Blended Ch 45

“Bella?” Riley says hesitantly.

“Um, yeah. No. It’s nothing.” Bella puts her phone down and smiles. “Looking at the news these days, you know? Trump, Trump, AI, Trump. The supreme court will probably decide that businesses are allowed to kill and skin people if they aren’t buying enough stuff.” Bella waves a hand.

She’s lying.

“Yeah,” Piper replies.

“You should know better,” Riley says, going back to eating. Looks like she’s buying it. “OK. I need to go get my shit together. Thanks, Piper. It was good.” Avoiding eye contact, Riley takes care of her own dishes and then leaves the kitchen.

Piper pours herself a fresh cup of coffee and sits beside Bella. “Better just tell me.”

“I feel like I should be upset that I’m this obvious.”

“Does it matter?”

“I don’t know.” Bella picks up her phone, then puts it back down. “Rachel Platt posted on Facebook.”

Facebook? How quaint.

Piper categorizes people ruthlessly. It isn’t “Good” of her to do it, but it’s automatic. It would probably be OK if she weren’t so judgmental and if her categories had less to do with how people looked. At any rate, Rachel is categorized in Piper’s brain as a less likeable Kylie. She’s got the looks and her family has money. She has some ability both in school and physically. She’ll be a decent lawyer one day, she’s an excellent cheerleader now, and she’s a powerhouse of popularity for CGH. Maybe because her name is literally Rachel, nobody dares draw any comparisons to Mean Girls. Piper expects to do so one day; she’s been saving that for a special occasion. Is today the day? Has Rachel unsheathed her bullying with the intention of using it on Bella?

“What did she say?” Piper asks, sipping.

“She said that she didn’t have it on her bingo card for this summer that she would see me shaking my tits and making out with my cousin.”

“You didn’t do either of those things. I was there.”

Bella takes a deep breath through her nose. She is more upset than she’s letting on. Piper sees her anger; the panic is less difficult to spot. She rubs Bella’s back.

“I guess untrue stuff getting posted online or true stuff getting like… mischaracterized is all fun and games until it’s you,” she says.

Piper nods. “I think Gandhi said that.”

Bella snorts bitterly. “I’m mad.”

“I know. I think anyone would be mad.” Piper does not sigh out loud as she realizes it won’t be enough to simply be here for Bella and validate. She has to help Bella process this. They’re going to need more coffee.