[Bella's Point of View]
Days at school were getting more and more annoying. Every time I walk along the hallway, I hear voices of kids talking behind my back, and I couldn't just confront them for doing that.
And Princess Bellania, don't call me Bella, started all of these.
"So, what do you think about people calling you a murderer?" She asked while her eyes were on me and her arms crossed tightly.
"Why would I even care about a rumor? I would not waste my time on that."
She leaned closer to me and whispered, "If I get to prove that you really are a murderer, your reign in this school will end."
Oh, really? I smirked.
"Then prove it."
...
Niana and I headed to buy snacks, and I bumped into a very familiar lady. She was from the lower grade class. She looked so pale, and her hands were quivering when her eyes met mine.
She was from the newspaper club, the girl who kept glaring at Ashton.
"Sorry." She mumbled and rushed away.
Before she could even be out of reach, I grabbed her wrist. It was cold as ice.
"What did Ashton do to you?" I asked, and I felt her flinch.
I turned towards her, but she wasn't making eye contact with me. She was just looking down.
"What did he do to you? And to all the other club members?" I asked, and Niana beside me was looking at me and the girl trembling right in front of me, confused.
"He...he didn't do anything." She replied and fidgeted her fingers.
I sighed heavily and said, "I know he must have done something horrible, especially to the old members of the club."
She didn't say a word.
"I noticed that the club was full of ladies who are usually on top of their classes. Is he obsessed with intelligence?" I asked and moved closer to the girl.
"I...I heard you are a murderer. Don't come any closer." She took a few steps away. I chortled.
"You're such a fo to believe those kinds of gossip. Anyway, see you at the club later." I waved my hand and turned away from her.
These past days, the members of the club were acting weirdly. I just know what Ashton did to those ladies.
That punk, he thinks he could also do something to me, does he?
...
"So, that wraps up our meeting for today!" Ashton clapped his hands and sighed.
"Are you guys alright? Everyone is so quiet. Perhaps, did you fail your tests?" He continued.
I looked at him, and he also looked at me.
"What are you?" I asked while raising a brow.
He pointed at himself, puzzled by what I voiced.
"I'm... I'm a human?"
I looked at the girl from the lower years. She was looking at me with an icy and nervous gaze. Is she thinking I know about something?
Well, yes, darling. I know everything.
I smirked at her and walked towards sitting Ashton. I leaned lower and stroked his jaw. He gulped.
"I know what you are," I smirked at him, and he smirked at me back.
I stood up and went out of the room. They make me want to vomit.
I immediately headed to the dorm and lay down on my bed. I glanced at the window while the wind was blowing my red curtains away.
I breathed heavily.
Can't I just live in peace? Why do these terrible things happen to me anyway?
I don't deserve it because I am a victim.
"Bella? Are you home? Why didn't you tell me you were going home earlier? How dare you leave me while waiting for you at school! Hey!"
I rolled my eyes and covered myself with my green blanket. I'm so preoccupied with things.
"Bella?" I heard Niana open my door.
"Are you sick?" She asked.
"No, Just leave me alone."
She sighed and closed my door.
Why do awful things keep happening to people who don't deserve them?
After an hour of sulking, I decided to take a bath and eat dinner alone. Niana stayed inside her room, and I was surprised she wasn't coming out.
I don't know if she's really in her room or not, but either way, it's none of my business.
I ate toasted bread with peanut butter and strawberry jam as a filler. I never thought it would taste good. I also ate vanilla-flavored yogurt.
People usually think these kinds of food should be eaten during breakfast, but any food will do for me. What's will happen if I eat eggs and bacon at night? Will I die?
Definitely not.
People and their absurd thinkings.
A message popped on my screen as I was spooning yogurt. I grabbed my phone, and it was Ashton.
Ashton: Hey, the thing you said a while back, what do you mean? Or should I say, what do you know?
I smirked and took a bit of the yogurt, then typed on my phone.
Me: I know everything.
Ashton: May I call?
My phone started ringing, and I shrugged before I answered his call.
"What do you need?" I asked. I heard him breathing heavily on the other line.
"What... what do you know?" He asked with a shaking, deep voice.
"I just know what you did to the members of the club."
He grunted, and I heard pieces of glass shattering.
"Don't you ever say anything to anyone!" His voice changed from gentle to stern.
"Why?"
