Disclaimer: I don't own 'Scream'.

"That boy is about to seek revenge over the town that murdered him. He knows this, he says, because he himself is the heir apparent to that throne of terror so long held by the likes of Voorhees, Myers and Krueger. This man's name is Leslie Vernon."

- (Taylor Gentry) Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

There's a certain paranoia that comes with nearly being killed.

It leaves a person with a strange sense of detachment. Or, at least, it did me.

It left me wondering if people around me would ever know what it was like. It left me wondering if I wanted them to know what it was like.

I was doing my best to act normal, but damn it all, I doubted that would happen. How could it happen. This wasn't normal.

I was being targeted for death. I could die, and I desperately didn't want to. It had never occurred to me, before this point, how much I so desperately wanted to live. More than I had ever wanted to before.

I don't know if it was because I was afraid of dying or what. Maybe that was at the core of my whole survival in this thing.

I didn't want to know what came after. I just wanted to live.

Unfortunately, I didn't know if I would or not.

Maybe that terrified me more than anything this killer would do.

So, I was wandering on Main Street, doing a little stress releif like Tatum had suggested, but to be honest, I'm not much of a shopper.

I couldn't walk by the pet store for fear of thinking of that dead cat, and if I looked at clothes I started thinking things like, 'If the killer came after me would I be able to run effectively in this?'.

Ot kind of put a hindrance on my shopping.

In the end, I only bought a new outfit to wear that night, because I couldn't possibly work up the nerve to go back to my house. Not yet.

I was pleased with the combat boots I had gotten though, because at least they offered me some satisfaction in knowing they would do more damage if I kicked the killer in the face than sneakers would.

I worked my way back to the video store, slipping inside and nodding at the cashier, a young woman who we went to school with named Karen.

I assumed the manager was somewhere in the back room as per usual, though if he came out while I was here he usually didn't mind.

I'm quite sure he would have offered me a job if Randy didn't already work here.

"Hey babe."

Randy looked up as I approached him, grinning and giving me a swift kiss on the cheek.

"We'll be able to leave when I'm finished shelving movies." He told me, gesturing to the counter. "You can put your bags back there and keep me company if you want."

"You're setting it up so that I'll help you, Randy. I know you. But it's okay. I'll do it anyway."

And with that I turned and hurried back to the counter, grinning at Karen as best I could.

I had tried smiling at myself in the mirror earlier that morning, but when I did it looked more like a grimace. I'm pretty sure this one came out similarly as well.

"Hey. Would you set my stuff back there?" I asked, holding my bags out.

She gave me a faint nod and took it, setting it back behind her the counter.

She didn't talk to me much, and I got the faint impression that she didn't like me. Not that it mattered.

A faint sort of yell from behind made me whip around in time to see Randy drop some of the movies he had been shelving.

Stu was standing there snickering as Randy glared at him before stooping to pick up the fallen movies.

With a low groan, I placed a hand over my chest.

Even something like that was enough to send my heart racing.

I walked towards them hurriedly.

The two had clashed, ever since I'd started going out with Randy, and unless I was there to referee it, it could get pretty bad.

"Jesus, this place is packed." Stu commented, looking around.

"We had a run in the mass murder section." Randy said, returning to shelving the videos.

"There's a shocker." I commented dryly. "If this keeps happening, Woodsboro will become one of those places like Springwood and Haddonfield and Camp Crystal Lake. Hey Stu."

He nodded at me with a slight grin. "Hey Cat. You two coming tonight?"

"Yeah. I'm off early- curfew, you know." Randy said, glancing around the store. "Now that's poor taste."

I followed his gaze and saw Billy, standing in the horror section, chatting with a girl who stood next to him, her gaze scanning over the videos.

"What?" Stu asked, obviously clueless.

"If you were the only suspect in a senseless bloodbath, would you be standing in the horror section?" Randy asked, gesturing at Billy.

I sighed and shook my head. "Are you still on that, Randy? It can't be him. He was at the station when I was attacked."

"Yeah…it was a misunderstanding. He didn't do anything." Stu said loyally.

I sighed. I hated it when we agreed, because he always ended up letting it go to his head, because I rarely ever agreed with anyone.

"You're such a little lapdog." Randy said before turning to me. "Cat, look at him. He's got killer printed all over his forehead. You of all people should be able to look at him and see that."

"Randy, he can't be in two places at once." I pointed out, taking the stack of movies from his hands and turning to the shelf.

If he kept on with this he would never get any work done.

"Why should we automatically dismiss the possiblity of a partner killer?" Randy asked.

"Well then, if he is so obviously a killer, then why'd the cops let him go?" Stu asked.

I hated ganging up with him against Randy, really I did. But Billy was our friend and Sid's boyfriend and it just didn't seem right to accuse someone who we hung out with on a daily basis of being a psychotic killer.

