Beach parties were common occurrences for Belinda Quincy in the summer. So common, that if it didn't happen, it would be equivalent to the end of the world. Okay, maybe a little overdramatic, but it was important. Both to her family and her friends.
"All right, here we are," her mom said as the car stopped, and she finally looked up from her phone. She had been checking her Instagram. "Cody, grab the things from the trunk for me, and, Bella, carry your own stuff."
Bella looked beside her on the back seat and cringed at the number of Minnie Mouse bags. What was she thinking? It was just barely four hours at the beach. She turned to her older brother, Cody, who was already getting out of the passenger seat, and smiled.
"My favorite big bro," she said in an effort to appease him, because Dios mÃo, Cody had an ego bigger than the Grand Canyon.
"I'm your only big bro. And in case you forgot, I'm also your only brother," he replied, shutting the door, and Bella got out too, still with her phone.
"Come on, Cody. Please help me. I'll give you anything you want," she pleaded, pouting and putting her hands together, minding the phone in her hand.
"Well, you don't have anything important." He walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk. "By the way, we're late because of you."
"I was getting ready... and I didn't even bring everything I need," she said, mentally hoping her baby sister charm would work. Why did he have to be like that? There were people who would go as far as the bottom of Siberia to please her. For God's sake, she had a million fans from all over the world.
Since he needed constant buttering, she said, "Please. You're the best brother in the worldâ"
"If you need help," he interrupted, taking a large basket out, "take my phone and call either of my friends. They'll be here in a flash."
Okay, no. "What the butt?!"
"Then carry them yourself."
"I hate you." She turned back to the car and proceeded to figure out how to get the bags to their destination at once.
"Love you, too."
Ashton, Tyson and Carson were pains. Cody didn't please her most of the time, but them? And their rhyming names gave her a headache.
By the time they got to the beach, Bella's face was already hidden behind the Minnie Mouse bags, and Viola DelMane, her best friend, on seeing her, rushed to help.
"There you are." She took a handful of bags from her. "You're late."
As if she didn't already know that. "Yeah. Got seriously occupied." Her eyes went over every face in the area, until they landed on a guy, probably in his twenties, sitting beside her older sister, Adele, who had her arms outstretched towards her mom for a hug.
"That's Jared Hue, Adele's boyfriendâthe one she couldn't stop talking about," Viola told her, seeing who her eyes were on.
"Oh, he's cute."
"I know, right? I brought my sketchpad to finish some designs, but can't stop staring. I hope Adele doesn't mind."
Bella let out a small laugh. That was saying something. Viola never got distracted when working on clothes designs.
"Who's ready for a day of fun on the beach?" Bella's smile wore off when she heard Ashton Milworth's voice. Others made approving sounds, but she didn't say anything, just put her bags on the spare sunlounger.
"So, why's Stephanie not here yet? Any problem?" she asked Viola, trying to ignore Ashton.
Viola froze as she bent to put the rest of Bella's things down. She stayed that way for a while, before finally putting the bags down and standing up straight.
She gave a nervous laugh. "About that." She laughed nervously again. "Um, I just heard todayâthis morning, actuallyâthat Stephanie's... going to Canada."
"What?!" Bella screamed, gaining the attention of everyone around her.
"Yeah. Um, she's... she's kinda part of the Exchange Program this year."
Bella felt all the air leave her lungs. This was definitely not what she had in mind when she was packing for the beach. She couldn't believe her ears. Stephanie was leaving? "Cody, we're going to Steph's. Now!" she said loudly, and immediately turned around to walk back to the car.
Cody let out a grunt, knowing he couldn't argue with that. When did life come to this? "We'll be back," he said, taking the keys from his mom. "Hopefully."
He started towards Bella, but not before catching the hurt look on Viola's face.
Stephanie Baldesco and Bella were like SpongeBob and Patrickâa pair, if you prefer. She met the half Nigerian, half Filipina on the first day of kindergarten, and, so far, Steph had been a good friend. She couldn't just leave.
Her curls bounced in her ponytail as she turned to face her blue suitcase on the perfectly made bed. "I don't have a choice. My dad didn't tell me he entered my name," she explained for the umpteenth time to Bella, who was so shocked, she forgot to blink sometimes.
"But you can't leave, Steph. You're too important to me."
Stephanie smiled, then turned to face her. "I know, but, like I said, I don't have a choice." Bella didn't look convinced, so she added, "Don't worry about it. You have Viola and she's awesome. You'll probably forget about me in no time."
No way! Stephanie was talking like it was as easy as accepting her goldfish dying. "But that's Viola. She's not you and she can never be, you know that."
The door to the room opened, and Bella turned to see Amparo Cotton walking in. What the hell was she doing there? One of her archenemies, of all people. And did she hear any of what she said?
Bella was in-your-face honest, but when it came to Viola, her lips were sealed like a package in the mail. She didn't know why, but she just hoped Amparo didn't hear her last sentence, or understood the true meaning of it, because if she did, she was toast. Burnt toast.
She looked back to Stephanie. "What's she doing here?"
"She came to help me pack."
"And you let her?"
"Of course, she did. You're not the only person she knows, you know," Amparo said, with a slight roll of her eyes. "Besides, today's the last day I'll probably see her."
"Come on, Bella," Stephanie interjected. "Let's pack. Then you can tell me everything you want me to do to make you feel better." With a smile, she continued packing, and Bella couldn't believe how lightly she was taking everything.
If she wasn't mistaken, Stephanie looked... happy.
They took various parts of the room and gathered Steph's things, and, as Bella reached to grab the fake crystal ball they played with when they were five, she saw Amparo giving her a sly look. When she met her eyes, the girl didn't look away. Instead, she intensified the look.
And it could only mean one thing: she totally heard and was definitely going to tell.