Clark finished his dinner and went to his room, where he picked up his phone to call Bella. He stepped into the bathroom for some privacy, and when Bella answered, she sounded sleepy. "Hello, Clark! How are you?" she asked.
He responded, "I'm fine. Sorry for waking you. I wanted to ask if we could keep our relationship a secret for now—no one else, not even your friend Kim, should know about us." Bella replied, "But Kim is my very good friend!" Clark insisted, "I just think it's best that way for now.
Okay, goodnight. I love you." Bella replied softly, "Okay, love you too."
They ended the call and went to sleep. The next morning, Clark's alarm woke him up, and he could hear his mother calling him for breakfast. He rushed to prepare for school and sent Bella a text: "Good morning, love! How was your night? Hope you dreamed about me!" accompanied by a love emoji.
Bella saw the message upon waking, smiled, and replied, "Yes, I did! What about you?" Kira noticed her smile and remarked, "Aww, is that Clark texting you? I'm so jealous of your relationship!" Bella reassured her, saying, "Don't worry, your time will come". She reminded her siblings to keep their relationship private, leading to some playful questioning and teasing from them.
Principal Bradford summoned the students to gather in the auditorium, where the teachers and school board were present.
She announced an upcoming competition between Brooklyn High School and Brooklyn International High School that would encompass various activities, including debate, basketball, table tennis, singing, drama, and dancing.
He encouraged the students to prepare, emphasizing that it would be a remarkable day of events.
The principal also mentioned that students who actively participated would have the opportunity to earn a scholarship to a university, urging everyone to get ready for the competition.
After a few hours, as the students took a break, Kim reminded Bella about meeting with Clark. Bella insisted they should have a meal first, as she felt her brother Tommy was hungry.
They went to the cafeteria for lunch, where Clark, along with his friends, also arrived to eat. Upon noticing Bella, Clark decided to send her a text. As he settled down, Bella received the message, saw him, and smiled.
Kim observed this interaction and grew curious about their connection.
Bella chose to leave Kim's side to join Clark. Feeling shy as she sat with him and his friends, she was introduced, and they expressed surprise, having never heard about her before.
Caleb and David approached them and struck up a conversation. Meanwhile, Kim, feeling a twinge of jealousy, decided to leave after finishing her meal. Bella noticed her departure but felt unable to follow, as she was engaged in conversation.
At that moment, Yvonne entered the cafeteria, spotted their group, and approached with a flourish, theatrically commenting, "Well, well, well, who do we have here? Why wasn't I invited to this little gathering?" Caleb responded, "We're just celebrating our new friend, Bella",
Yvonne feigned surprise, exclaiming, "Wow, I didn't know we had a female friend. How come Clark didn't mention her to me?" Clark playfully urged Yvonne to tone down her dramatic flair, to which she agreed with a laugh.
Although Bella felt somewhat uncomfortable with Yvonne's presence, she chose to engage in the discussion. When Yvonne inquired about Bella's family, Bella hesitated but eventually shared brief details about her parents. Just as Yvonne asked about her father's workplace, the school bell rang, signaling that it was time for class.
Once inside the classroom, Bella noticed Kim writing and inquired about her sudden departure. Kim explained, "Would you expect me to stay there after finishing my meal? I had other commitments".
Bella apologized for not having stopped her, but Kim reassured her that there were no hard feelings, even though a hint of jealousy lingered beneath the surface. A teacher then entered, prompting everyone to stand in greeting, and after a period of instruction, the bell rang again to dismiss them.
Clark texted Bella, "Hi, love. Today, we're going to bring mum home", Bella replied affirmatively. Kim then asked Bella about her mother's discharge day, to which Bella responded that her mother was indeed coming home today.
Kim expressed happiness for Bella and mentioned she wished to accompany her, but had errands to run at her aunt's house. Bella reassured her that it was perfectly fine, inviting her to visit whenever she could.
Later, Kim recalled the meeting and suggested they call Sam and Yvonne to join them. Kim, taking the lead, assigned topics for discussion before they departed.
After finishing his meeting, Clark spotted Bella, and they decided to leave together. Mr. olde, a cleaner at the school, noticed them together and reported this to his superiors.
Clark and Bella went to the hospital to bring Mrs Valerie home. As Clark was preparing to leave, Mrs. Valerie kindly invited him to stay for dinner. He accepted the invitation and enjoyed the meal, during which Kira expressed her happiness, stating, "Mum, I'm really glad Clark has been so kind to us".
Mrs. Valerie remarked that he would make a wonderful addition to their family. Bella chuckled, and when Joan asked about Kim, Bella explained that her friend was unable to join due to prior commitments.
After returning home, Clark inquired about his parents, only to learn from the nanny that they were at the airport to pick up his younger sister, Annie. Surprised to hear of her return, Clark eagerly waited until a car pulled into the driveway. He rushed out to greet his family and was joyfully embraced by Annie, who exclaimed, "Senior bro, how's life in America?"
Overjoyed, Clark revealed that he hadn't known about her return. Annie explained she wanted to surprise him, and their parents planned to throw a party in her honor the following day, requesting Clark to invite his friends. He nodded in agreement, and they went inside for lunch.
After the meal, he sent invitations to several friends at Brooklyn High School, who expressed their excitement upon receiving the news.
When Bella saw the invite, she called Clark to discuss it. "Hello, Clark! I saw your message. Wow, Annie is back! What should I get for her?" Clark shared Annie's favorite things. The next day, Bella headed to school, and Mrs. Valerie returned to her store, where her co-workers greeted her with joy.
They decided to surprise her with a gift, and Mrs. Valerie felt deeply appreciated, thankful for their kindness.