🌟She's Special🌟

Boys And Birthdays

January 4th
"Stop that!" I said while hitting Brayden playfully.
"Why is your face all red?"
"Because you're making me laugh Brayden! Your face is probably even redder!" Brayden and I were having a conversation about ourselves, it sounds really vain but it's not in the way that you think. We were kind of like poking fun at each other.
Mom: Bella, why aren't you on the train home yet?
Mom: Don't ignore me, young lady.
"Give me a second BB!"
Me: I'm getting a drink at Starbucks and doing my homework Mom.
Mom: With what permission?!
I put my phone away and Brayden looked at me.
"Having a cop as a Mom is tough, isn't it?"
"It is. And, I think I have to go now!" I said with a laugh.
"Okay, tomorrow?" I zipped up my jacket and moved a strand of hair from my face.
"Tomorrow."
**************
Back Home
"Hey, Lucy!"
"You're late, where were you?"
"Starbucks. I was doing some homework." I took off my shoes and put them in the shoe closet.
"Did you tell Liv?"
"No."
"Why didn't you?"
"I just didn't." I was getting ready to go upstairs and shower when Lucy grabbed my hand.
"Bella, are you hiding something from me?"
"What makes you ask that?"
"You walking away in the middle of our conversation. You don't do that normally. Did something happen?"
"No, nothing happened." I went upstairs and changed out of my uniform. I was hoping that Mom wouldn't come home early tonight. I already had to face Lucy at dinner again really soon. Lucy is probably gonna tell Mom that I lied to her. I hopped into the shower and tried to make it as quick as possible so I could go onto my laptop and watch some YouTube videos until I had to meet my inevitable fate. When I said I was doing homework at Starbucks, I actually wasn't lying. I just happened to be with someone else.
Penelope: How did it go with Bray?
Jake: Hey Bella!
I didn't know which text to answer first, but maybe I should answer P. I have to tell her what's up.
Me: It went really well, but then Mom checked her tracker and I had to go home.
Penelope: Did she figure out that you were with him?!
Me: No, she didn't. But she was super mad. I don't know if she's coming home early today.
Penelope: Yikes. Are we gonna tell the gc?
Me: Tell them. Lucy is calling me for dinner.
I went downstairs and Leia was coming in with Mom. Ugh! No!
"Hi, sister!"
"Heyyy."
"You're so pretty! I made you a necklace, you have to put it on after dinner!"
"Sounds cool!" And so I attempted to go to the dining room and I could hear Mom breathing quietly behind me.
"Bella,"
"Yes?"
"My room after dinner."
"Okay."
"Where's Noah, Bella?"
"In his room. Go and get him."
"Noah!" Leia giggled and Mom smiled at her. I knew she was super mad at me though. And now I had to sit through dinner with her. Yay to me. I set up the dining table as usual and took the food out of the dumb waiter.
"Bell?"
"Yeah Noah?"
"Mom's mad."
"I know."
"Why's she so mad?"
"Because of me."
"What did you do?" He said as I sat down next to him at the dinner table.
"Stuff."
"I'd be surprised if you got a phone call home or something, you don't get in that sort of trouble."
"I didn't."
"Then what? Tell me?"
"Noah.." Mom, Lucy, and Leia came upstairs and we started to eat. I realized that Noah's birthday was in a week. I already knew what to get him it was just a matter of buying it and wrapping it.
"So how was everyone's day?"
"Mine was good! I helped my friend build this really big tower, but then we had to clean it up. I which I could make it as tall as the Empire State Building!" Lucy and Mom laughed as I continued to eat.
"How was your day Bella?"
"It was okay." Mom raised her eyebrows, and I knew Lucy said something.
"That's it?"
"Yeah." I chewed on the beef silently and Leia started to talk again along with Noah. Mom kept glaring at me from across the table.
**********
My Bedroom (Olivia's Perspective)
I was quite ticked by Bella's behavior today I'm not going to lie. I can't believe she didn't go straight home after school knowing full well it gets dark earlier at this time of year and the fact that it makes me worry about her and Noah so much.
"Bella, what's up?"
"Nothing is up." She said quietly.
"So then why didn't you go home after school?"
"I was doing my homework at Starbucks."
"Bella, you know the rules at this time of year. It's getting dark earlier and I want you home. You can't be doing that, especially without my permission."
"Okay."
"That's not the end of this conversation Bella." She stared at me quietly and then I spoke again.
"Who were you at Starbucks with?"
"Nobody."
"Nobody?"
"Nobody."
"It states you were there for an hour and a half."
"I was doing my homework and stuff."
"Bella, look at me. I'm really disappointed in the fact that you didn't at least pick up the phone and tell me that. This is your warning. Don't scare me like that ever again."
