"Good morning Bell." Lena smiled half heartedly as she walked up to unlock the classroom door for the girl standing there, as she had done many other mornings.
"Good morning Mrs. Adams Foster." Bell said a little louder than she normally did, she was almost speaking in a normal tone of voice, receiving Lena's attention.
When the two entered the classroom, they settled into the normal routine, it was almost comfortable for them both, but Bell interrupted the silence.
"Is everything alright?" She asked quietly, looking at Lena. Lena looked exhausted, bags under her eyes and she had just been staring off in space for a few minutes, Bell knew when she hadn't heard from Aria it must have been a difficult night, but she hadn't expected Lena to look this affected by it.
Lena looked over at the teenage girl, "Yeah, I'm alright sweetie." She lied, "I'm gonna go to the teacher's room and get some tea before the class starts, be right back."
Bell nodded quietly, she could tell Lena wasn't fine, and that made her worry even more about Aria. She pulled out her phone to text her friend, "Hurry and come to your mom's classroom, she's not in the room. Need to talk."
As soon as Aria got the text she ran out of study hall and was there in a second to talk to her friend. "What's up?" She asked.
"What happened last night?!" Bell had to refrain herself from yelling, "You're mother looks like shit, and I haven't heard from you all night."
"I might have let it slip about the depression after hours of them trying to get me to talk. I completely shut down, there was no emotion in my voice, I was rude, I just didn't care anymore" Aria said as she explained what has happened that night. "I didn't tell them about the eating thing though" She quickly added.
"Oh," Bell was stunned, she hadn't expected Aria to give in that easily and tell her moms, "How did they react?"
"There was no way out of it. And I might have told them that I told them one thing like they asked and then asked if they could leave me the fucking hell alone" Aria replied.
"I haven't even met Stef, but from what I've been told, I have no idea how you got away with it." Bell paused and looked at her friend, Aria looked just as tired, if not worse, than Lena. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fan-fucking-tastic" Aria said. "And I think Stef was just glad that I actually told them something." She added trying to find some comfort in the presence of her friend.
"Glad to see you haven't lost that sense of humor you always have," Bell rolled her eyes, looking at Aria, Bell could tell she wasn't okay, her eyes lacked the same snarky fire they had when the two girls had first become friends, "Maybe you should go, your mom is going to be back soon, we don't want her catching you hanging out with the quiet girl who is failing her class, then she'll just start asking even more questions. Talk later?" Bell smiled weakly as her friend nodded and started off towards the door, "Wait. Aria, use the back door, otherwise your mom is going to see you."
Lena had been standing outside the classroom door for just a moment, she hadn't meant to eavesdrop but she was curious when she heard Bell's voice in the classroom talking to someone else, she only caught the last bit of conversation, enough to hear Bell talking about failing her class, and for Bell to say her daughter's name, Aria's name.
Once Lena heard the back door to the classroom open and quietly she entered the classroom trying to look normal and not draw Bell's attention.
"Uh, Bell," Lena said softly as she grabbed her grade book of her desk and walked over to the empty seat next to the young girl, "I've actually been wanting to talk to you about something." Lena sat down and noticed Bell's head immediately dropped, the young girl keeping her eyes on the ground and pulling at her sleeve.
"Mhm." Bell whispered, barely audible.
Lena turned a bit to face Bell, hoping it would make Bell more comfortable with the situation,"Do you know how you're doing in this class?"
Bell nodded slightly, "Yeah. Sorry but it's not a big deal."
"Well you do really well on everything but tests, I was thinking, it may benefit you if you were to stay after and we could find a tutor to go over notes for the tests." Lena offered, she secretly wanted it as a way to get the girl to trust her and for Lena to see why Bell was always so quiet and protected.
"Sure." Bell hesitated, "I'll just have to check with Ar..." She stopped herself, Aria, she wanted to say. I just have to check if your daughter, who I'm friends with, but you don't know that is okay with it. "With a parent. To make sure it's okay." She tried to cover up her mistake. Bell knew she would have to find a way out of it, and knew Aria would be the person she could ask for advice on how.
For the entire eighty minutes of the class Bell couldn't keep from looking at the clock every two minutes, and not without Lena noticing. Bell just wanted to get out of the class, she could feel Lena watching her every move after the little chat they had. As soon as the bell dismissing class rang, Bell was one of the first students to stand up, she was about to run out the door when Lena stopped her, "Bell? Could you at least think about it? I know you're a bright kid."
