Chapter 5: About Waylon

Charlie drove Jessica and Bella to the school in his police car. He stopped in front of parking of the school and the two teenagers came out of the vehicle.

'Don't worry, Bella,' said Charlie when he saw the look on Bella's face. 'It's school. You'll be safe in here.'

'So how does it feel to be almost brutally butchered?' asked a reporter who just came rushing to Bella.

Charlie pushed her away and said: 'Hey, leave her alone, alright! Hasn't she been through enough? I would like to see you going to such a drama night!'

'People want to know! They have a right to know,' yelled the reporter and gave a mean look at Bella.

Bella walked away and was followed by Jessica who just shook her head. She sighed after two seconds and wanted to say something just when Bella turned around. Bella took Jessica's left hand and Jessica looked at her. 'What?'

'Just a sec,' replied Bella and walked away from Jessica.

She walked to one of the vans that were parked on the parking lot. She saw a woman in a red dress with curly brown hair. That woman was doing her make-up alright until she saw Bella coming and said: 'Stop right there!'

It was Esmé…

'I'm not here to fight. I just need to talk,' said Bella with a smile from ear to ear.

'Kenny, camera, now!' said Esmé and almost jumped out of the car. She stood right in front of Bella.

'No camera!' said Bella.

'Forget it!' replied Esmé in a mean voice.

'Please… You owe me,' said Bella, still friendly.

'I owe you shit!' yelled Esmé.

Bella was getting angry now and yelled back: 'You owe my mother!'

Esmé's eyes went smaller and she threw a motion of the hand at Kenny to keep the camera away from this conversation. 'Your mother's death was last year's hottest court case. Somebody was going to write a book about it,' said Esmé.

'Right… and it had to be you with all your lies and bullshit theory,' replied Bella. She had to hold her tears again. The thought of her mother still made her cry sometimes.

'What is your problem?' asked Esmé very loud. 'You got what you wanted. Waylon is in jail and they're gonna gas him. My book is not going to change that!'

Bella's eyes went wide open. Did she just say that… 'Do you still think that he didn't do it?'

'Your testimony putted him away. It doesn't really matter what I think,' answered Esmé.

'During the trail you did all those stories about me. You called me a liar,' said Bella. She thought that it was weird that other reporters weren't coming to her to ask her something. But that was probably by the cause of the police.

'I think you pointed at the wrong guy, yes…' said Esmé and nodded.

Bella was indignant by the way she said it and why she said it. 'Have you talked to Waylon yet?'

'Multiple times,' answered Esmé.

'And has his story changed?'

'Not one word. He admits having sex with your mother, but that's all,' replied Esmé.

'He's lying. She never would've touched him. He raped her and then…', Bella looked around if anyone else was listening to this conversation, 'he butchered her. Her blood was found on his jacket.'

'He was drunk that night. He left his coat at your house after his mother seduced him,' said Esmé.

'I saw him leave wearing it,' said Bella immediately and without a doubt. The school bell rang behind her, but she didn't notice. She went up in this conversation.

'No, you saw SOMEONE leave wearing that coat,' improved Esmé Bella's phrase. 'The same someone who framed him by placing that coat in Waylon's car.

'No!' replied Bella. 'Waylon murdered my mother!'

Esmé just stood there and watched Bella closely. Bella turned around to leave, but then Esmé said: 'You're not so sure anymore, are you?'

'Nice black eye, sweetie,' joked Jessica who came to help Bella or at least drag her back to the school. 'Let's go, Bella.'

'The killer is still on the loose, isn't he?' said Esmé. 'Those murders are related!'

Jessica dragged Bella away from Esmé and said: 'Come on, Bells!'

Bella looked at Jessica. Again that nickname from Jake. God, she missed him so much. His friendly face with his long black hair. His clumsiness, just like her. Bella turned back towards Esmé and said softly: 'Sorry from that eye!'

'Wait! Bella!' yelled Esmé, but it was too late: Bella and Jessica were already gone. She wanted to follow, but Jessica yelled back "no" at her. Esmé stopped and just stood there in her red business suet. She suddenly smiled and turned around: 'Jesus Christ! An innocent man on dead row and a killer still on the loose. Kenny! Tell me I'm dreaming!'

'You wanna go live,' said Kenny.

'No no no,' replied Esmé. 'Not so fast, we don't have anything concrete.'

'This is huge, you can't just sit on it,' said Kenny and played a bit with his beard.

'I know, that's why we need prove. If I'm right about this, I can save a man's life,' said Esmé with a smile.

Kenny knew it: she had something good. Something that was always hiding from herself, but finally found its way back.

'Do you know what that could do for my book sails?' said Esmé and screamed from pleasure. Kenny's eyelids went a bit lower and he just sighed. What a heartless woman!

