MAYBE HE WANTS TO KILL SID SO HE CAN FINALLY HAVE INDY ALL TO HIMSELF.

☆︎ SEPTEMBER 27TH, 1996 ☆︎

Virginia left for another shift at the hospital before Jackson and Sophia arrived to take Indiana to the party, which her older sister was naively believing she was skipping out on. Indy was going to get dressed and ready with Sophia, but first, the siblings took her to the Blockbuster. Their parents asked them to pick up a few movies to get them all through the weekend with the curfew.

The three of them broke off when they got to the store. Sophia went straight to the rom-com section, claiming to be looking for movies for their mother — but they all knew it was her favorite genre. Jackson was stocking up on candy and grabbing the action flick his father requested.

Since Indiana didn't need anything, she found Randy to bother while he was working. The boy was pushing around a cart full of returned videos and putting them back on the shelf. Indiana was sitting on the edge of it, and when he'd asked for a specific movie, she'd intentionally hand him the incorrect one.

"Go faster," Indiana ordered as Randy went down the aisles.

"This is not a Six Flags," he replied, rolling his eyes. But then he grinned mischievously and took a running start. Indiana laughed as he stepped on the bottom of the cart, letting it coast.

Unfortunately, the cart bumped into a man just before it slowed down. "Watch it, jerk," he snapped.

"Sorry," Indy mumbled while giggling.

Randy just shot her a look before focusing back on work as the man passed. He grabbed a stack of tapes to put back on the shelf while she watched. But before he could put any away, Stu snuck up behind him and smacked them from his hand, sending them flying.

While Stu giggled, Randy just glared at him in annoyance. "Dork," he muttered.

Indiana slid off the cart and helped Randy pick up the fallen VHS boxes. Then she moved over to Stu's side, greeting him with a smile.

"Jesus, this place is packed tonight, man," Stu noted, looking around. Considering there was shit all to do in Woodsboro, the Blockbuster was crowded most weekends. But now it was ridiculous. You could barely take five steps without running into someone.

"We had a run in the mass murder section," Randy said with a twisted grin.

Stu leaned his whole body against the opposite side of the shelf that Randy was putting movies away on. "You coming to my fiesta?"

"Yeah, I'm off early – curfew, you know," he told them.

"And I'll be seeing you, sunshine?" Stu asked Indy, batting his eyelashes at her pleadingly.

"As if I'd ever miss a Macher party," she said, smiling up at him. He grinned and threw an arm around Indiana, pulling her into his side as he leaned on her more than the shelves. Stu began absentmindedly twirling a strand of Indy's hair, making her smile grow even more.

A younger girl came over, looking pointedly at Randy in his uniform. "What's that werewolf movie with E.T.'s mom in it?"

"The Howling — horror, straight ahead," he said, nodding to the other side of the store.

"Okay, thanks," she said before going off.

"Oh, now that's poor taste," Randy said flatly, glancing back at something.

Both Indiana and Stu looked at him questioningly. "What?" Stu asked.

He and Indy then followed Randy's line of sight, seeing that Billy was also in the store. He was standing in the horror section, and two girls were awfully close to him, offering him some of the candy they'd bought from the store.

Indiana glared at the girls, jealousy washing over her. It wasn't the same kind of jealousy she felt when Sidney was with Billy — that just made her feel sad because she cared so much about her friend. Something had shifted inside Indiana after finally sleeping with Billy, which she didn't quite understand because it wasn't like she'd never had sex before. But as far as she was concerned — and barring the whole Sidney situation — Billy was hers.

Seeing the sour expression on her face, Stu leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Could you be more jealous?" Rather than respond, she elbowed him lightly in the stomach. He hardly felt it and just let his chin rest on the top of her head, leaning on her from behind.

"Fuck off, Chandler Bing," she mumbled.

"If you were the only suspect in a senseless bloodbath, would you be standing in the horror section?" Randy asked them, raising his eyebrows.

"He's not the only suspect," Indiana reminded him. Really, Gale was the only reporter questioning Indiana's involvement, and the others just sounded sympathetic for her loss when running stories about how she saved her own life.

Yet another reason to hate Gale fucking Weathers, in her opinion.

"Well, and it was just a misunderstanding," Stu told Randy, shaking his head. "He didn't do anything."

"You're such a little lap dog," he said, rolling his eyes. "He's got 'killer' printed all over his forehead."

"Oh-kay. Really?" Stu asked with a loud, mocking laugh. "Then why'd the cops let him go, smart guy?"

"Because, obviously, they don't watch enough movies. This is standard horror movie stuff. Prom Night revisited, man," he argued while moving down the aisle, still reshelving videos.

"Yeah? Why would he want to kill his own girlfriend?" Stu questioned. "And Indy?"

"There's always some stupid bullshit reason to kill your girlfriend," Randy declared, making Indiana laugh. "That's the beauty of it all. Simplicity. Besides, if it's too complicated, you lose your target audience."

"Well, what's his reason?" Indy asked, grinning.

Randy looked at them and lowered his voice. "Maybe Sidney wouldn't have sex with him."

Indiana rolled her eyes, knowing he didn't have a right to talk about Sidney's sex life. And Stu just chuckled. "What? She's saving herself for you?"

"Maybe," he mumbled, the tips of his ears turning red. "Now that Billy tried to mutilate her, do you think Sid would go out with me?" he asked earnestly.

