screaM Justice

T H R E E

Max sat in the police station, wrapped in a blanket and wincing from the pain in her side. Vada sat beside her, providing comfort and support. Suddenly, she noticed Cairo and River rushing into the station. Cairo held Jade, while River approached Max with a concerned expression on their face.

"What are you doing here?" Max asked Cairo, puzzled by their unexpected presence.

"Oh, uh... one of my friends... she was...," Cairo began to explain, but before they could finish, Haley ran towards them and grabbed Cairo's attention.

"Hey," Haley said hoarsely, her voice filled with distress.

"What happened?" Cairo asked, looking at Haley with concern. River handed Jade over to Cairo.

"Kathleen... she was murdered. It's so bad," Haley explained, her voice filled with sorrow.

"Really?" Max gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she stood up from her seat. "How do you know?"

"Well, she was home alone. My mom and I were driving to visit her, and I found her in her bedroom... it was horrifying," Haley recounted, her voice trembling with the weight of the tragic discovery.

Max folded her arms and leaned into Vada for support, deep in thought. She processed the information and connections that were being made.

"Okay, so all of this happened tonight?" Max clarified, seeking confirmation from Haley.

Haley nodded in response. "Yes, it happened tonight."

Cairo, growing more concerned, placed a hand on Haley's shoulder and asked, "What are you trying to say, Fox?"

Max took a deep breath and spoke with a sense of realization. "I'm pretty sure we all live on the same street. I know for sure that Kathleen and Liza lived just five miles away from me."

River, now fully engaged in the conversation, asked, "And?"

Max's voice trembled slightly as she voiced her conclusion. "The killer is targeting people on our street. We're all at risk."

"Who knows horror movies the most out of all of us?" River asked holding her daughter on her hip.

"Amber."

---

Alexandra and Maddie entered a small warehouse located on the corner, scanning the room to find all the girls from their street sitting on the floor. Among them was Max, who greeted Maddie with a simple "Hey." Maddie sighed and reluctantly approached Max.

Max and Maddie used to be friends during their sophomore year, but their friendship had gradually deteriorated when Maddie started spending more time with Alexandra. The rift between them deepened further due to Vada's dislike for Lexi, causing the two girls to drift apart.

Vada took a step forward, positioning herself in front of Alexandra, and made a request. "Truce," she asked, extending her hand towards Alexandra.

Alexandra rolled her eyes at Vada's proposition but eventually relented. She reached out and shook Vada's hand. "Fine. Truce," she agreed begrudgingly.

Everyone was sitting in groups of four. The first group consisted of Maddie, Alexandra, Sadie, and Phoebe. The second group included Lorraine, Cairo, Wednesday, and Haley. The third group consisted of Max, Vada, Tara, and River. The fourth group consisted of Katie, Kat, and Mabel.

"What the hell is this place, Amber?" Katie asked, looking around with a hint of confusion.

"It's my warehouse, duh," Amber rolled her eyes. "Anyways, is EVERYONE here?"