𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐄||✔️

|𝟎𝟖𝟕.|

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❦Happier Than Ever - Billie Eilish❦

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IT'S BEEN a few weeks since Nova and Esma came back to school. Aaliyah and I asked them about their disappearance but they said they were just dealing with family business and for the exams that are coming up.

I have this feeling they were lying to us but I don't want to make assumptions about them. So I just believed them.

For now.

"I swear to God they are hiding something from us," Aaliyah whispered while staring at Nova and Esam who decided to sit far away from us.

"I know they are but let's just drop it. I think they have their reasons for hiding something from us and we don't want to make them feel uncomfortable around us," I stated while drawing a tree.

We are currently in art class with canvases in front of us.

"Yeah, I get it but we told them if anything is bothering them they should talk to us. Isn't this making you feel worried?" she asked.

I slightly nodded because I was so worried. I asked Jordan if he know something but he doesn't know anything.

When Enzo came back from Italy a few days ago, he started hanging out more with Esma which was weird. I mean I don't have anything against them both dating but it's just the whole situation is so weird.

''We are going to confront them today. I'm sick and tired of them pushing us away,'' she stated angrily. She's right. They continued distancing themselves from us the last few days which hurt a lot and I'm worried that something happened that ruined our friendship.

''Yeah...'' I mumbled and continued listening to the teacher.

❦

Aaliyah and I said bye to each other and went our separate ways. Axel didn't go to school today because he had something to do at the Warehouse with all the boys.

I got to my locker and grabbed the books that I needed for my next classes. I was about to close my locker when I hear someone behind me.

''Ella?'' I stiffed to that voice.

I slowly turned around and saw Jackie.

''Please, let me talk,'' she begged. I couldn't even talk because every time I look at her I see his face.

''First of all, I just wanted to apologize for everything that I said the other time and I'm sorry for what my brother and I did,'' she said.

I just stared at her. My breathing started to get heavier and my body started to shiver. I bawled my fist together until my knuckles turned white.

She was still talking while I kept a hard glare on her. I couldn't stare at her any longer so I did the best thing that came into my mind.

I punched her.

I crouched down at her level and stared at her while she was holding onto her nose.

''A sorry won't apologize for what your brother did to me. Or what you said to me that night. Or what your family did,'' I spat into her face.

I sighed and stood straight up. ''Never talk to me again,'' with that I walked away.

❦

''That perfect Bella,'' I heard Coach Brown shout from the rink. Once the music stopped, I skated towards her.

''You are going to win the Nationals in two weeks,'' she said while I started taking my skates off. ''I hope so,'' I chuckled and put on my shoes.

We continued talking for a bit until I had to go and meet up with Aaliyah. She said she'll be waiting for me at the library so that we can catch Nova and Esma. Aaliyah said that they both have a project together and she overheard their conversation saying that they will go to the library after school.

While walking to the library I felt a sting pain on my knuckle. I lifted my hand and saw my knuckle was bursid. I sighed and continued walking to the library. Once I reach it, I saw Aaliyah standing in front of the doors.

''Hey, are they in there?'' I asked. ''Yes, I didn't go yet but I saw them walk in,'' she confirmed and I nodded.

We opened the doors and went in. There weren't many people in here so that made our search for the girls easier. After a few minutes, we found them sitting at the end of the library behind some bookshelves where there was an area you could sit.

They were both laughing and talking. I turned my head to Aaliyah and saw she was sad. I took a deep breath and stopped right in front of Nova and Esma. They looked up and their smiles dropped.

Aaliyah started talking. ''You two have a lot of explaining to do,'' they both just sat there without saying a word. ''What are you talking about?'' Esma asked.

''You know exactly what we are talking about,'' Aaliyah crossed her arms over her chest and raised her brow.

So we are playing good cop, bad cop.

And she's the bad cop.

Nova stood up and shifted herself uncomfortably. ''I'm sorry,'' she said and looked at me with guilty in her eyes.

With a furrow in my brows, I asked. ''For what are you sorry?''

''Nova,'' Esam mumbled and stood up. ''No, let her speak. She was about to explain why she's sorry for,'' Aaliyah stepped forward. Esma turned her head to Aaliyah and gave her a hard glare.

Nova started talking again. ''I'm sorry for pushing you two away but we did it because...'' she stopped midway to clear her throat.

''Whenever something bad happens it always has something to do with you,'' she mumbled while looking at me.

''What do you mean?'' I asked. I kinda knew what she meant but I wanted to hear it from her.

''I'm scared to get hurt or die because of you,'' she said and lowered her head down. ''I sometimes wish that I never went up to you on the first day when you started at this school,'' I felt tears blurring my eyes sigh.

''What do you wanna tell me, Nova?'' I asked with a shaky voice.

She didn't even have the guts to look at me. She just stared at the ground. And Esma did the same.

''Esma?''

She slightly looked up when I called her.

''It's too dangerous,'' she mumbled.

''What is too dangerous?'' Aaliyah asked.

We all didn't say anything. We just stared at each other. I was too scared to find out the truth but I knew I will have to face it soon.

Esma stood a deep breath and lifted her head to look at me.

''You and your life,'' she said with tears in her eyes. ''Danger is always there where you are,'' she added.

''Nova and I aren't made for this. We are just two teenage girls with many dreams. But we can't live the life you have,'' she explained.

