Disclaimer: I don't own Scream or any of the characters. I only own my OC.

A/N: I loved writing this chapter, especially the scene between Scarlett and Sidney. It's always great to have a supporting friend. We all need at least one person in our life who understands and accepts us. Anyways, the story is starting to pick up.

Chapter 4: Saying it out loud

"Remember, your principal loves you, and I want you to be safe. All students are encouraged to return home promptly from school grounds. Avoid strangers, walk in twos and threes. I will see you here tomorrow, thank you!"

Scarlett listened closely to Principal's Himbry's announcement as she finished eating her PB&J sandwich. Lunch time proceeded as usual with the Woodsboro High students. She pretty much had put herself together after her emotional breakdown in the school hallway. She even managed to keep it together when it'd been her turn to be questioned by Sheriff Burke.

All the students at Woodsboro High were being interrogated. It was mandatory. Although she kept a steady face, on the inside she felt relief to have Dewey there...or Deputy Riley as he kindly reminded her. Even before he had become Deputy, Dewey had a way of making her feel comfortable. Safe.

Sheriff Burke made her feel that way too but the old memories of the older man coming over to her home at night to tell her mother about her father being arrested for being passed out drunk in the middle of the street made the teenager feel immense shame. She personally didn't have a reason to feel shame because it wasn't her who had been arrested for being a drunk, but she still did.

Regardless of that shame the seventeen year old answered any questions that were asked.

That'd been hours ago. Now she was sitting down at the fountain with the rest of her friends.

As usual Sidney and Tatum were sitting next to their boyfriends while Scarlett sat next to Randy. He was on her right side eating some of her Cool Ranch Doritos. Not that she minded since she specifically bought the big bag to share with him. She knew Cool Ranch Doritos were one of Randy's favorite snacks.

"What kind of questions did they ask you guys?" Tatum suddenly questioned from where she was leaning against Stu.

Scarlett wasn't thrown off by Tatum's question. She was expecting one of her friends to bring up the whole interrogation the police were doing at the High School. Along with Casey and Steve's murder, the interrogation was without a doubt the most talked about thing at the High School.

"Well, they asked me if I knew Casey." Sidney answered Tatum first.

Tatum listened then turned her head to look at her red haired friend. "Did they ask you that too, Scarlett?"

Scarlett nodded her head. "Yeah...and I told them that I did but that we weren't as close as we used to be." She also mentioned that Casey was supposed to come over to her house but that she cancelled at the last minute to hang out with Steve instead. She thought that was going to catch Sheriff Burke's attention but apparently from what he learned Casey had also cancelled other plans with friends of hers aside from Scarlett.

Scarlett felt even more sad hearing that because that meant Casey really was going to hang out with her until Steve made plans at the last minute.

They asked a few more questions after that but if the Sheriff really believed she had any involvement he didn't make it obvious that he was suspicious. Maybe that was the point but Scarlett wasn't worried about being blamed for the murders because she had no involvement. She did want the real culprit to be caught, and she wanted them behind bars soon.

"Well, they asked me the same question as well." Tatum replied with a hum.

Stu let his eyes roam over his friends. "Hey, did they ask you if you like to hunt?"

"Yeah, they did." Billy answered lazily as he lay down on the fountain. "Did they ask you?"

Stu nodded his head.

Tatum frowned. "Hunt? Why would they ask you if you like to hunt?"

"Cause their bodies were gutted." Randy simply stated. Scarlett froze for a brief second at the horrifying mental image that popped into her head.

As much as she wanted to be annoyed at Randy for speaking so casually about the deaths of Casey and Steve, she just couldn't. It had always been hard for Scarlett to get annoyed at Randy, even when they had been kids in elementary school. She, however, didn't want to lose it emotionally in front of her friends. Billy had already seen her cry, and that had been embarrassing enough. To stop the tears from happening she quickly started stuffing chips into her mouth.

The only one who responded back was Billy, and his tone of voice was dry. He was now sitting up straight. "Thank you, Randy."

Tatum was still stuck on the question she didn't get asked. She was beginning to feel offended. "They didn't ask me if I like to hunt." She said with a bemused expression.

Stu chuckled at how offended his girlfriend sounded. "It's cause there's no way a girl could have killed them."

Tatum gave her boyfriend a look. "That is so sexist. The killer could easily be female. Basic instinct."

Randy had to butt in with his movie knowledge. "That was an ice pick. Not exactly the same thing."

