Status: moved here from quizilla.
Bella
thirteen
I closed the front door to my home and turned to the right, only to be shocked by the sight of my parents watching me from the living room. Hesitantly, I walked to the room in which they were in and took a seat on the couch. “We read your note,” my dad informed me. “I didn’t know that your meaning of later was hours later.”
“I was only gone for seven hours…” I trailed off. “I had to talk with a friend of mine about a few things.” Mom placed her hand on Dad’s shoulder and whispered something inaudible in his ear.
He shook his head at whatever Mom was saying. “What’s your friend’s name?” I recoiled and pressed my lips together, looking down at my hands. “It was that boy across the street, wasn’t it? I only suspect that because you’ve only ever done this if Stacy or a boy was involved with it. And Stacy’s dead.”
I winced. “Gunner Davis, have some self-control. Stacy is a sore subject for her, as Jenna and your mom are for you. Bella look at me,” Mom said. Diffidently, I looked up at her. “Were you with Acel?” I nodded. “Good. I’m glad you’re leaving the house more. I just have one question: what happened to your face?”
“Oh, the bruise…I fell.”
Dad narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you sure you just ‘fell’? He didn’t hit you, did he?” I shook my head. “Bella, if he is hi—”
“You’ve got it all wrong. He was about to make us breakfast and I ran after him, and jumped on him. We fell and on the way down, I hit my head. It’s nothing too lethal,” I clarified. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. How did you know that Stacy was dead?”
My mom smiled sadly at me. “Her parents and we are friends, Bella. They informed us of her death the minute they found out, but of course, they called you first. I’m sorry. Stacy was a lovely child.”
“It’s fine. I’m going to just go up to my room if that’s okay with you.” I stood up from the couch and scurried out of the living room, turning the corner to head up the staircase. My heart was racing and I had a million thoughts running through my head: Stacy, Acel, death, Ranger. I sighed and went into Ranger’s room.
His room was nearly empty and the only thing left was his bed, stripped of all sheets, and his dresser. In my peripheral vision, I noticed a cardboard box sticking out from under his bed. I crouched down and pulled the box out, sitting down on the floor and placing it in my lap. My name was scrawled on the side of the box. I peeled the tape off of the box, ripping some of the cardboard off, as well.
Inside the box were photos and small plush animals; action figures and beheaded Barbie dolls; a pack of cigarettes and sterilized needles; a Bible and a notebook. I pushed the box off of my lap and stood up, closing the door to Ranger’s room. I went back to the cardboard box and dumped the contents out. I picked up the Bible and flipped through it, noticing that majority of the pages had been burned out. On the very last page, there was writing written in permanent mark: “Don’t trust this bullshit. We’re all going to Hell anyway.”
I scrunched my nose up and placed the Bible back in the box. I scattered the photos across the floor to see pictures of Ranger and I when we were younger. I studied one picture in particular. Mom was holding me in her arms, my hair dressed in pink ribbons and bows. Dad held Ranger’s hand with a toothy smile plastered onto his face. We all looked...happy. Especially me.
I sighed and put everything back in the box, before pushing it under the bed again and dialing Ranger’s number. “Hello,” Julie answered.
“Hi, Julie. How’re you and the baby?” I inquired, staring at the carpet floor.
Julie coughed awkwardly. “I figured he told you. We’re fine, thank you. The baby’s perfectly healthy as far as I’m concerned. I’m guessing, though, that you didn’t call to talk to me. You called to talk to Ranger. I’ll get him for you. Just a second, Bell.”
I smiled to myself. Julie was good for Ranger. I waited silently. “Hello, Bella. You called? Why? Is everything alright?” I nod to myself.
“Everything’s fine, I promise. I just happened to snoop around your room to find a box, labeled with my name. Interesting stuff you threw in there. There seemed to be some thought put into it,” I mused.
