following# lovely story

Beautiful story, kudos Sammy.

His stories r always topnotch! Only if He could be more consistent

[b]

Bella was left in the dark regarding the matter. She doubted if she had offended her in any way. Mrs Fiona noticed the drastic change in her comportment and called to make an enquiry.

"Bella, what's wrong with you?" she demanded. "You are not looking happy at all." Bella kept quiet at first, but eventually she spoke her mind:

"It's Christie," she said. "She doesn't want to have anything doing with me anymore.

"Why?" Miss Fiona asked.

"I don't know," Bella said.

Bella felt somewhat desolated. Now she realised how intimate her friendship with Christie had been. She needed her so much, but she didn't give a heck about her.

Bella wanted to try again. She met Bella standing alone in the school garden, in a pensive mood.

"Christie, please tell me my offence at least," Bella spoke to her with a pleading voice.

Christie was silent, turning her back against her. Bella turned around to face Christie again. She turned the opposite direction and began to walk away. Bella hasted after her and held her by the hand, sobbing.

"Tell me my offence Christie and I will let you be!" Bella yelled amidst tears.

"Okay, if you insist...I will," Christie said and faced her. "How dare you lie to the whole school that I forcefully collected your #500? True I took it and gave it back to you, but you went about blasting the false news all about that I took the money away!"

Bella was shocked to the extreme. She wanted to speak but words had dried off her throat.

"Eeh...so it's true!" Christie yelled and clapped at her. "I gave you back the money. I gave it back to you; you are such a big liar for...for lying against me that I took it away!" Christie was shouting. Tears began to find there way out of her eyes.

"I gave up my bad ways when I saw you that day, Bella, but you went about spoiling my character. You went about lying against me!"

Christie could no more stand before her. She turned and began to hurry away. Bella stood like a tree and began to weep on the same spot.

Bella was certain of one thing; that she didn't tell anyone except Blossom her sister about her first encounter with Christie. So it was definitely Blossom who told Christie the whole thing.

"Oh my bad," Bella spoke under her breath. "When I found the money in Mrs Fiona's piece of love poem paper, I forgot to update Blossom about it. But is it right for Blossom to tell Christie this to her face?"

Bella knew she was in for more oppositions from her sister. She had just one thing to do: to beg her. Bella would do just that.
[/b]

What is wrong with Blossom sef

[b]

CHAPTER ELEVEN

BELLA'S TRIALS

All the while, Bella and Benjamin had consolidated their friendship, such that one could not do without the other.

Benjamin had found her sister's incarnate in Bella such that he eventually opened up to her.

"Bella, honestly, your sight is helping me keep my sister Cynthia alive."

Benjamin told Bella a lot about Cynthia. Actually, her character fitted that of Bella.

"She wouldn't even hurt a fly," Benjamin said.

"But I do hurt flies," Bella replied as she clapped her hands against a little flying fly buzzing around her eyes. "So I am no Cynthia of yours," she made fun. Benjamin laughed.

Fiona and Frank entered.

"You two are still here," Fiona said. "I wonder what you are doing."

"Romeo and Juliet stuff of course," Frank replied teasingly.

"Wrong big brother," Benjamin said. "We are doing the brother and sister stuff...you know what I'm saying," he winked.

Fiona told Bella it was time to leave, but Benjamin never wanted that.

"Miss Fiona, you can go. Bella will find her way back home, later."

"But I came with her," Fiona said. "I'll have to go with her."

"Bella will take care of herself," Benjamin suggested.

Bella spoke for herself eventually:

"Ben, let me go with her. I'll see you at the rehearsal in the church tomorrow," Bella said. Benjamin felt sad. He would miss her. Bella gave him a hug and waved goodbye.

Frank gave them a lift in his jeep.

*** *** **** *** **** **** ****

Bella and Benjamin were to do the lead in the upcoming Musical Concert for the church 10th year anniversary. They had been deemed fit by the choir master of the church to do it.

Benjamin and Bella had been practising very hard for it. They believed it would be a huge success.

Bella had thrown stage fright or its likes behind her. She wasn't shy anymore to face the crowd, thanks to Mr Tony who helped her overcome such with enough motivations.

