Isabella Monroe's Story

The light from the window beamed blindingly into the cold lilac colored bathroom. It had been another long night. Ellie rubbed her eyes open, she had slept on the cold floor with her face pressed against the toilet seat...again. She felt faint and woozy, she had eaten so much the previous night that it took her hours to throw it all up. She examined her body which was basically fully exposed, she wore her baby blue bra and underwear from Victoria Secret. Her body was red with a slight tinge of purple, she hadn't realized how cold it was until now. She scrambled to her feet and glanced into the full length mirror that hung on the back of her white bathroom door and sucked in her stomach. She had abs, half from being athletic and half from being so skinny, she smiled, pleased with her appearance. She locked eyes with her reflection for a moment, a feeling of disgust overcame her. The vision grew blurry and she teetered forward having to catch herself on the door. She shook her head and took a deep breath “Come on Elle” she encouraged and pushed herself off the door regaining balance.

She wandered into her light blue luxurious bedroom that had windows taller than Ellie covered in silver drapes. The room had a large kingsize bed with a silver duvet and canopy, a sitting area with a couple chairs on top of a multi-patterned rug facing a tv and a fireplace, a workspace with her dual screen computer and finally a walk in closet the size of a regular childhood bedroom. She walked into the closet and ran her fingers between her clothes thinking about the investigation and the party from a couple weeks back. The night was blurry, she hadn’t drank but the drugs she took were something else, Tyler always dealt the best. All she remembered was waking up next to the toilet as per usual and hearing cop cars rolling in. A boy had been killed. About time something interesting happened in this town.

She slipped into her leather leggings with a burgundy sweatshirt. She put on her usual gold hoops and a chain with a camera pendant, just then her phone buzzed. She walked into her room and belly flopped onto her bed to answer it “Hello?”

“Elle, what the hell did you tell the cops?”

Ellie pulled the phone from her ear and glanced at the screen Tyler. She sighed and replied “Nothing Ty, I just said I remember seeing you before the party and that’s it. It’s the truth”

“Why?! Why use me as your alibi…for fucksakes Elle I’m already undergoing so many questions…you had to say my name didn’t you?”

“Don’t be so dramatic Ty, anywho I’m hungry. Kisses!”

Ellie hung up and made her way to the kitchen when her phone dinged for an income text message it was from Beatrice Fuck…what does this girl want?

It was in regards to the party, Ellie wanted a recap of that night too…did she spend the night with B?

To: Beatrice
Message: Okay, I’ll be at the café if you want to talk…

Ellie grabbed her car keys and jumped into her glossy red BMW convertible and zoomed off to the café. She walked in and saw Alby talking with Scarlet, seemed serious I’ll have to have Scar update me later. She ordered a vanilla latte and sat near a window admiring the gorgeous day.

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Tyler groaned as Ellie hung up the phone, she always avoided these situations. The cops had just stopped by his house for the fourth time this week, asking numerous questions in which most were irrelevant and redundant. Tyler walked into his kitchen that looked like it belonged in a hotel rather than a home. It was massive with two stoves, a large fridge two people could easily hide in, an island with a dozen stools and a pantry the size of a closet. He grabbed an apple off the fruit tray on the counter and took a bite. He was exhausted, the festivities of last night had taken a toll. He was hungover and feeling grungy. His parent’s had hosted a gala downtown which as per usual called for an after party. At least half the town had attended but the fun was cut short when the cops rolled in. Regardless, he managed to escape the chaos and hit up a strip joint downtown. He had gotten a private room with a few friends and drank the night away.
Tyler scrolled through his phone, he needed fresh air and a friend. He tapped on Isabella’s name.

To: Bells
Message: Hey can we meet up? Park date? If you’re not to hungover lol

As he hit send another message rolled in, it was from Beatrice. Another order I presume? He frowned when he read the message, he could use some money right now but the text was not for business purposes.

To: B
Message: Yea I guess, where you at?

Just recently had people started talking to Tyler again. Everyone avoided him and his family like the plague. The investigation that lasted two years had nearly come to close until a boy was found dead. Of course the cops blamed the Kingsley’s right away but evidence had not surfaced, regardless they remained under questioning and showed up “out of the blue” numerous times a week.

