What Could’ve Been

“Ok class!” Bailey’s English teacher yelled trying to get everyone’s attention, “This next story that you will be writing is going to be about a time in life you will never forget, it can be the happiest moment or the saddest, you will have until next Friday! Get to work!” She glanced a look at Bailey, whose tears were slowly filling her eyes. She gave her a smile trying to cheer her up, and mouth, “You can be excused.” Bailey nodded her head and ran out the door all the way to the bathroom, her best friend Molly ran after her.

Once they got into the girls’ bathroom Molly pulled her into a hug.

“Bailey, calm down it’s going to be OK.” She said in a calming voice.

“How can you be so sure? This is the worst topic for me! Why do think the teacher chose this?”

“I think she had to, Sierra and Meadow said they did this last week, I’m pretty sure all the English teachers are doing this. You don’t have to write about that day, you can write about a happier day! Like the day we became friends!”

“Yea but, that day will keep coming up! I can’t stop thinking about it, my dad got murdered on my 7th birthday, and the police think it’s my mom because she was the last one with him, oh and that was also the day I broke my ankle, and,” She couldn’t finish, she just broke out into tears again.

“I know, I know, you don’t have to tell me. C’mon let’s go take a lap around the school and then head back to the classroom.” Molly said.

“Thanks, Mo, you always know what to do.”

“Hey, what are best friends for?” Bailey let out a little laugh, as Molly put her arm around her, and they walked out of the bathroom door. While they were walking around the school they talked about drama, boys, and their family problems. When they walked into the classroom, everyone was starring at them, the girls looked at each other and laughed, and of course the queen bee of the seventh grade rolled her eyes and glared.

After school, the girls walked home like usual, but this time was different. When Bailey arrived she was shocked to see police cars in her driveway. She ran over to her mom who was crying.

“Mom! What’s going on?” She asked, tears filling her eyes.

“Honey, it appears that I’m being sent to jail.” Her mom responded trying to act calm.

“Why? You didn’t do anything!”

“You know that sweetie and I know that, but they don’t know that, I’m the number one suspect! They think that I’m the one who killed Mr. Jones, and now that they think about it, they think I killed your father as well.” She said getting pushed into the back of a police car. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. A police walked over to her and bent down,

“Honey, your going to have to stay with another family we’ll made some phone calls, and it seems like you will be staying across the street at Mrs. and Mr. Jackson’s house.”

“Hey! That’s my house!” Molly said stepping into the conversation.

“Well, looks like your staying with your friend here. Come on, I’ll help you pack up your things.” The police officer said as they walked inside.

“Oh, Bailey, we are so sorry to hear what happened.” Molly’s mom said as she gave Bailey a big hug. “We will make sure this place feels like home. You will be sharing a room with Molly if that’s ok?”

“Of course it’s ok! I have been wanting to share a room with Molly since the day we became friends!” She said as she and Molly ran up stairs and started unpacking Bailey’s things.

“Bailey, you don’t have to hide it I know your not that excited to be moving in here.” Molly said rubbing her arm.

“Molly, it”s fine. And, I’m happy that I‘m moving in with you and not a stranger, but here’s another day I’ll never forget.”

“Oh, I know it’s not your birthday but, I know you’ve always wanted one, and I didn’t get this until after your birthday so I’ve been waiting for the right time.” Molly said walking out of her room and bringing back a puppy. Bailey jumped up in excitement,

“Oh my god! You did not get me the puppy I have wanted since my 6th birthday!”

“Yup! I got you a Pomsky! Part Pomeranian part Husky! Her name I sent Clover.”

“Your the best!” Bailey ran over and gave her friend a hug before picking the puppy up. Not long after, Molly’s dad walked in.

“Hey Girls! I have to go pick up Riley, and Beatrix, do you two wanna come?”

“Yes.” Bailey said not knowing how to explain this to her younger sister. “Wait, why didn’t Riley walk home with us?” Bailey asked Molly before stepping into the car.

“Oh he got detention, you know my stupid twin brother getting himself caught into situations.” Molly said, rolling her eyes.

When they were on their way home from picking up Beatrix and Riley, they made a turn in the opposite direction,

“Uh dad? Where are we going?” Molly asked.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you Landon’s spending the night.” He responded. Molly sighed, knowing that Landon an Ryan were gonna keep the girls up all night and knowing that Bailey did not want to explain to more people on why she’s staying at Molly’s house until her mom gets out of jail.

When they arrived at Landon’s house Bailey’s 5 year old sister looked out out the window and said, “Whose that boy? He’s cute!” Landon looked surprised that a five year old girl said that out loud, Bailey covered Beatrix’s mouth afraid of what she might say next.

“Uh thanks.” He said as he climbed into the backseat.

When the got back to the house, Bailey explained everything to her sister.

“This can’t be happening!” She said crying harder than anyone Bailey has seen cry.

“Look, I know it’s hard, but everything will be ok! Shhhh please don’t cry.”

“How?!” Beatrix said, now screaming.

“Bee, listen to me, mom will get out soon, she is not the murderer you know that.” Bailey was looking down at her sister trying so hard not to cry when she heard a knock at the door, it was Landon.

“Everything ok in here? I heard crying, you two aren’t fighting over me are you?” He said, and Bailey rolled her eyes, everyone wanted to be Landon’s girlfriend except Molly and her.

“Everything’s fine. And why would I want you?” She said disgusted,

“Are you sure?” He said as Beatrix tan over and surprisingly gave him a hug, now he was so confused.

“Yes everything is fine and Bee would you stop that?” She said, embarrassed of her sister. She pulled away and he walked out of the room.

“I think he”s my boyfriend.” She said smiling.

“He is not your boyfriend you are five he is twelve!”

“Somebody’s jealous!” She said in a sing-song voice.

“Here play with the puppy.” Bailey said picking up the puppy and handing it to her sister.

“We have a puppy!?” She suddenly looked like she had never been sad.

“Yes, her name is Clover, be gentle.” Her sister was the happiest she had been all her life.

A couple days have past and Bailey was nervous for this day, she was going to visit her mom, but also have to answer the questions the police ask her.

When they got to the station, they had to wait in a long line, to sign a paper, and say who they were here to see. When they finally got to see there mom she looked so miserable.

“Oh, Bailey, Bee, I have missed you guys so much! I feel like I haven’t seen you two in years!”

“Mom it’s only been a week!” She said, almost crying, they talked for a few minutes before, a police officer took them into a room to start asking questions.

“Where was your mother during the murder of Mr. Jones?” He asked.

“She was on the phone with my grandma, and before then she was at Mr. Jone’s house, giving him homemade soup for his cold.” Bailey said getting even more nervous than before.

“So your saying that the soup could’ve been poisoned!?” He said.

“No, I’m saying that she was trying to help his cold anyone could’ve gone into his house and killed him anytime after then.” Bailey responded

“Yea you big dum dum police officer! Ever thought of that?” Beatrix said, and Bailey covered her mouth before she could say more.

“I apologize for my sister’s rude behavior.” Bailey said giving Bee a serious look.

“Well, that story is the same as your mother’s but we still have to keep her here in jail until we find out for sure that she i or isn’t the killer.” He said right before the lights flickered off, the door slammed open, and a guy dressed in black came over with a knife,

“I killed, him.” He whispered in the officer’s ear than stabbed him, sending him to his death, by then the officer knew he had been tracking down the wrong person.