Chapter 44: Making Amends and Saying Goodbye
She should have known, living in a semi-small suburban town, that news would travel fast and that she'd get her 15 minutes of fame.
She just hadn't expected it like this.
About an hour after arriving home, four local channels practically knocked down the door, all demanding interviews. Connie, hesitant at first, finally consented; Bella was sure she said yes just to get all the people out of their house.
Even after that, they still weren't left alone. The local news stations must have wanted their story very, very badly, because all the interviews aired on the 6 o'clock news. The phone kept ringing, and Bella started getting texts from her friends, and people she didn't even know.
Tori was the only person she didn't hear from.
Bella blinked as she sat on the window seat. What had started that stupid fight, anyway? It must have been something petty, or otherwise she'd be able to remember.
She opened her phone and selected "New Txt Message".
IzzyB13: Meet me at the playground tomorrow at 12. I want to talk.
Bella didn't expect a reply back. And she didn't get one.
It was 11:50 the next morning. She walked down the stairs and grabbed her coat.
"I'm going for a walk," she called over her shoulder.
"Don't be long," Connie answered from the living room.
Bella smiled ruefully as she shut the door and began to walk down the street. Her mother hadn't tried at all to make Bella or Max talk about what had happened Friday night – at least, not yet. That was the nice thing about Connie: even though she nagged a lot, she knew when you needed your space to sort things out.
Only…what exactly did she need to sort out?
Well, for one, she wanted to tell her mom that she wanted to talk things out from now on, and not go around pretending everything was fine. And she wanted to patch things up with Claire; her older sister would be off to college in less than a year.
And with Max, she didn't even know where to begin.
She supposed she, like Connie and Claire, wanted to know the obvious: where he'd been last night. But she also wanted him to know, to really know, that she loved him. He was under the impression that getting mad at someone equaled not liking them anymore. She needed to tell him that it was normal…most of the time.
It was 12:02. Why was she even bothering?
Tori wasn't going to show up. She was still angry, and they'd never be friends again. Bella sighed, watching her breath make a puff of steam in front of her.
"You just can't stay away from the cold, can you?"
Bella turned. Tori was standing over her, a wry smile on her face.
"You came."
Tori nodded. "I was worried, I guess you could say."
She sat down, and the two of them sat in silence.
"I'm sorry," Bella said. "I didn't mean…"
Tori smiled. "Apology accepted. I appreciate you worrying about me, but I'm not five years old. I can make my own decisions – whether or not they hurt me."
Bella sniffed. "I get it from my mom."
Tori rolled her eyes before pulling her into a hug. "That's why you're my best friend."
After they pulled apart, Tori looked at her seriously. "I saw the news last night."
Bella exhaled. "I'm pretty sure the whole state did."
"Well, what you did wasn't smart…but the Bella I know sometimes does that kind of thing." Tori giggled. "I'm just glad you're okay. God, I can't even imagine…"
"Trust me…it was scary," Bella said, shaking her head. "I think my mom's gonna confine me to the house until I graduate."
Tori got a mischievous look in her eyes. "You think I could smuggle you to Starbucks for lunch without her knowing?"
Bella pretended to consider. "I did find twenty bucks in my coat pocket the other day…"
The two girls laughed and made their way up the street.
Early afternoon that same day, Max sat on one of the swings, watching Stumpy chase his tail. He was still feeling overwhelmed by everything, but at the same time, he felt strangely calm.
His mom wasn't asking about what had happened Friday, and he was glad. He wasn't ready to tell her – or anyone else – about the Wild Things. He still needed to readjust back into his life; he knew things were going to be a whole lot different now.
And, after his trip to the police station and being on the news, he wanted to lay low for a while. He half-expected to be bombarded by his classmates when he went back to school on Tuesday (Connie was allowing him and Bella to stay home tomorrow).
As he rocked in his seat, he thought he heard something. Stumpy had stopped running and was now sitting quite still, ears cocked.
"Hello, Max."
Max turned to see Bella the Vampire sitting in the next swing. She looked exactly the same, only…she looked sad.
"Hey." He was a little puzzled at seeing her. He hadn't been thinking of her at that moment…
"Max…" He could see she was trying not to cry. "I have to talk to you about something."
Max shrugged, trying not to freak out at the way she was behaving. "Okay."
"I'm not your Imaginary Friend anymore, Max."
Max frowned. Well, of course she wasn't…he was too old for that. "So?" he asked.
"So that means…I can't visit anymore."
Max blinked. "I don't understand what you're…"
"Max. You've grown out of me."
The full-force of what she said finally hit him. Sure, he was older, but it didn't mean he couldn't have an Imaginary Friend…did it?
"Being on the island made me realize how much you've grown up," Bella said, trying to talk through her tears. "Your brain knows that you're older now, and…well…you don't need me."
"What?" Max jumped off the swing, staring at her. "No! I still need you! You're…you're my best friend."
She tried to smile through her tears. "Max…I'm not your best friend. The Wild Things taught you to rely on your family more, to understand them better and grow closer to them. And…that's why you've grown out of me. You're at that age where you need real friends."
"But…what happens to you?"
Bella shook her head. "I don't know."
He threw his arms around her. "Don't go, Bella. Please?"
She hugged him, tears flowing from her eyes. "Max, I wish I could stay. But I don't have a choice."
Max realized that what she said was true. He could almost feel his matured mind; he wished that it would go back to when it still needed her.
But, at the same time, he knew it was best. He really did need real friends…someone other than a person he'd created. He needed to live in the real world.
Even if the real world didn't include Bella the Vampire.
"I'll miss you, Max," Bella said, kissing him on the forehead. "Thank you for everything."
"I'll miss you, too," Max said, feeling his own tears burning his eyes.
"Goodbye, Max."
"Bye."
She stood still, and suddenly she was enveloped in a white light. It flew towards his forehead, and once again, he could feel his pupils dilate.
Once his vision adjusted, he knew for certain that she was gone. He couldn't seem to for what she looked like in his mind. He sat on the woodchips, letting himself cry. Stumpy came over and sat next to him licking his hand in consolation.
"Max?"
Bella walked over to him, her face pale. "What just…what were you…who was that?"
The words didn't sink in at first. "Who?"
"There was a girl with you," Bella said shakily. "She kind of looked like a cross between me and Claire. And then she exploded in a white light and…" She hugged him. "What the heck happened?"
Max frowned. "How did you see that? I'm the only one who can see Bella the Vampire."
"That was…" Bella trailed off. "Then…how…?"
Max didn't want to talk anymore. He wanted to crawl in bed and stay there for a while.
"Can we just go home? Please?"
Bella nodded. "That sounds good."
The two siblings slowly made their way home, Stumpy trailing behind them.
