Veronica's Story
VERONICA’S STORY
Book Five of the
This Is Where It Ends Series
Bella Christian
© 2020 LCT Productions Pty Ltd
TABLE OF CONTENTS
VERONICA’S STORY
Dedication
Other Books
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Note to Readers
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This book is dedicated to Patricia Thomas for all her support, encouragement, tough love and courage. Pat, you are the best!
And as always, to my husband, Linden. My best friend, my soul mate. I love you to the moon and back.
BOOKS BY BELLA CHRISTIAN
Find all of Bella’s books on Amazon
This Is Where It Ends Series
(in order)
Jessie’s Story
Ryan’s Story
Holly’s Story
Sarah’s Story
Veronica’s Story
BOOKS BY CHRIS TAYLOR
The Munro Family Series
(in order)
The Profiler
The Investigator
The Predator
The Betrayal
The Deception
The Negotiator
The Christmas Vigil (A novella)
The Ransom
The Defendant
The Shooting
The Maker
The Sydney Harbour Hospital Series
(in order)
The Perfect Husband
The Body Thief
The Baby Snatchers
The Final Bullet
The Debt Collector
The Lab Test
The Stolen Identity
The Cliff-top Killer
The Likeable Fraudster
The Sydney Legal Series
(in order)
An Accidental Murderer
At the Hand of her Father
A Woman Scorned
Lies and Deception
Ordinary Evil
The Ties that Bind
The Perfect Crime
A Toxic Inheritance
Malicious Love
The Craigdon Family Series
(in order)
Callum
Joel
Isabella
Nicholas
Sophia
Flynn
Noah
Logan
Elizabeth
The Barrington Family Series
(in order)
Broken Lives
Broken Promises
Broken Bonds
Broken Spirits
Broken Vows
Broken Minds
Broken Dreams
Broken Hearts
Broken Homes
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CHAPTER ONE
Veronica Blackwood surveyed herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom and was pleased with what she saw. Her long black hair was thick and glossy. The almond oil she’d ordered off the Internet definitely did all it promised. Turning sideways, she pulled back her shoulders and thrust out her chest. Her generous breasts overfilled her lacy black bra and threatened to spill out of the low-cut, black and white crop top. What the boys wouldn’t give for a feel.
She chuckled at the thought. All in good time, boys. It didn’t pay to seem too eager for their attention, even though she craved it like an addict craved their next hit. She doled out her favors like lollies, but only to the popular boys. Especially the football players. She’d slept with most of the team already and the year wasn’t even halfway through.
Her thoughts turned to Ricky Anderson. He’d been following her around like a lovesick puppy all year. He was a senior, three or four years older than she was, but that wasn’t a deterrent. If anything, it only made the conquest sweeter. Fancy having a senior panting after her, wanting to please her. It was a good situation to be in. You never knew when you might need someone to do your bidding. After all, most times it was better to let others do your dirty work. Her father had taught her well.
Still poised in front of the mirror, she assessed her slim figure with a critical eye. The bottom of her crop top ended above her belly button. A wide expanse of smooth skin was exposed all the way to the waistband of her jeans. It was late autumn. Probably too chilly for a short-sleeved crop top, but she didn’t care. The cool air made her nipples tighten and boys loved it. They’d try to look at her face, but their gazes were drawn over and over to her chest. They’d stutter and stammer and go red and all the time she’d stand there with her hands on her hips, chest thrust out, laughing on the inside.
Boys. They were so predictable. So pathetic. Still, she wouldn’t have things any other way. She was the most popular girl at Wheeler High for a reason and she intended for it to stay that way.
“Veronica? Can you hear me?”
At the sound of her mother’s voice, Veronica rolled her eyes. What does the old cow want now?
“Veronica?”
Veronica groaned in annoyance, but reluctantly answered. “What do you want? I’m busy.”
She heard the creak of the stairs and hurried over and locked her bedroom door before her mom could reach it. The soft knock came a moment later, followed by the rattling of the doorknob.
“Veronica? Open the door. I want to talk to you.”
“I already told you, I’m busy. Go away!”
A second knock came, this one even more timid. “Please, Veronica. This is important.”
