AMYBELLA KNOCKED ON THE DOOR
of the Pye house and a woman opened it.

"Hello. May I talk to Josie?" She asked politely. The woman, who must have been something like the housemaid, turned around and left. Shortly afterwards, Josie appeared at the door and gave Bella a disparaging look.

"What do you want McCurthy?" her voice was defiant, her look icy cold. She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.

"The article wasn't against you. Hitting Anne won't help you. You know she only wanted to help," Bella said calmly. Josie stepped out the door and stood dangerously close to Bella now.

"You and her, you destroyed my reputation! My whole life. You couldn't get up to my level so you dragged me down to yours." she hissed.
Bella stepped up one step, so there were almost no space left between them. She looked deep into Josie's eyes, which caused the girl's expression to become uncertain.

"You really believe that? Who told you that, huh? Your parents?" She bared her teeth.

"My parents.. know.. what is good for me! You have no idea-.." Josie said through gritted teeth and Bella interrupted her.

"Did your parents defend you? Or did they say it was your own fault?" Josie looked down.

"Do you realize that? It's called manipulation Josie. You're telling me your reputation was destroyed." She remained silent, but didn't look away.

"But tomorrow Josie.. tomorrow, we'll start something." Bella took a step away.

"Tomorrow at the town hall. Either you come and stop pretending or letting them tell you what your worth is. Or you stay here, hide away and continue to listen to everything your folks say." Josie was silent for a while.
As she opened her mouth to say something, her father appeared behind her.

"Get off my property, you brat." He took Josie by the shoulders, who looked at Bella sadly. The blonde girl nodded and then looked at her father.

"Have a nice day Mr. Pye." She nodded and turned around.

"Don't let yourself be seen here again!" He yelled after her. The door closed and Bella grinned to herself, knowing Gilbert was waiting for her at home.

"What happened, rebel?" Ha asked and Bella grinned. She put her arms around Gilbert's neck.

"Rebel?" she asked and Gilbert nodded smiling.

"Thank you. For standing up for us. Defending Anne." she then said with sincerity in her eyes.

"Maybe you will become a 'feminist' after all!" Bella then said and grinned. She felt Gilbert's arm around her waist.

"Feminist? That's a word?" He asked and Amybella laughed.

"What, you don't know feminism?" She asked and Gilbert shook his head.

"I learned it from Anne. She uses many big words." Bella said and the boy laughed.
They looked into each other's eyes and Gilbert's grin disappeared. He looked dazed as he locked his eyes into her.
Bella leaned her head up a bit and stood on her tip toes. She captured his lips in a kiss and Gilbert hesitated before he kissed her back, his hands on her back.

He then suddenly let go of her and took a step back.

"I'm sorry we shouldn't." He said shaking his head. Amybella felt hurt a bit but decided not to say anything about it.

•

"Ready?" Amybella asked the boy with the brown curls.

"Ready." Gilbert grinned and took her hand. They waved their white scarves and set off. On the way to the town hall, they picked up many people who joined the march. Perhaps out of curiosity or confusion.

"Come with us to the town hall!"
They arrived and grabbed all the boards. Bella pushed open the doors to the hall and saw Rachel's shocked face.

"Good afternoon gentlemen!" She shouted as they all entered. The students ran across the room towards the stage.

"What is going on now?!" cursed the Minister.

"Excuse me, we're in a meeting!" Rachel had also stood up.

"AMYBELLA!" she gasped in horror when she saw the girl she took care of. Bella walked past her.

"Well.." she exclaimed indignantly and stepped next to Gilbert, who gave Moody a sign.

"Go!" Bella said and followed them backstage. She took Anne's hand as they stepped out from behind the curtain.

"Good morning! What you are about to witness is an organized action!" Anne said loudly.

"This is an outrage! That's what it is. How dare you-" one of the councillors stood up and shouted, but was interrupted.

"They have a right to their saying!" said Marilla. No one would have expected it from her specifically.

"We are not here to provoke!" shouted Anne, then Bella caught sight of Josie. Anne noticed her too.
Indeed, she had come.

"We are here.. to be heard." Josie ran up to them and they took her into their midst.

"Even though you tried to silence our voices!" Bella shouted before they opened the curtains. The crowd was astonished by what they saw.
The other students stood in a row. Mouths gagged and signs in their hands.

'Freedom of speech is a human right.'

The crowd was silent. They were speechless.

"Well.. we have a message for you."

"Now come along now, that's quite, quite enough!" the minister stood up. He tried to take the signs away from them, but he didn't succeed.
Gilbert came up to him with a piece of paper in his hand. It was the list of topics to write about in the future.

"Thanks for the suggestions." He took the sheet, tore it in half and dropped it carelessly on the floor. Bella smiled.
Gilbert stood in front of the pastor with his chin up, showing no fear.