Tyler grabbed his wallet and keys and made his way out. Fresh air felt nice as he began wandering the town.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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B walked down the street with a certain amount of attitude and aggression in her step. Although B was a bit of a head case and walked like a punk out of an 'Emo' music video. She was an incredibly genuine person and her friends were held in high regard but when she tried to think about it, she didn't have many. Tyler only bothered with her for the drug money, she was pretty sure of that, the only trust and loyalty within their friendship was that he wouldn't cut her drugs with anything or rip her off- other than that there was nothing. Sure there were a couple of kids around the town she messed around with and hung out with, she was quite aware nobody really trusted her or liked her- they all thought she was nothing more than the substances she kept putting in her blood but still, it was so much worse than anyone of them knew. Scars on her arms from needles, organ damage from pills and all kinds of crazy things but the benzodiazepines mixed with all the alcohol she drank and her antidepressants, she figured it'd probably be the death of her one day if she didn't cut it out but she was an addict- it just wasn't that simple and it never would be.

To: Ellie
Thanks. I'll meet you there.

She turned around and headed down the high street towards the local coffee house, looking up at everything around her for a moment. The café wasn't far from her home and within a couple of moments she was opening the door and gritting her teeth about the annoying bell that went off upon her entry. She saw Ellie sat by the window and taking a deep breath so she'd be calm enough to avoid an argument with this girl because she really didn't ever know where she stood with her and walked over.

Her and Ellie had been at each other's throats since they'd met but there was something about Ellie that Beatrice kind of admired and was drawn to- probably the fact she had the guts to piss Beatrice off all the time. She sat down with her and leant back in her seat once she had.

"How are you doing then?" She asked a little casually but also quite awkwardly- she felt like she was testing the water before she dived into the ocean, she just never knew what she was going to get with this girl. She quickly text Tyler back.

To: Tyler
I'm at the café with E, feel free to join us or I can meet you after. Just let me know ASAP.

In that moment a flashback of the rendezvous kicked in. Although she barely remembered that night she did remember Beatrice, in fact she remembered four exact moments. Arriving at the party, Tyler giving her ecstasy, a woman (was it Beatrice?) and waking up in the bathroom. The time in between was a blur but she could easily guess what happened. Ellie began to focus deeply on her mug as she listened to Beatrice ramble on and ask questions. Her vision began to fade as thoughts of what happened swam around.The foam in her latte began to dissipate, this frustrated her as the foam was the best part.

Silence lingered between the two, the sounds of the cafe seemed louder, she could hear her heart pounding. Finally Ellie glanced up, it had been a couple minutes since either of them had spoken. Her head swarmed with lies, she could see the honesty in Beatrice’s eyes but honesty was not her angle. “I didn’t see you. For one I don’t linger in the shadows among you weirdos and your face is not one I care to admire.”

She could hear the harshness in her voice and she immediately questioned it, she never understood her snappy attitude towards Beatrice. Her attraction towards the girl was highly resisted, she’d hooked up with girls in the past but at least she had class. Her vision began to narrow on Beatrice's specific features, her beautiful eyes, her lips, the smoothness of her skin. She wanted to give in but discomfort kicked in. She glanced over at Scarlet who had just gotten up to pay for her order. “Look, I know as much as you okay? I had one too many martinis and the rest is a blur. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful...if I’m being honest the only people I saw you converse with is Ty and Sam”

Ellie chugged the rest of her coffee and got to her feet. As she tucked her chair under the table she said “Tyler is your best bet but avoid saying his name in the interview. The guy has enough problems already.” She smiled weakly and let out a small sigh.

She walked over to Scarlet and gave her a hug with a small hello. She glanced back at Beatrice, she felt bad for lying but it was for the best...well not really but it was for the good of her reputation. “How are you?” she asked Scarlet.

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As Tyler wandered the town he entered his usual alley and pulled out a joint. In the alley he had a clear view of the road but was well hidden in the shadows, this was his only safe zone in the town due to being constantly watched by the cops. He leaned against the cold stone wall of the bakery and took a puff of his blunt feeling the effects immediately. In that moment his phone buzzed announcing incoming messages from B and Bells.