''You are like a burden to us,''

''Your problems are too much for us,''

''We have our own problems but we never let them affect our friends. But that's what you are doing. The only thing we hear is Isabella this Isabella that. We are tired to hear your problems,'' Esam said angrily.

''We only talk about you and how we can help you. But we never talk about Nova's, Aaliyah's, or my problems because we are too focused on you,'' she said, almost as if she wanted to yell that out.

''And since we found out about your family and all of the 'other stuff', you were mentioned in everything we talked about. There was no day that I wished that I never met you,'' she mumbled the last part.

I turned my head back to Nova to see what she had to say but the only thing I saw in her face was guilt.

She continued talking but I couldn't listen to it anymore. Aaliyah who was beside me was yelling at them both. I couldn't understand what she was saying because I was too focused on trying to control my breathing.

You are a burden.

I'm too dangerous.

My life is too dangerous.

I could stand here anymore. I grabbed my stuff and speed-walked out of the library. I could hear Aaliyah call my name from behind me but I didn't stop. It was like my feet had their own mind and just kept walking. Walking away from all my problems.

''Bella!'' Aaliyah grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. I couldn't hold my tears away. I broke down.

Aaliyah pulled me in a hug and we both fell down on the floor. ''Shh, I'm here,'' she whispered into my ear.

She tightened the hug and pulled me closer.

''I'm here, Bella. Breath. Just breath,'' she whispered and cupped my face. ''I told you I'm going to be here for you,''

''Now breath,'' she said and motioned me to take deep breaths. My heart was racing and my breathing was still uncontrollable. My tears were still running down my face.

I did what Aaliyah told me and took deep breaths.

''Exactly like that,'' she smiled.

''What did I do?'' I sobbed into her shoulder.

''Nothing. You did nothing. They are the reason. You did nothing wrong,'' she said while stroking my back and helping me to come down from my panic attack.

''They're fake friends and unfortunately, we just now saw their true faces,'' she whispered.

We stayed like that for a few more minutes and I decided o speak up. ''Thank you for being here for me,'' I mumbled.

''Always. I'm always going to be here for you, B,''

❦

I arrived home once I dropped Aaliyah home. She wanted to stay with me because she didn't want me to be alone. I told her that I'll be fine and that I need time alone to sort my thought.

Aaliyah really helped me today. She was there when I needed her and I will always be thankful for that.

I opened the door of the apartment and dropped the keys in a bowl. I walked into the living room and went roughly through my hair with my hands. ''Hey, baby,'' I got startled by the deep voice. I turned my head towards the kitchen entrance and saw Axel.

''God, you scared the shit out of me,'' I held my hand on my chest and took a deep breath.

He took a few steps closer to me while he furrowed his brows. ''Did you cry?'' he stood right in front of me and lifted his hand. He then stroked my cheek with his thumb.

I grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand down. ''I'm fine,'' I mumbled but Axel cupped my face and stared at me. ''Why did you cry?'' he asked worriedly.

I grabbed his wrist again and tried to push him away but he kept me in place. ''Isabella,'' he warned.

''Axel, please. I had a long day and I'm tired,'' I looked away because I already felt the tears welling up in my eyes.

''Why is your knuckle bruised?'' he asked while looking down at my hand who was holding his wrist. I pushed my hand down but he grabbed my hand and took a look at it.

''What happened?'' he asked while lifting his head to look at me.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. ''I punched Jackie,'' I mumbled and opened my eyes.

''And why were you crying?'' he asked.

I signed. ''I argued with Nova and Esma,''

''Do you wanna talk about it?'' he softly asked while cupping my cheeks again and stroking them.

One thing I learned from Axel was, talking with him about my problems helped me a lot.

''They pushed Aaliyah and me away last few weeks. We decided to confront them today and ask them what is going on,''

''They said that my life is too dangerous and that I'm...'' god I feel like a child who ran to her parents to tell them what happened.

''I'm a burden to them,'' I mumbled.

I felt him clench his hands together which made me look up at him. ''But I came to the realization that they are right. I mean everywhere that I go, trouble and danger aren't far from me,'' I chuckled.

''Don't say that. It's not true. You are not a burden to anyone,'' he said and brought me closer to him.

''Whatever they said wasn't true. They will never understand you or your life because they weren't born into this lifestyle,'' he said and I tightened my grip on his wrists.

''But they both just showed their true faces and what they actually think about you,'' he leaned in and rested his forehead on mine.

''I don't want to lose them,'' I muttered. ''I know but they decided for themselves to not mess with this. That's why they said what they wanted to say. Give them time, they might talk with you in a few days when they're ready or if you're ready,'' he explained.

''But for now, you should keep your distance from all the toxic people around you,'' he wrapped his arms around me and brought me into a hug.

''What if I lose them? What if they don't want anything to do with me anymore?'' I sobbed into his chest.

''So it be. If they decide to leave, then let them leave. Do you want to stay with people who won't like you for who you are?'' I shook my head.

''Exactly, then let them go,'' he started stroking my hair which made me feel very comfortable.

I pulled away from the hug and looked up at him. ''Thank you,'' I mumbled while wiping away the tears that covered my face.

''Don't thank me. I'm always going to be here for you,'' he said and kissed my forehead.

❦

Vote & Comment🖤
What do y'all think about Nova and Esma? Do you guys think Isabella should be friends with them after what they said to her?
And what do you guys think of Aaliyah?