HAUNTED
୨⎯ chapter sixteen ⎯୧

Bianca is happy. she's the happiest she has ever been. there was still a small guilt there but she has one to the conclusion that no matter what it will always be there and she will just have to live with it and not let it bother her.

it's the day after, the day of the tournament. bianca was getting ready with the help of her mom. belly was downstairs preparing breakfast and getting a little surprise.

bianca was woken up at four in the morning so that her mom would get rid of her braids. it was now almost noon and lena was done washing her daughters hair and was getting it ready to put into two french braids slick back ponytail. it was until she straightens it later that night for the debutant ball.

"mom i look like those people in the airports that guide the airplanes to their lanes." bianca complained looking at how neon her shirt was. she wore the shirt and she made sure to get it a little bit bigger than her normal size. she wore black leggings and her running shoes.

"at least people will know that you're there." lena joked finishing up her hair. bianca yawned picking up her coffee taking a sip. it was going to be the only thing getting her through the day. she didn't sleep well last night due to the fact that her and steven stayed up until two in the morning.

"okay, done. come downstairs for breakfast." lena said pulling away. she kissed the head of her daughter before walking out. "hey girls."

bianca turned around frowning her eyebrows. girls? bianca asked herself. then belly and taylor entered the room. taylor looked down not meeting bianca's eye while belly went quick to say something.

"listen i know that you two might not be each others biggest fans right now but please, just for today, can you get along." belly pleased looking between her best friend and her like sister. bianca's eyes softened and gave her a shrug. she knows how much the volleyball tournament means to belly, she wasn't about to ruin it over a boy.

"i don't have any problem with her. what happened happened." bianca said tilting her head slightly down wanting taylor to look at her. "i'm not about to have beef with you over a boy. he's just a boy."

"but i knew you liked him and that something was going on. come on, bianca, don't let me go this easily. i did something horrible and i regret it. i regret it so much. punch me, scream at me, call me a bitch for fucks sake." taylor groaned feeling like it was too easy the way that bianca was being. she knew that if she was in bianca's position she would've done everything what she just told bianca to do to her.

"you regret it?" bianca asked.

"more than anything." taylor said shaking her head. bianca doesn't know how genuine taylor is. she's never fully had a friendship with taylor jewel but from the few times they've talked, taylor doesn't regret stuff. she lives for the thrill. for being the bad influence. going to parties. hooking up.

"so there's nothing for me to be upset about. life is too short to be mad at you for kissing a boy i wasn't even with. that's stupid." bianca laughed. belly smiled at bianca and then at taylor who held a ghostly smile on her lips.

"hey did you know belly button over here is keeping a huge secret from us." taylor said moving past nelly to sit on her bed close to bianca.

"isabel conklin."

that's when belly blushed and spilled everything that happened with her and conrad. her and jeremiah. conrad's and hers almost kiss during fourth of july, him denying that it and then saying stuff that confused her. jeremiah kissing her in the pool last night. conrad asking her to be her date for the debutante ball. her finding the infinity necklace inside of conrad's desk.

to say bianca and taylor had their mouths dropped to the floor by the end of belly explaining everyrhing while her and taylor for ready was an understatement.

"you are kidding me." taylor gasped throwing her shirt on. she sat down on the bed so that bianca can do the same silk back ponytail braid that she did on belly.

"dead serious." belly said putting on sunscreen.

"was he cool about it or was be nervous?" taylor asked, "or was he, like, begging? oh my god please tell me he was begging."

"conrad begging for belly is something i can totally see." bianca said grabbing a black elastic band and putting it at the bottom of taylor's braid.

"he was not begging and he will never beg for me, don't be ridiculous." belly scoffed shaking her head at both of her best friends. "but he was kind of nervous, though."

"this just makes things all the more exciting because you get to tell him no. thank you bianca." taylor said standing up from the bed and looking at herself in the mirror. she saw the way that belly smiled down at herself.

"oh my god belly!" bianca gasped excitedly while taylor turned around in an instant.

"belly, you are telling him no, okay? because need i remind you of the bullshit conrad pulled last week."