To: B
Hey! I'll meet with you later, text me time and place

He finished his joint, tossed the butt onto the ground and made his way to his favourite spot, the park bench he and Bells always met at. The day radiated pure bliss, the sun shone brightly and the clouds were puffy and white. Tyler loved walking around and admiring the scenery, he loved how the trees danced in the cold breeze and how the infrastructure complimented the town. His eyes were slighted glazed, he felt good and at peace despite his morning.

From afar he could see Isabella sitting on their bench jamming out to some tunes. He snuck behind her and tugged her head phone out of her left ear "Hey tinker bells" he greeted and swung his leg over plopping down next to his bestie. "So rude awakening, cops showed up 'up of the blue' for a 'surprise' inspection. You'd think they'd give it up at this point...anyways how's you?

OOC: Sorry my post is so short , busy day"

The birds in the park hummed the same old tune, the scene was familiar, Tyler liked that. He loved his and Isabella's traditions of meeting at the park, the horror movies and their conversations. In between all the secrets and lies he felt that his relationship with Isabella was his only truth. When she spoke of the detectives his eyes dropped from her gaze as he noticed the shaking in her hand. He wanted to grab it and calm her down but comfort was not his expertise, nor did he deem it necessary. Instead he simply replied "If you have nothing to hide put your worries to rest" he knew this was a lie. Everyone in this town had some secret, some hidden truth, he for example had hundreds, some so dark that the devil himself would applaud him.

Just as Isabella had received an income call, Tyler received a text from B. He dreaded meeting with her. Everyone around town always sought him out after a party. It wasn't his fault they couldn't remember their affairs, he didn't control their alcohol or drug consumption and yet he had all the answers. Tyler kept tabs on his customers for business reasons solely, he was already in enough trouble with the feds he didn't need someone ratting him out.

He ignored Isabella's hurry to decline the income calling, he did not see who it was from nor did he care, Tyler was not one to get involved in the affairs of others, especially his closest friends. He took a breath and thought of the previous night, this was the second time Isabella had mentioned her concerns. Usually Tyler would let it slide but he decided to focus on the topic "Nevermind about me, same old. How do you not remember last night? You weren't even that bad, I was with you basically the whole time...minus your three adventures to the ladies room. My driver is the one that took you home, as for how you ended up in your room I don't know. Ooh actually maybe you could ask Ellie for your suddenly loss in memory. I saw you and her go to the ladies room at the same time...did you guys take drugs or something? I mean I know you don't talk to her much but pfft, never mind what do I know. I've never seen you take drugs so that was a foolish thought. I'm sure your memory will surface shortly along with your memories of that night, not last night but you know that night. Don't worry...I won't ask. I'm sick of discussing it anyway. Anything your particularly worried about though? You seem on edge."

The houses surrounding Ellie's car quickly became unfamiliar. It's not that she never saw this part of town but she never visited it willingly. She glanced at her surroundings feeling a little lost damn music, now I'm really going to be late. A feeling of discomfort churned in her stomach, being late was unlady like, improper and rude.

She pulled over, put her car in park and grabbed her cellphone which sat on the passenger seat. She hesitated for a moment before entering her password and calling her mom "Hi mom! I'm so space headed I missed my turn, I'm going to be a little late." Her mom sighed on the other end and replied in a harsh tone "Are you trying to embarrass me and your father? You know Andy was always prompt she would never dishonor our family." Ellie rolled her eyes and glared through her windshield at her mothers comment "Dishonor? Mom. I'm going to be like two minutes late, well five now it's not a big deal...anyways I just wanted to give you a heads up"
"Fine, I'll lay out a nice dress for you, sneak through the back so our guests don't see you in whatever god awful clothes you went out in." Before Ellie could reply her mom had already hung up.

Ellie dropped her phone not paying attention to where it landed and placed both her hands on the steering wheel. She gripped it tightly and narrowed her eyes in furry. She took deep and heavy breaths before screaming out "AAAAARRRRGGGG fuck." She took another small breath and pressed her fingers against her temple to calm down.

Ellie slid her foot back to the gas peddle but felt something beneath it as she did so. She peaked under, saw her cellphone and grabbed it. She stared at the black screen, she felt numb, she didn't want to go through this. She shook her head and reentered her passcode. She tapped on the GPS and was all set to go when she saw a familiar face up ahead. Ellie's eyes grew wide in disbelief. She minimized her GPS app and launched the camera function. She zoomed in on the two individuals standing in a doorway, the zoom function confirmed her thoughts. She snapped a couple pictures and dropped her hands down to her lap to really examine them. It was obvious. It was Alby and Sam...Sam...kissing.

