"Look, guys I'm perfectly fine. You don't have to stalk me everywhere. I'm getting enough of that from Deputy Porter." Dani said from where she was walking speedily in front of her two friends and current bodyguard.
"Don't think of it as stalking." Ashley said, catching up and linking arms with Dani.
"It's more like following you everywhere so you don't get "Prom Night'ed" Nikki supplied from Ashley's other side.
The blonde nodded emphatically before turning around to catch a glimpse of Officer Porter.
"Does he have to follow you everywhere?" Ashley asked Dani in a hushed tone.
"It's his job. Plus it kind of makes me feel safe." Dani said honestly.
"It's whatever. It's not like he's gonna last long anyway." Nikki mentioned.
"What do you mean?" Dani asked confused.
"He's a young cop assigned to the target of a murder spree. He's also somewhat cute. So he's gonna die randomly before the third act." Nikki answered.
"I thought you said he was the "Dewey". Dewey lived through all three attacks." Ashley commented.
"He did, that doesn't necessarily mean that Officer Porter will." She stopped, no longer interested in the topic.
Dani nodded slowly to herself as the trio walked through the double doors leading to the cafeteria. Walking on the white linoleum floor, surveying the room as they passed crowded tables full of their peers. Finally seeing Brandon at one of the less occupied tables the girls began walking over, before Dani pulled back stopping in her tracks. Ashley stopped too, turning to look at her friend, questioningly.
"You okay?" Ashley asked, worried about her friend.
"I'm not really hungry. I think I'll go study for the French test instead." Dani said, managing to smile, barely.
Giving her friend a small smile herself, Ashley figured there was something more wrong with her.
"Nothing from Sean yet?" She asked.
Dani shook her head slowly before opening her mouth, "No, I bet he's probably running late or maybe he's sick. It's fine."
"Whatever you say D, meet me by the stairs before class, 'kay." Ashley said, making sure Dani nodded before turning and walking to the table that occupied a confused Nikki and Brandon.
Turning towards the exit Dani began making her way back out of the cafeteria when a strange feeling began creeping up her spine, as if she had forgotten something. Gasping as she looked around suddenly, she realized what it was. Officer Porter was nowhere to be found.
Running through the cafeteria out the one of the doors, she began running down the halls hoping he had just gotten caught up with an old teacher or was waiting for her somewhere or was-
Her thoughts cut off when she ran into a hard body.
"Oh, I am so sorr-Sean?" Dani stopped mid-apology, realizing whom she had just run into.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked, realizing she had just come barreling down the hallway.
"I wish people would stop asking me that…kind of." She muttered under her breathe. "Where were you earlier?" She asked him, watching her boyfriend carefully.
"I stayed up late working on my project for English. I didn't hear my alarm this morning and just got up like an hour or so ago. Why? What's up?" He asked himself, knowing Dani had to have a reason for questioning him.
"I was just worried. Have you seen Nate Porter?" She asked remembering she was looking for him, also to change the subject.
"The cop? Yeah, he came by saying something about "Holly Hale" and "stubborn reporter". Why was he here anyway?"
"He was…watching over me. Making sure I was okay after my attack." Dani answered, wishing that Nate had mentioned that he had to leave instead of just taking off.
"As long as I'm here I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Sean said, moving closer to Dani.
Throwing her hands up suddenly Dani stopped him from getting to close.
"I-I think we shouldn't be together right now." She blurted quickly.
Sean stood back, his mouth agape as he took in the information.
"I, just don't want you to get hur-"
"Bullshit, Dani! Bullshit! You think I did this! That I'm out there killing people. Trying to kill you. I am not Billy Loomis!" Sean exclaimed, advancing on his now ex.
"Dani! Where the hell are you?" They heard Ashley ask from around the corner.
"This isn't over." Sean said, before turning and walking down the empty hallway.
Dani let herself slide against the walls of lockers. The tears she had been holding back now running down her face freely.
"Dani! What happened?" Ashley asked her, moving down to her friend level trying to comfort her.
"I broke up with Sean." She said quietly.
Embracing her friend Ashley tried to sooth her friend.
"It's gonna be okay. You don't need him. Tonight it'll be a girl's night. Okay? Nik and Hay will come over and we'll all hang out and get ready together, alright?" Ashley asked.
Dani wiped her eyes, looking at her friend with a bemused expression.
"Get ready? For what?"
"For…Hayden's party. You know, her Stab party she has every year. I wasn't sure if you wanted to go but after this thing with Sean, I think it would be good for you. Get your mind off things." Ashley said, not trying to pressure her friend but also wanting her to feel better.
Nodding quickly before taking in a deep breath Dani smiled.
"Your right, a party would do me some good."
"That's my girl! Now le'ts go get some food in you before lunch ends." Ashley said as she helped Dani to her feet and the two teenage girls walked down the hall.
SCREAMSCREAMSCREAM
School ended as quickly as it could. Every teacher ended class the same way. Telling their students to stay safe and after the final bell, the principal reminded the students over the loud speaker about the instated curfew. Students piled out of the school quickly. Racing here and there to catch buses and get to their cars.
Ashley and Dani met up with Hayden before leaving, Nikki saying she would meet them at Ashley's in a bit.
"…and you haven't heard from him since?" Hayden asked as the trio entered Ashley's home.
