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Chapter 17
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2021-02-25 05:15:52Even though the sun was hanging lower in the sky than it had been during the sweltering batting practice, it was still hot, and Beth thought the asphalt beneath her sneakers might melt with each step. Still, Ryan was so thrilled to be out of the house, she walked along beside him without complaining, watching him kick a rock he’d retrieved from the pull in parking that lined the street in front of their house. He gave it a swift blow with the side of his foot and it skittered across the street. He immediately began to look around for another.
He continued ambling that way for a few minutes, and they hadn’t made it far from their houses, which were still in eyesight if she glanced over her shoulder. “Where should we go?”
“I don’t know. We could walk over to your grandma’s place. I haven’t seen her in ages.”
Beth calculated how long it usually took her to walk to her
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“So, what else happened at batting practice? Anything interesting?”Considering she wasn’t particularly happy with him at the moment, she was tempted to just say no. But there was something. Something she could use his opinion on. “Well, Michael may have asked me out.”Ryan stopped walking and turned to look at her, his eyebrows raised so high, she thought maybe they might tangle with his bangs. Was it so hard to believe that anyone would ask her out? Maybe she had misunderstood what Michael had meant.“Michael Splinter?”“Yeah.” It was her turn to keep walking while he stood melted to the asphalt. “Or maybe he didn’t.”With his long legs, Ryan was caught up to her in a second. “What did he say?”“He said we should hangout sometime. Or asked if I wanted to hangout sometime. Som
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Beth stormed up the front porch steps and jerked the door open, flying inside and slamming it behind her. Her mother’s astonished voice calling her name from the living room didn’t garner a response as she sped to the stairs and headed up them, tripping halfway up in the near dark and cursing.“Hey, my sister must be home. The floor’s shaking.” Shane’s voice carried out of his open bedroom door, followed by giggling that must’ve come from Tiffany.“Shut up, Shane, you jackass!” Beth screamed as she ran into her room and slammed the door.“What did that bitch call me?” she heard him ask.“Oh, leave her alone,” Tiffany’s voice called through the wall. “She can’t help it. She’s just… Beth. Don’t you feel sorry for her?”Hot, angry tears stung her cheeks as she realize
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“You look hot.” Zoey spun Beth’s chair around so she could see herself in the mirror. She had to agree—but then she looked nothing like herself either. Zoey had done her makeup and hair so that she looked like one of the girls in her Seventeen magazine, and while it had taken over an hour, Beth thought maybe she could replicate the look, if she got some more expensive products. She was also wearing an outfit borrowed from one of Zoey’s friends who was Beth’s size, since Zoey was a good four inches taller and a size smaller than Beth. She’d have to spend her scorekeeping money and everything else she’d been saving up for the last few years to afford something this nice, but the effect was worth it.“Now, here’s hoping Dee Dee’s shoes fit,” Zoey said, looking at her equally stunning blonde friend. “You have to have Keds, Beth. You can’t wear your old sneakers or yo
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When she walked outside, the familiar sounds of a squeaking bike chain caught her attention, and she turned her head to see Ryan standing in his front yard with Craig, the bike upside down, and several tools scattered on the front porch, alongside an oil can. She hadn’t spoken to Ryan since their argument two evenings ago, and she wasn’t about to start now.“There’s your cute neighbor!” Zoey whispered, a mischievous smile on her face.“Yeah, I guess,” Beth replied with a shrug. Ryan was staring at her with his mouth hanging open, and she was sure he wouldn’t approve of her makeover, but she ignored him and hopped into the back seat of Zoey’s Chevy Cavalier. Zoey and Dee Dee both waved at him and then started giggling before jumping in and taking off. She had no idea if he waved back since she refused to look at him again.They pulled up to Sonic and all ordered cher
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Several players were already there on the field, playing catch to warm up, and she heard her brother’s car pull in just as she stepped over to the dugout. She really didn’t want Shane to see her, not yet anyway. She was sure he’d have some smartass comment for her, and she still hadn’t quiet worked out what to say. She hurried over to her dad, deciding she’d have to interrupt. “Dad? Book?”“Beth?” Mr. Burk said, stopping mid-sentence, his comments about quality oak furniture from the turn of the century losing meaning.“Hi, Mr. Burk. Can I have the book, Dad?”“Sure, honey,” Richard replied with a bit of a sigh, like he couldn’t stand thinking about his daughter all grown up. He looked at Mr. Burk for a second, almost holding the man back with his eyes, as he handed over the book. “I don’t have Lockton’s lineup yet, th