“Not to me,” Veronica responded in a bored tone. Then she marched across the room and flung open the door. She stared down at her mother in contempt. “Do I have to spell it out for you? Nothing you could ever say to me is important. Now, go away and find someone else to annoy.” With that, she slammed the door shut in her mother’s startled face.
Ha! I sure showed her. What did she expect? She’s only my mother. As if I’d ever give her a moment of my time. Ha! What a joke!
Her phone beeped, indicating a new text. She hurried over to her bed and picked it up. She read the message on the screen and grinned. It was from her best friend, Lucy.
Have u seen that new guy
in Yr 10? He’s so hot. Do
u think he has a
girlfriend?
*
Veronica threw herself on her bed and hurriedly typed back a reply.
Yeah, he’s okay. Not as
hot as Jonah Smith. He’s
such a good kisser.
*
Lucy:
U kissed Jonah Smith??
*
Veronica:
And the rest.
*
Lucy:
OMG! U didn’t!
I want details!
*
Veronica’s grin widened. Jonah Smith was the hottest guy in school and captain of the football team. She’d been trying to get him to notice her all semester. Finally, he had. They’d had sex at his house while h
is parents were out of town. Afterwards, she was sure he’d ask her to be his girlfriend, but he hadn’t. In fact, just the opposite. He avoided her at every turn. Eventually she’d moved on with one of his mates.
Her phone beeped again, reminding her she hadn’t responded to Lucy.
Veronica:
A lady never kisses and tells.
*
Lucy:
Why didn’t u tell me?
I’m ur best friend!
*
Veronica:
Just because we’re BFF
doesn’t mean u have 2 know
EVERYTHING.
*
Lucy:
Not fair.
*
Already bored with the subject, Veronica changed it.
How about Jessie Angel?
Have u ever seen such a dork?
All that frizzy hair! God, I’d
kill myself if I had hair like
that!
*
Lucy:
Yeah. Talk about ugly. It
looks like she stuck her finger
in a power point!
*
Veronica laughed. The description was totally accurate. She didn’t know how Jessie Angel got out of bed each morning and faced the day with hair that always seemed out of control. It was bad enough when she’d worn it short in primary school. Now it fell well below her shoulders. Even when the girl tied it back into a ponytail, the frizz went in all directions.
Veronica texted a response.
She obviously doesn’t use
any hair products. I mean,
she’s 14. She must know
they exist. What a loser.
*
Lucy:
Yeah. What a loser.
*
Veronica:
I’m going 2 post
something on Insta.
*
Lucy:
About Jessie?
*
Veronica:
Yeah. She’s Crybaby Angel
now, remember? Serve her
right 4 being so weird.
*
Lucy:
Let’s do it!
*
At once, Veronica tapped on the Instagram icon and the social media site opened. Kids had been home from school for a couple of hours and there was plenty of activity. Veronica posed for a selfie and quickly sent off a post.
Anyone get a look @
Jessie Angel 2day?
Talk about ugly! Did
u c her hair? I mean,
can u even call it hair?
*
She didn’t have to wait long for a response. Lucy was the first to reply.
Yeah, I saw her. What
a joke! Who lets their
hair go all frizzy like
that? She’s so ugly!
*
Veronica:
Do we even know 4 sure if she’s a girl? I mean just b cause she has long hair doesn’t mean anything. She could b one of those things that aren’t one or the other?
*
Another girl from school joined the conversation.
Yes! I thought that 2.
*
Lucy:
I’ve heard about people like that. They’re not a girl or a boy. Something in between. Do u think she has a dick or a vagina? Maybe both!
*
Veronica:
My money’s on both.
*
Lucy:
Yeah. U can’t b that ugly and b normal.
*
One of the boys from Veronica’s class joined in.
She’s way 2 skinny 4 me. No tits, no ass. Maybe ur right? Maybe she is a boy. Ha! Ha!
*
Veronica laughed and shot off another post.
Yeah, that’s what Jessie Angel is. One of those people born with both sex organs. What a laugh. No wonder she’s so weird.
*
Lucy:
U mean a hermaphrodite.
That’s what they’re called.
*
Veronica:
Well look who’s a smarty pants.
*
Lucy:
Ha, ha! Ur just jealous cause u didn’t know it.
*
Veronica:
Bitch.
*
Lucy:
Luv u.