Before Indiana could tell him 'maybe,' Stu laughed right in his face, letting his tongue fall out before he covered his mouth and began giggling childishly. Randy was obviously not amused by his reaction, and then Stu cut out the laughs and shook his head. "No, I don't, at all. No," he denied.

Randy let out a huff and crossed his arms. "Well, maybe he wants to kill Sid so he can finally have Indy all to himself — it's obvious. We aren't fucking blind."

"Rand," Indy spoke up, giving him a look, "most boys would just consider cheating rather than killing."

"Not psychos. They go straight to murder for solving their inconveniences," he said matter-of-factly. She just let out an amused scoff. "Or, ya know, you and Billy are in this together — like Natural Born Killers. You want Billy all to yourself, and can't do that unless Sidney is out of the way."

"Again," Indiana said, squinting at him, "I could just seduce him. Cheating is way easier than murder."

And Indiana would know best because, well, she had done that.

"Nah, you know who I think it is?" Stu asked rhetorically. He leaned in closer, practically trapping Indiana against the shelves as he did so. "Yo, I think it's her father. Why can't they find her pops, man?"

"Because he's probably dead. His body will come popping out in the last reel somewhere — eyes gouged out, fingers cut off, teeth knocked out," Randy went on. Both Stu and Indiana leaned back, grimacing at the mental picture he was painting.

It didn't help that Randy kept raising his voice. Stu looked around awkwardly, seeing how a few people were glancing over at them. "C'mon, man," he hissed through his teeth.

"See, the police are always off track with this shit. If they'd watch Prom Night, they'd save time," Randy went on as if they hadn't talked about horror movies a million times and didn't know these things. "There's a formula to it. A very simple formula! Everybody's a suspect!"

As Randy full-on shouted, everyone in the entire store looked over at them in alarm. It was utter silence, which made Indiana cover her face, not wanting any more attention than she already had with the news breaking this morning.

Stu began acting out the motions of smoking a joint, telling the others that he was just high. It worked well enough as people began talking again, though they still got concerned looks every now and then.

"You're being a bit theatrical, Rand," Indiana told him. Though this was Randy, so she wasn't surprised. "This is real life, not Prom Night. Which doesn't even follow the formula correctly because Kelly was a virgin and still bit it in the end."

"Yeah, because she was an accomplice in Robin's death — now is not the time," Randy said, waving her off. "I'm telling you, the dad's a red herring. It's Billy."

He turned to take some tapes to a different section, only to run right into Billy, who heard his accusation. Billy roughly grabbed the front of Randy's shirt. "How do we know you're not the killer?" he asked threateningly. "Huh? Huh?"

A very giddy Stu came up behind Randy and kept him in place, keeping his arms over his shoulder. Randy clearly looked intimidated, if not scared at the least.

"Cut it out, guys," Indiana said with a sigh. She was ignored, of course.

"Uh, hi, Billy," Randy greeted nervously.

"Maybe your movie-freaked mind lost its reality button? You ever think of that?" he asked accusingly, clearly not happy about Randy accusing him of murder.

"You're absolutely right," he said stiffly. "I'm the first to admit it. If this were a scary movie, I'd be the prime suspect."

"That's right."

"And what would be your motive?" Stu questioned. Indiana rolled her eyes as Stu toyed with Randy's earlobe to agitate him even more.

Randy wriggled out of Stu's hold and looked between the two. "It's the millennium – motives are incidental."

"Millennium, hmm?" Billy repeated, sharing some kind of look with Stu. Then he looked back at Randy, pinching his nose. "Millennium, I like that. Millennium, that's good. Good kid." Before walking off, Billy pat Randy's cheek condescendingly.

"Millennium," Stu said teasingly as Billy left them behind. "Good word, my man."

Randy released a breath while pointing after the boy. "Now, you're telling me that's not a killer?"

"Then maybe don't run around pissing him off," Indiana said, letting out a laugh. Randy visibly gulped, realizing he'd probably made a mistake — though Indiana obviously wasn't taking it as seriously as he was. "Later. I'm gonna track down Jax and Soph."

"Bye, babe," Stu called as she walked off. "Wear something hot tonight! Show some skin!"

She laughed at him as she left the boys behind. Jackson was the first one that Indiana found, but he was trying his luck at picking up a girl who was trying to choose between Die Hard and Point Break, so she walked right past them.

Indy went over to the back wall where they had things like movie posters to buy, the only section of the store that wasn't crawling with people. Somewhat bored, she flipped through the newer ones, thinking about getting the Independence Day poster for Isaiah, who went and saw it three times at the theater when it came out over the summer.

"Stu's right." Indiana nearly flinched, not hearing Billy come up behind her.

"About what?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

"You should wear something that shows skin," he told her, speaking in a low tone. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from reacting as he put one hand on her side and then moved her hair off her neck with his other. He brushed his thumb over a fresh hickey, half-hidden by the fabric of her t-shirt. There was another just like it a few inches higher, right under her jaw. "I want everyone to see what I did to you."

Indiana let out the breath she'd been holding and then turned to face him, keeping her voice down. "Are you going to tell Sidney?"

"I'll talk to her tonight," Billy assured her. "It'll all be over tonight. Then it's you and me."

Indiana didn't care that the Blockbuster was so crowded. She didn't stop Billy when he reached for her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. She just leaned closer, placing her free hand on his chest. "You and me."