Bell couldn't help but roll her eyes as she turned around and left the room, pulling out her phone, she needed to talk to Aria. "Empty art hallway, NOW." She sent and quickly ran down the stairs towards the art hall.
"Hi." Bell said quickly as she ran towards her friend.
"Are you okay?" Aria asked as she hugged her friend.
"Your mom. She knows something. When you told her about the depression, did you tell her anything, else?" Bell got quiet as she spoke.
"No, I just told her about the depression and got the hell out of there" Aria said clearly confused.
"Once you left, right in time by the way, your mom came into the classroom and started talking to me about grades and how I'm failing and everything and suggested I stay after for her to tutor, she seemed like she was fishing for information." Bell sighed, she hoped Lena had been fishing and didn't already know anything, "How do I get out of the tutoring thing, because that's going to be extremely awkward"
"Um, say that you have to babysit every single day after school" Aria suggested. "And I didn't tell them anything" She added.
"Maybe you should," Bell suggested, "I mean then, your moms wouldn't worry so much because you would have a friend. And Lena could stop trying to act all mother to me. I don't understand why you have to keep it secret that we're friends." Bell whispered.
"What would Callie say? I mean, I don't want her to think that you are bad influence on my, I mean her opinion means the most to me and if she doesn't like you then I will be hearing about it" Aria responded. "I'm just scared. It has always been just me and her and I don't want her to think that I am trying to replace her" she quickly added.
"Yeah." Bell sighed defeated, "If you're okay with it, I think I'm going to take your mother up on her offer. Don't worry I won't tell her anything, but I do need to pass history."
"I'm fine with it, and you can tell her. I just don't know how I would go about doing that" Aria responded glad that her friend was gonna be taking her mom up on her offer.
"Do you think, your moms are going to tell Callie about your talk last night?"
"I don't know, I mean this morning they told me that they wanted me to come and eat lunch with them again" Aria said. "I really hope not. callie knows about the depression but she doesn't know how bad it can get" Aria added as she and Bell started making their way to their math class that they had together.
"Maybe you could tell them, and ask them not to tell Callie?" Bell suggested, she hated seeing her friend hurting, and if Bell trusted Lena, she didn't see why Aria couldn't.
"I just don't know how I would tell them, and I don't even know what they are gonna talk to me about at lunch today either." Aria said as they made their way into the classroom and sat in the back like always.
"We'll figure out something, for the next hour, the only thing we have to worry about is the hell they call Algebra." Bell said clearly not please to be in math already, especially when she had more important problems to solve than the ones on the board with x's in them.
"Yeah I just wished that Lunch didn't follow math" Aria said.
"I know. But I mean, the worst is already over right? You've already told your moms one bad thing." Bell tried to comfort her friend.
"Now it is going to be like 20 questions and I will never be alone" Aria said.
"Maybe they won't overreact, I mean, Lena's a teacher. There's no way she's never dealt with depressed teenagers before." Bell saw her friend was starting to distance herself, "Say, do you wanna risk it and just ditch for a class, have a few minutes of peace before the questioning begins?"
"Yes" Aria said not caring that the teacher was going to tell Lena and that she was going to get grounded until she was 30.
"Where to?" Bell asked as the two girls ran out onto the beach, hoping to be out of sight of anyone at the school.
"The beach?" Aria asked.
"Okay." Bell gestured for Aria to lead the way, "Lead the way."
Aria lead Bell to the spot right under the lifeguard's chair where they could watch the ocean without being seen by anyone. "This is my favorite spot to go" Aria said as she and Bell sat down.
"Do you ditch a lot?" Bell was surprised that Aria had a spot, she couldn't imagine, a principal and a cop as moms and still just disappearing sometimes.
"I use to run hear all the time in my other foster homes. It was the only place where I would get peace and quiet. I ditched once and Stef and Lena grounded me for a month" Aria explained.
"What's it like anyways," Bell asked looking out towards the water, "The foster system."
"Every home is different. You never know what form of abuse you are going to get, whether it be physical, mental, or negligent it still hurts all the same. You learn not to trust people, Until I got placed with the fosters the only thing close to a mom I had was my sister who is just a few years older than I am. I have learned to keep quiet about everything and only speak when necessary. I have basically learned that to survive you need to fly under the radar of life. You don't want to stick out, you just want to get by without attracting attention to yourself." Aria said as she too looked out at the ocean mesmerized by it beauty.
"Do you trust the Fosters?" It was something Bell had been wondering for some time, especially every time Aria would refer to her moms as Stef and Lena, or them. Never using the word moms.
