Author: self_composed | Bella's return - she's decided that no one knows a damn thing about how quickly fractures of unknown severity can heal, so she's not limping anymore, and wears only a mostly-symbolic handful of (actual) bandaids in some visible locations - is the talk of the school. Mike even talks to her again, solicitously demanding (annoying), wanting the story, wanting to be the first to know if she needs anything, wanting to walk her to class in case she falls; she's cool to him, but not outright cold, she doesn't want enemies if she doesn't have to make them. Tyler Crowley, van driver, apologizes so profusely that she expects him to offer her his life in servitude. Jessica cases Bella quickly and efficiently for any details of the story that weren't obvious (Bella hit by van, injured, out of school two weeks, back with only minor scratches left) and then serves as a very convenient buffer for everyone else. Eric wants to know if Bella has scars. Lauren wants to know if Bella's car is fixed yet. Angela doesn't like the attention she's getting for having been Bella's schoolwork-ferry for the duration.
Bella wants to eat her damn lunch. Sigh. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | [Ooh, a crowd,] says Alice from across the lunchroom. [Want me to distract 'em?] |
Author: self_composed | [Be gentle. And don't interfere with Jessica; she's being helpful, she wants to tell everyone everything herself.] |
Author: edgeofyourseat | [Can do,] he says cheerfully, and makes his way to her table. This time there is no conveniently empty seat, so he steals a chair from the next table over, drags it up to the end of hers, and gently nudges her tray down a few inches to make room for his.
"Hi, Bella," he says. "Hi, crowd. Cupcake?"
And indeed, he opens up today's Tupperware container to reveal two tiers of whimsical cupcakes. That is not what it originally contained, but no one is going to know the difference. |
Author: self_composed | "Ooh," says Bella, taking a cupcake. The rest of the cupcakes also disappear in short order, and the members of the crowd have their mouths full. [You're going to risk being popular or something if you do this regularly,] Bella points out. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | [Watch me care,] he says, munching on a cupcake that has a stormcloud mosaic picked out on the top in various shades of blue and grey jelly beans. |
Author: self_composed | Bella smiles to herself. She finishes her cupcake and goes through the rest of her lunch quickly, before the onslaught begins again. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | Success! Alice starts in on his own lunch, which apart from the cupcakes is really quite boring.
...Come to think of it, he's done something publicly interesting recently too, hasn't he? |
Author: self_composed | [I haven't told anyone, so unless you have, it might just not have filtered down yet,] Bella says. [It's not like Theo or Hilary have kids in high school.] |
Author: edgeofyourseat | [Guess not. Huh. Well, I'll be enjoying that while it lasts.] He so does not envy Bella her position at the centre of everyone's attention. |
Author: self_composed | [It'll die down in a few days.]
She's done eating. She decides to leave very early for Bio, where only Angela will be able to follow.
Classes are both duller (because she pentagoned all of them, because she wants both good grades and spare time) and more interesting (because her brain is now her notebook, and she can space out and think about whatever she likes), now.
Bio starts, Bio ends, gym class time. Bella wonders if anyone has noticed that she isn't tripping, yet. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | Predictably, Alice is talking to Ms. Finch. He waves at Bella when she enters the gym. |
Author: self_composed | Bella trots up to them. "Hi, Ms. Finch," she says. "I have a weird request." |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "Hi, Bella! I have a reasonable answer," says Ms. Finch. Alice laughs. |
Author: self_composed | "Well," Bella says. "I still don't have an actual diagnosis - but what I think happened is that I had something knocked loose in one of my ears, and that caused my balance issues. And now they're just... Even on crutches I wasn't falling over. I haven't had a near miss on tumbling down the stairs or slipped walking on ice since the accident. I think getting hit by a car managed to knock my ear how it's supposed to be. And I want to fold into regular gym class." |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "You ar a very lucky person," says Ms. Finch. "And, luckily, we're starting something new tomorrow. Do what you want today, and tomorrow you can approach badminton with a hopefully ordinary amount of ignorance." |
Author: self_composed | Bella nods, smiling. "Don't need me to do a cartwheel or three to check?" |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "Nope," she says. "Something tells me you're unusually motivated right now not to do anything that'll get you hurt. Besides, if you successfully did a cartwheel I'd have to find out who taught them to you while you were still Little Miss Klutz, and then I'd have to decide whether to shake their hand or drop them in the scorpion pit."
