Chapter 4:
It had been a transformative two weeks since Akshara and Aarohi had joined the corridors of Forks High School. With the pressure of starting a new school year in a completely unfamiliar place, the girls had quietly observed their new surroundings, paying attention to every detail as they navigated each day. They had struggled initially, feeling lost in a sea of new faces and a completely different environment. However, as the days went by, they slowly but surely found their place amidst their new peers.
Although Aarohi had found it easier to make new friends with her confident personality, Akshara had initially struggled to find someone she could relate to. However, as fate would have it was, the first person she had met in this school, Jessica, a vibrant and outgoing girl who quickly became her confidant and partner in crime. The two had shared countless laughs, exchanged stories and quickly become inseparable at school.
With her art materials in hand, Akshara stepped into her Art class, her eyes scouting the room for an unoccupied seat. The air was dense with the aroma of paint, and the hum of the air conditioning provided a soothing background noise. Much to her dismay, all chairs were taken, except for a solitary one tucked away in the corner. She walked towards it, her heart pounding with anticipation.
As she approached the chair, Akshara noticed a girl seated next to it, lost in her own world. Bella Swan, she remembered from her earlier interactions. She cautiously studied Bella, her eyes drawn to the solemn expression etched upon her face. Bella's gaze fixated on the window, as if yearning for a world outside of their school's confines. Undeterred by Bella's distant aura, Akshara mustered the courage to request permission to take the empty seat. Bella, in her despondent state, acknowledged Akshara's presence with a simple nod, devoid of any emotion. Taking that as a silent approval, Akshara settled beside her, her heart feeling both sympathy and curiosity.
Eager to break the barrier of silence surrounding them, Akshara introduced herself with a voice laced with warmth and genuine interest. "Hi Bella, I'm Akshara. It's nice to meet you," she said, hoping to ignite a spark of conversation. Bella turned her gaze towards Akshara, her eyes guarded and lacking any emotions. After a few moments of contemplation, she responded in a tone devoid of any inflection, "Bella Swan." And just like that, Akshara knew that striking up a conversation with Bella was not going to be easy.
Akshara couldn't help but feel a twinge of empathy in her chest. It was evident that Bella carried a burden within her – a story that was yet untold. Determined to try and talk to bella and bring a little warmth and kindness to her day, Akshara persevered, gently probing further. "So, Bella, do you enjoy art class? What kind of artwork do you find the most captivating?" Bella's response was muted, her words few and far between. She seemed to be living in a realm unbeknown to others, detached from the vibrant world buzzing around her.
Despite the quiet exchanges, Akshara knew that behind Bella's detached facade, she held a heart yearning to connect with someone. The arrival of Mrs. Johnson, the Art teacher, brought Akshara's attention back to reality. Mrs. Johnson was a middle-aged woman with an infectious smile, who lit up the entire room with her lively personality.
"Good afternoon, students. I hope you all are excited about the project we are about to start," Mrs. Johnson announced cheerfully, sitting behind her desk. As she opened a folder, she turned to face the class, her eyes scanning over each student with a kind gaze. "Over the next four weeks, we will be working in pairs. You will be paired with the person sitting next to you. In this project, you will choose a topic of your own and will make an art about it."
Akshara's mind was buzzing with ideas, and she turned towards Bella, eager to hear what she thought about the project. However, Bella's demeanor was the same as before. Her eyes were glued to the window, and she seemed disinterested in the project. Ignoring the strangeness of Bella's behavior, Akshara started discussing with her some potential topics for the project, but Bella remained unresponsive. Feeling bad for the girl, who seemed to be lost in a world of her own, Akshara stepped up and tried to include Bella in the discussion.
"Do you have a particular form of art that you are fond of, Bella?" she asked brightly. For a moment, Bella seemed to be lost in thought before shaking her head. "I don't know…I don't know," she murmured, staring blankly into space.
Akshara's heart ached for Bella. But it was evident that Bella's walls were too high to break down.
As the class ended earlier than expected, Akshara gathered her things and made her way to the cafeteria. The hallways were less crowded than usual, and she couldn't help but feel relieved when Mrs. Johnson let them out early. She thought to herself that maybe today wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be. Once she entered the cafeteria, she walked over to her group's table. As she sat down, she realized that no one had arrived yet. Akshara was used to being the first one there, but it gave her time to think about everything she had been going through lately. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong with Bella.
While deep in thought, Akshara jumped when Jessica arrived, giving her a playful punch on the arm.
"What's up, Akshara?" Jessica asked with a grin on her face.
"What's the secret behind your perfect hair? I've been noticing that it hasn't gone bad, especially when you let it down." Akshara couldn't help but laugh at Jessica's comment.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore," she said with a mischievous smile. Jessica raised an eyebrow, "One day, I'll find out your secret." Akshara and Jessica continued chatting and laughing while they waited for the rest of the group to arrive.
