Belle's alarm was blaring. She was about to jump out of bed like normal but then she remembered things weren't normal. Shawn was not hers anymore.
She wanted to bury herself in her comforter and not get up for at least a month. No! she told herself. She was stronger than that and was not going to let Jan think she had beaten her that easily. She told herself she was going to go into school with her head held high and looking great. She would remind Shawn of everything he threw away to be with Jan.
"Well, at least that was one good thing to come from all this," she told her reflection in the mirror, "I didn't sleep with him. I have that to be thankful for." Though the thought didn't really make her feel any better. She would still rather have Shawn than her virginity at this point.
"Stop that thinking right now, Isabella Black," continuing her pep talk with the mirror. "It won't do any good to wish for things that cannot be. Shawn made his bed, so to speak, and he's going to be in it without you!"
Belle managed to get out of the house without having to talk to anyone. At school she stood outside for a few minutes, trying to psyche herself up enough to go in, hoping to be able to avoid Shawn as long as possible but knew they would be seeing each other in class. "You'll be fine, just get it over with," she told herself.
"Belle! Wait up!" Belle turned to see Chloe walking toward her.
"Hi, Chloe." Though she tried to sound like her normal self, her voice sounded flat even to her. Chloe didn't miss it either.
"Belle what's wrong. Tell me."
She couldn't avoid the truth if she was ever going to get through this. Might as well fill Chloe in. Everyone was going to know soon enough when Jan started showing.
"Shawn and I broke up, yesterday."
"Oh, Belle, what happened? You guys were so perfect together."
"Well, that's not what Shawn thought. He needed to find someone else to sleep with." There was no way to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"What!
"He slept with Jan and got her pregnant."
"Belle, are you sure? There's got to be some mistake. Shawn would never cheat on you with anyone. And he's too responsible to not use protection."
"Well, maybe you could think up some reason why he would lie to me about this. Go ahead. At this point I'll believe anything. You can't think of anything either, can you?"
Chloe gave her friend a hug not knowing what else to say. "Come on let's hide out in the ladies room until class. I know how hard it is to have to see your boyfriend for the first time after you break up."
The headed to the ladies room. Once safely inside Belle said, "Thanks Chloe. I needed someone who understands how I feel. I've tried to be strong about this but it still hurts too much."
"Well, if it helps it does get easier, granted if helps if your ex isn't always trying to win you back and getting jealous all the time but it does get easier."
"I saw Philip with a rose yesterday. I assume it was for you. How are things going with you two?"
"To be honest I'm not sure. I still have feelings for Philip and getting back together with him would be so easy but there's still that thing with Cynthia."
"Did she tell you about the tape yet. I'm sorry Chloe, I was supposed to warn you about that."
"Warn me about what? I have to decide if I want to see it or if I'll trust Philip and believe what he says happened is what happened. What kind of relationship could we have if we can't trust each other."
"Well, it sounds like you've made up your mind. You don't think you'll watch the tape then."
"I don't know. I really don't know." Just then the warning bell rang. "Are you ready to brave the halls?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
The day passed in a blur. Belle saw Shawn looking miserable (Good!) and like he wanted to talk to Belle. Belle almost went over to him but just then Jan showed up and Shawn, as always, turned his attention to her. How could she have been so blind to what had been going on right under her nose. She suspected something but never let herself believe that this could have happened. She felt like such a fool.
Belle turned to run out the door when she ran into Philip.
"Belle, we have to stop meeting like this."
"Sorry, Philip. I need to get out of here."
Philip looked up and saw Shawn with Jan hanging on his arm. "Sure thing Belle. I'll take you wherever you want to go."
Once in the car Philip asked "Where do you want to go. Home?"
"No. I haven't told my family about Shawn and I'm not ready for that yet. Can we just go for a drive. I need to calm down."
"Your wish is my command."
The pair drove in silence for about 30 minutes. "Are you hungry?" Philip asked. "We're near the diner."
Belle realized just then that she hadn't eaten anything in over 24 hours. Fainting from hunger would not be the best thing right now. "Yeah, that'd be great."
Inside Belle ordered the famous French fries and a chocolate milkshake. Philip got his usual cheeseburger with everything, fries, a coke and a vanilla milkshake.
"It's almost dinnertime, Philip. Are you sure you want that much food?"
"Hey, I'm a growing boy - there's never such a thing as too much food." Belle had to smile at the "I'm so innocent" look Philip gave her. Then she realized that it was the first time she had been able to smile in what seemed like forever. "Thanks, Philip."
"For what."
