Welcome, dear readers, to a twisted corner of Hollywood Arts—where masks hide more than just insecurities, and where every locked door holds secrets best left undiscovered.
This story is set at the end of senior year. Think of it as a darkly lit path through the halls of your favourite high school, with only the flickering light of the horror genre to guide you. Inspired by the classic slasher films we know and love, this is a love letter to the thrill of the chase, the chill of suspense, and the eerie thrill of the unknown. And yes, expect a bit of meta-commentary woven into the twists and turns—because what's horror without a knowing wink at the genre's clichés?
In this AU, you'll meet some fresh faces alongside the ones you know, but don't expect anyone's story to match what you remember. I've completely rewritten the backstory of the Vega family and Jade's character to better serve the narrative.
Heads-up: This story is not for the faint of heart—or a younger demographic. Language, violence, and sensitive themes will be explored in full, so if you're here for the high stakes, grit your teeth and hold tight.
So, sit back, relax, and try not to SCREAM!
A phone rings in a moderately lavish home, the ring from the landline echoes in the living room as the two Northridge girls prepare for their girls' night at the Ferguson home. "Hello, you reached the Ferguson household." A blonde girl said to the phone.
"Who is this?" the man on the other end said.
"My name is Tara, Hayley's friend she's in the bathroom right now, may I take a message?"
"I am the last person you'll see before you die." the man hissed in a sinister voice.
Tara rolls her eyes, "Yeah, whatever creep." she hangs up.
Hayley walks back, "I heard the phone ring. Who was it?"
"Some idiot prank calling." Tara sneers
"Must be a loser." Hayley laughed, "Like that bitch, Tori Vega." she said with disdain, twisting her lips.
"Did you see what she posted on Instagram minutes ago?" Tara snickered. "Another selfie with her tits practically hanging out. She's such a slut and she treat everybody like shit."
Hayley glanced up, a smirk forming on her lips. "Yeah, and did you hear about her latest outing? Apparently, she fucked almost all of the guys at the drama club who helped her at her last stage show." she sneered. "She probably fucked over half of the guys over at Hollywood Arts. It's actually a miracle that she hasn't caught anything by now."
Tara giggled, tossing her phone aside. "I don't get what people see in her. I mean, she's a total bitch. Just because she's popular, can sing, and shake her ass, she thinks she's better than everyone else. She's such a piece of shit. I mean the only reason she's so popular is because she's a slut with a dead mother who spreads her legs for anyone who gives her attention." she pauses, "Ryder is totally wasting his time on her."
"Tell me about it—" Hayley replied, rolling her eyes. "She's got no shame, and don't even get me started on that nutjob twin of hers. Her style is also SO overdone at this point."
"Ugh, seriously." Tara rolls her eyes.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you this." Hayley said, shifting her position, "Remember last weekend when the Vegas and their friends went to Karaoke Dokie?"
"Yeah..." Tara answers, "We left early 'cuz that bitch was hogging all the attention. Seriously though, why doesn't your dad just ban that skank?"
"Because she brings in people, and it's good for business." Hayley shrugs.
Tara rolls her eyes, "Whatever. So, what of it?"
"Well, I heard that Lola hurled a chair at a group of girls because they were staring at Beck, and she caused a massive brawl that spilled outside and even the cops got involved."
"Seriously?" Tara asked with a gaping mouth, "What a lunatic. What does Beck even see in her anyway that makes him go back to every time?"
Hayley sighed, her mind drifting to Beck. "I know, right? He deserves so much better. Someone who actually appreciates him."
"Like you?" Tara teased, nudging Hayley with her elbow.
"Shut up!" Hayley laughed, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "It's not like I have a real chance for a relationship anyway, not with Lola hanging all over him. But I'm glad I had a one-night stand with him." She smiled.
"Well, at least you don't have to deal with Tori—" Tara said, her tone darkening. "She's the real problem. I heard she even slept with some of the teachers to get better grades."