A laugh sounded from the other end of the receiver. “Indeed I did. And I hope you know that the only thing in the Marlboro box is black crayons.” I scoffed. “I’m serious, Bella. By the way, those Barbie dolls were yours. Well, Julie and I have to the doctor’s for an ultrasound. Ciao!” And the line went dead.
“I was only gone for seven hours…” I trailed off. “I had to talk with a friend of mine about a few things.” Mom placed her hand on Dad’s shoulder and whispered something inaudible in his ear.
He shook his head at whatever Mom was saying. “What’s your friend’s name?” I recoiled and pressed my lips together, looking down at my hands. “It was that boy across the street, wasn’t it? I only suspect that because you’ve only ever done this if Stacy or a boy was involved with it. And Stacy’s dead.”
I winced. “Gunner Davis, have some self-control. Stacy is a sore subject for her, as Jenna and your mom are for you. Bella look at me,” Mom said. Diffidently, I looked up at her. “Were you with Acel?” I nodded. “Good. I’m glad you’re leaving the house more. I just have one question: what happened to your face?”
“Oh, the bruise…I fell.”
Dad narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you sure you just ‘fell’? He didn’t hit you, did he?” I shook my head. “Bella, if he is hi—”
“You’ve got it all wrong. He was about to make us breakfast and I ran after him, and jumped on him. We fell and on the way down, I hit my head. It’s nothing too lethal,” I clarified. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. How did you know that Stacy was dead?”
My mom smiled sadly at me. “Her parents and we are friends, Bella. They informed us of her death the minute they found out, but of course, they called you first. I’m sorry. Stacy was a lovely child.”
“It’s fine. I’m going to just go up to my room if that’s okay with you.” I stood up from the couch and scurried out of the living room, turning the corner to head up the staircase. My heart was racing and I had a million thoughts running through my head: Stacy, Acel, death, Ranger. I sighed and went into Ranger’s room.
His room was nearly empty and the only thing left was his bed, stripped of all sheets, and his dresser. In my peripheral vision, I noticed a cardboard box sticking out from under his bed. I crouched down and pulled the box out, sitting down on the floor and placing it in my lap. My name was scrawled on the side of the box. I peeled the tape off of the box, ripping some of the cardboard off, as well.
Inside the box were photos and small plush animals; action figures and beheaded Barbie dolls; a pack of cigarettes and sterilized needles; a Bible and a notebook. I pushed the box off of my lap and stood up, closing the door to Ranger’s room. I went back to the cardboard box and dumped the contents out. I picked up the Bible and flipped through it, noticing that majority of the pages had been burned out. On the very last page, there was writing written in permanent mark: “Don’t trust this bullshit. We’re all going to Hell anyway.”
I scrunched my nose up and placed the Bible back in the box. I scattered the photos across the floor to see pictures of Ranger and I when we were younger. I studied one picture in particular. Mom was holding me in her arms, my hair dressed in pink ribbons and bows. Dad held Ranger’s hand with a toothy smile plastered onto his face. We all looked...happy. Especially me.
I sighed and put everything back in the box, before pushing it under the bed again and dialing Ranger’s number. “Hello,” Julie answered.
“Hi, Julie. How’re you and the baby?” I inquired, staring at the carpet floor.
Julie coughed awkwardly. “I figured he told you. We’re fine, thank you. The baby’s perfectly healthy as far as I’m concerned. I’m guessing, though, that you didn’t call to talk to me. You called to talk to Ranger. I’ll get him for you. Just a second, Bell.”
I smiled to myself. Julie was good for Ranger. I waited silently. “Hello, Bella. You called? Why? Is everything alright?” I nod to myself.
“Everything’s fine, I promise. I just happened to snoop around your room to find a box, labeled with my name. Interesting stuff you threw in there. There seemed to be some thought put into it,” I mused.
A laugh sounded from the other end of the receiver. “Indeed I did. And I hope you know that the only thing in the Marlboro box is black crayons.” I scoffed. “I’m serious, Bella. By the way, those Barbie dolls were yours. Well, Julie and I have to the doctor’s for an ultrasound. Ciao!” And the line went dead.