1 Meet Me , Bellona

"Bellona!" Mr. Kim, the math teacher, shouted in exasperation. I had drifted off for the fifth time in his class. Everyone turned to look at me and chuckled. "Sorry, sir. It won't happen again," I said, trying to assure him.

"Oh, it better not happen again. Get out of my class and go wash your face in the restroom... now!" he demanded. I stood up, feeling embarrassed. As I walked out, I tripped and fell flat on my face, causing everyone to burst into laughter. I glanced up and saw Edward smirking at me. He had tripped me on purpose. I quickly got back on my feet, but as I left the classroom, Ella called out to me.

"Hey, Lona, why don't you take a shower while you're at it? Research says it helps with the awful smell," she said, and everyone laughed. Mr. Kim intervened, telling them to be quiet. I forced a smile and walked out of the classroom.

In the bathroom, tears streamed down my face. I didn't usually cry, but this week had been particularly rough. The bullying was something I was used to, but the situation with my dad had been getting worse. He would leave before I woke up and return home when I was already asleep. It felt like he was deliberately avoiding me, as if I were a burden. Ella's remarks didn't bother me much, but I just wasn't feeling my best. I splashed water on my face, checking if I smelled bad. I didn't, but Ella always found something to criticize. I looked at myself in the mirror, my nose pink from crying. I sighed, hating how I felt.

"You know, letting them bully you like this only makes you appear weaker. You should stand up for yourself," Aisha Sultan, the head of the school magazine, said as she washed her hands.

"I have to be the bigger person and endure it. Besides, even if I stood up to them, who would support me? Everyone worships the ground they walk on, and Ella is just a bitter attention-seeker," I replied.

"Not everyone worships them," Aisha countered.

"Yeah, maybe, but no one wants to confront them. Nobody wants to become their next target, like you," I explained.

The school bell rang, signaling break/lunchtime. I left the bathroom and headed towards the classroom, intending to nap through lunch. As I rested my head on the desk, Ella and her gang entered.

"Well, well, Lona dear, why don't you join us for lunch? Maybe you can teach us a thing or two about surviving in the jungle," Ella taunted, taking a seat next to mine.

"Why would she join you? She doesn't know the meaning of courtesy, eating like she's in the middle of the wilderness," John Deere, Ella's loyal sidekick, added.

"Please, just leave me alone. I don't know which is worse, your jokes or the fact that you think I live in a jungle in the middle of the city," I retorted, closing my eyes. Ella was about to come closer when Keisha Grey, Ella's younger sister, appeared and ran over to her.

"Ella, did you hear? Max Payne is transferring to our school. He might be here by the end of the week!" she exclaimed, beaming with joy. Keisha was a sweet and kind girl.

"What? Are you serious?" Ella's face lit up. "We need to book a spa appointment for the next two days, so I'll be radiant and he won't be able to take his eyes off me," she said, fixing her hair and clothes. John chimed in, "Oh, the bad boy is coming. Great, he'll join our pack, and then we can hunt together," he added, glancing at me. Ella dismissed me, saying I wasn't important and that looking at me would make her age quickly. They left, making plans. Once they were gone, Keisha sat down next to me.

"Don't listen to her. You're beautiful and have a great personality. My sister is just a typical diva. Don't take her words to heart. Do you want to know more about Max?" Keisha asked, playing with my hair.

"Nah, I'm good. If he's one of the bad guys, I don't think I want to know. Besides, I think I already know who Max Payne is," I replied, gently holding her cheeks.

"Really? What do you know?" Keisha asked, intrigued.

"That he's a pain in the ass," I said, smiling at her. She laughed and said, "That's good, 'Payne for Pain'!"

"Well, I should get going. My mother must be looking for me. I ran out as soon as I heard about Max's return," Keisha said, running off. Ella's mom was the head principal of our school, so Keisha would occasionally come and help out when she had free time. She was a special child, incredibly smart and precious.

I gazed out the window, letting the warmth of the sun touch my skin. I enjoyed summer, but I didn't like the idea of a new bad boy coming to summer school. It was a break from the pressure, and it helped me escape my depressing home, even if school wasn't much better.

It was 3:30 when I arrived home from school. As I walked towards the stairs, I noticed a figure in our pool. I was surprised, as my dad hadn't mentioned anyone visiting us. Curiosity piqued, I dropped my backpack and approached. On closer inspection, I realized it was my aunt.

"Marica!" I exclaimed, rushing to her as she got out of the pool. "Bell, my sweet Bell pepper!" she greeted me warmly, giving me a tight hug. She was my mom's twin sister, my other mother, and it had been days since I had seen her. She was the epitome of a free spirit, rejecting the idea of marriage and embracing the pleasures of life instead.

"How have you been, Bell? You've grown so tall. You're probably taller than me now," she said, sipping her wine as we settled in the living room.

"Oh, how I missed your sarcastic self, Mari. I've been growing, as you can see. But I'd definitely be taller if your family didn't have those tall trees of Africa genes," I replied, grabbing some marshmallows.

"Very sarcastic, I see," she chuckled, taking another sip. "Aunt, Dad has changed completely. He's not the same dad I used to know. He barely comes home, and when he does, he leaves early and returns late. I hardly get to see him. School is already tough, and he's making it even harder for me to come home," I confided, laying my head on her.

"Oh, sweetheart, I understand. Your dad is going through a difficult time. He'll be okay. Let's give him this week, and next week, we'll terrorize him," she said, adopting an angry monster voice. I giggled and replied, "Auntie, you know I'm not 12 anymore, right?"

"Oh, Bellona Crude, you'll always be my little Bell pepper," she said, kissing my cheeks. In her embrace, I found solace. She was my home, my everything.