Him not you, book one.

Chapter 17

The party had everyone sleeping in the next day. Bella and Kit were both sleeping, Bella in her bed, Kit on a mattress on the floor. Bella opened her eyes and looked over at Kit. She looked up at the clock and it showed 7:30.

"Kit. Hey Kit. Kit." She whispered. They hadn't been drinking last night so they weren't hung over or anything.

Kit rolled over to face Bella. The soft sound of her voice waking her was a fresh change from her dads stomping.

"Sorry." Kit said. It had become her immediate response to basically anything. it didn't even have any meaning anymore, it was just an empty word that she had learnt to use to get people to leave her alone.

"It's time to get up. We have school soon. Come on, my mum will make us breakfast."

Kit smiled realising where she was, it was the first time she felt comfortable waking up.

----

Bella and Kit were dressed, they made their way down to the kitchen. Mara, a middle aged black woman, Bella's mum, was making pancakes.

"Hey mum." Bella said with a smile.

"Morning girls I have made some pancakes, but if you want something different I can make it."

"Um, I'll be back home in a few days. So don't worry."

The girls sat down at the breakfast bar, Mara served them both a plate of pancakes.

"Kit please, stay as long as you want. It's been so quiet in the house ever since Bella's sister went to college."

Kit smiled as she poured syrup on her pancakes. She had never seen a family so happy and content. She just saw the life she had been dreaming of, she didn't know it existed outside of tv.

Ban, a middle aged black man wearing a suit, and Bella's dad, walked in and kissed Mara on the cheek.

"Morning darling" He said as he grabbed a pancake and started eating it straight from his hand. "Hey we gotta go soon if you want a ride to school."

"Yeah, thanks dad." Bella said, her mouth full.

"I'll be in the car." He says before leaving the kitchen.

"Okay come on Kit. Let's go."

Kit and Bella popped up out of their seats. They find their bags, Mara then hands them both some money.

"For lunch." She said, grabbing Kit's hand as she smiled. "Make sure you get some fruit."

"Thanks mum."

"Thank you." Kit said. Her smile spread wider. The happiness she felt was unmatched. She never wanted to leave.

As Mara let go of her hand she suddenly stopped her thoughts. What was she doing? Imagining this being her life. It wasn't going to last. She had believed in things before but they never turned out, why would this be any different?

----

Charlotte and Vanessa walked through the courtyard. Their eyes were dark, they had stayed up way past the end of the party to clean before Vanessa's parents came back. Charlotte attempted to link arms with Vanessa, she just wanted to rest some of her tired body on Vanessa's shoulder. Vanessa resists, the guilt of her newly found information eating her up.

"You okay?" Charlotte questioned. It was unlike Vanessa to refuse to be close to Charlotte. They had always been the kind of friends where people often assumed they were lesbians.

"Yeah." Vanessa said, her mind was elsewhere.

"You've been acting weird since the party last night. Did something happen with Nate? I saw you guys talking"