"Because, obviously they don't watch enough movies. This is standard horror movie stuff. 'Prom Night' revisted."

I rolled my eyes with a sigh.

"Why would he kill his own girlfriend?" Stu asked.

"There's always some stupid bullshit reason to kill your girlfriend. That's the beauty of it all. Simplicity. Besides, if it gets too complicated you lose your target audience." Randy said matter-of-factly.

"Dude, your girlfriend got attacked too. If that's how it works, than who's to say you're not the killer?"

I looked up with a start at this my eyes narrowing.

How dare he…how dare he say something like that to Randy. When I was in the room none the less.

"Stu." I said, my voice a dangerously low octave. "That is not funny."

He looked startled by my tone of voice, and when I narrowed my eyes, he took a slight step back.

"What's uh…what's his reason then." He looked away from me, looking straight at Randy who was slightly amused at Stu's reaction.

"I dunno," Randy said with a shrug. "Maybe Sidney wouldn't have sex with him."

"Way to make him sound like a horny bastard, Randy." I said dryly.

"You know, I think it's her father. Why can't they find his ass man?" Stu asked, his eyes wild.

He looked like he was really getting into this conversation.

"Because he's probably dead. His body will come popping up in the last reel somewhere…eyes gauged. See the police are always off track with this shit. If they watched 'Prom Night' they'd save time. There's a formula to it. A simple one. Everyone's always a suspect- the father, the principal, the town derelict…"

"Which is you…"

I gave Stu a sharp slap to the arm when he said this. He was starting to get on my last nerve.

"So while they're of investigating a dead-end, Billy, who's been written off as a suspect, is busy planning his next hunting expedition." Randy continued, not seeming to notice the exchange between Stu and I.

"How do we know you're not the killer?"

A voice from behind us made me yelp and spin around, only to see Billy standing behind Randy, eyes narrowed.

His voice was deadly serious, and suddenly I almost believed Randy. The look in this boy's eyes…the tone of his voice…it was almost easy to believe that he could be a killer, and that scared me.

"Uh…hi, Billy."

I moved closer to Randy as he spoke, not taking my eyes off of Billy.

He scared me in that moment. He scared me in the way that he was looking at Randy.

"Maybe your movie-freaked mind lost its reality button. You ever think of that."

Randy shrugged slightly. "You're absolutely right." He admitted. "If this were a scary movie I'd be the prime suspect."

"But the fact remains that this is not a scary movie." I interjected, looking between them. "I'm really not comfortable with this conversation guys. Let's just drop it. Now."

An hour and thirty-five minutes. That's how long until we were meant to leave for Stu's party.

I was not looking forward to it to say the least.

I wanted nothing more to do with it. This could be the end of everything, or it could be where the real beginning truly started.

I paced the length of Randy's room, looking at the clock every few minutes.

I didn't know why Randy wanted to go, but it was like he was determined. He wanted me to go and act normal…he thought that maybe something like that would break me out of the funk I was in. If that's what you would call it.

He was sitting on his bed, watching me with an expression that was half amusement and half worry.

What if something happened tonight? What if we were attacked?

Suddenly I found myself wishing for a weapon…something big.

Something good.

But then, another part of me wished that Randy and I could just go…drive away until this whole thing blew over.

But I would never let myself do that.

I was no coward, and I wouldn't let myself be one now.

I just…needed a distraction. Something to make me not think about it.

As I thought this my eyes fell onto Randy, and he was met my gaze with his own, and I thought maybe I had an idea here.

So I sat beside him, putting my hand on his knee and smiling slightly.

Even though I was bounving my leg rapidly and the inside of my cheek was bleeding slightly from where I had constantly been biting it, I tried to appear calm.

"Hey Randy…"

"Hmm?"

He turned his head to me and I kissed him, and he kissed me back, because what else could he do?

"Is now the best time?" He asked suddenly, pulling away.

"Make me forget." I said, before kissing him again.

I was tense, as I sat in the car, waiting for Randy to come outside.

We had to leave.

No. More precisely, he wanted to leave for the party. I would have stayed at his house if I could have.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, chewing on the inside of my cheek until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

If this kept up, I'd have to get stitches in my mouth or something.

With a low sigh, I tried to calm my breathing, counting to ten like my Grandma had always told me to do when I needed to calm down.

'1…2…3…4…5…6…7..-'

The sound of the car door opening made me open my eyes and almost immediately I was stricken with terror.

My body tensed, and immediately my breathing was labored.

Standing on the drivers side with the door open was the killer, brandishing a long knife.

I could only imagine the look on the face of the person behind the mask.

Suddenly he was diving across the seats towards me, and I had opened the car door and I spilled out into the driveway, scooting myself back towards the yard.

