Dream Trails

By Larry Pope Jr.

This book tells a story where you have to always know who your friends are, who you can and cannot trust, your whereabouts, and how to come together to resolve a case! A mystery where people within your inner circle become part of suspicion. A person might seem like a good person, but always know that everyone has unknown secrets. They could be of the good or of the worst. Beware!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781649524249

Book preview

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Dream Trails

Larry Pope Jr.

Copyright © 2021 Larry Pope, Jr.

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books, Inc.

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2021

ISBN 978-1-64952-423-2 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64952-424-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

My Name Is Rose Chancelor

The Trial Period

I Need to Go to Church

Spring Break

Is It True, Officer Bitnim?

The Lost Have Been Found

The Continuance of Suspicion

Why Me?

Dream Trails

Let Her Soul Rest Peacefully

Fast-Forward

Summary

This book tells a story where you have to always know who your friends are, who you can and cannot trust, your whereabouts, and how to come together to resolve a case! A mystery where people within your inner circle become part of suspicion.

Popular Characters:

Rose Chancelor

Mr. Chancelor

Mrs. Chancelor

Officer Bitnim

Officer Micks

Officer Davis

Chief Williams

Wendy

Pastor Montgomery

Justin Montgomery

Matthew

Location / Time Frame:

Bryson Town, North Carolina.

Population of 1,450.

Spring through summer of 2019.

Chapter 1

My Name Is Rose Chancelor

Ring, ring, ring sounded the alarm of Rose’s cell phone. She opened her eyes, took a good long yawn, and swiped her alarm to end the ringing.

Rose: Wow! It’s already morning? Felt like I just went to sleep!

Rose looked around to get her eyes to focus. She got up and put her slippers on while heading toward the black curtains to open them so she could bring in some sunshine. Her phone vibrated, notifying her that she received a text message from her best friend, Wendy, stating, I’m, like, five minutes away from your house! You better be ready this time! Don’t want to be late again and have to hear the Hallway Supervisor talk all that lip flapping trying to know our business! LOL! Anyways, see you in a bit beautiful.

Rose smiled and shook her head. While getting ready, she heard the doorbell.

Mr. Chancelor: Hold on! Coming! Is that you Wendy?

Wendy: Yes, sir! It is your family’s favorite person, Wendy!

Mr. Chancelor laughed and walked to the door to unlock it while at the same time he looked upstairs to see if Rose would be heading down the stairs to answer.

Mr. Chancelor: Sweetie, Wendy is here! How much longer do you have?

Mr. Chancelor opened the door to let Wendy in.

Wendy: Well, since you opened the door and not your daughter Rose, I take it that she is still not ready like always! Rose, hurry up! Didn’t you read my text? I know you did because it says you did!

Rose was running around upstairs like a chicken with its head cut off. Looking for her backpack, she was sweating, knowing that she had about twenty minutes to get to school or another tardy was on her records. She didn’t want that because this was her senior year. She wanted to win the Attendance Award. But unfortunately, during the last few weeks, she’s been late three times. Before the three tardies during her high school life, she was never late.

Wendy was looking at her phone to see what the time was. She glanced to see Rose running and almost tripping down the stairs. Wendy gave a smirk to Rose.

Wendy: You might want to take another shower because you’re sweating like you just ran a marathon! Come on, girl, let’s get going. Don’t forget to grab your breakfast snack. I know you are hungry.

Rose: Yes, you are right, let’s get going, girl! Bye, Dad. Love you!

Mr. Chancelor grabbed Rose’s blueberry muffin and ran outside to catch up with the girls before they turned the corner of the street.

Mr. Chancelor: Rose! Rose! Wait! You forgot your blueberry muffin that you love so much!

The girls laughed, while Wendy laughed and shook her head at Rose.

Rose: Thanks, Dad. You’re the best! Oh yeah, when Mom gets back home from work, let her know I found a new yoga video we can do tonight or whenever she is free! Love you!

Mr. Chancelor: Love you too. I will definitely let her know when she gets in.

Rose and Wendy were walking their way to school when they saw Officer Bitnim driving up from the distance. They waved, and Officer Bitnim slowed down and gave them a wave back with a smile on his face. He drove off, honking the horn twice at them. Mr. Chancelor saw him as well, and they both waved at each other when he passed by.

With only ten minutes left before the bell rang, Rose and Wendy realized that it was time to start putting a little pep in their steps. They only lived about four blocks away from the school. They each loved walks to get their energy and momentum going. Since middle school, they had decided to either walk or ride their bikes to school. Wendy preferred walking because she hated the seat on her bike that made the ride feel uncomfortable.

Wendy: Bam! We have two minutes to go. Thank God both our classes are near the entrance of the school.

Rose: Yeah, you are right. I’ll see you during lunch. Maybe Matthew and his friends can take us off campus for a bit. How does that sound?

Wendy looked at Rose with an unsure look. Knowing that she didn’t like Matthew at all, she knew Matthew had been cheating again and felt bad for Rose for not paying attention to the visible signs that he was.

Wendy: Okay. If that’s what you would like to do!

Rose looked at Wendy, concerned. Rose was thinking Wendy didn’t want to hang out with the athletes anymore because they had their perverted moments. But not knowing that was not the real reason why. Rose felt like she fit in their crowd better because of popularity. Wendy didn’t like that Rose felt that way because most of those guys could care less that she was a kindhearted girl. They just wanted to have sex with her when she gave them the green light. But everyone who knew Rose well knew that she was not like that at all. Honestly, just Matthew, Wendy, and Rose themselves knew she was still a virgin. Matthew made it seem like she was not by how he described their alone time together with the boys.

