505 East 74th Street (12:10 PM) (Our Family Room) (Olivia's Perspective)
"Mommy please, please, please can we go get ice cream when Ella comes over? I cleaned my room and did my other responsibilities." Leia said.
"Yes, we can get ice cream. But honey, you don't clean only when there's a reward, it's something that you have to do."
"I know, Mommy."
"I know you do pumpkin." I watched silently as Bella came upstairs and gathered her shoes and bag.
"You're ready quick, what's the deal?"
"Nothing, nothing!" Bella dropped her boots on her bare toe.
"Shoot!"
"Bella, why are you in such a rush, what's going on?"
"Mom, I said nothing! Everything's fine! I have to go!" She left the house quickly and Leia and I both looked at each other.
"She's a weirdo." She commented.
*****************
34th Street-Herald Sq. (Bella's Perspective)
"Oh my god, not the Derek Shepherd pillows!" Leah said while dying of laughter.
"What the hell is so funny about that?" Paisley asked.
"Why would someone want a Derek pillow when you could get a Mark Sloan pillow? That's why." Julie rolled her eyes.
"How could you hate on Derek when he's Mark's best friend??"
"Yeah, that just doesn't make sense." I pointed out. My friends and I were having fun! We bought some really cool merchandise and there was supposed to be an Ultimate Grey's Fan quiz going on in about 10 minutes. Leah was going to go up for us because the grand prize was 500 bucks. Meaning we would all get 125$ meaning that we could go shopping!
"Wait, let's take a picture right here!" I flashed a quick smile before proceeding to walk.
"Where the hell are you going?!"
"Uh...to the blowup slide? It isn't a decoration, is it?!" In actuality, I just needed something to distract me. Every few minutes I keep thinking that I see my bio Mom or something. This is just pure hell.
"Imagine the pictures we could take on that!" My friends are ridiculous.
"Bella, what are you doing standing there? You're the one that wanted to go on it!" Julie said while judging me playfully.
"Please, I'm not the loser. Leah is!"
"Why am I always the one that gets picked on?!!"
"Attention Grey's Fans, our Ultimate Fan Quiz will be commencing in 2 mins! All participants should make their way to the stage!"
"Leah, let's go! Come on, we have money to win!"
^^^^^^^^^
"Ugh! I wish we won!" Julie said as we eyed the old woman jumping up and down over her 500 bucks.
"The only reason that lady knows so much is because she has nothing else to do with her life but watch Grey's." Paisley said with a sense of disappointment.
"Hey, let's look on the bright side. We got 200 dollars, cash! Just imagine the number of clothes we can get with that!" I pointed out.
"I think you're forgetting that we live in Manhattan. What's 200 gonna do?"
"Okay, okay, let's not mope! Think about it, we have 200 dollars that our parents do not know about. We can do whatever we want."
"Hm. I have an idea! Follow me!" Julie said.
"I don't trust that look!"
***********************
The Green Residence (4:42 PM) (Maria's Perspective)
I couldn't believe it. Bella really wants to see me after all of these years? The last time that I saw her was at her school's letter ceremony. She seems to have grown into a wonderful young lady. I wish that I knew more about her, but every time I get close Olivia pulls away. I guess that makes sense though, I was a horrible mother. I'm just excited that she wants to see me. But wait..... she's never expressed wanting to see me before, is Liv trying to set me up? Test me by having me be alone with Bella? That doesn't make much sense though, considering Olivia said she'd never leave me alone with her. Something about this isn't right. Nevertheless, I get to see my only daughter again, we can get a fresh start! Right?
Bella: I just got on the train. I should be at the park in twenty minutes if that's okay with you.
Me: Certainly. I'll meet you there.
********************
The East 72nd Street Playground (5:21 PM) (Bella's Perspective)
I can't believe that I did this. I texted my bio Mom and got here to meet me. Here. I'm starting to regret this. I-I haven't been with her alone since before the warehouse and what if she lets someone hurt me again? This is all of your fault Bella, you're so stupid. How do you know that she's changed?!
"I have to face it. There's nothing I could do now." I scoured the benches until I found that unquestionable bunch of brown hair. I walked over skeptically.
"Hello.." I said quietly.
"Hi Bella, are you okay?!"
"Yes, are you sure that no one else is here?"
"I'm positive. Why is that?"
"I don't want to end up in a warehouse again." My eyes began to water.
"Bella, I'm so, so sorry that I put you through that, I really am. Is there anything that I can do to help you forgive me?"
"I don't know." I answered.
"Can I ask why you wanted to meet with me?"
"I wanted to ask you some questions. Olivia won't tell me...anything, she's been covering up so much over the past couple of years. I just want to hear the truth for once."
"What are your questions?" Start slow.
"I know this is a bit personal... But when did you start your flow?"
"When I was about 15, why?"
"I just wanted to know. I heard that kind of thing is partially genetics." She formed a small smile.
"You don't have to feel ashamed. I did back in the day because I hated being different, but your day will come." Well, I guess we have that in common.
"Thanks, but I have more to ask."
