Chapter Text
The funeral was over the weekend. Two days ago to be exact. It felt like a bizarre dream. He had a close casket. It's not like his family had much of a choice. All eyes were on you, everyone constantly asking you how you were or giving you judgmental glares. You were the girlfriend of the victim. You should be so distraught that you can't even think straight. Sobbing, unable to eat, unable to go on or whatever. And yet, you weren't.
The school has been buzzing all day. First Casey and Steve; now your boyfriend James. All within a week. Principal Himbry announced there would be no school after tomorrow and everyone was either over the moon and playing this off like it was no big deal or completely terrified. You were the latter.
You were getting into your locker, ready to end the day when you saw your locker neighbors come by.
"Hey..." Sidney gave a soft smile and you forced a smile back that fell as quickly as it came.
"Hey, what's up? Sorry I didn't see you guys at lunch. I had mine outside."
"Alone?" Tatum asked with a raised eyebrow and you simply nodded.
Sidney's gaze softened. "That's okay but you know you can talk to us whenever, right?"
You nodded again, "Yeah, totally. I know you guys are always here for me."
Tatum got into her locker before asking. "...I hate to be the hundredth person to probably ask you this today but how are you holding up?"
You frowned and shrugged. "Not great."
Tatum cringed. "Yeah stupid question, I know. I mean, how the hell are you supposed to feel with your boyfriend being a victim? Seriously. We were shocked you even came to school today..."
You put a book away and replied. "Yeah but I just don't want to be home alone with my thoughts. Besides, the police have already questioned me twice. As soon as I got here actually. Might be more questioning if I stayed home."
Tatum scoffed, "Was it Dewey?"
"No, the Detective."
Sidney scrunched her brows. "Why? You already told them what they needed to know when it happened Thursday night just like the rest of us."
Randy leaned against your locker. He showed up with Stu. Billy trailed behind them. He eyed Sidney but she looked away. You all complained about the tension in the group. Stu and Billy were friends, Tatum and Sidney were friends, Dating... It got complicated.
After Billy was held for being a suspect in Casey's death and the phone calls; Sidney and him weren't speaking to each other. You didn't pry, just thinking it was some teen lovers quarrel that would be over within a few days.
"Must be looking at you as a suspect. That's an interesting plot twist." Randy hummed.
Stu walked over and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend. "What's interesting, Ray?"
"Nothing, just curious about why they're interrogating YN again. I mean, they aren't gonna do that unless they have something to really worry about..."
He stared at you and you glared at him back. "...What?"
"Nothing...Just that you don't seem too upset."
Sidney spoke up. "Randy, I'm sure YN is just trying to get through it all. She's processing her boyfriend's death for crying out loud."
"Oh yeah? Then why not ask questions like who did it or why?"
"I..." You muttered, "I can't think of anyone that wanted him dead. But..." You trailed off. Subconsciously touching your neck.
Randy's gaze darted to your hand then back up to meet your eyes "But someone who was hurt by him. A lot. Someone who wanted revenge or maybe self defense that got too carried away."
You turned to him. "What are you trying to say?"
"Connecting the dots. Or at least trying to."
Tatum rolled her eyes. "Oh god, here we go." She mumbled to herself and looked up at Stu who raised his brows up and down at her. She rolled her eyes at him as well..
Randy stared at you. "You're not too upset. You seem annoyed at all the questioning."
"Wouldn't you be?" You scoffed.
"I mean sure but there isn't even a picture of him in your locker..."
You glanced at it in response, it was filled with a picture of your pet and of your friends but nothing of your deceased boyfriend.
Randy continued, "In fact, I didn't even see you cry at the funeral. You just stared at his closed casket with a vacant expression like Carrie White on prom night. "
"Randy, people grieve differently." Sidney interjected.
"But your own boyfriend is murdered and you don't hardly react? That's not strange to anyone else?"
"No stranger than you." Tatum mumbled as she put her books away and shut her locker.
You sighed and gave him a pleading stare. "Randy, I am not in the mood for this."
"I'm just ruling out suspects."
Everyone cringed as you slammed your locker door shut. Releasing a humorless laugh and staring up at the ceiling before staring at him. "Ooohhh, so I'm a suspect now?"
"I don't know for sure. Obviously! But someone is. It's someone at this school."
"And what the hell makes you think it's me?" You sneered at him.
Randy sighed. "...You're gonna make me say it, huh?"
Billy gave him an intense glare. "Maybe that's a sign from the Universe to not say it? Ever think of that? Ever think, Randy?"
You noticed how he seemed extremely on edge today. Then again; everyone was. His girlfriend wasn't speaking to him, he was considered a suspect by police at least once already, and a murderer was on the loose. Who the hell wouldn't be?
