Dante frowned at Bella's response to Kitty's question. "C'mon, B. You're the life of the party! We always hang with your friends! It won't be the same without you. You're the life of the party. Right, guys?" Dante pleaded. "Mmh-hmm." Kitty said quietly. Lea put her head down, trying to hide her smile. "Yeah, Bella. If you don't come, Dan'll be bitchin' about it all night. Ya gotta come with us." Dino said sincerely. Lea lifted her head, her eyes widened. "Oh, Dino. Dante doesn't bitch. He nags." Kitty joked. Dante rolled his eyes and turned back to his girlfriend.

"Can't runnin' wait? You're skinny as a damn twig all ready." he asked. There was a small sound and everyone's eyes widened. "BULL!" "Somebody crack a window!" Dammit, Dino! What do you feed your dog?" Dante, Lea, and Kitty said in unison. Dante and Dino laughed with their faces in their shirts as the girls swatted the air and kicked Bull out of the kitchen. The smell was absolutely putrid. Like rotting dairy and garbage. "Bull rocks." Dino said happily as he laughed.

Bella shrugged her shoulders, half cringing and half shrugging. She hurried away from the scene, walking out of the house, down the path, down the sidewalk, and just walked. She sighed, feeling disappointed. This wasn't going to work out. Dante seemed to have no problem with her friends, but she somehow every problem with his. Just wasn't her cup of tea, not her crowd. She felt absolutely horrible about it. She wasn't just disappointed about how Dante made her feel forced to include herself in his group, but she felt disappointed in herself for feeling forced. She felt disappointed in the fact that she didn't try.

"God dammit, I'm so stupid," she murmured to herself. She shouldn't have left. She should have tried,

"Do you have your backpack, sweetie?" Mrs. Giordano asked her son. Dante rolled his eyes. "Ma, I'm old enough to remember my backpack. It's my undies I have trouble with." he joked. "Don't be like that, Danny. I don't like that." Mr. Giordano said from the living room. Dante slung his pack over his arm. "Are you going to walk your girlfriend to school?" Mrs. Giordano asked. "I dunno. We haven't been doin' so good lately. She might not wanna see me." "Well, still stop by her house. It's the chivalry that matters." Mrs. Giordano said, putting a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. Dante nodded. "Then I will. See ya later, okay, ma? By dad. Love ya." he said as he walked out the front door.

Dante was getting closer to Bella's house. He'd worn his favorite and most luckies colour; blue. It was gonna work out well. He could feel it. He didn't know why she cared if he hung around a bunch of chicks all day anyways. What was wrong with having chick-friends? Nothing, that was what. She was over-jealous. But Dante decided to try and not let that get in the way of their relationship. He took a breath as he reached the Halette's house. He closed his eyes as he reached the door, and he rang the door bell lightly, barely pushing it enough to make it sound. He re-hoisted his book bag on his back and waited for someone to get to the door, his hands beginning to get clammy.

Bella sat at the kitchen island alone as she picked at the last big piece of pancake on her plate with her fork. She had a leg tucked underneath her and the other swinging back and forth in the air. Her parents had already left for work, leaving Bella to fend for herself for school. She still had a good twenty minutes before she had to be in school. So she had time. She just sighed as she looked up from her soggy piece of pancake and up at the television screen at the cartoon of Spongebob.

The doorbell rang, causing Bella to freeze. Bella wasn't expecting anyone. Not even Dante. In a way, it cheered her up. So she hopped down from the kitchen island stool and sprinted to the front door. She opened the main door to look through the screen door at Dante. Somehow, she didn't feel like smiling, but seeing him here right now helped her force a small smile. "Hey," she greeted in a friendly voice.

Dante's face contorted itself into a nervous look. One similar to the one of someone who was holding their breath. He sighed. "Hey, Bella." he began, holding his bookbag's strap with his thumb. "I just figured that maybe we could walk to school together. Y'know, since it's the first day and stuff. And I just wanted to be nice and all. Sweet, if you will. I guess, I guess that I just wanted to walk into the doors with ya. I guess I wanted to be romantic..." Dante babbled, fidgeting and letting his eyes dart around. His hands were beyond sweaty now, so there was no way he could hold her hand.

--------------

"You are beyond gross." Dino said to Kitty as they walked to school, hand in hand. Lea poofed her hair and examined her fresh-painted nails. She looked perfect from head to toe. Every girl in that school would envy her. "Hey L, you been starin' into that little mini-mirror of your's this whole walk. Put it away. You look hot." Kitty said to her sister as they got closer to the school. First day's were always the best for Lea, because all the new kids got to start hating/loving her and all the kids from last year started sucking up because they remembered her evil wrath. It would be amazing.

Bella's face softened more. This was him making amends. It was perfect. She smiled widely and grabbed her book bag from where her flip flops sat. She slipped her feet in her flip flops and closed the door behind her, grabbing Dante's had. "Sounds like a perfect plan if you ask me," she said with a slight giggle. She couldn't help feeling like something was still wrong with this picture. But nonetheless, she ignored it and tossed it aside like a used towel.

