Disbelief
1319 Words
“You did what?”, Bella pushes the door open with her last remaining strength, if there’s any.
It’s exhaustion, it’s heartbreak, it’s everything painful to the heart that’s known to mankind.
Her hands are quivering, her lips trembling as tears slide down her flushed cheeks. Her sudden intrusion surprises the company of boys, Connor included.
Their seats scrape the floor as they hurl themselves up in shock. Bella couldn’t believe her ears. Bella shouldn’t be here. What’s she doing here? Judging from the sullen look on her face, it’s obvious that she’s heard it all.
Heard the worst, believed all the lies, thought she was in love, never accepted the signs that reveal his true nature.
It is all a lie? The gifts and the nice words of passion, all had an absurd meaning? But she’s to blame too. Whoever loves a man as suspicious as Connor who’s so full of himself?
“What the f**k are you doing here?!”, Connor questions, fumbling with his phone.
“So you never loved me? I was just a joke for your friends to laugh at?”, she mumbles, the streaming tears vastly overflowing.
Her chest heaves, breath stuck in her throat, unable to form any more words but her state already tells a story on its own. She swallows down the bile in her throat, gaze painfully washing over the boys.
It’s awkward but they’re not sorry. She’s nothing short of the girls they’ve done it to. She’s not special to harness any remorse from them.
And Connor, he’s silent but there’s a smug smile that sits on his face. He didn’t wish for the best part of the big reveal to happen so early.
He was having fun toying with her. He’s not done. And he’s sad that his fun is cut short. Too bad, he’s got a lot planned out. And maybe his friends could have their fill too.
Bella sobs. It’s uncontrollable, the tears. And it irks them, the noises she’s making. Connor slips a hand into his pockets and takes slow strides towards his prey. She’s so broken, so f*****g weak that he’d do it all over again.
Towering just a feet above her, Bella stumbles back and away from him when he reaches out to wipe away her tears. There’s no way a boy so cruel can ever touch her again.
Seeing her reaction, his hand hangs midair, a chuckle bubbling through his chest. He looks back at his friends who mirror his amusement.
Raising a brow, he tucks his hand back into his warm pocket.
“What are you so afraid of? I’ve seen everything that’s there to see. Your hairy little p***y is the main spotlight”, he teases, licking his lips to moisten them.
Bella’s face twists into disgust, stomach churning as those words leave his mouth. She barfed, overwhelmed by the pain of being trapped inside his torments.
He’s seen it all, touched it all, felt it all. Something she didn’t even give her consent to. If she can’t think at all, she’s pretty sure that that’s what they call r**e. And it’s punishable.
Unable to bear the burden of seeing the face of the man who’s child is growing inside of her, Bella stumbles out the door, her feet carrying her towards the one person who stayed, Emily.
Emily is leaning on the wall, picking at her nails, humming on a tune that’s only known to her when she hears the heavy thudding of shoes.
The echoes grow louder and soon, Bella comes into view. Seeing Emily, Bella falls into her arms, face buried into her shoulders and begins to ball her eyes out.
They’re already reddened and sore from before, she’s not sure that she can handle any more tears. But the pain in her chest is heavy enough to bring out more tears.
“There, there. Let it all out”, Emily pats her back gently as Bella bellows unceasingly in her arms.
On the cold, bare floor, a whooping thirty minutes, Bella continues to pour out the pain in her heart, wetting Emily’s dress.
The strands of her hair stuck to her forehead with the help of sweat, nose running, Bella wipes as much tears as she could using the back of her hand.
Eventually, she wills herself to calm down when her hiccups become a bit life threatening. However, she doesn’t seem to want to detach herself from her supportive friend.
Hates to be away from the warmth that her body exudes. Feels too safe and comfortable to let go. And Emily understands this more than anyone.
“Your mom keeps calling. Let me take you home, Bella”, she suggests, breath softly fanning her hair.
At the mention of her mother, she stiffens. How would she explain this? Her life? Her bad fate? She can only imagine the disappointment on her loving mother’s face. And that makes her feel even worse.
Bella nods, a subtle action that Emily would’ve missed if she hadn’t been leaning into her arms.
With Emily’s help, she lifts herself off the floor, her whole weight shifts to the poor girl. Emily would’ve had a fit if Bella wasn’t so broken and at her most vulnerable.
She would’ve told her to lift her feet off the ground and walk like a proper lady. But all that doesn’t matter at the moment.
By the time they make it to the first floor, the school is almost empty, abandoned as the last of the students begin to make their way to the gates.
And to avoid being forced to be under the scrutiny of their curious eyes, hearing them whisper amongst themselves and ask questions she wouldn’t have answers to, Bella had managed to pull herself together.
It’s not believable, the facade. It’s not fooling anyone. But it does some good. Keeps their mouths shut. There are a thousand and one circumstances that can give you eye bags.
“Want me to take you home?”, Emily asks, face scrunched up in concern.
Bella turns to her, shaking her head. That’ll only make her mother more suspicious about everything and that’s the last thing she wants.
So she waves Emily goodbye, after a final hug and slips into the back passenger seat of the Uber she had booked for.
The car ride lasts for a brief moment, quiet and pretty much the most uncomfortable as the driver keeps stealing glances at Bella.
But as he pulls up in front of her house, she breathes a sigh of relief, thankful that he wasn’t some creep that would stow away with her.
She slips out, hands a few notes to him and walks up to the front door, the sound of the zooming car fading into the back of her mind.
She pauses, hands hovering over the door knob, hesitant, scared. As the memories of her misfortune begin to flood back, her chest tightens and tears well up in her eyes.
Bella sniffles, biting down on her lips as she blinks back the tears. She hears the sound of cutlery clattering, footsteps going back and forth in the house.
“I don’t understand. It’s late. She should be here by now”, says her mother’s worried voice, followed by the sound of footsteps drawing nearer to the door.
Bella has no time to prepare when, in one swoop, Mrs Marylin swings the door open to a surprised and tearful Bella.
It’s safe to say that she’s just as shocked to see Bella standing there, frozen and teary eyed.
“Bella!”, she exclaims.
Bella’s eyes drift behind her, spotting two familiar figures seated at the dining table, bright smiles plastered on their lips. But Bella knows it’s all an act.
“Hey, cousin”, Kylie sings, giving Bella a small wave of her hand.
- Writer
