2 | Defiance Discipline Dream Repeat

Sage Mate - Bella's POV

Once Debbie and her mad energy left the farm, I snuck out of my hiding space and drove to the Baileys. I knew for sure that Harry would be home and able to give me advice, instead of the deaf grandads who I had to scream at to make myself heard.

''...You don't lie to your mates and get them in trouble, Bells,'' Harry remarks. ''Just like you don't snitch, blame or talk behind their backs. That's how you become the ostracised kid on the playground.''

''I just wanted to have fun and find it super cosy to be in my attic during storms. And I pretty much knew she would say no if I didn't fib and say Holling approved of it.'' I sigh, slumping in my beanbag.

''That's not nice, even though you did it to give her a fun time with you at home.''

''You all make it so serious,'' I pout.

''Yeah, tell her and Holling that you're sorry for lying and then never repeat it, alright?''

''I will...'' I pat my thigh, luring Beethoven the Sphynx to come and snuggle. ''How do I solve the other problem, aka Debbie?''

''For starters, don't provoke and treat her like your slave who cleans up your mess.''

''I guess so. She told me to stop being a fucking brat and called me glaikit when I kept trying my magic spells on her,'' I admit and giggle at the fresh memory. Sophia found it hilarious, and I believe Michael did, too.

''Yeah,'' he drawls, looking askance at me. ''We are adults, aren't we? And adults don't resort to magic during conflicts, right?''

''Yes, but she tried to hit me with my Harry Potter slippers, so I shouted: Expelliarmus so that she would drop it, but she didn't.''

''If you have incensed a person enough to make them wield a slipper at you, you don't cast magic spells on them. That's quite an important survival technique to remember.''

''I wanted to try if it work–''

''You do know that magic isn't real, right?'' he interjects.

''Yes, silly! I know it only exists in fantasy worlds!'' I squeak, giggling. ''But maybe she would've gotten stunned or thought I was so crackers that she'd back off.''

''Yeah, a move like that would be taken as provocation by most people.''

''She yelled she was gonna knock some sense into me, and that's as barmy as magic because you can't do that, but you can knock a person so hard that they get brain damage so their brains stop working.''

Silently, he looks at me funny, like people often do when I share my reflections. ''...I'm going to disagree with that, but I get what you mean,'' he says. ''Did she aim it at your head, though?''

''Not sure because immediately after Michael and Phia left, I ran away from her and hid where she couldn't find me,'' I whisper and hush with a finger before my lips.

''Believe it or not, but that's not always the best survival technique, either. If you provoke someone, and they try to hit you, and you somehow evade - there's a risk that they'll go harder the next time they get to you.''

I huff. ''...Phia misbehaves a lot and provokes Debbie and calls her ugly names like dastardly Debs and bitch all the time, but Debbie hasn't gotten mad at her like that yet."

''True, but she's improving at school, and she and Debbie have a different relationship than you two. They're bantering and teasing each other,'' he explains, unsmiling. ''They aren't really offending each other to be rude or fighting.''

''I think school's more fun when you misbehave,'' I smirk.

He chuckles, and his mischievous grin lights up his face. ''I cannot disagree with that, but you can do that and still be nice to your mates and avoid maddening two lovely ladies. I can't grasp how you could possibly infuriate Ms Bell.''

''I can show you the photos of her–''

''No, thank you!'' he exclaims, shaking his head. ''Didn't Dad tell you to delete them and never speak of them again?''

''I deleted them, but I can easily find them again.''

''You should not search for such on the internet,'' he articulates. ''Because when you're nosy, you risk seeing and hearing things you don't wish to.''

''I judge by that tone that you aren't interested in reading Debbie's old diaries then,'' I say smartly, and he shows one of those funny looks again—staring at me like I said something unbelievably silly.

''I might as well knock some sense into you myself as your sage old mate,'' he says sourly.

Unsure how to respond, I bite my bottom lip and scrunch my top lip to make my typical vampire grimace.