301 East 81st Street (Paisley's Bedroom) (Wednesday, April 7th) (Bella's Perspective)
"I swear, Paul Wesley is so hot." Paisley said with a smile.
"I'm more of an Ian fan, but he's cute too." Sapphire said while picking up her calculator. At the moment we were just hanging out and doing our math homework together. Once a week we like to just hang out and gossip at each other's house or the Starbucks near our homes. Today, we chose Paisley and Paxton's house just because.
"Hey guys, do you know which school you're going to pick?" Leah asked.
"I thought about it long and hard, I even talked to the boys about it," I started.
"Even though we don't have Kylie and Hilary, we all got into Avenues and it's a really good school. Why should we pass up an opportunity to go to one of the best schools in the city while almost all of us are together?" I asked. The girls nodded in agreement.
"I agree. I think we should all just go to Avenues."
"Wait!" I said excitedly.
"What is it? I've never seen you so happy."
"My friend Julie from Cancun! She goes to Dalton with Kayla!" Paisley's face lit up.
"What school did she get into?"
"I'm going to ask her right now."
Me: Julie I'm so sorry! What schools did you get into?!
Julie: Avenues, Trinity, and Dwight!
Me: EEEK, I GOT INTO AVENUES
"What did she get into?!"
"Avenues!" We all "danced it out" out of sheer happiness.
"We're going to Avenues!" Sapphire exclaimed. I can't believe that I get to go to high school with my greatest friends.
"Okay, we need to meet Julie, stat. I can't wait!"
"And we need our parents to sign our papers before the deadline! We don't want to lose our spots, do we?"
*************
Central Park (5:21 PM) (5th Avenue) (Noah's Perspective)
"Omg, these noodles slap!" Amelia shouted.
"Okay, you need to calm down." I said as she took another puff from her vape.
"Hey, you don't tell me what to do! Meanie!" She was high and I had a couple of whiffs myself, but I couldn't go home to two cops high. That just wouldn't end well. I was supposed to meet up with Bella afterward because we had to run an errand for Mom.
Bella: Hey, I'm coming to the park now. Is that okay?
Me: Maybe you should go to Starbucks and get yourself a drink
Bella: I'm broke Noah 🙄 but why do you want me to go to Starbucks? Are you and Morgan having a quickie? 😁✋
Me: no.
Bella: Sure, whatever. I'm using your Starbucks account to buy myself a drink.
"One of us is going to have to take Amelia home." Morgan said while putting on her rings.
"And it won't be me, I'm going to the gym. See you later, guys." Ace said while raising his arms in surrender.
"Bye." Morgan said with an attitude.
"Pussy!" I yelled at him. He laughed.
"At least I don't have to babysit Amelia. She's going to be like this for a couple of hours."
"Acey, don't go! That party is only getting started! You haven't painted your nails yet!"
"Yeah, I'm out! Bye!"
"He's always been a pussy."
"Always."
"Is Bella still coming?"
"She was, but then I told her to go to Starbucks and buy herself a drink. The lines are long in there right now."
"That gives us some time to take Amelia to her apartment building and then meet up with her."
"Are we going on a rocket ship?!" She asked.
"Yes, we're going on a rocket ship."
"Woah! Awesome! Hey Morgan, did you know that Dave likes you?! That's why he's always trying to talk to you! But, I wasn't supposed to tell you that!"
"What? Dave?"
"Yeah! He told me!" It looks like she's spilling everything because she's high. This isn't good.
"Noah, are you mad?"
"No, I barely talk to the guy. But we need to get her home before says something too risky."
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The 16th Precinct (Midtown) (5:37 PM) (Olivia's Perspective)
"We aren't able to place Harrison anywhere between 1-2 AM."
"So that throws his alibi out of the window." Kat said.
"Imagine going through all of the trouble to lie."
"Right... Amanda, Kat, go pick up Harrison."
"On it Captain." I smiled and went to go get coffee.
"Liv?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry that I had to cancel our lunch, but Phoebe and I will definitely be there Saturday."
"It's okay Fin, our lives are so busy! The kids will be so excited to meet Phoebe. And I think Bella would be so happy to have you there." Saturday was Bella's adoption day. On April 10th, 2016 Bella's adoption was finalized and she was legally my daughter. Ever since we've always celebrated the day as her "2nd birthday with a few different quirks" as she describes it. We do the same for Noah and Lei, whose adoption days are in May and June respectively.
"Alright, just give me the time so I can work some things out."
"I will. And bring a change of clothes. We're swimming! I need my annual photo of us all jumping into the pool fully clothed."
"Got it. I'm going to check the security cams." I smiled as he closed my office door. I opened up my computer.
"Something just isn't right. Where did Harrison go in that hour?" I thought to myself for a moment. Wait, one of the neighbors noted that they saw him heading in the direction of the pharmacy. What if he went to the pharmacy to pick up the drugs for his concoction that killed Paola? I rushed out of the precinct.