"Like what?"
"Why did you start doing drugs?!" Maria had a sort of blank stare.
"She never told you." She stated while raising her eyebrows.
"No! She didn't!" I wanted to cry badly but I wanted to be brave. I wanted to show that I could handle it.
"Bella, I did drugs to numb the pain. You see, your father.."
"He left us, is that why?" I asked, eager to know. She shook her head.
"Oh, Bella."
"What is it?! I'm not a baby, you can tell me."
"Bella, your father...he raped me. We had gone out to dinner together, it was our second date. Afterward, he insisted that we have sex. I said no, I wasn't ready, but that didn't matter to him. He got violent with me and roughed me up because I refused. A couple of weeks later, I learned that I was pregnant with you. Everyone told me to get an abortion, but as much as I wanted one, my parents wouldn't let me and said that they wouldn't support me anymore if I did. So I had you. In the beginning, I tried. I tried to see past Dashon, and I did for a while. You were such an angel."
"So what changed?!" Tears were rushing out of my eyes like a waterfall, I couldn't believe this. I am a product of rape. The product of a massive violation, a gruesome, disgusting act of violence.
"One day, I was trying to bathe you and you refused to go in. I tried to reason with you, but you got upset and you scratched me."
"I was three years old." I reasoned.
"I know. But, it reminded me of that night and it sent me into a spiral. That's when I started doing cocaine and brought you to the warehouse."
"So that's why he's in jail?"
"Yes, I told Liv after she began to take care of you. She handled the case." What?!
"Why aren't you in jail?" I asked, angrily.
"Because I gave some names of known pedophiles in the warehouse. The same ones who hurt you, Bella, I helped put them away." She has the audacity to say that?
"I don't give a rat's ass what you did to put them away! You're the one that set me up to be raped! You should be in jail with my father! How could you be raped and allow your daughter to go through the same shit?! You're a sick human being!"
"Bella, you don't understand I couldn't look you in the eye because all-"
"Then you should've given me away to someone else who could've loved me for me instead of dragging me in the mud with you! Thanks for letting me know how dirty and disgusting of a human being I am!"
"Bella, wait!"
"Let go of me, you're not my mother! You're a heartless bitch, I hope you burn in hell!" I ran out of Central Park in a hurry. I feel like an outcast and a monster. I wasn't even meant to be born. Why in the world would Mom adopt me??
***************
Carina's Cookies (678 Lexington Avenue) (6:56 PM) (Olivia's Perspective)
"Bye Ella! I'll see you on Monday! You have to call me when you get home so I know you're safe!"
"I will! We're Polly The Purple Fairy together! Bye!" We waved bye to Ella and her Dad and I couldn't help but smile at my sweet daughter.
"Where's Bella, she said she'd be here?!"
"I'm calling her, she isn't picking up."
Hello, this is Bella Benson! There's a 99 percent chance that I'll get back to this so leave a message at the tone! Toodles.
"Bella where are you, young lady?! You said you'd meet us at Carina's. I don't know what's going on but you need to answer me. Now."
"Maybe she's still with Julie!" I called to ask the Bianchi's if Bella was there.
"She isn't here Olivia, Julie told me that the girls all went their separate ways hours ago."
"Does she know where Bella went?"
"No, is something the matter? Is Bella okay?"
"I'm not sure. She isn't answering her phone. I gotta go, I'll keep you updated." I hung up and walked to the cashier to pay for the cookies.
"She's not at the Romano's either." I whispered. I checked the tracker on Bella's phone and the last location was Central Park...45 minutes ago.
"Leia, we're going to go home. Something's not right."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Home) (7:35 PM)
"I can't calm down! It's half past 7 and she's not home." I said to Noah. I saw Elliot burst through the doors.
"Liv, Liv. It's okay, we're going to find Bella."
"You can't promise that."
"She couldn't have wandered far. Knowing Bella she's probably in the bookstore reading and lost track of time."
"If that was the case then Central Park wouldn't have been her last known location. She would've gone straight to the bookstore. Bella's in some sort of danger, I can feel it."
"Okay, then let's start small. Where would she go if she wanted to be alone?"
"Barnes and Noble or Starbucks. But she's isn't at any of those places."
"Did you call Amanda?"
"Yes, she isn't there, nor is she at Sonny or Fin's place."
"Anna?"
"Anna's in New Jersey looking at apartments."
"Right... Is this why Bella's acting out?"
"Elliot, I don't think so. She's not happy about it but she wouldn't run off over something like this. We need to stop wasting time it's going to get dark soon."
"Noah, do you know of any other places?" Kat asked
"Well...there's this one place."
"What place? What is it?"
"When she was hanging out with her Aunt the other day, she said that they went to this bubble tea shop in Dumbo or something. She said it was the best she's ever had."
"In DUMBO? What is it called, do you know?"
"Buddy's or something like that." Noah went through his phone.
"Did you find the address?"
"No, but Bella posted something on her story."
"Amanda, can you get a location off of that?"