The killer climbed out of the car just as I got to my feet, and suddenly I was running. My feet thidding against the ground as I ran for all I was worth, adrenaline and fear pumping through me.

Run…I just had to keep running. I couldn't let him catch me.

I leaped, hauling myself over Randy's neighbor's fence and dropping down on the other side, struggling to breath, and hoping that I wouldn't die.

I couldn't. Not now…Not like this.

I moved away from the fence, looking out across the dark yard.

The only good place to hide was the shed, but I couldn't go in there. If I got caught in there, I would surely die. No questions asked.

But I could hide behind it, at least long enough to catch my breath and think of a more reasonable plan.

'Oh God…what about Randy?' I though, my eyes widening.

In my 'fight-or-flight- impulse, I had only been worried about getting away.

But Randy was safely in his house right? And since the killer was after me…

Surely he would be safe. Surely.

Suddenly I was tackled to the ground, a pair of strong arms wrapping around my middle and forcing me to the ground.

I was turned around roughly to see the face of the mask.

And the eyes…I could see them through the mesh area that covered the eyes of the mask and…

Oh god…I knew those eyes…those blue-green eyes.

And suddenly it dawned on me very clearly who this was.

Just as a knife went plunging into my chest, making me scream.

I woke up in the car, screaming with tears falling down my cheeks, because…because of the nightmare I had just had.

Because it had seemed so real, and it had definitely been Stu behind that mask and…

"Cat?"

I stopped screaming immediately to see Randy at the driver's door, concern in his lovely blue eyes.

They weren't like Stu's. They were…softer somehow.

"Oh God…Randy…"

My voice was almost incoherant, and I found myself wishing that this didn't affect me as badly as it did.

But would something be wrong with me if it was like that? If it didn't affect me?

I didn't know.

Probably.

But suddenly none of that mattered, because Randy had crawled into the car, and he had pulled me into his arms, and they were wrapped around me, and he was whispering soothingly into my ear, and suddenly it didn't matter what he said, just so long as he kept doing it. Just so long as he was there, allowing me to trust him and only him.

Because really, who else could I trust.

Sidney maybe…but there was hesitation there.

Tatum possibly…but not anymore. Not after my dream.

But I had always trusted Randy unconditonally.

This time was no different.

I had my face buried into his shoulder so that my sobs were muffled, and he was lightly rubbing my back.

And…God I felt safe there.

He made me feel safe a secure, and that was amazing, given the current circumstances.

Author's Note: Actually, I like this chapter. I find it very…well I can't think of a word for it at the present moment, but there's just something about it. This was out much sooner than I expected, and I hope you all enjoy it. This story is drawing to an end, but don't fret. I have started planning out the sequel, because yes there will be a sequel. I even know what the first words of the sequel are going to be. Hmm…the first person who can tell me all the movie references and explain them in a review will be told the first words. Yes…I believe so…

MusicalPushover: I try my best to keep Cat as realistic as possible, but to also distinguish her as a separate character. I also want her to fit with these people and not seem like an outsider. She needed to have a past with them too, while also having her own past. And it wouldn't have been very interesting if she was just being targeted for being Sid's best friend like Tatum. I really feel like Cat fits in with this group. These are people she had known since she was little, and I think it shows. I'm really glad you like her by the way. I was secretly very paranoid that everybody would hate her, but I've received no complaints about her so far. As for the slap…I needed to show Cats fiery temper, because she does have one. And I know if I were in her shoes, I would be pissed at all the people running around the school in the costumes. She could have slapped any of them, this kid just happened to be the closest.

KaidaThorn: This chapter, I think, defines some major differences in Sidney and Cat. Cat is more prone to anger than Sidney. When Sid punched Gale, I think it was more because Sidney felt insulted. When Cat slapped this kid, it was because he had pissed her off. There is, however, a certain sense of fellowship between Sidney and Cat, and I'm waiting for the chance to really bring that to light. As for Cat's dismissal of Billy being the killer…it's not that she so blatantly cannot believe it, it's because she doesn't want to. She doesn't want to think that anybody is capable of killing. Especially not one of her friends. Besides that, Cat is not the type of person to believe in something blindly. She needs proof, and there was none that proved that Billy was the killer, so she dismissed that as a possibility. The cat thing was especially brutal to me. It's funny, because as I'm typing this, my own cat is using me as a jungle gym. When I was writing the chapter, all I could see was him falling out of the locker, and so I quickly had to give the cat a description. Thankfully I didn't go into 'Warriors' writing mode and give it a full-fledged description. Actually, about two years ago, I was writing an original horror story about a girl named Cat Summers. The killer in the story kept playing off of her name, and honestly I can see Stu doing the same thing.