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Beth headed back toward the scorekeeper’s box and noticed Tiffany had company on the bleachers. Amber, Carly, Jessica, and a couple of other girls were sitting with her, and it was obvious from their expressions they were talking about her. With a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face and forced her feet to head that direction. “Hey girls,” she called in a sing song voice. “How’s it going?”“Oh, my God, Beth! You look so… different!” Carly said, not smiling so much as looking confused.“Yeah, well, I was just tired of being so… you know… lame.” Beth said with a shrug. “My friends from Lockton stopped by. They’re totally awesome.” She pointed back at Dee Dee and Zoey who were chatting and not even paying the Barryville girls any attention at all.“They look like supermodels,” Amber, who was one of the
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It was the bottom of the eighth inning when she heard footsteps on the ladder and knew her friends were there. She could hear them chatting even over the fan, which she had on high in an attempt to keep her face from melting and her hair from drooping. She knew Zoey would retouch her makeup before they went to the square, but she didn’t want to walk out of the box looking like a clown.She turned her head to make sure the noise was actually her friends and smiled as Brittany, Lexy, and Andi’s heads popped up from the ladder one at a time. “Hey, girls,” she said, turning her head back to the game.“Beth? Holy shit!” Andi spoke first, darting across the box and grabbing her shoulder. “Oh, my God! You look amazing!”“Oh, Mylanta!” Brittany agreed. “Where are these friends of yours? I could totally use their help.”“I wouldn&rsq
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A few minutes later, Lockton’s batter hit a pop fly to center field, and Shane back pedaled, plucking it out of the air for the third out. The game was over. Andi clicked on the mic and said, “Final score, Barryville three, Lockton two.” The girls cleared the scoreboard while Beth finished up her book, and then they all headed down the ladder, Beth glad her drink was empty and in the trash so she didn’t have to carry it back down. She was thankful the scorekeeper’s box had its own private bathroom, so she hadn’t had to use the nasty ones behind the concession stand when all that Dr. Pepper had hit her bladder earlier.“Why don’t you let us take the scorebook to your dad?” Lexy offered, looking at Zoey and Dee Dee with intimidation on her face and noting that Michael was still in the dugout.“Okay,” Beth agreed quickly. Avoiding her brother and Tom seemed like a good idea.
Last Updated : 2021-02-25
Latest chapter
Pretty Little Monster Epilogue
The sun was sweltering the day they put Hannah Day in the ground. It wasn’t a dreary, stormy morning like in the movies, but it seemed fitting that Hannah’s funeral wouldn’t quite fit the mold either. She certainly hadn’t.Beth and Ryan held onto each other as the preacher said a few words about the beautiful girl who had meant so much to so many. There was no mention of the fact that she’d drowned trying to commit murder, and that according to the journal she kept, this was her second such act. Unfortunately for Brock Hill, there’d been no one there to save him.As the preacher finished his remarks, Beth squeezed Ryan’s hand, and they gave the casket one last look as Hannah’s mother began to wail. Beth couldn’t blame her for being unable to accept what her daughter had done—or what her daughter had been through herself. The journals were full of secrets Hannah hadn’t con
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“Damn,” Beth muttered, hoping she was okay. She might be batshit crazy, but the thought of anything permanently damaging happening to her made Beth sick to her stomach, especially since she’d been the one to push her.“What happened?” Michael asked. “You’re bloody, Beth.”Beth hadn’t realized her face was scratched up so badly until she dragged her hand across her cheek, and it came back pink. Halley had made contact quite a few times while they were under the water, but she had hardly felt it at the time. Now that her adrenaline was starting to die down, she was sure it would all come back to her.Sheriff Bill Jones ran up, flashlight in hand, before Beth could answer Michael. He snaked his way through the fence. “You kids all right?” he shouted, straightening his glasses and running his spread hand across his mustache.“No, we n
Pretty Little Monster Chapter 49
It wasn’t enough to scare her off, though, and Halley lunged at Beth as Ryan began to float away, still not conscious enough to help himself. Beth was aware that the creek meandered for about a quarter mile before a small, but powerful waterfall merged the creek with the lagoon. She couldn’t let him get away from her, but Halley was coming at her again, and this time, Beth was close enough for Halley to scratch her face.Beth pushed her back as hard as she could, balancing on one leg as she brought her other knee up and made contact with Halley’s gut. The smaller girl groaned, and Beth shoved her backward as hard as she could. Halley stumbled, regained her footing, and came at Beth again, but this time, Beth was out of the way, already moving toward Ryan. She dove into the water, reaching for his outstretched hand when she felt Halley latch on to her ponytail.Halley wasn’t pulling her up, though, she was pushing
