No Happily Ever After (The Fairytale Diaries #1) (10 page)

Part V
I

Bad Hair Day

Chapter 19

"H
ello?" said Stella Rampion, picking up her cell.

"I have some bad news," said her boyfriend, Eric Prince, without any prelude.

Stella's heart sank.  Faraway had been entirely consumed with bad news of late, and she'd been taking it hard.  She didn't know if her psyche could withstand anymore.

"Have you heard already, Stella?"

"No," she said bleakly after a tense pause.

"Kimberly Crimson's grandmother has been found murdered, and Kimberly is missing."

Stella instantly dissolved into tears.

"Ah, shhhh," Eric said.  "I'm sorry, Stella.  Please don't cry, I should've told you in person."

Kimberly was a loner, and Stella wouldn't call her a close friend by any means.  All the same, she was a nice girl and a fellow student of Faraway High.  Stella simply couldn't believe this was happening.  Where were her classmates?  Were they alive?  Or dead?  Were they safe and unharmed?  Or injured hungry and cold somewhere? 

And who would be next?

"So," Stella sobbed.  "What are they saying about it?"

"Well," Eric continued soberly.  "They've pretty much given up on any sort of murder-runaway scenario.  Because of all that's transpired, they've even released Cailyn Pure's father from lock up.  Even though they still haven't touched on how all this ties together, they are sure that it does.  Tie together."

"I'm gonna ask my parents if you can come over tonight, OK, Eric?"

"Sure, Stella.  Sounds good.  Call me later."

***

Stella led an extraordinarily sheltered life.

She was her parents' miracle child.  She'd heard the story a hundred times, at least.  They'd attempted to conceive for five years before finally having success.  They'd been through every conceivable fertility treatment to no avail.  Every sort of alternative therapy.  They even once spoke with a self-proclaimed witch who cast magic on them.  And still they did not conceive. 

It wasn't until her mother's best friend, Madre Bar, gave her a special pill that the magical event finally occurred.  Madre found some sort of supplement extracted from the petals of a flower that had allegedly helped mothers conceive since the beginning of time.  Mrs. Rampion consumed the flower for only a week when she became pregnant with her blessed daughter.

Stella always smiled politely when her parents happily recalled the story.  Truth be told, she assumed that one of the many other medical treatments they underwent at the time had finally taken.  But it was a nice story.  And Madre Bar was her mother's most beloved friend and closest confidant as a result.  Despite the close connection, they rarely saw Mr. Bar, nor had Stella ever particularly befriended their son, Benjamin.  She often wondered how such a nice, normal lady had ended up with such an oddball family.

Not that she had much room to judge.  Her folks were plenty strange.  Friends at school often asked Stella if her parents were super religious because her shining blonde hair grew past her knees, just like the girls from Faraway's apostolic church.  Though it was beautiful, it was so long it was a nuisance and she mostly kept it in a single braid down her back.  In fact, her parents were not particularly religious at all, certainly not in any fundamental, old fashioned way.  They were just so desperate to keep Stella in a safe little box that they never liked for her to change in any way they could prevent.  So, they had never once, in all her sixteen years, allowed her to cut her hair.

She had the parents who accompanied her to every single school event.  Every practice, every club meeting, every study group; at least one if not both of them would be there for Stella.  Sure, it was nice to have such supportive parents, but it certainly got tedious.  She was also never allowed to go to friends' houses.  She was a popular girl among her peers, but the only way she was allowed to socialize with her friends was if they came over to her house under her parents' watchful eyes.

Stella knew Eric Prince most of her life.  They grew up together in the same class at school and as they aged, they came to love each other.  It had thoroughly astounded her the year before when her parents allowed her to officially become Eric's girlfriend.  Of course, she wasn't allowed to actually go anywhere with Eric.  But they allowed her to have him over from time to time.

That particular night, however, her parents told her they had other plans and that Eric would have to wait until the following night to visit, which was New Year's Eve.  Stella was excited to be allowed to spend the evening celebrating with Eric, difficult though times may be.  So she called Eric back and made plans.

***

"That girl, Jennifer Tide," Eric told Stella on the phone the next day.  "I think she's got a crush on me."

Stella chuckled.  "Yes, she does.  It's pretty obvious, Eric."

Eric sighed.  "Well it's kind of annoying.  She's so…  Chipper."

"Aw, well, she's a sweetheart.  Just be nice.  Try not to hurt her feelings."

"It doesn't make you mad?" he asked.

She laughed again.  "Of course not, Eric.  Goodness."

The conversation lulled for a few seconds before he continued.  "So you still want me to come over tonight, right?"

"MmmHmm," she agreed.  "I have to wait until Mom and Dad come home of course.  But I'll call you back as soon as they do, OK?"

"Sure, Stella.  Can't wait," he said shyly.

"Me either."

Chapter 20

T
he hours of the afternoon dragged by.  Stella decided that she would sneak out for a couple hours to the Faraway Public Library.  Her parents would kill her if they knew she went somewhere on her own without their permission, particularly because she would have to walk.  And considering the current state of Faraway, they would forbid it, if she asked them.  However, for the same reason, Stella felt antsy to be alone and desperately wanted to be around people.  She would have to walk about two miles in the snow, as her home was just outside of town.  But, it was all worth it to get out of the quiet abode.  She made it there and back with time to spare.

