Scream 4

Chapter 21

If there was one word Stu Macher would use to describe himself when it came to you, it was protective. Protective because jealous didn't sound right, even though he was. But then again, what was right when you were accomplice to a hefty amount of killings? He just tried making his thoughts and actions justifiable by putting it in a folder—change the label yet the contents remained the same.

"Is he still in there?"

Leaned up next to the door tagged #439 in Roseville's local hospital were him and Billy, who didn't move a muscle in his body. Just remained standing next to him, eyes screwed closed and inhaling deeply.

"You got two eyes don'tcha? Look for yourself."

And so Stu did. Stu peeked through the one-foot-by-one-foot glass window built into the door, and then he wished he hadn't. If the building caught on fire and he suffocated to death, he would be convinced it was less painful than seeing what he was looking at right now.

There you were, neatly tucked into a hospital bed with your legs covered underneath the white sheets, and several monitors beeping all around you.

You were giggling.

While Stu adored hearing the little noises you made when you giggled, it should have been with him. He should have been the reason you laughed, and not some random who was sitting in a chair next to your bed. Whoever it was wore a broad smile of his own, telling you something that made you laugh.

Stu looked between you and the freelancer at a rate that was almost comical. While the jealousy coursing through his veins felt similar to the times of Ryan Stewart and Derek Feldman, who had both been your boyfriends during high school and college respectively, this felt different.

This time, Stu felt as if they could lose you to... Well, to whoever this person was. He didn't trust him. Not one bit. And now that you were an adult.. It made things a lot more difficult for sure.

It didn't help that the guy was far from ugly looking. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but Stu would have felt a lot more confident in his skin had the person with you looked like a Gremlin like Derek Feldman had. But no, instead they were dealing with a perfectionist who liked to use plenty of product in his hair that was slightly tousled in an alluring way, and looked as American as popcorn withh his sharp off-white sweater over a light gray button-up.

"It's been an hour now. Can't he just fuckin' hurry up?" Stu finally jerked his head away and bounced his knee up and down with the heel of his foot. Each passing second that he wasn't in the room with you grew more and more tense.

What was he saying that made you laugh? Did you find him attractive? They had tried talking to you before but were basically dismissed for this... This nerd that was most likely trying something with you! But who wouldn't? You were pretty, smart, witty and, and, and...

Another peek into the window, and Jed Olsen apperently felt Stu's hyperfixated stare on him, because the man glanced right back. There was a look in his darker than dark eyes that almost invited Stu to enter—a mocking and silent I dare you. Then they looked back at you and heated back up again, like the moment never happened. It was gone as soon as it came.

It was right then and there that Stu realized something was up because, for one, a normal person couldn't just flip the switch like that-couldn't regulate their emotions like that. He had seen Billy do it many, many times before.

His friend, on the other hand, had missed the wordless exchange entirely, and simply dragged the hand that wasn't stuffed into the pocket of his jeans over his face and freshly trimmed beard.