Not like Us

Chapter 30

After how many days of Bella’s phone being inactive. She heard a ping coming from it. She did not mind it at first because she needed to finish her drawing so her ideas would not wander off. That would possibly happen if she would entertain the distraction.

She did a lot of pen strokes when she decided that she was already finished. It was a drawing of a sirena. A beautiful creature with a human face and body with a fish tail. She made the theme of the drawing dark since those sirenas almost killed her by drowning her. She was thankful that Lamang saved her. She sighed and shook her head. She should forget about him. The man has a wife. If she knew in the first place, she would not associate herself with him. She could not believe that a playboy even exist in the other world.

In order to divert her attention to something else, she reached for her phone. There was a notification flashed on the screen. Marcus’ name was showing. It was a chat on one of her social media account.

‘Hi, Bella. I am sorry if I just got the courage to talk to you again after how many weeks. Would you mind if I explained myself?’ Marcus sent on the chat.

‘Do you really got something to explain?’ Bella answered.

Just for a few seconds, Marcus’ answered. ‘Yes, please hear me out. I will be waiting at the mall’s garden at 6. I will wait for you.’

Bella looked at the clock and it was already five in the afternoon. Should she go? Did he still really have things to explain? Bella could not think of any other reasons. They stood her up for how many weeks. What changed?

It took twenty minutes for Bella to get change. She decided to go. She wanted to hear what was he going to say.

As she went out of her room, her mother saw her. Bella thought that she would be home late today. Why is she early? She thought.  

“Are you going somewhere?” Bella’s mother asked.

Bella did not have any other choice but to answer.

“Yes.”

Her mother looked at her. “Where to? It is almost night time.”

Bella sighed. “I am going to meet with Marcus.”

Bella noticed that her mother’s face hardened.

“He was the reason why you were brought to the station.”

Bella just shook her head and proceeded to the main door to get out.

“Bella!” Her mother called. It was loud. There was a hint of warning to it.

Bella faced her. “I still have not thanked him,” she said.

Her mother’s eyebrows raised. “Thank him for having record in the station?” she said. She could not believe.

“That is not it,” she said in a low voice while avoiding her mother’s eyes.

Her mother heard it. “What is it then?” she asked.   

“He saved me,” Bella admitted.

Her mother’s face dropped. “Save you? From what?”

Bella sighed. “A friend introduced me to a man. He thought I was giving him signs so he took that as an opportunity to take advantage.”

Her mother stepped forward, to her, but she stepped back. “Took advantage?”

“I wanted to get away from him so I pretended someone was calling but the man grabbed me and forced me to seat on his lap and that was where he started touching my legs but I immediately stood up and slapped him. Marcus backed me up so I needed to thank him, okay?”

Her mother’s face darkened. She grabbed her bag and keys. “I am coming with you. Tell me who introduced you that that shitty man.”

“Mom!” Bella shouted.

Her mother looked at her but her face remained the same, dark.

“It is almost a month. It is already in the past and nothing harm was done to me,” she said in a pissed tone. She did not asked or listen to her when she needed to and now she would react like this?

Bella passed her mom. “I will be home before 9,” she said and started walking away from the house.

It took fifteen minutes for Bella to arrived at the mall. She immediately saw Marcus at the garden. She stepped on the escalator to go towards where Marcus was. He immediately saw her. He stood up as soon as he saw her and met her half-way.

“Bella,” he shyly said but then smiled.

“Thank you for saving me, last time,” Bella said but she did not smiled back.

He directed her to sit on the bench.

“I prefer walking around,” Bella said as she started walking back to the escalator. Marcus was following her. He walked fast to be in sync with her.

“I am sorry,” Marcus started.

“For stooding me up?”  

Marcus looked guilty.

“it is alright. I understand especially that I am the reason why you got into the fight,” Bella continued.

She stopped when she looked at the bookstore. The book store on where she and her sister found the book about mythical creatures.

She looked at Marcus. “What else do you want to say?” she asked and went her attention back to the book store.

He sighed. “I have been thinking,” he said and then paused.

Bella looked back at him again for his long pause. He looked at her in the eyes as soon as she looked at him.  

“I do not know why it is easy for me to ask other girls out but to you, it is just too difficult.”

Bella just looked at him. What is he planning to do? She thought to herself.

“I have been thinking about this for the past few weeks.” He took a deep breath and straightened himself. “Is it okay if I court you?” He bravely asked.

