Baking With Boys |✔

33. Red Bean Ice Shaving

"Let's do it."

Brandon gulped.

"Come on, just put it in."

"We won't be able to revert it..." he trailed off, gripping it in his hand. I flicked my eyes down to his hand and then back at him, my nerve endings tingling. Not wanting to give much thought to it, I pouted, but he started again, "It'll hurt-"

"I know," I said. Being frank, that was one thing I was afraid of. But I still hadn't said no.

"But the satisfaction-"

"I know!" Despite myself, I was irritated.

"So?"

"So?" I repeated.

"A-are you sure?" Brandon asked again, his eyes searching mine for sincerity. Tension grew the longer he held it up in his hand.

He moved with his head to make eye contact with me, but I avoided his eyes. Still our eyes met for a brief second, and I knew he saw indecision in them.

"Uh-" I stalled, conflicted. This shouldn't have been this difficult. It certainly never was in movies. I bit the inside of my cheeks, lost in thought. Brandon took my silence as affirmative and I had to shout to stop him, "Wait!"

He sighed, tired of it. For the last time, I turned and asked, "What do you think Francis?"

Francis's head snapped up, staring at Brandon and me with wide eyes. I pitied him. He was still somewhat frozen in shock about what we had told him about Bella and Giulia and their relationship.

"We shouldn't, right?" I used my hands to make something get in his mind. His eyes focused when I tapped his shoulders.

"What were you saying?" he hesitated, looking between the two of us.

"We were talking about the pen drive with Bella's video. Should we put it up on YouTube?" I explained in a slow manner as if talking to a baby.

"Sure," he said, without a pause. "No, wait," he mumbled, making me grin, and Brandon groan.

The truth was neither of us was sure about the next step. If we hadn't known about her story, we wouldn't have hesitated. But now, if we uploaded the video, we knew for sure it would destroy Bella and her public image. Something she gave too much importance to. And kind of ruin our purpose in helping her in the long run.

But, if we didn't, there was an equal side of costs and benefits, if I remembered my economics well. First would be our wasted effort. Though it was something I was ready to look upon. But second would be our doomed revenge. There was still a tiny (not that tiny) part of me that was eager for Bella to taste her own medicine. But then again, I couldn't say everything was uncalled for.

Brandon put down the pen drive with a snap, getting up from the bed. The laptop sat in loneliness as he went to the mini-fridge and took a water bottle out. His face showed frustration, and I could tell he was conflicted, yet wanted to get over it soon.

He had waited too long, waiting for me to decide whether uploading Bella's confession was worth it or not. The three of us might have dilly-dallied the whole afternoon long, not being able to reach to a conclusion. So it was a breath of relief when the answer came to us as a text.

My phone played the short ring tone and as a normal person I went for it the moment I heard the buzz. I flitted through the short text, my jaw dropping.

"Listen to this," I called out, and they scooted closer. "Rebecca, that's my best friend, she texted me this: Bella's Snapchat."

"Damn. She's faster," Brandon muttered, pulling the phone out of my hand. He zoomed in to Bella's and my picture, standing side by side in our aprons. I had no clue where the picture was taken, but the message was clear.