Scarlett finished eating the chips in her mouth before she spoke. "But she did technically still kill someone." She couldn't help but quietly add. "A kill's a kill."

"Yeah, but Casey and Steve were completely hollowed out." Stu ardently countered. "And the fact is, it takes a man to do something like that."

Scarlett just shook her head. She couldn't find it within herself to verbally reply back.

"Or a man's mentality." Tatum quipped.

"How do you...gut someone?" Sidney asked in a small voice.

Scarlett let her eyes wander to where Sidney sat next to her boyfriend. Her soft brown eyed friend looked very doleful. The redhead just knew it wasn't just Casey and Steve she was thinking about. What happened to her mother must have been playing in her head. Scarlett and the others were quiet, mulling over Sidney's question. Finally...it was Stu who spoke. The dark blond wasn't shy with his reply, nor was he mannerly about it.

"You take a knife, and you slit them from the groin to sternum."

"Hey, it's called tact, you fuck rag." Billy berated him.

Sidney got a hold of herself as a thought came to mind. "Hey, Stu, didn't you used to date Casey?"

Stu scoffed. "Yeah, for like two seconds.

For someone who was once romantically involved with Casey, Scarlett was bothered with how insensitive Stu was being with her passing. This was Stu though. He never took anything seriously. He was worse than Randy. Maybe this was just his weird way of coping. Maybe on the inside Stu was crying. That's why she didn't react too badly when Stu scoffed at Sidney's question.

"Before she dumped you for Steve." Randy threw in from the side. Scarlett stared wide eyed at Randy. She wasn't expecting him to announce that. She had been the only one he had shared that theory with. Not surprising that Tatum's reaction wasn't a happy one.

Tatum narrowed her eyes at Stu. "I thought you dumped her for me."

Stu tried giving her an assuring look while also glaring at Randy. "I did. He's full of shit."

Scarlett could tell Randy was enjoying Stu's irritation. "And are the police aware that you dated the victim?"

Scarlett did wonder if Stu had told the police that he used to date Casey. Maybe it wasn't useful information to the investigation as whole but she still had told them she used to be friends with her. Any information could help, even in the smallest ways. Stu neither confirmed nor denied Randy's question. Instead Stu replied with his own questions.

"Hey, what're you saying? That I killed her?"

Randy shrugged his shoulders. "It would certainly improve your High School Q."

"Stu was with me last night." Tatum decided to share with her friends. Any displeasure from before was gone. There was now an impish smile on her face.

Stu grinned, his blue eyes gleamed from what Scarlett assumed was happy memories from last night with Tatum. "Yeah, I was."

Randy had fixed his voice so that it sounded more intimidating. "Was that before or after he sliced and diced her?"

Scarlett pursed her lips as she tugged on her long sleeve.

"Fuck you, nutcase." Tatum bristled. "Where were you last night?"

"Working." Randy happily answered her. "Thank you."

"At the video store?" Tatum questioned with a snide tone of voice. "I thought they fired your sorry ass."

Randy matched her attitude with a flippant smile. "Twice." He replied and then munched on a chip. "Even ask Scarlett, she can confirm I was there."

Everyone else turned to look at the redhead. She blushed under their stares but nodded regardless. "Yeah, he was."

"As if Scarlett would ever admit Randy was the killer even if she knew." Stu laughed loudly. "Same goes with Randy. Not that it really applies to Scarlett."

Scarlett had no idea what Stu meant by that. "What?"

"Well, we all know already you couldn't be the killer." Stu carelessly told the redhead.

Scarlett was glad he didn't think she could do something that atrocious but she was also curious to hear Stu's reasoning. "Why's that?"

"Because you're obviously a virgin." Stu exclaimed with a huge grin. "And the killer can't be a virgin."

Scarlett got flustered. Was her virginity status as obvious as Stu said it was? She wanted to roll her eyes. Who was she kidding? Of course it was freakin' obvious. None of her friends had ever seen her date anyone, let alone flirt. She didn't even know if she was capable of flirting. Despite Stu speaking the truth about her being a virgin, Scarlett still scowled at him. He didn't need to go blurting that out...even if her friends already knew.

As she looked at her friends, Scarlett noticed that Randy appeared to be a bit flushed in the cheeks. Her blue eyed friend caught her gaze. He quickly averted his eyes from her. There was silence before a thoughtful expression appeared on his youthful face. He tsked, shaking his head as he now stared at Stu.

