After a week. Belle went to school as usual after her trip to L.A. She missed spending her time with Emma and brought her a gift. And she completely forgot the incident that happened between her and Gibson at the museum.
Considering it didn't happen between her and Gibson.
The day she arrived at home, she glanced over his house and it's empty. His car was still there but she couldn't see him around.
Who cares?
So today she went back to school and hoped she was not seeing him. That would be a devastating day if she sees him around.
Victor Gibson sort of spoiled her mood. "Glad to be back I think".
"You know when you were gone your beloved Victor Gibson suddenly went off duty. The rumor has it that one his precious beloved family cannot wait to see God. And I don't believe him". smirking. "What I believe and theory is that he is stalking you there".
Emma was right. Absolutely right. Victor Gibson was there in L.A and he was stalking her.
"Emma? He's not my beloved and why do you mention his name right in front of me?". she asked.
"Thought you wanna know. Did you see him there?"
Belle shakes her head no. Knowing she was lying, Emma sighs.
"You can't lie Belle. You want to know what happens when you lie? (Belle shakes head) it causes your eyes to blink without stopping and you stutter".
"I am not stuttering neither am I blinking". she blinked again. "It's kind of normal when you blink, I mean who cares!" Belle breathed. "Coincidence".
"There is no such thing as Belle. That is what he said to our principal and he must go (smile) this is a nice gift". Emma studied the box. "What inside it.. a bomb? it is ticking inside".
Belle taking a deep breath again. "Snow globe".
Emma roughly opens the box after she says that, Belle knows Emma love to collect a different kind of snow globe for her collection. This snow globe kind rare Emma hadn't had before.
So she bought it for Emma.
"It's beautiful!" Emma exclaimed. "Where did you get this? dude this is.. this is the most rare snow globe I have ever seen. Oh my God". Emma hugs Belle tightly with thanks. "I will put this globe beside my bed and I will also have a surprise for you while you are gone".
Emma dug up inside her school bag. She pulled out the box too then handed it to Belle. She took and looked inside it.
"A thigh? I mean Bumblebee thigh a bee color (eyes up to Emma) you sewed this while I'm gone?"
"No. I found it online and it also has a shop near the magic store. I've been hearing you were looking for this thing for so long and I found it with pride. It's yours".
Later. Belle's classroom. Belle wasn't prepared for this moment, if she had come to school today, so that Gibson is.
He will come back today from his fake trip to follow her. She bite bottom of the pencil, she will run out of the classroom if she has to.
This could be done.
"How was your trip?" ask one of her classmates. "You know? there is something I should tell you before you go for a trip".
"What?" Belle is curious.
"I just forgot to say". Belle rolled her eyes up. "By the way, how was your trip?"
Belle nodded. "Great. Just great". should she have told Gibson who was stalking her. "I've never been there so it's kind of exciting. Our school should do this".
"Yeah right. They vote for Mr. Gibson. I am just wondering why the parents are voting for him. The rumor spreads, and the town suddenly knows him better than us. He sort of suddenly became famous among the people".
"That's what I'm afraid of, they believe every single one of his words and they won't believe or listen to teenagers like us. He spread the virus in our town". The girl immediately stopped talking to each other as the teacher entered the class.
Curiously, it wasn't Victor Gibson, their English teacher, who entered the class. It was Mrs Henderson the history teacher who temporarily replaced Gibson.
Well, that really is good news for Belle.
"Morning class (smile) you guys are probably wondering why I am here, is that because I replaced Mr. Gibson for a while before his return and it takes a turn. Today is me, tomorrow is Mr. Jackson and so on".
She laid down the book on desk. She is wearing glasses in her early fourty. "Should we begin?"
"History?"
"Temporarily Mr. Bernard. If you guys want english I could help or anything that you don't understand. I am open to help until he gets back".
Charming.
Belle smirking. Mrs Henderson takes a seat on the chair. "Or you guys prefer to do whatever you want but keep quiet till the class ends". The classroom cheering in silence makes Mrs Henderson smile.
Today was Belle's luckiest day in her life. She will not see Victor Gibson not just for today nor as long his fake family matters need him the most. Belle smiles widely.
"You went to Beverly Hills? did you see the actors, the singers who lived there". The girls sat under this tree. It is noon and they are having their school lunch. "That place is famous and billions, trillions people who dare live there".
"So basically you say most of the actors and singers lived there? so did the crime". said Belle. "Lots of crime happens there every single day".
Emma nodded her head. No one can touch this tree as this tree has been marked by Emma since. Belle loves to sit under this tree. Calming and green.
"Yeah. Lots. It is proof from the museum you visited. And there also had a police museum which you've known.. that was the real evidence they displayed inside the case".
Belle bite her lips. She rather being with the devil itself than stuck with Victor Gibson. He was right there! She is telling me right now.
"People are suddenly attracted to weird stuff like that". said Emma again. "I told you. People are mysterious. They remind me of my camp teacher. I almost went crazy about it".
Belle nods. "Oh that camp".
"You know my cousin Brianna? She sort of was a mean girl in the camp. Bunch a loser like her is better than my other cousin who also went to the same camp like us".
"Jar Jar Binks?"
