SCREAM KINGS
PART 5
"This isn't very fun at all!"
Back in Minnie House, the pledges were ordered to clean up all the food and put away the tables while the Platinum Princesses supervised from Audrey's room on the third floor.
"So Navia why were you staring at that guy earlier? I think he was 'Chad #2' or 'Chad #4' or something?" Mal asked as they picked up streamers.
"I don't know what that 'Chad' nonsense is, but his name's Tyler and he's my stupid twin brother…" Navia confessed.
"Wait your twin is sworn into a fraternity, but you're just now joining a sorority?" Evie asked before shoving a handful of buttery mints in her mouth.
"Well I was going to school back in Bayou D'Orleans where I'm from. But it was an HBCU and a bit of a party school and while it was super fun and the guys were…" She started imagining her local pick. "Sculpted like African kings and gods…" She dreamed then caught herself. "It wasn't helping with my career goals."
"Why not do another year at least? Sounds like you're severely missing out being around all these snobs now." Mal pursed her lips.
"Well, it was great but it was too easy. I could've transferred to another HBCU, but I wanted to be around a more diverse crowd you know?" She said and the others nodded. "That's what Tyler said he wanted when he came all the way down to Auradon at least. I just thought he was afraid he wouldn't fit in back home because of his hazel eyes and curly hair and blah blah blah, colorism." She went on. "But while AU is a snobby rich kid school, its snobs are from all over the world. If I want to be President of the U.S. one day, I need to be around characters of all creeds."
Mal and Evie smiled, taken aback by the conviction of this girl they had just met today.
"I think you definitely have the makings of a president all right." Mal nod.
"I'm thinking more queen." Evie accented.
Lonnie then ambled down the circular steps. "Hey candidates, its sweep, not speak." She said.
"Well we wouldn't have so much to sweep if the four of you would help out." Mal sneered.
"Um, one, I'm already sworn in. Two, I'm a Pastel Princess. I don't get my hands dirty." She looked at the mess. "Literally. And why join a sorority girlfriend if you're not gonna put in some elbow grease?" Lonnie grabbed one of the delicious looking cookies before the serving plate was taken by the meek blonde pledge.
Mal put on her signature smirk."I don't know what's more surprising. The idea of you doing work, or you eating."
Lonnie chewed her small bite of the dessert. "Touché newbie. Touché." Lonnie said before throwing the rest of the cookie on the floor and crushing it under her stylish shoe. The brown haired beauty smiled as Mal came toward the mess with a dustpan and broom. The Pastel Princess was heading for the kitchen when she saw someone enter Minnie House.
"Chad?" She said as the boy paced in.
"Hey Lon, where's my girlfriend?" The brunet said sort of hastily.
"She's up in her room with Shelley tweeting about fat people. I just came down to get some drinks." She then examined the boy's face. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Nothing…I just, need to talk to her." Chad crossed his arms coolly.
"…okay. Like I said, she's upstairs." Lonnie could barely say as he jogged for the circular stairway.
Now up on the second floor, Chad reminisced about all the times he had sneaked into the building after hours. He knew exactly where he was going and head for the second set up of stairs that lead to Audrey's personal floor.
"Babes." He said stepping into the remarkably large bedroom. Shelley was brushing Audrey's shiny, thick, locks.
"Start at the ends bitch. I'm not a Barbie doll." Audrey jeered. Her face lit up when she noticed her boyfriend though. "Babe, what are you doing here?" She stood.
Chad looked over the Minnie House president's shoulder as she approached him. "Can we talk?" He then looked at Shelley, who was sort of staring at the hairbrush. "In private?!" He said loudly.
"Don't have to tell me twice honey. Sheesh." The golden haired girl pranced out of the room.
Chad looked his girlfriend in the eyes as the door shut. "So you know how we always say we were destined for each other and would forgive one another under any circumstances because destiny is destiny?"
"Of course my love." Audrey said with glistening eyes. "Wait, did you cheat on me?" She stepped back.
"Of course not." He lied.
"Oh, okay then. So what is it?" She further inquired.
"…I'll show you." He turned foot but looked back at her. "Throw on that cute pink cover up I like. It's chilly outside."
Audrey sort of shrunk like a child when he said that. She loved when he was protective.
She followed her boyfriend out the room and downstairs. "I'll be back in a minute you pigs with lipstick. I expect this place to be spotless." The Platinum Princess said on the way out.
She and Chad walked the dark campus to the garage behind Mickey House. He led her to the freezer now.
"Um, you know I don't eat red meat so I have no idea what we're doing here." She crossed her arms.
Chad inhaled "I killed someone."
Audrey looked at him then burst out laughing. "She laughed like she had heard the funniest thing in her life. She cackled and choked for air as Chad stood there quietly. He's never quiet though.
