Disclaimer: I do not own 'Scream'.

"They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What's blood for if not for shedding?"

Candyman; Candyman (1992)

I was dreading school.

I was dreading walking through those halls with people staring at me, wide-eyed.

I had seen it all before, a year prior when Sid's mom was killed. I had witnessed it myself somewhat, the day before when people were staring at me in Chemistry.

Now, it was guaranteed to be worse. I could see it now…people whispering snide little comments in their friend's ear.

Because obviously, Sid and I must be fucking lying. Obviously nothing happened and we must be out for fucking attention.

Obviously Sid and I are the fucking killers.

Take note of the sarcasm.

It took a great deal of persuasion on Randy's part to convince me to go. I didn't have any clothes, so I had to borrow some of Martha's clothes, which would have been fine if we wore the same size.

The thing is, Martha has a bigger chest than me, and a bigger waist and she's already taller.

I went to school looking as awkward as I felt.

Randy promised he and I would go by my house immediately after, before he went to work, so I could get some clothes.

When we pulled up to school, I waited until Randy had come around and opened my door. Then I ducked my head and ran through the reporters.

I wouldn't have minded being interviewed if it had been anything but this. Anything but for almost being brutally murdered.

This wasn't okay. What they were doing…it was disgusting.

Randy had his arm around me protectively when we got into school, trying to persuade me to look up without even really looking up himself.

When finally I did, I wished I hadn't.

It was a joke, and maybe it would have even been amusing if it hadn't been directed at me and Sid- if it had nothing to do with the murderer who was targeting me and Sid.

It might have been funny if Casey and Steve weren't dead.

Several people were dressed up in the costumes the killer was wearing.

It nearly sent me into a fit of hysterics.

I could feel it, my throat closing up and my eyes beginning to water and my body trembling.

I breathed deeply, not wanting to cry. And then I broke away from Randy and stomped over to the nearest one.

"Cat!" Randy started after me, but my sights were set on the dick in the costume.

He seemed to look up, just as I drew nearer.

I know how I must have looked.

Scary. Terrifying.

At least to this guy I was.

With a low growl, I snatched the mask off his face before he could run, and I threw it to the side, glaring at him.

I recognized him, vaguely. He was in my English class. He sat three desks behind me. We had worked together on a group activity once. He was generally regarded as an idiot.

My hand was raised before I even realized what I was doing, and I brought it harshly across his face.

I slapped him hard enough to leave an intense red mark.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" My voice was venomous and cold. Dangerous.

The guy leaned away from me, absently bringing a hand up to cradle where I had slapped him.

"What gives you the fucking right to do this. Who are you? Who the fuck are you? Think you're somebody fucking special? So fucking special that the rules of common courtesy don't apply to you. Think you shouldn't care about somebody else's feelings? You think this is okay when two of your classmates were just killed and when two more were just attacked? You think it's fucking okay?" My voice had risen to a dangerously high octave, and everbody in the hallway had turned to stare.

"Cat…" Randy's hand brushed against my own, but I made no room to grab it.

I was too busy staring at the bastard in front of me. I was too busy staring at him and daring him to say something.

He opened his mouth to say something, before seeming to think better of it and closing it quickly.

Then finally he averted his eyes and said, "I'm sorry."

"No…you aren't. You're a dick. You're a real fucking dick and you have no regard for anybody else but yourself. And I hope it comes back to bite you in the ass."

And with that I turned and marched away.

Randy had to hurry to keep up.

I kept striding forward, heading in the general direction of my locker, even though my head was too filled with rage to really think straight.

Finally, Randy caught my shoulder, turning me to face him.

"Cat, calm down." He said evenly.

What else could he really say in this position. Don't be a bitch?

Because I felt like a bitch right then. I really did.

But damn it all, I was angry. I didn't know how to deal. Now I was lashing out, and that wasn't a good thing.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly, my voice nearly a whsiper.

Randy leaned forward, pulling me to him and wrapping his arms around me.

I needed this right now. I needed him. He seemed to understand that too, because he took my hand and led me along.

And I followed him blindly.

It wasn't until we had reached the others that I realized they were probably waiting for us. It was our daily routine. This was the best place, because my locker was two down from Tatum's.