Bella had been doing fine in the school music club too. Mrs Dorcas had taken personal interest in her. Bella had found her sister, Blossom, a liar. She wasn't the leader of the school music club as she purported.

Blossom had begun to skip music rehearsals since the induction of Bella into the system. She was jealous that more attention was paid on her sister who was new into the system than herself.

Blossom would go to any length to make her pull out from the music club. She had somehow found out the home address of Miss Fiona. She went for her.

Bella thumped hard at the door of Miss Fiona's flat.

"Bella can't be in the music club," Blossom said.

"Says who?" Miss Fiona replied.

"Says..." Blossom paused. "Me!" Her face was almost making contact with Miss Fiona's. She was just so rude and fearless.

"Blossom or what do you say you are? You lack respect!" Miss Fiona bawled.

"You can say anything, but all I know is Bella can't be there! Period!"

Blossom went for the door and left the room. She banged the door closed.

Miss Fiona was shocked.

"What a gut she's got!" she sighed.

**** ****** ****** ****** ***** ***

John's voice was not good for music. It sounded like the croaks of a frog. Mrs Dorcas thought he would not make any impact in the music club, someone who was always in the 'sleeping mode' almost all the time.

"John, I am sorry you won't fit in here," Mrs Dorcas said. "Maybe you should try out other things, like dancing, swimming, painting, writing--anything else. Just try out something else, not music."

John was sad. He would now remain the only one whose talent hadn't been discovered in the whole of JSS 3. Bella was his companion in that earlier, until in recent time she discovered her.

John had tried out footballing but had failed woefully. When he participated in the swimming competition while in the swimming club, he sank while occupying the last position in the race. It took the help of some fast divers to rescue him. John had also participated in the Spelling Genius Competition too. His 'losing word' was the word 'lose' itself. He spelt it as 'loose' and then lost out immediately.

To say that John was a good painter would tantamount to saying that a vulture is a beautiful creature. The picture he painted in the last painting competition was rated 5 on a scale of 100. It was so terrible that the drawing book itself would prefer to remain void rather than having John's horrible artwork in it.

John sobbed out of Mrs Dorcas' office when she told him point-blank that he should find his talent elsewhere.

"Where else do I go?" he thought. In the actual sense, John was a happy-go-lucky person who would not have cared about looking out for any talent. He only needed to discover one, so as to avoid Mr Tony's perpetual disturbances of trying him out in one thing or the other week in week out.

John thought Bella could do it.

"I'll go to Bella, the miracle worker," he said to himself and began to search for her. "If Bella Benson could raise the dead, how much more helping me fetch out my darn talent?" he opined.

John met Bella and presented his wish before her.

"Please, Bella, you can do it," John said. "You woke Miss Fiona from the dead, how much more helping me to find my voice? I love music! I wanna be in the music club!"

"John, do I look like God? Only God can raise people from the dead. I know nothing about music, John, except the little trainings I got from the church and the music club."

"Then, just...just teach me the little you know," John said. "It will suffice."

"Really!" Bella was surprised that John could stoop so low to demand such from her.

John nodded in the affirmative. Bella began to teach John the little she knew about voice training.

"All these things are weird!" John spoke. "Must I always take warm water? I don't like that."

"Then your voice can't improve," Bella told him.

One thing Bella discovered about John was that he couldn't stay awake for as long as 15 minutes. She had to tap him several times to keep him awake.

While John was undergoing some tutelage under Bella, his character had begun to take a new shape, just like Christie's. John no more exhibit pride and arrogance in his dealings with people. However, his voice remained unchanged. He was completely not favoured to be a singer.

"Why not try out something else?" Bella advised him later, after a week without improvement.

"Like what? Sleeping competition?" John spoke in a serious tone of voice. "Maybe I'll just go for that if there's anything like that."

John's eyes were already beclouded with tears, ready to drop.

"I'm sorry," Bella said as John began to take his leave.

Blossom had been watching the close relationship between Bella and John in recent times and she was bent on putting a stop to it, same way she did with Christie.

"Yes, I have an idea," Blossom said after spending a lot of time thinking.

Bella was surprised when she found some write-ups on the marker board in her class. It was written exactly in her handwriting:

John is the most useless thing I have ever met. Even a pig is better off than that sleepy-head.