☆︎

The party at the Macher house was in full swing when Tatum and Sidney finally arrived, their arms full of snacks. It wasn't the biggest party Stu had ever thrown — it was mostly members of his basketball team and their girlfriends, as well as a few others that tagged along. Cars lined the dirt road and music was blaring so loud that you could hear it outside, but that was fine because Stu didn't have any neighbors.

"Caterer's here," Tatum called out. Many of their friends cheered for the food as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Here, I'll help," Sophia said, getting off the couch to take some of the bags Tatum was carrying.

"Thanks," Tatum said, smiling at the girl. They made it to the kitchen, where no one else was offering to help put the food away. "Oh, that's mature."

Jackson was on his knees while Stu was holding a funnel above his head. Indiana was the one sitting on the kitchen counter, pouring beer down the tube, right into Jackson's mouth while chanting 'Chug! Chug! Chug!'

"You guys were tardy for the party, so we started without you," Stu said, spotting Sidney and his girlfriend. He was wearing the red robe that went with his Halloween costume he already bought a month in advance — Tatum was going to be a Playboy Bunny to match his Hefner getup.

"My brother, everybody," Sophia muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Our parents would be so proud."

As if to back her statement up, Jackson finished off the beer, making Indy cheer as he got off his knees and gave her a high five. Then he let out a loud belch, making the girls cringe while Stu clapped him on the back.

"Here, let me go next," Indiana said, sliding off the counter while looking at Stu. She started to get on her knees, but the taller boy caught her arm and shook his head. "Why not?"

"Billy doesn't want you drinking," Stu said, quiet enough that the others couldn't overhear as they unloaded all the snacks.

Indiana scoffed. "Billy doesn't decide if I drink or not, Stu. If I want a beer, I'll have a fucking beer."

Stu sighed at her attitude, knowing Billy would be pissed if he got there and saw her anything less than sober. Then again, Stu thought it was dumb to enforce that particular horror movie rule considering he'd fucked the shit out of Indiana the night before. "Look, he's just worried with the attacks and everything. You really shouldn't be drunk, just in case, ya know?" he said, speaking softly, each word a lie. "Don't be mad at him."

Her expression softened as she took in the explanation, realizing Billy just cared about her safety. He was right, as well. If Ghostface did show up at any point, she wanted to be able to fend him off and protect her friends.

"Okay," she gave in. "Get me a lame-ass Pepsi, Macher."

"But of course," Stu said with a wide grin. He spun around and got a soda from his fridge.

The party went on from there as most parties did. More and more drinks were passed around, and then when Randy got off work, he brought an armful of horror movies for them to watch.

"Why the hell would you pick horror movies?" Sophia had asked, sitting on the arm of the couch. Tatum was squished between her and Stu, with Sidney on the other end.

"Um, what better time to watch a movie about murders than while breaking a town-wide curfew set in place because of a murderer?" Randy asked her, raising his eyebrows. Then he held up some of the choices to let them vote. "How many Evil Dead?"

Only two boys raised their beers. "Second one's better," Indiana told him while shaking her head. She was sharing the armchair with Jackson.

"Is fucking not!" Randy denied. "It—"

"Not now, you two," Jackson interrupted, knowing how they got when they disagreed about movies. "What else you got?"

Randy nodded and held up another option. "How many Hellraiser? Does that please Ms. No Taste?"

"Well, it's no Killer Klowns," Indy said jokingly while shrugging.

"I'll kill you," he threatened jokingly. Indiana just laughed and threw her head back, unable to believe he was throwing that around with all the shit he'd been giving everyone else in the friend group.

"The Fog, Terror Train, Prom Night — How come Jamie Lee Curtis is in all these movies?" Sidney asked. She had been silently looking through all the other tapes Randy brought and quickly noticed he was holding up the only two without Jamie Lee in them.

Randy leaned down on the couch armrest, giving her a very serious look. "She's the Scream Queen."

"With a set of lungs like that, she should be," Stu said, not even bothering to hide his smirk.

Tatum looked to Sid, unimpressed. "Tits. See?"

"She does have a great pair," Sophia admitted while sipping her beer.

"Exactly!" Stu said, reaching over Tatum to clink the neck of his beer against Sophia's. Then the doorbell rang, which was odd because people had been coming and going all night. "Oh, I'll get it."

Rather than walk around, Stu opted to crawl over the back of the couch, which ended with him falling to the ground. Tatum laughed, and Sophia slid off the arm of the couch onto the cushion, now pressed fully against her side. Stu got on his knees and looked at them from behind the couch.

"Hey, Tate, grab me another beer, would ya?" he requested as the doorbell rang again. "There's more beer in the garage."

"What am I, the beer wench?" she asked, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"I'll help carry them," Sophia offered, nudging her shoulder.

Indiana was going to get Randy talking about movies again, but when she looked over, she saw that he was saying something about Terror Train that was making Sidney giggle.

"Hmm, looks like something could happen there," Jackson said, speaking in Indiana's ear. "Maybe she won't care that you let Billy suck on your neck like a vacuum cleaner in the alley behind the Blockbuster this morning."

Indiana elbowed Jackson harshly and then glanced down, which was pointless because she couldn't see her neck and jaw without a mirror.

She hadn't really considered Stu and Billy's request to show skin, but it ended up that way anyway. The pair of baggy, black corduroy overalls she was wearing may or may not have come from Jackson's closet, but the small, white, crocheted tank top that fit more like a bra than a shirt definitely didn't. With only one of the overall straps connected, you could see a fair amount from the waist up.