"You're wrong about that." Randy told the dark blond. "The killer could be a virgin. Lot's of movie killers are actually virgins."

Scarlett's embarrassment was slowly fading away as she began to list killers from movies that she believed to be virgins.

Stu scoffed. "Oh yeah? Drop names then."

"Michael Myers." Randy and Scarlett answered automatically at the same time. The teens didn't even react to the fact that they had spoken at the same time. It was something that happened at times whenever anything horror movie related was brought up.

"He got locked away in the psychiatric hospital at the age of six." Scarlett continued on with her horror movie knowledge. In general she knew a lot about horror movies but Halloween especially since it was one of her favorite movies. She knew it was one of Randy's too.

"Yeah, and I highly doubt as he grew up in the loony bin that he got it on with anyone." Randy added after eating a mouthful of Cool Ranch Doritos.

Stu rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. But that's just one―"

"Angela Baker from Sleepaway Camp." Scarlett interrupted Stu. "Or I guess technically it's Peter Baker, but anyways, the character was revealed to be the killer at the end of the movie."

Randy nodded his head, agreeing with Scarlett. "And they definitely were a virgin because of the way the eccentric aunt raised them."

"And let's not forget Jason Voorhees." Scarlett raised her eyebrows at her friends' stares. She simply shrugged her shoulders. "Need I explain?"

Randy chuckle was low. "Total mama's boy."

"Looks like they got you there, Stu." Tatum looked up at her boyfriend with an amused smile.

Stu's mature response was him blowing a raspberry. "Fine, let me rephrase myself. Scarlett can't be the killer because she's a virgin, and has final girl potential. Everyone knows that the final girl in a movie needs to be a virgin." He side-eyed his girlfriend with a small pout. "Sorry, babe."

Tatum rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's foolishness. She said nothing, and instead flicked his forehead. He dramatically leaned away before pulling her against him again.

Scarlett was aware that she wasn't the only virgin in their friend group. Since she wasn't like Stu, she wasn't about to start saying names. She did let her gaze switch from Sidney to Randy very briefly.

She knew her two friends were in the same boat as her because Sidney told her a few times now how she felt bad for not going further with Billy in their relationship. As for Randy, well, he was just as inexperienced as her when it came to the romance and intimacy department. The only difference between them was that he didn't wallow (at least not in front of the others) and instead used humor as a reflex.

"So yeah, the killer definitely has to be male." Stu licked his lips. "Not that I'm saying I personally killed anybody."

"Nobody said you did." Billy tersely told Stu as he stared at him.

There was an appreciated look on Stu's face as he returned Billy's stare. "Thanks buddy."

"Besides…." Randy began imitating Stu in an exaggerated way. "It takes a man to do something like that."

Stu might have been smiling but Scarlett could tell by the way his voice sounded that he wasn't as half amused as he looked. "Yo, I'm gonna gut your ass in a second, kid."

Randy got in Stu and Tatum's personal space. His voice sounded different this time, more nasally. "Tell me something, did you really put her liver in the mailbox? Cause I heard they found her liver in the mailbox next to her spleen and pancreas."

Scarlett let out a sigh. "Randy, please...just eat the rest of these chips and stop with the voices for now." She begged him as she surrendered the whole bag of Cool Ranch Doritos to him.

Randy quickly shut his mouth and sat back down. Evidently he was pushing his joking limit with her. Scarlett had always been patient with him when it came to his own humor, and he was grateful for that. Not a lot of people, even his own friends, could stand being around him for long...but Scarlett was different. It appeared Casey dying was affecting her more than she was letting him know. He was about to quietly apologize to Scarlett when a grape hit his forehead.

"Yeah, Randy you goon fuck!" Tatum exclaimed. "I'm trying to eat here."

"She's getting mad, Randy. You better liver alone." Stu began laughing loudly. He stuck his tongue out. "Liver alone!"

Tatum's exasperation switched over to her boyfriend. She shook her head. From the side Scarlett could see how bothered Sidney was getting from what Stu said. The brunette was getting ready to leave. Before she stood up, she gave Billy a peck on the lips.

Scarlett started to gather her belongings as well, something Billy and Randy noticed right away. Randy, still feeling a bit bad, couldn't find the right words to say to Scarlett, so he instead fidgeted with his sunglasses.

Stu was still laughing his head off. Billy scooted over to punch the taller boy on his shoulder to shut him up.