Ellie's head snapped back up at the duo, she was shocked. Sam was a good friend of hers, she knew he was gay but she didn't know he was dating someone. She felt insulted and hurt to be out of the loop. She shook her head "I'll have to confront him later."

Finally Ellie zoomed off and headed home. She snuck through the back door as her mom had suggested. She heard awkward laughs from the living room and headed straight to her bedroom. Her mom had laid out a dress for her...pink...Ellie groaned.

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Tyler narrowed his eyes at Isabella's bruise. He knew she was klutz but the damage seemed serious. When she started to laugh Tyler also let out an awkward chuckle. Whatever I'm sure it's fine he thought to himself.

When she got up and extended her arm towards him, Tyler took her hand willingly. He liked holding hands with her, he wasn't a romantic guy but hand holding with Isabella was different then all the other girls. The only hand holding he ever did would be leading a girl to his bed or limo or alley or bathroom, wherever to have that much needed rendezvous. He started thinking about all the girls, all the nights and then that first time. He smiled at the memory and welcomed it. It was one of the only good memories he had at the age of 16 before the investigation launched. His mind then became cluttered with the thought of the investigation, it made him nervous and uncomfortable. His high was now reaching his peak so the paranoia became uncontrollable. Tyler glanced around him quickly, he could see individuals leaning up against trees admiring the details, some typing on their laptops while sitting on a park bench and some just plain staring, he felt like they were all watching. His heart began to race but finally his mind returned to the present and he remembered Isabella's question.

He felt his keys in his pocket and was about to offer driving but had recalled his walk to the park, his car was at home. He opened his mouth to answer Isabella's question but was confused at the sudden empty space next to him. He came to a halt and glanced back, Isabella had fallen behind. "Come on Bells!" he encouraged with a smile on his face.

Isabella always vented to him, he liked that, he liked being in the know but today she seemed off. He wanted to pry and shake her. He wanted to tell her that life is not that hard and to just smile and laugh about it, but he knew it was useless. He walked up next to her and hooked his arm with hers "You drive and I'll buy" he chimed.

Ellie lay on the cold bathroom floor staring up at her ceiling. The room was spinning slightly as she felt faint and weak. She could hear her parents downstairs discussing the matter, their voices echoed through the vents. "Do you think she's covering something up?" she heard her mother say and a long pause followed. One of the gentlemen cleared his throat by the sounds of it and replied "Ma'am, there's just a hole in her story...I know it was just the two girls venturing so maybe Ellie is telling the truth, but we've inspected that bridge hundreds of times, those wooden boards shouldn't have collapsed." Ellie's heart began to race feverishly whilst skipping a beat here or there, she could feel sweat roll down from her forehead. "We'll keep investigating quietly and with your permission we'll have eyes watching Ellie, something doesn't seem right." A moment or two of silence passed and Ellie hadn't notice she was holding her breath until she let out a huge huff. She sat up slowly and glanced around, she began wiping tears from her cheek and took small breaths to calm herself.

At that moment Ellie's phone chimed announcing a new message. She reached inside her dress pocket and pulled it out, it was from Sam.
To: Samarama
Hey! Yes, let's meet please, need to escape my house. Meet you at the lake in the park?

On that note she shuffled to her feet and made her way over to the bathroom window. She slid it open and sung her leg over the edge and began to climb down the wall using a vine support that went from the lawn to the roof. Once she reached the bottom she tiptoed across the lawn and jumped into her convertible and sped off.

When Ellie arrived at the park she made her way over to the lake and sat down on the freshly cut grass. She loved the scenery here, the lake in it's cool blue was filled with roaming ducks, trees surrounded it and flowers grew in all sorts of places. She took a breath and began twirling her thumbs trying to avoid thinking about her recent interrogation.

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Tyler took a couple strides ahead of Isabella and opened the door for her, walking in after. He shoved his hands in his pockets awkwardly, he didn't like being in public, people always stared and whispered and being high didn't help his paranoia. He walked over to the counter and ordered a cookie and tea for Isabella and an espresso for himself.