"Nope. He just disappeared during lunch and that was it." Dani answered. She hadn't heard from or seen Officer Porter since he pulled a Houdini at school. She was beginning to worry that maybe Nikki had been right.
"Well, he's probably just busy. You know, with everything that's been happening the police have to be pretty busy." Ashley added as they walked towards her bedroom. Trying to keep Dani from getting too worried about it.
The room is still a mess when they enter. Ashley pushes s hard to open the door, her and Dani sitting on the bed and Hayden clearing a chair off to sit in.
"So what do you have planned for this shindig?" Ashley asked Hayden from where she was relaxing on her bed.
"Not too much. I figure a Stab-a-thon of all seven Stab movies. Some booze and friends." Hayden finished off as she picked up her camera. Turning it on and pointing it towards Dani and Ashley.
"Why do you always have that thing on? Dani asked her, annoyance in her voice slightly.
"I will, in the near future, be famous for making movies; I figure starting now will just give me a head start." Hayden said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah. How exciting can those movies be anyway? Us sitting around talking about almost nothing." Ashley commented as she stood from the bed, making her way over to her closet. "What should I wear tonight?"
"How about the-"Dani began but was cut off by the sound of Ashley's phone ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket quickly Ashley looked down at the caller ID.
"Who is it?" Dani asked.
"It's…a blocked number." Ashley said before answering the phone and raising it to her ear.
"Hello?" She said, a bit warily.
"Hello Ashley." A deep voice said on the other end.
"Who is this?" She asked, moving closer to Hayden and Dani.
"Who do you think it is? I know your blonde but you're not that stupid." The voice spat out.
"Fuck you asshole!" Ashley cursed into the phone.
"Oh, such sweet words. You'd better watch what you say to me before I cut out that pretty tongue of yours." The voice said in a charming manner.
"What do you want from us?" She asked through gritted teeth. Already fed up with this.
"I want to play a game. A little bit of…trivia."
Sighing, Ashley looked to the worried expressions of her friends.
"Alright, I'll play."
"Good, first question. In what Halloween film did Laurie Strode die?"
"She faked her death somewhere between the second and the fourth. But didn't actually die until the seventh, Resurrection." Ashley answered, having watched the series hundreds of times.
"You're thorough." The voice congratulated her.
"Next. Question." Ashley spit out.
"Haha, eager for more are we?" The voice was mocking Ashley, trying to break her.
'If it'll make you leave us alone I'll do anything." She answered.
"Lets try something tougher than. What is the big twist in the movie When a Stranger Calls?" The voice asked, slowly.
"The calls are coming from inside the house." Ashley answered quickly.
"Bingo!" The voice shouted at the same time that Ashley's door burst open. All three girls in the room jumped and began screaming, before realizing that it was Nikki, doubled over in laughter at the door.
"Got you good didn't I." Nikki spoke into her phone after she had gotten her composure back.
"You're fucking kidding me!" Ashley yelled before hitting her friend in the shoulder.
"You scared the shit out of us Nikki!" Dani yelled, still trying to compose herself.
"What! It was funny! I laughed." Nikki said with a smirk on her face as she sauntered into the room.
"Don't do it again Nik, not right now." Dani said, now leaning back onto the bed, finally relaxed again.
"Sorry…" She replied, throwing her hands in the air defensively.
"So who do you think is the killer?" Hayden asked, breaking her silence.
All eyes looked to her, questioning and confused.
"I just mean that by now we should have suspects. Who do we suspect?" Hayden clarified.
"That's not exactly an easy question to answer Hay." Ashley said, shrugging.
"Officer Porter." Nikki said clearly, not looking at anyone in particular.
"What? I thought you said he was going to die?" Dani asked, worried from her spot on the bed.
"Well, yeah. Now he's just disappeared in the middle of a murder investigation. He's either dead or a killer." Nikki pointed out.
"What about Trevor?" Ashley asked. "We haven't seen him since this morning and he sure did get pretty pissed at you about this inane Stab shit."
Nikki nodded, her arms folded across her chest.
"Point taken. But do any of us really believe Greene could do something like that?" Nikki asked.
"Do you think Sidney Prescott thought Billy Loomis was capable of murder?" Dani asked, solemnly. "It could honestly be any of us. None of us is safe from speculation. Honestly, I'm less worried about the whom and more about the why."
"What do you mean?" Hayden asked, standing from her spot in her chair.
"Why is someone attacking us? Why me? What have I ever done to anyone?" She asked empty questions that no one could answer. At least not yet.
"You didn't do anything Dani. It's just some sick freak who gets his jollies off of torturing people." Ashley said, moving closer to her friend to comfort her.
The room was silent for a moment. No one moving or making much noise before Hayden began walking towards the bedroom door.
"I gotta get everything set up. I'll see you guys later." Hayden waved before closing the door and exiting the house.
"You sure you still want to go?" Ashley asked Dani. Not wanting to make her friend do something, she didn't want to.
"Yeah, yeah. It'll be fun." Dani assured her, a small smile on her face.
"Alright then. Get your butt up out of this bed because we have to get ourselves beautiful and we are running low on time!"
The girls in the room laughed, enjoying their time with each other. While unbeknownst to them, a figure had been watching them from outside.