{"sf1_id":351526,"sf2_id":"Wel5rw5m","title":"BEL chapter one","author":"LillyAnne Hart","words":1438,"posted_at":"2012-03-09T03:14:00.000Z","tags":["Annabel","Dalton","Parents","cheerleader","dead","first","murder"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/351526-bel-chapter-one","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Wel5rw5m","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/ef/0b/ef0b6851-325f-4ee7-a3da-807684eeb190","description":"First chapter of my first story, Bel. Please give me feedback, and let me know if I should post the second chapter or not. Thank you! :D","content":"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Annabel, congratulations on becoming cheer captain!\" My fellow cheerleaders gathered around me and gave me their best cheer. \"Two, Four, Six, Eight, Who do we appreciate?\u0026nbsp; Bel, Bel, Gooo Bel!\"\u0026nbsp; They all started clapping.\u0026nbsp; I looked to my right, and the football players were clapping too.\u0026nbsp; This was a great start to my sophomore year of high school.\u0026nbsp; Cheer captain, girlfriend of the quarterback -also the hottest guy in school, and straight A student.\u0026nbsp; Nothing could go wrong.\u0026nbsp; The cheer squad separated into their own little groups, but my three best friends stayed with me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Bel, you got it all,\" Emmalyn Chance, my best friend, looked at me with admiration.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes scanned me, but stopped on my white cheer skirt. \"Including your lovely gift from mother nature.\u0026nbsp; Well, at least we know Dalton isn't going to be a father.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I looked down at my skirt and saw a little blood stain.\u0026nbsp; \"It's not what you think.\u0026nbsp; My mother probably cut her finger pulling it out of the dryer this morning.\u0026nbsp; Speaking of Dalton, have you seen him today?\"\u0026nbsp; I looked at all the football players on the field and couldn't see him.\u0026nbsp; Dalton Anderson was my boyfriend.\u0026nbsp; Every girl wanted him, but I was lucky enough to grab his attention.\u0026nbsp; Seven months, four days, nine hours, and fifty six minutes was how long we had been together.\u0026nbsp; And no, I was not the typical cheerleader who would accidentally end up pregnant before senior year.\u0026nbsp; My friends just loved to tease me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Of course I have seen Dalton.\u0026nbsp; I never take my eyes off him.\"\u0026nbsp; I followed her gaze to the bleachers where Dalton was putting a bandage on his ankle.\u0026nbsp; He had sprained it the day before at practice and had to stay off it until it healed.\u0026nbsp; Usually he would break the rules and run on it anyway, but for some reason, he didn't this time.\u0026nbsp; \"Sorry Bel, but he is just too hot.\u0026nbsp; You're lucky Chad and I are so happy, or I would steal him away from you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You know you wouldn't do that to me.\u0026nbsp; You love me too much!\"\u0026nbsp; My tone was playful, but it had a hint of worry.\u0026nbsp; Emmalyn was a pretty girl.\u0026nbsp; She could have any guy she wanted.\u0026nbsp; If she wanted Dalton enough, it would be only a matter of time.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"How do you think I got Chad away from Sarah?\u0026nbsp; The secret is in the perfume.\u0026nbsp; Guys love a girl that smells good.\u0026nbsp; If Dalton got close enough to sniff me, he would be mine.\u0026nbsp; But you are right; I could never do that to you.\u0026nbsp; We are too much like sisters.\"\u0026nbsp; Not once did she take her eyes off him.\u0026nbsp; I cleared my throat, and she looked away.\u0026nbsp; My two other best friends, Grace Miller and Kaylee Ray moved into her line of vision, blocking her view.\u0026nbsp; I loved my friends.\u0026nbsp; I loved Emmalyn, but I didn't fully trust her.\u0026nbsp; Especially not with Dalton.\u0026nbsp; She has a history of stealing her friends' boyfriends.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The school bell rang, and we all headed to our first class.\u0026nbsp; I walked over to the bleachers to help Dalton to his class.\u0026nbsp; He had Trig first, and I had Choir.\u0026nbsp; They were in different buildings, but I didn't mind being late.\u0026nbsp; Besides, the choir teacher was always late.\u0026nbsp; She never noticed.\u0026nbsp; We hobbled down the hallways and to the elevator.\u0026nbsp; His arm was around me and he was leaning on me.\u0026nbsp; I had never noticed just how good he smelled.\u0026nbsp; His scent was like something I had never smelled before.\u0026nbsp; I could smell it for hours.\u0026nbsp; The elevator made its _ding_ sound, pulling me out of my mini trance.\u0026nbsp; I gave him a light kiss on the cheek and sent him off to class.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; My classes were boring, as usual.\u0026nbsp; Nothing that happened really stood out as new or exciting.\u0026nbsp; In Choir, we sang our rehearsed songs.\u0026nbsp; In Geometry, we compared triangles.