Chapter 2: Feeling Humiliation
Emmett walked downstairs to find Anita making breakfast. "Morning,' he greeted, kissing her cheek.
"Good morning Emmett, what do you want for breakfast?" she asked.
"Mmm waffles, eggs, and sausage," he replied.
Anita smiled as she handed him a plate. "Right behind you," she told him.
"Awesome!" he exclaimed turning around to fill his plate.
"Emmett save some for everyone else," she told him.
"No worries," he answered.
"I do worry," Anita quipped.
Emmett grinned, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down at the table. "Where's Bella?" Anita asked.
"She's still asleep. She had a rough night last night," he replied.
"The poor girl, is she ok?" she asked.
"She should be," he replied.
Tara skipped down the stairs smiling. "Good morning, little miss new girl up?" she asked.
"Hey Tara, why don't you go back upstairs and put on another ten pounds of makeup?" Emmett suggested.
Tara rolled her eyes, flicked her hair over her shoulder, and sat down. "Whatever," she answered. Emmett rolled his eyes as he started eating his breakfast.
Bella walked downstairs to find her new foster family waiting. "Morning," she greeted.
"Good morning Bella," Anita answered.
"Want some breakfast?" Don asked.
"Um…can I just have a banana or something?" Bella asked.
"Sure sweetie," Anita replied.
She took the banana out of the fridge and walked back to the dining room. "Here you go," she commented. Anita smiled softly at the young girl. "Would you like a headband or something to keep your hair from your eyes?" she asked.
"No thanks," Bella replied sitting down at the table.
Tara rolled her eyes. "Well that's a relief. All the headbands are in my room," she commented.
"Tara, those were in the bathroom for both you and Bella to share," Anita told her.
Tara's eyes widened in horror. "Share with her?! Are you serious?!" she exclaimed. Emmett threw a strawberry at Tara's head.
"Shut up," he told her.
Shawn started laughing, high fiving Emmett. "Anita," Tara whined.
"Tara, not everything in this house is for you," Don told her.
"Whatever, I have class," Tara informed grabbing her bag.
Bella was just picking at her banana, biting her lower lip. "Bella, just ignore her," Emmett told her. She nodded her head slowly, letting out a sigh.
That day at school, Bella was putting her stuff in her locker when Emmett walked over to her. "Hey Bells," he greeted.
"Hey," she answered smiling a little.
Emmett smiled. "Want to come to football practice?" he asked.
"What? Really?" she asked.
"Yeah, it'd be fun," he answered.
Bella smiled softly, pushing her hair from her eyes. "Sure, I'll come," she answered.
"Cool, let's go," he told her wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they went out to the football field.
When they arrived at the football field, Bella climbed up on the bleachers and watched as Emmett ran off towards the locker room.
While the guys were practicing, Bella was writing in her journal, biting her lower lip.
Dear Journal,
School is the same. It's the same as any other school. The same kind of classes, the same kind of lectures. Everyday is just another ordinary day.
The only good part about all of this is getting to know Emmett. Besides Don and Anita he has been the sweetest guy I have ever met. I am starting to see that maybe I can feel a bit safer…
Bella let out a gasp when her journal was ripped from her hands. "The only good part about all this is getting to know Emmett," the head cheerleader, Sasha, mocked. Bella stood up.
"Give it back," she told the girl.
"What was that?" Sasha asked raising her eyebrow.
"Give it back," Bella ordered standing up.
Sasha laughed as she tossed the journal to one of her friends. "Monkey in the middle!" the second girl called out.
"No give it back!" Bella exclaimed.
When she jumped up to grab the journal, she slipped on the bleachers, falling backwards. Her world spun when her head fell back on the steel bleachers. The girls started laughing harder, but stopped abruptly. She looked down to see that her sweater rolled up a little from her fall. Pulling the sweater down she got up, ripping her journal back. She put her stuff away and ran down the bleachers.
"Bella?" Emmett called running up.
"I have to go, I have to go," she told him as she ran all the way home.
Emmett watched as Bella ran as fast as she could back home before looking at the girls. "What the hell were you doing?!" he exclaimed.
"Aw come on Emmy, we were just having fun," Sasha answered dragging her manicured nail up and down his arm.
Emmett yanked his arm away in disgust. "Why must you act like I'm with you? I don't go for the easy ones," he told her before running off.
Bella was sitting in her room with tears in her eyes, pulling her sweater tighter around her body. "Bella?" Emmett called.
"Go away," she called.
"Bella, please let me in," Emmett answered.
Bella sighed as she got up and unlocked the door. Emmett walked in, closing the door behind him. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"No," she replied.
Emmett walked over to hug her when she backed up. "Just don't, please," she said quietly.
"Okay," he answered.
She pushed her hair from her eyes, letting out a deep breath. "Emmett, you should probably just go back to practice," she told him.
"Bella, I just want to make sure you're okay," he answered.
"I'm going to be fine okay? Is that what you want to hear?" she asked.
Emmett let out a sigh. "I just want to be alone," she answered. He let out a deep breath, rubbing his hands together. "I have homework to do," she murmured before she sat at her desk and began pulling books out of her bag. Closing his eyes, he rested his hand on her shoulder with a sigh. Bella tensed up, closing her eyes.
"I'll be here when you want to talk," he told her.
"Thanks," she answered.
He let out a sigh as he watched her before heading back to football practice. Bella put her head in her hands with a shaky sigh, swallowing hard. "The first day of school and I am humiliated," she muttered with tears in her eyes. She lifted her sweater up, revealing a scar going from her right hip and moving diagonally up to her left rib. She pulled the shirt back down and stared at her homework.