The Bay

Chapter 1

Down by the bay (Down by the bay)

Life seemed perfect in the little town of Rose Water, the town was a close-knit community, everyone grew up together, some grew up and left the town, others stayed and married their high school sweethearts and had the nice picket fence life with a house and kids. In this town, best friends never grew apart, and violence didn't seem to exist, at least until that fatal day in September of 2018.

Where the watermelon rot (where the watermelon rot)

The day started as any normal day for the friends and families of Rose Water, Michelle McKinley woke up at 5:30 to wake her kids for school, starting with her oldest daughter, Elizabeth McKinely, who was starting her freshman year of high school that day, after waking her to get ready she woke up her youngest and last-child, Jacob McKinley, who was only 12 years old was starting 7th grade that day. The morning had gone the same for them as it had for the past few years that they'd get up and get ready for the day. Though for some reason, Mrs McKinley couldn't shake a weird feeling she had all day like her family was being watched, but thinking she was just upset at how fast her kids were growing up tried not to think about it and bid her kid's good-bye as they climbed into their buses for school, not knowing that'd be the last day she'd see Elizabeth.

If you go home (if you go home)

Isabelle walked into school with a bright smile and a hopeful look in her eyes, it was the first day of freshman year after all! How could she not be excited and hopeful? Waking to her locker Isabelle saw her best friend that she's known from birth, Elizabeth, putting pictures up in her locker that was luckily next to Isabelle's. Sneaking up quietly behind Elizabeth, she put her hands on her shoulders yelling "boo!" Elizabeth let out a scream, drawing the attention of almost everyone in the hallway for a moment, "don't scare me like that!" She exclaimed, "but you're so easy to scare" Isabelle laughed.

Pouting Elizabeth turned back to her locker and grabbed a picture before turning back to Isabelle and showing her "I was debating on not putting this photo up but since you did that I'm putting it up anyway" looking at the photo, Isabelle cringed "you can't put that one up!" She lunged forward trying to grab the embarrassing photo from her, but due to the height difference between them Elizabeth was able to keep the photo out of Isabelle's grip and putting it up in her locker; Isabelle slumped, giving up, "fine, put it up" she pouted.

Opening her locker that looked bleak compared to Elizabeth's, "I forgot to bring my photos with me so I have to decorate tomorrow" Isabelle told her best friend "that's ok! I brought too many myself, you can put up some of mine" she smiled at her before reaching into her backpack pulling out some more photos, handing them to Isabelle with a smile "you're a lifesaver!" Isabelle said putting up the photos "I know" Elizabeth said.

After putting up some of the photos, the warning bell rang "looks like I'll have to put the rest of the photos up at lunch" Isabelle said closing her locker, Elizabeth followed suit, they linked arms as they walked down the hall towards their first class "the first day of high school, can you believe it?" Elizabeth asked "it's crazy how fast time flies" the shorter girl of the two responded, "it's like, just yesterday we were starting 2nd grade together, in our cute little matching overalls we made our moms buy" Elizabeth chuckled, "before we know it, we'll be applying to colleges, and planning our futures" Isabelle looked around as she said this taking in all the different people in the halls, some couples were attached at the hip, some girls were talking in a small circle, no doubt talking about what classes they had and what boys were in them, some teachers were milling about, directing the freshman like themselves to the correct classes.

Isabelle and Elizabeth continued to walk in silence before arriving at their first class together, they were lucky enough to find two open seats next to each other, claiming them as their seats they took out the books they'd need for this class and their notebooks to take notes. After sitting and chatting quietly as the rest of the students filed in as the final bell rang, the teacher walked in, nobody recognized the teacher, everyone looking around in confusion as to who this stranger was. The new teacher was a male, he looked to be in his late 20s maybe early 30s, he looked liked he was 6 foot maybe 6'2", his hair was a medium brown colour in a short hairstyle. Finally, after a few minutes of students whispering in shock, he interrupted them, "my name is Daniel Jones, I know you all are wondering who I am and where the old teacher Mr Smith is" everyone started to whisper some more speculating where Mr Smith could be "he decided suddenly to retire from teaching, so the school hired me to take over his classes" he finished before any more whispering could break out again "now I suggest you pull out your books and open up to the first chapter" he said turning to face the dry erase board behind him to start writing, Elizabeth and Isabelle shared a look thinking the same this, this was going to be an interesting class.