SCREAM KINGS

FINALE

"What about my heel?"

The first day of classes began and the campus was bustling. Mal and Evie head for the humanities building.

"Why am I unsurprised you're taking gross anatomy?" Evie said to her best friend.

"Hey got to know how to chop up a body before you hide it." Mal said bluntly.

"I just wish I could tell if you're kidding or not."

"Well this sorority crap is trying my patience so we'll see." Mal confessed.

"Y'know, Navia was telling me about how a national organization and a college spend hundreds of thousands for a particular chapter to be at their school. And that DIS stretched itself super thin by having a sorority and fraternity at AU."

"…so what?" Mal raised a violet brow.

"There's a chance either Mickey or Minnie House is going to get closed sometime soon. Likely Minnie House because, well, sexism."

"So this could all be a waste of my time is what you're saying?" Mal's face stiffened.

"No. No. We're still DIS pledges as long the national organization exists." Evie clarified. "What I'm saying is maybe the Pastel Princesses aren't so bad, and could be under a lot of stress maintaining the house as all."

"Oh my god." Mal froze. "Oh. My. God." She stared at her friend. "You want to be one of them."

"Uh, don't we all?" Evie said. "We're all candidates."

"You don't want to just be Delta Iota Sigma. You want to be a Pastel Princess."

Evie was quiet. "Maybe I do."

"Well that's bananas." Mal began before she got a text. She checked her purple incased phone. "It's from Audrey?"

"Yeah I gave her your number. And put her number in your phone!"

"What why?"

"She had asked for contact numbers like a month ago on the Facebook page. Get it together girl." Evie watched the rebel girl read the text. "What is she saying?"

"She wants me to meet her at the campus coffee shop this afternoon."

"Maybe she wants to reconcile?" Evie said hopefully, flashing her white teeth stunningly.

"Maybe..." Mal thought aloud. "We better get to class."

Evie suddenly hugged the other girl. "Good luck college girl." She always smelled like cinnamon apples for some reason. The blue adorned girl ran off in her stylish yet inappropriately high heels. Mal wondered what the self-proclaimed Minnie House queen wanted with her.

After classes Mal head for the campus café, . She stepped in to see Audrey ordering an absurdly specific beverage.

"What do you mean you don't have low carb cinnamon sprinkles?" The Platinum Princess yelled at the sandy haired barista.

"I-I've never heard of those miss. I don't even know if they're real." Ben said flustered.

"Are you calling me a liar freshie? I order it every damn week from this backwater ghetto excuse for a Starbucks you retard! Now get me my tall nonfat soy latte with 2 percent foam AND THERE BETTER BE LOW CARB CINNAMON SPRINKLES ON IT!" The princess stomped away to the sitting area. Ben scurried to the back to make the 'coffee' but had to ask someone else just how the hell to do that.

Mal stepped up to friendly boy's counter as he came back up front. Looking at her translucent skin illuminated by her emerald eyes and plum colored hair, he wasn't sure she was real at first. "H-how can I help you?"

Mal sensed the gentleness in the boy and thought she'd have some fun. "Oh I just want a scolding hot fatless no foam pumpkin spice latte with only two," She leaned over the counter and held up her fingers. "TWO SHOTS of espresso. And remember, I want it scolding." She rolled her neck like serpent. She thought she was being imposing, but only succeeded in making the lime-eyed boy giggle.

"You lost me at fatless."

Mal chuckled too, "I'm not really a pumpkin spice kind of white girl."

"It is pretty tasty so, I guess that means I am." Ben said, making the girl laugh more. "Hey uh, you were at the meeting last night right?"

"So that was you blindfolded and wandering around the sorority house." Mal nodded.

"That was in fact me."

"How was your initiation? We had to clean up all the decorations while the actives sat on their flat asses."

Ben had warlike flashbacks of the night before. "It was nothing special." He lied. "So uh, did you actually need something, or are you here to torment me with more crazy orders too?" He nodded his head in the direction of the Minnie House president.

"Audrey's a pretty awful human being, and also apparently ableist, but she actually said she wanted to meet me here. Who knows what for though." The two looked over at the Platinum Princess. She was sitting alone wearing stylish brown, gold-trimmed shades, indoors, as she awaited her order to be called.

"Hope she doesn't throw that 'coffee' in your face."

Mal smirked. "Fire can't kill a dragon."

"Game of Thrones?" Ben asked.

"Sure." Mal shrugged. "Could you ring me up a black coffee by the way?"

"It's on the house." Ben winked.

Mal grinned. "You're cute, but don't lose your job."