...Alice giggles. |
Author: self_composed | Bella laughs. "It was just an example. Scorpion pit, honestly." |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "Scorpion pit," Ms. Finch confirms, with perhaps more cheer than is strictly necessary. "You can quit snickering any day now, Hammond."
"Nope," says Alice, and Ms. Finch cracks a smile. |
Author: self_composed | "I didn't think a school this size would have the budget for a scorpion pit," Bella muses.
[You liable to tell Ms. Finch about your dad?] Bella reads him, too, because why not. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "When did I say it belonged to the school?" inquires Ms. Finch.
[Maybe,] says Alice. [If it comes up.] He has, if possible, mixed apathy about the idea. On the one hand, he doesn't really care to keep it from her, and on the other hand, he doesn't really care to let her know. |
Author: self_composed | "Ah, your personal scorpion pit. Makes much more sense."
[What would be the downside to telling her?] |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "Doesn't it?" agrees Ms. Finch.
"If somebody around here was gonna have a scorpion pit, it would definitely be you," says Alice.
[Downside to her knowing? Not really any. Downside to telling her? I have to, like, talk about it. She might decide to hug me.] He glances at her as though to assess the risk of hugs. [Okay, probably not,] he concedes, [but it could happen.] |
Author: self_composed | [You want me to tell her?] Bella proposes. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | [Sure!]
Bella has such great solutions to things. |
Author: self_composed | [With you here or off someplace?] |
Author: edgeofyourseat | [Second one? And probably not right now anyway, because class is starting.] Indeed, Ms. Finch is turning to greet the influx of students. |
Author: self_composed | [Right. After.] Bella fetches her mat. She'll sit through one more day of stretching and bodyweight exercises and yoga, out of everyone's way, and then she gets to play. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | Alice sticks around for class, but departs afterward without stopping for a chat. Hilary is coming to pick him up and take him grocery shopping, and he expects her to be prompt. |
Author: self_composed | [Seeya.]
Bella hangs back. She waits till the place is clear of non-Ms.-Finches. When this is the case, she says, "Ms. Finch?" |
Author: edgeofyourseat | [Toodles,] he says cheerfully, just as he spots Hilary's car turning into the lot.
"Hi," says Ms. Finch. "Again." |
Author: self_composed | "Laney" (Ms. Finch would probably understand 'Alice', but that would be a distraction right now) "doesn't want to talk about it himself, but he said I could tell you - the other day his father was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. For child abuse." |
Author: edgeofyourseat | Ms. Finch blinks.
And rubs her hands over her face.
"Wish I could say I'm surprised," she remarks. "What kind?" |
Author: self_composed | "The beating him up every day or three kind," Bella says. "I mean, there was verbal mixed in too, but that wasn't the bulk of the charges." |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "Yeah," says Ms. Finch. "Again: wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm not. It's been pretty obvious since he got here that there is some part of that kid's life that is immensely fucked up." |
Author: self_composed | "I think most of that is actually just him being himself, but yeah," Bella says. "I think he'll get into fewer fights now. Possibly no fights at all. He won't be acquiring other injuries to cover for." |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "Yes," Ms. Finch agrees. "He's being himself, and himself is immensely fucked up." |
Author: self_composed | Bella nods, shrugs. "Well, I guess I'll call my dad and get my ride home now," she says, stepping away with a wave. |
Author: edgeofyourseat | "See ya," says Ms. Finch. |