'This is a mistake. I shouldn't be here,' said Bella while she locked her locker. She hated it to be at school after such a horror night. 'I wanna leave!' she sighed and Jessica heard it. She was kissing with Sammy but pushed him away.

'I want you to meet me right here after class, okay Bella?' asked Jessica.

Bella just nodded and smiled at her. She didn't know what else to do. She walked over to Sammy and asked: 'Hey, I haven't seen Mike around. Is he really pissed?'

'What? After you blamed him from being Candy Man, no! His heart is just broken,' said Sammy and got a punch on his arm from Jessica.

'Really tactful, Sam!' said Jessica.

Suddenly was there a scream and another sound that Bella couldn't confirm. She turned around and saw group of people split into two halves wherefrom a half went to the left and the other to the right. She saw a person running and it was Ghost Face. Well, it was a teenager playing Ghost Face. It scared the hell out of Bella and she pushed herself against the lockers when he came running over to her. She cried, but didn't notice that the person ran further down the hallway.

'Why are they doing this?' asked Bella with some tears on her eyes.

'Are you crazy? I mean, look at this place! It's like Christmas,' answered Sammy and got another punch of Jessica who just sucked her lollypop.

I bet that he wants to be that lollypop, thought Bella and just left two of her friends there while she ran away.

'Bella!' yelled Jessica. But it was too late. Bella was already gone. 'Stupidity, Sammy!' said Jessica when she turned to Sammy.

'Hey, easy Jess,' said Sammy.

Bella just ran away and wanted to turn around the corner but bumped into someone. 'Sorry,' she said and looked up to the person. It was Mike Newton!

'It's just me,' said Mike.

Bella pushed him away from her and tried to say something… She couldn't. She just stood there, stammering, stuttering and faltering. Almost choking in her words.

'Wow, wow, wow,' began Mike. 'You still think it's me?'

'No,' whispered Bella back. 'No, I don't, it's just…' Bella inhaled deeply and began: 'Somebody was there to kill me last night.'

'I know. The police said that I must have scared him away,' replied Mike and held his arms around her. 'But it wasn't me, Bella.'

'I know. He called me last night at Jessica's house,' said Bella.

'See!' yelled Mike. 'That couldn't have been me. I was in jail, remember!'

'Sorry, please understand,' asked Bella and waited for him to answer.

'Understand what?' asked Mike back. 'That my girlfriend rather accuses me of being a psychopath than touch me?'

Bella was astonished by that. 'You know that's not true!'

'Then what is it?'

'Wha… is it? Mike! I escaped from almost being filleted last night,' said Bella in an angry voice. She couldn't believe this! Did he just said that? Or was it just my imagination? Please let it be imagination!

'I mean between us,' said Mike. 'You haven't been the same since… well, since your mother died.'

'Is your body looking for a freaking mind… My mom was killed! I can't believe you're bringing this up!' yelled Bella at Mike. She looked around if anyone was looking but there was no one in the hallway anymore because classes already had started.

'It's been a year,' said Mike.

'Tomorrow a year!' yelled Bella.

'I think it's time you got over that, I mean, when my mom left my dad I accepted that! It's the way it is! She's not coming back,' said Mike.

'Your parents split up! That's not the same thing! Your mom left town! She's not lying in a coffin somewhere!'

'Okay, okay, I'm sorry, it's a… it's a bad comparison! It's just that… I want my girlfriend back!'

Bella couldn't believe her ears and her eyes were wandering away from him. She looked down and walked past him.

'Bella!'

Bella turned around and yelled: 'I'm sorry if my traumatized life isn't inconvenienced within your perfect existence!'

'What? Nobody said that! Bella!' yelled Mike when he saw her running towards the toilets. He turned a half circle and just said to himself: 'Stupid!'

The principal closed the door very hard and then looked at the two young students that were standing next to him, opposite from each other. He took the masks of their heads. 'You make me sick! Your whole horror generation,' he began his preach, 'so two of your fellow students were just savagely murdered and this is the way you show your compassion?' He took a scissors and cut the masks in two. 'Listen to me carefully…' he said very softly, as in a whisper. 'You're both expelled! Get out!' He opened the door very hard and fast.

'Ow, come on, Mr. Greene!' said one student. It was Lee.

'That's not fair,' said the other. That last one was Conner.

The principal just looked at them very closely and then closed the door silently. He walked back to the two and just stood there. 'You're absolutely right, it's not fair,' said Greene. He suddenly pointed his scissors at Conner. 'Fairness would be to rip your insides out' – he pointed his scissors at Lee and just slid with that softly over Lee's T-shirt – 'hanging you from a tree so we expose you for the heartless little shitters that you are!'

Lee and Conner gulped and didn't say a word anymore. They left the room, keeping thinking of the words the principal said and – more importantly – the scissors that was shining in the light when Mr. Greene used it.

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