At the very least, Indiana covered most of the marks from Billy with foundation. There were two that were a little too dark to hide completely though, one of which was under her jaw and the other on her collarbone. But her arms and neck were still covered in bruises from being thrown around by Ghostface, so no one really noticed them, especially when the still-healing cut over her eyebrow was still so prominent.

Before Indiana could actually make a snarky comment directed at Jackson for teasing her, Stu ran right back into the living room, looking insanely excited. "You are not gonna believe who's here!" he said animatedly. "It's that chick from Top Story!

As soon as she heard the name of Gale's show on Channel Six, Indiana tensed up, digging her fingers into the fabric of the chair angrily.

"Gale Weathers?" Randy asked, his eyes wide. Unlike Sidney, Indiana, and Tatum, who were now painfully acquainted with the woman, most everyone else in their year had never met the small-town celebrity.

"Here. Yeah!" Stu confirmed. Everyone quickly got just as excited as he was except for Jackson, Sophia, Tatum, Sidney, and Indiana. They all looked like they'd rather be anywhere else.

Then, when Tatum heard a familiar voice, she got off the couch and looked toward the hallway, seeing Gale in the foyer with her dumbass brother. Indiana spotted them as well, glaring at the woman who was hanging off his arm. Sure, Virginia and Dewey weren't dating, but they weren't not dating either.

"You're underage, son," Dewey was saying to a boy as he passed, snatching the beer from his hand. But after a second, he handed it back and grinned. "I'm kiddin'. Have a good time. Watch the driving."

"Twenty bucks says the next Gale Weathers story is about the small-town cop excusing underage drinking," Jackson muttered to Indiana, who nodded in agreement, already able to picture her throwing Dewey under the bus.

"Dewey," Tatum called, giving her brother an unpleasant look. She beckoned him forward with her finger. "Dewey, what is she doing here?"

"She's with me. I'm just checking things out," he told them. As they stepped into the living room, the guys in the room drooled over the reporter while all the girls gushed over how much they loved her show.

"So you did. Now leave," Tatum instructed, "and take your media muff with you."

Then Tatum stopped off to get more beer with Sophia following, hoping her brother would be gone by the time they finished. With Gale in the living room, Sidney didn't stay behind to be around her, and neither did Indiana. Both girls moved to the hallway, refusing to look at the woman.

"That was the quickest way for Deputy Dipshit to kill the vibe," Indiana grumbled while crossing her arms.

Sidney nodded in agreement. "Are you gonna tell Virginia he's on a date with her?"

"I'm gonna make Dewey be a man and tell her himself," she said, knowing how terrifying Virginia could be when she was mad. But Indiana would bet all her money she'd just give Dewey the silent treatment and ignore his existence, which would've been just as bad.

As if summoned by their topic, Dewey came over to them, greeting them with a soft, "Hey."

"Howdy," Indiana greeted half-heartedly while leaning against the wall of the staircase. Sidney managed a, "Hey," as well.

Then Randy passed by them with a huge grin on his face. "I need the camera," he said before running off. Indy just rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Have you found my father?" Sidney asked Dewey, fiddling with her hands nervously.

"I'm afraid not," he said sadly.

Sidney grew more upset, and Indy reached for her hands to keep her from messing with them. She squeezed back, appreciating the gesture. "Should I be worried?"

"Not yet," Dewey said, though he wasn't really being truthful with her.

Sidney nodded in understanding, and when Gale wandered back over, she quickly walked away. Indiana didn't bother to say goodbye either as she went back to the living room. Jackson had moved to the couch, so she took up the armchair on her own, looking at the TV.

"Hey," Jackson whispered, getting her attention. Indy raised an eyebrow. "Someone put a little something above the TV."

For a moment, Indiana was confused, but then Jackson nudged his head for her to look. She squinted at the boxy television and spotted a small object that hadn't been there minutes ago — a camera.

Gale used Dewey to get into the house so that she could spy on them all.

Indiana rolled her eyes and stuck up her middle finger, looking pointedly at the camera. "Get fucked."

☆︎

Virginia was so fucking grateful to be home before midnight for the first time in weeks. Sure, the sun was down, and Indiana was probably already asleep, but Virginia was still glad it wasn't two in the morning. She planned to reheat some Chinese food and poke her head in Indy's room to make sure she was alright.

That morning, after Indiana woke her up to inform her of the media spreading all the gory details of what happened in North Carolina, Billy promised Virginia he'd stay with the girl all day, even when Virginia was asleep or at work. So, she expected to see the boy sleeping by her side when she checked her room. She wouldn't put it past Jackson, Sophia, or Isaiah being there as well, even if the two juniors didn't spend as much time with Billy.

Virginia didn't make it as far as Indiana's room, though. Before even opening the doors of the fridge, she saw the pink sticky note that was covered in her sister's messy handwriting.

At Stu's party. Super sorry. Promise not to get murdered.
Love, Your Gremlin

The note crumbled in her hand and she let out an annoyed groan. Then she dropped it, reaching instead for her car keys. "God fucking damn it, Indiana!"

☆︎

The garage was dark when Sophia went down the three wooden steps leading into it. Tatum remained by the door, feeling along the wall for the light switch. While hitting it, she also triggered the motor on the garage door, which started to rise.

"C'mon, beer wench," Sophia said as Tatum lowered the door. She walked backward to the fridge on the other side of the garage, smiling at Tatum as she followed.

