A/N: Welcome... In the first chapter, Ghostface has already claimed his first victim, Abby Bates. Now, we have made it to chapter 2, where the main character is introduced, Sherman Peabody, and the other possible future victims who are also students of Wes Craven Middle School. So, here we go into the next chapter. Enjoy!
The next morning, everyone in the city was waking up and getting ready for school. Inside a penthouse apartment high atop New York City at the very top of the 'Peabody Industries' building, there lived a twelve year old auburn haired boy with black circular rimmed glasses with amber eyes. Sherman Peabody, a dear friend of Abby's who also shared a love for horror movies, in fact, she's who got him into the horror genre in the first place. He came out of his room wearing a black t-shirt of a Xenomorph from 'Alien' with a dark blue hooded fleece jacket halfway zipped over it, and black skinny jeans and dark blue sneakers to match his jacket.
"Good morning, Mr. Peabody" Sherman said as he sat down at the glass dinner table and picked up a strip of bacon from his plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
"Good morning, Sherman. Is that shirt new?" a white beagle asked coming out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, it came in this month's horror block" Sherman said unzipping his jacket to show his dad the shirt.
"Oh, it's an Alien. I remember when I first saw 'Alien'. I would not sleep for a week" Peabody said taking a sip of coffee from a mug he got from the counter.
"It's not that scary, dad" Sherman said. The beagle narrowed his eyes and frowned.
"Sherman, if I've told you once, then I've told you since you were little. Call me Mr. Peabody" the beagle insisted.
"But I'm your son, you're my dad. I think I deserve to, don't you think?" Sherman asked. Peabody then shook his head.
"I'd never ever submit to being addressed by that title" the beagle said a little bitterly, and hurting Sherman's feelings a bit. Sherman then just got up from the table and grabbed his backpack.
"Sherman, where are you going?" asked the beagle, a little bit surprised by this sudden action.
"School. I just lost my appetite" Sherman said walking to the elevator and pressed the button to go down. The beagle then ran forward to try and catch his son, before the elevator doors could shut, Peabody's arm stuck through it and opened them up once more.
"Sherman, I'm sorry. I wish I could be used to being called 'dad', I really do" Peabody said trying to ask his son for forgiveness.
"Then why don't you?" asked Sherman. Peabody stumbled in his speech trying to find words to try and give an answer, but nothing came to his lips. He got down on his knees and hugged the white as snow furred beagle.
"It's okay. Someday you'll get used to it" Sherman said rubbing his adopted father's back and then got back up.
"Hey, I gotta go. I don't wanna be late for first day orientation. But maybe tonight we can go see a movie?" asked Sherman. Peabody's spirits perked up after that.
"Lemme guess, horror?" asked Peabody.
"Sinister 2?" asked Sherman to respond
"Definitely" they said in unison before doing a fist bump. And with that, Sherman went back into the elevator and went to school.
(Start Playing 'Trouble in Woodsboro' by Marco Beltrami as you read this next passage)
Sherman took the fifteen minute walk through Central Park to make it to the front gates of 'Wes Craven Intermediate School' to see several people standing outside of news caster barricades with a few news vans parked in front of the school.
"What in the name of John Carpenter is going on here?" Sherman asked as he was confused a little bit walking closer up to the front and saw a few news reporters being filmed.
"Last night, a young 8th grade girl, Abigail Bates was found dead atop the crushed roof of her neighbor's truck with several broken bones and a cut in her back which is suspected to have been made with a knife. The police are considering this case to be a homicide" one of the reporters said. Sherman was now in shock and denial at what he just heard, one of his good friends was murdered.
"One of miss Bate's other neighbor's saw what was going on. The murderer had broken into her house, destroying one of the windows and chased her onto the roof of her house, slashing her back with a knife and then screaming was heard, leaving the witness to believe she was pushed off the roof" the second reporter stated for the camera. Sherman now felt like he was gonna puke hearing the details of his best friend's murder. However, something the third reporter was saying caught his attention.
"The witness to the murder also claimed that the murderer was in costume. The killer had been wearing a Ghostface cloak, and mask from the popular slasher movie franchise; 'Stab' a series of films based on the true events of the Woodsboro murders that took place in California back in 1996, leaving self-help book author and four time murder survivor, Sidney Prescott the only survivor of each massacre as well as reporter and author Gale Weathers Riley, and her husband Dwight Riley, otherwise known as Dewey" said the third reporter.
"Oh my God. They're happening again, here?" Sherman thought to himself as he began walking up the stairs to the front entrance of the school. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and saw his best friend, Hayden McClaine walking up to him.
"Hey, I heard about what happened. I am so sorry to hear that. I know you and Abby were close friends and..." Sherman cut him off before he could continue.
