Bella was a normal 18-year-old girl living life. She was a cheerleader, and her senior basketball team, representing Central High, was playing against the Bulldogs. The game was fun, but she wasn’t in the happiest mood. Her dad, Robert, was stuck at work as usual, and her mom Katie was staying with her sick grandmother, taking care of her since she was very sick with a heart disease. Normally her parents were always at the games, so Bella was quite disappointed. At least her dad wrote her a long text. “Have a great game lovebug, you guys will do great, can’t wait to see you!” he exclaimed…but she didn’t respond. She just felt drained.
The game was down to 4 seconds, and it was her team with the ball. Hunter Jackson, her teammate, had the ball ready to shoot. He scored with ease, and the crowd went crazy. Bellas’s sadness immediately turned to joy.
“I’m so proud of you guys!” said Coach Amber.
Bella wished that those words came from her parents, but after THAT victory, she was content enough to just go home and tell her parents about her team’s amazing win. Anxious to spill the great news, she got in her blue Bronco and drove homebound, all while California Girls, her favorite song, boomed through the speakers.
Bella pulled up into the driveway and went into her house, which seemed eerily quiet.
“Hello?”
No answer came, much to her dismay.. called her dad, and it went to voice mail. A call to her mother followed…which was answered to the clear sound of tears.
“What’s wrong mom?” she spoke.
“Honey, I need you to listen to me carefully.”
“What is it, tell me”
“We just got a call from the police and medical professionals”
“You are scaring me”
“Dad has been killed.”
Bella’s heart dropped, feeling a pain in her chest like she was just shot. She slumped downward to the ground, on the floor in silence. She felt nothing, absolutely nothing.
The cops reported that there was an investigation. They said they found him by the creek where the family used to go fishing. There were no stores or cameras so they investigated everyone they could think of, and Billy, her dad’s best friend and business partner, helped too in any way he could. Unfortunately, there was just never enough information, nor were a few missing items ever found, in particular a watch that she gave her father for his birthday. Her entire life had changed, and there wasn’t a single lead to bring justice and closure.
As time passed, Bella’s mind had sunken. Her depression led to many absences from school, resulting in a transfer to online education. Still, her grades were failing and the pain and tears got worse every day. As she grew older, she tried to get her life together. She started studying criminal justice and preparing herself for a better future. Bella got a scholarship to Temple University, and graduated with high honors. She eventually began a job as a detective at the local police department where her dad had worked.
Bella’s job was going well, as she was figuring out crimes and reporting them in days. She was making pretty good money and getting great compliments from everyone, especially the oofficers who knew her dad. “Your dad would be proud,” was a common compliment, and that made her feel great inside because she always wanted to be just like him.
During this time, on a relatively easy workday, she realized they hadn’t spoken to Billy in a while, and soon after found out that he had quit. She asked around and they said he didn’t have a reason, he just wanted to leave. Maybe because it made it hard without Robert. Well, that’s what she hoped.
When her mother Katie got home that night, she told her mom how she had realized that Billy had quit.
“Oh gosh, I’m a terrible person.” said Katie.
“Why?” asked Bella.
“That was one of your fathers closest friends, and we have not checked on him in a long time.”
“Well it can be the other way around, and it was my dad who died, not his,” Bella retorted.
After the conversation Bella went to her room and thought it would be a great idea to look for apartments, as she was now 22 with her own money and job. She didn’t want to stay as her moms responsibility. Bella found a condo for fifty thousand dollars on Broad and Fever street, right next to the old coffee shop she frequently visits.
It took a little time to figure everything out, but she ended up buying it. She had two weeks to officially move her stuff in and pay in full. She was so excited..but it gave her flashbacks..a deja vu event. She couldn’t remember why, but something was weird. She continued to move into her new home until she saw something that surprised her.
“Billy?” she said.
“Well, hi, long time no see,” he responded, looking equally surprised to see Bella. They hugged and laughed awkwardly.
“How have you been Bella Bug?” he said.
“Could be worse but I’m making progress.”
“We’re going to have to catch up sometime, maybe over dinner.”
Bella continued to walk upstairs to her apartment, but something felt off. The vibe felt off. Her apartment room was big with glass windows and dark grey walls, and her bedroom was cream colored with a queen-sized bed. It felt great for her to have a big bed to herself, but she always had these nightmares where her dad passed away, and they haven’t gone away in a while.
One day, Bella hears a knock on her door. She opened the door slowly, and it was Billy.
“Oh, hi.” “What are you doing here?” said Bella.
“Well, I wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight?”
“Sure, what time?”
“You can come by 7.”
Bella showered and put on a black shirt with blue jeans. She got her purse and walked to room 207. That was Billy’s room.
“Knock”
“Hello Bella.” “I made chicken alfredo,” said Billy.
“Ok smells really good.”
Bella sat at the table and waited for Billy to bring out the food. It smelled great, like it would be at a fancy restaurant. He placed the plates down with the food and gave her a knife, but his hands were shaky.
“Are you ok?” said Bella.
“Yea just havent seen you in awhile and I feel awful about everything with your dad.”
“Well it’s in the past, and he is always missed.”
“Wheres your bathroom?” Bella asked.
“Down the hall to the left.”
Bella walked down the hall to the left. She was peeing when she looked up and saw that the ceiling was somewhat open. Initially ignoring it, she washed her hands but something just felt weird. So she climbed on the toilet and put her left hand inside. She felt a box.
“Its not my business,” she said to herself.
Still, something made her want to open it. So she did. Pulling it towards her, she looked inside, but she instantly regretted opening it. She found her dads watch in the box along with his chain and wallet with what appeared to be old, dried blood.
There’s a knock on the bathroom door.
“Is everything good in there?”
“Uh yea one sec.”
Bella took everything and put it in her pocket. She unlocked the door and Billy was standing there.
“Are you ok?”
He had a weird look on his face…like he knew something.
“I got to head on out” she said.
“But wait.”
The watch had fallen out of her pocket and to the floor. The silence tat came after was loud and weird. She was scared, and so was he.
“I give up.” he said.
“What did you do to my father?!?”
“He drove me angry, and I couldn’t take it.”
Bella grabbed her stuff and ran, but he followed and chased her. She fell and he was right behind.
“No!” she screamed as everything went black.
Irelynne Guinup goes to Franklin Towne High School. She is a cheerleader and a softball player. Irelynne would love to go to college to major in nursing.