Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4)(139)

Prentice sighed, dropped one of her hands and pulled his fingers through his hair again as he brought Bella closer.

“Davey told Jason I never loved Fiona. Davey told Jason I only ever loved you. Davey also told Jason that if I had to choose between you and Jason and Sally, I’d choose you because I love you more than I love them. And lastly, Davey told Jason that Fiona knew this and it’s what made her sick, it was why she died.”

Bella gasped.

Fiona did too.

They both stared at Prentice in horror.

Then Bella’s face got red.

Then she opened her mouth.

And then she shouted, very, very loudly, “I’m going to f**king wring Hattie Fennick’s neck!”

Prentice’s body jerked and his face went blank before he realized he wasn’t dealing with Isabella Austin Evangahlala.

He was dealing with Elle Austin and Elle was a whole lot less predictable than Isabella.

“Elle –” Prentice tried to pull her even closer but she snatched her hand away and paced into the kitchen while everyone watched her.

She halted in a jerky way and whirled to Prentice.

And she shouted (again) and (again) it was very loud, “That insufferable bitch! I’m going to conk her on the head and shove her over a cliff!”

Prentice moved toward her saying, “Elle, calm down.”

“Calm!” she yelled, scooting away from him and pacing, her hands moving around angrily. “Calm! I can’t be calm! Hattie Fennick is a malicious bitch and,” she stopped, twirled and glared at Prentice, “apparently, her son is a little snot!”

“Baby –” Prentice came at her again, she tried to avoid him but he caught her with an arm around her waist and pulled them together front to front then he repeated, “Calm down.”

“I will not be calm!” Bella was still shouting. “Anyone who had a brain in their head knew you loved Fiona! What is Hattie thinking, filling her son’s mind with that garbage!”

“Elle –” he started but Bella kept right on ranting.

“I was gone, you didn’t know I would ever come back. You went on with your life. Of course you loved her. She was Fiona! Everyone loved her! You thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with her. And you can’t get a brain tumor from thinking bad thoughts! Hattie Fennick! What a bitch! And her son, repeating it, even if he is ten years old, what a little snot!” Her body jerked and her eyebrows snapped together. “What did the Headmaster say?”

“Due to the circumstances, he’s being lenient with Jason,” Prentice answered.

“He better be.” Then she snapped, “Is he being lenient with the Fennick boy?”

“They think both boys learned their lesson and –”

Bella cut him off by announcing firmly, “Davey Fennick should be expelled.”

“Elle, Jason hit Davey. What Davey did was wrong but Jason knows better.”

“That may be so,” Bella clipped, “but I don’t care. I’m glad he hit him, I only hope he hit him hard!” Bella yelled.

Annie giggled.

Mikey chuckled.

Debs was grinning, huge.

Fiona was with Annie, she was giggling herself silly.

Even Prentice’s mouth was twitching. Gone was the anger, he looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.

It was then Fiona felt it and her eyes went to the top of the stairs.

Both Sally and Jason were sitting on the top step watching the show. Sally looked confused and maybe a little worried. Jason’s face was red but this was not anger or upset, he was nearly choking himself from holding back laughter.

Bella swung her gaze around the lot of them and snapped, “I see nothing funny about this.”

It was at that Jason lost his battle with his hilarity and snorted.

Everyone’s eyes moved to the stairs.

Prentice won his battle and with a firm voice, he ordered, “Rooms.”

Jason and Sally scampered.

Bella pulled back in Prentice’s arms and jerked her extended hand across her neck, declaring, “I’ve had it up to here with Hattie Fennick.”

Prentice’s eyes cut to her and they narrowed just as his body grew tense.

“What else has she done?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she replied dryly. “She came into Fern’s today, said a few choice things and they were vile. And Annie told me she gave Fiona dirty looks. And I’ll remind you, she sold our story to a magazine for money.” Bella threw her arm out. “Now she’s got her son causing trouble for Jason at school!”

“I’ll talk to her,” Prentice replied.

“No, when you get her number, I’ll talk to her,” Bella shot back.

“Elle –”

“No, Pren. I don’t like the idea of her talking to you. Now she’s creeping me out with all this venom. This is all because she has a screaming crush on you. She has since you were in school,” Bella announced. “Fern said so.”

Prentice blinked.

Then he asked, “I’m sorry?”

“Fern told us she’s liked you since forever,” Annie chimed in.

“And, looking back, she totally has,” Debs added.

“Which, I don’t blame her,” Mikey declared. “But there’s a fine line between being forlorn at unrequited love and being, well, her.”