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Now she looks at her toes, wringing her hands in her lap. Her hands soon move to her hair, and she plays with her blond locks, tying them in a knot and then leaving it be.
“I did. To try to know about Harlan,” she says. “But I told her I wasn’t ready to be her friend again. At least not yet.”
“Any idea of when that will happen?” I ask. “She sure misses you.”
And she sighs, full of sorrow and pain.
“I miss her too…” she places both hands on her scalp. “But I made such a fool of myself, I wouldn’t know what to do if I’m in front of her again.”
“The same as what you always did: just talk to her.”
“It’s not that simple, Alex!”
“Yes, it is!”
“Ugh, you know nothing about female friendships, Alex!” she says, growling at me yet again.
“Um, I probably don’t,” I place a hand on my chin, but right after I clap my hands in front of her face. “Now out! I need to work!”
“Ha! I guess you really do work, huh?” Bella says, dodging my hands.
“Be fair!” I frown and pretend to be offended. “I work twice as hard as anyone here!”
“Alright, alright!” she says, laughing, hands placed in front of her face for protection. “Can I tell you what I really wanna do?”
“Go ahead,” I say, a hand on my chin, sensing something stinky coming my way yet again.
“I want to dig into Helding Heights, and discover why you became so important there,” she says, her eyes lighting up.
I bob my head around, pondering on her words. “Isn’t it a bit corny? Plus, I already said no pieces on my personal life.”
“It’s not your personal life. It’s the people’s opinion of you!” She defends her point of view.
“Helding Heights is currently a very dangerous neighborhood, Bella…” I say, feeling the bridge of my nose. “Why don’t you go to some of the other neighborhoods I’ve been helping?”
“Because it all started in Helding Heights, and it’s there that you go every Sunday to volunteer, isn’t it?” Bella slams a palm over her thigh. “You’re directly involved with those people, Alex. You can’t deny that!”
With a deep sigh, I cross my arms and concede my defeat. “I will let you go only if I go with you,” I say, setting my foot down. “We’ll be taking security too; I’ve been bringing security everywhere I go there now.”
In a blur, I hear Bella squeal and see her stand back on her feet at the same time, cup my face within her hands and kiss me quickly on both cheeks.
“You’re so used to getting what you want, aren’t you?” I comment, wiping my face clean of her kisses.
She falls deep in thought, ignoring my comment. She brings an index finger to her lips. “Now all I need is a photographer…”
I raise an eyebrow. “What happened to Chris?”
“Oh, he quit,” she lets her shoulders slump, face looking extremely annoyed, “Found a better internship. Now we’re all taking our own photographs, but I don’t have the equipment or the skill to do that.”
I place a hand on my hip and the other over my mouth, “But don’t you already know someone with the equipmentandthe skill?”
“Who?” she asks with interest, until realizing what I meant and wilting in place. “Oh… But Liv is busy with The Investigative Observer, busy with her own life…”
“Why don’t you give her a call and check if she can do it after hours?” I offer her my phone.
Bella looks terrified and dodges my device as if it’s a taser gun or firearm.
“Alex…” she moans, “I don’t have the guts!”