The girls each got an armful of beer, knowing Stu's father wouldn't notice or care that it was all missing when he got home with the rest of the family in the morning. Because of the clinking glass, neither heard the hinges on the door squeaking behind them.

But they did hear the loud crash, which made Tatum let out a screech as Sophia spun around quickly, looking for a threat. All they saw was a pile of gardening tools that was knocked over, and the culprit — Leslie's orange cat — ran out of the small pet flap in the garage door.

"Must be Ghost Boy's accomplice," Sophia joked.

"Not funny," Tatum said, though she was smiling. "Don't tell anyone I was scared."

"Don't worry," she said, leaning in close. "I'll protect you."

Then Sophia leaned in more, kissing Tatum softly. The older girl smiled into it, wishing she wasn't holding the stupid beer so that she could hold her instead.

"C'mon," Sophia said against Tatum's lips. "I don't wanna miss it if Sidney or Indiana punches Gale again."

"It was so cool. You'd have lost your mind if you were there for it," Tatum told her as she nudged the fridge shut with her hip.

The two headed for the door back into the house, seeing that it was closed. Sophia was the one to get there first, pulling on the doorknob. She let out a grunt when she realized someone locked it from the other side. "Fuck them."

When the lights turned back off, Tatum reached past her to bang on the door. "Hey, shitheads. Hello!"

There was no answer, so Sophia reached for the light switch and the one that opened the garage door, knowing they could get out that way. Both girls went back down the stairs and toward it. However, the motor stopped halfway up and began to lower before either had time to crouch down and go out that way.

"What the..." Sophia trailed off when they turned and saw someone in one of the Ghostface costumes by the closed door, his hand over the switch on the wall. "Very fucking funny."

"Is that you, Randy?" Tatum asked, raising an eyebrow. The figure just shook his head. Both girls rolled their eyes in annoyance and started back toward the door. "Cute. What movie is this from? I Spit On Your Garage?"

"Lose the outfit," Sophia said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "If Sidney sees it, she'll flip. And if Indy sees it, she'll gut you — which we all now know she knows how to do."

Tatum then tried to go up the stairs, but Ghostface wouldn't budge. He just shook his head again.

"Oh, you wanna play psycho killer?" Tatum asked, thinking it was a joke as she bat her eyelashes. He nodded slowly. "Can I be the helpless victim?"

As the figure slowly nodded again, Sophia took a step back. "Tate," she said warily, thinking back on how Indiana had described the killer. This wasn't the same as the assholes making a big scene in the school hallways.

Tatum didn't hear her though as she kept playing into it. "Okay, let's see. No, please don't kill me, Mr. Ghostface. I wanna be in the sequel," she said in a high-pitched voice.

She again tried to move up the stairs, but he blocked her way. Tatum got frustrated and tried to push him back. "Cut, Casper! That's a wrap."

"Tatum, stop—"

Sophia cut herself off as the man grabbed Tatum's wrist, who struggled to free herself. "Randy, what the hell are you doing?" she asked, getting angry.

"That's not Randy!" Sophia exclaimed, dropping her own beers to try and pull Tatum loose.

As soon as Ghostface pulled out a knife, Tatum let out a fearful scream. He moved to cut her, but Sophia finally managed to get her out of his grip. The knife slid across her fingers before she dragged Tatum back across the garage. They stumbled into some junk, Tatum nearly collapsing in a lawn chair.

Sophia grabbed her wrist with her uninjured hand and pulled her over to the fridge as the killer chased after them. Just as he reached them, Tatum threw open the freezer door, smashing it into his face and knocking him down. Sophia pushed her ahead to the locked door, but before Tatum reached the switch to the garage door, she heard Sophia's scream.

Tatum whipped around to see Sophia on the ground, Ghostface standing over her. His heavy boot was on her stomach, keeping her on the ground.

Thinking quickly, Tatum ran and grabbed one of the unbroken bottles of beer, which she chucked at his head. It caught him off guard, and when she threw another, he stumbled back off of Sophia.

"Soph, cat!" Tatum managed to yell as Ghostface rushed at her. Sophia reluctantly scrambled for the pet door, knowing it was the only way to get out and get help. Ghostface lunged at Tatum, but the girl quickly ducked down, causing him to ram right into the stairs, hitting his head.

Tatum then ran for the pet flap as well, which Sophia was wriggling through. The drummer was sure she'd have bruised ribs from how tight of a squeeze it was, but she knew the alternative was much worse.

Once Sophia was safely through, she turned back around and beckoned Tatum through. "Come on!" she shouted, grabbing one of her hands. Tatum managed to get one arm through, as well as her head. But then she wouldn't budge anymore, her chest unable to fit through the small rectangle.

"Fuck - Sophia!" Tatum cried, trying with all her might to get through. She was blindly kicking her legs, knowing it wouldn't be long before Ghostface attacked her from behind. Sophia was pulling her from her shoulder, but she wasn't budging.

"I'm gonna get you out, Tate, I'm gonna—"

Sophia's words died out as the garage door began to rise. Tatum began kicking and screaming even more, limbs flailing in an attempt to get free as she was lifted off the ground. "Soph! Soph, get me down!"

Ghostface was standing still at the door leading into the house, the one responsible for the garage door lifting. Knowing that Tatum was stuck, Sophia realized she had to get past him and to the switch — fast.

She took a running start, bolting for the door. Ghostface ran toward her at full force, his knife raised. When she reached him, she managed to feign left before spinning to the right, a move she'd seen her brother use countless times at his basketball games. Then she clamored up the stairs, reaching for the switch.

