Smile For The Camera

I do not own any HOA characters used in this story. I only own my story ideas and my original characters.

Don't you hate it when someone you know has secrets. You're desperate to know but they just won't tell you. It can be an embarrassing secret like you still sleep with a teddy bear. Sometimes it's a juicy secret. Something out of this world crazy. But sometimes a secret can be so dark, it can be deadly. What's my secret? I'll never tell.

"Are you sure about this Mara?" Jake Roberts asked Mara. He was a school nerd who worked for BellsWood High School Newspaper. He was scared out of his mind as he hold his camera with a shaky hand.

"Yeah. I'm super scared. Who goes to the cemetery at night?" Ricky Nelson said. He also worked for the newspaper and had a face full of pimples.

"Guys stop being such babies. Nothing is going to happen. Trust me." Mara signaled for the boys to follow her and they did. Outside was windy for a late January night and Mara regretted not wearing her jacket. As the trio walked and walked, Mara had an eerie feeling that someone was watching her.

"What gravestone are we looking for?" Jake asked.

"Simon BellsWood Jr." Mara said. It felt like hours but they finally found it. Simon BellsWood Jr. 1924-1934. Loving son. Gone too soon.

"He was ten years old when he died? I thought all the BellsWood family had a long life?" Ricky asked.

"That's what I thought. Jake film this. " Mara walked up to the gravestone and slowly stared rubbing it.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked while filming her. Mara kept on rubbing the dirty gravestone when finally a picture of Simon came up. Except that it was not Simon it was his young brother Miles.

"Oh my god." Ricky was speechless. Mara was too.

"Simon didn't die. His brother did." Mara finally put the pieces together. This explains so much.

"We have to tell everyone about this." Mara said looking at the camera. She couldn't help but smile. This was a juicy story. Before anything else can happen, someone wearing all black walked behind Mara.

"Mara!" Ricky yelled. Jake dropped the camera and screaming can be heard.

48 hours earlier

"I can't sleep. I have the biggest headache ever." Mara said. She had dark circles around her eyes and looked miserable. Amber flipped her blonde hair as she smiled at herself in the mirror.

"Are you even listening?" Mara asked impatiently.

"Nope. I have a mission and no offense I don't really care about your little problems. We all know the newspaper club is capital L. Lame." Amber muttered. She closed her locker and put on her uniform jacket. Mara rolled her eyes. She wondered why she still talked to self-centered brat Amber Millington. Sure, Amber forces Mara to do her homework and in return Amber sits next to her in some classes but that's it. Mara could do so much better in a friend.

"If you don't care then I'll talk to someone else. " Mara said coldly. Amber struggled and walked away to Mick Campbell. The warning bell ringed and Mara was about to walk to her Biology class when she saw something that caught her attention. It was a picture of Jack BellsWood. He was the founder of this town and rumors had it that he lived up to the age 400 years old. Mara seen this picture hundreds of times but it felt weird-looking at it now. She felt this pull towards it. This want to know what Jack BellsWood might of been thinking. An idea clicked in her head. She had a great story idea for the newspaper.

"Have you seen Victor? "Fabian asked Nina. He kindly decided that he will walk Nina home after school and that was what he was doing now. Nina was grateful to have a good friend like him.

"No. He's keeping quiet." Nina said. She haven't seen Victor for a while and has been on the look out for him. Plus Mr. Sweet has avoided her since he lashed out on her and Fabian five days ago.

"I have an idea on how we can solve this whole weirdness. " Fabian said. Nina looked at him with an hopeful expression.

"Really? What is it?" Nina asked. Nina stopped walking and Fabian's jaw dropped at looking at Nina's house.

"What?" Nina turned around and looked at him.

"You live in this house?" Fabian asked her. His whole expression made Nina felt nervous. What was wrong?

"Yeah. Why do you look like you seen a ghost?" Nina asked him.

"The original BellsWood family lived in this exact house. Rumors is that it's haunted and the ghost of Jack BellsWood and his family still haunt it today. I don't believe that but anything could happen." Fabian couldn't take his eyes away from the house. Nina took in all this information in. She's been living in a house that was supposedly haunted? She found it shocking to believe it but said anything.

"So what was your idea?" Nina asked changing the subject quickly.

"We should visit the museum of BellsWood History. My Uncle works there and he can help us." Fabian said.

"Help? If we tell him, he'll think we are freaks. We have to keep this a secret." Nina told him. She didn't want to sound bossy but she couldn't help it.

"No he wouldn't. I know my uncle plus I live with him. We can't just wait till Victor comes and fights with Mr. Sweet. Something is going on around here and I don't know about you but I want to find it." Fabian said. He wasn't playing around with this.

"Okay. Let's go." Nina said. She really hoped she was not going to regret this.

"You think this is a good story idea?" Jake asked skeptically after Mara finished telling him her idea about her story. It was after school and they were both in the school's newspaper room.

