(ISABELLA’S POV)
I wished I could just pinch myself. Four whole years without seeing Brad and here he was standing in front of me exuding his Strong aura. He came even closer than I was already trying to handle and he took my hand gently in his. “It’s been so long. You look so different.” He said taking in my appearance. I withdrew my hand from his like it burned me. I didn’t like that I enjoyed the feel. I’m supposed to be furious with him. “Thank you.” I said. “I’m sorry but I have to get going home now.” I tried to walk away but Brad pulled me back and I staggered backwards in to his waiting arms. His cologne filled my nose and I wanted to stay there with him holding me. I lifted my head up to his and his eyes looked down at mine. “I’ve missed you.” He said to me in a whisper. It felt like I was swaying but I got a hold of myself and quickly stepped out of his embrace. “I um… I have to leave.” I said turning around and walking away. “Bella, wait.” He called softly after me but I did not wait. I hurried out of there as fast as I could and rushed up to my room as if I wanted to get a panic attack. I was in my house and up to my room in a flash. I could not believe it. Brad was back? Olivia was drunk but she said Brad was back to stay and not back to visit. I paced about my room for some time trying to think of what that could possibly mean and then settled in to bed trying to block out the main memory that were flooding in to my head. Four years ago when Brad practically told his friends that I was nothing but a nerd. I didn’t know when I slept off but I woke up to knocking on the door. I groaned in bed and didn’t call for whoever it was to come in but the door opened anyway and Mum poked her head around while Jeanie trotted in. She jumped on my bed. “Jeanie, easy your sister is still asleep.” Mum whispered to her urgently. “I don’t think so, mum.” Jeanie said loudly. “She opened her eyes when I walked in.” “Oh what are you both doing here?” I said sitting up in bed immediately and squinting as mum walked around and opened the windows for sunlight to stream in. “Did I oversleep for a whole day? First day of school isn’t until tomorrow last I checked.” I said to mum giving her a dissatisfied look as she came to join Jeanie and I on the bed. “You didn’t oversleep dear and ’m sorry that we had to wake you up.” Mum said. “I thought you were going to be back early yesterday so I could tell you about the day you’re having today.” I narrowed my eyes confused. I looked at Jeanie and she had a very big smile on her face. “What day am I having today?” I turned back to mum confused. “A full body spa day, Hair day, skin treatments, oh you know the lot.” Mum said. I looked at her even more confused. “No mum, I don’t know the lot and I especially don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said. Jeanie groaned and turned to mum. “I told you that she won’t be up for it. Can’t I just do it instead?” She pleaded joining her palms together and pouting at mum. Mum gave her a glare and turned back to me. “Honey, it’s your final year in high school. Soon you’ll be off to college and I would like for your confidence and charisma to grow.” She said putting an arm around me. “You are such a sweet girl and I really want you to grow in to how beautiful and confident you are.” I looked down at my fingers which were intertwined with one another. “I don’t think I’m beautiful mum.” I said. “What? Don’t you ever say that?” Mum scolded immediately. “None of the guys at school like me. They avoid me.” I said with a sad sigh. “You know I’ve never been asked out a date and I’m in my junior year already. It’s because I’m a fat nerd who wears glasses .” “Don’t say that and please don’t think about those boys. Their immature and they don’t deserve you. And you’re not fat!” Mum said the last line with a laugh. “Really?” I asked her. “So why are my boobs so big?” Mum sighed but she touched my chin lovingly. “There’s a lot I’m going to make sure you learn today. The most important is how to feel comfortable and how to love your body. It doesn’t m matter if you’re slim or fat, what matters is how you feel about yourself.” She said to me. “A friend of mine who works at the top beauty salon and spa in town gave me some free vouchers.” “Mum.” Jeanie expressed hurt at hearing that mum had the opportunity for more than one people. “I want to make sure that you use one.” Mum said. “I would be very happy if you could just see how beautiful you can be. I want you to be confident because you are beautiful and you deserve to walk like you own the world.” I smiled. Hearing those words from mum made me feel better . I gave her a hug and nodded in agreement. “Okay.” I said. “Yay!” Mum said and looked down at a frowning Jeanie. “Fine, get ready too. You can have a kiddies time.” Jeanie was ecstatic as she danced away. Mum told us to meet her downstairs in fifteen minutes. I took twenty minutes even though as usual, I was spending more time in the front of the mirror as I tried to pick a nice top. When we got to the beauty salon and I was told to sit on a chair. I stared at myself in the mirror for some time. Plain face as well plain long dark hair and my glasses. Mum came to stand behind me and she put her comforting hands on my shoulder. “It doesn’t matter that you are about to have this transformation. You are beautiful either ways my love and I would like for your to see it.” Mum said to me. We spent six whole hours in the beauty salon today and I don’t think I have ever been so tired of being pampered. It seemed like I had every part of my body being attended to. My fingers, my toe nails, my hair, my face. It was a lot. But then when I was turned around and looking at myself in the mirror, I could hardly believe it. I took hesitant steps forward towards the mirror as if I could not believe that I was really the person standing there. My hand went up to my hair and touched it. My hair looked very good. It was shinier than ever and it was very glossy and layered. I was not wearing my glasses anymore and in place of it were transparent glassy contacts which made my blue eyes even more glassier than ever. “Wow.” Jeanie said when she saw me. “Yes baby. Wow.” Mum agreed looking on with admiration. From there, we went to the mall and shopped for new clothes. Mum had a very long speech to me telling me of how I was supposed to be more confident and proud of myself. The moment I got home, I took a picture of myself and sent it to Olivia. OLIVIA: Omg! I’m here trying to get over a hangover and you went