Her fingertips barely brushed the plastic before a painfully tight grip closed around her ankle, pulling her down the stairs. Sophia cried out as her nose smashed against them, breaking as it did.

Ghostface flung her to the ground and climbed on top of her. But rather than stab her right away, he forced her head down and to the side so that she was looking at the garage door.

Tears welled in Sophia's eyes as Tatum reached the top of the garage. Her scream was eardrum-rupturing before it got cut off suddenly. The mechanism sparked and released a loud groan that covered up the grotesque sound of Tatum's neck breaking. Blood went spraying everywhere, dripping down Tatum's dead body.

"N - no," Sophia choked out, shaking underneath him. She thrashed around, managing to release her head from his hold. In an attempt to punch him, her hand got caught on the stupid white mask, pulling it right off when he moved his head back to avoid the blow.

Sophia looked up at him in disbelief and recognition, growing completely still below him. She could hear the blood pumping in her ears, feel Tatum's blood on her skin, see his twisted smirk above her.

Her words were hardly audible as he raised his knife, ready to bring it down. "I hope she fucking kills you."

☆︎

As the night went on, more and more people ended up leaving Stu's, some muttering excuses about their parents or not wanting to push so far past the curfew. The door was wide open as Stu saw them out, thanking them for coming.

Sidney was amongst the ones that wanted to leave, but she hadn't seen the girl she came with in a long time. "Tatum, come on!" Sidney shouted up the stairs, not hearing any kind of response. She sighed and walked over to Stu at the door. "Do you know where she is?"

"Nah, I haven't seen her," he told her with a shrug.

Indiana wandered over, a fresh beer that she'd grabbed for Randy in hand. "She's, admittedly, probably with Sophia doing god knows what."

"Oh, I'm sure he doesn't want to know anyway," Stu joked while wrapping his arm around Indy, pulling her into his side.

Suddenly, someone jumped in the doorway, letting out a low, "Aah!" Sidney flinched while Indiana looked at Billy, unimpressed with the lame scare attempt. He shot Stu some kind of look before trailing his eyes over Indiana's form.

He almost didn't hear Sidney addressing him as he took in her uncovered skin and the bruises she hadn't bothered to cover up. At the very least, he managed to give an ounce of attention to his actual girlfriend. "Oh, Billy. Hey."

"Billy," Stu said with a mischievous smirk. "Hmm, what are you doing here?"

"I was hoping I could talk to Sid alone," Billy told them, keeping his eyes on Sidney.

She managed a weak smile. "You know, if Tatum sees you here, she'll draw blood."

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you guys go up to my parents' room?" Stu offered, ignoring how Indy stiffened under his arm. "You know, you guys can talk..." He paused, it very clear what he was insinuating. "...whatever."

"Subtlety, Stu. You should look it up," Billy muttered.

"No, it's okay," Sidney said a bit hesitantly. "We do need to talk."

Then Sidney reached for Billy's hand, pulling him into the house. As they moved past Indiana, Billy's hand wrapped around the beer in her hand.

"Thought you weren't drinking?" Billy asked, an almost challenging look in his eyes.

Maybe when she first got there, she thought it was a kind gesture, a way to make sure she was being safe with a killer out there. But Indiana couldn't help the jealousy that was crashing into her over such a simple act as Sidney holding Billy's hand, something she couldn't do.

"Changed my mind," she said simply, yanking the beer back. She made a point to drink from it as Sidney continued to pull Billy along, overall clueless to whatever the hell that was.

"Someone looks jealous," Stu said in Indiana's ear, a stupid grin on his face.

"He's going up there to break things off," she informed him, looking at Stu pointedly. Stu's mocking grin only grew, making her stomach twist with worry. What if Billy had changed his mind now that he'd slept with her?

"What's Leatherface doin' here?" Randy asked, coming over as he caught a glimpse of Billy and Sidney going upstairs.

"Cute," Stu cooed. "He came to make up."

"There goes my chance with Sid," he mumbled. "Damn it."

"As if," Stu scoffed. "That's all I'm saying. As if." Then he shut the front door.

"Oh, really, Alicia?" Randy shot back, looking at him in annoyance. Stu just walked by while holding his three fingers up in Randy's face, a silent 'whatever.'

"Sorry," Indiana told him. "Did you ever put in a movie?"

"Yeah, Halloween. C'mon," he said, pulling her to the living room. "At least admit the sequels to this bites."

"They're definitely not as iconic," she agreed.

With the movie finally chosen, the few people left behind all crammed into the living room. The party was now more of a movie night, not that any of them minded. When there wasn't a seat, Stu hooked his arm around Indiana's waist and pulled her onto his lap in the armchair.

Indiana couldn't really focus on Halloween, not with her constantly looking toward the stairs, waiting for Billy and Sidney to come back down. The longer they remained upstairs, the more convinced she was that Billy wasn't breaking up with the girl. And as even more time passed, she was even more convinced that they weren't just talking.

"Relax, babe," Stu whispered, getting Indiana to look away from the stairs and at him instead. "You've gone a whole year acting like you don't want him. Don't let yourself get desperate now."

"What, like you don't want him either?" Indy dared to shoot back.

Stu didn't even bother to pretend to be offended. "Well, he's just so pretty, Indy. Can't help it," he admitted. Then he leaned in a little closer, no one noticing with Jamie Lee Curtis on screen. "You're pretty too."