"I know. The BellsWood family is the most famous family around here. They are spooky and creepy looking. Everyone in school would love the story." Mara said confidently.

"I don't think so. Only ten percent of the school even reads the newspaper. " Jake says.

"Yeah. I know but-" Jake cut off Mara.

"We need something interesting. Like we should write an article about Amber Millington. She's pretty, she looks nice and everyone loves blondes!" Jake exclaimed.

"She's also very shallow and does not seem to care about her school work. Trust me, this story idea will change the way people think of the BellsWood family forever." Mara said but Jake just looked at her. Mara was tired of people not taking her seriously especially Jake. Mara smiled and moved closer to Jake making sure to push her chest up.

"Please Jake. Do it for me." Mara said. Jake's eyes were to her face then to her chest then back to her face.

"Okay. We'll do it. It better be good." Jake said.

"Trust me, it will." Mara smiled confidently and walked away. She felt disgusted that she had to seduce Jake to get what she wanted but at least she was getting her story.

"So I was like come on. I'm hungry." Mick said laughing as he told Amber a story. Amber pretended to laugh when she really thought it was corny. She liked Mick but she could not stand any of his corny jokes. The two were hanging at a shop that sell cakes and sweets and Mick was eating up all the sweets.

"So Mick I was wondering. Do you like my outfit?" Amber asked flipping her hair. She had on a expensive outfit that she bought while using her dad's credit card plus high heels that were starting to make her feet painfully hurt.

"It's fine. Anyway did you see Mr. Sweet today? He looked like a pregnant apple." Mick started laughing obnoxiously while Amber glared at him. This was not going well...

"Hey Uncle Ade!" Fabian greeted his uncle as soon as Nina and him set foot in the museum. Uncle Ade looked a little like Fabian with glasses and a almost bald head.

"Fabian, I was just talking about you. How's it going." Uncle Ade seemed to notice Nina and smiled at her presence.

"Who is this lovely lady? Your girlfriend?" Uncle Ade asked. Nina and Fabian shared an awkward look.

"No. No. Just a friend. This is Nina. Nina, Uncle Ade." Fabian said his cheeks bright red.

"Nice to meet you." Nina said shaking his hands. She looked around the museum with a curious eye. She saw many historical things that looked interested but had nothing to do with the situation she and Fabian was facing.

"So what are you crazy kids doing here?" Ade asked walking. Fabian and Nina hurriedly followed after him.

"We're looking for history about BellsWood." Nina said quickly.

"Well you found just the place. Upstairs, there's a whole collection of books about the original BellsWood family." Ade pointed upstairs and walked away.

"You ready to do this Ms. Martin?" Fabian asked.

"I'm more ready than I'll ever be Mr. Rutter." Nina smiled at Fabian and the two set off upstairs. Hoping for answers.

"He basically ignored me during the whole date. What the hell! Boys will kill to go on a date with me." Amber complained to her sometimes best friend Avery BellsWood. Amber lay down on her bed while Avery sat next to her.

"Maybe you should try to get his attention in a different way. If you know what I mean. " Avery winked at Amber and Amber rolled her eyes. Avery's family is the sixth generation of the BellsWood family. Avery is a bit of a flirt and is kind of promiscuous.

"I'm not doing whatever you are hinting at. I just want Mick to like me. Not complain about Mr. Sweet." Amber signed heavily.

"Make him jealous then. Show him what's he is missing out on." Avery suggested. Amber thought about it and a smiled rushed to her face.

"Great idea. Mick will definitely feel jealous. " Amber said. She already had the person in mind that she was gonna flirt with.

"Glad to help. " Avery said. She stand up and took her jacket.

"I'm meeting up with this guy. He's eighteen and has a car. How cool is that?" Avery smiled to herself as she left Amber's room.

Amber smiled excitedly. Mick Campbell perpare to get jealous.

"Find anything?" Fabian asked.

"Nope. Just boring pages of irrelevant facts about BellsWood." Nina closed the book and signed in frustration.

"It's getting late. We should go and come back." Fabian said standing up. Nina put the book back and saw a book titled "BellsWood family tree." She curiously picked it up and flipped it open.

"Simon BellsWood Jr. Miles BellsWood, Flora BellsWood. " Nina read out all the names and looked at the pictures.

"Those are the original BellsWood kids. Simon died when he was ten." Fabian said.

"He did? How?" Nina asked curiously.

"He died mysteriously. Legend has it that someone in the family killed him." Fabian said. He turned the page and a picture of Victor and Flora appeared. They looked like young adults and the date of the picture was taken many years after Simon death.

"Woah. I never Victor knew Flora." Fabian said. Nina eyed the picture carefully. Flora smiled brightly while Victor just looked miserable. Was Victor always a miserable man?

Nina flipped the page again and almost gasp. Right there was a picture of Mr. Sweet and a man wearing all black smiling with a big lightning bolt in their arm.

