The rest of the week went normally. No fights, no deaths, just quiet. I got to spend a lot more time with my friends. It was nice, maybe too nice?

The phone rings in my dorm room and I hesitantly pick it up.

"Hello...?"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" my father shouts into the reciever. I almost have a heart attack.

"Thanks..." I exhale.

"I can't believe my baby girl is growing up so fast." I hear him sniff. "It feels like it was only yesterday I was changing your diapers."

"I know, I know." I roll my eyes. I hate when my dad gets all emotional like this.

"I sent your gift in the mail, hopefully it got there in time. Let me know, okay?"

"I will."

We talk for a few minutes before saying our goodbyes.

I run down to the student center to check my mail box. There were a few slips in it.

I take them to the counter and the lady passes me out an envelope and a large, nicely wrapped box. It was surprisingly light.

As I walk through the hall I can hear random students shout birthday wishes when noticing the large box in my arms.

I just nod my head and smile. I really hate birthdays. None of them are my friends, I know all of their words are hollow.

I go outside and sit on the edge of the water fountain. I'm not one for gifts either, especially opening them infront of people. I never know if my reaction is enough.

The first was a regular brown mailing envelope. It was covered in scribbles, hearts, balloons. It was definatly my father's work.

I tear it open, it's a 'Green Day' band tee. They are my favorite. I will definatly get some good wear out of this.

I unfold the shirt to get a better look at the logo and something falls out onto the ground.

It's a switchblade. I pick it up and flick out the blade. The last time I called my father I was telling him about all of the murders that occurred, he told me how if I really wanted to stay in college I needed to learn to protect myself.

I pick up the other box, using the blade to cut it open, it was really sharp. I click the blade back into place and shove it into my bra.

The other box was filled with a mess of pink fabric. I hate pink... this is definatly from my mother and her creepy husband.

I lay the box on the ground and pull everything out. It's a modest, frilly, knee length dress. Ew. There was also a jewelry box. I open it and there is a necklace inside with a cross pendant and a small Bible. Still trying to shove their religion down my throat I see.

"That's so pretty!" I hear a voice shout. Its Hallie, Sidney walking by her side.

It was definatly her taste.

"Here, take it!" I toss the dress at her and she catches it.

"Seriously?" She blinks in astonishment.

"Yes. I think my soul would leave my body if I wore that much pink."

Sidney laughs, like me she is more fond of darker colors.

They sit on the fountain on either side of me. Hallie hugs into the dress like she has just struck gold.

"I'll have to wear this on my date." She smiles.

"Ooo, you've got a date?" I tease. "Who's the lucky man?"

"Mickey!" She shouts excitedly and my stomach does a back flip.

I want so badly to tell her what I know, but we arnt really the closest. I don't want to overstep any boundaries.

"How long...have you been together?" I swallow the lump in my throat.

"Just since this morning." She flattens out the dress in her lap, running her fingers along the ruffles. "We're going out for dinner, I'm really excited."

"That's good..." I mutter.

"That reminds me!" Sidney interjects. "I was going to ask you if you could meet me later. I'd like to talk."

"Why, is something up?" I shoot her a look of concern.

"No-no. How does 4pm in the theatre classroom sound?"

"Sounds good."

"Perfect." She jumps to her feet and Hallie does as well.

"I have to go get ready, I'll talk to you later." Hallie speaks.

"I'm helping her." Sidney grins and they both run away.

That was odd.

I pull the tshirt my father had given me over the tank top I had been wearing. I take the necklace and Bible and shove them into my pocket. Mom will definatly expect me to be wearing it when we see each other again. As far as the dress goes, I'll just tell her somebody stole it.

I hang around my room most of the day, drawing in my sketchbook and listening to some music.

When 4pm rolls around I rush toward the theatre classroom to meet Sidney. I wonder what she has to say?

When I get there I notice through the window in the door that the lights were off... she did say 4 right?

As I open the door I reach into my top, pulling out my blade. I really don't feel like being ambushed again.

Suddenly the lights flick on and I'm surrounded by loud voices shouting 'Happy Birthday!'.

