Chapter 11: Where's Stella?
After the movie.
"Gosh. That was not fun. Once again we were mobbed by fans." I said as we got outside.
"Yeah. But me, Jenny, Falisha, and Jayden got to enjoy the movie." Stella laughed.
"Ha, ha." I said.
"So what now you guys?" I asked.
"I don't know. What do you want to do?" Zac asked.
"I don't know. What do you want to do?" I repeated.
"Waterpark!" Stella yelled.
"Yeah." Ashley and Monique said.
"I don't know Stella. The last time we went there you nearly drowned." I said.
"That's because I fell in the pool. And that won't happen again." Stella said. "Jared?"
She gave him the puppy dog face.
"Only if it's ok with Vanessa." Jared said looking at me.
"Well...Just as long as you either stay in the pool or stay away from the edge when you're out." I said.
"Yey!" Stella said.
"Wait a minute what?" Jayden said.
"She has to stay away from the pool's edge." I said.
"No, no, no. Before that." Jayden said. "Stella almost drowned?"
"Oh yeah. The last time we went to that waterpark Stella fell in. And she couldn't swim at that end." I explained.
"Whoa." Jayden and Falisha said.
"Let's go Nessa!" Stella said tugging on her arm.
"Ok, ok." I said as we got in the limo. We went back to our houses and got our swim suits on and went to the waterpark.
"I'm going on the waterslide! C'mon Jenny!" Stella said running to the slide.
"Stella don't run!" I yelled.
"Oh c'mon Nessa." Kaylin said.
"What?" I said.
"Stay away from the side edge of the pool. Don't run." Kaylin said.
"Well Kaylin. She's my sister, I'm supposed to protect her." I said.
"Ah huh well while you're protecting her, give her some freedom." Kaylin said jumping in the water.
"I know..." I said.
"It's ok Nessa. You're doing the right thing." Zac said giving me a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks." I said.
"You can go first." Jenny said freaking out.
"Ok." Stella said then went down the slide. "Whoa!"
Then Jenny went down.
"Hey Stella?" I said.
"Yeah." Stella said getting out of the water.
"Come over here for a sec." I told her.
"Ok." Stella said then came over to us. "Yeah?"
"Uh...why don't you go...get in the pool with everyone else." I explained.
"Why? I wanna go on the slide." Stella said.
"Stella. Just go swim with them." I said.
"Fine." Stella said walking away madly. "Come on Jenny. We got to go in the pool."
"Ok." Jenny said then we got in the pool.
"I'm gonna go in there." I said.
"Ok." Zac said but I pulled him in there with me. "Hey!"
"What do you guys wanna do?" I asked.
"Swim." Ashley said.
"Ah huh." I said.
"Let's play Marco Polo!" Stella said.
"Sure." They all agreed.
"I'm it!" Stella said.
"Marco!" Stella yelled.
"Polo!" We all yelled.
"Marco!" Stella yelled.
"Polo!" Everyone yelled going to the deep end.
"Marco!" Stella said starting to not be able to touch.
"Polo!" The yelled.
"Marco!" Stella yelled.
"Polo!" They all yelled trying to get away not paying attention that Stella couldn't touch.
"Marco can't touch!" Stella yelled.
"Oh!" I said then pulled her back to the steps.
"Thank you." Stella said.
"Sorry. Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yes. I just couldn't touch that's all." Stella said.
"Ok well maybe we shouldn't play this." I said.
"Ok." They agreed. Then after 3 hours of swimming we all went back to the house.
"Well it was so fun seeing you again. But I gotta go." Kaylin said giving me a hug.
"Oh bye." I said.
"Yeah me too." The rest of my friends said.
"K. Bye guys!" I said.
"Bye!" They all said.
"Ok. Um Nessa. I'm going out with the guys for tonight. We're gonna be out all night so don't expect me to be back tonight." My dad said.
"Ok dad." I said. "Have fun."
"I will. Bye Stella." My dad said giving her a kiss.
"Bye daddy." Stella said then he left.
"Now what?" Ashley asked.
"We have the whole house to our selves." I said excitedly.
"Yeah!" Stella said.
"Do you guys want to have a monster movie night in the basement?" I asked.
"Sure." They all said.
"Yeah!" Stella and Jenny said.
"No way. You guys are gonna stay up stairs and not go outside. And totally not take one step down stairs. Cause you guys can't watch these movies." I explained.
"Why not!" Stella whined.
"Because you're too young." I said.
"I am not!" Stella said.
"Have fun." I said then we went upstairs.
"Argh!" Stella said stomping her feet.
"What now?" Jenny asked.
"Let's see what's on tv." Stella said sitting down and turning it on. After about 2 hours of tv and horror movies Stella and Jenny were sleeping and we we're finishing up a movie.
"Hum. I don't hear them up stair any more. They must be sleeping." I said.
"Yeah." Zac said.