"yeah i know i know." belly said to taylor but shared a knowingly look with bianca.

"need not i remind you of the emotionally available, fun, sweet better-looking brother who is at your feet right now waiting for you. bianca help me," taylor said desperately trying to change belly's mind. "please."

bianca wanted to say team conrad because only she knows what conrad feels about belly and all the things he wishes he can do. only she knows that their hearts belongs with one another even though they might take the long road to their destination.

"um, why don't we talk about biancas date last night." belly said wanting to change the topic.

there was a knock on the door and it creaked open. "are you girls ready? i'm taking you over." laurel said smiling widely at the girls.

belly gasped, "can i drive?"

laurel mocked her gasp giving belly fake hope before saying, "no." and with that she walked out of the room.

"date?!" taylor gasped the second that laurel walked out of the room. this time it was bianca's time to go into her own story time about the boy she likes and her. she told them how he took her to the famous pizza place down at the boulevard.

steven said, "you've always said you wanted a first date to be here." it made bianca fall for him even more if that was even possible. he listened. all those times that bianca thought he wasn't listened he did. they shared a large cheese pizza and just talked.

bianca talked about random things and just like always steven listened. he loves hearing her talk. the sound of her voice soothing him and just the fact that she was comfortable enough to ramble around him made his heart warm up. he found her cute. he always found her cute even when bianca thinks she looks like she can be one of the kid from monsters house.

after that she told them how he took her to the beach. he had a small picnic set up. a large blanket big enough for them both. a basket in the middle and two candles in the middle. they were alone. it was dark almost no one was there and they were in a part in the beach where hardly anyone goes too.

by the end of her story bianca was giggling into belly's pillow and kicking her feet. taylor and belly laughed the entire time taking videos of the girl that was just blushing thinking back to the events.

taylor and belly we're surprised that he didn't ask her to be his girlfriend right then and there but bianca really didn't mind. she knew were they were at and she didn't need a label to ruin it. she was more than okay with what they gave right now.

she didn't want to rush anything. she wants to take her time and let the universe do it's own thing.

└─── · 。゚☆ *.☽ .* ☆゚. ───┘

"i wouldn't mind if you just burst into a song in the middle of the tournament to show your love for me." bianca said shoving a piece of watermelon inside of her mouth. to pass time her and steven were watching descendants away from everyone. a bowl full of fruit, a bottle of tajin and chamoy, two juices.

"i don't like you that much." steven said sarcastically. bianca glared at him lifting herself up from her chair. steven grinned wrapping his arm around her waist bringing her back down. "i'm kidding. if i didn't like you that much i wouldn't have asked you to be in my team."

"i've always been on your team. im the only one who volunteers since everyone claims you always cheat." bianca scoffed grabbing a piece of mango for her and for steven. "also why did you choose the most brightest colors known to man kind? i stand out."

"so that people can know you're on team steven and no one else's." steven said leaning forward and pressing a firm kiss on bianca's chest.

"forced too." bianca joked pushing steven away with a laugh. bianca and steven stayed in their own spot until it was time for the tournament to start. the teenagers reunited before susannah started.

"i'm not your sister," bianca said pointing at leo who was on shayla's team. "i'm none of your best friends during this game. we are enemies. i am your competition. don't you dare try to sweet talk to me- leo stop!" bianca hissed slapping her brothers head as he was mocking her.

"may the best player win." shayla said shaking bianca's head. bianca suppress her laugh shaking shayla's hand. "please don't cry when leo and i beat you all. bye!"

everyone gasped at shayla waved her fingers at them and walked away. leo following behind her in an instant. "i'll give you an autograph at the end of the game." bianca said blowing belly and taylor a kiss walking away as well.

"hey, i'm susannah fisher," everyone cheered for susannah especially the fishers, conklins and waynes. "chair of the clubs community service board, and i am delighted. to welcome you to play it, forward!" everyone cheered again. "you know, as my mother used to say. if you're lucky enough to be at the beach, you're lucky enough. and we are very fortunate indeed which is why, in the spirit of fun and friendly competition,"

"boo!" bianca and leo shouted earning three different pairs of glares.