Emma laughed hard. "Yes. His big glassy eyes he wears, the nerd one.. but he studies archeology. He has been in Egypt for so many times at such a young age, you know what he had found there?"
"The Pharaoh?"
"Exactly. Which the Pharaoh I don't know, I didn't asked him. It remains inside his tomb (smirking) which I ask him to get his wish from the Pharaoh".
Belle frowned, Emma spoke back. "Like not being a nerd".
"The Pharaoh himself is not a God. He couldn't do anything. This is not the Mummy movie we see, not even Imhotep. I found an ax was displayed inside the case".
"Lizzie Borden?"
Belle shrugged. "How should I know it belongs to whom? Was Lizzie Borden the fictional character". Emma shrugs, she then sighs and closes her eyes.
"Weird huh? you're gone, he's gone. There is some kind of connection between you both. The way he looks at you, a desire in his eyes. Something".
"I'm his student Emma. Nothing else and nothing special".
"I'm just telling you the truth. I see how he looked at you. He wants you to be with him like.. forever in your entire life".
Belle snorts, Emma eyes open. "Oh Belle. There's no law forbidding a teacher and student falling in love with each other. He can wait until you graduate then you both can get married. Besides, he's not as old as you thought. Mid twenties?"
"He would be thirty if he waited. No. I am not interested in being in love with the teacher if I did not, but not him (sigh) can we change the topic".
Emma grinned, said. "I wish he would choose me or any of us. I'm going to have as many babies as he wants. The factory is open just for him".
"You sound disgusting!"
"I'm a young and strong dude, come on".
Belle rolled her eyes and pretended not to hear anything involved about the Gibson matter.
She f*cking hated him.
Later in the evening. Belle arrives at home and stands outside the house as her eyes aim at Gibson house. Her eyes scanned around the house. Still empty and silent, no single sound she heard inside his house.
And she believed again he wasn't at home. Where could he be? thought to herself. "Belle?" She turns her back when someone calls her. "What are you doing staring at the house".
"Nothing Mrs Lou. Isn't it nice weather today?"
"Yes it is. If you are wondering about that man pfft.. it's been a week since he left the house. He looked rushed and he called a taxi".
Belle nods understanding. Mrs Lou went back inside the house. Belle took a last look at Gibson house then she went inside. Oh she wishes that he will never come back. "Smells good". She entered the kitchen.
"Of course it does. Your favorite". Without Gibson's presence around the neighborhood, she feels safe. "Ah ah. Upstairs young lady". Belle is about to throw her bag on the floor and her mom is already giving her a warning. Belle dragged the chair and seat. "I miss our neighbor Victor Gibson".
"Oh my God mom seriously, what did he say before he went away?".
Belle's mom walks to the fridge. "Nothing. He didn't say anything. Last time I gave him your homework then suddenly he went off without telling me. I bet it was urgent that's why he rushed out of the house with the bags that evening".
"And you believe what he did right in front of your eyes?" Belle's mom nodded. "Unbelievable. Mom, he is trying to take control over this town with his sweet words, and now people worship him as some kind of God or something. Do not worship him!"
"Who says we worship him?" Belle's dad interferes with the conversation. He stood between his wife and daughter. "Are we talking about our next neighbor?"
"Don't believe him dad!" said Belle.
Belle's dad shakes his head and walks to the fridge. He takes a drink. "I am not one hundred percent to believe him like your mom did. Like you say Belle everyone adores Victor Gibson because he is wearing a fancy suit, good look, young, charming (click tongue) I don't know what else that man got in his life".
"So don't believe him". Belle encourages her dad. "You know what dad? I have never ever believed him since. I never liked him, just I don't".
Belle's mom rolled her eyes. "Why did you two father and daughter hate that man so much? Are you two jealous or what?"
"Oh my dear wife Marianne. I am Roger Lee Decker you've known since we're in high school and I'm not the jealous type especially for that man". he looks at Belle with a smile. "In high school I was like Gibson too, the girls in high school couldn't stop chasing me and I'm the captain of my football team and your mom is one of the girls who had a crush on me".
Belle laughs. "Are you serious dad?" she asked. "You're famous in high school then".
"Of course I am. Look at my younger self picture. How charming I was that you cannot compare me and Gibson. I have a girlfriend and her name is Keyla Kingston. Oh she's beautiful I've never seen in my life, until your mom came into our school. She has just moved into our town".
"How do you end up with mom? what happened to Keyla Kingston".
Belle's dad sighs, and takes another drink. "Keyla Kingston she (sigh) she died of cancer. She didn't tell me until her nose never stopped bleeding. I feel so guilty and it's too late to know that I couldn't forgive myself (wiped away tears) after her death I stop loving and push everyone away from me".
"And mom?"
Belle's mom dragged the chair beside her husband, she smiled holding his hand. "Until I was there for him. Your dad keeps pushing me. I somehow barely see him like that, he needs to move on with his life. I never ask him to stop loving Keyla, not even now".
"And I was". eyes to his wife. "You complete me Marianne".
Belle sling the bag on her shoulder walking out from the kitchen. "I don't want to see anything, especially the kiss you two will share after this". her parents smile as they hear Belle from upstairs. "I mean it!"