Chapter 3 – The Stages of freedom
That was the turning day.
Courtney, or Alison as she insisted was her name, played the doctor's game. Having no idea how her sister acted she created a new personality filled with things she learned to like. She acted less bitchy than she normally would and was friendlier.
Bella on the other hand, knowing she'd never be allowed to leave if she didn't move on decided to fake it till she made it. She forced herself to talk to her therapist on their daily sessions doing her best to pretend that Edward was just another boy. Another human boy.
Alison and Bella grew close. Fifteen year old Alison began seeing Bella as a big sister unknowingly taking parts of the eighteen year old's personality.
Alison started to contemplate before acting letting the attention to the details the older girl had to imprint itself to her. In turn, Bella became more ambitious and self assured allowing Alison to teach her how to create opportunities instead of waiting for something to happen.
They vowed to leave this place. One way or another.
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Alison and Bella sat at a round table in the Preserve at Addison-Stevens'cafe, with steaming lattes, homemade organic yogurt, and fresh fruit cups in front of them. They definitely had the best table in the place—not only was it the farthest one from the nurses' station, but it also gave them a prime view out the window of the hot groundskeeper, who was vigorously shoveling snow off the drive in a tight, long-sleeved thermal tee.
"I could so bite that"
Alison mused watching the groundskeeper. Bella snorted. In the six months since she had 'woken up' she had overcome the automatic flinch, choke, need to hug herself every time she saw the piano, read a book or someone made a vampire reference. She had admitted to herself that the Cullens had moved on and if they wanted to find her they could.
Instead the two went over their respective plans while doing what was acceptable at the Preserve. Spend hours at the gym, the spa, the salon, be nice, act sullen and in remorse with their therapists and, obviously, neither took their medication.
"You're so bad. He's my father's age!"
"Still yummy"
Alison claimed making Bella laugh.
"What time are your parents coming?"
Bella asked taking a sip of her drink. Alison pursed her lips
"About 3pm. they want Ali to meet me here"
She said widening her eyes like she was a three year old. Bella laughed and shook her head.
"Stick to the plan okay? It's your chance"
She smiled motherly at Alison. She had touched the topic of leaving with her therapist once or twice and the woman had told her that she wanted Bella to stay calm and herself for a bit longer. If all went well she'd leave at summer.
Summer was only three months away.
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Alison shook her long waves smiling when they fell smoothly down her back. Nervously she applied another coat of clear pink gloss over her lips opting for Bella's 'less is more' ideas and scratched her legs with her slightly long nails.
"Cool it"
Bella snapped at her. Both girls' nerves were sky high. They had finished their lunches, went to Group Therapy Sunday and had just seen Ali's family's car enter the premises.
"Break a leg"
Bella whispered and hugged the younger girl before heading to the day room. She leaned against a wall there, pretending to take notes for an exercise she had to make with her eyes glued across the big room and to the family that had just entered it.
Bella loved the day room. It was big and bright with several large windows, threadbare couches pushed against the walls, and an old, blinking TV playing classic movies. Today's pick was Casablanca. There were also lots of tall bookcases full of books and board games. If she hadn't met Alison she'd be glued to one of the bookcases.
The father sat down heavily on one of the couches, the mother scolded the daughter and her eyes met with the brother. She smiled friendly and looked back down to her notebook missing the smile she got back.
"Dang, good looks run in the family"
She mused looking back up from underneath her lashes. The girl, Courtney or Fake-Alison, looked exactly like her roommate only she was less. Teensy bit less pretty, her hair was a shade darker and less shiny, her eyes not as big and expressive, her boobs a bit smelled with her waist a bit wider. She also had the habit a lot of people in the Preserve have. She kept fumbling with a bracelet she wore on her right wrist.
Then, almost as scripted, the door opened, and the original Alison walked into the room and walked to her parents with a smile and a hug. Fake-Alison pretended to observe her short nails and avoided the hug. Bella counted to twenty and walked to them hugging Alison.
"Court!"
"Hey, Bell,"
Alison said, slinging her arm around Bella's.
"Everyone, this is Bella, my roommate. And Bell, this is Jason, Mom and Dad, and my sister"
She looked squarely at Fake-Alison.
"Alison."
Bella smiled and turned her chocolate eyes to Fake-Ali.
"So you're the famous Alison. I've heard a lot about you."
Ali gave Bella a bitchy smile back.
