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Hi, my name is Bella. My parents are divorced so every year I spend winter vacation with my father and his new family. Last year we went to a hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida.

My dad remarried a lady with two daughters that are three years older than me. Their names are Dani and Al, (short for Danielle and Alexandra.) They’re really bad to me but I love spending time with my dad.

My Story Starts

I was getting off the airplane. I just turned 15 and I couldn’t wait to celebrate with my dad. As I stepped off the plane and saw his face, a very broad smile set upon mine. I hadn’t seen my dad since the summer.

Our drive back to the hotel was so much fun. We talked and laughed a lot. He told me about a New Year’s ball coming up that we were invited to. I was so excited to get a good tan.
When we pulled into the hotel our fun ended because standing there were Dani and Al.

“Hi, girls,” I said, trying to sound pleasant. “Great to see you.”

“Hi, Bella,” said the girls.

I knew they were just being nice to me because of my dad.

“Well, this is a great way to start off a vacation!” said my dad blindly. “Have you seen your mother?” he asked the girls.

“Yeah she’s at the concierge,” replied Dani.

“I’ll go and tell her that Bella’s here,” exclaimed my dad.

Moments later my dad came back with my stepmom, Linda. “Hi Bella!” she said giving me a big hug. “It’s so great to see you.”

“Nice to see you too,” I said, returning her warm welcome.

“I got us chairs at the pool. Dani, Al please take Bella to our room and let her get ready to come to the pool. You know where our chairs are.”

When we got up to the room the girls started saying stuff like ‘You don’t belong with us,’ and ‘Your daddy doesn’t love you anymore.’ Worse, they locked me in the room. They snuck out when I was putting on my sunscreen. And I couldn’t get the latch undone. I couldn’t call my dad because he forgot his cell in the room and I didn’t know my step mom’s number. So I sat and read. When the girls came back they told me not to say anything or they would deny it.

They told me to remember the time that we were at Disneyland and they were just tall enough to ride the Matter Horn rollercoaster. I had to go to the bathroom so my dad made the girls take me. There was a really long line so I had to wait. I really had to go and the line was really long so I peed in my pants. When we got back to my dad and Linda my pants were soaked so my dad made us go back to the room. By the time I was ready to go back out the Matter Horn was closed and it was our last day. The girls hated me ever since. They never went to Disneyland again.

That night we went to dinner at a really good restaurant called Palm Beach Grill. I was sitting next to Al and I was drinking coke. I was wearing a skirt that Linda got me. I really liked it.

When Linda went to the bathroom, Al purposely turned to me and knocked my glass of coke so it spilled all over me. It seemed my dad didn’t see because when he finally look over he said, “Oh, Bella what are we going to do with you?”

I thought about telling him the truth but then I remembered the Disney story and I decided not to. Dani and Al would really get me back if I told him that.

Later, back at the hotel, my dad took me out for ice cream. There was total silence until I said, “It was Al that spilled the coke on me.”

“I know,” said my dad in a kind caring tone. “I’ve been watching them.”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling a little bit better. “Linda is really nice but her daughters are so mean.”

“I’ll have Linda talk to them,” he said.

When I got back to the room I went to make sure my dress for New Years was there. I started to look and I couldn’t find it. I was so worried.

“What did you do with my dress?” I said to Al and Dani in a very angry tone.

“We hid it, stupid,” said Al. “So now you can’t go to the party and we get to hang out with Jarred.”

“Who’s Jarred?” I asked, half mad and half interested.

The girls started laughing, “He’s the hotel owner’s son and he’s gorgeous!” said Dani, still laughing.

“Oh,” I said kind of upset, “Night.” And then I went to sleep.
I woke up very early the next morning. I checked my watch and it said that it was 5:30am. So I decided to jog to town. I got up, got dressed, and wrote a note to my dad and Linda.
Went for a jog, be back at 7:00.
Bella

While I was running I passed this store called Cinderella’s Closet. In the window they had the most magnificent dress. It had a silver straps and it was light pink. I love pink!

I decided to ask my dad about getting it for me for the New Years party. At that second I looked at my watch. Then I realized that today was the 31st. And that it was 6:45. So I turned around and sprinted to the hotel. I got there just in time. My dad and Linda woke up at 6:50 and Al and Dani just woke up. The girls and Linda instantly got ready to go to the beach but I stayed with my dad. As Linda and the girls left I said, “We’ll be down later.”

“Okay,” replied Linda.