The class was already set afire before Bella arrived. John bobbed his head in shame and betrayal of trust. It was unimaginable that Bella could do such a thing to him.

Bella was challenged by some of the students in the class.

"Bella, why did you write such a thing?" they queried him.

"I didn't," Bella protested.

"But here's your handwriting," they argued.

"I didn't write it," she complained on and on.

Bella knew there was no way out of the impending trouble. In every sense, the handwriting looked very much like hers.

The case was reported to the disciplinary committee of the school. Bella would have to face the risk of expulsion, or at least suspension.

"Bella, why must you make fun of me?" John challenged her in tears. "Haven't I apologised for calling you a housemaid in the car that day? Now you think the best thing to do is to disgrace me publicly, just to revenge? I regret ever making friend with you!"

Bella's lips shook. She didn't believe that John could believe that she did such a thing.

"John, do you believe this too?"

"A capital YES!" John yelled. "Just yesterday you told me to my face that I should find my talent somewhere else, then today we have this."

Bella gaped at him in disbelief.

It was a very painful thing for Bella to ponder, the thought that he had lost two new friends within a week.

When Miss Fiona heard the case, she didn't believe it.

"Are you sure it isn't the making of your sister?" she said without blinking an eye.

"Blossom?" Bella exclaimed. She began to see reasons in what Miss Fiona had just said. "But could this be true? I mean Blossom's handwriting is quite different from mine!"

"Yes it is very possible," she maintained. "She could have learnt and forged it."

"I don't think my sister can do such a thing to me," Bella grinned. She didn't want Miss Fiona to see her sister as a bad person.

"You don't think so?"

"Yes...I mean it is not just possible."

"It is Bella. You know your sister doesn't want you to join the church choir, as well as the music club. She isn't happy you joined, is she?" Miss Fiona smiled.

Bella now knew how serious Blossom was bent on getting her into troubles if she didn't quit music. Already she was convinced that Blossom knew something about it all: how Christie became her enemy and how the handwriting got to the board.

"I have to just beg her," she concluded.

Bella knocked at Blossom's door at the cool of the evening. She opened the door.

"Hi sister," Bella greeted.

"Hi," Blossom said and turned her eyes away from her.

"I...I don't know maybe we can fix things. Please let's be friends instead of enemies."

"Friends? Ain't we friends already? Definitely we aren't enemies, are we?"

"No, Blossom, just that your attitudes towards me have changed drastically these days. Now you hardly talk to me..."

"That was because I felt you are already getting matured. You think you could face life challenges yourself without help, so I let you. You now carry yourself like a celebrity, isn't it? So Bella, I just thought I should let you. You joined the church choir, didn't you? You think I was giving you a wrong advice by telling you not to join, huh. You proceeded to the school music club against my wish. So, go ahead, live life all by yourself."

Blossom began to shed crocodile tears. Bella was touched. She had always been emotional. She quickly held her sister and patted her back.

"Okay...okay I am sorry," Bella said. "You want me to quit?"

"Yeah, Bella, quit."

"If that's what you want, then I quit!" Bella said, sacrificing her ambitions for her sister's happiness. "Are we friends now?"

"Yes we are," Blossom said, wiping her tearful eyes. Bella hugged her passionately.

When Bella left the room, Blossom burst into laughter.

"At last!" she smiled. "I did it!"

[/b]

Next...chapter 12

[b] CHAPTER TWELVE

THE MUSICAL CONCERT

The day after Bella's acceptance to quit music was a Sunday. The musical concert would hold the same day. Bella was contemplating whether or not to attend the church service that day.

"Blossom, can I attend the church service? I think I shouldn't, since I am not going to participate in the concert."

Blossom smiled.

"You may attend and then leave before the commencement of the concert," Blossom advised.

"Okay, that will be good," Bella concurred.

Bella knew that Benjamin would feel very bad about such development. She wondered how he would be able to perform well in the concert without her.

Bella put on a pink dress and her shiny shoes, with a well designed hat to match. She tightened her belt around her waist as she got ready for the church service.

Since becoming friends, Bella had been sitting side by side with Benjamin on every church service day, but she made up her mind to sit close to Blossom again now. The choir would not function until the time for the musical concert, which would come up immediately after the service proper.