Bella just stared at him for a few seconds. He is not serious, right? She asked to herself. She laughed and then scoffed.

“Are you playing me, Marcus?”

“No, I am not. I have been trying to let you see how much I like you and care for you ever since we were in high school. But you did not saw it. I am very serious about courting you, Bella.” Marcus held her hands, kneeled, and looked down. They were already people looking at them.

Bella did not say anything. She sighed and they were already gaining the attention of the people in the mall. “Then what about Olive, Marcus?” She asked. She did not have any plan to accept him courting her but she wanted to ask those words. What would he do to his girlfriend if she accepts him.

“Yeah, what about me Marcus?”

Marcus looked up to see who was talking. Bella turned around to see her. It was Olive. She had her armed crossed. Her eyebrows were raising. She was waiting for an explanation.

“You looked like you have just seen a ghost,” Olive said as she noticed that Marcos was stoned on were he was.  

Olive laughed bitterly. “So both of you are seeing each other, eh?”

“it is not what you think, Olive,” Bella said but Marcus stood up and placed himself in between Bella and Olive.

“It is what you think, Olive.”

Bella looked at Marcus with disbelief. What is he saying? She thought to herself.

“We are over, Olive. In what part could you not understand? We are over,” he repeated.

Olive scoffed. “Yes, we are over!” She shouted. People were now encircling them. They were throwing judgemental look to them but especially to Bella. They were judging her as someone who took someone else’s boyfriend. Bella looked around. She saw some familiar faces. Someone from their university. The people were taking pictures and videos. She stepped back. She did not came here for this.

“Yes! We just broke up but Marcus and that was three days ago! How could you replace me that easily?! How could you replace me in a span of three days?!” Olive shouted. The people were now booing Bella and Marcus. They were all in Olive’s side without even knowing Bella’s side was.

Bella stepped back. She turned around and walked fast to escape the scene but the people blocked her way and some even pushed her the reason why she fell on the ground. The fell resulted to a thud. Everyone’s attention diverted into Bella who was on the ground.

“Face what you have entered, b***h. Do not run away from the scene. Face the girl that you betrayed.” One of the people in the mall said.

Bella’s face heated when she heard what they were saying. Her temper had already rose up and especially that her back hurts due to the fall.

“She deserved it right.” Bella heard from the crowed said. Her ears rang when she heard that.

“I did not do something wrong!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. The people got quiet after she shouted but they immediately went back on judging her after a few minutes.

“The nerve. She could not deny what is already presented right in front of our eyes.” One of the people from the crowd said.

Marcus ran towards her and tried to help her stood up but she shook his hands away from her. “Do not touch me!” Bella said.

“How could you drag me into this mess?!” she shouted in whisper.

But Marcus was insistent . He still tried to help Bella stand up. “I said do not touch me!”

“Do not touch her. That is what the girl said, bro.”

Marcus looked up to see who was talking. “Who are you?”

Bella looked at the man who squatted to be on her level. The man smile as their eyes met.

He looked at Marcus. “I am Lucas. Bella’s boyfriend. So please stop bothering her.”

They were whispers from the crowd since some students knew Lucas. Lucas assisted Bella to stand up which Bella did not reject.

“Is it true?” Marcus asked

Bella looked at Lucas. “Please take me away from here,” she requested. She was ashamed. He always she her in her downfall.

Lucas nodded. They started to walked. People were now giving them a way. They left Marcus and Olive who were still the center of attention.

“Thank you for getting me out of there,” Bella said as they arrived at the parking lot were Lucas’ motor was placed.

“No worries. I am sorry if you have to go through that.”

Bella sighed.

“Where do you live? I will get you home.”

“It is all right. I could just take a taxi,” Bella said as she tried to move herself. Her body still hurts from the fall.

Lucas shook his head and prepared his motor. “I could not let you go home alone. Someone from the mall who saw the scene might attack you.”

“I do not want to be a bother.”

Lucas looked at her. “You helped me from drowning. I owe you my life. So you are not a bother to me,” he said with a smile.

Bella got taken away by his smile. She did not noticed that she was already smiling back. She hugged him. “I just want to thank you again from saving me earlier.”

Lucas tapped her back and smiled. “It is my pleasure.”

They removed themselves from the hug and Lucas went back to face the front. “Come on, hop on,” he said. Bella mounted on his motor. He started the engine and immediately started driving.