Jungle Boy -Justin Bieber-

Chapter 38: A new beginning

IVE MISSED YOU GUYS SO MUCHHHHHHH YOU HAVE NO IDEA! LETS HOPE I CAN UPDATE AGAIN SOON.

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Bea Ashby: 

-48 hours later-

"Why hasn't he called?" I angrily sigh, trying to hold myself back from smashing a plate or something.

"Beatrice, we need to be patient." Jennifer tries to calm me down, but I can't help worry about him. Justin still hasn't been found and dad hasn't called in the past 24 hours with any news.

After Jennifer told me that Justin was missing from his hut, I felt faint. Worry had bubbled up inside of me, my one thought was him. But of course, myself, Noah and Jennifer were forced to leave soon after. 

Next thing I know, I'm being escorted to the jet flying all the way back to New York City. I pleaded to stay and try to help. I didn't want to leave knowing that Justin wasn't found, but I didn't have a choice. Not with Doctor Terrenlot in the way and my dad worrying about losing custody of Justin and having him be handed off to Doctor Terrenlot like some kind of hand me down sweater.

Not to mention, now that we're back I have to face a whole different issue. My mother. I know I shouldn't be saying issue, but of course at all the times she could have decided to pop up into my life it had to be when Justin goes missing at Hamix Island. And yes, I'm aware the timing wasn't her fault, but I couldn't help but think these things.

Isla Edwards, my mother, has been staying at a hotel in New York City while we were away, patiently waiting for the day I returned so we could spend some quality time together. 

Checking the time on my watch, I sigh and reach to grab my winter jacket. "I'm going for a walk." 

"At this time?" Jennifer frowns, seeing that it's almost ten thirty. 

"I won't be out for too long." I assure her. 

Noah looks like he's about to offer to come with me, but I slip my boots on and head out the door before he can. I just want to be alone for a bit.

I end up at Central Park and end up watching people who've come out to skate with their family and friends. 

I watch as a father and young daughter hold glove cladded hands as they skate together. The girl looks about 5 or 6 years old and she wobbles as she skates, but her dad helps her keep her stand. She's dressed up head to toe in blue and white with a blue jacket, a white hat with a blue pom pom on it and white skates. Her cheeks are slightly tinted pink from the cold air, but the weather doesn't seem to bother her as she has the biggest grin on her face.

It takes me back to when my dad first brought me here as a young kid for the first time. He'd been teaching me how to skate at a smaller out door skating rink for a bit to prepare for me when he'd take me here in the winter time. It's one of my most fondest memories with him. 

"Deep in thought?" A voice questions. I already know who it is from the British accent. I turn my head to find Isla right next to me.

She wearing the same burberry coat and gloves from when she first arrived on Christmas, but she also as a hat on tonight. Her short blonde hair is pulled back from her face.

I don't answer her and she hums. "You know... your father wanted to take me here ages ago when we first started dating, but we never got to go. I didn't like to skate." She says.

"I love to skate." I find myself saying.

"Really?" I hear the surprise in her voice. 

Once again I don't respond. My eyes are focused on the father and daughter who are still skating around. It's fairly crowded tonight, but they are skating more off to the sides. 

I think Isla eventually gets tired of me just staring anywhere but her because she sighs and speaks up. "Beatrice, please, I came all the way down here to find you. My daughter." 

Her words make me want to clench my fists, but I try to keep my cool. "You don't know me. I'm a stranger to you as you are to me so I don't think its fair if you throw labels onto me to make me want to get to know you when I've stated very clearly that I didn't." 

My words are harsh and I know it. She looks upset, but she tries to hide it. 

I think back to the conversation I had with Jennifer when Isla had arrived. She said that if she had the chance to reunite with her deceased mother she would have taken the chance in a heartbeat. 

But for some reason, I just can't get myself to agree to get to know the woman who left me at the age of two and refused to get into contact up until a week ago. It just didn't seem right.

Her voice is shaky as she speaks, "I understand. What I did wasn't fair, but I'm here now... aren't I?" 

"You left sixteen years ago," I remind her. "you had sixteen years to try and get in touch with me. You could have tried." The tears start to well up in my eyes. It's finally hitting me. All the years where I foolishly wished that maybe one day, my mother would try to reach out to me. That feeling of want was no longer within me.

"I made a terrible mistake, Beatrice." Her voice is now trembling. "I wasn't ready to be a mom. I got married too young and I hated New York City. I missed my home back in the UK. I couldn't have stayed. And I know it was wrong to leave and never get into contact. I should have tried to get to know you, but I didn't. And it's all my fault." 

I sniffle, wiping the single tear that slipped. I shouldn't cry. I refuse to cry anymore because of her. 

"I want to make it up to you." 

The snow is starting to fall again and the wind picks up. "You can't make up for 16 years." 

She goes quiet for a second. "I know I can't make up for my absence of 16 years, but we can try to start from somewhere. How about I buy you a coffee?" 

Despite all the things I said, I found myself reluctantly agreeing to her offer. We end up at a coffee shop nearby and I notify Jennifer. It's almost empty and we end up in a booth by the window. I instantly start to warm up and she orders both a coffee. 

And that's when we start to talk. And even though I had refused to get to know this woman in a mother-daughter way, I agreed to get to know her in a way two strangers would. Three cups of coffee in, I find myself telling her about Justin. She listens. She doesn't interrupt and she doesn't judge me for a single thing.

As much as I somewhat wished that she would show me a cold and rude side, she never did. She was nothing but kind to me which made me hate this all a little more. I guess I just hoped she would turn out to be the person I thought she was. But she was the exact opposite.

We end up staying till closing before parting ways. When I back home, I don't go to my room.

Instead, I sneak into Justin's room and grab the Jungle Book off his desk and crawl into his bed.

Under the covers, I hug the book to my chest and shut my eyes. 

I miss him. 

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A/N:

It's been so long since I've updated and oh my God have I missed writing/updating for you guys! :( it sucks when I don't get a lot of time to write because I really do enjoy it, but I just don't have as much time as before.

I hope you guys liked this chapter. We get to see a bit on what is going on after leaving the island and to see a little bit of Bea and her mother, Isla, interacting. 

-Diana