Benjamin felt uncomfortable without Bella beside him. He was occupied with the thought that he must have offended her.

Why is Bella not here? he thought aloud. While the service was on, Benjamin was busy occupying his brain with the remembrance of his last meeting with Bella, which was two days back:

"Bella, you aren't looking too well," Benjamin said.

"Mmm," Bella just replied over her nose. "Something happened in school today."

"What's it?" Benjamin demanded.

"I don't want to go into that matter," she said.

Benjamin badgered her to tell him what happened. At last she did:

"I lost a friend."

"How?" Benjamin demanded. "How did you lose her? She said she doesn't want your friendship anymore?"

Bella smiled.

"Not a 'she' but a 'he'." Bella looked at Benjamin's face. His countenance had changed to something very sad. "What? Do you have any problem with me having a 'he' friend?"

"Yes, Bella!" Benjamin said in a serious tone of voice. "I thought it was supposed to be only me and you."

"What!" Bella screamed. She was shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I thought I am your only boyfriend."

Bella began to laugh.

"You must be joking, right."

"It's no joke!" Benjamin sounded serious.

"What do you mean, Ben?" Bella looked straight into his eyes. "I am not your girlfriend okay? And I have no boyfriend for your information. I thought this was supposed to be a brother and sister thing! Or the Cynthia you are talking about is your girlfriend?"

Bella's face was made into an angry thing. She hated the idea of keeping a boyfriend in her very tender age. Eventually, Benjamin burst into laughter.

"It's no laughing matter," Bella replied angrily.

"I'm sorry I was only joking," he said with a smile.

"That was an expensive joke. I don't like it."

"I'm sorry Bella," Benjamin said and held her arm.

"Leave me alone," Bella said and pulled her arm away. "I'm beginning to be scared of you."

The rest of the day went awry. Benjamin began to regret his actions when Bella didn't come back to her normal self throughout the day.

In the actual sense, Benjamin would prefer having Bella as a sister rather than a girlfriend, because he was of the consciousness that girlfriends are temporary but sisters last forever. He would prefer to have Bella beside him forever and not temporarily.

As soon as the church service was ended, all the choir members proceeded to the church dressing rooms to change to their uniforms. For Bella, it was time to leave for home.

"Sister, I'm off," Bella told Blossom as she began to leave.

"That's fine," Blossom said. "Hope you have your keys with you."

"Yes I do," Bella said. "Thanks and goodbye."

No sooner than Bella left than Benjamin arrived at Blossom's seat.

"Where is Bella?" he demanded.

Blossom kept quiet.

"Excuse me please, where is Bella?" Benjamin asked with a more deeper voice.

"Not even a 'hi' and you expect me to reply you?"

"I'm very sorry, Blossom," Benjamin pleaded. Benjamin had been informed of Blossom's bad character while she was in the choir. However, when he asked Bella about it, she insisted that her sister was a good person.

"Keep your sorry to yourself guy," Blossom said as she sized him up and dressed him down with her eyeballs. "So, tell me, is Bella your girlfriend?"

"Hmm, n-no..."

"So tell me why you are looking for my sis," she demanded critically.

"Actually, I haven't seen her today in church. I hope she would be performing in the concert."

"Must you see her?" Blossom yelled at him. "Anyway, Bella is sick at home at the moment. She wouldn't be singing today."

It sounded like a gunshot to Benjamin. It was quite incredible.

"Bella won't be singing today?"

"You heard me, young man."

"That's terrible!" Benjamin exclaimed. He began to walk away.

Blossom smiled secretly.

"That serves them right."

Benjamin was unsure whether he would be upstage to perform too. Emotionally and morally, he was no more fit to perform as well. The two of them were to perform as the lead singers in the concert, so it would be impossible for any one of them to be missing out.

The announcers had called all the youth choir members to be at the back of the control post to put on their costumes. Benjamin just hissed at the announcement as he walked towards the exit door.

"So Bella fell sick because of what happened between us on Friday? This is quite incredible!"

Benjamin was contemplating on paying her a visit at home. He had been there once, so he knew how to get there.

Bella was about to take a taxi home when she remembered that her bible was not with her. She doubted if Blossom would notice it and help her to bring it home.