and had a make over? What happened? Is the world coming to an end? ME: Hahaha! That’s very funny, laugh all you want. Mum was the one who made. OLIVIA: Your mum is the babe! I am so happy that she did. You look absolutely gorgeous. What a perfect way to start the year! We are going to have a great year bestie. Speaking of, I’m sorry but you have to go to school on your own tomorrow morning. Remember I have cheerleading tryouts really early. ME: Oh yeah! I actually forgot about that. OLIVIA: I have a good feeling about this year….I do I thought about Brad. There was so much that I wanted to ask Olivia. Was he really back? Would he be in schooo tomorrow ? What would he think when he sees me,(BRAD’S POV)“I just can’t believe you’re back.” Henry said to me excitement still sounding in his voice.I had just driven in to school and he had hurried to see me. I didn’t really want people to notice that I was back and so he and I were still seated in the car having some water as we watched everyone meeting and welcoming each other back.It all seemed very rowdy.“You are going to cause a stir! You used to be our golden boy until you left.” Henry said not being able to get off how excited he felt.“Are you going to audition for the football team?” He asked me.That was a question I knew he was going to ask. Everyone knows first round of tryouts happens on the first day of school. “Yes I am.” I answered.“What happened though? Why did you come back?” Henry started to ask me and I was very relieved when the other guys came tapping at my window.“What the hell! So this is actually true. Bradley Johnson!” Mark exclaimed as he came closer.“All in flesh and blood, Mark.” I said as I
(BELLA’S POV)It has been a very nervous first day of school for me. I wouldn’t have minded if my mum had come down from the car and walked me to my own locker and first class.Because the moment I got out of the car, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. I thought that getting inside would make things better. But it did not.Some guy would not stop following me at first and then Brad appeared out of nowhere and told the weird and persistent guy to leave. Now, the problem will be how to react to that. Seeing Brad in front of me brought so much mixed emotions. He looked like a male model as his great height made him look down at me. His face as usual was an exuberance of perfection and his jet black hair looked like it had been neatly combed for a thousand times.His presence gave me butterflies but it also made me remember what he truly thought of me. “Thanks for helping me out with that guy.” I finally said unable to take the silence as Brad’s eyes were on me.He seemed to snap out o
(THIRD PERSON’S POV) *2012* Isabella met Bradley on a warm and Sunny day in the summer of 2012. Isabella and her family had just moved in to the neighborhood two days before and they were still Unfamiliar with their surrounding. Isabella was playing with a ball in the playground her dad set up for her in the backyard when she noticed a woman about the age of her mum coming from the house next door with a bowl in her hand. Piqued with curiosity, She sneaked and hid in the garden watching as the lady walked past the gates and took the front path to their front door. It was as Isabella moved a little that she noticed that the lady was not alone. She held the hand of a little boy who had dark spiky hair and seemed to be around her age wearing a dissatisfied look on his face. “Do i really have to be here?” He asked looking up to the lady. “Yes you do. Now hush!” She warned him and the younger boy scowled in reply as she rang the doorbell. Isabella stifle
(ISABELLA’S POV) *2020* The laughter that erupted from the group of people around the table made Isabella snap out of her thoughts pulling her back to the Johnson’s garden. She gave up and dropped her book on the table seeing as she had no chance of going far with her reading with all the noise going on around the garden. As the smell of barbecued meet filled the garden, Isabella wished she had come a few minutes later because Olivia had not returned from shopping with her aunt and Brad. Now, Isabella was stuck here with Olivia’s parents, Sandra and Chris Johnson, Isabella’s own parents, Victoria and George Martinez and Isabella’s little Jeanie (Who by the way was seated sitting at her own chair and table watching cartoons on an IPad ) “I still can’t believe my baby boy is going to be so far away!” Sandra said and Mum put her hand over her friend’s in comfort. “The boy is not a kid anymore, Sandy. Please let’s not talk about this. Besides New York isn’t that far away.” Chris
*2024* (ISABELLA’S POV) There must be something wrong with my body. I thought as I took off the black shirt and tried a purple one with a higher neck line. I sighed in disappointment as my boobs still somehow popped up showing cleavage. I sat down in my bed unable to think of what to do next and then I settled for a nice leather jacket. It was the last day of summer and thankfully the weather was not too warm for a jacket. I didn’t need a jacket in relation to the weather but it made me feel less shy about my boobs pushing out. They had suddenly grown so much over the holiday and I would have thought it was because I added weight but the rest of my body didn’t explode as much. Well, except my bum and hips which I did not want to think too much about. Knock!knock!knock! “Bella?? Can I come in?!” It was the soft but demanding voice of my little sister, Jeanie. I quickly picked a brush and began brushing my hair as I yelled back ‘Come in!’ I didn’t wa
(ISABELLA’S POV) Standing with his arms folded across his chest, Lean but muscular build standing tall with a physique obviously honed by hours of workout. His chiseled features framed by that same dark spiky hair and the same piercing dark eyes that exuded a mix of confidence and intensity. My throat went dry and my heartbeat drummed loudly in my chest as I felt my palms go dry. His eyes were focused on me and mine solely on him. It felt like I was in some kind of trance and I wanted so bad to pinch myself. “Brad!” Olivia spluttered freeing herself from my support and rushing forward in to her brother’s ready arms as she made me snap out of my thoughts quickly. I stood by nervously and uneasily wishing that I could wake up from this dream at once! Brad Johnson in skin and flesh standing a few feet away from me and looking as though he has been here for the past four years. “I didn’t think you would be here until tomorrow. Why are you here so soon?.”