The morning atmosphere was light and the sun was bright and not too harsh. Hunter rummaged through his backpack in search of the hairpin he kept there. "Gosh, where's this pin, I knew I kept it right here", he muttered under his breath as he grew more restless and impatient. Did he perhaps forget to put it in his backpack? His mind was playing games with him, he will be done for if that was the case.
He was about to give up when he felt a smack on the back of his neck. "Ouch, that hurts. What's that for?" He turned his back to find the offender who smacked his neck. It was Kelvin, the school bully who loved picking on him every time, and in his palm was the hairpin Hunter was looking for. "Give that back" Hunter asked stretching out his hand to collect the hairpin from Kelvin, he had time for this boy's craziness every other day but today, he urgently needed to get somewhere before it was too late. "You weren't going to say goodbye?" Kelvin asked teasingly, tilting his head slightly to the right, smiling mischievously. "Aren't you going to miss me? We've been together for years now and you're just going to leave without a goodbye? That's too bad, Hunter, I didn't raise you like this", he said hitting Hunter's head continuously with the folded book in his hand. "Luckily, I have things to get done today, so I'll let you be, this might be our last encounter though, so be a good boy okay?" He said while pushing Hunter's head to the side. Hunter nodded in agreement, he just wanted this guy to hand over the hairpin to him, without destroying it, so he tried not to provoke him even the slightest.
Kelvin threw the hairpin to the ground, and Hunter rushed to pick it up just in time before one of Kevin's boys stepped it. He winced in pain as the boy's feet landed on his palm.
Kelvin let out a loud laugh, enjoying the show. "I guess you made this one for your little princess, am I wrong?" Kelvin asked. Hunter just nodded in affirmation, 'lord, please make this boy to let go of me', he prayed desperately but silently.
"Okay, you can go", Kelvin said, shrugging his shoulders. Hunter's eyes snapped open, staring in shock at Kelvin, this was the first time Kelvin let go of him easily. He scanned the whole classroom with his eyes and he could see everyone staring distastefully at him. He could feel the scorn behind those eyes, he knew exactly what they were saying in their mind. They were too afraid to speak but he didn't need them to speak to know what they had in mind. How could a poor boy on scholarship like him dare to like the school diva, every guy wanted her, the sons of politicians and conglomerates and even the girls were not left out. She didn't want any of them but Hunter, so it made sense he was hated. A poor miserable boy that couldn't even defend himself against bullies pulled the school diva, who always protected him, he felt ashamed but he couldn't get himself to leave her, she was an angel .
Hunter stood up from the floor, dusted his clothes and thanked Kelvin for letting him go. He turned around to leave immediately before Kelvin had a change of mind but was pulled back by Kelvin. "A word of this to Belle and you'll be dead", Hunter nodded without hesitation. Kelvin let go of his hand and he ran out of the classroom.
He skipped through the corridors, trying to beat time just to make it to Belle, since Kelvin succeeded in wasting his time. With the hairpin in his hand, he ran as fast as he could to the school field.
He finally got to the tree were they usually met, but he saw no one. Has she left? "Gosh, did she leave after waiting for him all these while?" Hunter asked himself as he pushed back his hair, gritting his teeth. He slumped on the tree roots, frustrated. Perhaps, he wasn't good enough for her, he should set her free, she needs to find someone better, someone who could take care of her and protect her, not the other way round; if only he was born rich.
He was deep in thought, contemplating if he should leave Belle to find a better man. He knew the relationship might not end well but he couldn't just let go, he wanted to fight till the end to see what will happen at last.
A rough tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to the direction of the tap. Smiling down at him was Belle, gorgeous and breathtakingly beautiful as always, he couldn't resist this heavenly beauty, beautiful in and out. He was lost in her smile and for a whole minute, couldn't move. Belle smile turned to a slight frown, why wasn't he moving? Was he not happy to see her? Or was he.... Wait, "were you bullied again?" She asked him with a serious look on her face. Hunter quickly stood up and dusted his clothes. "No…. I mean who would bully me when I have you", he said not so firmly. Belle knew he was lying, he was hiding something. "You're lying to me, right? You're hiding something from me", Belle pressed on.
Hunter, realizing she will find out if this kept on, and make a whole mess again, because of him, decided to divert her attention quickly. He smiled at Belle, and this gesture confused Belle. "Yes, I'm hiding something from you, how did you know? Now you've spoilt the surprise" Hunter said pouting. He was too cute at the moment, which made Belle was to hug him. "Surprise? What surprise? You have a surprise for me?" She asked happily. Nodding, Hunter took the hairpin out from his pocket. He had spent a whole day designing the hairpin for her, adding different cute charms and sparkles to it. Belle was too stunned to speak. The hairpin was beautiful. "Do you like it?" Hunter asked her. "Of course I love it, this is so pretty", she replied still staring at the hairpin. Hunter was happy. Belle requested he packed her hair and add the pin to her hair. Hunter did just that and she looked nothing less than a princess. Hunter stared at her lovingly, thinking of how lucky he was to have such a beauty. "Do I look good, Hunter?" Hunter nodded, "you look lovely, Belle, you look lovely", He was still stunned. He went in for a kiss after much heated staring and they shared a lovely kiss.