"For one making me smile - for being here with me when I really need you. You're being so good to me. Thanks."
"Aw Belle. You did the same thing for me last summer. It's the least I could do. You're one of the nicest people I know. I hate what Shawn has done to you. You deserve so much better then that."
"Thanks Philip." The waitress brought their food over. Belle poured out ketchup for her fries but just picked at them.
"Belle, I hate what this is doing to you. I can't believe Shawn would do ANYTHING like this, especially to you. Did he tell you anything about how it happened with Jan?"
"No just that it happened on the island."
"There's something he's not telling you. You were the ONLY person he could think about even before he got up the nerve to ask you out. And on the island you were the ONLY thing he would talk about except for finding his grandmother's ruby. Did you talk to him today?"
"No. I almost went over to talk to him after school but then Jan came over and started hanging all over him. Seeing them together was too much. I had to get out of there."
"Yeah I saw that scene too. I still think you need to talk to him. Belle, this is NOT Shawn. There is something else going on. You need to make him tell you. I'd hate to see you guys break up without knowing everything. Look what happened with Chloe and me. I accused her of something horrible without having all the facts and have spent the whole year trying to get her to give me another chance. I don't want you to have to go through that."
"Well, there is a big difference between you and Chloe and Shawn and me. Chloe didn't lie to you and tell you she had an internet site. Shawn has told me he slept with Jan and even if it turns out he's lying to me I don't know if that would make a difference. I know I would still be hurt that he was lying to me. How could I ever trust him again?"
"But don't you want to know the truth? You even said yourself you thought he was lying. Find out why. If Jan is involved you know she can't be up to anything good. She may be trying to get Shawn away from you and has him convinced that he's the father of her baby. I don't know. I only know that I don't trust Jan and I know Shawn loves you."
Belle still looked skeptical. Philip continued, "Just go talk to him again. Press him for details. If he can't give you any then you'll know he's lying and then you can make him tell you what really is going on. If nothing else maybe knowing everything can help you forget about him and move on."
"O.K. I'll go talk to him. You're right that knowing all the facts will help me get over him. At this point I'll try anything."
Philip paid left money for their food and a tip and headed out the door with Belle. Belle still didn't think this would make her feel any better. If Shawn was lying that would really make her feel almost as bad as she did now thinking he had cheated on her with Jan. "But," she told herself, "I can't feel any worse than I do know."
She wanted to bury herself in her comforter and not get up for at least a month. No! she told herself. She was stronger than that and was not going to let Jan think she had beaten her that easily. She told herself she was going to go into school with her head held high and looking great. She would remind Shawn of everything he threw away to be with Jan.
"Well, at least that was one good thing to come from all this," she told her reflection in the mirror, "I didn't sleep with him. I have that to be thankful for." Though the thought didn't really make her feel any better. She would still rather have Shawn than her virginity at this point.
"Stop that thinking right now, Isabella Black," continuing her pep talk with the mirror. "It won't do any good to wish for things that cannot be. Shawn made his bed, so to speak, and he's going to be in it without you!"
Belle managed to get out of the house without having to talk to anyone. At school she stood outside for a few minutes, trying to psyche herself up enough to go in, hoping to be able to avoid Shawn as long as possible but knew they would be seeing each other in class. "You'll be fine, just get it over with," she told herself.
"Belle! Wait up!" Belle turned to see Chloe walking toward her.
"Hi, Chloe." Though she tried to sound like her normal self, her voice sounded flat even to her. Chloe didn't miss it either.
"Belle what's wrong. Tell me."
She couldn't avoid the truth if she was ever going to get through this. Might as well fill Chloe in. Everyone was going to know soon enough when Jan started showing.
"Shawn and I broke up, yesterday."
"Oh, Belle, what happened? You guys were so perfect together."
"Well, that's not what Shawn thought. He needed to find someone else to sleep with." There was no way to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"What!
"He slept with Jan and got her pregnant."
"Belle, are you sure? There's got to be some mistake. Shawn would never cheat on you with anyone. And he's too responsible to not use protection."
"Well, maybe you could think up some reason why he would lie to me about this. Go ahead. At this point I'll believe anything. You can't think of anything either, can you?"
Chloe gave her friend a hug not knowing what else to say. "Come on let's hide out in the ladies room until class. I know how hard it is to have to see your boyfriend for the first time after you break up."
The headed to the ladies room. Once safely inside Belle said, "Thanks Chloe. I needed someone who understands how I feel. I've tried to be strong about this but it still hurts too much."
"Well, if it helps it does get easier, granted if helps if your ex isn't always trying to win you back and getting jealous all the time but it does get easier."
