✓ 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 , ethan landry

SEVEN

— NEW YORK

STELLA'S POV,

   Only the images of Natalia could pop up in my head. The fact that she was truly gone gutted me so much. But it wasn't just me who lost a piece of themselves. It was Theo as well. The entire night he was right next to me, not ever leaving my side. He cursed himself out repeatedly saying he wasn't going to forgive himself for leaving me over and over again. This time, it was just the two of us, no more Natalia, and not even my own parents here to tell us it was going to be okay.

   The cut on my face was being checked out. Examined carefully by the medic. As though I got scratched on the face badly, it'd leave a permanent scar, which I felt embarrassed about. Last night was a total blur, it happened to fast, wishing I could just sleep and all of it would go away. But, sleeping was something I couldn't even do anymore. That fear was eating me up and I was scared to even make sudden movements because I was being watched every single day by ghostface.

   Theo got up from the back of the medic car and walked up to Quinn's father. They seemed to be arguing about Natalia.

   The people surrounding the scene had their phones out. It made me feel embarrassed, they knew what they were doing and posting it all over social media.

   Woodsboro teens bring killer to New York.

   It wasn't on purpose. Never was my intention to bring this monster to a city full of millions of people.

   "Stella!" a voice calls out. I look up and see Ethan coming up to us—before Chad pushes him up against the car and starts yelling at him. I get up from my seat and run to them.

   "Where were you!" Chad yells.

   "What? When!"

   "last night!".

   "I had econ!" Ethan replies.

   Fuck. Mandatory Econ class—I forgot and I missed it.

    Chad aggressively pushes him again, "bullshit man! you disappeared and my sister almost gets killed! Not only that but Stella almost gets killed too!".

   "Dude! I was in a study hall with one hundred other people you can ask them" he says, his arms were raised in the air, fear across his face. "Plus, Stella was supposed to be there. I waited all night in case she did show up".

   That's kind of sweet... but besides the point.

   "Fuck man" Chad sighs, he let go of Ethan and eyed him angrily.

   Ethan then turns to me. He looks at me for a moment before I run into his arms and give him the biggest hug. I hear him let out a sigh and he holds me tightly trying not to let me go, before he places me back down. "Holy shit" he gasps, looking at the scar on my face. "Stells, I am so sorry I wasn't here to protect you..are..are you okay?".

   "I am now" I sigh, "E, we need to talk". I pull him aside far from everyone else. "You not being here last night makes you really suspicious".

   "What?".

   "I hate to say this, E" I frown. In fact, I didn't even want to say it. Ethan was far too nice and he actually cared about us. "Whatever Mindy says to you right now .. I.. I can't defend you on this".

   "Stells..."

   "No.. No Ethan, I can't believe that it's you. I need to trust you".

   "You can trust me!".

   I really felt like I couldn't. We lost Anika last night and we lost Natalia. It was only a matter of time where another one of us was going to be gone. As Chad says fast five... I had a gut feeling that one of us wasn't going to survive this. Mindy had said, we weren't safe anymore. As that also meant Gale.