Arabella's POV

I was at my vocal session with Mary at the moment and it was getting quite personal, like really personal.

I've told her everything that I've been going through, the notes I got before, my self-esteem issues, body images problems, and just life in general. Mary is a guidance counselor, so she's able to help me out with these problems. She's so compassionate and kind toward everyone, it's surprising her husband left her a couple years ago.

"When I'm dealing with hard times and feel like I can't talk to anyone, I write down my feelings." Mary told me and she handed me a small notebook. "This book is filled with all my feelings I couldn't talk about."

I stroked the notebook and she gave me a sympathy smile. "Is your ex husband in here?"

"Oh yeah, he's got an entire section in there." She nodded and I saw her face soften for a second. I could see pain inside her eyes and hundreds of words that are left unspoken. "But, this isn't about me, it's about you."

"Mary, if you need to talk to me, I'm here." I assured her, "you've helped me, let me help you."

She gave me a soft smile, "I appreciate that, Bella, but I've decided to shut that part of me off and I personally don't want to go into it."

I nodded and handed her, her book back.

Maybe my father can help her out.

"So, you've just completely let go of the thought of dating?" I asked her and she grinned, chuckling.

"Not exactly," she replied, "I don't want to shut the doors on any man that wants to open my broken heart, but all they do is break it down."

"Makes sense." I remarked, "but not all men are like that."

"I know, but I just haven't met a man who's willing to love me and not break me." She told me and I nodded.

"Maybe you'll meet him one day." I grinned.

"Maybe." She shrugged.

"Hey...wanna meet my dad?" I bluntly asked her and I saw her brown eyes light up.

"What?"

"Meet my dad." I smiled, "Ray Manchester. You've mentioned it before, remember?"

"I remember, but I was joking." She shrugged, casually looking away. "But, I mean, you're my client and he's your dad, so it's important."

"Yeah, definitely." I agreed and her cheeks turned red. "He's a great man."

"Really?" She said and I nodded, "what's he like?"

I chuckled, "he's an interesting creature. He's a little egotistical, but he cares about me and the people he works with very much. He's weird and quirky like myself, and he has a protective nature over everyone."

"Nice." She said and I giggled. "Well, talk to your father and we'll see."

"Alrighty." I smiled softly at her. "I'll do that."

——

Later, I was back in the Man Cave with Charlotte and we were watching Lauren's Money Saving Makeup Tips. I was mainly watching it, because of how funny it was to watch Lauren apply things to her face that wasn't makeup, and to see her cringe and be disgusted.

I took Mary's advice and I went out and bought a small notebook to write down my thoughts and feelings. I already have three pages filled with my feelings, and it felt really good to let all of that out onto a piece of paper.

"Now, to save money on eyeshadow, I suggest using paprika." Lauren told us, causing Charlotte and I to cringe when she applied it to her eyelids. "And instead of foundation, which is really expensive, you can use humus!"

She pulled out some humus and a tissue, which made me scoff when she applied it to her skin.

"Oh! And notice how I'm not using a sponge." Lauren mentioned. "This is just an old tissue I found... in the trash."

"Yeah, I'm not putting humus on my face." Charlotte mentioned.

"Or paprika." I added and Char turned off the video.

The alarmed blared and Henry and my dad shot down the tubes with Sloppee's in their hands.

"Hey, hey." Charlotte greeted them

"Yo!" I greeted with a smile as they walked forward.

"Hey, Bella, Charlotte."

"Hey, Princess." Henry greeted me. "Sup, Char?"

"So, what happened?" I asked them.

"Well, we showed up at the playground, right?" My dad began.

"And there's like a bunch of second graders playing in the sandbox." Henry continued.

"They were playing in the sandbox." My dad repeated.

"Yeah, I just said that." Henry smiled and I giggled, before they approached the couch.

"But, what the kids didn't realize was..."

"That, uh, there was a nest of scorpions right in the sandbox." Henry explained and my mouth fell open.

"Oh my god!"

"Scorpions?!" Charlotte gasped.

"Yeah, they were crawling all over them and the kids are all freaking out!" Henry continued, and him and my dad gestured to themselves as they pretended to act like the scared kids and yell and panic until they sat down on the couch and I rolled my eyes.

"Then we just grabbed the fire hose." My dad remarked.

"A big fire hose." Henry repeated.

"And just, uh, sprayed the scorpions off the kids." My dad concluded right before him and Henry chuckled and I smiled with amusement.

The monitor beeped and I turned to see Jasper calling.

"Hey, that's Jasper calling from upstairs." Charlotte said before going over and answering it.

"Ah, great." My dad groaned and I gave him a look.

"Hey, what's up?" Charlotte asked Jasper when she answered it.

"Hey, it's me Jasper." Jasper greeted.

I thought I was Beyoncé.

"Yeah, we can see you." Charlotte replied.

"Cool, so, uh, Henry-"

Henry and my dad both got up and approached the monitor.

"Yeah, what's up, big dawg, what's ya need?" Henry asked him.