"I doubt if she would help me bring it home," she whispered.

The taxi driver peeped through the window and demanded, "Where to, young lady?"

"Just go sir, I'm not going anymore. I'm sorry," Bella said.

The taxi driver hissed and then zoomed off in annoyance.

Miss Fiona was excited. She would be proud of seeing Bella take the lead role alongside her brother-in-law to be. She sat down gently to watch them mount the podium in their radiant pink dresses for the ladies and for the boys, pink top and black trousers.

One after the other, the choir members matched to the stage and took their positions, but Bella and Benjamin were missing out. They were supposed to be standing right in front of the two big microphones far ahead of others.

"Where are these kids?" Fiona asked, flabbergasted.

Bella and Benjamin suddenly ran into each other at the church door.

"Bella!" Benjamin yelled in shock. As soon as she saw him, she turned back and began to leave. Benjamin hurried after her and caught up with her by the roadside, outside the church premises.

"Bella, what's wrong? I thought you are sick!"

"I'm not sick! Where did you hear that from?" Bella replied harshly.

"Your sister told me," Benjamin said. "Bella, it's time for the concert, aren't you singing?"

"Yes I am not," Bella said.

"Bella, please you have to sing or else things will go awry today. Are you doing all these because of what happened on Friday?"

"What happened on Friday?" Bella asked.

"That I called you my girlfriend," Benjamin reminded her. "I'm sure that's why you are doing all these. Please do forgive me!"

Bella grinned.

"Oh! That! No!" she replied. "It didn't bother me, Ben."

It did," Benjamin argued. "If it didn't, why then did you not sit beside me in church today?"

"Because I chose not to do so Ben," Bella replied. "Remember I have a sister, a biological one for that matter. I don't see anything wrong in sitting with her sometimes."

"Oh, now I gerrit. She told you not to sing, right!"

"Exactly!" Bella said. "I have to obey her so that I can keep her as a sister, else I will lose her."

"Funny," Benjamin said with mouth wide agape. "Must you allow your own sister to cow you? Bella, listen to me, you should be responsible for your own decisions, not someone else choosing for you. Look at me, Frank can't choose what I do, despite the fact that he is about twelve years older than I. How much more Blossom who is only barely two years older than you are?"

"Well...that's your own family setting, Ben. I have my own family setting quite different from yours. So, Ben, let me just be."

Ben was short of words. All the while he had taken Bella as a sister, but she had just made the difference with her speech.

"So, Bella, you aren't my sister anymore. Then you are a murderer," Benjamin said in a low tone.

"How?" Bella was taken aback by his speech.

"You ressurrected my dead sister Cynthia and now you're going to murder her again. If you leave music then the Cynthia I know will have to die again. Then where do you want me to be? I will be dead too, because my talent would fall back dead like it was before she discovered it."

Bella stood before him, speechless as she looked at him without uttering a speech...

Fiona had adjourned to Blossom's seat when she didn't see Bella upstage. It was five minutes already since the stage was set for the commencement of the concert. However, the absence of Bella and Benjamin wouldn't make them start. Without the two lead singers, the concert might not take place.

"Where is Bella?" Miss Fiona demanded critically.

"She left after the church service," Blossom said gladly. "I have convinced her to pull out of music and guess what...she succumbed, ha, ha, ha," Blossom laughed.

"Shut it Blossom!" Miss Fiona got angry with her. "And you think that's fun! Do you realise that this musical concert isn't gonna start without her?"

"Why not?" Blossom asked. "I thought there were backup singers."

"None!" Miss Fiona said. "Frank told me none! Blossom if this concert doesn't go well, you are responsible for this. Just know that, eh!"

"As if I care," Blossom replied and laughed.

Miss Fiona looked ahead again. The choir members were shaking visibly. Frank the choirmaster was running from pillar to post. He was supposed to handle one of the pianos. He could not have his seat. The bishop had called him to ask what was going on.

"Young lady, you are a devil!" Miss Fiona challenged Blossom.

"I don't give a heck," she replied as she sat, cross-legged, smiling.

