With a Vengeance

♤7

   She sat in her bedroom with Jillian, pulling on the red prom dress she had bought earlier that week.

"I can't believe that Kyle actually asked you out again... I can't believe you said yes," Jillian said, shifting uncomfortably in her spot. "I can't believe your dad is letting you..."

"Why do you care so much, Jill?" Allison laughed as he zipped herself up.

"I don't," she said suddenly. "I'm just surprised is all..."

"Well you're going with Jonathan. Should that be surprising?"

"Maybe..." Jillian stood up and brushed off her white and purple prom dress.

"Come on. Let's go show my dad," Allison said, standing up and walking to her door. She stopped when she heard her father talking to someone else.

"What is it?" Jillian asked. Allison shushed her before pushing the door open just slightly.

"They found him last night. He was tied up to the same tree," Carter said as quietly as he could manage.

"There has to be someone that's connected to all three of them," Calvin replied.

"Sugar Valley is a small town. Everyone is connected to everyone."

"Well there has to be some kind of pattern. The quarterback and the cheerleader made sense. They were connected. But the deputy?"

"That's what we have to find out," Carter said. Allison sighed and rested her head against the door frame. Tommy was dead. She threw her door open and let it slam against the wall, making the two men in the dining room shut up. She walked out with Jillian, trying to pretend she hadn't heard what they had been talking about.

"Oh my goodness, look at you. Absolutely beautiful," Carter said, smiling at his daughter. "Now are you going to tell me who your date is?"

"Oh, I think you know..." Allison said as the doorbell rang.

"I thought so... It's a good thing I'm cleaning all of my guns," he said, moving the cloth from the table and revealing his many weapons laying out. Allison rolled her eyes as Carter walked to the door and pulled it open.  "Jonathan. Good to see you!" He glanced at his daughter's date. "Kyle..." the young boy just gave him a warm smile in return.

"Sheriff Bennett, good to see you sir," he said, extending his hand. Carter sighed softly and took the boys extended hand, holding onto it tightly.

"Oh my goodness," Joslin said, coming out of the guest bedroom. "You all look so adorable! Alright, gather around so I can take your pictures!" Allison rolled her eyes and looked at her father for help, but he just smiled and pulled out his old Polaroid camera.

"Wait. Where's Carson? He said he'd meet us here," Jillian said as Jonathan slipped a corsage on her wrist.

"He's probably just finishing getting all prettied up," Kyle joked, pulling out his own corsage abd holding it out to Allison.

"Shouldn't we wait for him?" She asked as she pinned a boutonniere to his suit pocket.

"Carson can join the pictures when he gets here, come onn group up," Joslin said, pushing the two together. After snappingwhat felt like a hundred photos, Carson finally showed up.

"Do you need a ride to the dance?" Calvin offered, fixing his own tie.

"No, we're fine," Allison said quickly, watching her mother straighten her tightly fitted dress. "Wait..  why are you all dressed up?"

"Oh honey... the school asked for chaperones."

"Oh god," Allison said, slapping her hand over her face. "Let's go." She geabbed Kyles habd and led him to the door with the others following.