Walking into Film Theory class with Mickey, I smiled, seeing my blonde friend already sitting in her seat. Her expression made my smile fade. She didn't look like the happy Cici I had come to know.

Her eyes caught mine, and she grinned widely, seeing me walk in with Mickey. She was never going to let me live this down. She was my own little cupid, I guess.

Slipping from under Mickey's arm hung over my shoulders, I sat behind my desk next to Cici. "So, how were things with Ted yesterday?" I questioned as we waited for the class to start.

The blonde sighed heavily and pushed her hair behind her ear before leaning closer. "Not good. I tried to talk to him about how I felt, but we started arguing and he stormed off," she pouted, playing with the sleeves of her shirt.

Glancing at my best friend, I grimaced whenever I think of who she reminds me of. I hadn't thought of Casey in a while, but now, whenever I'm with Cici, I'm instantly reminded of my friend who was brutally killed.

It wasn't just her name that caused me to think about it. They both had more in common than just the same name, they both had the same musical laugh the beautiful smile, and they both made me feel like I was normal.

It was just that instant sister-friend bond you always wished for growing up.

"Well, if he's not willing to step up, just dump his ass," I tell her with a small laugh when I realize she was waiting for me to say something.

"Wow, Kat, is that your outlook on relationships," Mickey said, leaning over his desk and looking at us, causing the whole class to hone in on the conversation.

He may be laughing, but I could see the glint in his eyes. We'd only just started our relationship, and he looked a little worried about my advice for Cici.

Laughing at the look on his face along with Cici, I clicked my fingers, "Don't be a woman that needs a man, be the woman that a man needs!" the females in the class erupted into cheers before Mr. Lecter came into the class.

Getting a wink from Mickey, I sat down in my chair with a smirk, he no longer looked worried, but his toothy grin gave me shivers.

"Today, we're going to discuss your theories on the influences of movies and the effect they have on people," Mr. Lecter announced, clapping his hands, "and I'm looking forward to reading your Plot Hole essay. So pass them forward."

Taking the essay Mickey and I had worked on together out of my bad, I handed it forward to Mr. Lecter as he nodded at a student who was talking about his horror movie theory.

Suddenly everyone burst into conversation, fighting and arguing their opinions.

Joshua and Nina, who sat in the front of the class, were arguing back and forth about how horror movies were or weren't the reason why some people went on crazy killing sprees.

Mr. Lecter sat at the end of his desk, interested in the topic. "So, what you're saying, Joshua, is that killer's influence was based on the movie itself."

Cici let out a huff and sat up straight in her chair. "That is so moral, majority, you can't blame real-life violence on entertainment" sighing to myself, I see Mickey staring at me intently before looking over at Cici.

"Wait a minute, yes you can!" Walt spluttered, shooting up straight in his seat as he faced the blonde, his face lighting up with passion as he began arguing back, "Don't you watch the news?".

Joshua scoffed in agreement. "Yeah, hello? The guy was wearing a Ghost mask, just like in the movie. It's directly responsible" I felt the color drain from my face; they were going to talk about it.

I can't talk about it.

"No, it's not! Movies are not responsible for our actions," Cici shouted from beside me as she let out a massive huff. I shakingly glanced at her, suddenly having a flashback of that night.

"You sick fucks have seen too many movies!" Sid shouted at them, holding me to her side. Billy stabs Stu again, "Sid, don't blame the movies. The movies don't create psychos; movies make psychos more creative".

... "Thank you. I agree with you," blinking, I felt like water was rushing through my ears as I heard Randy speak up, "Let me tell you about reality, Mickey. I lived through this. We lived through this," Randy motioned between himself and me.

I tried to slink lower in my seat when a few eyes turned to me. "Okay? Life is life. It doesn't imitate anything" Glancing over at Randy, I could see how eager he was to get into the conversation.

It was shocking how excited he seemed to be now that we were talking about our near deaths.

Mickey scrutinized him in disbelief. "Oh come on, Randy, with all due respect, the killer obviously patterned himself after two serial killers who were immortalized on film."

My chest felt like it was getting tighter as Mickey argued his case. Clearing my throat, I looked at the clock, wondering how much longer I had to be here.

"Thank you!" Joshua shouted, clapping his hands together obnoxiously, earning a glare from Cici, who no doubt was glaring at him for his childishness. "Plus, if it was a movie, you would have been killed off for being the sidekick to Kat's main character."

Mr. Lecter coughed, and we all glanced at him. I didn't realize that I had stopped breathing for a moment when he asked his question, "So, you're saying that someone is trying to make a real-life sequel?"

I peered down at my desk with my eyes wide. I don't think I could survive a 'sequel' of what happened, not only mentally but also physically.

The only reason I wasn't dead was because Billy and Stu didn't want me to be. I was a part of a plan that I never knew existed. A pawn in a game where I had no idea I was actually the Queen.

"Stab 2? Why would anyone want to do that? Sequels suck!" Randy called out, making the class cry out in protest, "Oh, please. Please! By definition alone, they're inferior films," Randy stated as the class talked over each other.

"It's bullshit generalization. Many sequels have surpassed their original," Mickey told Randy; his face held an intensity that bordered fervency and a little bit of fury from what I could see.

"Oh, yeah?" Randy laughed, looking humored at the intensity Mickey was showing. I didn't know he was so passionate about sequels.