"Oh uh, thanks." Ben's peach cheeks flushed with red. "It actually is free regular coffee Monday though."

The plum-haired girl was embarrassed but proceeded to not lose her distant smolder. "I knew that. Just testing you."

Audrey's voice then filled the café. "WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG?" She stomped toward the counter, stopping when she saw the Minnie House pledge.

"Mal Bertha." The president said.

"…why did you call me that?"

"That blue girl told me everything about you via text last night…for some reason. I wasn't sure if that was your actual middle name. How embarrassing." Audrey patronized.

A barista called from the serving counter, "Queen of Minnie House?"

"About damn time." Audrey snatched the beverage then immediately dropped it. "That's too hot! I could've killed myself!"

The barista looked over the counter at the mess then back at her. "Miss that's the regular temperature. It's also a heat protectant cup..."

"Um I can feel it through the cup so it must be scolding inside. Who drinks scolding coffee? Remake it. Room temperature this time you morons."

She turned back to Mal. "Now, I believe you and I have a meeting?"

Mal grabbed her coffee then gave Ben a sympathetic look. The violet haired girl followed Audrey to a table in the back and had a seat across from the princess.

Audrey took off her designer glasses. "So how are you today Miss Bertha?"

"My last name's Levi."

"Mal Levi?" She raised a brown brow. She then cleared her throat, "I mean Miss Levi." Audrey smiled as if she were in pain.

"Um...I'm good I guess."

"I am too." Audrey continued to smile painfully.

The two were quiet now. For a long time. It was incredibly awkward.

Audrey then shook her head. "Okay this is gross I can't do this." The sienna haired girl confessed. "Look here, It's pretty obvious you and I are alpha females. Am I correct?"

Mal pondered for a bit. "I never gave it a thought. People have always just kind of listened to me though." She confessed.

"Same. Except I know it's because my family is cleanly rich." The princess said.

"Cleanly rich?"

"Yeah. I always found it like, super retarded how people say filthy rich. That's gross."

Mal chuckled then looked at the brown eyed girl. "You uh, shouldn't call things the r-word."

Audrey furrowed her brows. "Why not?"

"It's…dated. And offensive to people with real mental disabilities."

Audrey looked confused. "Someone in your family?"

"Nope." Mal shook her head. Audrey seemed impressed with Mal's humanity and common sense for some reason.

"An alpha female with an SJW's heart." Audrey's rosy lips formed a smirk. "We could use someone like you."

"What, in your little posse? I'm not even rich." Mal said.

"Clearly." Audrey scoffed then sort of caught herself. "I mean, a minor inconvenience…well not exactly. That's actually pretty terrible for you. But hey, Rome wasn't built in a day."

Mal was now confused. "Does that apply here?"

"I don't see why not. Even a pauper can be a princess."

"Are you literally calling me a peasant?"

"Don't worry about that because in your case, you can in fact be a princess. A Pastel Princess that is." She sung each 'P' sound with her pink lips.

Mal leaned back in her seat. "Well uh…what would my title be?"

"I don't know. I mean i'm Pastel Platinum because it's the richest metal. Lonnie's Pastel Ruby because she's Asian and apparently everything in Asia is red. And Shelley's Pastel Gold because...she's blonde? I'm not sure about that one." Audrey explained, losing Mal. "Maybe Pastel Amethyst? Onyx? You're style's a bit gloomy and you wear waaay too much purple but we can make it work."

Mal pondered before looking at the other young lady. "So are you guys named after colors, crystal gems, or like…metal?"

Audrey rolled her brown eyes. "You're making things complicated. I am offering you a chance of a lifetime."

"But why? Why me?"

"Because I see a lot of myself, in you."

Mal's face became pale(r). "You really do?"

"I really do Mal Bertha Levi."

"Okay please stop doing that."

"I'm sorry." Audrey said. She inhaled deeply. "But I mean that. I can already tell you have what it takes to rule Minnie House at my side." She put her hand to her chest.

Mal was quiet and began thinking about herself and the decisions she's made in life. This could be a chance to write herself anew, but at what cost? "Audrey."

"Yes?" The mocha-skinned girl said.

"There's something about me you should know."

"Anything. We are sisters after all." The princess leaned in.

Mal set her green eyes parallel to the princess's hazanite ones.

"I would never in my life want to be a part of something as awful as the Pastel Princesses. You treat people like trash and use your money and looks to manipulate and shame others. You and I are nothing alike." Mal stood, taking her coffee with her. "Minnie House deserves better."