Randy hesitated but opened his mouth regardless. "Okay...Girlfriend was abused by the wrong side of the tracks asshole and got revenge. It's a trope. Or a lover got tired of the triangle..." His eyes darted around to everyone around you as if he was looking for a specific guy.
You let out a bark of laughter in anger and shock. "WOW, you have COMPLETELY lost your mind."
Tatum agreed. "God, do you hear yourself? You're accusing a victim's girlfriend of being a cheating slu...." She clamped her mouth shut as she saw Sidney frown. Billy raised his eyebrows in surprise and Stu clenched his teeth but had mild amusement in his eyes as he simply watched you all go back and forth.
"Uh, I mean not like that but like...YN couldn't even hardly talk to us towards the end because of James. You actually think there was time for two boytoys?" She corrected.
"Okay, even a crush. A family member sick of him and his bullshit. Or YN..." Randy gave.
Stu lost the humor in his gaze at that. "Hey man, he was a giant dick. There was probably a whole lot of people that had him on their shit list."
"Not good enough. He had his face peeled off and his guts around his neck. That's as personal as it gets!"
Sidney looked away with a nauseated face. Billy had his eyes on Randy the entire time.
You stared at Randy with wide eyes. "You actually think I would do that to my boyfriend?! Randy, I know you're obsessed with this but you're crossing a fucking line here."
Randy threw up his hands. "I just know we are being picked off like flies! Casey and Steve last week. Now, James this week. Who knows who else is next!"
You stared at him. "You do realize if I was the killer; you exposing me would be a death wish, right?"
Randy pointed. "Ah, that's where you're wrong. If I showed up dead, you would out yourself as the killer."
"Damn, guess I can't kill you till the climax. You know, the plot twist that exposes me as the killer ALL ALONG!" You mocked before flipping him off.
Stu snorted at that. Tatum looked annoyed and ready to lead you by the shoulders away from it all at any moment. Sidney seemed uncomfortable with the entire discussion and ready to leave as well. Billy just watched. His dark eyes boring into Randy.
Tatum mumbled. "Remind me why he's in the group again?"
Stu smirked. "Free movies."
"Hey, this is serious!" Randy exclaimed. "Three people dead in a little over a week. We're like sheep led to slaughter here and sending us home is even worse! At least here we have numbers! So excuse me for trying to figure out the killer before we're all dead."
Tatum shook her head. "We are not being picked off one by one, you insensitive ass."
"How is it insensitive to look at the girlfriend looking for an escape or revenge as a suspect? Or someone that likes her and is defending what's theirs. It's a classic! I just don't know the relation to Casey yet..." His eyes lit up. " Wait. Didn't she spread that rumor about you YN?"
You ducked your head in embarrassment at the memory.
Tatum scowled. "Casey was a bitch. It's hard to tell who wanted her dead other than half the school. Besides, she ran her mouth about everyone."
"Randy, stop. I didn't kill my boyfriend, alright?"
Randy pointed at you, his face lit up as the idea turned in his mind. "No, no. You're right! You couldn't have done it alone; you're not strong enough. But someone else could have. Someone close... A guy."
Tatum scoffed. "Oh, here we go again. Sexist much?"
Stu chewed a piece of gum obnoxiously and muttered. "Babe. We've been over this, girls just don't have the stomach for that."
Randy snapped his finger to get everyone's attention. "Focus people! Someone's killing for YN or in relation."
"Okay genius, who would that be?" Stu mocked.
"I don't know...Someone that cared about YN."
Tatum scoffed. "That could have been anyone. YN is a total sweetie."
Stu smirked and added. "Yep, that's sweetcheeks. Anyone would kill the asshole that hurt this one."He pinched your cheek and you pushed his hand away, giving him a playful glare at the nickname he gave you. He used it before even dating Tatum as a way to embarrass you and it stuck; whether you liked it or not
Billy eyed Stu, pushing his tongue inside his cheek. "Not everyone, Stu. Some people don't give a damn and mind their business."
Randy shook his head. "Well someone made it their business. YN was clearly involved, even unintentionally."
You released a long insufferable groan, practically begging him to just drop it. "Randy... Please. I can discuss these murders any other time but not when it's someone I cared about and my first day back to school."
"...Did you really care about him?"
And just like that, he dropped the biggest bomb possible. You jerked your head back to his direction in shock at what he said. Your mouth hung open and you didn't know WHAT to say. You should. You should have been crying. You should have been livid.
But you weren't. You were speechless. Cause deep down inside, you had to ask yourself that same question.
"Randy, what the hell?" Sidney groaned as she picked up her bag, ready to leave this entire exchange.