That's a good one babe. Seriously, if you're trying to scare me it's a bit early for th-"
"It was accident, I swear." Chad said sternly. "And totally not my fault, but if shit goes down I need you for an alibi babe."
Audrey's laughter subsided and she looked at Charming now. "You can't be serious. So what the hell are we doing out here?"
"We put the body in here." He opened the garage door.
"We?" Her face molded into a perplexed look. "You have accomplices?"
"Here just take a look…" Chad pointed deep into the freezer where Dukey's body was, he couldn't even look inside.
Audrey stepped into the deepest part, holding herself as the temperature dropped.
"Um unless you want me to get pneumonia, or like salmonella, I still don't get what you're doing Chad."
"I know Dukey's short, but he's literally righ-" Chad gasped. Nothing was there but raw meat. "He was just here like twenty minutes ago!" Chad cried staring at the empty corner where they had left the butler.
"Sure." Audrey turned and rolled her almond eyes.
The Mickey House president then smiled. "Oh my god, Dukey's alive!"
"No shit Chad." Audrey stomped off in her hot pink heels as Chad was elated.
Back in Minnie House, Shelley was at her vanity brushing her golden locks inside her not-as-big-as-Audrey's-but-damn-big room. She thought it was about time to call her mother, as she did every night. Her mother is Charlotte La Bouff, daughter of a sugar baron. Making her the daughter of the daughter of a sugar baron. As she reached for her phone, she received a text from an anonymous number.
"Do you want to have fun?" It read.
"Omg I love fun." Shelley had the habit of replying to texts out loud. "What kind of fun?" She then actually texted.
"It's a surprise."
"I love surprises!" She clapped. "OK!"
"There's a gift in your closet"
"How elaborate! It's not even my birthday anymore." Shelley stood and went toward her closet. She reached for the knob, turned it and opened the door.
She saw nothing but her collection of gorgeous clothes.
"Well that's funny." She said then turned back to her phone. "There's nothing in here you fibber"
She heard clicking, then got another message in a few seconds. "Behind the Pashmina."
"Oh!" She said and moved the white pashmina and beige dress to see nothing but the Fighting Knights mascot costume.
"Jane?!" She knocked on the helmet. "Is that you trying to trick me? It is funny but very repetitive I might say."
Jane lifted her arms to show she was holding her phone.
Shelley received a text. "The surprise isn't over."
Shelley rolled her blue eyes. "Okay." She flicked her hair then left the closet to take a seat on the bed. The knight stepped out the closet too, the pashmina and dress sort of hanging onto it.
"That not a very good look on you." Shelley giggled. The Fighting Knight in front of her began texting again.
Shelley giggled some more and checked her phone. "I'm gonna kill you now." The knight locked the door.
"Now Janey, that isn't very nice." Shelley pouted cutely as the silver knight stood there. The knight put its phone on its belt opposite of its sword.
"Janey, now how ya gonna kill me in that big ol heavy suit?" Shelley then heard a knock on her door.
"Hey Shell, do you have an extra razor I can borrow?" It was Jane's voice. Shelley looked at the door, then at the knight. She looked at the door again. Then back at the knight.
She furrowed her brows. "Wait a second. Aren't you-" The knight socked her in the head, knocking her back and launching her phone out of her hand. The knight climbed atop her and began strangling her.
"This isn't very fun at all!" Shelley cried as the knight's hands tightened around her neck. She grabbed the lamp on nightstand on beside the bed and smashed it over the knight's helm, allowing her to roll off of the bed and to her phone. She opened twitter and tagged BeautyPrincess_59, CrimsonKicks_98, and JustJaneGodmother in her post.
"OMG totally being murdered by the Fighting Knight. Not a joke. Wtf. #followback" Her finger reached for send but a silver sword went through the top of her skull. Shelley's body fell and lie there lifeless. The knight took its sword out of her like a sheath of flesh and placed it back on its waist.
Shelley's finger suddenly dropped over the post button. Jane banged on the door as the knight took the gold iphone from the dead girl and saw that what she posted was beginning to receive traffic.
Jane got a twitter notification on her phone and saw she was tagged in a post. Her eyes widened when she saw it was from Shelley. Jane then ran downstairs past the pledges to find Lonnie.
"Lonnie check twitter." The violet eyed girl said flustered.
"You finally make an account for those hairy ass legs?" The vice president ate an animal cracker.
Jane crossed her legs, looking away in embarrassment. "No. I think Shelley's in trouble."
"Then go to her room?" Lonnie snorted.
"Her door was locked. Just read what she posted. She tagged all of us."
The Pastel Princess sighed then opened up her twitter app. She read the post. "Oh my gosh."
