Summer Of Seventeen

Chapter Seven

"And why are you smiling?" he says chirpily as he goes to the kitchen to pour himself some orange juice. Belle looks at him and her smile intensifies.

"No reason." she says as she hops over to him. She hugs him from behind. "Have I ever told you how much I love you, big brother?"

He peels her arms off him and faces her, his brow raised. "Okay, now I'm really worried."

"Don't be." she says, smiling innocently. "So what are you making for breakfast?"

Jesse shrugs. "I'm just having cereal. You want coffee?"

"Please." Belle says.

"So how'd things go last night? After Logan beat up that stranger?" Jesse asks, taking a bowl out of one of the cupboards.

"Nothing much happened." Belle shrugs, leaning against the counter. "We just waited for Axel and then came home."

Jesse spares Belle a quick glance before proceeding to prepare his cereal.

"See, Belle, this is why I want you to stay away from people like Logan." Jesse says. "He's way too impulsive and he never backs down from a fight."

Belle finds herself smiling at this. Logan would literally fight anyone and isn't afraid to stand up for himself. If that's not attractive, she doesn't know what is.

"Yeah, he was protecting Alejandro, though. It's a good cause." she says, trying to defend him.

"Still. They could have spoken it out."

"That guy looked like he wasn't interested in speaking-"

"Belle." Jesse says sternly. He looks her in the eyes. "Logan is fire, and if you go there, you will get burnt."

Belle only rolls her eyes in response. "You know what? Forget the coffee." she says before walking away and making her way upstairs. She pulls out her phone and sends Axel a text message in which she asks which room is his. After he texts her back, explaining directions to his room which happens to be really near to the rollerblade room, Belle makes her way up there. She opens the door to see Axel on his bed, reading a book.

"Hey." she sighs, hopping down onto the bed next to Axel. He looks at her and closes the book slowly before placing it on the nightstand next to his bed.

"Uh-oh. What's with that hey?" He asks, frowning. "Boy troubles already?" he jokes, poking Belle on her side. She pouts at him.

"Yes. Jesse." she says. Axel looks the other way. Jesse confided in him about this at the party, and he assured him that there's nothing to worry about. "He seems to have a problem with the idea of me with Logan. And I was so excited to tell him. I didn't even get to."

"He's an older brother, that's what they do." Axel says. He picks up his phone from the nightstand and proceeds to text someone.

"It's quite rude to text while someone who's looking for comfort and advice is in your company." Belle says.

"Relax. I'm texting Logan." he responds. "He'd want to know where you are."

"Oh." Belle says.

"I'm also texting Alexa." Axel says. Belle's eyes sparkle and she smiles widely.

"That girl from the party?" she asks. Axel evidently blushes and nods.

"She's so great." he says. "She's kind and funny. We spent the whole night together. Not to mention how many guys would envy me." he brags a bit. Belle doesn't mind. She likes seeing Axel happy, even though she hasn't known him very long.