"Well, she's definitely in Brooklyn, I can tell you that." Kat inspected the photo further.
"That looks like Brooklyn Bridge Park. My girlfriend and I had a date over there once."
"It's near Buddy's." Noah pointed out. I closed my eyes and prayed.
"Liv, where are you going?!" Amanda asked.
"To the park. Don't follow me, if you guys come Bella's going to think she's in big trouble."
******************
Buddy's Boba Shop (DUMBO, Brooklyn) (9:15 PM) (Bella's Perspective)
This is so embarrassing. I'm here crying in a boba shop like a loser. A dirty loser that no one cares about.
"Hey, are you alright?" The manager came with a honey tea boba in hand.
"This one's on me. Are you okay bud?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
"You don't seem like it. You've been crying here for the past hour and a half. How old are you?"
"13."
"Did something happen, do you need me to call your parents?"
"No. Not at all! I'm fine, thank you, ma'am! I-I'll leave, I don't want to be a bother to you."
"It's getting dark outside, I'm not letting you go out alone." Why do people always want to help me when I don't need it?
"What are you doing??!" I asked as I watched her pick up her phone.
"I'm calling the local precinct, you need help and I can't give you it if you're not talking to me."
"Please don't do that." I heard the jingle of the front door and Mom was standing there.
"Bella honey, what's the matter?"
"Are you her mother?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to storm in like this. Did she cause any trouble?"
"No, she didn't. She's been in here for the past hour crying." Mom tried to get near to me, but I backed up.
"No! I didn't want you to find me! I don't deserve your love! I don't deserve to be here."
"Bella, that simply isn't true! Not in the slightest."
"Yes, it is! I was only born because my father raped my mother and you know it! My mother was raped and I'm just collateral damage!"
"Who told you that?!" I tried to run away again but Mom hugged me tightly so that I couldn't.
"Let go of me!"
"Don't ever say that." She said. We left the store and Mom sat with me in the backseat of her car.
"You deserve to be here. The way that you came into this world does not define who you are as a person. You are nothing like Dashon. You are kind, thoughtful, creative, and so witty. You are not violent or destructive."
"Yes, I am. I knocked over your coffee table, and I've hurt you, Mom."
4 years ago
"Bella, did something happen at school sweet pea?" I ran upstairs to my bedroom and hid in my closet. I'm not telling Mom anything. If she knows that I saw Valorie, if she learns about her, they might try to take me again.
"Go away, Mommy!"
"I'm not going away, you're hyperventilating and your uniform is stained with tears. What happened?" She sat next to me.
"Mommy, leave me alone! You can't fix anything!" She attempted to hug me but I got upset and I scratched her hand.
"NO!" I saw blood oozing out of it and she held it to her chest with the most shocked look on her face. She looked...scared and confused. I could never forget the way she left my room in silence. I still feel so bad for it to this day.
"Bella, you were struggling, we all have lapses of judgment. It happens to the best of us."
"Mommy, why didn't you tell me?"
"I was going to tell you, baby, I was. I just didn't want to hurt you. Bella, how did you find this out? Be honest." I kept a tight lip.
"Bella, there are only a handful of people that know this information."
"Mom stop! Just leave it alone!"
"I'm not going to leave it alone, Bella. This is not how I wanted you to learn this information."
"Hearing it from you would've been so much better. But it wouldn't change the fact that I'm a product of violence and I'm probably destined for life in jail." I muttered.
"Violence isn't genetic. I believed that too at one point." I stopped staring at my feet and looked up. What is she saying?
"What are you talking about?"
"Bella, my father raped my Mother too."
"How come I never knew this?"
"I thought it'd be insensitive to tell you about that, plus I didn't think you were ready to know everything." Mom's eyes began to water. I hugged her.
"I thought that I'd be violent too. When I was 16, I had gotten engaged to one of my Mother's students. She was a college professor. She was drunk and we got into this heated dispute that ended with me kicking her in the stomach."
"You did that?"
"I know...I felt like there was this darkness inside of me and I regret that to this day. What I'm trying to say is, slip-ups don't make you a bad person."
"But Mom, you said that she was nice to you."
"Not all of the time, honey."
"She hurt you?" Mom nodded. She then explained the type of things her Mom would say about her and it made me upset.
"You didn't have to lie."
"I just wanted to protect you. I should've told you the truth though as you got older."
"I wish you'd tell me the truth more and stop lying so much. I know it's because you don't want me to get hurt, but it hurts even more when I know you lied."
"I'm sorry, Bella."
"It's okay, Mom. I'm happy that we're talking."
"Me too."
"I didn't realize that we had stuff in common."
"We have quite a lot in common. There's so much more to talk about, but I think that should be done after you have a shower and something to eat, no?" I sighed.
"I have to go to therapy, don't I?"
"Yes, I have to let Dr. Johansson know about this. Bella, you can't run away like that! We were worried sick! I had Kat, Amanda, and Fin searching for you."
"I just didn't know what to do. I was so upset after I found out from..." My voice faded as I realized that I set myself up.
"Found out from who?"
To be continued~