The princess's eyes widened in astonishment. "How dare you?!" Audrey screeched as the pledge left the cafe. "You will regret this Mal Bertha! REGRET IT!"

Audrey sat there alone now, livid. How could someone possibly say no to an offer she made? It was unfathomable. At least to her.

As she sat there, her immersion was broken when she heard a thud. A boy had slipped hard on the spilled coffee back up front. Hearing his groans, she went back up front hastily.

She stepped over the boy.

"I STILL DIDN'T GET MY ROOM TEMPERATURE TALL NONFAT SOY LATTE WITH 2 PERCENT FOAM AND LOW CARB CINNAMON SPRINKLES!"

It was evening now, and at Mickey House Chad and his minions were chatting in the lounge.

"Okay but Dukey was really, really burnt up. Like a marshmallow or something." Chad #2 said. "You really think he crawled out of the freezer?"

"That or the body was stolen." #4 suggested.

"Why would someone want Dukey's corpse Chad #4?" Charming crossed his arms.

"To frame Mickey House?" #2 Proposed. The two looked at the wavy haired boy. "I'm just going off of scary movie tropes."

"Some I Know What You Did Last Summer type shit?" Charming narrowed his eyes.

"What did you do last summer?" Doug stared at Tyler, fearful.

"It's a movie dude." #2 explained.

"Well if anyone touched the body, it was that creepy kid in the glasses…uh." Charming began. "I forgot his name."

"He said you gave him a nickname right?" The dopey boy said.

"Ah yes, Kid Creepy. If you're that twisted that young, I can only imagine what your parents are like." Charming shook his head.

"So you're saying you think Kid Creepy did it?" #2 asked.

"We're the only ones who know about the body. It has to one of those goofs." Charming assured them. "You two would never betray me." Chad's hazel eyes became dark.

The Chads looked at one another, then back at Charming. "Never."

"So how are we going to wean out the weasel?" Charming said.

"If we bring it up, they'll go hysteric and someone will snitch." #2 stated.

"Well if we keep an eye on all of them and something weird happens, we'll know they're not involved." Chad #4 proposed.

"How are we going to keep everyone here?" Chad #2 asked. "They don't even have rooms."

Charming then smiled deviously.

Chad Charming had already told the pledges there was a meeting so they were already outside of the house waiting. Chad had at least eight pairs of handcuffs in his room…for some reason and instructed the Chads to chain up the bases of four trees, cuffing one arm of a pair of pledges to each one. Except for the last tree. The Gastons insisted being chained together opposite of Hugh, making them three on a tree.

"Okay bitch boys. We're gonna test your survivability. You're all going to stay here all night while me and the Chads go get fucked up at a party off campus. Have fun." Charming said then left the premises with his minions.

The pledges looked at one another and their respective shared trees.

"Anyone else wondering why Chad owns so many handcuffs?" Reza said.

"Are you kink shaming the king of Mickey House?!" Zack yelled, chained to the same tree as Ben. "Don't do that!"

"Dude calm down." The black haired, bespectacled boy said.

"It'sch only like 7 o'clock. They can't leave usch here all night. Can they?" Sid asked.

"Sch-I don't know. Sch-can they?" Jay laughed as he mocked Sid's lisp.

Carlos stepped from the other side of their tree and smacked the long haired boy. "Don't be a dick."

"Hey guys, at least the sky's beautiful tonight." Ben said optimistically.

Hugh and the Gastons howled, "Fag alert. Woot woot woot." Also making annoying siren noises.

"Oh shut up you Neanderthals." Carlos said from his and Jay's tree. "There are a ton of gay guys who can kick your sorry asses." He rolled his chocolate eyes.

"Like who shorty?!" One of the Gastons yelled.

Carlos looked up at Jay then away. "Like me."

"Yeah right. You're lucky these chains are holding us." Hugh said.

"Sure." Carlos said sardonically.

The pledges were quiet for a while now. Jay, Reza, and the jocks eventually dozing off.

"What do you guys think Dukey's doing right now?" Zack said aloud.

"The butler? I'm pretty sure he's still dead dude." Carlos played on his phone.

"No. Up in heaven?" Zack turned. "Or maybe hell." He looked down. "I didn't know him to well."

"The afterlife isn't real." Carlos said bleakly.

"Says who?" Ben retorted.

"Says logic church boy." Carlos condescended.

"Well I don't believe that. I think there are definitely things outside of man's control."

"What like maaagic?" Carlos mocked.

"Or women?" Zack asked curiously.

"Maybe." Ben said. "Well not the women part."

"Agree to disagree." Carlos didn't look up from his screen, then putting his red earbuds in.

