Rumour had it, she was a nice girl…
Write a story based on the writing prompt about a tiny rumour that is potentially about to spread. Your protagonist is either the topic or the source.
Bella, Mandy and Chloe loved talking with each other on their morning walk to school. Bella had the most intelligent eyes you ever saw, and who was good at lots of things other than studying loved talking to her close friends. Mandy was also smart but she was bookish; Chloe on the other hand liked to talk about boys.
One day the three of them were walking along the sidewalk when Mandy took a book out of her bag, and started to read it out aloud. She had the perfectly framed nose, and long hair and when she talked her glasses slid down her nose like a typical nerd.
So then she was reading her book as she always did, she loved reading her homework out loud, so it was easier to memorise. That day she was reading the story of Jack and Rose and their antics in the story of Titanic.
Mandy started to talk about how Jack was such a cute guy, who spoke really well. In the story of Titanic which was a major feature film back in the 90’s Rose was a quiet sort who loved to dance, and had a weird boyfriend who was very different from her.
Bella, Mandy, and Chloe were all enjoying talking about the classic story of Titanic, and everything that ensued in the movie based on the event. Chloe asserted that the movie was based on a real life event, and that everyone except Rose died in the end.
Bella was the type who loved telling others what to do. Mandy wanted to discuss more about the wonderful movie and how Jack and Rose did lots of things on the Titanic before it sank. Chloe quipped that Rose managed to reach America and lived there for many years.
And so, the three friends were talking, laughing and joking about what apparently was the reality of life back in the day when the movie Titanic was released. Mandy wanted to talk more and more about the intricate details of the movie as there was a English Class test coming up, and perhaps if she took an interest in the movie, she might do well at the test too.
The three friends continued chit-chatting about Mandy’s homework when they reached the school. All three friends always sat together, at the back of the classroom where it was the most fun.
Suddenly the bell rang, and the teacher entered the class room. The first lecture was physics. Bella was very bored, one could tell, and she kept dozing at her table. Chloe was chewing gum with her head down, and Bella was the one who was actually thinking about all the things that Mandy was talking about during their walk to school.
If there was anything about Sunshine High that people really liked, it was the huge size of the classrooms, and the paintings on the walls. There was a painting on the wall behind the three girls, and Bella suddenly felt drawn to look at it.
“A well-chosen word has often sufficed to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory, and to save an empire.”
Bella looked at the picture on the wall which had an ornate gold frame, and squinted to see the tiny words that were seemingly full of meaning. She thought all about the dialogues in the Titanic between Jack and Rose, especially the ones Mandy had mentioned.
She liked the one about ‘A woman’s heart being a deep ocean of secrets” because she felt that Jack and Rose were too young to think that hard about anything. However, Rose was the cool heroine of the Titanic who probably did have alot of secrets, which brought her closer to Jack ofcourse.
Bella did not like school, or studying. It was a wonder she felt that Mandy was good at English and seemed to be wonderful at recounting the dialogues in the epic tale. Bella was the kind of student that liked to learn from others. Personally, she did not feel she was good at physics or English. Well, the story of Titanic seemed to be interesting and everyone loved it.
Chloe was busy asleep with the gum in her mouth and she woke up when the bell rang. She took out a comic book from her bag which was all about the legend of Batman and Robin. She did not know about Kinetic Energy which the teacher was discussing about, but when the door closed by itself when he left the speed of the door banging made her believe that energy was a force to be reckoned with.
Suddenly Tomlin, the handsome guy who usually sat in the front row, came to the back of the class. He wanted to tell the three girls something. He came and sat down on the empty bench after the teacher had left.
Tomlin said something remarkable that had Bella stunned. He started to talk at length about how he had heard that one of the students in the class was going to fail in the upcoming English Test because he was not attending regularly.
Bella was looking at Tomlins face as he spoke and was watching his eyes the way he talked. Mandy couldnt help but laugh at him because she felt that she had prepared enough. Chloe felt sorry for him because she too did not like English or school for that matter. They all looked at each other feeling sorry for this particular student.
When Tomlin left, they looked at each other. Mandy started to recount dialogues from the movie because she knew them by heart. She was sure she was going to pass the test. Bella and Chloe felt they needed to study, but had chances of passing.
Days passed, and Bella stayed up late nights reading about the story of Titanic, while also watching the movie’s scenes just as Mandy had done. The three girls kept studying until the big day which was a week away.
Finally the big day arrived and Mandy, Bella and Chloe arrived at school on time just as they always did. Mandy’s eyes fell on the poster behind her. Again the haunting words which she squinted to see. They had a deep meaning, but they were by a very intelligent person.”A well-chosen word has often sufficed to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory, and to save an empire.” they were really awesome.
Tomlin arrived a little later and seemed to be a little nervous. He sat down and was trying to look behind at the three girls, trying to get their attention just before the test. The teacher was walking around the classroom, handing out question papers which were a list of well detailed MCQ’s.
Suddenly the door opened and the guy in question entered the classroom. He entered quietly while tip-toeing, and sat down on his seat near the window behind Tomlin. Chloe who was still in a sleepy state as always was the first to notice.
Bella was so happy that Hansel finally arrived. Mandy was surprised but still visibly relieved because it would not have been wonderful if he didnt get to answer the test. After all he was human too.
Bella looked at the picture behind her, and realized that they were well meaning indeed. Well chosen words are always meant to tell good things she thought to herself. She looked at the question paper. She looked at Hansel and Tomlin.
Bella whispered to Mandy and Chloe that Tomlin possibly was trying to spread a reumor about Hansel.The two guys seemed to hang out together all the time, but Tomlin was being fake about something.
Bella, Mandy, and Chloe were the type to talk about everything under the sun. Tomlin and Hansel were friends but didnt know each other. Bella looked at the picture behind her about well chosen words. Then she thought about a quote by a famous celebrity about how “Fake friends believe in rumors. Real friends believe in you”
Bella whispered to Chloe about this, and she got back to writing her test. Mandy was having a good time answering the questions because she knew all the answers. Bella and Chloe looked at her, and continued writing their test as well.
A week later the test results were out and all of them passed with great marks. Bella and Chloe got a ‘B’ grade, which was so like them. Mandy got an A+ and she was so pleased. Hansel and Tomlin also passed which was just like the two of them.
Bella went home that day and thought deeply about everything that happened. She knew she was not technically a good student, but she was not very superficial like many people were today.
She thought about all the things that happened before the test. She thought about how Mandy was eager to prepare, she put in the effort and she got her A+. She thought about how Chloe was sleeping in the classroom most days. She thought about how Tomlin literally sped a rumor that Hansel wasnt going to attend the class even though she herself wasn’t sure.
Bella was neither the topic nor the source of what could have been a bad image for Hansel. But she was the quiet girl who liked to watch others from afar and be the normal average one who noticed things.
Bella made up her mind that she would believe God’s truth over the world’s truth. She wasn’t ever casual about her friendships. She knew God saw her for the effort she was making to be mindful about everything she did.
She decided that things like rumours were cute but mindless chasing after the wind. She thought about the weird poster on the wall behind her in class. She realized that most things that were hard to do were worth it too. Choosing good words was hard, but it made her life easy.
Simple, sweet and just like her. Just like Belle wanted to live her life. Rumour had it she was a nice girl, and that was everything you ever heard about her…
