Episode 7

Megan saw Bella huddled in a ball, sobbing and smoking a cigarette. Her heart broke, and she walked up to her stepdaughter.

"Bella, sweetheart."

Bella looked at her stepmother and sniffed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, putting out the cigarette, and Megan crawled next to her, wrapping her arms around Bella's shoulders.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. This will soon pass, I promise you. So, for now, if you need to smoke, then you puff away. I'm not really fond of the drinking, but we will talk about that later," said Megan.

Bella scoffed and sighed, hugging her stepmother's arms.

"It's not like I do it all the time, Mom. Just when I'm overwhelmed. I couldn't save him. He already turned."

"Jason?" Megan whispered, and Bella nodded, starting to sob.

"I'm so sorry," said Megan resting her head on Bella's.

Bella sniffed and sucked in a shaky breath.

"I thought you guys had turned, and I was never going to see you guys again."

"I thought you and your father were dead," breathed Megan, and Bella stared at the trees.

"So, how long have you been sleeping with him?" she asked, and Megan picked her head up.

"Who?"

Bella looked at her stepmother in disbelief.

"Uncle Steve, Mom. How long have you two?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Bell, it's not like that. I thought your father was dead."

"How long?" Bella demanded.

Megan sighed, searching her stepdaughter's sparkling blue eyes, and pulled her hair back.

"I've slept with him twice in the last month."

"So gross. The old man with the red truck looks better than Steve," said Bella, feeling her buzz begin to weaken, and Megan chuckled.

"Let me be the one to tell your father," she said, and Bella laughed.

"That one is all you. You got yourself into that mess, and you can get yourself out."

Megan pressed her lips together and pulled Bella's hair gently.

"You better not mention this to anyone. Not one word."

"About what?"

Bella laughed, and Megan scoffed as she pushed her.

"I can't with you. You're evil, just like your father."

Bella's mouth dropped open.

"What? Do I hear an evil stepmother getting upset because she taught her angelic stepdaughter her wicked ways, and now it has backfired?"

"On the contrary. You're such an oddball with that bright red hair. I had to do something to make you fit in," Megan teased.

Bella got to her feet, and Megan got to hers. The man in the woods laughed and walked away.

"Just for that," Bella said, grabbing the bottle of rum.

"You have to have a drink with me. Think of it as my contribution to the pain of your love triangle," she added, and Megan grabbed the bottle.

"Okay, maybe just one and a cigarette, and again. Don't tell your father."

"Deal!" said Bella, grinning.

**********************

Megan and Bella sang and danced to a few songs, and Bella shut the music off. They sat on the ground, giggling and sharing a cigarette, when a handsome man in his early twenties with sandy blonde short hair and hazel eyes walked around the box truck. He and Bella locked eyes, and he thought she was beautiful.

"Dale, glad to see you made it back safely," said Megan drunkenly, and Dale looked at her and Bella oddly.

"What's wrong with you two? Making all that noise. You're gonna attract those things," he scolded.

Bella snorted, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"And who are you? The noise police?" she teased, and Dale stepped toward her as she got to her feet.

"And who the hell are you?"

Bella grinned and popped a piece of gum in her mouth.

"I don't think we've met. My name is Bella, and this is my lovely stepmother, Megan," she giggled, and Dale sighed.

"Ya'll drunk?"

Megan chuckled, looking at Bella, and Bella giggled.

"Maybe just a little bit," she said, using her thumb and pointer finger to measure a small size.

"And she's a little high," snickered Megan, and Dale searched Bella's eyes.

"Chill out. It's just a little weed, and I already have my Mom and Dad ready to scold me. I don't touch that other stuff," she said, tilting, and he grabbed her arm, catching her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. That's good. You don't need that other stuff. Enjoy ya'll's night. Just keep the noise down, alright?" he asked, and Bella nodded, biting her bottom lip.

"You got it."

Dale blew a breath and walked away. Bella and Megan looked at each other and busted out laughing. Suddenly, Abraham walked around the box truck, and Bella blew a breath.

"And we are so busted," she breathed, and her father gave her a disapproving look.

"Hi, Daddy," Bella said innocently, and Megan laughed.

Abraham looked at his wife and daughter, shaking his head, and leaned against the truck.

"Oh, Abe. Don't be mad. We were having a little mother-daughter bonding time," said Megan, stumbling, and he caught her.

"I'm not mad, but I think it's time for you two to get to bed," he said, and Megan agreed.

"Bell?" he asked, looking at his daughter, and Bella shook her head.

"No, you guys go ahead. I'm going to stay out here tonight."

Abraham nodded.

"Get some rest, and put that stuff away. I think you've had enough."

Bella nodded and watched her parents walk away. She put the liquor and cigarettes away and grabbed a bottle of water, snacks, and earbuds. She climbed to the roof of her father's truck, unrolled a sleeping bag, and took off her boots.

Bella put her earbuds in, stared at the stars, and laid back. She bobbed her head to the music, moving her hands and mouthing the words. She felt a tap on her ankle and sighed, pulling out her headphones.

"Dad, I told you…"

Bella sat up and trailed off, seeing Dale holding a paper plate.

"You hungry? I figured you could use something to soak up all that alcohol," he said.

"Um, sure. Thank you," she said, taking the plate.

"So, I saw you and your mom were drinking rum."

"Yeah, so," Bella said, taking a bite out of what looked like a giant chicken wing.

"So, do you have anything else besides that, maybe whiskey?"

Bella wiped her mouth with her finger and nodded.

"Hold, please."

Dale watched her set the plate down, climb from the roof, and open the backseat. She pulled two bottles of dark liquid out and handed them to him.

"Never liked the stuff. Do you smoke?"

"Yeah, why?" he asked, and Bella handed him two packs of cigarettes and a small bag of weed.

"Thanks," Dale said, looking surprised, and Bella wrinkled her nose.

"That should cover my noise police fine, or should I bat my eyelashes and plead, too?" she teased.

Dale laughed and shook his head.

"You're something else. You know that?"

"My daddy tells me all the time," she said.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out here on the roof? Megan's got room in her tent, doesn't she?"

Bella snorted, closing the back seat, and gave Dale a clever look.

"I got my mom drunk, and my parents haven't seen each other in a while, so I thought it was in my best interest to stay out here."

Dale chuckled and tilted his head.

"Do you want company? I could chill with ya if ya want."

Bella thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Sure."

"Okay, let me just run to my trailer, and I'll be right back."

Bella nodded and hoisted herself back on the roof. Dale returned, and they spent most of the night talking until they fell asleep.