"Oh my gosh." Nina turned to see Fabian and Fabian had the same alarmed look on his face. Nina took out her phone and took a quick picture of it.

"The museum will be closed in five more minutes. " A announcer said onto the speakers.

"It's time to go. " Fabian said.

"Wait for me outside. " Fabian nodded and walked away. Nina made sure no one was looking and took the book and hid it in her large school bag. She prayed that this museum had no alarms.

The next morning at school Mara rushed to the school's newspaper room. She found Ricky Nelson and Jake typing away.

"Goodmorning guys. My article is typed and ready to publish. " Mara bragged holding out her pages of article. Ricky and Jake stopped typing and stare at her.

"Give me the article." Jake demanded. Mara walked over to him and handed him her article. She knew it was well written and had great facts. She couldn't wait for all the compliments she was going to get.

"Damn. It's kind of heavy." Jake said holding the article in his hands.

"I know. I also think you and Ricky should come with me tonight. " Mara said smiling.

"Um. Are we having a three some?" Ricky asked.

"Gross. No. I think we should head over to Simon BellsWood Jr gravestone." Mara suggested smiling but her smile went away by the looks on Jake and Ricky's faces.

"I'm sorry but that idea sounds stupid." Jake said. Ricky agreed.

"Come on. We are only going to be there for a short while. We flim a little segment about the mysterious BellsWood family and call it a day. Trust me for once!" Mara begged.

"Fine. This BellsWood family story better be a hit!" Jake agreed reluctantly.

"Thank you!" Mara smiled and walked away happy.

"And then I was like. Dumbass for life!" Jerome laughed obnoxiously to his best friend Alfie who laughed along with him. Amber tried hard not to curse as she watched the boys from afar. They were so immature but Amber had to hit on one of them to make Mick jealous. Mick was standing close by next to them. Amber signed and picked Jerome to flirt with. Amber walked up to the boys aware of everyone looking at her.

"Hey A-Amber!" Alfie said nervously. Amber ignored him and turned to Jerome.

"Hey Jerome. I never notice how tall you are. I have a thing for tall guys." Amber pointed out smiling. She pretended not to notice Mick watching them.

"And I have a thing for blondes. " Jerome said looking at Amber up and down.

"Walk me to class." Amber grabbed Jerome's arm and dragged him away smiling at the hurt look on Mick's face but confused at the hurt look on Alfie's face.

"Fabian!" Nina ran up to Fabian who was closing his locker. Nina just got of her health class and was pretending to pay attention when all she thought about was the picture and the lighting bolt.

"Hey." Fabian said. He had zero energy today due to the fact that he could not sleep last night.

Nina made sure no one was looking and took out the book she stole from the musuem. Fabian gasped.

"You stole the book?" Fabian asked a little too loudly.

"Shh! I had to do it. " Nina told him desperately. She didn't want him to think she was a thief.

Fabian signed. "Okay. Did you find new facts?" He asked.

"Not really. But I did found out where Simon BellsWood Jr gravestone is located. " Nina said.

"Let me guess, you wanna go and check it out." Fabian said. Nina smiled.

"You know me so well." Nina exclaimed.

"Did it work? Was Mick so jealous that he ran off crying?" Avery asked while she and Amber sat together at lunch drinking their diet soda.

"No. But he did had a hurt look. Poor Mickey. " Amber smiled. Avery laughed.

"See I told you I give good advice. Too bad you never listen." Avery said. Mick walked by the table.

"Hey Mick." Amber said but Mick marched off ignoring her.

"Ouch." Avery said looking at Amber then Mick then back to Amber.

"Whatever. He's just mad." Amber said brushing off the hurt she felt.

Present Time

"We have to tell someone about this." Mara said excitedly. This was shocking news that would rock this town. Before she can do any more somebody wearing all black walked up behind her.

"Mara!" Ricky yelled. Mara turned around too late. The person grabbed her and started choking her. Mara screamed trying to push him off. Ricky and Jake were also screaming scared. Jake dropped the camera and tried to push the man off Mara but the man pushed Jake hard knocking him unconscious. Mara started to felt a little unconscious until she heard someone behind her.

"What are you doing?" Fabian yelled. The man fled quickly leaving Mara on the floor. Mara's neck was in pain.

"Are you okay?" Nina bend down next to Mara. Fabian looked at Jake's unconscious body and then at Ricky whose face was white with terror.

"No. I was attacked and now Jake is unconscious. " Mara recognize Nina as the new girl in school and Fabian who she always see in the hallway.

"Fabian, the person that attacked Mara looked like the same person in the book." Nina said.

"That was standing next to Mr. Sweet." Fabian answered. Nina and Fabian shared a dark look.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mara demanded. No one answered and the silence was full of terror and tension.

I worked really hard on this chapter and this story and I would really like if people would leave a review. It would really make my day.