Finding Belle (a Ricky Bowen fanfiction)🌹

Chapter Eleven

Isabella Johnson

How much more embarrassing could this moment get? I am crying in the girl's bathroom listening to my Disney playlist that Brandon made me as a gift after my dad's funeral. I currently had "You'll be in my Heart" from Tarzan playing loudly in my earbuds which made me cry more.

Why did Ricky have to call me Izzy? Only my dad called me that. I hardly ever cried about my dad now that I'm so busy with school and work, but today is the anniversary of his death, and Ricky calling me that name just triggered something.

I was already missing my second period class which was Honors STEM with Mr. Mazarra. I could care less about that class because I hated science, but I needed that good grade to get into college. I got up from the tile floor and wiped my tears away with some toilet paper before washing my hands and heading to class.

"Miss Johnson, you're late. I hope you have a good excuse. All the lab partners are taken, but E.J went to the bathroom, you can be his partner on the stem cell lab." Mr. Mazarra said at my puffy eyes that were still visible.

"Sorry there was a line for the girl's restroom. I promise you it won't happen again." I said as E.J walked in behind me.

"Please discuss the labcarefully and review the directions with your lab partner before beginning. You have 45 minutes to complete the lab. If you don't finish today, you can always find time during study hall to come in and work with your partner."

Ugh why did I have to take honors STEM. I hated this class anyway.

"Hey Isabella, right? You okay? You're eyes look a little red. Have you been crying?" E.J said sitting in the chair next to me.

"Not really, but I will be if we can finish this lab on time. I don't like this class." I said to him. Wow. He has such mesmerizing olive colored eyes.

"Same. Mazarra gives me the creeps. I'm here if you need a friend to talk to, but let's start this lab so we can get it over with." E.J said as he looked into my sad eyes.

"Thanks, E.J I really could use a friend right now. You know, you're not as bad as people say you are." I said putting my safety googles on.

"Oh yeah what have people said about me? That I'm a science nerd." He said putting his googles on. Wow. I never noticed how his olive colored eyes twinkled in the light.

"Nothing too bad. Do you want to go over the instructions first?"

"Yeah. Do you want to join me at lunch later? Well it will be me, a few of my theater friends and my girlfriend Gina but I promise you they are nice." E.J said picking up a set of directions.

"I actually have plans with my friend Brandon. We usually eat together by the old oak tree. I guess I can ask him if he wants to sit with you guys though. After all, he's in the musical and you guys should meet at least before that boring table read." I said as I smiled a bit.

E.J Caswell is being nice to me. My day went from sad and depressing to happy and conversational in just one period.

"Yeah sure. The more the merrier. Didn't he get the part as Lumier?"

"Yeah. I'm going to go see him opening night, but musicals aren't really my thing. I guess you could say that  I'm obsessed with Disney though. I still have all the princess dolls from when I was little. Don't tell anyone." I whispered the last part to him.

Damn E.J is easy to talk to. He's so kind and listens. Sometimes Brandon talks about E.J too much and it gets old.

"Why don't you like musicals?" E.J asked putting down the instruction sheet on the table.

"Can we please start this lab?" I said ignoring his question.

"Yeah sure." He said going along with me.

After reading the directions together, we decided that it was best to take turns doing each step so that we would get full participation credit. The instructions said that we had to take turns dropping chemicals into each plant leaf by using syringes. E.J went first and then it was my turn. We did this about five more times until it was my turn again.

I used the syringe to measure out the correct amount of the chemical, as E.J gently held onto my hand with the syringe in it. Wow his hands are warm.

"What are you doing? It's my turn." E.J said a bit annoyed.

"No, it's my turn. We agreed that we would take turns equally." I said squirting the liquid into the plant on the table.

"Hey, I was supposed to do that." E.J said annoyed. I couldn't tell if he was kidding or not though.

"No. It was my turn; I correctly counted the amount of times we did the step from the directions."

"I know. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention." E.J said laughing and then winking at me.

"You're a meanie. I take back what I said earlier about people saying nice things about you." I said sticking my tongue at him.

"So, if I'm a meanie, do you still want to have lunch with my friends and I?" E.J said while pouting. Damn he's so cute and attractive. Why does he do this to girls? He gets their attention and then asks them to hang out with him.

"I'm sure Brandon and I would love to join you guys. No more jokes or funny business though. Let's finish this lab up before you distract me again." I said focusing on the directions again instead of him.