𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋

𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟

"It was just some sick fuck having a laugh, (Y/N)."

The final bell had just rung and both Sidney and Tatum were standing guard at your side as you rifled through your locker. Sidney had her shoulder leaned against the wall beside you and Tatum was behind you, blocking you off from the traffic. The hallways were crowded and kids were tripping over each other on their way out.

Right after your encounter with the masked man in the bathroom, you ran all the way to the principal's office on the other side of the school without stopping once. He called both Tatum and Sidney out of their classes to come talk you down from your panicked state. It was ten minutes afterward that Principal Himbry made the school-wide announcement that all classes would be cancelled until Casey's killer was finally caught.

You shook your head, balancing on your toes to reach into the top shelf of your locker in order to pull out your history textbook. "No, Sid. This was him. I just know it."

No one believed you when you told them about the photograph. When the three of you went back to the bathroom along with the school security guard, it was no where to be seen and neither was the masked man who had given it to you in the first place.

Sidney rolled her eyes silently and you pursed your lips, stepping back and shutting your locker gently. "I'm really sorry that I got Billy in trouble," you said. "Would you tell him sorry again for me?"

She nodded, low ponytail swinging behind her. "Yeah, of course."

You knew that your friends wanted to believe you.  You didn't blame them for being weary. Even you found it hard to believe all of the far-fetched things that have happened so far this week. 

 As the three of you merged into the crowd and began walking toward the exit, Tatum linked arms with you and smiled with a friendly sternness. "You aren't allowed to be alone again, is that clear? If you pee—I pee."

Smiling sadly, you used your free hand to push open one of the industrial doors that led down to the packed courtyard. Students were scattered everywhere, talking about all of the things they were going to get away with now that school wasn't a factor in their day to day lives.

With Tatum still on your arm and Sidney walking a few paces behind you, you took a deep breath of fresh air and let yourself be dragged off down the sidewalk. As soon as you left the safety of the school building, you were surprised by yet another outburst.

"Boo!" Someone shouted, jumping out in front of you and disrupting the traffic of the sidewalk. 

 You cried out in surprise and everyone within a half-mile radius turned to look your way. As soon as they realized that you weren't actually in any real danger, they went back to their own conversations and left you clinging breathlessly to Tatum's arm.

Sidney scoffed and placed her hand on your shoulder, coaxing you to look up. Once you did, you sighed in relief. It was only Stu.

His expression mirrored that of a kicked puppy. "Aw, (Y/N), I didn't mean to scare ya that bad," he pouted, obviously guilty. Tatum shrugged her arm away and without warning, he swooped down to capture you in a tight hug that only lasted a moment. He smelled faintly of cinnamon which was just noticeable enough to make you wonder. Out of all your friends, you decided that Stu gave the best hugs.

As he pulled away, his excited smile returned to his face and he dug into his pocket before producing a half-crumpled yellow dandelion. It's stem was snapped in half but it looked relatively fresh despite where it just came from. "Look," he gestured to it hopefully. "I even got you a present!"

 Tatum huffed and swatted him on the arm in a playful manner. "I watched you pick that up off of the sidewalk, dipstick."

With a careful smile, you reached out and took it from his hands. Your fingers barely brushed during the transaction and he flexed his hand at his side before shoving it awkwardly into his front pocket. "Thanks, Stu," you smiled, busying yourself by tucking the crooked yellow flower behind your ear.

The now four of you walked down the sidewalk that led into one of the nicer neighborhoods surrounding the school zone. It was well into October and a few houses had pumpkins lining their porches and fake spiderwebs dangling from the shrubbery. A cool autumn wind rolled through the trees and picked up a few fallen leaves, scraping them against the street.

 "Don't mention it," Stu shrugged. "The entire student body practically worships you now for getting school cancelled." He ruffled your hair before spinning around and walking side by side with Tatum. "Halloween's this weekend isn't it?"

You squinted in thought before realizing that yeah, it was. You'd been so preoccupied with everything going on that you hadn't even realized that your favorite holiday was only a few short days away. You hadn't even figured out what you were going to dress up as yet!

As if sensing your sudden realization, Stu winked and rested his arm over Tatum's shoulder, unintentionally nudging you with the back of his hand. "To celebrate this impromptu fall break, I propose a Halloween party. This Saturday at my place."

"Are you serious?" Sidney gawked from your right. "Don't you think having a party is a little stupid with everything going on?"

"C'mon," he chuckled, waving off her concerns. "My parents are outta town. It'll be low-key, just like last year's. Besides, (Y/N) loves Halloween parties. It'll be theraputic."

Stu turned his head to eye you pleadingly and you smiled through the blush that was creeping up your face. You did love Halloween parties. Still, Sidney was right. A house full of teenagers in the middle of a murder investigation in which the sole suspect was also a teenager? That was just asking for trouble.

"I dunno, guys," you hugged your arms around yourself, trying to force the chilly air away from your body. "I don't think I'm up for a party right now. My parents don't want me out past curfew so I'm probably gonna be MIA for all social gatherings this year."

 "This could be good for you, (Y/N)," Tatum insisted, obviously warming up to the idea under the influence of her boyfriend who was peppering quick kisses all along her jaw. You bit your lip. You couldn't say no to Stu, especially after he helped you out with the reporters this morning. 

 Just as you were about to agree, he jumped out in front of you for a second time, hands clasped together pleadingly. "Please? Just say you'll come."

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you contemplated everything that could go wrong at this party. Best case scenario, you got plastered while watching cheesy Halloween movies with your closest friends. Worst case scenario, you get axe murdered.

With a lighthearted groan, you shrugged your shoulders up and down. "Yeah, ok. I'll see if I can sneak out this Saturday."

It was like a lever flipped in Stu's mind and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Aw, yes!" He exclaimed, rushing forward to capture you in his arms, lifting you off of your feet to swing you around in the air. Despite your best efforts, you burst out laughing and found yourself clinging to his solid forearms to prevent falling.

"You won't regret this, I swear," he promised, finally setting you down. You laughed and watched as he walked back over to Tatum, giving her a swift kiss on the cheek before hightailing it back to the school courtyard. He didn't look back over his shoulder as he went, but you still watched him for a few more moments just in case.

As the adrenaline from the conversation faded, you felt a looming sense of dread creep up inside your gut. Why did you just agree to that?

 (A/N: Wrote this whole thing in the span of an hour. It's 12:30 AM on a school night so I'm editing this tomorrow but please for the love of whatever god you believe in, listen to this playlist. I worked so hard on it and I'm really proud of how well it aligns with this movie and this story specifically. Ok, that's all. \\ UPDATE: Just edited this chapter. Working on the next one now too).