Promise | Bellamy Blake (editing)

Happily to Tragedy | Prologue

Read the author's note at the end of the chapter!

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The first time I laid my eyes on Bellamy Blake, I fell in love.

Not really. I'm completely exaggerating.

Actually, we despised each other. It was my first day of school; I had turned five years old just a few months beforehand. I was nervous to say the least. I've never been one to be confident and dive into things headfirst, and my 5-year old self was no exception.

When I stood with my head hanging low on my shoulders, I timidly gazed up at the entrance to the school sector of the Ark. My beautiful sister Camilla had reluctantly left me moments before and promised to be at the same spot for me at the end of the day. This left me alone to make the choice of whether to stride through the doors or hide somewhere and never go to school for the rest of my life.

The choice was made for me. An older kid pushed on my shoulders forcefully and I stumbled haphazardly, trying to regain my balance. When I jolted behind me to see who had acted so cruelly to a poor little girl like myself, I was met with big brown eyes and a smirk.

The boy had messily combed back hair that was a very dark brown, almost black. His cheeks and nose were marked with light freckles and his eyes were large and bright.

I knew Bellamy would be annoying by the impish smile on his lips, so I did not bother to hold back my irritation as I said in a whiny voice, "Why did you do that? You're so mean! I was going to walk in anyways!"

I finished my small tantrum with a weak stomp of my tiny foot. The older boy watched me as I did so and then rolled his eyes at me. "C'mon, you would've been standing there all day. You needed a push, so I gave you one. Besides, I didn't even push that hard."
I pouted at his response and turned on my heel, heading into the open doors. I remember thinking 'That stupid boy just thinks he can do anything! Fine, I'll prove to him that I am braver than I look!'

As I passed the threshold of the school, I heard a last remark from the boy before he ran past me to join his friends. "My name is Bellamy. You remind me of a girl I know. Come to me if you need any help."

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"Oh c'mon Bee! You know it's true! She obviously has a crush on you and you can't accept it. I see her at the recreational room sometimes and it's no lie that she stares at you and giggles like a maniac when you wave at her."

Bellamy glances at me with a smile of disbelief. "No way, Azalea. Gina does not like me. I'm never even nice to her anyways."

I roll my eyes at him and throw a pencil at his nose. It bounces off and rolls across the floor. "Right, okay. You obviously have no idea that every girl in your grade is or has been obsessed with you. Apparently it's your 'charming good looks.' Your name does mean handsome, so there must be something with that." I finish my rambling with a nod of finality.

He laughs and shakes his head as he looks up at the metal beams in the ceiling. "Yeah, okay, can we change the subject now? How about what happened last week? You have been avoiding the topic whenever I mention it, but we need to talk about it sometime," he states lowly to me. "Why would you steal an engine part and some wrenches?"

I look at Bellamy's serious face and cast my eyes downward, taking the bottom of my jeans in my hands and picking at the frayed edges. "Dunno. No reason really."

I only look up to preoccupy myself with glancing around my bedroom, but instead I meet Bellamy's eyes. "Okay, maybe not. Look, this will sound stupid. You'll probably make fun of me," I say as I give up the act.