Suddenly, a voice took over the whole auditorium:

"We have seven great songs to render today. The following are the titles of our songs: Wonderful God by Sammy O.
Step by Step by Sammy O.
Enter In by Alfred Lawrence
Acapella Mixture, Tabernacle Worship by Don Howard, The Life Journey by Pamela Grace and Hallelujah by the church choir. As you listen, may you be blessed in Jesus name!"

It was a shocker to Fiona. The voice was definitely Benjamin's voice but he wasn't visible on the podium. To her surprise, Bella's voice came up too.

"Won-derful God, Ho-ly God. I will Praise your name, All the time. You are the God that is wonderful. Wonderful God, I'll praise your name...

"Bella?" Blossom and Fiona yelled simultaneously. Just then, Bella and Benjamin began to emerge from the back of the control post, each having a wireless microphone.

Everyone clapped as they emerged. They thought it was a nice concept. The whole hall was electrified. Luckily, for Bella, she was already on a pink dress which matched the uniforms of the choir members, but Benjamin was on black all through. However, he had hung his pink shirt on his right shoulder, which was still a sign of identity with the rest of the choir members.

Blossom was enraged. She picked up her bag and began to take her leave as soon as the concert commenced. Fiona laughed.[/b]

Am beginning to dislike Bella

Nice story, will surely keep reading.

kwencypresh:
Am beginning to dislike Bella

why are you disliking Bella?

SammyO4real:
why are you disliking Bella?

she is too emotional
Allowing her wicked sister to run her life

kwencypresh:
she is too emotional Allowing her wicked sister to run her life

hmm, so true.

Drop update or else. ..

Wow...this is really great. Definitely #following

kwencypresh:
she is too emotional
Allowing her wicked sister to run her life

That's the way her mind works...


Not entirely her fault.

thanks logodwhiz for d mention.. following rightaway

labaski:
thanks logodwhiz for d mention.. following rightaway

Uwc dear!
Enjoy the ride

i shall surely follow suit like some faithful followers following this great story

As for WE ARE ABLE.....i was moved to tears ,and i can see you building the "emotion-drawer" in this story too..

aduragbemisteve:
i shall surely follow suit like some faithful followers following this great story

As for WE ARE ABLE.....i was moved to tears ,and i can see you building the "emotion-drawer" in this story too..

Thanks a lot.

SammyO4real:
Thanks a lot.

Choi
I thought it was an update

Nice story oga sammyhoe, bt no let dis one be like EBIAG o. Make sure u finish am pls.

LaJose78:
Nice story oga sammyhoe, bt no let dis one be like EBIAG o. Make sure u finish am pls.

okay

wow! nice story................ Pls update!!!

[b] CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BELLA AND THE PANEL

Bella didn't escape the school panel. She stood right before a committee of five to plead 'not guilty' to the case she was condemned of.

"I swear, I know nothing about the write-up," Bella said.

"But it is obviously your handwriting," they said.

"Maybe somebody else forged it," she protested. They grinned.

John was called upon to speak about the matter.

"Bella has been teaching me music rudiments for almost two weeks now," John said. "Then, just a day before the handwriting on the board, she got tired of me and told me to my face to go and find my talent elsewhere. Then she decided to put up that write-up about me."

"Did you do anything to offend her?" they asked John.

"Not at all," he replied.

One of the panel members faced Bella and said, "You can see that evidently, you did write that thing on the board; first it was your handwriting; second, you quarrelled with him a day before the write-up came up."

"I didn't quarrel with him," Bella responded. "I only felt that John wouldn't be good for the music club and I told him that politely."

"Alright, Bella, do you think anyone in this school might have forged your handwriting?"

"I don't suspect anybody," she said.

"Then it's definitely you and you will be facing the risk of being expelled or in the least, suspended."

"And that would be a case of mistaken identity because I know nothing about it," Bella replied. Tears soon began to jostle their ways out of her eyes.

Somebody came to tell the panel that a witness was available.

"For or against the accused," they asked.

"I don't know," the reporter said. "Let me go and ask her."

"Don't bother, just let her in," they ordered.

Few minutes later, Christie began to make her way into the school courtroom. She was walking in her usual tomboy manner. When Bella saw her, she nearly collapsed.

"I am a witness," Christie said with a critical face. Bella's heart thumped faster and harder. She was sure that the whole thing was a total setup possibly engendered by Christie herself.