They hugged and went their separate ways to their classes. When she was about to enter her first classroom of the day, a boy tripped and dropped everything out of his backpack. Everybody near just laughed and walked by. Even a couple of teachers didn’t even check up on him. They just looked and went along with their business. Being the good girl at heart, Rose shook her head in disappointment of the people who didn’t help and walked over to help the boy pick up his belongings. The boy thanked Rose, and Rose walked back toward the classroom right as the bell just rang.

Rose: Ms. Bates, you know my toes were in the doorway when it rang, right?

Ms. Bates laughed a bit and said that she saw Rose help the boy and that she had a good reason to be almost late. Rose appreciated the response and gave Ms. Bates two thumbs-up. Rose is also lucky because her seat is in the back row with easy access to enter and exit the classroom.

As the school day went by, lunch was only one class session away. During the passing period, Rose was heading toward her locker when she saw Matthew getting a drink from the vending machine. Rose approaches him with joy. Matthew sees her coming but acts like he didn’t. So he puts his head down and slowly walks in another direction. Feeling like that was odd, Rose walks toward him and taps his shoulder.

Rose: Matt! Why are you walking off like you did not see me coming? I know you saw me heading your way. Hell, even my near blind cat can have some kind of a sense knowing I’m near. So what’s up?

Matthew, irritated in his mind, closed his eyes for a brief second before he responded.

Matthew: Honestly, babe, I did not see you coming. All of these people in the hallway. You did not have a clear path in my peripherals that you were coming. I got my Dr. Pepper from the machine, and I was heading to class. Is that a problem!

Rose felt like that was rude of a response. In her mind, she was thinking he was having another bad day. He may have not heard back from a school he was interested in or, again, there was another girl in the picture.

Rose: So we have a ’tude today? Did I do something wrong? You get bad news or something? I was just saying, not many people were in the hallway, and most of them were on the side while I was walking straight in the damn middle of the hallway. So can you tell me what’s going on? That is what couples do in a relationship if they love each other.

Matthew got even more irritated and grabbed his phone out of his left side pocket. Trying to avoid eye contact and the timing to respond, he keeps looking at his phone. Rose ends up getting upset.

Rose: You know what, Matt?

Matthew: What, Rose!

Hearing his tone, she didn’t want to waste her time any more. Rose just wanted to talk to her boyfriend but felt like there was something going on with him again. Last three times when they broke up, he was either irritated from basketball, cheating, or cheating again. Rose grew up with Matthew in a way. They have known each other since they were four years old and started dating in sixth grade. But ever since the start of high school, he’s been sneaky and rude. She wonders why she always gives him chances. She doesn’t even know. So she responded to his rudeness.

Rose: Fuck you! I try every time for us to be that great couple. It only lasts for a couple months, and then you become an asshole. What is it? Because I don’t put out? That’s why you are sleeping with those disease-infested bitches from the cheerleading squad? What? Because we usually win Prince and Princess of the City Award, you want to keep me because it looks good on your dating résumé? I have had enough! Talk to me when you come down to your senses knowing you have a damn good girl that will do anything for you! Goodbye, jerkface!

Rose didn’t even give Matthew a chance to respond. Everyone near gave a stare toward Matthew, shaking their heads, knowing that he just let one of the good ones left in this world go.

Walking to her next class before lunch, Rose pulled out her phone and texted Wendy. She texted, Hey, girl, me and Matt got into another stupid argument! Mostly it was his dumbass fault for being rude and not knowing what he has in front of him. So, no lunch with jackasses today! Meet me at the entrance like always and we’ll decide from there. Love ya!

Wendy received the message and had a big smile on her face. In her mind, she hoped that Rose would finally get rid of Matt and move on. For some reason, Wendy seemed to be the first to find out about Matthew’s cheating shenanigans. She felt bad because she doesn’t want to break Rose’s heart, so she waited for Matthew to man up, even if it takes a near month, to tell Rose what he had done.

Finally, lunchtime had arrived. The bell rang for all those belly-growling students to go get their lunch. Rose was still a little down emotionally. She couldn’t wait to see her best friend. Wendy was the same way. She felt bad that Matthew is still being Matthew, knowing that Rose is feeling down emotionally. The both of them rushed to meet at the destination planned from Rose’s text. They saw each other, and both had smiles on their faces.

Wendy: Before you say anything, bestie, I love you, and that is all you need to know. Don’t let dum-dum bring you down!

Rose was happy that she had a best friend like Wendy who will always have her back no matter what. Wendy has been there for Rose since day one, when they first met in seventh grade. Ever since then, their friendship has turned into sisterhood.

Rose: Thanks, Wendy! You are the best! Now what to do about this lunch situation?

The both of them thought and gave suggestions but ended up going to the cafeteria like they usually do when they suggest going out instead.

Wendy: So when is that Princess of the City happening again? I might join. I’m not that bad looking! I get weird, creepy old guys look me up and down when I walk into the stores.

Rose spit out her milk with laughter. Rose knew Wendy was beautiful. It’s just guys her own age wanted girls who have a name for themselves who liked to put out and flirt. Wendy was a low-key fitness gal. She was a little thick,