Pretty Little Monster Chapter 48
There was no time. All of it seemed to speed up and slow down, to move backward and forward at once. Beth could hear a struggle, somewhere in the water, and she recognized Ryan’s voice even though it was strained and groggy. She couldn’t make out what he was saying as every word was clipped by the sounds of splashing and gurgling. Frantically, she hunted for the entrance in the fence and was just about to give up and climb over when she spotted it—and spotted them.Beth could see Halley in the water. It was deeper here than Beth had expected as it hit her above the waist. Either that, or the girl was on her hands and knees. Her face was lifted to the sky like she was praying, and though it was difficult to see, in the light reflected off the surface of the water that swirled past her, Beth could tell Halley’s eyes were closed.At first, she was confused, not understanding where Ryan might be, but then his hand ca
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Rushing over to her friends, she pressed the lid back down on Ryan’s drink. “Lexy, hold onto this. Don’t let it spill, and don’t drink it. Brittany, can you drive Andi down to the pay phone? Call your uncle, the sheriff, and get him down here, okay? I’m not sure what’s going on, but we might need him.”“Do you think it’s that serious?” Lexy asked as the other two started to move.“Maybe. I don’t know.” Beth didn’t have any more time to talk about it. If Ryan really was in trouble, she should’ve already been moving.She took off running, not sure of where she was going, but instinctively, she thought the creek would be the most logical place for Halley to take him if she was really trying to injure him. She hadn’t given him enough of whatever it was floating in his drink to kil
Pretty Little Monster Chapter 46
“Hey, where’s Ryan?” she called when she was a few feet away from them. All three stood with their arms crossed, serious expressions on their faces.“We aren’t sure,” Lexy admitted. “He got up about ten, maybe fifteen minutes ago, and walked off, that way, into the park. With Halley.”Beth was confused. She peered off into the darkness. There were no lights at all in that section of the park. Across the street that circled the ball field, there was mostly just wide open space where people flew kites or lay on blankets in the shade. A few hundred yards away, off in the distance, she knew there was a chain link fence that separated the creek from the park so that no children accidentally ran into the water, but she couldn’t see it from here.“Why? Where were they going?” Beth asked, trying to keep her voice calm.“We don’t kno
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The baseball game Thursday night was at home against Juniper, one of the smaller towns in the area, and there was a pretty good chance Barryville would win by the mercy rule. Beth climbed the ladder to the scorekeeper’s box alone since her friends decided they wanted to sit on the bleachers where they could keep a better eye on things. Beth remembered Ryan mentioning he wanted to go to this game back when he’d first won his freedom, and she thought there was a possibility he might show up with Halley. Since Beth wouldn’t be able to see the bleachers from her post, her friends had volunteered to observe, even though they had no idea of the potential threat.Beth hadn’t told them about the pills or all the details of Halley’s mysterious past. They only knew that there was a chance Halley wasn’t who she said she was and that Beth thought she might be up to something no good. Telling Andi, Lexy, and Brittany that she thoug
Pretty Little Monster Chapter 44
It must’ve been a day for cleaning because that’s what her mother was doing, too. “There you are. Your phone has been ringing nonstop since you left. I really wish it wasn’t so loud.”“Sorry,” Beth muttered wondering who was calling her now. She headed to the door to the stairs, her mother still talking behind her.“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Your dad just got home from work. You really should go out in the back yard and play with him and the girls. You never do that anymore.”“Okay,” Beth said, but her hand was on the door. How was she supposed to figure out who was calling so that they’d stop and also spend time outside with her family? Her mother continued to run a rag over the old piano in the corner of the room, the one no one knew how to play, and Beth headed upstairs, hoping whoever had been calling had good news.
Pretty Little Monster Chapter 43
Mrs. Wilson opened the door on the second knock. A surprised, yet pleasant, look crossed her face. “Beth! How nice to see you. How are you, dear?”“I’m good, Mrs. Wilson. Is Ryan here? I need to talk to him for a few minutes, if he’s not busy.”“Oh, uh, sure.” She looked worried, like she was afraid Ryan might be unduly stressed by having to talk to his unstable friend. “Come on in.” She gestured at the living room, and Beth walked in slowly. In all of the time she’d been neighbors with Ryan, she’d never come to his house before.The living room wasn’t what Beth had expected. It was clean, but the furniture looked much newer than the outside of the house would indicate. The television was small and built into a cabinet that sat on the floor, like the one Beth’s parents had had when she was little. She took a seat on a green and white ch
