Middle Ground

What Made It Harder

Danielle’s POV

The cuts were dry and no blood was coming out anymore so I decided to change the bandage. As I did, I heard Ella calling out my name from downstairs. I quickly did it and tape the bandage in place so that she wouldn’t be looking at the cuts I made.

“Danielle, what—”

Ella was opening the room and looking at my wrist when she stopped.

Uh oh.

“What?” I asked, acting stupid.

She pointed at my wrist. “What happened?”

“Oh,” I raised my arm. “this? I went for a run and I fell; I scratched it but it’s no big deal.”

“Okay.” She breathed. “Anyways, what do you want for dinner? Mom is not here yet so I figured we can just go order pizza.”

“Pizza sounds nice.” I told her. “Why isn’t mom here yet? It would only take about thirty minutes for her to get her meds I mean, East Ground isn’t that far.”

“I don’t know too; dad’s trying to call her.”

“Oh,” I breathed. “How was golf, by the way?”

She started grinning and sighed dreamily. “Brent was there…”

“And…”

“He asked me out!” She squealed.

I gasped in excitement. “Seriously, Ella? That’s great and you have to let me choose the outfit.”

She rolled her eyes. “You have mom’s soul in you.”

I laughed. “You have neither of mom’s or dad’s.”

Ella’s POV {and for the first time in forever…}

She raised her gun, pointing at me. I gasped as she was about to pull the trigger.

“Please, don’t.” I pled.

She laughed. “And what makes you think that will change my mind?”

I breathed heavily, swallowed hard and then squeezed my eyes shut as I knew that I was about to die right here and right now.

I was in a dark alley of the East Ground, about to go to a club but then this drunken girl provoked me and I punched her. Well, Ella, now she’s going to pull a trigger and shoot a bullet to your bloody head.

She was about to pull the trigger— I can tell by the sound, I was still closing my eyes, by the way— but it never happened. Ha, cliché much?

Instead, there were sounds of the police sirens and when I opened my eyes, that drunken girl was… dead?

She was lying in the ground and there were blood all over her stomach and her gun… It was lying in front of me.

“Put your hands in the air!” A voice screamed at me.

I quickly do what he said and I felt him getting closer, pulling both of my arms together and handcuffing them.

“You are under arrest for a murder.” His husky voice told me.

“But I didn’t—”

“You can explain that in court.”

As I turn around, his eyes widened. “Daniella Bowman?”

I glared at him. “It’s Ell— whatever, just please, I didn’t kill her, I swear. I know I’ve been arrested for little things but I would never go far as to killing someone, I promise. This girl was drunk and I punched her because she provoked me and she raised the gun and, and she was about to pull the damn trigger but no, when I open my eyes, she’s dead. But I didn’t kill her, I can promise you that.”