Teresa

This story is about a high school couple who fell in love but took a turn for the worse. 

My name is Teresa, and I was murdered by my boyfriend. Shocker, I know. I’m still confused about it, too! But here’s a little background about me. I live in Amery, Wisconsin. I lived in a beautiful yellow house that was built in the 1980s. My parents are the most supportive people you will meet. Their names are Melissa and Tom. I love them more than anyone could ever imagine! So, let me take you back to the part where I got murdered. Leo, the boy who killed me, was my boyfriend for about seven months. He turned out to be crazy. Let’s get into that now.

Leo and I met in our third-hour Chem class during junior year. We were lab partners and started forming a bond I’d never had. We started hanging out more and more during our free time.  

After four months of hanging out, our connection had grown so close. Just before homecoming, Leo asked me to be his girlfriend and asked me to go to the dance with him. It was a huge surprise; I was head over heels for this guy. At our school, we were known as “that” couple. By “that” couple, I mean we were both in sports, doing well academically, and our relationship was overall excellent. 

A few months after we started dating, Leo met my parents. We decided to walk to my house after school since I only lived 15 minutes away. When we walked through the front door, my mom was in the kitchen making dinner, and my dad was in the living room. As we entered the living room, my dad looked over and jumped out of his chair to shake Leo’s hand and introduce himself. We walked into the kitchen so he could meet my mom; she was so busy she didn’t even notice us. I tapped her on the shoulder, and I spooked her. She hugged me and turned towards Leo. My mom is a big hugger, so she went to hug Leo, and he backed off and gave her a weird look.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m a hugger. I get it if you’re not. My name is Melissa. It’s nice to meet you!” She said with a sweet tone. 

It was about an hour later, and my mom finished up on dinner. We all sat around the table, continuing to chat as we ate. My mom was acting a little strange during dinner. She stayed quiet most of the time. After dinner, my dad and Leo went into the living room and continued the conversation they were having during dinner. My mom and I were cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.

My mom pulled me aside and said, “Teresa, I need to ask you a question, and I need you to be 100% honest with me!”

She seemed bothered, and I was so confused. “Okay, what is this about? I’m confused.” 

She took a deep breath and continued, “Are you sure Leo is good for you? I don’t know; he just seems a bit… weird. Please don’t take that badly. Like I said, I don’t know; I just have a gut feeling about him.”

I’m confused; I have no idea where this is coming from. We were having such a good night. I thought my parents liked him. “I don’t know what to say. I’m so confused about where this is coming from. I like him, Mom, a lot. He makes me feel special; he listens to me.” 

“Okay, honey, if you’re super sure about this, we’ll trust you.”  

Melissa 

Hours later…

“I don’t know Tom, he’s just strange. He gives me a bad vibe; I don’t think he’s right for our Teresa.” 

Tom looked at me just as shocked as Teresa did earlier. “What do you mean? He seemed nice. You only talked to him for about five minutes. How could you assume that from a five-minute conversation?”

“I guess you’re right. Like I said, I just have a weird gut feeling.” 

Teresa 

Last night went well, but my mom was questioning me. I’m not sure why she was asking. Leo was bonding with my dad nicely. There’s no reason she should think he isn’t suitable for me. 

I feel a presence around me. Suddenly, there was a whisper in my ear, “How are you doing hunny?” I jumped, and Leo caught me by surprise!

“Woah, you scared me. Hi, I’m doing good! How are you?” I say to him with a slightly worried tone.

“I’m good, so I wanted to talk to you about the meeting with your parents.” He said, then continued with a slight pause. “I think your dad liked me, your mom, not so much.”

I started to feel some anxiety when he was talking about my mom. “Oh, she likes you. I’m just her little girl, and she wants the best for me, y’know?”

He grows closer to me, and I feel the airdrop. He raises his voice, saying, “She doesn’t think I’m good for you. Well, she’s wrong; I’m the best thing that has ever happened to you! You better tell her that so she gets off your damn back!” He walks away. I turn, and I feel like everyone is staring at me.

The third and fourth hour went by, and I decided to text Leo to see if he was okay, but he never answered. After school, I had to walk home because my car was in the shop and Leo wasn’t answering his messages. During dinner, my dad asked how Leo was, and I told them about my fight with him at school, but I left out the part where he told me to tell my mom to back off. I planned on talking to her privately.