"Ow! Liver! Liver!" Stu's laughter immediately paused. He briefly touched where Billy had punched him with a frown. "It was a joke!"

"It wasn't funny." Scarlett threw Stu an unapproved look before she got up. She did her best to push aside her friends' stares as she caught up to Sidney. She called out her name causing Sidney to stop walking to look at her.

"Sidney can we please talk?" Scarlett gently asked. "We still have time before the bell rings...and I really need to tell you something."

Sidney could hear the urgency in Scarlett's voice. She nodded her head. "Sure."

Scarlett let her gaze shift back to her friends. Tatum looked to be lecturing Stu while Randy and Billy were looking her way. Scarlett averted her eyes towards Sidney. "Let's go somewhere more private. What I need to say...it just needs your full attention."

Sidney was intrigued and even a little nervous with what Scarlett had to talk to her about. It had to be something important if whatever she had to say needed to be said in private, away from their friends. Scarlett had never been the secretive type. Ever since they had been kids the redhead had been honest with Sidney. So she definitely wanted to know what was up with her.

The two teenage girls ended up at the bleachers. They were facing the currently empty football field. During game nights the whole area was filled with people. Now it was empty. It was sort of morbid being here considering Steve had been a football player and Casey a cheerleader but it was the only guaranteed empty area.

"What do you need to tell me?" Sidney asked.

Scarlett had trouble finding the words to say. She realized that the bell was going to ring eventually, so she said the first thing that popped into her head.

"I liked Casey."

Sidney wasn't fazed by that. "Yeah, I know. You guys were friends."

Alright, she had no idea what she was trying to tell her. Scarlett needed to be more exact then. "No, Sidney. I liked Casey." She put stress on the word liked. "As in more than just a friend. I liked her because she was a girl….and I like girls the same way I like guys."

Sidney blinked a few times. Her mouth hung open before she finally closed it after realizing how ridiculous she must have looked. "Oh….that's um, I wasn't expecting that."

"What were you expecting?" Scarlett tilted her head.

"Honestly...I was a little worried you were about to confess to murder." Sidney bashfully responded.

"Oh God no." Scarlett gasped. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Also...why come with me alone if you thought I was capable of that?"

"Maybe you wanted to hand yourself over and needed a friend to lead you there?" Sidney tried explaining her reasoning. "I don't know." She let out a little huff. "Clearly I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, now that I think about it going somewhere to talk in private right now of all times does seem fishy. But it was because I didn't want anyone else to hear about what I told you. You know...that I'm..." Scarlett's voice drifted.

"Bisexual?" Sidney finished calmly saying.

Scarlett nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm bisexual." She finally said. She had to admit it felt great saying that out loud.

Bisexual. Scarlett, one of her best friends, was bisexual. Sidney kept repeating that in her head when a tiny light bulb went off.

It all made sense now. There would be times when Sidney caught Scarlett staring at Casey. At the time Sidney thought the staring was because Scarlett missed being Casey's friend. Now she knew there was something more than nostalgia in Scarlett's staring.

"And you liked Casey." Sidney softly said. She looked at Scarlett with a gentle curiosity. "Did you ever tell her?"

"We were best friends for the longest time." Scarlett said with a sorrowful expression. "I couldn't tell her I liked her more than that."

Sidney frowned. "You think she would have reacted badly?"

Scarlett went quiet, her gaze was on the football field. The cheerleaders would often practice there when the field was free. Obviously there was no practice today….and no Casey. She'd never practice again.

The redhead averted her eyes when they started to water. There was a tickle in her throat that she tried to ignore as she stared at Sidney.

"I don't know but I didn't want to risk it."

Sidney wanted to say that perhaps risking it would have been worth it but then thought about herself. She wasn't one to take risks on anything, so what kind of hypocrite would she be if she told Scarlett she should have risked it.

"What about you? Are you going to stop being friends with me?" Scarlett questioned nervously. She hadn't risked telling Casey the truth about how she felt for her but risked telling Sidney the truth about her sexuality because she really needed a friend she could talk to about Casey now that she was gone.

Sidney looked at the redhead as if just said she wanted to be drenched in gasoline and for her to light the match. "Stop being friends with you? What? Why? Because you like guys and girls?" Her stare softened. "Scarlett, that would be an absurd reason to stop being friends with you. You're still the same person." She let out a giggle as a memory came to mind. "You're the same person who baked me two cakes last year because you weren't able to be at school to wish me a happy birthday."