"Because I'll ruin your reputation before you can even speak."
He ended the call and chuckled.
The poor man just admitted his sins.
I opened my social media accounts and saw many people tagging me with captions like 'Bella Salvador: The crazy manipulative psycho murderer' and so on.
I didn't kill anyone. They kill themselves. I was just there to help them die.
Well, that is my perception.
Now, what do we do with all these bunches of nonsense rumors about me? I wonder how teachers would look at me now.
Will they believe the rumors? Will they ask me about it? Or will they even bother at all?
I looked at the time, and I'd been on my phone for an hour. It's eleven pm.
I glanced at Niana's door, and I'm pretty sure she isn't here. Where could she be this late? During these past days, she usually goes out without me and without telling me where she goes. I wouldn't bother asking her because it's the least of my concerns anyway. I don't care whether she goes out without me or not. I stood up from the couch and went inside my room again. I looked at myself in the mirror and stared at my reflection.
What a beautiful creation with countless thoughts.
I closed my eyes as soon as I lay down my head on my soft white pillow. I'm so sleepy.
...
"Bella, you were just as beautiful as the last time I saw you."
What is this voice?
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."
Huh? He sounds familiar.
"Do you really resent me that much that you had to push me away?"
I felt someone hold my hand. I slightly opened my eyes and saw a familiar face.
Why do I feel very dizzy?
I know...
"Bella?"
This is...
"Bella."
A dream.
"James." I tried to say, and I wondered if he even heard me.
Even with my eyes moving from side to side, my head felt so dizzy that I saw him crying.
"James? Is... is that really you?" My eyes closed.
"Yes. Yes, Bella, it's me." I felt him hug me, and I held his arms with my eyes yet closed.
"This is a dream. You were dead." I said.
I heard a word coming from him, but I fell into a deep sleep once again.
...
I woke up with a heavy feeling in my chest as if I had a nightmare. I sat down and held my head as I groaned in pain. It's been a while since I haven't got migraines. Have I overthought yesterday?
I stretched my arms and rubbed my eyes. I remembered the strange dream I had last night.
I looked at my bed and my hands. There's no way Jameson could've probably been here.
He's dead.
I miss him so much.
I lay down again and contemplated whether I should go to school or not. I will be hearing people talking behind my back for the nth time, making me want to cut their tongues off.
"Good morning, Bella!" Niana opened the door of my room and jumped right into my bed. She pressed her head into my pillow and sweetly smiled at me. I just glared at her. She's such an unbelievable lady!
"What the heck are you doing here?" I asked and sat down.
"Huh? I'm here to lie down beside you. Do you know I feel lazy to go to school right now?" She muttered and grabbed my blanket.
"Come on! We must go to school. I also feel lazy, but you know I can't skip classes." I pulled her out of my bed.
"Okay, fine. But don't you ever leave me again like what you did yesterday."
I just nodded.
...
At school, I saw Ashton kept staring at me with this crazy look in his eyes. I don't know whether he is mad or concerned that I would disclose whatever his sins are.
What an obnoxious coward. He can't even stand up for what he has done.
I can't believe that wench Princess Bellania is dating this jerk of an ass.
Thank goodness the teachers announced that these pathetic students must stop spreading nonsense rumors about me, or they will be expelled.
Serves them right.
As usual, Princess Bellania is always triggered whenever she sees me. She has this place inside her soul where she puts her jealousy of me.
"Don't you dare think this would stop us from ruining you because I won't stop until you fall down to the bottom?" She uttered and walked past through me.
"Really? What will you do?" I turned to her and crossed my arms.
Her lips with a hundred layers of lip gloss are making me infuriated.
"I can do whatever I want to you because my dad is one of the biggest sponsors of this school. Once I ask him to expel you, you're doomed."
"Oh, really? I pity kids who are like you. Once your parents die, you won't be anything anymore. I wonder if you got good grades because your father forced the teachers and paid them a lot of cash. I don't think you're intelligent anyway. You are just like any other student who is craving for attention."
I just said those words, and I can't believe she flinched and came towards me.
So, that's true, huh?
"You freak! How dare you?!" She screamed and started to grab my hair, but Ashton came to halt her.
"Princess, stop that," Ashton told her in a gentle voice. His usual facade.
Princess pushed me and turned away with Ashton.
"All of us have dark, deep secrets. I wonder whose secrets would be revealed first?"