Living with Styles

thirty

"Grandma and Grandpa passed away in their sleep last night." I explain to Bella as we enter the airport parking lot in a rental car.

All the expression goes away from her face. She looks like a blank canvas. "So, they're gone. That's it. Well, then."

"You're not...sad? I mean our grandparents are gone, Bell."

"Yeah, well, it's not like they visited a lot after dad died. And they totally just refused to take me in when mom died, so I wasn't very fond of them anyway." She crosses her arms. "I can't believe they just had to go and die while we were in Cheshire. I wasn't even there for a full 24 hours. I actually really enjoyed it."

"It's not really their fault, Bell." I undo my seatbelt and open the trunk and get our belongings out.

"It kind of is." She does the same, grabbing one of her suitcases.

-

"At least you didn't throw up like last time." I pat my angry little sister on the back.

She had gotten stuck next to a smelly, fat man who fell asleep and started snoring on the long flight. Luckily, I brought my earplugs so I didn't have to listen to his horrid snorts.

"Where's the freaking shuttle?!" Bella huffs.

"Patience is a virtue, young lady." I say.

"Shut up, Harold. I just want to go home." She snaps.

"What happened to that cheery girl I saw in Cheshire yesterday?" I tease.

"She's still in Cheshire." Bella snorts.

Finally, the shuttle shows up and we're taken back to the airport.

We get in my car that I had left in the parking lot and drive home so we can make it to the wake tonight.

-

"I don't want to go to the funeral tomorrow." Bella whines.

"Why? They were our grandparents. We should pay our respects." I take a seat next to her. We're at the wake service and waiting for it to start.

"I'm paying my respects by coming tonight and accepting all they've given us through their will." She crosses her arms over her chest.

"Well, I'm going to go and so are you." I say firmly. "No buts about it."

"So, I have to go to a depressing funeral and I can't have a butt? That's just harsh." Bella tries to fight a smile.

I laugh slightly. "You know what I mean."

-

The service is over and it turns out my grandparents weren't sitting pretty like my parents had been. They gave us a couple hundred thousand dollars and their house. I can't say I'm not happy about that, but I just always assumed they were more wealthy, like millionaires or something. Oh, well. I plan to fix up the house a little and sell it to make some extra money.

"That was awful." Bella flops down on the couch, still in her little black dress from the service.

"It's hard to go to so many wakes and funerals in a 6 month time frame, I
kn-"

"It's not that. The service was just awful. It was boring and all the old people there were trying to pinch my cheeks and speaking in old English or something."

"'Youngin' or 'young folk' aren't uncommon words used by elderly people." I correct her. "I should know. They would come by the bakery everyday for some tea and bread. Old people are so nice. 'What a handsome young man.'" I do my impression of one of my favorite customers, Charlotte.

Bella rolls her eyes and trudges up the stairs.

-

"Bella! Come on! We're gonna be late for the funeral!" I call up the steps.

"I don't want to go!" She yells back.

"Fine, then. I guess your just going to stay in your room and rot forever." I smirk.

A few minutes later, Bella stomps to the top of the stairs in her black dress and pumps that she wore last night. Her arms are crossed as she bites the inside of her cheeks in anger.

"C'mon, Bell. Maybe we can get some ice cream later." I persuade her.

She rolls her eyes and walks down the stairs, her shoes clomping on every step.

-

*Bella's POV*

I've been thinking. I'm bored. I need a dramatic change. After my mom died, I stopped doing things. We used to go to the mall and shop and go out to eat. Now all I do is sit at home and cry at pictures, with an occasional Go Fish match. Now, don't get me wrong, having Harry here is a dramatic change, but now I'm just kind of used to it.

We always go past special places that my mom and I went to or maybe ones we didn't like and made fun of. Harry wouldn't understand if I blurted out 'Speak up, I can't hear you. You want McNuggets? How 'bout a soda pop. No? You sure? Alright, then.' in a southern accent when we pass the McDonald's on Main Street.

"Harry?" I say after the dreadful hour and a half long funeral for my deceased grandparents.

"Yes, Bell?" He looks down at me.

"I've been thinking," I bite my lip.

"It's always good to think." He teases.

"About things." I think of how I should word this next sentence, but decide to just put it out there. "I want to move to Cheshire."

Harry stops in his tracks and furrows his eyebrows at me. He puts a hand to my forehead and says, "Are you okay? Is this the same Bella Styles that was in my car, whining her head off not even 2 hours ago?"

I laugh. "Yes, Harry, I'm fine. It's just, I need a change of scenery. There's too many memories in the state of California. I want to move to Cheshire."

"Are you sure?" He opens the car door.

"I'm absolutely, positively, 100% sure. I saw the way you looked when we were there. You were so happy. You felt at, well, at home. And I'm not sure why, but I kind of did, too. I was only there for, what, 8 1/2 hours? Everyone was so welcoming. They all love you over there, Harry. You have people who love you. You need to be with them. So, I want to move to Cheshire with you. Maybe we could get a house by the Coxes and Gemma."

He grins widely. "I think we can make that happen. If it's what you really want."

"It's what I really want." I assure him.

We smile at each other and that's when I see it.

Talk about déjà vu.

A bright light behind the joyful, happy, loving, big brother of mine.

I try to scream, but nothing comes out.

Darkness.

~

Double update today ayy

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-Anna xo