"Don't be sorry. There was nothing you could have done" Sherman said somberly.
"But there is good news. The murder means that the principal is canceling the first day of school until tomorrow. They just wanna give all the students grief counseling and then they can go home" Hayden told him.
"I feel like I'm gonna need it the most. Abby and I have been good friends, we shared a love for horror and slasher films" Sherman said.
"I know, Abby was close to me too. We almost went out once" Hayden reminded Sherman. Just as both friends turned to their left, reporters, photographers, and camera crew bombarded them both with questions. They just walked to the guidance counselor's office and tried their best to ignore them but they followed them up to the third floor.
"Can't you see the poor guy's already upset!?" Hayden said slamming the door in every single one of their faces. The office looked just like a coffee shop where Hipsters would have coffee or spend their time with friends, the door at the very end of the hall was the counseling room itself where the guidance counselor was.
"Wow, I forgot they did some remodeling over the summer, this place looks like the inside of a Starbucks" said Sherman sitting down on a large red velvet sofa where a TV was in front of it, and it was playing the 'Ellen Degeneres Show'.
"Speaking of horror movies, for fans of the 'Stab' movies,
Dimension Films has announced they are in productions of the new 'Stab' remake, due to come out during the Halloween of 2016 next year" Ellen said. Sherman got an excited feeling in him.
"Did you hear that? They're remaking 'Stab'!" Sherman said excitedly.
"Dude, it's been about ten years since 'Stab 6' came out. Aren't you sick of those movies?" Hayden asked.
"No, and sure 'Stab 6' wasn't the greatest since it wasn't based on the Woodsboro murders like the first three movies. But maybe this reboot won't be so bad" Sherman said.
"That's what most people said about other remakes like 'Friday the 13th' or 'Halloween'" said Hayden crossing his arms.
"Hey, the 'Friday the 13th' remake was pretty good" Sherman said, objecting to Hayden's previous comment and changing the channel. It showed a kid wearing a creepy old man mask with spiders in his hair scaring children trick or treating on Halloween.
"Oh, cool. I love 'Goosebumps', and it's my favorite episode too" Hayden said. As they watched the episode, waiting their turn to see the counselor, the door opened up to reveal Penny Peterson.
"Sherman, look. It's Penny" Hayden said nudging his shoulder and pointing to her. When Sherman looked up to her, all she did was scoff and walk away.
"Hey! Hey, wait!" Sherman exclaimed walking after her and soon they were at the front door.
(You can stop playing the song now)
"Penny, Abby was my friend too. We shared a love for scary movies, the first time we ever hung out we saw 'Black Christmas'. I'm just as devastated as you are" Sherman said.
"Don't give me your crap, Sherman. Whether or not a close friend we shared was murdered by some freak in a mas, you're a dog and nothing's ever gonna change that" Penny said trying to walk away from Sherman. Penny despised Sherman because Abby always hung out with him more than she did with her, and her way of letting Sherman know how much he hated his guts was saying he was a dog like his father. Sherman grabbed Penny's wrist and yanked her back towards him.
"Penny! Listen, a lunatic wearing the exact same costume as the killer from 'Stab' is still out there and you're just gonna take your anger out on me?" Sherman asked.
"That's pretty much it" Penny said.
"Well, until you've come to your senses that I was just as much an important person in Abby's life like you were, and not a dog, you can just stay away from me" Sherman said letting go of her wrist.
"Fine by me" said Penny walking away from Sherman and down the stairs. Sherman then went back into the office and sat back down and continued watching 'Goosebumps' with Hayden.
"I uh... heard what happened out there" Hayden said.
"She still treats me like a dog, even after we both lost someone close to us" Sherman said crossing his arms in anger.
"I know. But do you really think that guy is still out there?" Hayden asked.
"Hayden, if there's one thing I've ever learned from watching scary movies, it's that murder is like potato chips, you never stop at just one" Sherman said, making Hayden chuckle a little bit. The guidance counselor came out of her office and spoke.
"Sherman Peabody?" she asked. Sherman then raised his hand, letting her know where he was and got up from the couch.
"Want me to pause the episode for you?" asked Hayden.
"Sure, I wanna see what happens" Sherman said before walking into the office, and Hayden paused the TV on the kid with the creepy old man mask on as it now was becoming a part of his body.
A/N: Chapter 2 is now complete! There were a lot of references to different horror movies, and to 'Goosebumps' as well (Can't wait for that movie to come out!) and a reference to the 'Stab' movies, which existed within the 'Scream' movies. Now the real question is, who is Ghostface's next target? And who's the one behind the mask? More to come in the next update. Please review, thanks!