\u0026nbsp; In English, we read short stories.\u0026nbsp; In Study Hall, I did my math homework.\u0026nbsp; There was nothing out of the ordinary.\u0026nbsp; It was just a normal Friday.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The bus ride home seemed longer than usual.\u0026nbsp; For some odd reason, I had a bad feeling in my stomach.\u0026nbsp; It was like I had butterflies, but they were trying to warn me of something.\u0026nbsp; Something bad was going to happen, I knew it.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The bus dropped me off at my house.\u0026nbsp; I walked up the steps to my front door.\u0026nbsp; I was about to grab the handle and walk in, but my cell phone rang.\u0026nbsp; It was Dalton.\u0026nbsp; I answered.\u0026nbsp; \"Hey baby.\u0026nbsp; What's up?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I can't make it to our date tomorrow.\u0026nbsp; My mom wants me to stay home and do chores.\u0026nbsp; Boring right?\u0026nbsp; Sorry Bel.\u0026nbsp; Maybe I'll take you out next weekend.\u0026nbsp; I got to go, my mom's calling me.\u0026nbsp; Bye baby, I love you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Love you too.\"\u0026nbsp; I hung up.\u0026nbsp; We had planned to go to dinner and a movie, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen.\u0026nbsp; Oh well, I thought.\u0026nbsp; He shouldn't be doing chores with his ankle the way it was, but he was probably going to do chores that don't involve much stress on his legs.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I opened the front door and walked in.\u0026nbsp; The house smelled horrible.\u0026nbsp; The stench was so bad, my eyes started watering and my fingers instantly flew up to my face to cover my nose.\u0026nbsp; It was a stench I had never smelled before.\u0026nbsp; Something really bad had happened, and the mess was somewhere in the house, still waiting to be cleaned up.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; On the floor right in front of me in the walkway was a crumpled up piece of paper.\u0026nbsp; It was a letter to me from my mom.\n\n**Annabel Lane Bronson,**\n\n**\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I do not appreciate the way you spoke to me last night.\u0026nbsp; As your mother, I demand respect.\u0026nbsp; Is this the way you treat your friends?\u0026nbsp; I am surprised they all stand by you the way that they do.\u0026nbsp; I find your lack of respect an insult to my parenting, and I will not have it.\u0026nbsp; You are sixteen now; you should know better.\u0026nbsp; I am grounding you from cheerleading until you learn how to treat me.**\n\n**\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; -Mom**\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I had no idea what she was talking about.\u0026nbsp; I hadn't ever talked badly to my mother, and I had never seen this letter before.\u0026nbsp; I moved my hand a little to the left, and under it was a bloody thumb-print.\u0026nbsp; It looked almost exactly like the blood stain on my cheer skirt.\u0026nbsp; There had to be an explanation for this.\u0026nbsp; I had earlier thought that the blood came from a cut on my mom's finger when she grabbed my skirt from the dryer machine.\u0026nbsp; I decided to check.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I put my backpack down on the floor and made my way down a hallway to my laundry room, but something caught my eye as I passed the kitchen.\u0026nbsp; A tall ladder was propped against the wall.\u0026nbsp; My parents always told me that the ladder was to never leave the garage.\u0026nbsp; It was too dirty to be in the house.\u0026nbsp; I wondered why it was inside.\u0026nbsp; _Well_ I thought _Mom and dad will be home in a few minutes, so I had better get it out of here before they see it._ I walked into the kitchen, but something hit the top of my head.\u0026nbsp; I reached my hand into my hair, and it was wet.\u0026nbsp; I looked at my hand, and I didn't like what I saw.\u0026nbsp; Gooey red liquid was smeared across my fingers.\u0026nbsp; It was blood.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I was scared to look up, and I was right to be.\u0026nbsp; Resting on the wooden rails that stretched along my tall kitchen ceiling was the bloody bodies of my mother and father.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't believe my eyes, which were now overflowing with tears.\u0026nbsp; They both had two identical knife wounds, one in the upper stomach and one on the left leg.\u0026nbsp; The blood seeped through their clothes, making the visuals worse.\u0026nbsp; The smell was absolutely dreadful in this room.\u0026nbsp; Words cannot describe the excruciating pain my nose was in, but it was nothing in comparison to the pain I felt in my heart.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I couldn't imagine anybody who would want to kill them.\u0026nbsp; My mother and father were good, kind people who had no enemies.\u0026nbsp; They never fought with anybody.\u0026nbsp; And I could tell that the letter had something to do with this.\u0026nbsp; I just wondered what it meant.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}