"Your sister is here." Jasper informed.

"What? Why? What does she want?" Henry asked with shock.

"I don't know." Jasper admitted, "I told her you were busy and then she got mad and said she's not leaving until she talks to you."

Henry sighed, "are you sure she's mad?

"Yeah, look at her pacing angrily." Jasper told us and showed us Piper pacing angrily.

"Look, just tell her I'll see her at home before Airy and I leave for New York." Henry told him and I beamed when he said.

I forgot, Henry's taking me to New York for Valentine's Day.

"You and my daughter are going to New York? Together? Alone?" My dad asked and turned to me. "Excuse me, why didn't you ask for my permission about this?"

"I did." I told him. "Four times."

"Only for the weekend." Henry added. "And yes, just by ourselves."

"I don't recall you telling me this." My dad remarked and I gave him a look.

"Probably because you weren't listening to me when I told you." I say, "I even asked if it was okay and you said 'sure, whatever, as long as Henry's there with you.'"

My dad seemed hesitant about this and I gave him puppy eyes.

"Please." I begged.

"Dude, I promise you, I won't leave her side." Henry assured him, rubbing my shoulder. "And besides, when was the last time we did something nice together?"

"Maybe last year." I remarked, "our first date."

It's hard to find time for a date when your boyfriend's a sidekick and is always fighting crime.

"You know what, fine." My dad agreed. "But if something goes wrong-"

"I'll pop a gum ball and Kid Danger will handle it." Henry finished it, gesturing to his uniform he had on.

"Okay, I'll let you go." My dad agreed and I cheered, hugging my father.

"Thank you, dad," I giggled and he kissed my cheek.

"Yeah, yeah." He laughed and I let him go.

"Hey, I already tried telling Piper you'd talk to her later." Jasper chimed in.

"And?" Henry asked.

"She grabbed my earlobe and yanked it really hard!" Jasper exclaimed and I snickered. "And then she started asking all kinds questions about Junk'N'Stuff, why you're never here, and why there's no costumers."

"Alright kid, maybe you better go upstairs and get rid of your sister." My dad suggested.

"Alright, okay, be back in a sec." Henry agreed and started walking towards the elevator.

"Uh, kid." My dad said and Henry turned to us.

"Huh? What?"

"Maybe you want to chew some gum before you go see your sister." My dad suggested, noticing the Kid Danger attire.

"Why is my breath bad?"

"Yeah, it smells like Kid Danger." I remark with a grin.

Henry looked and smiled. "Ah! Good catch, baby."

"Yeah, I'm smart." I winked.

"That's why I love you." He remarked, before he walked to the elevator and popped a gum ball into his mouth. He went inside and the doors shut.

"AHHHH!"

I jumped at Charlotte's voice when she yelled and she grabbed me, pulling me back.

"What, what, what?" My dad asked and I noticed a scorpion on his back when turned to us.

"Ahh!" I yelled and grabbed Charlotte. "On you back!"

"A scorpion!" Charlotte yelled and my dad spun around trying to see it until he gave up and looked for something.

"Uh, uh, here." He handed me a large, metal bat thing and I took it. "Kill it. Kill it on my back."

Charlotte and I shared a look before I hesitantly approached my dad. "Um, okay..."

"Come on, what are you waiting for?!" He asked, waiting for me to hit him.

"I don't want to hurt you!" I exclaimed.

"Sweetheart, I'm indestructible." He reminded and I exhaled, feeling Charlotte let my arms ago.

"Alright, alright." I sighed softly.

"Okay, just get set-"

"AHH!" I yelled out as I smacked the bat on my dad's back and he fell to the floor.

"Ah! Sweetie, I wasn't ready yet!" He protested and Charlotte yelled, stomping her foot on his back as I smacked him with the bat. "Okay! Okay! Okay! It's gotta be dead by now!"

We eventually stopped and the scorpion had crawled away and I exhaled, looking around for the creature.

Nice job, Bella. You scared away the creature.

——

After my dad recovered, we decided to watch the store and all we saw was Henry and Piper arguing over something and it was amusing to watch.

My dad groaned at the screen and I looked at him.

"How long have they been up there?"

"About five minutes." I replied.

"Well, it feels like six." He remarked, before he had enough and stood up. "Alright, I've had enough of this." He set down his bowl of popcorn, which ended up spilling all over the floor, and he headed toward the elevator. "Bella, Charlotte, wanna pick up that popcorn I just dropped?"

I sighed, "Na, Schwoz will just eat it off the floor."

"Like he does with everything." Char replied and I nodded, turning toward the screen again.

——

Later, I was upstairs in the store with my dad, Charlotte, and Jasper and we were watching Kevin Can James. Henry was helping his sister with a boy, some sort of Meet Cute thing I wasn't really interested in knowing about.

"Come on, Kevin! Show'em you can James!" Jasper smiled as we chuckled and right then Piper ran into the store, looking upset and Henry got blocked by the door. I looked at him with worry.

