Love & Carnage✗Noah Foster [2]

Chapter Twenty-Five// Belle?

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"It's just a comic book! It's just a fantasy not real life!"

--Gustavo Acosta

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"Happy Centennial birthday, Lakewood. It's that time again... time for Lakewood's annual carnival. What could be more twisted? Look, there's no denying Lakewood is opening the beaches with a man-eating shark in the waters, but it's what the people want. We've done it since we were kids. When it comes to Murderville, traditions die hard. So start the cotton candy spinning... set the Tilt-A-Whirl at full tilt. The show must go on. The Lady of the Lake must be crowned. Who can fault Lakewood for needing a little folksy distraction from its harsh blood-stained reality?"

I woke up with a bright light shining in my eyes. I'm dead.... I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. I thought to myself. "Is she okay?" I heard a voice. I opened my eyes to see Emma leaning over me. I squirmed away from her, sitting up. She pulled away instantly. "Woah! You're okay, Arielle!" Emma told me, putting her hands up in surrender. I took a deep breath and nodded at her. "Wh--where are we?" I looked into her green, honest eyes. "You're in my room. I brought you here last night." Emma whispered, sitting back on the bed. "I--I... Emma." I whimpered, not able to talk. "Arielle, w--why were you there last night? And... how did you get this?" She whispered, touching my eye. I winced, as it stung where she touched. "I was... I don't know how I got there... but I can tell you that the killer was there last night. All I remember was blacking out." I whispered back. "He was?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "Arielle, you're okay, though, right?" Emma asked me. "I'm fine." I murmured. "You're sure?"

"I'm positive." I gave Emma a convincing smile.

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I asked Emma to drop me off at my house so that I could get ready for school there. I walked up to my room silently. My mom wasn't home, as she had work at, like, 7:20.

And Kat was in the hospital... obviously. I began to contemplate my options. I could tell the sheriff. Or... I could just let it go. I killed someone... I thought again. I walked into my bathroom and stared at the shower. The tub. Thinking about it made me want to cry.

A loud thud made me jump. I turned my head and looked at the bathroom door. I rushed to shut it quickly. I locked it immediately. It couldn't be my mom or Kat. No way my mother would leave work.

I leaned against the door and began to breathe deeply. I looked around the bathroom and then rushed to the shower. I jumped in the tub. I shut the curtain quickly. Was I hearing things now? It wouldn't be a surprise. Not at all.

I stared down at the curtain, waiting silently. I closed my eyes slowly. That's when my phone rang, and I grabbed the curtain in fear and turned my head.

I sighed in relief, reaching to grab my phone. "Hello?" I answered it. "Arielle?! You're okay, where are you? I've been trying to call you for hours!" Audrey shouted at me. I leaned against the shower wall. "I'm fine. Uhm... I'm really sorry. I--My mom needed me yesterday." I lied to her. "You should've called me! Arielle, I had to lie to Noah so that he wouldn't freak." She yelled again. "I--I'm sorry. I'm heading to school now, okay? I'll see you later." I said. As she went to protest, I hung up on her. I took a deep breath and pulled the phone from my ear and put it on the sink.

I stripped my clothing and turned on the shower.

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I looked into the mirror of my vanity and began to cry harder. I looked terrible. I moved my wet hair out of my face and tried hard to stop my crying.

You're fine, Arielle. I said to myself. I began to use my foundation to cover up the bruise on my eye. I continued on, making sure to cover my blotchy, tearstained face. Once I was done, I just stared at myself. And then I replayed scenarios in my mind. Are you okay, Arielle?

"I'm fine." I said out loud, smiling fakely.

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"Remember the three P's: Poise, Polish, and Pizzazz." Mrs. Lazar told the group of contestants. "Your speeches for today's pageant should be succinct and expletive-free. This isn't about winning. Well, it is about winning, but winning money for your charity." I tuned her out, and looked down at my phone. "What's wrong?" I heard Brooke's voice. I looked up to see she was talking to Zoë. "I thought I could pull it off. I thought it was my dream dress." Zoë showed Brooke and I a picture of her wearing a yellow dress. I snickered softly. Brooke exhaled. "I think you thought wrong."

"Where'd you find it? The Beast's palace?" I laughed. Brooke nudged me. And I straightened up. "I mean... maybe we could help you...?" I said, though it sounded more like a question. "I can't wear that onstage in front of an actual crowd. Too scary." Zoë explained. "The only thing scary here is that dress." I scoffed. "Miss Collins? Let's focus. Please." I smiled at her. A seriously fake smile.

"As I was saying, the Lady of the Lake's true reward is the gratification she feels while hosting the quarterly pancake breakfast, or while spearheading the monthly Lakewood Litter-Removal Initiative." I looked at Mrs. Lazar as if she had three heads. "Wait. The winner of this competition has to pick up trash?" I asked Zoë and Brooke. No wonder my parents signed me up. This was fucking punishment.

Zoë chuckled. "I don't wanna win this thing." Brooke scoffed. Brooke suddenly looked at me and then back to Zoë. "Wait... how about we..." Brooke gestured to herself and I. "Make sure you win." She nodded her head at Zoë. I shrugged, and Zoë smiled at us like we were weird.

A/N, I'M SORRY. BUT I AM SO FREAKING TIRED.