New Romantics: Once upon a time fanfic

Twenty One

"Can I come in?" I hear Nora ask from the other side of my room door.

"Sure," I tell her as I grab my covers and pull them further over my head.

"How are you?" Nora asks as she opens the door. "I'm sorry that's a stupid question."

"I'm fine," I lie. "I'm just tired."

When I turn over to look at her, all I can see is how much she pities me right now. I hate it.

"You weren't answering anyone's texts or calls," She tells me as she sits at the bottom of my bed. "Nolan's getting worried you haven't spoken to him in weeks."

I don't even think I've picked up my phone since I came home.

Once Nolan dropped me off I went straight to my room and haven't left my house since.

My mom has tried speaking to me a couple of times and I've just ignored her. If I even try to talk to her I know if I do I'll just start arguing with her.

"I've been busy," I tell her as I look over at Henry's storybook.

I took it out of his room the night after Graham died. I'm surprised he hasn't asked for it back yet.

"Did you hear that your mom is making Sidney Glass the new sheriff," Nora tells me. "I'm not surprised she didn't give the job to Emma but why would she give it to Sidney of all people."

"No I didn't," I tell her as I sit up. "Where did you find this out?

"Henry told me." She says.

"He hasn't said anything about it to me."

"He just found out yesterday, I think he must have overheard your mom talking about it," Nora tells me. "I think he just didn't want to give you anything else to stress about."

"I don't need a ten year old to look out for me."

"He's just trying to help," Nora says. "But I think you really need to talk to him."

"Why?" I ask her. "What's wrong?"

"He went from only talking about the curse to wanting nothing to do with it," She tells me. "I think it has something to do with Graham dying."

"I don't think it's about," Graham I told her as I stood up. "It's about my mom destroying everything good around her."

"I think you should come to school today, Nora says. "I think it would help take your mind off everything."

"School's the last place I need to be right now."

"Nolan really misses you," She tells me. "Talking to him might help."

***

When I get home I can hear my mom in her office.

It's taking everything in me not to go in there and say something to her but I know it won't end well.

I begin walking up the stairs to my room but before I can get halfway I stop and turn around and make my way to her office.

"Bella," My mom says when I walk into the room. "What's wrong?"

"You can't be serious," I say to her as I try to keep my voice calm. "Graham has been dead for two weeks and you're already giving his job away to someone who isn't even qualified for it."

"We need someone to fill the space," She says as she stands up. "I know it might be difficult for you to accept right now but it's what needs to be done."

"You could have given the job to anybody else!" I say, again trying to keep calm but this time failing. "You could have given it to Emma."

"And why would I do that?" She says, far too calm for this conversation.

"I don't know, maybe because she's actually good at it!" I shout. "She hasn't even been in this town long and she's already made it better."

"Do we need to argue about this?" My mom asks as she tries to put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Yes we do!" I shout as I push her away.

"I'm busy with work right now, Arabella," She tells me as she sits back down. "If you still want to talk about this later I will."

"Don't you think it's a coincidence that Graham died right after he stopped doing everything you told him to do."

"Graham died of natural causes," She says as she looks down at the papers in front of her. "I don't know what you mean by that."

"I think you do."