"Don't believe everything you hear. I'm not nearly as wonderful as Courtney says"
"Oh, and Courtney does say you're wonderful"
Bella didn't even blink. Fake-Alison reminded her of Rosalie alot.
"But she's pretty awesome, too. We have alot of fun here. Tuesday's our standing spa day, isn't it, Court? And Thursday is yoga!"
"How nice!"
Mrs. DiLaurentis, who had the same blond hair as her children, clapped her hands. Ali squinted.
"You have a spa here? And yoga?"
She snapped annoyed
"Uh -huh"
Bella's smile was perfectly sane as she regarded the other girl.
"You're jealous, aren't you? I bet you want to be in here, too"
Bella's eyes gleamed as Fake-Alison flinched, a chill running up her spine, paling. It was obvious to the girl that her sister had told this Bella girl everything. And Bella clearly believed her. Seeing her message had been received, Bella stood and smiled to the family before extending her hand.
"Well, I'll let you guys catch up. It was great meeting you. Courtney just won't shut up about you"
She sauntered off, her jeans hanging low on her hips. Mrs. DiLaurentis set her soda on the coffee table.
"She seems... nice"
Alison smiled at her mother her eyes following Bella as she walked out of the room.
"Bell is great. I see her as my big sister"
She smiled broadly. She almost missed Jason's exclamation of Bella being hot but she didn't. Her eyes widened at the slight blush on her brother's cheeks. If she played her cards right she wouldn't have to lose her new friend once they broke free.
"So how are your classes?"
Mr. DiLaurentis asked. Every one at the Preserve had a private tutor who kept them on pace with their grade level. Alison chuckled.
"They're great Dad. Straight A's"
Fake-Ali flinched again. She had trouble keeping good grades AND keep up her friends and various boyfriends. Jason's eyes were still on the door Bella left
"Where are her parents?"
Ali sighed. Parents were a touchy subject with Bella.
"Non existent. They locked her up here in the fall because she was depressed over her breakup. She keeps asking to see them but they never show up"
The hate in her voice was crystal clear. She had only heard stories about them but it didn't stop her from hating them.
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Bella's eyebrows lifted when Alison joined her in their room three hours later. Alison raised her thumb in a 'success' motion.
Stage 1: Done!
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From that Friday on Alison's parents came by every month. Sometimes it was Mr. DiLaurentis, or Mrs. DiLaurentis pr Even Jason alone but someone did show up. They'd talk with Alison, invite Bella along for lunch and sometimes spend hours at the Day Room playing board games.
Fake-Alison never showed up again.
The differences between Alison and Courtney were becoming more and more noticeable and better yet Mr. and Mrs. DiLaurentis could tell them apart.
Stage 2: Done!
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It was Monday on a hot June day that Bella was standing in the Day Room with her therapist.
"I know I was horrible but I wanted to thank you. Coming here was the best decision of my life"
She confided to her therapist and she meant it. Colleen may have never been loved by a creature like Edward but she had helped Bella to stop faking. She had actually moved on re-learning to love herself first.
"Thank you too. Remember I want to see you every week for June. Just to talk, no strings attached"
Colleen smiled as Bella nodded and watched proudly as Bella hugged Alison and walking to the hot air she got in a cab. The two girls had managed to heal each other as she hoped they'd do.
Stage 3: Done!
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During the month of her forced visits to the Preserve Bella was busy. She had used her old fake ID to rent a motel room in Philadelphia right outside Rosewood and on a day no one was home she crept inside the DiLaurentis house to borrow enough of Fake-Alison's diaries. She handed those to the real Alison letting her acquaint herself to her twin's life.
Meanwhile she kept trying to contact her parents. She was never close with Charlie so that didn't hurt much but calling her mother only to find out Renée had changed her number hurt deeply.
Unknown to her though Alison was doing the same thing. And the blond girl did one thing Bella hadn't thought to do.
She called Charlie pretending to be a friend of Bella's from phoenix who only now returned to the country. When Charlie told her Bella had moved back with her mother, she pushed him to give her the correct number.
Renee rebutted Charlie's claims that their daughter lived with her but it didn't bother Alison. Instead she chatted Phil up and got him to contact Bella. After all it was his sudden jump to major leagues that had paid for the Preserve.
Alison learned how to become Fake-Alison pretending to be the real-Alison.
Bella got a friend in Phil behind Renee's back.
Stage 4: Done!