"For or against the accused," they asked. A brief period of silence engulfed the atmosphere. Bella was looking away. She was expecting nothing good from Christie who had earlier picked an offence with her.

"A witness against the accused," Christie's voice sounded at last. It was only the imagination of Bella's heart.

"In support of the accused," Christie spoke for real. Bella turned her face towards her. She didn't believe it.

"So...what do you have to say?"

"Bella, as we all know, is a very good girl. She couldn't have done this thing that she is accused of doing. Right from the day one of my meeting with Bella Benson, I felt I had met an angel. She is so meek, honest, gentle and easygoing."

"Is that all you've got?" they asked her.

"No, that isn't all," Christie said. "Bella related with me, even though she knew how everyone speaks ill of me. She didn't relate with me with hearsays. She took her time to please me while our relationship lasted. Bella wouldn't hurt a fly. She is too clean to do that thing she is accused of."

"Young lady, we are not here for stories; everybody else have stories to tell, so tell us something else."

Christie faced John and looked him in the eyes as she said, "Now, John can you look straight into Bella's face and accuse her of writing that maligning stuff on the board about you?"

"Em...em..." John couldn't speak. He looked straight into Bella's face and then began to shed tears.

"I...I can't really say," John concluded at last. All the memories of his wonderful moments with Bella had just resurfaced in his brain. Bella had given it all to him while their relationship lasted.

John recalled the day that Bella told him that she believed he would do good in life, despite his drowsy condition. That day, a schoolmate just got into a scoffle with him and called him a ssleepy-head and a good-for-nothing pig. John shed tears and then confided in Bella.

John, everybody has got some weaknesses, but looking away from them is the strength of such individual. When you ignore your weaknesses, you will discover how strong you are. John, look deep inside of yourself, there's something you haven't really tapped into. It is lying over there at the corner of your heart. It is in you. That's what will take you to your highest point in life. You are not a useless fellow! You are not a pig!

John couldn't withstand Bella's presence anymore. He rushed out of the courtroom in tears, feeling like a betrayer.

"So, young lady, you have just concluded setting up emotions here, but I bet you, those analyses of yours wouldn't suffice to vindicate the accused. We need real evidence."

"I have it here," Christie said without blinking a bit. Bella raised her brows in suspense.[/b]

Wow! Wow!! Wow!!!

SammyO4real:
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE TO EVERYONE!!!
IT WOULDN'T BE A COINCIDENCE IF BELLA BENSON COULD BE FREE TODAY AS WELL FROM THE SCHOOL PANEL! READERS, WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU WISH THAT BELLA BENSON SHOULD BE SET FREE?

Yes! It will be a perfect gift

Pukka36:
Yes! It will be a perfect gift

I need four more responses before writing the next update, as whatever the decisions you make will determine how the update would look like. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

SammyO4real:
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE TO EVERYONE!!!
IT WOULDN'T BE A COINCIDENCE IF BELLA BENSON COULD BE FREE TODAY AS WELL FROM THE SCHOOL PANEL! READERS, WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU WISH THAT BELLA BENSON SHOULD BE SET FREE?

yeah.....because i guess there is someone with evidence

[b] CHAPTER FOURTEEN

FREEDOM FOR BELLA BENSON

Blossom was awaiting just one thing as she sat down gently in her classroom. It was still break period and she was expecting someone to come and tell her that Bella had been expelled.

Blossom would be the happiest thing on earth of her wishes came to pass. She won't have any regret that Bella was expelled.

"Didn't I tell her to quit the music club? She refused to do so and now she will be having her fair share," Blossom mused gladly. "I hate her!"

Blossom had sent her close friend, a partner in doing evil, to hang around in the courtyard so that she could come over to tell her what had transpired over there.

Blossom smiled when she saw Glory approaching.

"How did it go?" she asked enthusiastically when she set her eyes on her accomplice.

"Blossom, they are coming for you now."

"Who?" she asked hurriedly.

"The members of the panel," Glory whispered. "They are here."

"For what?" Blossom asked hurriedly. She was scared. Just then two ladies walked into the classroom.

"Attention here! Who is Blossom in this class?" they asked. The class was silent. "Is there no Blossom in here?"