When they walked out I said, “Dad, I went for a jog this morning and I saw this really pretty dress.”

“Yeah,” said my dad.

“And the girls hid my dress for tonight’s party so I was wondering if you would go and get it for me.”

“Did you ask Al and Dani to give it back?”

“Yeah,” I said softly, “and they didn’t. But I like this dress better! Daddy please!”

“Okay,” said my dad giving up. “I’ll get it for you.”

So we bought the dress. There was one left and it was just my size. We were walking back when my dad’s phone rang.

“Hold on one second,” said my dad, rummaging through his pockets, trying to find his phone.

“Sure,” I said.

A couple minutes later my dad got off the phone.
“That was Linda,” he said, “she wants us back at the hotel in 15 minutes.”

“We better hurry,” I said.

Then we ran back the hotel and got our swimsuits on just in time to meet Linda.
It was already 12:15 so we missed half the day.

“It’s time for lunch,” said Linda.

“I’m starved,” said my dad.

“Dad,” I said very sweetly. “Can you order for me? I just want to take a quick dip.

“Sure,” said my dad.

I decided to go to the playground. I sat on the swings and thought. Then a boy came up to me.

“Hi, I’m Jarred,” the boy said.

“I’m Bella.” I said sweetly.

Jarred was very cute. He had short golden hair and piercing blue eye. He seemed very nice.

We started talking and instantly became friends. I told him everything that happened since I got there. Then he said, “Are you going to the party tonight?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Well,” he hesitated, “I was wondering if you would like to go as my date?”

“Sure,” I said, really entranced by him.

“Okay,” he said, “So I’ll meet you outside the ball room at 7:30.”

“Okay,” I said and he walked away.

Then I remembered. Oh my, the girls said that the hotel owner’s son was named Jarred. I had to remember not to tell anyone whom I was going to the party with.

The afternoon went by very quickly. I awaited my date with Jarred as we spent the rest of the afternoon together. We went swimming in the pool and the ocean. Then we went boogie boarding and on the banana boat. The best part was the girls were in town so they didn’t see me with Jarred.

At 5:30 my dad called me to go to the room to get ready.

I went up to the room and got straight into the shower. I took a nice long shower and then I started drying my hair. I spent a long time on that, making it look gorgeous, and then I pinned it up with blue pins that matched with my dress. I was putting on my makeup when the girls walked in. We avoided talking because we had to get ready for the party. Then I went to get my dress.

I took it and put it on. I finally caught the girls attention.

“What’s that?!!” they said angrily.

“Oh, I got it in town today.”

Then they started ignoring me again.

We went down stairs and we all went inside.

“I’m going to get something to eat,” I said and walked away to find Jarred.

I found him just where he said he’d be. “You, l-l-l-look gorgeous,” he stammered.

“Thanks!” I said, “Let’s dance.

We danced for half an hour and then we ate and then danced. Then we went outside to talk. We talked and talked.

Then suddenly we heard yelling. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!!!!”

“Happy New Year!” I said.

Then he did something I never expected. He kissed me. It lasted for about a second but I liked it.

Then we went back inside.

“I better go wish my dad a Happy New Year; I’ll be back in a second.” I said.

“Okay,” he replied.

I was heading for my dad but then my phone rang. Everyone was staring at me so I went into the bathroom to receive my call. On my way I dropped my bracelet that my grandma gave me.

Turns out, it was Al and Dani. They saw me with Jarred and got mad. And now I was locked in the bathroom

I didn’t know what to do. Then I decided to call Jarred. He didn’t pick up his phone.

Then someone came and opened the door and I was let out. It was Linda.

“Thanks,” I said gratefully.

“What happened to you?” she asked.

I told her everything and she said that she was already planning to talk to Dani and Al about their behavior.

I guessed Jarred went to bed, so I decided to go back to the room. The second I got there I fell asleep.

The next morning at breakfast I couldn’t find Jarred anywhere. It wasn’t until later that day that I realized that my bracelet had been missing. Then Jarred came over.

“Are you looking for this?” he asked holding my bracelet.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, “Where did you find it?”

“You dropped it last night. I went home to make sure I’d keep it safe.”

“Thanks, again. My sisters locked me in the bathroom.”

“I knew you had a good reason for not being there.”

We spent the rest of the vacation together. He even made Dani and Al apologize to me when we ate dinner with him and his mom the next night. He promised to call me if he was ever near my house and I gave him my email. I’m so excited we’re going back next year.