"Name one" I smiled at the deadpan tone Cici had used. Even Mickey seemed shocked to be provoked about the subject.

"Aliens. Far better than the first," Walt called out as a few others mumbled in agreement. I wasn't one of them. Aliens wasn't a film I had much to say about.

"Yeah, well, there's no accounting for taste" Cici laughed, her eyes crinkled as her nose scrunched up. The pit in my stomach gave a small twist like an imaginary knife that cut me whenever I thought of something bad.

Randy nodded with the blonde in agreement. "Thank you. Ridley Scott rules. Name another".

Joshua shook his head quickly. "No. Aliens is a classic, okay? 'Get away from her, you bitch!'" he argues while using hand gestures to act the part.

"I believe the line is 'Stay away from her, you bitch.' It's film class, right?" Randy sasses, looking over to Mr. Lecter, who just nods with a smile while the class lets out a laugh.

"Actually..." I start as the class quietens down to hear me. "Joshua is right. The line is 'Get away from her, you bitch'" Randy visibly frowns at my words as if trying to remember the line correctly.

Joshua claps his hands excitedly as he points to me while laughing at Randy. "See, she knows her shit. Thanks, Kat" He gave me a wide smile, clearly mocking my friend.

I gave my nerdy friend a teasing smile as I tried to push the anxiety away in favor of fake confidence. "And you call yourself a movie geek,

Einstein." he just gives me a joking glare as he points at me.

"Another."

"T2," Mickey calls out as Joshua and Walt nod in agreement and point back at him.

"You've got a hard-on for Cameron," Cici jests smiling at Mickey, who looks at her in surprise, "you've got some competition, Kat," She jokes, tapping my foot with hers as 'ooohs' ring out.

I rolled my eyes at her joke as my face got hot. Other than Stu, I hadn't had a boyfriend. Even then, no one knew we had been together. So being teased was totally new to me.

"Wait a second. The first Terminator is historical," Walt interrupts as I internally start to calm down, thankful that we weren't talking about the Woodsboro and college murders anymore.

"Sarah Connor?" Randy says in Arnie's voice, "Yes." he replies to himself, sounding like a woman causing me to smile at him as he pretends to shoot a gun, and the class laughs at his antics.

Joshua clicks his fingers. "All right. All right, okay. House Il: The Second Story" he seemed very pleased with his choice until we all groaned. I laughed as Mickey threw a paper ball in his direction, only to land on Mr. Lecter's desk.

He confirmed that he is my favorite teacher of all time when he laughed along and picked up the scrapped paper.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I felt a little more confident, especially seeing Cici argue her point. "Hey, I got it, by the way. I got it" Everyone looks over in my direction "The Godfather, Part II."

Mickey raises his eyebrows in shock but nods appreciatively as the class all chatter in agreement. "Wow, Kat, and here I thought all you watched were slashers."

I gave him a mocking glare before adding a quick wink watching as his face turned a little red.

Mr. Lecter smiles at me, seeming proud of my answer.

"Very good. That's the Oscar-winning exception," Randy told me in his Godfather voice as the class chuckled.

"All right, that's enough. Back to the sequel idea, do you think a person could try to recreate such a sad event to try and better it?" Mr. Lecter questions; his eyes catch mine, and I see the pity in them.

I squirmed in my seat again, frustrated that the subject would be brought back up. It's not something I thought I'd have to discuss in class.

Fucking Stab movies.

The class started to mutter before Randy piped up, now sounding a bit uncomfortable, "The first time around was enough for me. What do you think, Kat?".

You could practically hear crickets chirping as the whole class looked at me. Noticing my sister at the door, I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was all becoming a little too real again.

"Kat?" Mickey called out as my nails dragged against the wood of my desk. I saw Cici looking at me in concern before touching my hand. Flinching away from her, I swallowed down the fear I was feeling.

"I can't do it again. I won't," I hissed at Randy, who watched me in worry when I jumped up, grabbing my bag and hurridly putting my notebook away.

"I'- I have to go" Mr. Lecter also gave a concerned expression when I all but scurried from behind my desk. Mickey tried reaching out for me, but I moved back from him and my friends as panic rose in my chest.

Hearing them call my name, I quickened my pace, bumping into my sister's shoulder as I pushed my way passed her, and for once, it wasn't to be mean. It was pure panic. "Kat?" she called out to me in confusion.

The world felt like it was spinning around me, like someone had tipped it on its axis. My little bubble was being burst like fate was laughing at my attempt to live a normal life.

Hearing footsteps quickly following my path, I tensed, thinking my sister had followed me. It was not the time for the Prescott twins to hash out the past.

"Kat?" A tentative voice whispered, almost too afraid to jolt me back to reality. I glanced up slowly, seeing Cici and Mickey watching me with the same intensity I was giving them.

Mickey relented first and moved forward to wrap his arms around me with a forlorn expression. Cici wasn't far behind as she pressed herself into my back, trying to get in on the hug.

"I just want to be normal. I thought-" gripping tight onto Mickey, I hiccupped a cry hating myself for not locking my emotion away like I'd been doing for most of my life.

Cici gave a sad laugh as she brushed her head against mine, softly burrowing herself in closer.

"What is this normal you speak of?" Her voice trailed off, she didn't move away as my body shook from the emotions I was trying to hide, but they only grew stronger.