"I know right isn't it horrible?"
"Y-yeah…" Lonnie said shaken up. "Who actually puts #followback on their posts? What a thirsty bitch." Lonnie returned to her crackers and continued to explore twitter.
"No Lonnie! I heard screaming coming from Shelley's room!"
"Then call the police." Lonnie shrugged.
"We need to get in her room and make sure."
"Well I'm only vice pres. I think Audrey has a master key though."
"Oh man…" Jane said. They then heard the front door open. "That must be Audrey."
The two left the kitchen to face the president.
"Lonnie, why are you eating? And Jane, why didn't you tell us you were a werewolf. It's not even a full moon." The Platinum Princess let loose.
Lonnie threw the crackers on the ground and Jane crossed her legs again.
"What the hell?!" Mal said, after she had finally finished up sweeping.
The Minnie House members ignored the pledge. "What do you two want?" Audrey said.
"Jane thinks Shelley got murdered or something."
The Minnie House president was sort of shaken hearing that after just being with Chad. "Jane, what the hell?"
The violet eyed girl looked at the Princesses, now frustrated. "Check twitter. Jesus, don't any of you have push notifications? She tagged us in it!"
"That shit kills my battery." Audrey rolled her beautiful dark eyes before opening the app. She checked the post then squinted, not sure what she was looking at. "This is so stupid. And uh Jane, you're the Fighting Knight!"
"My suit's in my closet I swear. I don't know what she's talking about." The docile girl explained.
"Jane said she heard screaming." Lonnie brought up.
"Well call Shelley." Audrey said heading up the stairs but stopped halfway. "Piglets," She turned toward the pledges. "You're free to go. I am sick of looking at all of you." She said but didn't stop. "And for the skanks who really thought they could move in their first night as pledges, have fun carrying your shit across campus again."
Mal and Evie glared at the girl. Only Mal spoke though. "That's not happening. We cleaned this house, we totally earned a night here at least."
Evie looked at her best friend. "Mal stop. It's fine. I shouldn't have had us bring our bags here."
"No." Mal said. "This house is gigantic. We should know, since you scared the shit out of us while we were exploring it!"
Audrey's face was painted in rage. "You're not even members! How dare you!" The president exclaimed.
Evie spoke up, "Your highness, she toats didn't mean it! We are so super sorry." She cupped her hands and begged.
"OUT!" Audrey screeched at the pledges and all but Mal turned tail. Her and Audrey's eyes met in shared wrath.
Evie touched her friend's shoulder. "I got some guys' number. They'd totally be happy to take our bags to our dorms." Evie said.
Mal sighed. "Okay E." She gave Audrey one more look, then gathered her things.
Audrey scoffed in disgust then turned to the other actives once all of the pledges were finally gone.
"Let's go bitches. Your sister could be in peril." Audrey hissed.
The vice president giggled as they climbed the steps. "That purple chick sure has it out for you."
"Well I like a little competition." Audrey confessed. "And even if she is a bruise colored bitch, we can't afford to turn away pledge candidates right now."
The girls now stood outside of Shelley's door. Jane dialed her number.
"I don't hear her ringtone." The violet eyed brunette said concerned. She tugged the doorknob again. "Shelley never locks her door."
Lonnie coughed. "Well yeah, how would dudes get in?" The others looked at her. "Sorry."
Audrey let out a dramatic sigh and dug through her cover-up's pockets.
"Wow you really do have a master key." Lonnie's expression was unclear.
"I am the queen. This is my castle." The mocha girl began opening the door.
"How dramatic." Lonnie said as the door budged. They stepped inside. No one was there. The closet was opened messily, the sheets on the bed were disorganized and-
"Look at that giant blood trail!" Jane screamed looking at the ground and seeing a red path stained into the carpet that led to the open window.
"Oh god look at this dress." Audrey said examined the beige gown in front of the door.
"It's all torn up. Like it got caught in something." Jane shivered.
"Thank god. It's so last season." Audrey's pink lips formed a frown. "Why the hell does she even have this?"
Lonnie laughed. "Who even still wears pashminas?"
"Shelley is a total hick so I'm not surprised."
"Guys do you not see the trail?!" Jane reminded them.
"It could be ketchup." Lonnie shrugged.
Audrey turned toward the window. "Maybe she got her period and got super embarrassed and jumped out the window."
"Who does that?!" Jane cried.
"Well we all know Shelley wasn't the brightest bulb in the shed." Audrey exhaled. "All this murder crap is making me sleepy. If Shelley isn't back tomorrow, we're billing her parents for that big ass disgusting stain." Audrey trudged out of the room. Lonnie decided she was bored, so she left too. Jane looked at the mess and felt real worry for her friend.
She tried calling her again. No response.