"I'm just gonna go check on them." I said and then I went up stairs.
"You guys? Stella?" I asked walking up the stairs but they didn't answer. They were sleeping on the couches. So I just got some pop corn and went down stairs. "Well they're sleeping. And I got pop corn."
"Oh gimmie!" Ashley said grabbing some. Then after about 10 minutes went by we heard a huge bang upstairs.
"Oh my gosh!" Monique exclaimed.
"What was that?" I asked. Then I ran upstair with the rest of them following me.
"Nessa!" Stella yelled. "We heard a huge bang."
"Oh so none of you guys like fell or anything?" I asked.
"No." Stella said.
"Ok good." I said.
"Well then what was that?" Zac asked.
"I don't know." I said. "I'm gonna go check the rooms."
Then I walked over to the rooms. And then we heard the bang again.
"Nessa!" Stella yelled.
"Ok what is that?" I asked hugging Stella trying to not make her scared. Then we heard like a sort of a grunt.
"What is that?" Jayden asked.
"The kitchen." Zac said.
"I'll go check." I said.
"I'm coming with you." Zac said. Then I followed him into the kitchen. And we found blood all over the floor! I screamed.
"Zac!" I yelled.
"What the hell!" Zac yelled.
"What?" They all said as they came into the kitchen.
"Oh my." Ashley, Monique, Jayden, and Falisha said.
"What happened?" Lucas, Corbin, and Chris asked.
"It looks like someone made a mess with red paint." Stella said.
"It's blood." I said.
"Where'd it come from?" Ashley asked. Then all of a sudden some guy grabbed Stella and we didn't even hear him.
"I don't know but whoever did this is in the house." I explained.
"How do you know?" Zac asked.
"Look." I said pointing to the door that someone had obviously broken in through.
"Ok this is just creepy." Ashley said. Chris wrapped his arm around Ashley.
"You guys, where'd Stella go!" I yelled noticing she was gone.
"Stella!" Zac yelled.
"Stella!" I yelled running out of the kitchen. "Where is she! Stella!"
We didn't hear her respond, nor could we find her.
"Stella!" I yelled.
"Stella!" Falisha and Jayden yelled.
"Where is she?" Jenny asked. Then we started searching the house.
"Stella this isn't funny! Come out now!" I said. But there was no sign of her. Jayden started panicking.
"That's it. I'm calling the police." I said dialing 911.
" Los Angeles Police Department. Officer Bender." Bender said.
"Oh yes. Um my little sister just disappeared about 5 minutes ago. We can't find her any where. I mean she was here one minute then the next minute she was gone. Oh and we found a big puddle of blood in our house. And none of us know where it came from. And I think someone broke into our house." I said panicking.
"Ok, ok. Um what is this girls name?" Bender asked.
"Stella Hudgens." I explained.
"Ah huh. Can you describe her?" I asked.
"Ah huh. Well she has dark hair, and she's wearing a pink tank top and just some jeans." I explained.
"Ok. And what is your address?" Bender asked.
"Uh its 4233 18th St. S." I explained.
"And are you living in Los Angeles?" Bender asked.
"Yes." I said.
"Ok. We'll be right over. But I suggest you keep looking. And maybe start by sending some people out to look for her and keep some at the house just in case she comes back or shows up some where." Bender explained.
"Ok." I said.
"Everything is going to be alright." Bender said.
"I hope so." I said. "Thank you."
"Yep. We'll be right there." Bender said then we hung up.
"The police are on their way." I explained.
"Oh good. But where could she be?" Zac asked.
"I don't know." I said starting to cry.
"It's gonna be alright Nessa." Zac said trying to comfort me.
"I hope so." I said. "Ok I want some of you guys to go out looking for her right now."
"Ok. I'll go." Ashley said.
"I'll go too." Chris said. Then Monique and Lucas went with them. Then 5 minutes later the police showed up.
"Oh good they're here." I said running outside to talk to them.
"Ok. So do you already have people looking?" Bender asked.
"Yes. I have 3 people looking." I explained.
"Well that's not good enough. I'm sending 50." Bender explained.
"50? That's great!" I said. "But they better find her."
"Oh don't worry. These men will find her. Trust me." Bender said. But I just gave him a weird looking saying 'I don't know if I can trust them.'
"Hey everything alright?" Zac asked me.
"Yeah. He's sending 50 people out." I explained.
"Well that's good." Zac said. "But uh you might want to take a look at what we found in the back yard."
Then I ran in the backyard.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Look." Jayden said giving me a note.
"Oh my." I said looking at the note and I read, "You're precious Stella will be returned to you if you meet me at the desserted alley way on 105th street at midnight tonight! But there's just one twist. You will have to bring 10,000 dollars if you want her back. But if you don't have the money she will be thrown off into the ocean in the middle of the ocean off a boat. Good luck."
"WHAT?" I yelled.