BLOODBORN

Chapter 1

Carol’s POV

“Bella you’re late to practice… again” I said to my best friend, this was the third time this week. And my cheer captain side was starting to overshadow my best friend side cause she was really pushing it.

“Well, I’ve been busy. Plus I already know the steps, so what’s the biggie?” She said with a scuff. “Busy? You mean running around with your new little boy toy? , ohh please” I said in an irritated tone, and rolled my eyes.

Her attitude was starting to get on my nerves.

She’s been absent for so long and I keep covering for her all cause I was her best friend.

And honestly of late, I wasn’t feeling that way you know, like her best friend.

Belles has become so distant, I call her belles for short ever since kindergarten, I always thought belle was a better name than Bella, was less stressful, although I could never understand my thought process behind the name but I just went with it.

I was young, and Bella always went it cause she couldn’t care much and plus I always threw tantrums whenever we had an argument with respect to this nickname, so eventually she caved in but I was the only one allowed to call her belles though, being her best friend and all… I used to feel special, I used to look forward to being with my bestfriend.

We were inseparable, our moms used to mock us saying we acted like “conjoined twins”.

We wanted the same things, had the same taste and loved cheerleading. We’ve won so many championships over the years with our team but we both stood out the most, a fantastic pair. We are in senior year now so we get to be team captains.

Well I’m team captain and belles is my co-captain. She was soo excited for the new year, we were going to live our best high school lives, I was finally going get the boy of my dreams, my kindergarten crush, Eric.

Oh the thought of him gives me chills, I always knew I had a massive crush on him but was never bold enough to actually say it out loud .

Don’t get me wrong I’m beautiful, stunning even, not to toot my own horn but I clean up real nice and No I’m not a nerd or unpopular or any of the things you’re thinking.

Well I guess I’m a nerd cause I take AP classes and was the top of my class but more of a cool nerd.

Afterall I was one of the most popular girls in school, well second to belles, she was wilder, went to all the parties , dated more boys, you know the typical popular girl cliché, but I was more reserved, stricter.

I’m either at practice or studying up for a test or reading some romance novel. I loved Shakespeare, his work to me will forever be immemorial.

Anyways, you can already tell im a lover girl. Don’t get me wrong I had suitors, that sounded weird hahaha but you get what I mean.

Well boys wanted me but I wanted just one boy but there was a tweak which you’ll find out soon enough .

Moving on, belles had this whole plan for senior year especially mapped out for me to live my best life. In her words “ your senior year are your best years yet, live a little” which I was trying to do .

Part of her plan was to get me to kiss a boy, get drunk, go to party’s, skip school, and get together with Eric Lockwood.

Belle Hart was the kind of girl people didn’t just notice…they remembered.

She walked into a room and the air shifted. Not because she was loud, but because she was undeniably her.

Every inch of her radiated confidence, from the deliberate sway of her hips to the way she held eye contact just a second too long, like she already knew your secrets before you even spoke.

Her skin was the color of golden sand kissed by sunlight: smooth, glowing, and always smelling faintly of vanilla and warmth.

Her eyes were a piercing hazel, sharp and mischievous, always lined with just enough mascara to make them look dangerous. Belle had this stare that could melt hearts or crush egos, it depended on how she felt that day.

Her hair was her signature: glossy, jet-black waves that fell down her back like silk, always perfectly done whether she was at a party or track practice. People thought she spent hours on it, but I knew better. She was just effortlessly stunning. She could roll out of bed looking like she belonged on the cover of a magazine.

Her figure was runway-level without the attitude: tall, toned, and hourglass-shaped in a way that made school uniforms look like designer.

She had legs for days, a dancer’s posture, and a laugh that sounded like champagne fizzing in a glass…light, addictive, impossible not to join in.

Belle was more than beautiful, though. She was my favorite person in the whole world. My chaos and my calm. She made me braver. Made me feel like I belonged in a world that often felt too sharp for me .

And I adored her.

Well the year started off good but somehow belles started pulling away, she was distant, never around, never in school, never at home just distant. She had lost her light. And it was starting to get to me. I was broken inside …

“Well, hes a man not a boy. Don’t get it twisted” belle said with a smug, interrupting my thoughts, I growled at her but just as I was about to make a comeback at her, she flipped her hair and I saw something, it wasn’t obvious, it wasn’t a full glance cause of the speed at which it appeared but I think I saw bite marks on belles neck. “ belles what the f**k is that ?”…