Scarlett appeared sheepish. "I told my mom not to book my wisdom teeth surgery on that day but she claimed it was the only appointment available that month."

"And yet you still made me two cakes while under pain medication." Sidney sounded impressed. "I still have no idea how you were able to bake."

Scarlett blushed a little. "I just wanted you to have a good birthday." And that was the truth. When it came to her friends, Scarlett liked spoiling them in whatever way she could on their birthday. Even if the gesture was small. She had to do something. No dental surgery was able to ruin that for Sidney.

"Thanks again." Sidney brought her into a side hug. "Our friendship remains as strong as ever, Scarlett. I'm actually honored you told me."

"You're the only person I've told so far." Scarlett admitted to her.

Sidney let go of her, and leaned back. "Really? Not even your family knows?"

Scarlett shook her head. "No, my mom and sister don't know. Not even my dad." She mumbled the last part. She cleared her throat. "I mean, I'm not going to keep this a secret forever. I'll tell them but not right now. I told you because I needed someone to tell after finding out what happened to Casey….and I figured you'd hear me out."

Sidney smiled. "And you're right. I hear you. You're one of my best friends. I won't tell anyone. No need to worry about that. "

"I trust you on that." Scarlett happily replied.

Sidney appeared puzzled. "Can I ask you something?"

Scarlett nodded her head. "Sure."

The brown haired girl was quiet, as if she wasn't sure how to politely ask her question. She figured she'd ask and apologize afterwards if it looked like she offended Scarlett. "How do you know that you like guys and girls? How do you know it's not just one gender?"

"When I was little it was more of an intrigue, but then when middle school happened and I began getting crushes on both genders. It's been that way ever since." Scarlett admitted with a blush on her cheeks.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah." Scarlett answered a bit more confidently now. "For example, I have the world's largest crush on Johnny Depp and Lauryn Hill. And okay…." She paused, looking around to make sure they really were alone. Her brown eyes then settled on Sidney. "I've never told anyone this either but aside from my crush on Casey, during Sophomore year I had a crush on Dewey."

Sidney's soft brown eyes widened comically. "Dewey? As in Tatum's older brother Dewey?"

Scarlett brought her hands to hide her face in them. "Yeah, I did." She mumbled. After a few seconds of hiding her face, she dropped her hands. A huff escaped her as did a chagrin smile. "It was a completely innocent crush but it's gone now. But still, please don't tell Tatum." She hurriedly said. "She would never stop teasing me if she knew."

Sidney's laugh was tuneful. "She most certainly wouldn't." She sobered up. "But I won't tell her that either."

"Thanks, Sid." Scarlett gave her a pleading look. "Also, please don't treat me any differently now that you know."

"I would never." Sidney answered her with a kind smile. "I'm actually gonna ask Tatum if I can spend the night at her place tonight." She brought up, moving the conversation along the same way she would with any other conversation they would have. "My dad's out of town for work and I really don't want to stay alone with what's going on." Sidney finished saying the last part a little on edge.

"I wouldn't either." Scarlett quickly agreed.

"Do you think you can hang out with us?" Sidney sounded hopeful. "I know you can't sleepover because you have to watch Lindsey but she's still doing that after school thing?"

The after school thing Sidney was referring to was a free after school program the middle school offered. It was where Lindsey did after school activities and where she did her homework. She didn't go all five days of the week but today happened to be one of those days.

"Yeah it usually ends at six but today they're having a game night for the students." Scarlett informed her friend. "Mom signed a permission slip for her. It's supposed to end at eight thirty. I have to go get her."

"That means you can hang with us until then." Sidney brightly told her. "I know Tatum has dance practice after school today but I'll ask if she can pick me up afterwards. I'm sure it won't be a problem for her to pick you up as well. You live close by anyways."

Scarlett knew that Tatum took her dancing seriously. She'd been on the dance team since Freshman year. It was a sport that rivaled cheerleading at Woodsboro High. The blonde always liked upstaging the cheerleaders whenever they had a pep rally. It's the main reason she never liked missing practice. So the redhead would wait until it was over for Tatum.

"That sounds like a plan." Scarlett murmured.

The day started off like a horror movie, and she in no way felt any better from this morning after finding out what happened to Casey and Steve. Scarlett, however, after finally opening up to Sidney about her sexuality, and learning that Sidney fully accepted her, had naive hope that the eerie feeling she had would at least falter.

But her uneasiness wouldn't falter. Not even in the slightest.