"Captain!"
"Don't worry about it, Fin!"
*************
Starbucks (East 68th Street) (Bella's Perspective)
I sipped my drink quietly as Morgan and Noah approached the Starbucks. I took a bite of my brownie and looked up.
"Did you seriously sit here and buy yourself a three-course meal?"
"Um, yeah. You had me in here for almost an hour. It's the least your money could do." Morgan laughed.
"You smell like weed." I pointed out.
"How do you what weed smells like?"
"Everyone smokes it, and clearly you do too since you smell like it. Is this what took so long?! Is that why you don't want Mom to know?!"
"No Bella, that's not it."
"Sure, whatever. I don't believe you but sure." I hugged Morgan and we all started to walk to the store.
"Morgan, are you coming over on Saturday?"
"I would, but I have a cheer competition. I'll be there in spirit." I smiled.
"That's okay!" I watched as my brother talked to his girlfriend. I feel happy for him. His face lights up when he's with her and I'm glad that he has something to be happy about. I took another bite of my brownie and continued to think to myself. I wish that I could have something like that too.
"Bellz, are you there? Did you have a flashback?" My brother asked protectively.
"I-I'm okay! Let's go get the stuff for Mom, she's probably going to ring our phones down soon."
"Sure... But you're right, let's go get the stuff for Mom before she gets super pissed at us." I giggled and my brother put his arm around my shoulder.
**************
245 East 45th Street (Brooklyn, New York)
(Denise's Perspective)
"Be honest with yourself, Tia. When's the last time we've seen Bella and Leia?" I asked my daughter as she closed her laptop.
"Mom, you have to give them their space. If you keep hounding them they're never going to want to get to know our side of the family."
"I don't care, they're my granddaughters and they should be communicating with me much more than they are."
"They have busy lives. Bella is in 8th grade, she has prom and high school to worry about, and Leia is a competitive dancer."
"And how do you know all of this information?"
"Because I let them talk to me naturally and I don't force any of our interactions. Plus, everyone's got their own lives." I didn't appreciate my daughter's calmness in regards to this situation. I have two granddaughters who don't even speak to me. Leia has come over once and has never come over again. Bella texts periodically but it's nothing big.
"Bella's so busy but has time to post bikini pictures and pose a million different ways for Instagram?" I asked.
"I've seen her Instagram and she posts normal photos that any other 13 year old would post. What are you insinuating?!"
"Olivia does not know how to raise two biracial girls. She shouldn't even be raising them."
"Mom, now you're going overboard."
"Overboard how?!"
"Just because Liv is white does not mean that she isn't capable of raising them. You can be mad about the predicament all you want but Olivia is a great Mom. She's gone out of her way to learn how to do their hair, she's taught them manners and kindness, and they are well fed and wonderfully educated. If you don't stop the hostility towards Liv you're never going to get to know them."
*********
Bella's Bedroom (6:30 PM) (Home) (Manhattan, NY) (Leia's Perspective)
"Stop it, Jake!" I heard Bella say with a smile. I walked into her bedroom and she looked over at me.
"What is it, Leia?"
"Lucy said that dinner is ready. You can eat it when you're ready!"
"Alright, cool."
"Hi, Jake!" I put my face into the camera and Bella rolled her eyes.
"Hey, Lei!"
"Hannah and Paisley are here too? And Ethan?!"
"Yes now-"
"Hi, guys!" Embarrassing Bella is loads of fun!
"Leia, why don't you go eat dinner?"
"I'm not hungry!"
"She can stay!" Paisley said while laughing.
"Yeah, be a nice older sister." Jake joked. Her face turned red.
"Do you like him?" I asked.
"Leia!" Everyone on the phone laughed.
"You like boys! That's icky!"
"You won't be saying that in a couple of years, trust me." Then, Bella put in her AirPods so I wouldn't hear what they were talking about.
"I'm so excited for prom. I can't wait to see how everyone looks! Mom and I are going dress shopping before we go on our trip." Bella is so boring for not letting me hear her conversation! I left her room and went all the way downstairs to the kitchen where Lucy was busy making a plate.
"Is Bella coming down?"
"She's on the phone."
"Oh." I started to eat my dinner and talk to Lucy.
"Lucy, Bella likes Jake."
"I know that. Why?"
"How come you know that and I don't? And why does Bella like him." I asked before drinking some lemonade.
"Bella told me that she liked him a while ago, and we talk about it sometimes. Leia, when you get to a certain age you'll begin to see people differently and like them differently. You'll understand when you're older."
"Everything is for when I'm older!" I don't like being a little kid sometimes because people don't tell me things. They always say that I'm too young to understand and it's so frustrating!
"Leia, drop the attitude."
"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Lucy."
"I accept." I can't wait until I'm a teenager.
"You know what though?"
"What?"
"When you're big like Noah you can't cuddle with me the way you like."
"I like cuddles." She kissed my forehead.
"Your time will come. I promise."