They looked up as we approached, and almost immediately they stopped talking about whatever it is they were talking about, and Tatum 'shushed' Stu.

Sidney looked dazed and distracted, looking around.

"This is a mistake," She said absently. "I shouldn't be here."

"You and me both Sid." I said, going to my locker.

I didn't have my backpack, since it had been left at my house the night before. I'd have to borrow anything that I needed.

Not that I imagined I would do much in class.

I entered my combination several times, before deciding it was a lost cause. I let go of the lock with a huff, turning to Randy pleadingly.

He entered the combination without any trouble at all.

"I want you to meet me right here after class, okay?" Tatum said sternly to Sid, who could only nod.

"And you meet me here too." Randy added, pulling my ponytail lightly, like he usually did.

"Right…"

"I haven't seen Billy around," Sid said, looking at Stu. "Is he really pissed?"

"You branded him the Candyman. What do you think? Dude's broken." Stu said from his place, leaning between Tatum and Sidney.

"Hey Stu…" I said warningly, causing him to look at me. "Shut up."

"Ignore him." Tatum said to Sidney. "You had a good reason to think what you did. Besides, if I were accused of carving up two people, I'd take the opportunity to skip school."

"You're dismissing him as the killer already?"

We all turned to Randy, to see him looking surprised.

"It couldn't have been him. He was at the station when I was attacked." I pointed out.

How could it be Billy.

I didn't want to think it was possible for it to be any of my friends.

But then, I guess it would have to be somebody that I know. And somebody that knew Sid as well.

Somebody that would have a grudge against both of us.

"Cat…I thought you of all people would believe me…you've seen the movies. There's always a twist when it comes to the killer."

Well that was true of course, but the fact remained that this wasn't a movie.

Chances were this wasn't some dead, burned guy. Or a crossdresser with an identity crisis. Or a pissed off mom out for revenge for her dead son.

This was a person. This was a real person, and they had decided to start killing people.

The thought made me shudder.

With a sigh, I shook my head slightly and turned back to my locker and I opened it.

Immediately I let out a screech of terror and disgust.

Our of my locker fell a dead cat, stiff with glazed over yellow eyes.

"Oh…Oh my god."I clapped my hand over my mouth, fighting the urge to vomit.

The cat was looking up at me with its dead eyes, and I saw that something had slit its throat.

It had been a pretty cat, with long dark ginger fur almost the color of my hair, and it had a white underbelly and paws.

This was a definite threat.

It had to be.

What else could it be?

My stomach churned and I turned away, tucking my head into Randy's shoulder.

"Oh God…is that a dead cat?" Tatum asked.

"Cool." Stu said, and I could just imagine his wide grin.

"They did this." Sidney said, and then I felt her had on my shoulder, and Randy's arms were wrapped around me to keep me from looking, but that was okay because I didn't want to look.

Not now and not ever.

I could smell it now.

It was a wonder we couldn't smell it before, and I'm fighting the urge to run to the nearest toilet and puking up what little breakfast I had managed to get down that morning.

I had always loved animals, ever since I was little. And, call me biased, but I especially had a fondness for felines.

I had a kitten when I was younger, but my mother had gotten rid of it because she hated cats.

This was sick. This was wrong.

I don't know why it disgusted me more than the thought of Casey and Steve being dead, but it did.

There was something morally insesnitive about killing animals.

Although these people had already proven that they had no regard for any type of morals.

Suddenly I heard a willd scream from down the hallway and I looked up with a start to see that familiar costume running towards us, arms flailing wildly.

I tensed as it drew closer….and then ran right past.

"Why are they doing this?" Sidney asked, obviously as shaken up as me.

"Are you kidding. Look at this place. It's like Christmas."

I heard shuffling behind me and turned to see Sid moving away quickly.

Tatum was glaring angrily at Stu.

"Stupidity leak." She hissed, whacking him on the head with the sucker she had been eating.

"That was smooth Stu." I said, but then my eyes caught back on the dead cat and I had to hide my face in Randy's shoulder again.

"Come on. We'll go tell someone." He said soothingly, putting a hand on the small of my back and guiding me away.

Class was going about the same as it had the day prior.

Nobody was doing anything- the teachers weren't teaching, because they couldn't really get a reign on their classes.

