Back to Logan's POV:

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"Okay, nerds! Listen up!" Mindy clapped to get our attention. "As terrifying as this all is, I'm actually glad I get a chance to redeem myself for not calling the killers last time. It's fine. Okay" Mindy took a deep breath and continued, "The way I see it, someone is out to make a sequel to the requel"

"Um," Anika raised her hand. "What's a requel?"

"You're beautiful, sweetie," Anika smiled at Mindy. "Let's hold questions till the end"

"Stab 1 took place in Woodsboro, Stab 2 took place in college" Said Sam.

"So the killers trying to copy the movies? Again?" I asked, a little scared another Amber situation would happen again.

"That is one possibility. Heroes now in college, check. Suspicious new characters brought in to round out the suspect list," Mindy motioned at the other five. "and/or body count, check, check, and check"

"I don't like this" Ethan mumbled.

"But it can't just be about Stab 2"

"Why not?" Tara asked her movie obsessed friend.

"It would make sense if this were just a sequel, but we're not in a sequel, because nobody just makes sequels anymore! We're in a franchise!" Mindy announced, throwing her arms up in the arm as she did. "And there are certain rules to a continuing franchise"

"I had a feeling" Sam groaned.

"Rule one: Everything is bigger than last time. Bigger budget, bigger cast, bigger body count, longer chases, shootouts, beheadings, you got to top what came before to keep people coming back"

"Beheadings?" Chad questioned, slightly confused and terrified at the same time.

"Beheadings." His sister confirmed. "Rule two: Whatever happened last time, expect the opposite"

I let out a sigh of relief after hearing that. If the killers stuck to the rules then another Amber situation wouldn't happen again.

"Franchises only survive by subverting expectations" Mindy continued, "If the killers last time were whiny snowflake film nerds with Letterboxed accounts instead of personalities, you can bet the opposite will be true here. And rule three: No one is safe."

Rory and I glanced at each other once those words fell out of Mindys mouth.

"Legacy characters? Canon fodder at this point. Usually brought back only to be killed off in some cheap bid for nostalgia. It's not looking too good for Gale and Kirby and... " Mindys body turned towards me, "and your dad, Logan"

Well Fuck.

I had nearly forgotten my dad was a character in the first Stab movie.

"And that's not even the worst part!"

"Oh, this is the part where she tells us the worst part" Chad said to the younger Carpenter sister.

"The worst part is franchises are just continuing episodic installments designed to boost an IP!"

"Yeah, uh, try speaking English" Liam teased.

Mindy glared at the blonde headed boy before continuing her rant. "Which means, main characters are completely expendable now too. Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Ellen Ripley, Sally Hardesty, Jigsaw, Tony Stark, James Bond, I mean even Luke Skywalker all died so their franchises could live on. That means it's not just the friend group, any one of us could go at any time, especially Sam and Tara, and Logan"

Rory reached for my hand and squeezed it, and I laid my head on her shoulder. I didn't want to die. I mean there was always that possibility but I wasn't gonna die. I wasn't. The main characters in this franchise never died, I mean Sidney was living proof of that.

"Wait, any of us?"

"Yeah" Mindy nodded.

"Does- am I in the friend group" Ethan stammered.

"Yeah"

"Am I like one of the targets of- "

"Mmhm"

"Am I gonna die a virgin?" Asked Ethan.

The rest of us all shared the same weirded out facial expression.

"That was- a weird over share. But it brings us to our current suspects" Mindy walked over to Ethan. "Ethan, the shy dorky guy who no one suspects because he's so shy and dorky"

"Okay, wait. Why am I on the suspect list? Because I'm randomly Chads roommate?"

"Roommate lotteries can be juked, you could've fixed it to get next to us" Mindy moved on and made her way over to Quinn. "Quinn, the slutty roommate, a horror movie classic"

"Sex positive, but... thank you?"

"Mhm, um, how did you come to live with Sam and Tara?" Mindy asked her.

"I answered their ad online" Quinn answered.

"Okay! Say no more, you've already implicated yourself enough!"

"It was an anonymous ad, Mindy" Said Tara, backing up Quinn. "And you know we vetted her. Plus her dad is a cop- "

"And that makes it more likely she's the killer" Mindy cut Tara off. "Because having a cop dad is a great cover! Do you not remember how these movies work Tara?!" Mindy got all up in Tara's face with her arms thrown up in the air.

Quinn leaned forward to look at Sam, "Is she always like this?" Sam just shrugged in response.

"Suspect #3: Liam, the son of the only single Ghostface, Roman Bridger"

"What? Why would I- no! I'm not the killer" Liam stumbled over his words, which didn't help his case much.

"Rory!" Mindy walked over to Rory and I. "The "best friend", another horror movie classic"

"Why did you air quote best friends?" Rory was more concerned about the air quotes than being on Mindys suspect list.

"And finally, Anika" Anika blew a kiss to Mindy, and Mindy blew a kiss to Anika. "Never trust the love interest"

"Okay! So, we have our rules and we have our suspects" Says Sam.

"But wait, what about you guys?" Ethan spoke, gesturing at the rest of us.

"Do you honestly think we would want a repeat of Woodsboro?" Ethan glared at me for a moment before turning his attention to Quinn.

"Um, no, hold on. He has a point," Quinn agreed with Ethan. "What if the trauma you all went through caused one or more of you to snap?" Quinn glanced at Sam and I for a quick second.

I leaned forward to look at Quinn, "Oh, and you're suggesting that Sam and I snapped?"

"No, I wasn't suggesting anything" Quinn quickly replied.

Rory pulled me back and massaged my shoulders for a quick second to calm me down.

"What if the fame you got from the killings made you thirsty for more?" Ethan suggested. "I mean, let's be honest here, some of the theories online about Sam and Logan are- "

"Don't you fucking dare" Tara hissed at the curly haired boy.

"Okay, she's right though" Anika spoke, "I mean, face facts, if we're all suspects, you're all suspects"

The five of us all exchanged glances. I mean they had a point, that is always a possibility.

. . .

The others had gone back to Sam's place so it was just Anika, Rory, and I.

Anika and Rory had known each other since the 2nd grade, they were practically sisters. They knew every little detail about each others lives.

"Fuck, I just realized I forgot something back at my parents house"

Rory went to stand but was pulled back down by Anika. "You sure you want to go? There, I mean"

"I'll be okay, Anika, I promise"

Anika hesitantly let go of Rorys wrist and she walked off. I had no clue what the fuck that was but there was something about her home life she hadn't told me.

"What was that all about?" I asked Anika.

"Nothing," Anika kept her eyes on Rory, "nothing"