"Okay."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong."
"Bella. Why were you at Starbucks?"
"To do my homework."
"You weren't there with Brayden?"
"No, I wasn't."
"Bella, don't lie to me." She got up and left my room, slamming the door behind her and going down the stairs angrily. That was something, so something definitely happened over there that I'm unaware of, and I was going to find out what this was. She wasn't off the hook and I definitely was going to go downstairs and ground her for that stunt she just pulled.
***************
After-School (Bella's Perspective)
"We should go and get ice cream."
"Doesn't sound too bad."
"Bella do you wanna come?!" Kylie and Penelope asked.
"I want to, but I don't want mom to get mad at me."
"Then just ask her."
"She's gonna say no."
"We won't be there long, we can just get ice cream and we can take the train home right after. What's wrong, did you get in trouble?"
"I didn't tell you this but yesterday-"
"Bella! Let's go!" This is so freaking embarrassing! What the hell? Why are Fin and Amanda here?
"Bye, Bell."
"Bye, guys." I went into the car and buried my head into my backpack.
"Hello to you too."
"You guys are embarrassing me, can we just go now?"
"How are we embarrassing you?"
"By being here, right now."
"Liv told us to pick you up and take you to the precinct."
"She didn't tell us why. You mind telling us why?"
"You guys are just gonna get mad at me."
"Maybe we will, but we won't stay mad."
"Mom certainly did."
"Bella, you can tell us."
"It's because I didn't go straight home yesterday."
"Where did you go?"
"To Starbucks. I stayed there for a good hour."
"Doing what? Homework?" I shrugged and looked down at my bookbag.
"In all honesty, I knew that you were there. But, what were you doing there?"
"I wasn't really doing anything. I don't see the point of this conversation."
"Bella, you could either tell us or Liv."
"If you tell us, we could explain it to Liv for you."
"Aunty, Uncle, I really just don't want to do this." I hopped out of the car and we started to head into the building.
"Alright, I won't pressure you into it, darling."
"There you guys are. Fin, I need you to go to Anne's house and check up on her. Amanda, check the security cams. And Bella, my office please." I hate this whole cop thing. Like they get super interrogative, Elliot too. Especially if I get home a minute late! But, Elliot's with Maureen right now. I think he knows about this though. That's my mom's fiancé for crying out loud.
"Bella, sit down." I sat down at the chair directly in front of her desk and we kind of stared at each other for a moment. It was pretty awkward.
"Bella, I'd love to know about the whole Starbucks bonanza because I've looked at the tracker again and I realized this isn't the first time you've done that without my permission. You've actually done this twice before."
"Only on the half-days."
"That doesn't matter, you still didn't ask for permission Bella. I'm very disappointed in you, I thought I could trust you to take the train home, and I wouldn't have to worry about you being picked up from school."
"You can."
"I know I can, but you make me doubt that when you go and do things without my permission, then you get secretive about why you were there. Bella, I'd let you hang out after school, and I have done that multiple times. Because you asked. And because it wasn't daylight savings. But at this time of year, I want you straight home, or straight at dance. It's for your safety. Not because I'm trying to be mean."
"Okay."
"I think the punishment I gave you was fair, was it not?"
"It was fair." I shrugged and then Mom tilted her head.
"Why are you shrugging?"
"Because I don't really care about it. It's not the end of the world." Mom looked a bit shocked, I didn't really care though. I just wanted to go to dance.
************
Noah's Birthday (Olivia's Perspective)
"Happy birthday dear Noah, happy birthday to you!" He blew out the candles and then started to cut the cake. 14, I couldn't believe it. Noah was catching up to me in terms of height and I wasn't having it. 5'6 and 14. And it was predicted he'd reach about 6'0. I can't even deal with Bella being 4 inches shorter than me.
Gosh, I'm getting old, and so are these kids.
"Mom, the funniest thing happened the other day."
"What?"
"Morgan and I were just walking down the hallway and this dude literally ran into a bulletin board."
"Imagine it fell, he could've become the next Flat Stanley." My eldest kids snickered and we all continued to bond over some slices of cake. I may not have had a party this year, but I was definitely enjoying personal time with the kids and El. With our wedding date quickly approaching, I wanted to make sure that there was a balance. Last-minute wedding plans, being a Captain, being a basketball Mom, dance Mom, and soccer Mom. It's a struggle.
"Noah, open this." Bella handed him the gift and he opened it swiftly.
"I knew you'd pull it off sis. Thanks."
"What did she get you?"
"Splatoon."
"What?"
"I'll show you after we eat this cake. We could all play together."
"Super Mario?"
"Yes, Leia. We can play that!" Before I knew it the kids had run off to the basement to play together. I've done something right.