Finally it was time for her parents to arrive home from their workplaces.  The sun sunk steadily into a pleasantly purpling sky, beyond the forest that was the Rampion family's back yard.  She sat quietly at the kitchen window watching the sunset, expecting to hear her parents pulling into the garage any minute.

But another half hour went by and they did not arrive.

Stella checked her cell phone thinking she must have missed a call.  But, her call log was clear.  She frowned, continuing to stare out the window.  She thought back trying to recall any time in her entire life when her parents hadn't turned up where they'd said they would.

When another fifteen minutes passed, her heart began to pound.  A sick feeling crept up inside her.  She called Eric. 

"Hello?" Eric said picking up her call.

"Hey…  Uh, my parents haven't come home," Stella informed.  Night had fallen completely by then, and the kitchen window only revealed shadows on the sparkling snow.

"Hmmm," Eric said, concerned.  He was well familiar with the uber reliability of Mr. and Mrs. Rampion.  Maybe at some other time, it wouldn't be quite so bothersome.  Except for, well, the serial killer on the loose.  "Have you tried calling them?"

She sighed.  "Of course, both their cell phones are going straight to voicemail."

"Well what about their work places?"

She glanced at the clock on the stove. Seven p.m.  "Both their offices would be closed by now.  There won't be anyone there."

"OK, Stell, I'm gonna head on over.  I'll be right there."

"Eric…" she worried.  "I will get in so much trouble if you come over without them home."

"Honestly, I'm worried.  You know, with…  Everything going on.  I don't think they'll mind me coming over there to look after you until we find them."

Suddenly it occurred to her, Aspen's parents had been killed and then Aspen disappeared.  And Kimberly's grandmother killed, directly followed by her disappearance.  Hysteria began to bubble up inside her.

"OK," she relented.  "Please hurry." 

"I'll be there in ten minutes, Stell.  Keep trying their phones, and if you feel like you need to, call the police."

"OK," she said again, her voice barely above a whisper.

***

In no time, Eric was seated with Stella at her kitchen table.  They'd tried both her parents and their workplaces again.  Eric sighed dejectedly.  "We better call the police, Stella," he said. 

Just then, there came a knock on the front door.  Stella jumped up.

"Wait!" Eric exclaimed, also rising.  "Maybe you shouldn't answer that!"

Eric towered over her, muscular, fit and darkly handsome.  She'd never been afraid of anything in his presence before.  But she saw the fear on his face, and her alarm mounted.  "What do we do?" she asked, struggling to not break down.

"I don't know," he whispered.

The knock came again.  They stood absolutely still, afraid to even breathe.  Then, her text alert went off and nearly scared them both to death.  She snatched the phone from the table.  She saw the text was from Mrs. Bar. 

"Hey, I'm at your front door honey, let me in."

Relief made Stella weak.

"Oh gosh," she said.  "It's just Mrs. Bar.  She probably came to tell me where mom and dad are!  I bet she knows!"

Without a second thought, Stella and Eric rushed to let their guidance counselor inside.

***

"I heard from your mom," Mrs. Bar said as she blustered inside out of the cold.

Stella shivered and shut the door behind Mrs. Bar.  "You did?" she asked eagerly, feeling intensely relieved.

Mrs. Bar smiled at Stella and then Eric.  "Yes, not to worry, dear.  Your father surprised her with a dinner out of town.  She said she tried to call you earlier but you didn't answer and that they wouldn't have service where they were heading so if I could please come over and hang out with you.  She said Eric would be coming over."

Stella put her hand over her racing heart.  "Oh thank goodness," she gushed.  "I was freaking out."

"Aw, I'm sorry, honey.  I should've gotten here sooner."

"It's OK, I'm just glad you're here now," Stella said, giving Mrs. Bar a hug.

***

Soon, Stella and Eric sat on the living room couch watching a movie.  Mrs. Bar busied herself in the kitchen making snacks.  She brought her fare into the living room where they all enjoyed the movie, junk food, and lively banter.  The hour grew later, and Stella began to wonder again about her folks. 

"Hey, when did they say they'd be home, Mrs. Bar?" Stella asked.

"Not sure really," she replied.  "It is New Year's Eve, could be late."

"Hmmmm," Stella thought out loud.  "So weird.  This is all just so unlike them."  She made a move to stand.  "I'm gonna grab my phone and try and call them again.  Or see if they called.  You said they tried me earlier, but I never got a missed call.  I hope I'm not having service issues."

"Oh, Stella," Mrs. Bar said pithily.  "Why don't you let them alone for one evening?"  She gave Stella a tight lipped smile.

Stella pondered her mother's friend for a brief second.  She was probably right.  Maybe a side effect of being terribly over protective parents was creating a terribly over protective child when the tables turned.  Except, that sense of dread was creeping up in her again. 

"Um, OK," Stella said, standing up all the same.  "Well, I'm cold though.  I'm just going to run upstairs for a sec and get a hoodie."

Mrs. Bar gave her a long, serious look, and Stella stood there momentarily locked in the woman's dark eyes.

What is going on here?
Stella thought.

Then, she turned and left the room.