As the conversation between Jessica and Akshara continued, Akshara's eyes kept wandering around the crowded high school cafeteria, taking in the different groups and their interactions. She watched the cheerleaders laughing loudly as they showed off their perfectly choreographed routines, while the jocks wolfed down their fast food and shouted at each other across the tables. The goths sat huddled together, wearing their trademark black clothing and heavy makeup, while the nerds debated the latest developments in science and technology. Akshara couldn't help but marvel at the diversity of the student body, and how each group seemed to have its own unique identity and social structure.
Her attention was suddenly caught by the sight of Bella, walking in all alone and heading towards a table at the far end. Akshara felt her heart ache for Bella as she recalled the earlier incident that had taken place in their class. She remembered the way Bella was so despondent and withdrawn, and she couldn't help but wonder what could have happened to have put Bella in such a situation. Was it something at home? Or perhaps with her friends?
She watched as Bella sat down and looked straight out the window similar to how she was in class earlier. Akshara felt a pang of sympathy for the quiet girl and couldn't help but feel drawn to her, perhaps because she was seeing herself in her. Her thoughts were interrupted by Jessica's voice, asking her what was wrong. Akshara let out a heavy sigh and proceeded to narrate everything that had happened in class with Bella.
Just as Jessica was about to respond to Akshara's concerns about Bella, Lauren appeared and took a seat at their lunch table. Lauren was a new friend that Aarohi had made, and while she seemed nice enough, there was something about her that rubbed Akshara the wrong way. It was as if there was an air of smugness surrounding Lauren that grated on Akshara's nerves, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
"Hey guys! What are we talking about?" Lauren chimed in with a bright smile.
"We were just talking about Bella," Jessica replied.
It wasn't long before Lauren interrupted the conversation yet again, and from the tone of her voice, Akshara could sense that she was about to mock Bella. A surge of disgust washed over her as she watched Lauren laugh at Bella's misfortunes. Lauren made insensitive comments about how the Cullens had left Bella and how she always seemed to be alone. Akshara didn't know who the Cullens were, but she knew that making fun of them or Bella was not right.
Amidst Lauren's hurtful mocking, Akshara's thoughts drifted to Aarohi, her own sister. She noticed that Aarohi had been acting even more strangely since becoming friends with Lauren. It worried Akshara that Lauren's negative influence might be affecting Aarohi's attitude.
Feeling a responsibility to protect her sister and do what was right, Akshara mustered her courage and spoke up, "Lauren, that's not nice. Bella may be going through a tough time, and making fun of her won't make anything better."
Lauren raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Akshara's boldness. "Oh, come on! I was just having a little fun," she retorted, trying to downplay her earlier comments. Before Akshara could reply they noticed that the rest of their friends had come, Mike walked up to their table with a friendly smile, and the rest of their friends followed suit, creating an atmosphere that was noticeably more welcoming.
"Hey, guys," Mike said cheerfully, giving Akshara a warm smile and hugging Jessica. "What's going on?"
Lauren seemed taken aback by the sudden change in the dynamic, but she tried to brush it off, "Oh, we were just having some fun, you know."
Mike's expression turned serious as he shook his head, "Making fun of others isn't cool, Lauren. We should be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down."
Akshara then recalled her first day at Forks High School, when during lunch she had thought Mike looked familiar. After racking her brain, she had mustered the courage to ask him if they had met before, and to her surprise, he had felt the same way. It hadn't taken them long to realize that they had met and become friends when she had gone on vacation with her parents in California. It was also after that the newtons had moved to Forks so they hadn't met.
As Akshara reminisced, she noticed Angela, another friendly face from their class, skillfully changed the topic of conversation, diffusing the tension. Akshara felt Jessica nudge her, and when she turned to her friend, Jessica mouthed that she would explain everything later.
Two months had passed since Akshara and her family had moved to Forks. The Goenka sisters had settled into their new life, and Akshara had grown fond of the quaint town and its welcoming community. As the days went by, she had made more friends and grown even closer to Jessica, Angela, Mike, and the others. She had also noticed that Aarohi had become good friends with Lauren, which gave Akshara mixed feelings. While she was happy that her sister had found a friend, she still couldn't shake off her unease about Lauren's influence on Aarohi.
One morning, as Akshara and Aarohi were getting ready for school, the sun was just starting to rise, casting a soft golden hue over the town. A cool breeze blew through the open window, signaling the arrival of autumn. She had gotten used to the weather in Forks, and the change in seasons brought a sense of familiarity and comfort.
As they reached the school, Aarohi hopped out of the car, eager to join her friends, while Akshara parked the car and headed towards the entrance. As she walked, she noticed Chief Swan approaching the school with a worried expression. She decided to stop and ask if everything was okay.
"Chief Swan, is everything alright?" Akshara inquired, her concern evident in her voice.
Charlie looked up, surprised to see Akshara. He sighed and replied, "I hope it is, but I'm not sure. Have you or anyone heard from Bella recently?"
Akshara shook her head, "No, I haven't heard from Bella. Why? Is something wrong?"
Charlie's worry deepened, "Bella has gone missing."
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