CHAPTER 3
1571 Words
“Bella, we’re gonna be late”. Charlotte yelled from the living room and Isabella came running out of her room.
“I’m sorry, okay? Let’s go”. She said and grabbed her purse and phone.
They went out and locked the door.
“Where’s Liz?”. Isabella asked.
“She went down first to see Lucas”. Charlotte said as they got into the elevator.
“Did they fight again?”. Isabella asked and Charlotte raised her eyebrows.
“Is there a time they don’t fight”. She asked and Isabella chuckled.
They went down to the lobby and saw Elizabeth and her boyfriend, Lucas, arguing.
“You were the one who got drunk and passed out on the streets. Why are you blaming me for not calling you?”. Elizabeth yelled.
“Because if you had called me, you’d have known I was drunk and come to get me, then I wouldn’t have had to spend the night at the police station. Do you know how embarrassed I was when I woke up this morning and found myself laying in the police station? All eyes were f*cking on me and I left there in shame after getting my things”. Lucas yelled back.
“So how’s that any of my f*cking fault?”. Elizabeth yelled back.
“Because you were supposed to call me Liz. I told you to call me before you go to bed but you didn’t. If you did, a cop would have told you to come get me”. Lucas yelled back.
“Am I supposed to be your girlfriend or your mom?”.
“Should we stop them? People are staring”. Isabella asked Charlotte, who sighed and nodded.
“Hey Liz”. She called. “Lets go, we’re gonna be late for class”.
“I’m not done talking”. Lucas stated.
“Well, she’s done talking and we’re going”. Charlotte said and grabbed Elizabeth’s arm. “Have some shame will you?”. She said before they left.
Elizabeth sighed angrily as they got out of the building .
“Why don’t you guys just break up already. It’s getting crazy”. Isabella suggested.
“I want to, trust me. I really want to, but every time he does something wrong, he apologizes and I end up forgiving him and we go back to square one”. Elizabeth said as they got into a cab.
“NYU”. Isabella said to the cabdriver.
“Then this time, don’t go back. Forgive him and end it there”. Charlotte stated.
“It’s not that easy, Charl, but I’ll think about it”. Elizabeth said and Charlotte replied.
“What’s so hard about saying ‘alright I’ve forgiven you but I can’t continue this relationship anymore. We’re done’. It’s that easy”. Charlotte said.
“Easy for you. It’s easier said than done”. Elizabeth stated.
“Should I tell him for you then”. Charlotte offered and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at her.
“Really? What kind of lame ass break up is that? He'd go around telling his friends that I didn’t have the balls to break up with him, so I sent my friend”. She said.
“True”. Charlotte laughed. Elizabeth just sighed.
“Ah right”. She suddenly started again and turned to Isabella. “What’s up with you and Dylan?”
“Is something supposed to be up with them?”. Charlotte asked and Elizabeth nodded, grinning excitedly.
“Dylan asked for Bella’s number so I gave it to him and, apparently, they’ve been texting”. She said and turned to Isabella. “So? What’s up?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing is up. We’re just texting, that’s all”. Isabella replied.
“Knowing Dylan, he should have confessed his feelings for you by now, but if he hasn’t, expect it today or sometime this week”. Elizabeth stated and Isabella rolled her eyes.
“He doesn’t have feelings for me. How could he possibly have feelings for someone he’s never met before”. She said.
“If he didn’t, he wouldn’t ask for your number, Bell. That’s how men behave, but you wouldn’t know this because you’re always hooked up on your BTS and k-dramas”. Charlotte said.
They had gotten to school by this time, so they got down and paid the cab man. They walked the rest of their journey to class.
“At least they make me happy and I don’t fight with them every day like Liz and Lucas”. Isabella said and Charlotte burst out laughing.
“Ouch”. Elizabeth complained and Isabella chuckled.
“Hey hey hey girls”. Matthew, one of the girls’ friends, greeted them as they got to class.
“Hey hey hey Matthew”. Elizabeth replied.
“Hey Matt”. Isabella said.
“Hey Liz, I saw Lucas coming out of the police station when I was coming to school this morning? Did he do something?”. A guy asked
“Passed out drunk on the streets”. Elizabeth replied and the people listening burst out laughing.
“Where were you?”. Matthew asked, laughing.
“Sleeping, of course. I’m not his mom”. Elizabeth said.
Isabella’s phone rang and she left the noisy lecture hall to answer it. She saw it was her mom calling.
“Hey mom”. She said
“Hi baby. How are you?”. Julia, her mom asked.
“I’m fine mom. Just waiting for the lecturer to get to class”. Isabella replied. “How’s dad?”
“I suppose he’s doing alright”. Julia replied.
“You suppose?”. Isabella asked.
“Well, I don’t know how he’s doing or where he is. He left the house this morning without telling me where he was going”. Julia replied and Isabella sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Did you guys fight again?”. She asked her mum.
“Well, he started it. All I did was tell him the money for the house was finished and I needed more to buy some groceries in the house and he got angry”. Julia said. “He complained about how I always put pressure on him, even when I know he doesn’t make as much money as he used to before, blah blah blah. All I requested was more money to buy some groceries and he stopped talking to me after the fight last night”.
“He probably went to Uncle Mike’s house. He’ll come back”. Isabella said. “How about Philip and Laura?”.
“They’re fine. They went to school”. Julia replied.
“Aren’t you also supposed to be teaching right now?”. Isabella asked and Julia sighed.
“I just wanted to hear your voice. I’ll get back to work now. Call your father later, okay?”. She said, and Isabella nodded.
“Yeah I will. Love you, bye”. She said
“Love you too baby”. And she ended the call. Isabella sighed and returned to class.
Her parents have always had problems in their marriage. They’re either fighting because of money or because they both can’t agree on one thing.
Her mom is the first child of her parents who had six children and her dad is the last child of his parents who had two children. Isabella believes that because her mom is usually authoritative, since that was the responsibility she was brought up with as the first child, and as the last child, her dad feels entitled to everything and always feels the need to get everything he wants, they both never agree because they are direct opposites of each other.
Whenever her dad wants to do something, if her mom doesn’t see the need or importance of doing that thing, she strongly goes against it, while her dad, who always wants to get what he wants, starts to fight back. Or if her mom wants something that her dad doesn’t want, her mom remains adamant about getting it and it leads to another fight.
Isabella, her older sister who’s married already, and her two younger siblings have lived their lives settling things between their parents, who refused to go see a marriage counselor, and her biggest fear is her parents getting divorced, but day after day, it feels like they are getting closer to signing the divorce papers.
After the day’s lectures, Isabella went to the cafe where she worked part-time while Elizabeth and Charlotte went home.
“Hey Bells”. Jonathan, one of the part-timers, greeted Isabella and handed her apron to her.
“Thanks. Summer’s not here yet?”. She asked Jonathan, who shook his head.
“Nope”. He replied.
She just sighed and went to change into her pink work shirt and brown apron. She came back out after and went to work, thinking about her parents.
After attending to a customer, another person came up to the counter and when she looked up, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Dylan?”
- Writer
