Blood on the Pitch

Chapter Eighteen

"Veronica? Veronica!?" Madison's panicked voice rings through the bedroom.
"Mad's, what's going on?"
Madison is quick to redial her dads office number, impatient while the phone rings.
"Hello-"
"Dad, dad I need you to listen to me,"
"Madison? Madison, what's wrong?"
"Veronica called, there is someone in her house-"
"Wow, wow slow down-"
Madison doesn't, she rambles to her father about the line going dead and that Veronica needed help now.
Madison sighs in relief when her father doesn't question her, instead springing into action.
Madison hastily hangs the phone up, jumping out of bed, sprinting down the stairs.
"Madison? Madison, wait!" Sophie yells behind her.
Madison doesn't listen, instead she sprints straight out the door, sprinting to Veronica's house.

Sophie curses under her breath, following her girlfriend out the front door, running behind her.
Madison hears Sophie call her name, but she doesn't stop, she runs past the houses, making a swift turn as Veronica's comes into view.
Madison practically slams the door open, calling out Veronica's name.
"Veronica! Veronica!?" she screams, her throat feels raw.

Madison sprints up the stairs, staggering as there is blood on the railing.
She heard Sophie call her name again, but Madison swallowed thickly, opening Veronica's bedroom door.
She gasps when blood is everywhere, Veronica's body lays limp on the floor.
"Oh my god," Madison tearfully gasps. "Oh my god!" she cries, running to the body.
Madison feels a sob escape her throat as she turns Veronica over, screaming when she sees the girl's slit open throat, dying her blonde hair and white skin red.
"Veronica," she sobs, "No, no, no, no!" she cries.
Sophie runs up the stairs, stumbling back.
"Oh my god,"
Madison cries, "No! No! No, Veronica!"
Sobs wracked her body, she shakes Veronica's corpse.
"Veronica! Veronica, wake up! Please wake up!" she screams desperately, sobbing violently.
Sophie comes behind her, trying to pull her away from the body, but Madison fights against her grip.
"Veronica, please! Wake up! Wake up!"
She sobs and sobs, pleading for her best friend to wake up, but she doesn't.

She lays limp on the ground.
Sophie desperately tries to pull her away, feeling her own tears well up in her eyes.
When she does, Madison lets out a heartbreaking scream, one that makes it feel like her throat is being ripped apart as she screams.
"Please, please," Madison sobs, "Veronica! No, no,"
Sophie holds her tightly, trying to soothe the hysteric girl.

Madison doesn't hear the sirens over the intense ringing in her ears, the bitter last words she and Veronica spoke before the phone call plague her mind.
When the officers and paramedics rush up the stairs, Sophie once again has to hold the brunette back as she tries to hold Veronica's corpse.
"Come on, Mad's. Come on, we need to let them take her," Sophie's voice is raspy and soft, trying to contain the tears as she watches her girlfriend so heartbroken.
Madison continues to sob, even when they are led out of the house, Sophie having to support the girl, Madison's legs were wobbly and weak.

"Come on," Sophie tearfully leads her out of the house, Madison holds onto her tightly, sobbing into her girlfriend's shoulder.
"I-I can't-"
"Deep breaths, Mad's. You're so strong, you can do it, you can do it,"
Sophie holds the girl tightly, feeling her shirt become wet with tears.
"Madison,"
Madison looks over, her father approaches her.
"Dad," she tearfully looks up at the man.
"I'm so sorry, Honey,"
A tearful glare appears on the brunette's face, "You said all the evidence pointed to the coaches! I knew I was fucking right! But you didn't listen to me! You didn't fucking listen to me!" Madison sobs.
"A-and now my best friend is dead!" she sobs, pulling herself out of Madison's grip.

She glares at her father, her anger overwhelms her.
"You're a fucking liar!" She punches her fathers chest.
"Madison-"
"Liar!" She sobs, continuing to punch her fathers chest, Richard takes the punches, but stops, wrapping his arms around his daughter, holding her tightly as she sobs.
Richard looks at Sophie, the shaggy blonde looks up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Maddie, I'm so sorry. I'm going to fix everything, I promise,"
Madison pulls away from the hug, looking up at him.
"Sophie, can you take her home, please? I'll call your mom, I'm going to need you to stay there, okay?"

Madison nods, letting Sophie guide her away, the couple walks back to the home, Sophie locks the door behind her.
"Hey," Sophie says softly, "Let's get you changed and we can lay down, okay?"
Madison nods, following Sophie upstairs, the tears still stream down her face.
She changed out of the clothes that now have Veronica's blood over them, she tosses them in her laundry bin, sliding one of Sophie's sweaters over her head, curling up in bed.
Sophie wraps her arms around her girlfriend, Madison curls up, resting her head on Sophie's chest.
Sophie plays with her hair, trying to soothe her.
"I'm so sorry, Mad's. I'm so sorry this happened,"
"It's not your fault,"
Sophie kisses the top of her head, holding her close.

"I know her and I didn't get along," Sophie begins, "But, she didn't deserve that,"
"If I would have just driven her to school-"
"Madison no, you can't do that-"
""If I would have just been there-"
Sophie grabs the girl's cheeks, locking eyes with her.
"Madison, listen to me," she says sternly.
Madison tearfully looks up at her, a pout on her lips.
"This is not your fault," she states. "It's not your fault,"
"Yes it is," she sobs.
"It's not, it's not your fault,"
Madison nods, but Sophie just shakes her head, "It's not your fault,"
"Fuck you, yes it is," she sobs.

Sophie continues to insist, Madison sobs, burying her face in Sophie's chest.
Sophie whispers soothing things in her ears, rubbing her back and holding her close.
"I'm so sorry," she sobs, she doesn't know why she is apologizing, but she is.
Madison feels all the anger and sadness of everything that had happened over the past few weeks be let out at this moment.
She sobs for hours, Sophie holds her the entire time, even when Susana rushes up the stairs, Madison stays in her girlfriend's arms.
She just wanted this all to stop.
Even if it meant she had to be the one to stop it.