Melissa

Later that night

“Tom! She told me that kid Leo told her I needed to stay off their back about their relationship. Doesn’t that worry you?” 

“Not really; you were kinda pushy towards Teresa and Leo. I would say the same thing.”

“I just don’t think that he’s good for her. He might be dangerous; I just want her to be safe.”

Teresa 

A few weeks later

Leo has changed. He’s been getting more and more upset with me. I don’t know how to fix it. I haven’t told my mom this, but he hurts me. It’s only happened a few times, and you can’t see the bruises unless my clothes are off. He’s mad at me because I told him I already had plans with my family when he tried to make plans with me. 

A few hours later

I told my mom Leo was mad at me because our family already had plans. She again told me our relationship was toxic and that I should leave him. I didn’t listen to her. I thought she was being an overprotective parent. But man, oh man, was I wrong. After our family plans were done, Leo called me and told me to meet him by the lake because he wanted to talk. I told my mom I would meet him so she knew, and I left the house.

Melissa

“Tom, Don’t tell me I’m overreacting. Our little girl is going to meet her boyfriend at 9:30 at night. Haven’t you seen any horror movies? That is when little girls like her get stolen or, worse, killed. I told her that if she’s not back in 30 minutes, I’m coming to the lake to get her.”

“Melissa, calm down! I was right there when you two talked; I know the plan, and I understand it. But you need to consider this: Teresa is a big girl; she’s about to be eighteen. She can handle herself.”

Leo

In the car heading to the lake

I’ve been planning this since Melissa said I’m not good for her. I think it’s the right decision for our relationship. I don’t think many people will be happy about this, but I’m excited.

Teresa

At the lake

My mom told me I had to be back in half an hour. Which should be fine; I don’t think this will take that long. I’m coming up to the lake, and I see Leo’s car. As I approach the vehicle, there’s no sign of Leo. I look around, and I don’t see anyone. So I just assumed he walked to the dock. I started down the path, and the air dropped; I felt like I was being watched. The sound of footsteps behind me startled me. I whip my body around and see Leo standing there. I’m relieved it’s him.

“Leo! Thank god, I thought you were an axe murderer.”

He just laughed. Good, he’s in a good mood, so I thought.

“So Teresa, How was your family time? Was it worth not hanging out with your boyfriend?”

“Leo, I told you that we made these plans weeks ago; I couldn’t cancel on th---”

He stepped closer. My heart was racing. There was something in his hand that I couldn’t quite see.

“No, No, No, I’m more important. I mean more than them. I love you, Teresa, and you love me. We’re meant to be together, forever.”

He’s scaring me.

“You’re scaring me. I don’t know where this is coming from. I told you this already, Leo, I…could… not… cancel!”

That’s when he snapped. I felt this piercing pain in my stomach. I look down, and Leo is removing a knife from my gut and stabbing it back in. He’s yelling these terrible things at me as he keeps removing the blade and reentering it into my body. My body is cold. I fall to the ground. Tears are running down my cheeks. I have no energy to scream. I just lay there. He says one last thing.

“If I can’t have you, no one can.”

He walks away. He leaves me here with 12 stab wounds. Bleeding out. Staining the sidewalk. Blood is pumping from my wounds as I breathe. The only thing I can think about is I hope my mom is on her way. My body is giving up on me. Because of him, I’m dead.

Leo

If I can’t have her, then no one can. 

Melissa

I’m speeding towards the lake. It’s only a ten-minute walk and a five-minute drive. I’m watching the sidewalks to see if Teresa is walking back. I don’t see her. As I pull into the lake’s parking lot, I see Leo’s car speeding out the opposite direction of our house, and it doesn’t look like anyone else is in the car with him. I jump out of the car and run to the dock, but before I make it, I see her. Lifeless on the ground. My soul leaves my body. I scream for help a hundred times as I reach her. I grab my phone and dial Tom’s number. He picked up,

“Yes, honey?”

“Call 911, she’s not breathing, Tom, she’s not breathing. Call the cops!”

He hung up. I’m cradling Teresa in my lap, full of her blood. My baby is gone.

Tom

I doubted her. I will never forgive myself for trusting that kid and not my wife. Because of it, my Teresa Marie is gone but never forgotten.