DAMSEL IN DISTRESS [SCREAM 1996]

4. Steel Magnolias

The fluorescent lighting gave Cassandra a bigger headache than she already had.

Her tears continue streaking down her face, falling to the cold tiles at her feet.

Her body, still worn out from practice, was merely a pile of bones in the hard chair.

She clutches the handkerchief in her hand so tightly that her knuckles were white. She didn't feel the pain, though.

Everyone moves around her, but they seem like streaks of colors rather than living people. She stares 

"And your last conversation with Casey was at school?" the officer clarifies.

Cassandra nods stiffly. "She.. Was going to ask Steve to meet her parents tonight."

"So, Steve was in fact supposed to be at the house?"

Cassandra looks up at the sheriff. "Yes. Why?"

"Well.. Steve was tied up on the patio," he responds. "Gutted and-"

"Some subtly, please," Mr. Becker requests.

"Of course. My apologies, sir."

Cassandra closes her eyes and whimpers, trying to not sob out loud. 

"Do you know if Casey or Steve had any enemies? Someone out to get them? Maybe at school?"

Cassandra shakes her head. "Steve is.. Steve was.. the new kid. Everyone loved him. He was on the football team and.."

Mr. Becker places a hand on Cassandra's back as she pants to catch her breath.

"And Casey?"

Cassandra's body leans forward as the sob breaks from her lips. Mr. Becker rubs her back, his own eyes closing in sadness.

There were so many emotions flooding Cassandra's body. Sadness. Anger. Rage. Heartbreak. So, so much pain.

Her foot lurches out and kicks the side of the desk, unable to keep her body and emotions in one place.

"Who did this?" she cries. "These questions aren't getting anywhere! Casey was on the phone with Mrs. Becker and.. and the front door.. she was.."

"Shh, shh," Mr. Becker coaxes, pulling Cassandra into his chest.

She cries on his chest, ignoring the way the arm of the chair poked into her side as she leans over.

"That's the problem here. Casey was strung up in a tree by the front door which means the killer is fast. Casey also showed signs of strangulation and was gutted-"

Cassandra's body was so tense yet such dead weight at the same time. She screams a cry of pure pain into Mr. Becker's chest, causing the older man to rub her head sweetly.

Her makeup was smeared on her face. It leaves stains on Mr. Becker's white shirt. Her hair sticks to the tears and snot on her face. She felt so broken. So overwhelmingly defeated and bruised.

"Could you give her a second?" Mr. Becker requests. "Please."

"Well, I think that's all we have right now. If you'd like, you can go home."

"Just like that?" Mr. Becker asks. "No answers? You heard Cassandra. The killer moved around us. That asshole could still be at our house. Besides.. how do my wife and I return to a crime scene?"

"I meant Ms. Cantu," the officer clarifies.

Cassandra shakes her head, pulling up to look at Mr. Becker. "No. No, I'm not leaving you and Mrs. Becker."

Mr. Becker rubs her face, clearing some of the tears away. 

"I'll give you a moment," the officer says and excuses himself to walk away.

"You should get some rest, Cass," Mr. Becker says. "We'll be here until we figure out who did this.. but you still have school."

"How can I go to school tomorrow when.." her words fail and she shakes her head. "I won't. I can't."

"Cassandra," he says, stern but gentle. "I understand. But, I won't allow you to throw away your education and future. Casey wouldn't want that."

The haunting memory of the earlier conversation makes Cassandra's emotions bubble up again. She recalls how the best friends were just planning to go away after graduation. Travel the world.

She reaches up and hugs Mr. Becker properly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He returns the gesture, rubbing her back sweetly.

"After school, you can come to our house," Mr. Becker allows. "You're still family, Dear."

Cassandra nods and pulls back from the hug. Mr. Becker catches the sight of the cut on her face and runs his thumb along it.

"It's happening again," he suspects. 

The Beckers knew about a few times her father had gotten violent. Mr. Becker had nearly got a gun just to kill her father when she showed up with a black eye. The following day, Mrs. Becker got a spare key made and gave it to Cassandra.

"It never stopped," she whispers, guilt in her eyes.

Mr. Becker kisses her forehead and takes her into another hug. His chest felt heavy, but it makes him hold her tighter.

--

It was three in the morning when Cassandra arrived to her father's house. 

"What the hell are you doing out all night?"

The booming voice that usually fills her with fear just makes her angry.

"You're being spoken to!" her father hisses, storming over to her. "You look like you were gang banged- were you out whoring around town or something?"

Cassandra looks up at her father. Her eyes held such dark circles from crying that it made her face look sunken in.

"This fucking attitude," he scoffs. "I should just-"

"Just what?!" she snaps at once. "Hit me? Throw me around?"

"Cassandra-"

"Fucking do it!" she screams, slamming her hands against her father's chest. "Fucking hit me! It doesn't matter anymore!"

She hadn't stopped crying since finding out the news of Casey's death. But, the rage that awoke in her at this moment made her tears fall faster.

Once more, she slams her hands against her sorry excuse of a father's chest, pushing him a step back.

"Fucking do it!" she screams in his face.

Every other night her father turned violent, she knew she wasn't to blame. She doesn't run this time. She doesn't defend herself. She takes what he gives her and still screams at him.

After all, Casey was dead. No physical hit from her father would ever amount to the pain she felt from losing her best friend.