Bella Is Dying, Maybe Next Week

Bella’s morning starts with a broken plate and parental indifference. At school, a health lesson on drug-resistant gonorrhea sends her into a spiral—she’s convinced her pimples and period changes mean she has it. Misinformed friends only fuel her panic. Meanwhile, Bella’s mother, Sheila, grapples with how to discuss sex with her daughter after overhearing alarmist reactions from other parents. Realizing she and her husband were once just as uninformed, she decides it’s time for open conversations. But Bella’s father would rather avoid it—until Sheila makes it clear that change is coming. A story about misinformation, generational gaps, and the courage to have honest conversations.