The Killing Truth

CHAPTER 1; The circle of truth.

It was supposed to be a lovely day for Francine Warcup. Her birthday bash was just a few hours away, her parents are spending the night away leaving her in charge of the entire house and her love interest Billy Dwight was coming to the party. So if this day started so lovely, why does it end with Francine and her friends standing over the body of Mr. Vickers, the school headmaster. Francine with a blooded knife in her hand and a look of astonishment spread across her face. Why would it end in such a theatrical way when it was meant to be a lovely day….

24 HOURS EARLIER.

FRANCINE

My peaceful sleep is interrupted by the ear drum shattering alarm clock on my bedside cabinet. This usually sends me in to a huge rage that ends with the clock ending up on the floor on the other side of the room. This time however it is a pleasant sound to me. Hearing it I open my eyes and a smile of exhilaration immediately spreads across my face. I shoot up out of the mountain of covers and sprint down stairs.

"Its today. Its finally here." I bawl out as I run in to the kitchen. Twirling around in a comical way as I walk to the cupboard.

"Francine?" My mum says to me.

"I don't care what you say, I'm the legal age of sex. Poor Billy Dwight isn't going to know what's hit him tonight." I jokingly say to annoy my dad.

"Francine?" My mum repeats, this time through gritted teeth.

"Oh relax ma, its not like it's a first date. I have fancied him for ages." I lovingly say as I pour milk into my cornflakes. Dazed by the thought handsome face of Billy.

"Francine will you shut up and look at me." My mum orders in a rushed voice.

"What?" I say, spinning my neck around to look at my mum. There, sat next to her is the blushing Billy Dwight. Sitting on a chair, his hands massaging a glass of coke.

"Billy." I stutter out. Cringing on the spot as my body tightens up in embarrassment. "What you doing here?" I say, taking ages to get my sentence out. Turning my head back to my cornflakes. Now my face is out of view, my embarrassment really comes out on it.

"Billy came round to bring you your cards." My mum jumps in, knowing Billy feels just as awkward as me. I'm to busy feeling small to care what she is saying. The situation is made even worse by the fact I'm in my pink pyjamas and my hair all knotted up in to a lump on my head and Billy is looking so handsome is his gym clothes.

"There's one of Brunette in there to." Billy says. "I better get going." Billy continues. Hearing his chair squeak as he gets up I turn back around.

"I'll show you out." I say to him.

"Have fun at the party tonight Billy." My bratty little brother Jack says. I threw him a death stare as I walk out. Shutting the kitchen door so my parents cant hear, I now face the embarrassing job of explaining everything to Billy.

"Look, what I said in there it was just something to annoy my dad." I say, biting my lip in awkwardness.

"Don't worry about it. I'm good at erasing things from my brain." He reassures before leaving. I watch him walking down the path.

"Happy birthday." A throaty voice says, a voice that chills my soul. Turning my head to my neighbour and ex head teacher Mr. Vickers. I don't say any thing to him and instead look at him in disgrace. "Growing up now." He says. Looking me up and down. Diving inside the door I slam it shut. Leaning against it I think of a moment in my past involving Mr. Vickers, a dark moment that I quickly shake away from my head, something that I have mastered to do for three years. Bottling up the memory, I plant the same smile of exhilaration I woke up with and stroll in to the kitchen.

A few hours later, as I'm getting ready in my bedroom I get a phone call.

"Hello?" I answer it, holding the phone in between my neck and chin so I have free arms to apply my make up.

"Its me babes." My best friend Sammie Campbell replies. "I'm just ringing to see if your ready for me to pick you up because I got the car of my sister."

"I should be ready by the time you get here." I say.

"Well I'm just a few streets away. I'm buying some flowers to take to Adam's grave from the florist then I can come to yours." Sammie says. The simple mention of Adams name takes me back to that memory I had earlier involving Mr. Vickers. "Francine?" Sammie's voice echoes from the phone as I sink in to the memory. "Hey ignorant!" Sammie shouts, finally getting back my attention.

"Sorry babe I'm here. Just wiping away some mascara." I blurt out a excuse.

"Anyway do you want me to get you some flowers to?" Sammie asks.

"No thanks, Dad got me some this morning. I figured I could plant some, makes it last longer." I answer. "In fact can you just meet me there." I continue. Shooting up and grabbing my coat.

"Sure-" Sammie says.

"Thanks." I say back, hanging up immediately and grabbing the bag that contains the flower pot of my desk. Getting a tiny hand spade out of the cupboard, I then run out of the house…. After a ten minute run I end up at the grave yard. Adam was once a massive part of my life. We had so much in common. Our birthdays on the same day was one of this things, only he was three years older then me. Adam's body was found washed up in the river a few miles away from our town, the police decided he killed himself, but something only I know makes me doubt this very much.

Getting to his grave, two people had already been and laid flowers there.

"Hi Adam." I say, having hope he can hear me. Falling to my knees I begin to dig a hole. "Its been a over year since you left us." I continue, becoming a little choked up. I then silently plant the flower next to his grave stone and I will follow this by cleaning the weeds. The full job takes me about five minutes. It makes me feel better to spruce up his grave. Getting up I look down at my work and smile. Just as I turn to walk away I notice a card on one of the flowers that was laid before I got here. Have a good silent sleep. Mr. Vickers. The card reads out. Anger boils up inside me. How does he have the nerve to lay flowers here. Anger simmering away inside me. How dare he lay flowers here.