Chapter 16
Time to relax:

After I got my bag I ran to my car trying to beat the after school traffic rush, it didn’t really work though. I was sitting almost still in the driveway out of the car park.
Gemma ran up to me.
“Oh fine! No goodbyes for Bella!” She said in a sarcastic snooty tone. I ran so fast I forgot to say goodbye, woops.
“Oh my god! Gem I’m sorry!” I apologized.
“Don’t worry it’s not like Gemma cares any way!” She laughed. The line started moving and I moved about half a car forward. Gemma walked along side my Chev.
“Goodbye Gemma” I smiled.
“Oh fine I’ll just ring you tonight” She walked away waving. What? Why did she need to talk to me? What about? Hmm weird. I like Gemma, she’s sweet and sure our friendship has developed a ton more since last week, but she never really called me after school. I drove home wondering.

When I got home Renee was in the front yard gardening. I got out.
“Hey mum, what ya doing?” I asked even though it was obvious.
“Hey Bells, just gardening” she smiled taking off her gardening gloves and getting up. She followed me inside.
“Want some cake?” She asked me.
“Umm sure” I said walking to my room. The house was really clean, all my clean clothes were in my cupboard not on my floor. I unpacked my bag and walked back down stairs.
“Mum, are you okay?” I questioned, confused.
“Yeah honey, of course why wouldn’t I be?” She said placing a slice of chocolate cake on the bench in front of me.
“Umm cake, cleaning, gardening? It’s not the normal Renee” I said bitting into the cake.
“No, I just thought it was time to get organised” She said, eating her slice of cake.
“Okay” I stretched out the word.
“Don’t worry Bells” She smiled. I smiled back, in my ‘I’m trying to act happy, but I’m still confused way’. I finished the cake and went to rinse my plate, but mum grabbed it and grinned, she kissed me on the head, and took both the plates to the sink. I shook my head and blinked.
“I’m going to do some homework” I said walking to the stairs.
“Sure thing, dinner will be ready at six!” Renee yelled. Ah, I rubbed my fore head.
I got out my Maths books and started. After finishing chapter 12.3 questions 13 to 24, I decided I deserved a shower. After the shower I went down stairs to find mum plating up spaghetti bolognaise. I sat at the table and she put it in front of me.
“No seriously mum, I’m getting worried” I said looking at the tomato sauce. Renee just laughed and smiled. She went to the phone and dialled a number.
“Hello?”
“What time are you coming home?”
“Okay see you then, yep, love you too, bye” She said into the phone before hanging up.
“Phil?” I asked
“Yeah half an hour” She smiled.

I swirled the last piece of spaghetti around my fork and brought it to my mouth.
“Good?” Renee asked. I nodded. She was still eating, but she went to get my plate. I pushed her shoulder back down and shook my head.
“Don’t be silly” I said washing my plate.
The phone rang. I walked towards it, mum went to get up.
“I’ll get it!” I said

“Hey Bella!” Said a friendly voice on the other end of the phone.
“Hey Gemma, how are you?” I asked, my voice sounded nervous for some reason.
“Good, you saw me a couple of hours ago” She laughed.
“Yeah, so what’s up?” I laughed too.
“Ah not much just watching TV, should do some Maths, but whatever” I was starting to realise she rang me for no reason, just too simply talk, about nothing.
“What’s up with you?” She asked.
“Umm just had dinner and finished chapter 12.3, a little weirded out by mum, that’s pretty much all”
“What did your mum do?”
“Cleaned up, made a cake, gardened a fair bit”. Gemma laughed.
“Umm Belle isn’t that normal mum behaviour?”
“Well not for Renee” I replied.
“Oh”

“Hello?” another voice entered the conversation.
“Hey Nick, how are you?” Gemma said.
“Hey Nicole, I haven’t heard your voice in forever!” I said, a little over enthusiastically.
“Hey Bella! How are you?” she replied, she sounded fine.
“Yeah good, good! How ‘bout you?”
“That’s what I asked” Gemma said, laughing.
“Haha, feeling much better thank you both” Nicole replied, over pronouncing the ‘both’.
“Still nothing from Erin?” Gemma asked.
“Nah, I thought she’d ring you first”
“You guys haven’t heard from Erin?” I asked, surprised.
“She’s called me once, to say she was still alive, pretty much” Gemma said. We all sighed. I could hear someone at my door. Phil. Mum went to get it. They greeted each other and then he walked in and waved at me, I waved back.

“So you’re coming tomorrow?” I asked Nicole.
“Yeah I should” She replied.
“Ahh I should go mum’s calling me to do something” Nicole added.
“Okay nice talking” I replied.
“Gemma, you there?” I asked. Silence.
“Gemma?” Nicole said a little louder.
“Hmm what?” Gemma said, startled.
“I’m going, see you tomorrow?” Nicole asked.
“Oh, yeah, sorry, got sucked into some stupid TV show, see ya tomorrow” She replied.
“Bye”
“Bye”
“Bye” I started to realise this conversation wouldn’t go much further once Nicole left and since Gemma was half distracted by her TV show.
“Ah I gotta go to Gem, see ya tomorrow” I said, keep it short and sweet.
“Mmm yeah, see ya tomorrow Bella, have a good night”
“Will do, you too, Bye” I said.
“Bye”

I walked back to put the phone on the charger.
“Ooo who was that?” Mum asked. Oh no, I hate it when she just assumes it’s a boy.
“Some friends” I replied, smiling.
“Who are some friends?” She questioned.
“Gemma Steal and Nicole Harrison” I answered.
“Oh” she sighed. I laughed.
“How was your day, Belle?” Phil asked me, finishing his Bolognese.
“Good thanks Phil, how was yours?” I asked, sweetly.
“Yeah pretty good” He smiled.
“I’m going to have a shower” I said walking out of the room. I walked up the stairs, into my room and got out some old shorts and a tank top that I only ever wear to bed. I walked into the bathroom and into the shower. When I got out of the shower I realised I was actually quite tired so I went down and said goodnight to Mum and Phil and got a pretty early night’s sleep.