Bella Fashionella

31 ☆ Committee

Bella,

I don't want to do this, but it's the easiest way. It's the only way I'll forget what you did and forgive you for lying to me and hurting me. I know I'm not exactly the most transparent or outspoken person, but, honestly, we've known each other since kindergarten and I expected you to give me reasons to trust you enough to tell you my secret.

We only ever shared secrets about our silly crushes on older guys. The one thing I told you as my best friend, you went ahead and told Stephanie, making her use it against me at the sleepover. You let go of me, Bella, and that's when it hurt the most.

The next day, Bella walked into Wyland High, then to her locker, immediately she got out of the car. She didn't bother talking to Cody, since he was still giving her the cold shoulder.

After putting in her combination and opening the locker, she saw an ice cream tub on top of her books. It was placed on a black bandana folded in four, probably put there to protect her books.

She wondered how Beau knew her combination, thinking he was crazy in the good way, as she gently peeled off the slightly soggy note taped to the lid of the tub.

I'm sorry :(
P.S. The bandana's yours too.

She let out a laugh, shaking her head at him even though he wasn't there to see her. She wasn't mad at him, but she appreciated the gesture. It showed that he thought about his actions.

In homeroom, an announcement was made, telling all students to be in the auditorium for a brief assembly immediately the bell rang. After listening to the extremely precise announcement, she pulled a notebook and pen from her backpack and worked on something to slip into Beau's locker on her way to the auditorium.

This time, she wanted it to be better—more open, more I'm-not-holding-anything-back—so she just thought about him, then tried to imagine what would make him happy.

Dear Handsome (I translated your name. Yes, my French isn't that bad), I forgive you. Thanks for the ice cream and bandana. Maybe I'll wear it to your next gig (when I come up with a more efficient way of sneaking out, of course. Just joking!). Now confess. You hit him, didn't you?

Everyone was murmuring in the auditorium, obviously excited about what the principal had to say, and maybe the fact that they weren't in class, too.

Bella spotted Viola sitting beside Jake a few seats towards the podium, her head on his shoulder.

She let out a sigh, then walked to a row of empty seats, ignoring the snickering girls behind her. When she got through this, she'd give them candy apples, or cotton candy, or bottles of honey, or, even better, big bowls of sugar, then say, "I got through this."

She sat there for a while, staring at her fingers and waiting for the auditorium to fill up. A piece of paper landed in her lap as she got drawn into her thoughts, making her jump.