Ryan And Belle

Chapter Three: First-Day Troubles

As the lunch break bell rang, Belle let out a relieved sigh, quickly leaving the classroom. She searched for an empty table in the cafeteria, opened her lunchbox, and tried to enjoy a moment of peace after a challenging morning.

But barely two minutes had passed when a cheerful voice rang out.

"You're sitting alone? Mind if I join you?"

Without waiting for Belle to respond, Julie—her newly acquainted friend—had already pulled out a chair, placed her tray on the table.

"Of course!" Belle smiled, grateful to have someone to talk to.

Julie quickly noticed the uneasy expression on Belle's face.

"Something wrong? Was your first day rough?"

Belle sighed, putting down her chopsticks, trying to suppress the irritation lingering inside her.

"There's this annoying guy who's been bothering me all morning."

Julie raised an eyebrow, tilting her head in curiosity. "Who?"

Before Belle could reply, a familiar voice spoke up behind her.

"Badmouthing me behind my back, princess?"

Belle froze. She didn’t need to turn around—she already knew who was standing right behind her.

Julie raised an eyebrow, glancing between Belle and Ryan.

"Ryan? Who are you, and why do you keep pestering Belle?"

Ryan smirked, casually pulling out a chair and sitting directly across from Belle, completely ignoring the unfriendly glare she shot him.

"Pestering? I’m not pestering anyone. Just classmates looking out for each other."

Belle tightened her grip on her chopsticks, feeling completely exasperated.

"Looking out? More like bothering me nonstop!"

Ryan shrugged, his tone carrying an amused edge.

"I just wanted to see how you’d react."

Belle glared at him, realizing Ryan was intentionally provoking her.

Julie observed the two, then suddenly let out a chuckle.

"Seems like you two have known each other for a while."

"No! "I literally met this guy just yesterday!" Belle quickly refused, but Ryan only laughed.

"Already hating me this much after one day? You’re an interesting one."

Belle tried her best to stay calm, determined not to let Ryan win.

Julie rested her chin on her hand, watching Belle and Ryan, before flashing a mischievous grin.

"Alright! Lovebirds, eat up—it’s almost time for class!"

Belle nearly dropped her chopsticks, her face turning red at the absurd comment.

"WHAT?!"

Ryan chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You really do have a temper, princess."

Belle was more irritated than ever, but instead of arguing, she ignored Ryan, picked up her chopsticks, and continued eating.

Julie snickered, clearly enjoying the tension between them.

Yet, no one knew that… Ryan had his own reasons for approaching Belle.

And soon, things won’t stop here.

After lunch, Belle continued her afternoon classes. Despite trying to focus on her studies, her mind kept replaying the ridiculous scene in the cafeteria.

The sound of the dismissal bell suddenly snapped her back to reality.

"School ended fast today," she muttered, packing up her books.

As she stepped into the hallway, Julie waved at her.

"Hey Belle, can I ride home with you?"

Belle smiled, nodding. "Of course!"

And just like that, Belle and Julie sat together on the bus, heading home.

About 50 minutes later, the bus arrived at Julie’s neighborhood. She stood up, gathering her belongings, before turning back with a cheerful grin.

"Oh, this is my stop! See you tomorrow, bye!"

Belle waved back, returning her smile. "Bye! See you tomorrow!"

As the bus continued toward Montauk, Belle rested her head against the window, letting her thoughts wander.

Life here… turned out to be not as peaceful as she had imagined.