"Yeah, I am still learning how to trust though. It's just hard." Aria responded glad that her friend suggested ditching no matter how much trouble she will get in.
"Do you trust me," Bell asked, almost dreading the answer, "Just a tiny bit?"
"I trust you with my life" Aria answered.
"Then do me a favor. Leave your phone and everything here. Just for a minute, and then follow me." Bell said grinning checking the time, she knew her friend needed to calm down before having to talk to her moms. Bell started jogging towards the water.
"Okay" Aria said as she shut off her phone and followed her friend.
"Okay. Close your eyes." Bell could barely contain her laughter, "And just listen to the ocean. Try and relax a bit."
"Okay" Aria said doing as she was told. She started to relax tremendously.
Bell couldn't help but smile at her friend, Aria looked at peace. "I hate to ruin this but..." Bell laughed as she tripped Aria into a wave, "You needed to laugh, you were way too worried about everything" Bell grinned evilly at her friend, "sorry" Bella tried to say innocently between bursts of laughter.
"Im gonna get you back, you bitch" Aria screamed jokingly as she tackled her friend into another wave. Her problems momentary slipping her mind.
"Feeling any better?" Bell asked after she resurfaced, and pulled a piece of seaweed out of her hair.
"Tons!" Aria said laughing at her friends seaweed hair, silently wishing that this moment never had to end.
"Anything I can do to help when you talk to your moms in a few minutes?" Bell asked starting to walk back towards the school.
"I really don't know. I mean as soon as they found out that I skipped class I am going to be in even more trouble" Aria said solemnly.
"Blame me." Bell said, seriously, "Besides parents love me, I can talk my way out of it."
"I would love to see Stef reaction when I said that my friend made me skip class" Aria laughed as she lightly pushed her friend.
"Oh come on! She's gonna love me one day. Besides, every cop's kid needs a trouble maker friend." Bell joked trying to keep the mood happy before Aria noticed they were almost to Lena's office.
"Yes, they will totally love a girl who made me skip class and I think I get into enough trouble without you" Aria joked. "I mean come on, I have told you how sarcastic I can be. I'm surprised that I am not already grounded until the day I die!" she added.
Bell stopped in front of Lena's office, "Good luck. And a word of advice, don't be to sarcastic?"
"How am I gonna explain why I am all wet?" Aria asked. "And you do realize who you are talking to right?"
"Oh right, come on, did you expect me to think this far ahead?" Bell stuck her tongue out at her friend.
"Yes, yes I did quite frankly" Aria said as soon as Lena opened the door to see the two trouble makers.
"Here I brought extra gym clothes," Bell said throwing a bag at Aria, "sorry" She whispered running off as Lena looked at her.
As Bell was running down the hallway and looking back to see if Lena was still watching her, she ran straight into a blond woman. "Oh hi, I'm really really sorry." She whispered as she tensed up.
"It's alright sweetie," Stef replied seeing the girl start to tense, but before she could say anymore the girl had run off again, Stef would have to ask her kids if any of them knew her later.
As Aria witnessed all she she just had one thought cross her mind which she whispered to herself. "Fuck, I'm fucking screwed"
"Aria?" Lena questioned, she didn't even know what to ask. "Weren't you supposed to be in math?" Lena sighed before her daughter could even answer, "So was that someone I might know that ran off when I opened the door?
"It was Bell, from your first period History class" Aria said trying to avoid answering the first question.
"And where were you and Bell? Because it doesn't seem like you came from math." Lena was already annoyed because she could tell her daughter had skipped class.
"We have algebra together and Bell could tell that I was a bit stressed so we decided to ditch class and go to the beach" Aria responded truthfully.
"Uh huh," Lena nodded, she wanted to be upset with her daughter but she was partially happy that her daughter and Bell were friends. "Come and sit."
"Can I change first?" Aria asked as she and stef made their way into Lena's office.
"Go, your momma and I need to talk real quick." Stef said before Lena could answer.
"Alright" Aria said as she went to go change. Five minutes later she was back. "Sorry" She offered hoping that would help.
"Sit." Stef said, "You skipped class, even after the last time?"
"I just couldn't deal with it, and I needed some time to relax" Aria said as she sat down on the couch.
"Who even is this girl?" Stef asked angrily, "Some sort of troublemaker, I thought we had taught you better than hang out with girls like that."
