Guns and Roses

Twenty Four ~ Rya

Quinn sits with Kira and Reggie at lunch. I hover for a second which is strange. Usually I just go straight to my usual seat and read my book for the duration of lunch. I've been perfectly fine with that, so why am I looking to see if they've got a spare seat?

Quinn sees me and waves me over. Kira spots me too and then clears the seat beside her for me to sit.

Now I have to go over.

I sit in the cleared seat and look across the table at Quinn. He's got a smug smirk on his face and I frown. Why is he smug?

Reggie has his Biology homework spread out across the table and is repeatedly smacking his forehead off of the table. "You okay there, bud?" I ask him with a smile before getting stuck into my chips.

He looks up at me with bleary eges that tells me he hasn't had much sleep. "I have a test next period and I'm pretty sure it's going to kill me"

Kira pats the top of his head and laughs. "You'll do great. You've had the best tutor in the year" she gestures to herself and then takes one of my chips.

I freeze in amazement. A week ago this girl didn't have the balls to talk to me for longer than ten minutes and now she's stealing my fucking food?

My phone buzzes and distracts me from the anger bubbling in my veins. I check the screen and see that it's Dad.

"Who is it?" Quinn asks me. I have to remember to ask him about the phone call this morning. If he starts peeking around at the shit that we get up to then he's going to run for the hills.

I slip the phone into my pocket again without answering. "Dad. It's fine I'll phone him back later"

Reggie raises an eyebrow "My mum would kill me if I didn't answer her call. I would have thought your parents would be worse"

I shake my head "They're alright. Dad's strict and whatnot but he understands that I need to have a life outside of the house. Mum just wants me to be happy"

I start eating my chips again, pulling them away from Kira as I do so. She's got her own so I really don't see why she has to take mine.

****

I phone Dad back when Quinn and I are driving home. It rings twice and then ends. He hung up on me.

Dickhead.

"I'm just going to stop in at my parents house" I tell Quinn "It won't take long"

He nods and continues to text Ellie. I roll my eyes as he laughs at something she's said. He hasn't really spoken to me since we left school, he's been too engrossed with whatever meme she's tagged him in.

My phone rings and I put it on speaker. "What's up?" I ask whoever's on the other end of the line.

"Where are you?" It's Matthew and he sounds worried "You have to get to your parents house. I have no idea what's going on but it doesn't look good. There's police everywhere and Karma's going mental"

"I'm on my way" I tell him and hang up. I push down on the accelerator and speed down the streets, cutting around five minutes off our journey time.

I swerve slightly as I stop the car in the middle of the street. There's three police cars and about 6 officers in front of the house. One has one of those noise things for catching dogs and is waving it around in front of Karma who is growling and snapping at anyone who comes close to the house.

I jump out and run forward. "Karma!" I shout and immediately she backs down. Her tail drops and her head dips as she makes her way over to me. She whimpers and tugs on my jacket sleeve, urging me towards the house.

"Don't go in there" An officer shouts at me "He might still be inside"

I turn. What the fuck is going on? Karma is still whimpering beside me and I crouch down to console her.

That's when I see the blood at the side of her neck. "What happened, girl? Where's Mummy and Daddy?"

She muzzled into my hand and I look up at the house. Two of the officers have went inside. "I don't have a fucking clue what's happening" Matthew says from beside me. "I just got here and they wouldn't let me go in"

One of the officers comes out and shakes his head. "They're not inside"

I step forward "They're tagged. Surely you knew that they weren't here"

No one says anything. Freddie walks towards me and places a hand on my shoulder. "A neighbour called in reporting screams coming from your house. Both of your parents can be tracked to this house"

I shove him away from me and run into the house, ignoring the shouts behind me telling me not to.

I run into the kitchen where there are bloody pawprints all over the floor. The corner of the counter has blood smeared across it like someone hit their head on it. On the table sits two ankle monitors, one covered in blood.

I follow the drops of blood back into the living room, into the hall and up the stairs. A smear of red blood stains the wall leading into my parents bedroom. I open the door and the breath leave my lungs.

The bed is soaked red and the grey carpet is covered. I walk in and see an arc of blood sprayed across one of the walls and then more blood on the bedpost. No one could survive blood loss like this.

"Who the fuck did this?" I ask.

Freddie stays silent for a second. He then steps forward and points at the bedpost where a long dark hair is stuck in the blood. "We think that belongs to Bella" he says sadly. He turns to the arc of blood "This looks like a defensive wound. It's from a smaller person attacking a larger person and we believe that your mother slashed her attacker with that knife" he points out the blade discarded on the floor.

"And the attacker?" I ask.

He hesitates again. "Your father"