"I saw Philip with a rose yesterday. I assume it was for you. How are things going with you two?"
"To be honest I'm not sure. I still have feelings for Philip and getting back together with him would be so easy but there's still that thing with Cynthia."
"Did she tell you about the tape yet. I'm sorry Chloe, I was supposed to warn you about that."
"Warn me about what? I have to decide if I want to see it or if I'll trust Philip and believe what he says happened is what happened. What kind of relationship could we have if we can't trust each other."
"Well, it sounds like you've made up your mind. You don't think you'll watch the tape then."
"I don't know. I really don't know." Just then the warning bell rang. "Are you ready to brave the halls?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
The day passed in a blur. Belle saw Shawn looking miserable (Good!) and like he wanted to talk to Belle. Belle almost went over to him but just then Jan showed up and Shawn, as always, turned his attention to her. How could she have been so blind to what had been going on right under her nose. She suspected something but never let herself believe that this could have happened. She felt like such a fool.
Belle turned to run out the door when she ran into Philip.
"Belle, we have to stop meeting like this."
"Sorry, Philip. I need to get out of here."
Philip looked up and saw Shawn with Jan hanging on his arm. "Sure thing Belle. I'll take you wherever you want to go."
Once in the car Philip asked "Where do you want to go. Home?"
"No. I haven't told my family about Shawn and I'm not ready for that yet. Can we just go for a drive. I need to calm down."
"Your wish is my command."
The pair drove in silence for about 30 minutes. "Are you hungry?" Philip asked. "We're near the diner."
Belle realized just then that she hadn't eaten anything in over 24 hours. Fainting from hunger would not be the best thing right now. "Yeah, that'd be great."
Inside Belle ordered the famous French fries and a chocolate milkshake. Philip got his usual cheeseburger with everything, fries, a coke and a vanilla milkshake.
"It's almost dinnertime, Philip. Are you sure you want that much food?"
"Hey, I'm a growing boy - there's never such a thing as too much food." Belle had to smile at the "I'm so innocent" look Philip gave her. Then she realized that it was the first time she had been able to smile in what seemed like forever. "Thanks, Philip."
"For what."
"For one making me smile - for being here with me when I really need you. You're being so good to me. Thanks."
"Aw Belle. You did the same thing for me last summer. It's the least I could do. You're one of the nicest people I know. I hate what Shawn has done to you. You deserve so much better then that."
"Thanks Philip." The waitress brought their food over. Belle poured out ketchup for her fries but just picked at them.
"Belle, I hate what this is doing to you. I can't believe Shawn would do ANYTHING like this, especially to you. Did he tell you anything about how it happened with Jan?"
"No just that it happened on the island."
"There's something he's not telling you. You were the ONLY person he could think about even before he got up the nerve to ask you out. And on the island you were the ONLY thing he would talk about except for finding his grandmother's ruby. Did you talk to him today?"
"No. I almost went over to talk to him after school but then Jan came over and started hanging all over him. Seeing them together was too much. I had to get out of there."
"Yeah I saw that scene too. I still think you need to talk to him. Belle, this is NOT Shawn. There is something else going on. You need to make him tell you. I'd hate to see you guys break up without knowing everything. Look what happened with Chloe and me. I accused her of something horrible without having all the facts and have spent the whole year trying to get her to give me another chance. I don't want you to have to go through that."
"Well, there is a big difference between you and Chloe and Shawn and me. Chloe didn't lie to you and tell you she had an internet site. Shawn has told me he slept with Jan and even if it turns out he's lying to me I don't know if that would make a difference. I know I would still be hurt that he was lying to me. How could I ever trust him again?"
"But don't you want to know the truth? You even said yourself you thought he was lying. Find out why. If Jan is involved you know she can't be up to anything good. She may be trying to get Shawn away from you and has him convinced that he's the father of her baby. I don't know. I only know that I don't trust Jan and I know Shawn loves you."
Belle still looked skeptical. Philip continued, "Just go talk to him again. Press him for details. If he can't give you any then you'll know he's lying and then you can make him tell you what really is going on. If nothing else maybe knowing everything can help you forget about him and move on."
"O.K. I'll go talk to him. You're right that knowing all the facts will help me get over him. At this point I'll try anything."
Philip paid left money for their food and a tip and headed out the door with Belle. Belle still didn't think this would make her feel any better. If Shawn was lying that would really make her feel almost as bad as she did now thinking he had cheated on her with Jan. "But," she told herself, "I can't feel any worse than I do know."