Everybody was talking rapidly to each other.

And there I was, staring blankly at the chalkboard.

In a poor attempt to actually get some work out of us the teacher had written an assignment on the board.

Not that anybody was making any effort to complete it.

It took a good twenty minutes of staring at the board for me to realize I had already been through two class periods.

Two class periods and my mind was still revolving around that dead cat. That poor dead cat that had its throat slit and had then been shoved in my locker.

Just the thought of it made bile rise up in my throat.

It was a threat that made me feel all cold inside, even moreso than those phone calls. It was chilling to say the least, and it showed how absolutely merciless the killer actually was.

I was terrified. No…beyond terrified because this was even more personal than when he had attacked me before.

I mean…a dead cat…and my name just happens to be Cat.

The intercom buzzing slightly made me jump violently and look up at it, just as Principal Himbry began to speak.

"Your attention please. Due to the recent events that have occurred and until it comes to a resolve- effective immediately- all classes are suspended until further notice. The Woodsboro Police Department has issued a city wide curfew beginning at six o'clock P.M. I repeat-"

Already my classmates were cheering with joy, and with a sigh I stood, grabbing my bag an slinging it across my shoulder.

Of course they were happy. Why wouldn't they be? They got out of school. Whatever the reason they were happy.

I couldn't help but wonder though if any of them would care if I didn't come back…or if Sidney didn't…or Tatum or Billy or Stu or Randy.

But then I had to remind myself that no matter what, Randy was going to come back.

I walked out after my classmates who had all hurried to the door after the announcement.

I let out a yelp as somebody leaped from the side, grabbing my shoulders.

"Hey Cat."

I let out a sigh of releif as I looked up at Stu, who was looking down at me with his usual grin.

"What?" I asked, adjusting my bag on my shoulder, and avoiding his eyes.

I had been unable to look him in the eyes since we had broken up. I couldn't stand the hurt there, or the accusation. He still blamed me for it. He still hated that I had broken it off with him. On some level, I think he hated me for it.

"Thinking about having a party tonight. My place. You and Randy coming?"

I looked up at him in surprise, my eyes stopping at his nose but going no further up.

"Is having a party really the best idea? Besides, what about curfew?"

"Aww…come on Cat. You're not going soft on me are ya? Besides, you've never been a stickler for the rules."

I let out a sigh again.

"I'll talk to Randy about it." I said finally, before walking past them to go meet Randy outside his third period.

Author's Note: It's so short…I hate that. But, I'm trying to draw everything out so that it'll actually last ten chapters. I'm going to say this now…I do not watch the movies to get the dialogue just right. I have the original 'Scream' screenplay, and the others I can find online. Those are what I am using. It's easier than sitting here on my lap top and letting the dvd go for a bit and then pressing pause real quick. Besides that, I don't feel as pressed to get every single word right when I use the screenplays.

Kaidathorn: Randy is, by far, my favorite character from any movie I've ever seen, and so it means a great deal to me that I am able to write this story. Cat is a very closed off person…she's not like her mother who gets upset over every little thing. She doesn't want to be meek and I think that shows. However, there are times, especially in the past few chapters, where it shows that she's able to open up with Randy a little bit more. She genuinely loves him, and I think that shows are actual feelings behind their relationship…they do genuinely care for each other, which I think is a contrast to Stu and Tatum's 'relationship'. I think Randy would have helped Sidney more if she would have let him, but that could be because he liked her in the films. Randy strikes me as a person who would be very sweet to any girlfriend of his, and I think he fits Cat, because she isn't a particularly sweet person. I was particularly happy to use that quote at the beginning of the last chapter. I like being able to use my vast knowledge of movies in this story, especially my knowledge of horror movies. I like using the horror quotes at the beginning of every chapter, though I'm trying not to over do it with 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' ones.

MusicalPushover: Thanks. I try to open the chapters with something that's better than…"And so this happened and…". To me it's starting the chapters that is the hardest. After that, everything flows much easier. If I'm not pleased with how I started the chapter, then pretty much everything I've written in the chapter gets scrapped, because to me it's that first impression that really hooks a reader in and I want to leave them curious and wanting to satisfy curiosity they have.