The Beast's Kryptonite

Chapter 2 {moving home}

Days later after making sure Jermey and Selena would be okay with me leaving. I was in my room packed filled with all of my stuff in boxes.

My books took up about half of them. I smile with sadness and joy. I was leaving my safe haven, but I was going home. To all my old life. To my mom. To Seth.

I don't know how high-school was going to be. I had never gone to actual school besides for the first month of freshmen year. That was definitely an experience. Seth and I were barely apart for a minute.

We weren't popular, we didn't talk to many other people but I didn't mind. We had each other, not to mention books and video games. I was happy and content to just be with him. He was my person that I could spend hours with and tell my darkest secrets.

I was excited to see him again. I hope my surprise of coming home would be a good one. I don't know what had really become of who he was. I had not see him in years. We had only sent boring mundane emails back and forth. I didn't know if he had girlfriends because he would refuse to talk about them.

I just hoped he had survived most of high school without to many emotional scars.

Taking my final look around the now empty room I silently wish it farewell.

Walking down the stairs I got into the car with my family.

****

Tandy was squeezing me so tightly I thought I wouldn't be able to breathe. She was the sweetest woman a stepmom could be. Which made it easy to love her. She was never cruel to me and was patient even when I had lapses of judgement. Like when I baked one hundred chocolate chip cookies for the senior home at 4 am. She simply laughed and went back to bed when she found me putting the last cookies in the oven.

"Mom, I think your choking Belle."

Selena put a hand on her mothers shoulder thankfully causing her mother to loosen her grip. Taking a deep breathe I take a step out of her arms eyes becoming watery.

"Thank you so much for taking me into your home! You have been the best family a girl could ask for. I'll come and visit as often as I can."

"You better hurry sweetheart. Your going to miss your flight."

My dad said dragging me into a bear hug.

"I love you guys!"

I yell out scrambling to get through security.

"Have a safe flight, Belle!"

They were all shouting and waving causing me to giggle and sniffle at the same time. I would miss them so much.

****

Stepping into the airport after my flight was surreal. The airport looked the same it did three years ago, besides the Starbucks that was buzzing with trendy teenage girls. Dressed in mini skirts and half tops.

I felt sort out of place, but kept smiling and adjusted my red dress similar in design to the dress I wore yesterday. Thankfully I had left my hair down in it's brown natural curls. It made me feel a little better, I looked down at my tan hands the white nail polish standing out.

"Belle! Is that you?"

I look up at the familiar female voice. The girl had a straight midnight black hair cut in a cute lob. Her face was tanner than I remembered and her outfit looked straight out of a magazine. Nothing like the vintage clothes I remember her raving about.

"Cassy? What are you doing here?"

"It's been a minute since anyone's called me that honey that's for sure. I was in Fiji for a family vacation. Now the real question is what your doing here, I haven't seen you in years?"

Cassy was apart of Seth and I's somewhat limited friend group. She was always thrifting and making her own clothes. She would would not wear much makeup just lipgloss and mascara and her cat eye glasses.

"You got contacts?"

"Uh huh sweetie you aren't avoiding my question."

I groan in exasperation, she was still a stubborn one at least that hadn't changed.

"Remember how my parents got a divorce. Well Mom couldn't afford to keep me after she got fired so I moved in with my dad."

Ok I lied a little, but I didn't want anyone knowing about my mom going off the deep end. She would be so embarrassed she would never be able to live it down.

"Did you change your number or something? I tried calling for months and got nothing. Seth wouldn't tell me anything."

No I completely went off the grid to hide from my slightly psychotic drunkard mother until she could go clean. Who can hack into any call email or firewall thanks to being a ex-government agent.

"Ya I changed my number. It was all
kinda sudden sorry for not saying goodbye. Legal stuff and all that."

She nodded her head at my explanation like she understood what I was talking about. Which was kinda humorous because I didn't even understand it.

"Well are you here to stay? Or is this a long due visit."

We were walking towards baggage claim as I glance down my phone for a text from Mom.

"Stay. I'm going to finish high school off here."

Her eyes widened in surprise and joy and she finally gave me the long awaited hug.

"Thank god, I thought I'd have to kidnap you. It hasn't been the same since you left. Have you told Seth your coming back?"

I laughed as we stop in front of my baggage claim conveyor belt.

"I haven't told him, it was supposed to be a surprise. Its been three years since I've seen him. We've been emailing but you know it's not the same. I just hope he's just excited as you. Has he changed at all since I last saw him."

Her eyes widen like a deer shot in headlights. He couldn't have changed that much.

"Why are you looking at me like I just said I'm from the future."

I question her with curiosity looking her in the eye watching for her reaction. She looks left and right like she's about to commit a murder.

"Lets just say Seth has changed; a lot."

His emails made me feel the opposite but I doubt Cassy would lie to me for no reason.

"What do you mean, Cassy?"

"He's practically turned into the opposite of what you remember. He's become a player, he's slept with half the school and even has a name they call him,

The Beast."