Cole looked around the coutyard at the new student body of Freshman. His face twisted and turned to his left, where his friend Trevor stood. "This is it?" he asked with disbelief. Where was Bella? Trevor laughed. "Relax. That'll just mean we'll have the school more to ourselves this year. Less freshman to take their time walking ahead of use who need to hurry to class," replied Trevor. Cole had to agree with him. So he sighed and nodded his head. He saw Bella and took a step forward with a smile. Trevor snorted. "Any more sudden, you might as well be a puppy seeing your owner for the first time today," Trevor commented. Cole growled and glared at him. "Shut up." Trevor laughed hard.

Dante smiled as they reached the school. He could see Dino with his 'girls' walking beside him. He had a strong urge to wave them over, but since they were the reason the two had been fighting, he decided not to. He adjusted his blue Chicago Cubs cap so it was perfectly tilted to the side. Not to much of an angle, but just enough.

"What's your first class?" Dante asked Bella. He'd gotten his schedule in the mail two days back, and his first was math, the only subject he'd gotten that he absolutely hated more than anything. He'd never been good at it, and he'd never liked it. Not even back in kindergaten when he'd first learned it. He hoped Dino would be in at least 3 of his classes. He'd been for all three of the previous years. If he was this year too then that would be pure luck. Dante squoze Bella's hand for luck as they walked through the school's front doors.

Bella shot a smile his way when she felt him squeeze her hand. It felt nice. Relaxing. A perfect way to begin the school year. A few students casted envious looks at them as they walked down the hallway. "Um," she mumbled as she fished in her back pocket for her schedule she had folded up. She managed to unfold it with one hand and looked. She didn't really get a chance to look at it at all when she received it in the mail. "French. What do you have?" she asked.

Dante half-frowned half-smiled at Bella's response. He was kinda hopin' that she'd have a different first than him. He wasn't sure that he really wanted to spend a whole hour with her after all of their previous fights. "I've got math." he said, lookin' down at his feet to hide micro-smirk. He looked back down at his paper for his locker number. "I've got locker 3073 down the hall. It's right there. Lemme go put my stuff away. By, B." Dante said, giving Bella a lifeless peck on the cheek and hurrying down the student-filled hallway.

The first thing he noticed about his locker was the fact that its lock was pink with glittery dots spotted on it. He knew exactly whose locker it'd been last year. Carrie Carson, the bubbly senior who'd graduated with honors. She was so pretty and smart. And very easy, too. Dante felt a familiar hand grab his shoulder firmly. It was Dino.

"Hey, D." Dante said, turing around while reading the locker combination printed on his paper. "Open your locker and open it NOW!" Dino said excitedly. He'd seen the lock too. Dante smiled and turned the lock's knob a few times, then pulled the locker open. The smell of vanilla and berries wafted out and a pink note fell from the locker door to the floor. Dino picked it up and began reading right away.

"Dear person who get's locker 3073 next year, take care of it well! I hope you have an awesome time in high school so you'll be very smart when you graduate. I sprayed my locker with perfume just for you! Love ya, and I hope you get to meet me some day! Love, C C." Dino read in a high-pitched voice. Dante smiled. It felt good to get a nice upliftin' message from a girl. He hadn't been getting much support from his girlfriend lately, and even though Carrie wasn't actually there reading the note to him, Dante appreciated it alot.

"So Dan, what class ya got first?" Dino asked as Dante put his stuff into his locker. "Math in room 215." Dante said, still mesmerized by the Carrie-note. "Me too." Dino said, shovin' the note into Dante's hand and walking with him to first period.

Bella's smile had somehow faded as she felt Dante kiss her cheek. She watched him walk away as she sighed and finally looked away before he reached his locker. She looked at the crowding students all around here. One more year in this hell. I can do this, she told herself as she puffed a sigh and forced herself to keep calm. When she twisted the knob on her locker and opened the locker, a familiar face showed up beside her locker. It was Cole. She smiled and tilted her head to the side. It was a miracle she remembered his name.

"You're...Cole from Diana's party, right?" she asked. At least it seemed someone wanted to talk to her today. But she knew she was over-exaggerating. Class hadn't even begun yet, and she was worried about who all wanted to talk to her. She made a mental note to remember to keep calm and carpe diem.

This was it. He was going to go up and talk to her without the help of Diana or anyone else. He sucked in a breath and walked right up to her locker. When she looked up at him and spoke directly to him without any disgust or edgyness, he relaxed a lot. Cole felt his lips widen into an excited smile. She remembered his name! That was a great sign, he was sure of it. He nodded his head and adjusted his backpack on his shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. She was really beautiful. "Yeah! Um, how are you, Bella?" he asked? He wanted to make conversation, but had high hopes to keep it far from anywhere near awkward...only for it to be so cliche.