They were all somber now, beginning to fall asleep.

Sid looked up and around. "Do you guysch hear something?" He said.

"Like what?" Ben was still somewhat conscious.

"Like…metal?"

"Can you hear your braces when you talk? I never got braces. I feel like I should've though." Zack checked his crooked teeth in his phone's screen.

"Zack be quiet." Ben sat up. Carlos took out his red earbuds. They were all silent. The one's still awake could here metallic clanging.

"What isch that? It schounds like a hammer." Sid said.

"Or like footsteps maybe." Ben looked back.

"Um, metal boots are sort of totally 700 years ago." Carlos laughed.

"Guysch wait I schee someone coming around the corner of the housche." Sid told them.

"Is it those jackass Chads?" Carlos said.

Sid squint his lime colored eyes. "No it'sch the Fighting Knight I think."

Carlos seemed confused by the answer. "The hell is that?"

"Our school mascot dude." Ben said.

"Oh." Carlos looked back, watching the mascot come toward them from the far right of the house.

"Rezcha wake up." Sid shook his friend. "I think the hazing's over."

"W-what?" Reza sat up, his back covered in dirt. "Yo, why's the fighting knight got his sword out?"

"What?" Sid turned nearly having his face slashed. He yelped.

"What the hell are you doing dude?!" Reza stood and hid behind the tree. Sid rolled backward and followed his friend.

"Is this another stupid prank because it isn't funny." Carlos yelled at the knight. It came toward him now, his tree being closest to Reza and Sid's.

"Jay, Jay, JAY!" Carlos's voice went abnormally high as he shook the taller boy.

"Why are you screaming?" Jay shivered when he saw the knight. "Am I having a nightmare?"

"No. It's the Chads doing dumb crap again." The knight then swung its sword, Carlos fell to his knees as the blade went over his head. He squeaked "I think!" The blade was now stuck in the bark of the tree.

"Are you sure this is the Chads?" Jay pulled Carlos toward him as if he weighed nothing. The knight tried to retrieve its sword.

Carlos held onto Jay frantically. "You saw Chad murder Dukey. He's probably trying to kill us too!"

The knight eventually yanked its sword out of the wood as the pledges cowered in fear.

"What's with all the screaming?!" Gaston Jr. woke up. He accidentally clanked head heads with his brother, waking him up too. They hopped to their feet when they saw the knight chasing the other candidates. "Holy crap. The pamphlet said being in DIS would be epic, but-"

"THIS IS HARDCORE!" Gaston III said, high-fiving his brother. They ran toward the knight but tripped over one another when the handcuffs they forgot about pulled them down.

"Bro. Hugh, bro. Wake up." Junior tapped the bronze boy, who's eyes were wide open. "Dude?"

Hugh shook his face and began blinking rapidly. "Sorry dude, I sleep with my eyes open so I always have the advantage."

"The advantage?" The Gastons said together.

"Yeah!" Hugh war cried then hopped up. The knight stopped terrorizing the others and went toward the son of an Olympian now. "Yah know Achilles was an Olympian like my dad, and he didn't have a weakness. Just like me!" Hugh told the knight surely.

Carlos looked around, unsure if he heard that right. "You idiot Achilles wasn't an Olympian. And he had a super big weakness! That's what an Achilles heel is!" The white haired boy tried to explain.

"What about my heel?" Hugh looked under his sandal, and as his head was turned, the knight dropped its sword into his shoulder. "UUUWUAAAH!" Hugh let out a manly yell.

The pledges screamed, watching the gore.

The knight then raised the sword once more then dropped it again to completely chop off Hugh's free arm. "Oh gods!" He fell to his knees. "You didn't even cut off my chained up arm?!" Hugh wailed. The knight's helm sort of cocked. It then decided to drop the sword down on Hugh's other arm, cutting it clear off from the forearm down.

"Thank you." Hugh said appreciatively before passing out from shock and blood loss.

"Oh god he killed our bro, bro." Gaston III turned to his brother.

"I know bro." Junior's blue eyes were wide now. "I bet you can't kill us!" Junior puffed his chest out, his twin following suit.

"Yeah, everyone knows three heads are better than two! But that two is totally proficient!" Gaston III assured the knight.

The knight simply shook it's sword to splash some of the blood onto the Gastons' faces. It sheathed its weapon then walked off, paying the rest of them no mind.

The pledges were beside themselves after witnessing another horrible murder. None more upset than the Gastons though.

The twins took a knee around their fallen bro. "Hugh? Bro? Are you okay?!" The Gaston's asked their clearly not okay friend.