"Here she is," Glory pointed at her. "B-Blossom, please follow them," she whispered to her friend. Glory had to do that because she was always a coward. She feared that the panel could suspend everyone in their class if Blossom wasn't pointed out on time.

"So...you are the Blossom," said the ladies. "Why were you keeping silent? Anyway, just go with us because you have a case to answer in the panel."

"Me? A c-case?" she stuttered.

As Blossom stepped in, Bella's heart melted like ice. She was not happy about the turnout of event.

"So, Blossom Benson, sister to the accused, Christie here has accused you of writing that thing on the board in your sister's class. Guilty or not guilty."

Blossom was shocked to the extreme. She gasped for air for some seconds before saying a word.

"I don't understand," Bella said.

"Bella, I saw you writing that stuff on the board in Bella's classroom. Deny it and I'll kick your ass off!" Christie spoke out of anger, but she was shunned by the members of the panel for using a vulgar word.

"I'm sorry for using that word," Christie apologized. "But sincerely I saw her writing that stuff."

"Christie are you crazy?" Blossom yelled at her. "Why would I want to do such thing to my sister? Bella, can I do such thing to you?" she asked, facing Bella herself.

Bella was speechless.

"You see, Bella herself knew it isn't possible for me to do that. Christie, why can't you just keep your nose off things that doesn't concern you?" Blossom yelled at her. "I love my sister and I can't do anything to hurt her."

"Shut up, liar!" Christie yelled. "Who made me part ways with Bella? Weren't you the person? Now you are here telling me that you love her. I guess that kind of stuff is exactly what you wanted to achieve by sowing discord between Bella and John too!"

"You must be joking, Christie!" Blossom yelled at her.

The panel had to call for order. When it was achieved, they said, "Christie, you don't have sufficient evidence to prove to us that Blossom wrote that stuff. Therefore we are letting her go."

"But sirs, Blossom Benson is guilty. I saw her with my two eyes; my two naked eyes. She wrote it there."

"How do we believe that?" they said and grinned.

"Any other witness who was with you when you saw her?"

"I was alone ma," Christie said.

"Then you have nothing to prove," the woman said. "So, I guess Blossom Benson can go back. She has no case to answer, or what do you think?" the lady asked the other committee members.

"Yes, she can take her leave."

Blossom smiled. Then she looked straight into Christie's face, eyeball to eyeball and whispered, "Big loser!"

"That's what you are!" Christie screamed at her. Blossom smiled and began to walk away. She was just at the exit door, about to step out of the courtroom, when she heard, "Blossom, come back here!"

Blossom was shocked to the bone marrow when she heard the call.

"W-what again?" she stammered.

"You have a big case to answer here," one of the committee members replied, staring at a huge smartphone in his grip.

Blossom began to walk back to the panel with heavy steps buried in ambivalence. She was sweating visibly as she expected the worst.

"I-I am h-here," Blossom stammered.

"Look at this and tell us who's in this video," they demanded. Blossom saw herself writing the statement on the whiteboard with a blue permanent marker:

John is the most useless thing I have ever met. Even a pig is better off than that sleepy-head.

Blossom's mouth went wide agape. She had nothing to say. She had been caught offguard.

"I told you I will get you Blossom! I recorded that stuff with my 50 megapixel Samsung Galaxy Android..."

"Phone?" one of the members of the committee thumped up suddenly. "Christie, you brought a phone to school?"

Christie's eyeballs roamed about in their sockets. She knew she wouldn't go scot-free too.

"I--I..." she stammered. "I am sorry."

"Of course you won't get your phone back," said the lady among the committee.

"And you are straightaway given a week suspension, Christie, for bringing a phone to school against the law of the school authority."

A week suspension was always the verdict for a student who was caught with a handset. Christie braced up and took up the verdict.

"No problem," she whispered to herself as she awaited the judgment to be meted out on her adversary.

"Blossom Benson, with the video evidence here, it is now clear that you are the one who painstakingly wrote that statement on the whiteboard, all in the name of implicating your sister who is the original owner of the writing you forged. Without delay, and having arrived at a point with the rest of the members of this committee, you are hereby given a three-week suspension."

Christie yelled in excitement. Blossom wept.[/b]

Serves her right

You are doing a wonderful job Sammy, keep it coming.