He went over near a window and sat down at a cozy table. He didn't feel like talking all of the sudden, being here made him slightly uncomfortable today. When their order was announced Tyler rushed over to claim it. He placed the cup of tea in front of Isabella and smiled, she looked happy. He took a swig of his coffee and cringed at the taste. He glanced at the label and sighed in annoyance. "They gave me the wrong order" he mumbled. Tyler hated confronting people, even in these circumstances. He got to his feet and walked up to the counter "Hey man sorry to bother you but this isn't what I ordered. It's under Tyler and the name scribbled on here is Declan"
The barista lifted a brow at him and replied "I would never mess an order, enjoy your coffee freak. Be happy we're serving a burnout like you."
Tyler blinked a couple times in disbelief, it was a good thing his high made him so chill or else he would have ripped him a new one. He glanced around the shop until he spotted Declan patiently waiting and walked towards him "Hey, Declan right? I think they gave me your coffee" he said handing it over.

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There were many familiar faces in the cafe but none that Declan was in the mood to talk to. He could go talk to the group of cheerleaders and validate his reputation of being a sweet talker. Sit with his football team and hang back with barbaric men only thinking about sex, booze, and football. But Declan didn't want to do any of that. He simply just wanted to order his coffee and go to the gym until this day was over. His dad would be home late and Declan could always swing by someone's house or a party if he came home early. Declan wasn't in the mood for a second beating today.

It was Declan's turn now to order his coffee. He thought about ordering something like a Soy Machiatto but he was in the mood for a nice strong black coffee. Declan went up to the register and made his order taking note of the cashier girl. He made sure to flirt with her a bit and get a number written down on his receipt even though he was more interested in the barista boy. Too bad that would only make his beating today look like nothing. Football was everything in his family and Declan wasn't allowed to screw that up.

Declan had been waiting on his order when someone came up to him with a cup in hand. Declan looked up and recognized him instantly. Tyler Kingsley. The man had a reputation in their small town but Declan didn't really care for the rumors. He didn't care for any rumors unless they were about him. "Hey, Declan right? I think they gave me your coffee" Declan gave him a kind smile before putting his hand around the cup and taking it. He looked at the label and took a sip. Mmm black... Exactly how he liked his coffee. "Thank you, Tyler." He grinned at him but then noticed he had no cup of his own. "Were you able to get yours?" He asked. "I could buy you another one."

Ellie jumped slightly at Sam's arrival, she had not heard him coming. ”Hey.” She straightened up properly but felt herself slouch in discomfort as he commented on her dress. She hated pink. She hated her mother for being so demanding. She hated dresses. She wanted to throw up again but she took a breath and recomposed herself.

She examined Sam for a moment and focused her energy on him, pushing all other thoughts aside. She began to ponder her and Sam's friendship, she had known him for years but lately she felt betrayed by him, especially since she saw him and Alby together. She wanted to confront him calmly, ask him why he hadn't mentioned it. His silence about the relationship had confirmed her suspicions, their best friend status was coming to an end, she couldn't trust him anymore. After all they'd been through. She was there for him when he came out to his parents and he was there for her when her sister died. Going through such events meant an unbreakable bond. But she felt his selfishness, she became hostile and cautious as she waited for him to say something.


“So” she said finally, her tone both awkward and suspicious “what’s new…”

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As Declan grabbed the coffee from Tyler he glanced around to make his way back to his table but noticed it was empty with a scribbled napkin laying in sight. He lifted a brow in confusion Okay bye then... he thought. Tyler turned on his heel and refocused his attention on Declan when he offered to buy him another coffee. He smiled politely and said “Yea sure, if you can convince them to give me the right coffee...they’re not too fond of me here. I have a bit of history with the female baristas if you know what I mean.” He chuckled awkwardly and ran a hand through his hair.

He felt the energy of the room, he felt people staring at him. He shoved his hands in his pants pocket and swayed back and forth, the high was wearing off. “You go to my school right? I’ve seen you around before...I think we’ve worked together on a project…then again I'm pretty bad at remembering people or I confuse names and faces... he rambled and squinted his eyes in uncertainty, he felt awkward. Everyone in this town always judged him or never gave him the time of day so making new friends was never easy for Tyler.