"The girls name is Bell! She is my friend. The only reason she suggested it was because she saw how stressed out and bent out of she shape I was. And I was one of those girls!" Aria shot back, no pleased on how Stef was talking about her friend. "Lena can even tell you that she is a nice girl" She added.
Stef looked to Lena for some answers, "Well? Do you know her?"
Lena nodded, "She seems sweet, she's quiet, doesn't have many friends, I've never seen her talk to anyone besides today when I saw her talking to Aria. I think she has some troubles at home though, and lately hasn't been doing well in class, she's failing."
"Great, now you're just throwing away your education for some girl who's ditching and failing?" Stef muttered.
"Have you guys seen my grades lately? Im pretty sure she has better grades than I do. And I am not throwing away my education. The only classes that really matter are my art classes." Aria all but yelled.
"Well," Stef tried to calm down, "I don't think you should be friends with her, clearly she's not being a good influence."
"Stef!" Lena scolded, "She's a sweet girl she just seems to have a few problems."
"How is she not a good influence? She is the only person who will talk to me at this school other my my family" Aria replied. "Lena knows her, this was just a one time thing" Aria said as she stormed out of Lena's office and went down the art hallway where she knew her friend would be.
"Aria!" Bell was surprised when she looked up and saw her friend, it was still the lunch period, which meant she should still be talking to her moms. "What's wrong?" Her friend looked pissed.
"Stef thinks that we shouldn't be friends anymore. She thinks that you are a bad influence. Lena is on my side though. I just got so mad, I stormed out." Aria said as she started to cry.
"Oh, Aria, I'm so sorry," Bella whispered as she hugged her friend, "I didn't mean to get you into trouble." Bell knew ditching wasn't a good idea, she had just hoped it would help Aria calm down.
"It's not your fault. and besides I think storming out on them for the second time in a row will get me into even more trouble" Aria said. "I needed that break from not thinking about life, or anything" She added.
"Come on, let's go to class, we'll meet on the beach afterwards?" Bell asked, she had theater and Aria had art, so Bell knew what she wanted to do once Aria went to her class.
"Alright" Aria said as she made her way to her art class.
"Same spot, give me like five minutes after class gets out. Have a good art class." Bell smiled.
"Okay" Aria said as she walked away to do the one class that she actually liked.
Bell walked by her theater class and towards the office, the secretary stopped her, and had no idea who she was. "I need to speak with Mrs. Adams Foster."
"Someone is currently in there." Bell was informed.
"I know. Her wife. I'm a friend of her daughter's and I really need to talk to her." Bell said, she wasn't taking no for an answer.
Without waiting for an answer, Bell walked back towards Lena's door, knocking twice and waiting for a reply before she entered. She saw Lena, looking just as exhausted as she had this morning, and the same blond who she had run into just a few minutes earlier.
"Hi, Mrs. Adams Foster," Bell greeted Lena, "And," With a slight pause Bell continued, "and Mrs. Adams Foster. I'm sorry to interrupt, I just really need to talk to you."
"Of course Bell," Lena motioned for her to sit on one of the chairs in the office, Bell choose the one farthest from the two women and closest to the door. "Stef, this is Bell." Lena introduced her wife to the girl, giving Stef a warning look.
"We've met." Stef smiled when she recognized the shy girl who had run into her earlier.
"I wanted to say sorry, about having Aria skip. It was my fault and I get it if you think she shouldn't hang out with me anymore because of it, but she's my only friend. And she understands a lot of things I've never told anyone else. I'm sorry she skipped, but you have an amazing daughter and I just really needed to talk to her for a few minutes, and I know Aria will try and take the blame." Bell kept rambling, knowing she should stop but she really didn't want for Aria to get into trouble.
"Bell," Lena said softly, "It's okay love, we aren't going to make Aria stop talking to you." Lena gave Stef a look and Stef nodded in agreement.
"Do you know anything about what's been going on with Aria?" Stef tried.
Bell shook her head and smiled, "Sorry, no." It was a lie, but Aria had kept secrets for her, there was no way she was going to spill to Aria's moms.
"Okay." Stef sighed, defeated.
"And Mrs. Adams Foster?" Bell turned towards Lena, "The tutoring would really help."
"We'll discuss it tomorrow after class okay Bell?"
Bell nodded and smiled, "Thank you."
Instead of going back to class, Bell decided to head back to the same spot on the beach were the two girls were earlier, she took her phone out of her pocket to listen to some music and wrapped her sweater around her like a blanket while staring out at the ocean and thinking for a while.