Dante sat in his seat and smiled at Karen Orway, the girl who sat next to him. She'd been smiling back at him all of 9th period. She was the prettiest red head in the school. And the only senior who wasn't looking for a job because her family was upper-middleclass due to the Subway that they owned over in Greensborough. The bell rang and Dante slowly gathered his things, waiting for Karen. They walked out of class together.

"So, how was your first day?" Karen asked. "Pretty decent. The same as all my other ones here." Dante answered. "Me and my boyfriend Tony are going to Baskin-Robins. You wanna come with?" Karen asked. Dante thought about it for a second. "Well, I gotta ask my girl Bella if she wants to go too, and my boy Dino. Wait for me outside the school?" Dante asked. "Sure. Okay." Karen said, parting from Dante's side as he rounded the corner that his locker was on. Dino found him quickly. He was holding Kitty's hand.

"Hey, Dan. Who was that chick you were with?" Dino asked. "You don't know her? That was Karen Orway. She's been goin' here for 3 years. You wanna come to Baskin-Robbins with her, Tony, B, and me?" Dante asked. "Only if my pretty Kitty wants to go. You wanna go?" Dino asked Kitty. "Actually, hun, I gotta head on to Mickey D's for my shift. But we can go back to my place later." Kitty said, giving Dino a peck on the lips and sauntering down the hall confidently. Dino smiled at Kitty's back then turned to Dante. "She's awesome." he said happily. Dante smirked at the thought of Bella being more like Kitty. There were alot of things that made them different, and things that could be benefitial to Dante and Bella's relationship. Like:

Kitty always voiced her opinion.
Kitty, according to Dino, put out.
Kitty loved to eat until food came out of her ears and then Kitty worked it off at the gym.
Kitty's sister was just as cool as Kitty, so it was fun to be around her.
Kitty watched all the same shows as Dante.

Although, there were also alot of bad things about Kitty too. Things that made Bella better. Like:

Kitty failed the 7th grade.
Kitty chewed with her mouth open sometimes.
Kitty argued with EVERYONE about EVERYTHING.

Dante smiled when he realized that Kitty had some major flaws that Bella didn't have, and tuned back into what Dino was saying. It was something about the bar on 97th street. Dante stood at his locker and pulled out his bookbag, daydreaming about the Colleti sisters.

All in all, the day was pretty decent for Bella. Sad she only saw her own boyfriend at lunch, she managed to keep on a smile as she walked from class to class. She was lucky this year that she hadn't found a teacher she disliked...yet. They were all pretty okay and Bella knew they'd be even better once she'd butter them up and get them to like her as a favorite. She didn't really care too much for favoritism, but it helped her get through high school with a smile each day. Talking to others who she knew liked her caused her to feel simple and happy. Wasn't much to that. Ninth period. Finally.

Bella's mind went back to this morning. She was starting to get to know Cole, who she had in almost every one of her classes. In Biology, he sat by her. And in Trigonometry, he sat in front of her. He was really sweet and great to talk to. She saw potential in him as to becoming her new friend somewhere in the near future somehow.

After school, someone called her name as she turned her head to see Cole walking towards her with a smile. For a moment, she had been hoping it was Dante...but it wasn't. But this boy's smile was so contagious. "Hi, Cole!"

Bella was really amazing. He was sure of it. Throughout the day, he hadn't been doing all too well. But every time he looked at Bella, it all seemed to become nothing to him. "You know...she's with Dante, right?" Cole's friend Diana asked as they ate their lunch in the courtyard together.

Cole sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. But from the looks of it, there's no way that their relationship will last," replied Cole.

Diana had raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, lookey here. Someone's sure of themself."

Cole gave her a playful and sarcastic glare. "Like it's not obvious. If you just look at them when they're together, you could totally tell."

Diana went quiet after that.

But now, Cole's eyes were on Bella as he got out of ninth period. With a wide smile, he called out to her. "Hey, Bella!"

Dante looked for Bella. She was no where to be found. He finally spotted her across the hallway. Dante rushed over and tapped her shoulder. "Hey, B. You wanna head out to Baskin-Robins with me and Karen Orway and them?" he asked, glancing at the boy she'd been talking to.
Dino trotted over from somewhere behind Dante.

"Hey Dante, what's up?" he asked, his smile audible through his words. "You wanna go to Baskin-Robins with Karen Orway and Tony and me and maybe Bella?" Dante asked his friend. "Nah. I'm goin' to hang with Kitty. She has a surprise for me at her house." Dino said casually, walking away with a peace-sign for a wave to Dante. Dante nodded a good-bye back and turned back to Bella. "So do ya want to? 'Cause she's waitin' for me at the front of the shcool-" "Hey Danny! Nice passes! See ya later." A girl from Dante's gym class cut him off. Dante waved at her and Dante again turned back to Bella. "So do you wanna-" "Hey, Dan. How's it goin'?" Carrie Carvanini said as she walked past. Dante smiled at her and looked at his girlfriend, knowing that if just one more girl came and greeted him, she'd be pissed. "You already know what I'm askin'." he said, tired of repeating himself.