*
Veronica chuckled with glee as other kids joined in the chat and the talk turned nastier. She continued to add to the conversations, encouraging the ridicule of Jessie Angel and loving every minute of it. She cackled in delight as someone posted a particularly nasty comment. She hoped like hell the girl was on Insta at that minute, taking the shit she deserved. Jessie Angel was a dumb, dorky loser. What made it worse was the fact she had the one thing Veronica craved. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to destroy the girl. Jessie Angel was an ugly cow and she was going down.
CHAPTER TWO
Veronica pulled on her school uniform and zipped it up. It fell several inches shorter than school policy allowed, ending high on her thigh. Not that she cared. She had nice legs—slim and tanned and toned. She liked showing them off. School rules be damned.
She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and cursed. If she didn’t hurry, she’d be late. One of her favorite times of the day was hanging with her friends before school and heaping shit on anyone who happened to walk past. It was even better if that person was Jessie Angel.
Quickly, she tugged on socks and shoes. The weather was probably cool enough for her to wear tights, but she preferred her legs on show. She reached for her backpack where she’d left it on the floor by her bed and tossed her workbooks inside. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she headed out of the room.
Skipping down the stairs, she was halfway across the floor when her mother’s voice brought her to a halt.
“Veronica? Are you leaving? You haven’t had breakfast.”
Veronica swore under her breath. Slowly, she turned to face the woman who’d given her life, but who’d never been a mother to her.
“I don’t eat breakfast. If you knew me better, you’d know that.”
Her mother smiled hesitantly. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You can’t expect yourself to perform well at school and concentrate if you’re hungry.”
Veronica ground her teeth in frustration. “Look, I don’t know what you’re doing up this time of the morning, but you don’t have to pretend you need to look out for me. It’s not like you’ve tried very hard in the past. FYI, I haven’t eaten breakfast since I started high school and I manage to perform just fine. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m leaving.”
With that, she turned on her heel and opened the heavy front door. She closed it with a satisfying thud, wishing it was light enough to slam, and hurried to the garage. Her bike was where she’d left it, leaning against the wall. She’d been careful to stow it far away from her father’s bottle green Jaguar. He’d go ballistic if she put a scratch on it. He hardly even let her sit in the passenger seat. She didn’t think her mother had ever been inside.
Wheeling her bike outside, she adjusted her backpack over her shoulders and took off toward school. She hated when her mother tried to come over all maternal. It was like Eileen Blackwood expected her to forget all the years when she’d been absent and Veronica had been raised by nannies.
Each day, she’d been allowed to spend a few minutes in the presence of her mother right before she was whisked away to bed. They were always tense moments, with Veronica praying for them to end.
She barely saw her father. Before he was elected mayor of Wheeler, he’d been a successful lawyer. During her childhood, John Blackwood had been more absent than her mother. He was either away on conferences or at work. Absent parents and a trail of nannies had been her normal. She’d only become aware other kids didn’t live that way when she’d started school.
It had set her apart from them. Made her different. At first she’d withdrawn in
to herself, worried she didn’t fit in, but it didn’t take her long to harden up and find her own way in the world. And then puberty had happened and suddenly it was easy to make friends. People wanted to be seen with her, talk to her, be among her chosen few. The feeling of power was exhilarating. She lived for that feeling every day.
Turning into the school gate, she climbed off her bike and parked it in the racks. She didn’t bother with a lock. Not because the Giant wasn’t expensive—it had been a fourteenth birthday present from her father and had cost him a fortune—but because everyone at Wheeler High knew it belonged to her and no one would dare steal Veronica Blackwood’s bike.
Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she walked toward the covered area where she usually sat, near the entrance to the bus lines. It was shaded from the heat in summer and provided a perfect viewing spot for the high schoolers coming through the gate. She kept her gaze peeled for Jessie Angel.
She wasn’t sure if the girl had seen the Insta posts from the night before, but it was more than likely she had. What self-respecting teenager didn’t spend their time away from school on their phone? Then again, Jessie Angel was weird. Take her hair, for example. And the fact she was the biggest loser in Year Eight. Veronica would just have to make sure the weirdo knew just how much she was hated.
As if on cue, Veronica spied her walking alone right outside the school gate. The girl had barely made it onto the school grounds before Veronica started in on her.
“Hey! Hey, you! Jessie Angel! I’m speaking to you!”