"Uh, wanna help me?" He asked, holding the door from closing on him and he limped his way in.

"Why? Did you help me? No! You ruined my Meet Cute!" Piper exclaimed and I went up to Henry, helping him down the steps.

"Baby, what happened?" I asked with worry.

"Hen, are you okay?" Jasper asked and I assisted him over to the couch.

"No, I'm not." Henry admitted.

"Alright, tell us what happened." My dad told him.

"Oh, I'll tell you what went down." Henry began and leaned into my body, "my body! Down! Through a table, onto the floor."

I rubbed his back and held him in my arms.

"What's this green stuff?" My dad asked him, pulling  a green thing out of Henry's hair.

"Probably avocado for toast." Henry remarked.

"So, Piper's animatic didn't work in real life?" Jasper asked us I gently tried to keep Henry from falling.

"It would've worked if Henry had done his part right!" Piper snapped.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Henry yelled and I put my hand on his chest, stabilizing him. "I ran across the room, I grabbed your phone, I said my line. Before Jaxson could run in, some powerful woman grabbed me and hurled me across the room! Geez!"

"Shhh." I shushed him and he leaned his head on my shoulder.

"Why'd you let her throw you across the room?" Charlotte asked him.

"She didn't offer me another option, Charlotte." Henry remarked with sarcasm.

"Whatever, get cleaned up so we can go back to Downtown Brown and try again." Piper told him and I laughed, as I helped him sit down.

"Are you insane?" I asked her.

"I'm not doing that again." Henry denied and I sat down with him.

"We have to try again!" Piper declared.

"No, I do not! No, I dough not!" Henry shook his head and he leaned his entire body on mine and I rubbed his shoulders.

"You should 'dough.'" I told him.

"I meant do!" He yelled and rests his head on my chest. "Everyone here knows I meant 'do!'"

"I have a question." My dad spoke up and Henry groaned. "Why is it so important for you to have to Meet Cute?"

"Huh?" Piper asked.

"Why can't you just go over to Downtown Brown, walk up to this, uh, this boy you like." My dad continued.

"Jaxson Bartel." Piper said.

"Okay him." My dad remarked, "and just say, 'Hey, Jaxson, my name is uh..." My dad couldn't remember her name and snapped his fingers.

"Piper!"

"Piper!" My dad repeated, "my name is Piper, and I really like you, what do you think of that?"

If only life was like that.

"Oh, dad." I sighed. "Come on!"

"That would never work in the real world." Piper mentioned. "Except maybe for old people."

"Hey, I am not old." My dad protested.

Piper laughs, "oh please! What are you, like thirty?"

"No! I'm not-" he paused and liked that number. "Yeah, yeah, I'm like thirty."

I scoffed. He's thirty-six, which is older then thirty.

"Whatever, just tell Henry that he has to help me and I need you guys to help me think of a new Meet Cute plan." Piper explained.

"No!" Henry and I denied.

"Yes!" Piper protested.

"Look, Paper-" My dad began and I snickered, "I know you're like seven and you think you know everything."

"I'm Piper and I'm twelve!" She exclaimed.

"Be that as it may." My dad said. "Look, I'm gonna show you that young love can begin with something as simple as a good old fashion, "Nice to meet you, how do ya do?'"

"Yeah, try that!" Henry agreed.

"Worked for Henry and Bella." My dad continued and I shrugged.

"Not really." I objected, "took me about a year and a half to like this kid."

"I disagree." Henry protested and I raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Come on, let's go." My dad declared, but Piper stopped him.

"No, I'm not going until we come up with another Meet Cute plan and then I have to make an animatic of it!" Piper protested.

"Where you'd learn how to make animatics?!" Henry asked.

"That's not the point!" She snapped. "Look, we're gonna do this my way, so that I-" Piper stopped when my dad lasersd her and she passed out, only for my dad to lift her over his shoulder.

"Alright, I'm gonna carry her over to Downtown Brown." My dad told us and headed out.

"Good, take your time." Henry sighed and my dad left.

Henry groaned and buried his face in my chest and I patted his back.

"It's okay, baby..."

——

Ray and Mary will meet very soon, don't worry. I mainly put Mary in this story because I want Bella to have a mother figure in her life and I feel like Mary would fit that role perfectly.

Next chapter is going to be an original chapter about Henry and Bella's trip to NYC. It's gonna be filled with romance and lots of Henbella fluff😍😍

Some smut may or may not happen, because they are sixteen so it's okay for them to get a little intimate. It's not gonna be straight up sex, like now that won't happen. Unless you're a kinky person and want me to send you a full on sex scene over messages, but other than that, just some small smut between them.

Back To The Danger will be the next episode I'm writing and I have ideas for it. Drex is back and he's not over Ray 'stealing' his daughter.

On top of all this, Bella will have her own personal issues and is scared to tell Henry about them and their relationship will have issues along the way.

Give me a few days to write the New York chapter, it will be worth the wait.

See ya💕