"You've got a girlfriend, Macher," Indiana reminded him when he glanced at her lips.

"Yeah, that's somewhere fucking your drummer," he said, laughing a little. "And it's not like that stopped you with Pretty Boy upstairs."

Indiana stared into Stu's eyes, remembering how pretty she thought the shade of blue was when meeting him the first time that day at the diner. Billy had always been calculating and secretive, but Stu was the opposite. He wore his heart on his sleeve, unashamed of the things he felt. Maybe he never made her feel as intensely as Billy did, but Indy couldn't say she'd never thought of Stu that way.

Stu must have seen some kind of shift in her eyes because he began to lean in even more. Before he could do anything, Indiana raised her beer to take one last sip, wanting to at least be buzzed if she was going to kiss Tatum's boyfriend surrounded by half the boys' basketball team.

Then she leaned in the rest of the way, her lips crashing against Stu's. He tasted like the cheap beer they'd all been drinking the whole night. Stu hummed happily against her lips, unable to keep from smiling into it. And that, of course, made Indy smile into the kiss as well.

Suddenly, popcorn was being pelted at them, and wolf-whistles sounded.

"Watch the movie!" Randy shouted at them. "Pay attention!"

Both Indiana and Stu broke into a fit of giggles, and she managed to peck his lips a few more times before looking back at the screen, leaning on the armrest of the chair. Stu practically draped himself across her, his lips finding her neck where he continued to place light, tickling kisses that kept the smile on her face for the rest of the movie.

"Look, here it comes!" Sebastian Reynolds said, anticipating one of the many deaths.

When he was stabbed, several of the people in the room flinched or groaned. Ashton Bluth was shaking his head from his spot next to Jackson. "The blood is all wrong," he complained. "Now, why do they do that? It's too red!"

"Yeah, looks like our Halloween performance last year," Jackson said, laughing at it.

"Wait, here comes another," Randy warned, sitting on the edge of the couch.

Maybe two years ago, Indiana would've flinched or winced as many of the others did. Maybe she'd have cheered, but it wasn't quite as satisfying once you witness it in person.

"Predictable," Sebastian said, rolling his eyes. "I knew he was gonna bite it."

"Yeah, the movie came out eighteen fucking years ago," Indiana said, rolling her eyes. "Everyone knows what happens."

"How can you watch this shit over and over?" Matt Roan asked, getting a little bored.

Randy just shushed him childishly. Then Stu spoke up in a whining tone. "I wanna see breasts. I wanna see Jamie Lee's breasts. When do we see Jamie Lee's breasts?" he asked. As he did so, he worked his hand underneath Indiana's overalls, brushing his thumb over her covered chest. She rolled her eyes but let him keep his hand there.

"Not until Trading Places in '83," Randy informed him. "Jamie Lee was always the virgin in horror movies. She never showed her tits until she went legits."

"Could afford a decent pair," Allison Martin muttered from her spot on the carpet.

It had Indiana cracking a smile, but Randy looked almost offended for Jamie Lee, who wasn't there to defend herself. "What'd you say?" he asked, looking at her. "That's why she always outsmarted the killer in the big chase scene at the end. Only virgins can do that. Don't you know the rules?" Randy asked Allison.

"What rules?" Stu questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Here we go," Indy muttered with an amused smile. She sat up a little to pay attention.

"You don't—" In a dramatic outrage, Randy set his beer bottle down and then grabbed the remote to pause the movie. He jumped to his feet to address them all. "Jesus Christ, you don't know the rules?"

"Have an aneurysm, why don't ya?" Stu told him, making the others laugh. Indy turned her head to look back at him, both knowing how Randy was about these things.

"There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie," Randy began to explain. "For instance, number one, you can never have sex."

Naturally, nearly everyone in the room started booing and shouting at him. They even threw popcorn like when they caught Stu and Indy kissing rather than watching the movie.

"Big no-no! Big no-no!" Randy shouted while swatting the popcorn away.

"I'm a dead man," Stu said, nibbling on Indiana's ear. "We can die together. Maybe invite Billy-boy."

"Yeah?" she asked, not hating the thought. "Maybe so." She moved to kiss Stu once again, who grinned, excited that she wasn't opposed to what he suggested — Tatum would've punched him for something like that.

"Sex equals death," Randy went on. "Okay? Number two, you can never drink or do drugs."

At that, all of them cheered and raised their drinks before having more alcohol. Even Randy clinked his beer with Jackson's, showing he wasn't taking the rules that seriously.

"No, the sin factor. It's a sin," he explained. "It's an extension of number one. And number three, never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, say 'I'll be right back.'"

While Randy was ranting, Stu tapped Indiana's thigh before getting off the chair, letting her sit back down without him. "I'm gettin' another beer. You want one?" he asked Randy while moving back toward the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure."

"I'll be right back!" Stu said mockingly while backing out of the living room, throwing his hands up like a zombie. Indiana giggled at his antics.

"You see, you push the laws and you end up dead," Randy said, raising his beer, as if honoring Stu's memory. "Okay, I'll see you in the kitchen with a knife."

With Stu gone, everyone went back to watching the movie, and Randy calmed down. Jackson managed to catch Indiana's eyes, who then began making kissy faces. She rolled her eyes and flipped him off. 'Game recognizes game' he silently mouthed to her, nodding his head after where Stu disappeared. Indiana had to refrain from laughing at that.