After this moment, they say down opposite each other, resting their backs on each other. "Promise me you won't ever leave me", Belle said, breaking the long silence. Hunter turned to look at her, he hesitated for a moment. "Hunter, you're silent, I need you to promise me that no matter what, we'll always be together", Belle continued, stretching out her hand and sticking out her pinky finger. Hunter hooked his own pinky finger with hers and promised her to stay with her no matter the situation. Belle hugged him happily. To commemorate their love, they went to the tattoo shop where they got a matching tattoo. They spent time in the tattoo shop till dusk. Little did they know what the future held for them.
Belle sat in the car, the city lights a blurry mess outside the window. Her fingers touched the small tattoo behind her ear. It was a matching one, just like Hunter's. They had gotten them together, a long time ago. A promise marked on their skin. "Always", he had said. "Always, Belle".
Her eyes were empty, like there was nothing left inside. She thought about the old tree where they used to meet. The smell of the grass, the sound of Hunter's laugh, the way his hand felt in hers. It was all so different now. So far away. So empty. She remembered the day they went to the tattoo shop. The buzzing of the needle, the way Hunter looked at her. He had her name tattooed on him, right there on his skin. Then, it was her turn. A rose with six thorns. A simple drawing, but it meant everything. It was a promise, a mark of their love. A promise that felt like a lie now, a cruel joke.A tear slipped down her cheek, hot and heavy. She didn't bother to wipe it away. What was the use? Tears wouldn't change anything.
Miles away, Hazel's hands were tight on the steering wheel. Her knuckles were white, like she was holding on for dear life. The car engine roared, a loud, angry sound. "Please, Belle, be safe", she whispered. She had heard things. Bad things. Things that scared her, that made her heart race. The big house, like an old castle, was full of secrets. It was a place where bad things happened, where people said things they shouldn't. She had overheard whispers, fragments of conversations, not so nice to the ears. "Kill her"… "accident"… "insurance"… "company". Words that made her skin crawl. Hazel knew she couldn't trust that fox posed as Belle's husband but she was powerless against him. But now, she had to warn Belle, she had to get to her immediately.
She had slipped out the back door, her heart pounding like a drum. The security cameras were off, thanks to a sudden power surge. It was a risky move, but she had no choice. She had found Belle's assistant, Clara, huddled in a corner, crying.
"They're going to kill her," Clara had said, her voice shaking. "They'll make it look like an accident."
Hazel didn't ask questions. There wasn't time. She grabbed Clara's keys, pushed her into a taxi, and sped away. She had to find Belle. She had to save her. The road was dark, a long black ribbon winding through the sleeping city. She drove fast, too fast. The speedometer needle danced wildly, like it was trying to escape, while she swerved and missed the cars on the road, like a maniac. She didn't care. She had to get there.
Then, she saw it. A plume of black smoke against the night sky, a dark, ugly stain against the stars. As she got closer, she saw the flames. Orange flames, licking at the darkness, hungry and bright. Her heart jumped, a painful twist in her chest. No. This can't be happening. She slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching in protest. The car skidded to a halt, throwing her forward. The scene before her was a nightmare come to life. The car was burning, a twisted wreck of metal and flames. The air smelled of burnt rubber and gasoline, a thick, choking smell.
Paramedics were there, their faces grim and shadowed in the flickering light. They held her back, their hands firm on her arms. "You can't go any further. It's too dangerous."
"No!" she yelled, her voice raw with fear. "Belle! That's her car! Belle is in there!"
The paramedics exchanged uneasy glances. "We found three bodies. We can't tell who they are. The fire was too intense."
Hazel's legs gave way. She sank to her knees, the rough asphalt scraping against her skin. "No," she whispered, her voice broken. "No, Belle…" She cried, loud, broken cries that tore from her throat. Tears streamed down her face, hot and furious. Everything was blurry, a red and black haze. The sounds of the fire, the crackling flames, the voices of the paramedics, were far away, like they were happening in another world.
"Belle, please, don't be gone. Don't leave me." She remembered Belle's smile, bright and warm. She remembered their childhood, their shared secrets, their unbreakable friendship. Now, there was just fire and smoke, and the hollow ache of loss etched deep in her heart.
The flames continued to dance, a macabre ballet against the night sky, consuming everything in their path. The night was silent, save for the crackling flames and Hazel's broken sobs. A terrible thing had happened. A very terrible thing. And it felt like the world was ending. She sat there, on the cold road, her body shaking with grief. The smell of smoke filled her nostrils, the heat of the flames a distant, mocking warmth. She didn't move. She couldn't move. She was lost in the darkness, lost in the pain. The paramedics, their faces etched with professional grimness, tried to pull Hazel away from the scene. Their hands, firm but gentle, were like icy claws on her skin. She shook them off, her body trembling with a mixture of grief and rage. "Let me go!" she screamed, her voice hoarse. "That's my friend! I have to see her!"
They exchanged worried glances, their expressions telling her everything she didn't want to hear. "Ma'am, there's nothing you can do. The fire… it was too intense. It's not safe."
The words were like stones, heavy and cold, sinking into her heart. Too intense. What did that even mean? It meant Belle was gone. Gone in a flash of fire and smoke. Gone before Hazel could warn her. Gone forever. It was her fault, it was all her fault; she could've warned Belle of the danger ahead, she would've saved her. But it was too late, she regretted everything. It was over.