Belle slowly walked back to the girls' locker room after PE. Adam hadn't been there today and Belle was worried about him. She was so distracted by Adam's absence, that it took her a couple attempts before she remembered the combination to her PE locker. After she was done getting dressed, she sat down on the bench to wait for the bell to ring.
"Did you hear about Adam?"
"Yes, but I don't feel bad for him. It's totally karma."
Belle's ears perked up at what she heard. She quickly stood and walked around to the other side of the lockers. Tinker Bell and Cinderella were the one who had been talking about Adam. Belle sat down next to them.
"What happened to Adam?" Belle asked.
"Since when do you partake in gossip?" Cinderella asked.
"Adam's her boyfriend," Tinker Bell said. "She's the one he pushed onto the ground last week."
"He didn't-" Belle shook her head. There was no point in arguing with her. "Please tell me what happened to Adam."
Cinderella looked sadly at Belle. "He got in a motorcycle accident Saturday night and he's in the hospital."
Belle's heart started pounding so hard she thought it would explode. She ran over to the mirrors where Aurora was fixing her hair.
"Aurora, I need your help!" Belle cried frantically.
Aurora's eyes grew wide. "What's wrong?"
"Adam's in the hospital. I have to go see him. Can you drive me?" Belle asked, already pulling Aurora towards the door.
Aurora stopped and pulled her hand free. "I'm not ditching school for that beast."
"Aurora, please!" Belle begged. "I know you don't like him, but what if that was Philip?"
"Adam's in the hospital?"
Belle looked up to see Pocahontas coming up behind Aurora.
"Yes. He got into a motorcycle accident." Of course, Belle knew that wasn't true. But, she wasn't sure how much Pocahontas knew about Adam and his dad and she didn't want to tell her too much.
"That's terrible! I have to tell John." Pocahontas pulled her phone out and sent John a text.
Aurora sighed. "All right. I'll take you to the hospital."
Belle hugged Aurora. "Thank you!"
"John and I are meeting up after class. We'll meet you there," said Pocahontas.
Belle and Aurora ducked out of the school before the bell rang and hurried to Aurora's car. The ride there seemed to drag on forever. When Aurora had parked her car, Belle immediately jumped out and ran inside. Aurora followed after her, trying to keep up. When they reached the front desk, Belle gave them his name and they told him where his room was.
"I'll be in the waiting room if you need me," Aurora said when they got to Adam's floor.
Belle nodded and walked down to Adam's room. She took a deep breath and slowly walked inside. Adam was completely beaten up: two black eyes, deep cuts and bruises covered every visible inch of him. She walked over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed. Adam was asleep. Belle took his hand.
"Adam? Adam, Can you hear me?" Belle asked softly.
Adam opened his eyes and looked at her. Belle sighed in relief.
"Adam, baby, are you all right?" Belle asked.
"Well, I don't have any serious injuries," Adam said. "Just a couple broken ribs. They had to make sure there wasn't any internal bleeding, but I'm fine. I can go home tomorrow."
"I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner. I just found out," Belle said.
"It's all right. I didn't want you to come at all," Adam said.
"Why not?"
"I didn't want you to see me like this."
Belle bit her lip. "Your dad did this, didn't he?"
Adam nodded.
Belle couldn't help feeling angry. "I knew it! You need to tell somebody about this."
"I can't. I mean, look what he did just because he thinks I pushed you," Adam said. "What do you think he'd do to me if I tried turning him in?"
XXX
"I have mixed feelings about this whole thing," Aurora told Philip.
Aurora had gotten antsy sitting in the waiting room and had gone outside to call Philip. Luckily, he had English third period and was able to get a hall pass from Mrs. Radcliffe.
"I mean, on the one hand I feel like he had this coming. But, on the other hand, I feel bad for him. And for Belle," Aurora continued.
"Do you think we should tell Maurice about this?" Philip asked. "Belle ditching school to see Adam, I mean."
Aurora sighed. "I don't know. This has gotta be really hard on her. I know I'd be really upset if that was you lying in the hospital."
"He's bound to find out she cut class, though," Philip pointed out.
Aurora thought for a few moments. "Do you think I should cover for her?"
"I don't know, Aurora," Philip said. "We're supposed to be looking out for her. We shouldn't even be letting her do this."
"I don't know if I can do this, Philip. I can't rat out my best friend," Aurora said.
"You don't have to, I'll tell him."
Aurora nervously twirled her hair around her finger. "Okay. Just leave me out of it, please."
"I will," Philip said. "I promise."
"Thanks."
"I gotta get back to class. I'll talk to you later," Philip said.
"All right. Bye."
"Oh, and Aurora?"
"Yeah?"
"Stop twirling your hair," Philip said. "You always get all tangled when you do that."
Aurora stopped mid-twirl. "How did you know I was doing that?"
Philip laughed. "I know you pretty well, Aurora. You always do that when you're nervous."
Aurora smiled and shook her head. "I'll talk to you later."
Aurora hung up her phone and went back up to the waiting room. Pocahontas was sitting on one of the chairs while Belle was pacing back and forth. Aurora figured John was in the room with Adam now.
"How's he doing?" Aurora asked.
"He gets to go home tomorrow," Belle said.
"Well, that's good news," Aurora said, sitting down next to Pocahontas.
"Yeah."
Belle looked angry, worried and distracted. Aurora had the feeling she wasn't getting the whole story.
XXX
"Are one of you Belle?"
The three girls looked up to see a man standing in front of them. Belle stood up.
"I'm Belle. We've met before," Belle said.
Pocahontas was surprised at the hostile tone in Belle's voice. Pocahontas wondered who this man was. John came out of Adam's room then.
"What are you doing here?" John demanded of the man.
The man glared at John. "I came to see my son."
Why are John and Belle acting like this towards Adam's father? Pocahontas wondered.
"Don't you think you've done enough?" Belle demanded.
"What are you talking about?" Adam's father asked with a tone that suggested he thought Belle was crazy. "My son was in a motorcycle accident and I'm just here to check on him."
"Bullshit!" John shouted.
Pocahontas tensed up at the sound of John raising his voice. Next to her, Aurora started twirling her hair around her finger.
Adam's father laughed, but pushed passed John and Belle and went into Adam's room. The look on Belle's face changed from anger to fear. John put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He whispered something to her and she nodded. Belle returned to her seat next to Aurora. John sat down next to Pocahontas. He hunched over and put his head in his hands. Pocahontas put her arm around John.
"Sweetie, are you all right?" Pocahontas asked.
John looked up at her and gave her a forced smile. "I'm fine."
Pocahontas gave him a look that told him she wasn't buying that. "John, what's going on?"
"Honestly, babe, I can't tell you that," John said. "It's not place."
Pocahontas nodded, but didn't say anything. She knew better than to pry. Several minutes later, Adam's father came out.
"You better not have touched him!" Belle demanded as he walked passed her.
Adam's father stopped and crouched down in front of Belle. "It's your fault he's here."
"You're the one who put him here!" Belle spat.
Adam's father gave Belle a mischievous smile. "Adam was in a motorcycle accident."
"That's not true! Adam hates motorcycles; he never would have been on one," Belle said.
Adam's father leaned closer to Belle. "You need to mind your own business."
John got up and pulled Adam's father to his feet. "I think you should leave."
Adam's father didn't say anything and just walked away. Pocahontas replayed everything that had just happened, trying to make sense of it all. Why were John and Belle so mad at Adam's father? And why did Belle say he was the one who put him the hospital? It had just been accident, right?