heard us talking on the phone. He's probably worried out of his mind. I have to text everyone and apologize."
"For what?"
"For being such a lousy friend."
"You are not a lousy friend. You are so good to your friends, you told the girls about your anxiety, right? Then, they'll understand. They always have and always will."
*************
Lunch (Hannah's Perspective)
"Where's Bella?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's weird for her to be this late."
"Maybe she's with Jake," Kylie suggested.
"No way. Jake is coming over here. Is she okay?" Jake came over and sat down.
"Jake, where's Bell?"
"She went home. I heard her on the phone with her Mom. She's sick or something like that. She was crying."
"What else did she say?"
"She forgot her medication." Her anxiety medication. Oh no!
"We need to go to her house after school and check on her. I told her she could talk to me about it."
"About what?" Ethan asked.
"Never mind. The point is, we have to help her feel better. I hope she still comes trick or treating.
Bella: Hey, I'm sorry I left. I got an anxiety attack in class. I'm still coming to trick or treating. Don't worry. Sorry again.
"She just texted me," I whispered.
"Me too. She's apologizing. She doesn't have to."
"Yo, what the hell is going on with Bella?! You girls all know and aren't telling us anything!" Axel said.
"It called respecting her privacy," Elle said.
"But something's clearly wrong with her, don't we deserve to know?!" Brayden said.
"Maybe it's best we let them handle it guys, they probably could deal with it better than we can," Paxton said. He's always been the most reasonable one out of all of them, to be honest.
"But-"
"Just leave it alone, Jake."
**************
Mount Sinai Adolescent Center (Olivia's Perspective)
"How was it?" I asked my 12-year-old as she walked towards me.
"It was good. I feel relaxed. We actually did some meditation along with everything. It helps." I smiled.
"I'm glad you're feeling a bit better."
"Thanks. Is that Starbucks?"
"Picked it up during your session. Enjoy."
"Thanks, Mom!" She sipped her strawberry acai lemonade and smiled.
"Bell, after I drop you home I'm going back to work until later. If you'd like to talk, you can just text me about it, or we can talk now."
"After trick or treating. And, where's El?"
"Working still, babe." I started to drive us both home and Bella appeared to be much better, but I knew it was still bugging her.
"You know, crying makes me tired."
"I do know. One time, when you were five you broke one of your dolls. It was your most favorite one. You cried and cried for hours. I realized it was a bit too quiet after a while and found you sleeping on the couch with your doll at 2 in the afternoon. You didn't wake back up until 6 in the morning."
"That's a long time."
"Mhm. It tired you out for sure."
"That was a cute little story." She got out of the car and crossed the street home.
"Bye, sweetie."
"Bye, Mom!" She went inside the house and Lucy came out with Leia to say hello.
"Hi, Mommy! Come home quick!"
"I will! I'll be back soon!"

To be continued