As the movie went on, a few more people left for the night. The only ones left behind were a handful of Jackson's friends from the basketball team, as well as Allison, who was squished into the armchair with Indy. And, naturally, everyone was looking at the screen intently as the sex scene came up.

"Look, here comes the obligatory tit shot," Randy pointed out as she sat up on the screen and the sheet dropped. Indiana only grinned as a series of whoops and catcalls filled the room. Ashton and Sebastian even high-fived.

Allison got up with a grin, moving to leave. "I'll leave you guys alone."

"Hey, Indy's having fun too," Jackson said teasingly.

"I like anything bigger than mine," she told him, putting her hands behind her head. Since she'd always been smaller-chested, the movement didn't exactly thrust much forward, proving her point.

"Oh, I'm sure Stu and Billy have no complaints," Ashton said, snickering over his comment.

"No, don't make her angry," Matt said in a teasing tone. "She'll gut your ass!"

"Exactly," Indy said, having no problem leaning into the joke. It was far easier than being offended for the rest of her life. "Watch your back, Bluth."

The landline then rang, and Indiana couldn't help but tense up on instinct. Not wanting the sound to keep him from the movie, Randy walked on his knees over to the phone that was on a side table to answer it.

"Hello?" he answered. "Yeah?" Slowly, Randy rose to his full height in front of the TV, reacting to whatever he was being told. "Holy shit! N—"

Randy suddenly faced them, dropping the phone. He looked in shock. "Listen up. They found Principal Himbry dead!" he told them. All of them looked at him in disbelief. "He was gutted and hung from the goalpost on the football field."

The room was completely silent as they all processed the information. Jackson was the first to break it, taking a sip of his beer. "Guess that Ghost Boy can do something right," he said, laughing. "Himbry's a total freak with the girls at school." Indiana silently nodded in agreement.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Ashton asked, clearly excited. "Let's get over there before they pry him down!"

The room emptied in seconds as the boys all ran out, hollering at the top of their lungs. Jackson anxiously looked after his teammates, his leg bouncing in anticipation.

"Just go," Indiana told him, sighing. She could see how badly he wanted to be with his other friends. "But come back for me and Soph whenever she's done with... well, you know."

"Got it. Be back soon," he said, kissing Indiana's forehead before running after the others.

"Stay safe!" Indiana shouted, worried that Ghostface was still somewhere near the football field.

The news left just Randy and Indiana in the living room, both setting their eyes on the TV screen. It wasn't that exciting, but both were always content to stay seated while watching a good movie.

"Wanna watch Prom Night after this?" Indiana asked Randy.

"Yeah, sounds good."

☆︎

Ashton and Jackson had little concern for pedestrians as they sped down the dirt road leading away from Stu's house in their cars full of their teammates. So, they were completely clueless to the fact that they nearly ran over Dewey and Gale, who'd been rather flirty right up until Dewey pulled them off the road, which sent them tumbling into a ditch. They wouldn't have noticed the car driving toward Stu's house either if not for the headlights, which they narrowly avoided before continuing on.

Just off the road, Dewey and Gale tumbled into the ditch. When they finally stopped rolling, Gale was on top of the deputy.

"I'm sorry. You okay?" Dewey asked, his hands on her arms as he looked up at her.

"Yeah," she said with a soft smile.

Seeing as her headband was crooked, Dewey reached up to take it off, freeing her hair. The two silently stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Gale leaned down to kiss Dewey. He kissed her back for several moments before pulling away with a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm on duty—"

"Get the fuck off my boyfriend!"

Gale barely comprehended it, but one second, she'd been straddling Dewey, and the next, she was dragged to her feet by the collar of her coat. And for the second time in less than three days, she was punched in the face.

Virginia Winger had arrived just in time to see Dewey and Gale run off the road. She was quite surprised to see them locking lips when she got out of her car to check on them.

She was also surprised she impulsively referred to Dewey as her boyfriend, but that was a problem for a different night.

"Virginia!" Dewey called out, scrambling to his feet. He looked between her and Gale with wide eyes, the latter of whom was crouched over and holding her nose that was spewing blood.

Pushing back the jealousy she felt over seeing Dewey kiss a woman she hated, Virginia channeled her anger to a far more important topic. "Where the hell is my sister?" she asked him, clenching her fist.

"Sh - she's at the party," Dewey said nervously while pointing back toward Stu's.

"The party that I told her not to go to? The party that you're supposed to be watching and keeping safe? The party you abandoned to make out with some bitch that's been making Sidney's life a living hell? That party?" she asked, seething.

Dewey struggled to gather his thoughts and remember why he'd left the house with Gale in the first place — he couldn't help it. Virginia had always been intimidating. "I, um, there was a tip called in for a - a car."

"That car?" Virginia asked, nodding behind him while putting her hands on her hips.

Dewey and Gale turned around, seeing the tail end of a car just visible through the trees and bushes. They all moved closer, and Dewey turned on his flashlight, studying the plates.

"Damn," he muttered, moving faster toward the vehicle.

"What?"Gale asked, going after him. "What is it?"

"This is Neil Prescott's car," he told them.

"He's supposed to be on his trip," Virginia said with a frown, knowing the police hadn't been able to contact him at all.

"Sidney's father?" Gale questioned.

"Yeah. Jesus, what's he doing here? We gotta get back," Dewey told the women. He was clearly panicking, and Virginia didn't like seeing him that way one bit.

"Get in my fucking car."