"it is fine to open our hearts and our wallets and give back to those who may not be as fortunate. we have teams raising money for homelessness, woman shelters, environmental causes and many more! and play it forward will match pledges for the winner of the tournament! pledge tablets still open, so please donate generously."

"we're going to beat their asses." bianca said turning to steven. steven smirked down at her nodding his head. they did their handshake that they've always done but this time added a kiss in the end.

"team stevca." steven said holding his hands up for bianca to clap.

"stevca?" bianca asked tilting her head to the side but clapped his hands.

"still working on our ship name." steven said shrugging his shoulders kissing her once again. bianca laughed shaking her head. bianca wrapped her arms his torso and he guided them to go warm up.

after an hour to warm up the tournament started. bianca and taylor went first with these two men. they were doing good and they were all cheating for them. that was until taylor broke her ankle and had to go out. bianca squinted her eyes at taylor who winked at jeremiah giving him her shirt.

"oh shit." bianca and leo said watching jeremiah sub in and play along side with belly. they were doing good for the first half. that was until it was time bianca and steven. bianca and steven always had a way to do their games and belly knew every single one.

but belly was playing with jeremiah and jeremiah didn't know. team steven were in the lead. 13-8. "it's okay belly, you can cry on my shoulder tonight." bianca joked winking at belly. belly laughed at bianca shaking her head. that pushed buttons inside of belly. 13-13.

"shit!" jeremiah shouted as he dived but missed the ball by a lot.

"jere, look..." belly stepped far away from bianca and steven to talk to jeremiah who seemed sad and disappointed. bianca and steven shared a confused look looking at the two.

that was when conrad took jeremiah's place. "yes! fuck yes!" bianca squealed clapping her hands and getting overly excited. it was finally going to start being a real game. the most competitive teams going against each other. just like old times.

"you're going down fisher." bianca said pointing two fingers from her eyes to conrad.

"fifty dollars." conrad said sticking his hand out. conrad looked over at belly who grinned.

"you're on." steven said shaking conrad's hand. everyone was getting a free show of nothing but shouts, cheers, curses, wins and loses from team belly & conrad and team steven & bianca.

both teams ended up going out to take a break so that the other teams had chance to move in the bracket. but overall the winners were determining for those two. they were all having the time of their lives, figuring out new techniques.

losing their voices with every single scream they made. after every team losing and time for the final winners. just like everyone suspected it was team belly versus team steven. they all smiled at each other knowing that there were fifty dollars on the line along with bragging rights.

it started off smoothly. each team earning one point each. then bianca and belly started getting competitive as is it's their genes. belly served each time and laughed when neither belly or conrad were able to catch the ball. 18-18.

the last one game. the last seconds. the last points. "give it all you got," steven said putting his hands on the side of bianca's head and leaning down kissing her. "hey would you be my girlfriend?"

"what?!" bianca gasped just as the whistle signaled them to start. belly served and bianca had to think fast. bianca glared at steven who smirked at her. bianca rushed over to the ball and catch it. steven ran and pushed the ball up and bianca jumped slapping it over the fence.

belly jumped throwing it over the net smoothly and she cheered too easily as bianca managed to hit it and steven knocked it over far but inside of the square. conrad dived it but it was too late. it hit the ground and for the first year in a year, bianca and steven won.

"yes! we did it!" bianca cheered turning around and running over to steven. she jumped on him and he twirled her around. conrad pulled belly into his arms and the girl leaned against him sighing deeply but feeling happy for her best friend. and the fact that she was in his arms.

"oh and throw a question like that at me again and i won't have an answer," bianca threaten as steven placed her back down on the ground and gave her a questioning look. "yes, you dingus, i want to be your girlfriend."

"and the winner are bianca wayne and steven conklin!"

▌ c. speaks . . . ˚. 𓄼
not edited!
so what if i changed the winners...
HEHEHEHEHEHEHS
enjoy them yall i swear