Bella has been through a lot in her 16 years on Earth. More than any 16-year-old should. Her life used to be filled with days surfing with the pouges, working on cars with her dad, and just laughing to laugh.
But things change. People change. Relat...
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WC: 2,255
Pope sighs, "Could've been a faulty electrical wire."
"Place was all wood," Kiara says. "A tinderbox."
Bella leans against JJ, both still coughing a bit from the smoke.
He puts his hand on her back and gently moves his hand back and forth.
"Thing just went up," Cleo messes with a piece of grass. "Boom."
JJ leans into Bella, "Verdicts in bro. Whoever's up there does not like you." Bella nudges JJ, "Sorry." He tosses a bottle and it shatters in the dying embers of the house.
Sebastian pulls up in his car, "Are you kids ok? Was anyone hurt?"
Bella stands up, "No. Just a little shaken."
He sighs in relief and hugs her. He pulls back and pulls JJ into a hug as well.
It takes JJ off guard but he quickly returns it.
"I'm glad you are alright," he looks to them others. "Hi, if we haven't officially met yet, I'm Sebastian or Seb. Bella's stepdad-"
"Soon to be officially adoptive dad," Bella grins.
"Yes soon to be. John B you can stay with us permanently until you figure things out with your dad, ok?"
He stands up, "Thank you, Seb. Seriously."
"And anyone else who needs a place to stay, you are more than welcome to as well." Sebastian kissed Bella on the temple, "I'm going to go run out and get some more food and some spare clothes for anyone. Meet me at the house ok?"
Bella nods and thanks him.
🪙
John B asks, "Sarah, when did you say the pilot was getting in?"
"Probably like an hour?" She says. "I mean, once he's here, my dad says we can leave whenever we want."
Pope sighs, "Ok, well, as much as I would love to ghost my parents again, I can't."
"Pope, we're talking El Dorado here." JJ says, "Can you just slip out the back maybe?"
Kiara looks at him, "Great advice."
"It always worked for me. How to avoid unpleasant circumstances 101. If there's a problem you don't wanna face it, turn that face and keister around and walk the other way."
Bella shrugged, "Or you could communicate and talk to them? It works for Seb and I."
"Ok Seb's a chill dude. He's not like most parents ok?"
"We have trust, and we've established trust. And ok ya maybe he's a bit more chill than most parents, but still we talk to one another, it works," Bella says.