I almost drop with the fright, everybody's eyes widen- especially Sidney's- who stood only inches away from the blade.

"Hey, put the knife away!" Randy throws his arms into the air. "Youre alright!"

"Im sorry." I sigh, shoving it back into my top. "I just lost an eyebrow and I don't feel like losing another one."

I take a second to examine my surroundings. The classroom was cutely decorated with balloons, streamers, and a home-made banner.

"You didn't have to do all of this for me." 

"Of course we did!" Sidney smiles.

"And it gets better!" Randy wraps an arm around my back, leading me to a make-shift table made by pushing a bunch of desks together. Ontop was a cake and a small pile of gifts.

For the first time in a while I feel genuinely happy.

"Cut the cake!" Hallie grins, handing me a knife and some paper plates, she wore that godawful dress.

I slide the knife into the cake, it's vanilla- my favorite. I lay a piece out onto a plate.

"Crumbs! Crumbs! Crumbs!" Derek chants. "What's the name of your crush?"

"Arnt we a little old for that?" I laugh.

"You just don't want to say who it is!"

"No, I don't have one!" I cross my arms.

"I bet he's in this room!" Derek teases.

"It's me, isn't it?" Randy shoots me a cheeky smile and my face becomes flushed.

"Is not."

"Is too."

I take the paper plate in my hand, squishing the piece of cake into Randy's face.

I take my finger and wipe the icing off of his nose, sticking it into my mouth.

"Mmm. Butter cream." I joke and he digs his fist into the cake, shoving a handful into my face.

Derek bursts into laughter and Randy takes the leftover cake in his hand and shoves it into his face. Than Derek takes some and shoves it into Sidney's. We laugh and scream as it becomes a full on cake war.

Once the cake had be fully mutilated the four of us clean ourselves up, tears of laughter rolling down out faces as we scrape the icing off of our hands and faces with paper towels.

"You should open your presents next!"  Hallie suggests, she hadn't participated in the food fight. She's sort of a stick in the mud.

I notice Mickey had his hand wrapped delicately around her waist, he was very quiet through all of this. Was he trying to make me jealous? I shake it off.

"Alright!" I wiggle my fingers. "Which one first?"

The first one I pick up had Sidney and Derek's names on it. It was a collection of tapes for my Walkman with all of my favorite bands. Nirvana, AC/DC, Alice in Chains.

"I love them! How'd you know what I like?"

"We have similar tastes." Sidney chuckles.

I pick up one from Mickey and Hallie and open it. It's a disposeable camera and a small album.

"Now you can take some photos of your college experience and keep them forever." Hallie grins.

"Thats so sweet. Thank you guys!"

"Now mine!" Randy picks up a gift and passes it to me.

It's a copy of 'Halloween' on VHS.

"It's the first horror movie we watched together, remember?" He smiles.

"I do..." I giggle. "I had to stay over the night because you were too scared to sleep alone."

"We don't talk about that."

I notice there was one more gift on the table. That's odd, I've already gotten a gift from everybody.

"Who is this one from?" I point to the large box, beautifully wrapped in metallic paper.

"There's no name on it, but there is a card with your name on it." Sidney picks up the card, opening it to read the inside. She had a bewildered expression on her face.

"What does it say?" I ask curiously.

Sidney reads it aloud.

"Darling. Light, of my life. I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in."

The flicker of happiness I had felt turns to stomach sickness.

"That's a quote from 'The Shining'!" Randy points out.

"What's inside?" Derek asks and I hesitate to open it.

I try to pick it up and it's surprisingly heavy. The cardboard is soft, is it wet?

When I raise the box from the table the bottom gives way.

And out rolls a severed head. The head of my roommate.

Her blonde hair was almost completely stained in red, her skull bashed in. Gravity causes her brain matter to spread out onto the desk.

Everybody around me starts to scream and I feel my legs lose their strength.

I want so badly to speak but I've lost my voice. All I can do is run. I leave the room as quickly as my legs can take me, leaving the others behind.

Who... who is doing this to me?