The Urban Princesses: Belle

Chapter 5

He hasn't shown up yet.

Where was he? Did he ditch me? I felt like leaving, but what if he decided to show up and it looks like I'm the ditcher.

So here I am, sitting awkwardly in the school courtyard, waiting.

I've been waiting for fifteen minutes.

I'm about to get up and leave when I see a buff figure walking towards me. My heart pounds and I immediately look down at my book to keep it from looking like I was getting impatient.

"Sorry I'm late." He grunted.

"Late? You're just in time." Just in time for me to ditch you.

"Anyway, what's the book about?" He sits down next to me on the bench.

"Um well you're supposed to read it-"

"I thought we agreed you're reading it and I get the supplies." He snapped.

I pressed my lips together and refrained from saying anything else to tick him off.

"Well, the assignment paper says that we have to analyze the entire message of the story, write a paper about how we can apply this message to society, then pick a character who most displays this message and create a fake foundation that they might come up with and present it using either PowerPoint, poster board, etc."

"Sounds like a lot of work." He grumbled. "Anyway, I'll get the poster board, you start planning it, and we can meet after school tomorrow."

"Ok." I gulped.

"Well, bye." With that, he walked away.

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. I guess he was trying to make an effort of working with me.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and rode home.

Thoughts swirled in my head the whole ride, making me more stressed than I already was. The invention convention was today, did Papa make it? Did he lose his phone? Was his invention ok? I would never forgive myself if something happened to him.

I pulled up to the apartment building and a very grim feeling passed over me. I waved to Mike, who was busy yelling at someone over the phone, then hurried upstairs. I suddenly craved the sound of my father working, at least I knew he was there. I step inside to find everything starkly clean, no machine parts lying around, no grease stains on the carpet. Papa had helped me clean up before he left. I go into his room and find a stray circuit board on his nightstand and hug it to my chest, feeling connected to him by it.

I take my phone out of my pocket and call him, only to be greeted by his answering machine's robotic female voice. I find the number for the invention convention and dial the number, a female receptionist answers on the second ring.

"Zion Inventor's Convention." She says.

"Hi, my name is Bella French and my father, Maurice French, registered an invention for today. Do you know if he arrived?"

"Let me check." I heard the fast patter of fingers on a keyboard. "I'm sorry, the BF524 was never registered, Maurice did not arrive. Can I help you with anything else today?"

I choked back tears. "No, thank you for your help." I clicked end call and immediately burst into sobs.

I was really panicking now. What had he gotten himself into? Where was he?

I couldn't help it anymore. I threw on a jacket, grabbed my purse and headed back out to get my bike.

Then I rode.

I entered in the convention's location in my phone and followed the way Papa would've gone, the road less traveled. I really wish he would've gone the road more traveled.

I was riding for about an hour and the sky was already pitch dark, not even stars twinkling overhead. I was so tired, I don't know how I could make the ten mile journey back without collapsing first.

I was about to turn around when I saw a car up ahead, it looked like it was broken down. I rode over to it.

It was Papa's car.

I rushed over. The hood was popped open, it looked like the engine had failed. I checked the windows, Papa wasn't in there. I looked around for any trace of where he had gone and saw a long skid mark down a muddy hill. I followed it down to find footprints leading to a giant castle like mansion. I went up to the door and knocked, only for the door to swing open.

"Hello?" My voice echoed through the massive foyer. I stepped inside. It looked deserted. The lights were out very low, the chandelier overhead completely dark. "Is anybody home? Papa?" Nothing.

I started to walk in, going behind the giant marble staircase into a long hallway. They can't arrest me for this, right?

"Papa, are you here? It's Bella." I call out again. I'm not sure if it would do anything.

"I think I hear someone."

"Don't be crazy. He locked the door."

I heard whispers sounding like teenage boys. "Hello?"

"They hear us!" I heard a quiet shuffling and stopped, trying to determine where it was coming from. Suddenly, two teenage boys popped out at me, screaming and waving around whisks like they were swords. I jumped back against a table, almost sending a vase flying.

"Who are you?!" One asked, a colander blocking his view as we wore it like a hat.

"I'm so sorry!" I squeak. "I didn't think anyone was home!"

"Bella?" The boy took off his colander hat. "Bella French?" His thin, pale face was now recognizable, it was Louie.

"Um, yea. I didn't realize you lived here."

Colin took off his ski mask. "W-we don't. Louie, he would not be happy if he learned she were here."

Louie nodded and held his chin like he was deep in thought, then after a few seconds, snapped his fingers. "Hey! She's smart! Maybe she can help him-"

"Oh come on! Do you really think he'll cooperate?!"

"Who? Who is he?" I asked. They weren't talking like I wasn't standing here. "Look, I'm just looking for my dad. He went missing..." My voice trailed off when I saw something sitting on the kitchen table across the hall. I ran inside and picked up the BF524 from the table, all it's parts intact.

"Hey! I wouldn't touch that if I were you." Louie warned.

"This is my dad's invention! Did you steal it? Is he here?" I was so confused. My dad would never voluntarily part with his beloved machine.

"He must've took it." Colin grumbled. "I mean, he hangs out with those road thieves, wouldn't be surprised if he picked up something from their latest loot."

It all made sense now. Dad's car, the invention being here. He was robbed. He must've got his phone stolen too. There was still one question I needed to ask. "I need to know who lives here."

Louie was about to open his mouth to answer me when I heard someone thunder down the front stairs. Colin squeaked and backed away from the BF524. "Louie! I'm blaming this one on you!"

Louie looked unfazed as the owner of the house came into the kitchen.

And I was stunned to see it was Adam.