"Mrs. Stacy. Control your children!" the pastor then called out. And pointed his finger at the blonde teacher. Bella walked up to him while picking up the torn halves of the note.

"Dear pastor. We are.. not children." She said.

"And they are NOT out of control!" Shouted Mrs. Stacy. Bella crumpled up the papers, took the pastor's hand and put it inside of his palm. She squeezed his hand tightly and looked him stubbornly in the eye.

"And my job is going great, your concern is completely unfounded." She strode away from him to Gilbert. The crowd clapped as they grinned proudly.
Later on, they celebrated at Mrs. Stacy's house over their victory and Gilbert sat outside the door.

"We changed something today." he said, while Bella sat down with him. She looked at his sparkling eyes then she stared up at the starry sky.

"Indeed we did."

•

The next day, after her working shift, she walked through the market with Abraxas, along the harbor.

"Shh!" Bella turned around when she thought she heard something.

"Shh!" The blonde looked next to her and spotted a girl with short black hair.

But it wasn't just any girl.

"Ka'kwet?!" Bella asked, shocked at the girl's appearance.

Where were her braids? Her red hat and the accessories in her hair?

The little girl stood up and ran the few steps towards Amybella. She fell into the blonde's arms and sobs started to flash through her body. Her shoulders were shaking and she was trembling terribly. Amybella wrapped her arms around her when she noticed how thin the girl was. She looked starved, like she hadn't eaten in days.

"What happened to you?!" Ka'kwet shook her head when she didn't want to give an answer. Bella looked around.

"You don't look well at all. Are you hungry?" The little girl nodded hastily. Bella searched in her saddlebag and gave her the breakfast, which she hadn't eaten.

"Come on. I'll take you home." Ka'kwet ran her small hands over her face and Bella noticed scars on them. She gently took the wrist of the girl into her hand to see the wounds that came from a teacher's baton.

"My goodness what did they do to you?!" Bella asked terrified. Ka'kwet again wrapped her arms around Bella as if she was afraid she would lose her.
Amybella returned the gesture immediately. Then she helped her onto Abraxas and they walked towards Dr. Walt's office.
On the way, they walked past the café and Bella saw Gilbert and Mrs. Rose again. Winnifred or whatever her name was, but this time there was another man and a woman who sat with them at the table. Anger rose up inside Bella.
He was hiding something from her.

She got on Abraxas, behind Ka'kwet and took the reins into her hands as they rode off.

They arrived at Ka'kwet's tribe and Amybella could feel the many eyes on her as people were running out of their tents, leaving everything they had done before standing.

Bella got off Abraxas and helped Ka'kwet down. As soon as the girl was on the ground, she ran towards Oquatnuk, who also ran towards her, and fell into her arms. Aluk, the head of the tribe and also their father, came running from the forest. He looked at the two of them sitting on the ground before his eyes met Bella's.

"What happened? Did you do this to her?" he asked. The people from the tribe around them started talking and shouting things, Bella didn't understand. They were upset. Aluk walked towards the blonde girl.

"I-I-.." her words caught in her throat as she backed away.

"Sir-.. I didn't-.." She shook her head nervously, not being able to give the man a proper answer. Ka'kwet's father was angry, he didn't try to hide it like he often did. Bella understood his fury. She knew exactly how he felt.

So much had already been taken from them. They could hardly trade, hunt, were excluded from society. They entrusted their child to the church and it comes back in this state. Completely traumatized and distraught. Bell wouldn't have been surprised if they had snapped. But they didn't do that.

Ka'kwet called out to Aluk. She sobbed when she seemed to explain her father what had happened, because his gaze suddenly softened. Amybella's heart was racing, she was nervous because of all the stares that got shot into her.

"You brought my daughter back home?" Bella's eyes met Aluk's brown ones. Rachel had told her his eyes were black and terrifying. Like the eyes of a murderer, but they were the opposite. They were a soft brown and full of emotion that it was beautiful.

Aluk looked at Bella before running to his wife and child. He embraced them so lovely that it made the Bella's heart ache to see them kneeling there on the floor. A family that does everything for each other and protects each other.

Oquatnuk looked up at the girl. She then held out her arm and gestured for Bella to come towards her. Amybelma saw tears streaming down her cheeks. She wrapped the girl in a hug. She said something in their language, Bella didn't understand.

"She says thank you," said Aluk, who had his arm around Ka'kwet. Amybella nodded with a tear running down her cheek. What was going on in this world, right in front of her. It swept her away.

That school Ka'kwet had gone to hadn't treated her well at all and Bella had to stop it with all the power she had inside her flesh.

To see this family, reunited as it was, a family that Bella also wished for, tore her heart into many pieces.