Randy got flustered as he tried defending his argument he knew went too far. "I'm just stating a very obvious question! He hurt you and was shitty! Did you really care about him or were you only with him because you had to be?"
He received glares and threw his hands up.
"Oh, so we can talk about Casey being gutted but not this? No one had a bigger connection to him than you, YN. He was strangled with his own intestines! Uh, coincidence? Or irony?"
You looked away at the mental image burning in your mind. Randy had a tight lipped frown on his face as he gave you an earnest look.
"Look...I'm sorry, YN. I know I'm coming off as a jerk. I don't want to think you did it but somehow you are involved even by association. If we figure it out; it could save you if you're not involved."
You didn't look at him getting your bag and getting ready to bolt.
" Oh, come on! I'm being the bad guy for wanting to connect dots and save lives here?
You snapped. "There are no fucking dots, Randy! Casey and her boyfriend were just another pair of classmates we barely talked to! James was my fucking boyfriend!"
Stu scoffed. "Man, lay off would ya? He was just some random victim."
Randy was emotionally backed into a corner after speaking without thinking. He was clearly growing frustrated with you all. Tension in your friend group was thick anyways and this was making it 10 times worse.
"No he wasn't, can't you all see that?!" Randy exclaimed, "If YN wasn't sicking someone on him then anyone that cared seeing bruises the size of golfballs on her neck would have -"
"HEY!" Billy released a yell that made you all jump. You didn't think you ever saw him that mad or use that tone as he got up into Randy's face. "When are you going to take a fucking hint that YN doesn't want to talk about it and neither does anyone else?!"
Randy swallowed hard. "...I'm just sayin-"
Billy grabbed Randy by his shirt as you heard Randy's head hit the locker. "You're always saying. When do you shut the fuck up? You're pointing an awful lot of fingers at other people. How do we know you're not the one doing it?"
"Billy, stop!" Sidney exclaimed as Stu got between them and tried discreetly breaking it up before Billy swung on Randy.
Stu cringed at Billy with an anxious laugh. "Heh, Jeez! Down boy. No need to go all Rottweiler on him."
Billy backed away as he continued to glare at Randy who looked petrified. You didn't understand why. Sure, Billy seemed pissed but they all grew up together.
Did something happen or was there something you were missing?
"You need to read the room, douchebag." Billy growled out. He glanced at you from the corner of his eye before looking away.
Sidney replied, "You need to calm down, there's no reason-"
Billy interrupted her, "I thought you weren't talking to me?" He scowled, "Let me guess. Me sticking up for your friend Is just evidence I'm sick and probably the killer, right?"
She scoffed as her voice rose in anger. "I would never say that!"
"But that's what you still think, isn't it? That I'm involved."
Stu tried getting their attention by clearing his throat. His head jerked to the end of the hall with a tense expression. They all glanced to see Principal Himbry watching them like a hawk near his office door.
Billy licked his lips, staring intently back at Himbry before shaking his head. "I'm leaving before I get written up again...See ya YN. Stu...Sid." He frowned at the mention of her name before leaving.
Sidney sighed, watching him leave with her own sad expression.
All you could think of was; 'What the hell happened in the last 5 minutes to go south that badly???'
Stu waited till Himbry went back to his office before punching Randy's arm. "Nice going, dipshit." Stu mumbled.
Randy backed away from everyone and rubbed his arm. "What? Hey, how was it my fault? Did you see how he looked at me?! And sticking up for YN like that? It screams murdering psychopath!"
Tatum groaned loudly. "Ooooohhh mmyyy gggoooddd. You don't know when to shut the hell up. Not everything is a damn horror movie, Randy."
Stu mumbled. "Well...People are being killed. Someone's having a lot of fun doing it apparent- OW!" She flicked him on the nose. He rubbed at it and you saw a giant bruise under his sleeve for a split second before he put his arm back down.
Tatum lashed out at both of them.. "I swear, between you two space cadets; I don't know which is worse! Can't we go one day without hyper analyzing these murders? The fountain, lunch, video store. You think YN or Sidney want to constantly hear this shit?!"
The air was awkward for a moment as the silence stretched out. You turned away from your friend group and lowered your head.
"YN?" Sidney asked before you shook your head.
"I...I gotta go. I'll talk to you guys later." Your voice wavered as you hurried away from everyone down the hall. A few students looked at you as you passed.
You specifically heard a guy whisper, "She got James killed. This town is filled with skanks."
"She hangs out with Sidney PRESCOTT, what do you expect?" Another guy replied.
You ran down the hall after that. The walls felt too close, too many people, your head spun. You passed a newspaper article on the bulletin board.
"Local Woodsboro teen James Fedrick Davis was found mutilated in a field near his home. Suspected Homicide. Does Woodsboro have a serial killer?"