When they finally get back to where they parked the cars, Belle inhales an intense sigh of relief. He quickly opens the door and shoves Leslie in before turning to Avery. She looks a bit worried, but still has an annoyed expression on her face, so Belle isn't super worried about her at the moment.
They take turns trying to wake Leslie, prodding and poking at him until he finally rouses.
"Hm? What's going on?" He asks sleepily.
"We're in the car, we won," Belle answers as Leslie looks around.
"Oh, nice, did something happen?" He questions, looking from Belle to Avery.
"Well…kind of." Belle winces as soon as the words are out.
"What do you mean by that?" Avery asks sharply.
"Uhm, so while you guys were passed out, this crazy old guy kind of threatened you guys, and then he had a ghost place this curse mark on you or whatever, and you'll die in a few months unless I give him something he wants." Belle rambles awkwardly.
"...What!?" Avery shouts in frustration, turning around and kicking at a rock.
"Oh, that doesn't sound good." Leslie mumbles.
"But uh, you don't need to worry, I have a plan, kind of," Belle states.
"Kind of? Fuck off I'm going to die unless we can get rid of that ghost." Avery huffs.
"Exactly!" Belle shouts with confidence.
"...So you want me to die?" She deadpans.
"What? No! But if we get rid of the ghost, then you guys will be fine. So we get prepared, and I call the guy, and we meet up and figure out a way to get rid of the ghost." Belle explains.
"That doesn't actually sound like too bad of a plan," Leslie adds.
"See!" Belle smirks.
"Ugh, fine, but we are going to figure out the finer details later. I'm tired, and I'm going home. You better give me the money I'm owed." Avery says, walking toward her car.
"Well, this trip could've gone better." Belle sighs, going to the car's other side and sitting in the driver's seat.
"Yeah, could've gone worse though." Leslie points out.
"True." Belle agrees. The drive home is mostly quiet, though Belle acted confident, he had no idea if the plan would work, and he only had a few months to figure it out. He didn't want to get rid of the system, and giving it to the crazy old guy was a horrible idea.
He felt guilty, though, but there was no point in looking back on the decisions that led him there. There were too many and it all led to the same path, he fucked up and let the guy get too close.
"You don't have to beat yourself up about it, I'm sure we'll be fine." Leslie interrupts his train of thought, and he glances over at his friend looking out the window of the passenger seat.
"You think?" Belle asks, his gaze filled with worry.
"We always find a way, besides, it's a few months, not a few days. I'm sure we can think of something in that time." Leslie reassures. Belle drops him off at home a few minutes later and drives the rest of the way in contemplative silence.
When he gets back, the lights are off. Liz is already used to his schedule and has gone to sleep. He puts the keys down and heads to the bathroom to take a shower and change. His mind swims with all the changes that have happened in the past year.
All the new experiences, some terrifying, some interesting, some fun. He's grateful for the friends he's made and for the chance to actually do something with his life. He's happy to have people enjoy his hobby of supernatural things and actively watch as he investigates them.
The system isn't perfect, and there are many mysteries behind it, but Belle is happier than sad that it came into his life. When he finishes his shower and hops into bed, he's already starting the basics of the plan to try and keep his friends alive.
The next day, he wakes up a little after ten in the morning. He's groggy, but the smell of bacon permeates through the house and convinces him to get up. When he walks out into the kitchen Liz is humming a tune as she fries up some bacon in pan.
"That for me?" Belle asks, sitting down at the counter.
"Depends, are you gonna be grateful for it?" She teases.
"Most definitely." He says, making grabbing motions with his hands. Liz lets out a puff of air as she brings a small plate of bacon over time him. He immediately begins digging in, the food warming his stomach.
"How did things go last night?" She asks.
"Eh, it was alright." Belle shrugs.
"I hope Avery didn't give you any trouble." She smirks, a knowing look in her eye.
"Nah, she almost beat me up at one point but it was fine." Belle answers with a grin.
"Hahaha, that does sound like her, the only reason I didn't introduce the two of you sooner was because I thought you'd get along like oil and water." Liz muses.
"We kind of do, I don't think she likes me very much but it's always interesting to see her reactions." Belle says, Liz chuckles at the thought.
"Yeah, she makes so many different expressions, it's the cutest." Liz squeals.
On the other side of town, Avery is making a cup of coffee when she has the strange feeling that someone is talking about her.
"Mhm, but we ran into a bit of trouble last night, I think I've got everything working out…but it's still a little scary." Belle sighs, thinking about the mark.
"I'm sure everything will be fine, if you're feeling worried we could always watch a movie or something." Liz offers.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Belle replies.
"So, movies tonight?" She asks, and Belle eagerly nods his head.
"I'll get the tickets." Liz says, grabbing her phone.