"Wouldn't surprise me." Hayley muttered. "She's always been an arrogant bitch. Remember, Heather came to Northridge because of Tori's constant bullying?"
"Yeah, and she's still pissed about it." Tara said. "There's only so much shit people can take from Tori before they snap."
Hayley chuckled, a wicked glint in her eyes. "Well, if anyone deserves to be taken down a peg, it's definitely her."
"Yeah, Tori's reign of terror even crept its way into Northridge for fucks sake."
Hayley gets up momentarily, "I'm just gonna grab something in my room, I'll be right back."
"Yeah." Tara replied.
Minutes later, the landline rings again. Tara rolled her eyes, "Hello, Ferguson household." she answered again. There was no answer on the phone other than loud breathing. "Who is this?" Tara said in a trembling voice before she heard Hayley laughing on the other end.
"I got you huh?" Hayley laughed.
Tara rolls her eyes, "Ugh! Fuck you, Hayley!"
Hayley "I wish I could've seen the look on your face when—" She gets cut off when she hears a terrifying scream coming from downstairs.
Tara was screaming, "How the hell did you get in here?! What the fuck are you doing, are you crazy?! You bastard!" Hayley hears Tara shouting; she tenses as she walks out of her room.
"Tara?" Hayley asked. She walks downstairs to find the lights out and the phone on the floor. Hayley laughs, "Wow, very original one Tara. Lights out, leaving your phone on the floor. You should write or direct horror movies." Hayley looks around, a smug smile on her face. She walks over to the open door in the corner, "Oh, I know what you're doing. You want me to walk into an open room or whatever so you can pop out right?" as Hayley closes the open door. The phone rings, startling Hayley, "Damn, your timing is great—" Hayley giggles as she answers the phone. "I gotta admit, you almost had me there, but you didn't think I'd see through your bullshit, did you, Tara?"
"Hello Hayley." the voice on the other greeted. His voice seductively inviting yet dripping in venom.
The voice makes Hayley's eyes widen and sends shivers down her spine, "Who is this?" she asks as she darts her eyes around.
"Not Tara."
"Is this Beck?" Hayley smiles for a bit. "Did you finally leave that lesser Vega? I always knew you'd come around and eventually get sick of her."
"Do I sound like a Beckett to you?" the raspy voice answers as Hayley's smile fades out.
"Who are you?" she trembled.
"Think of me as the director. And you're in my movie. You have a role to fill, so you better not blow it."
"What movie?" Hayley asked as she looked outside her window.
"The same one Tara is going to be in, same as you, her role is gonna be cut way short. Your role is the stupid Northridge bitch who answers her best phone, only to get sliced up by the killer."
"You fucking asshole, what did you do with Tara?!" Hayley paced, her heart raced, and her palms sweat.
"That dumb blonde is gonna be on the cutting room floor just like you."
"That's not funny!"
"Oh, this isn't a comedy movie, Hayley. It's a horror movie. People die, people live, and if you want to be the latter, you better start running!"
Hayley walks into the kitchen, there on the ground, she sees a blonde girl lying on the ground. It was Tara. She was facing down on the floor. "Tara!" Hayley, yells. Her breath quickens as she tugs on her friend. Hayley turns her face upwards, Tara begins laughing. "You bitch!"
"I got you back good, didn't I?" Tara laughs. Hayley rolls her eyes but starts to laugh herself.
"How did you do that with your voice?"
Tara raises her eyebrow, "What voice? And who were you talking to?"
Hayley's brows furrowed, "Aren't you—" she pauses, "You know what, forget it. It must be some idiot prank-calling again. So, you wanna watch a horror movie?"
"Your horror movies? No thanks." Tara rolls her eyes.
"Oh, come on, what's so wrong with my horror movies."
"Your taste in horror is slashers, Hayley. I mean that's the lowest common denominator in horror, the killer is always superhuman, and the final girl is always this dumb bitch who happens to always outsmart him for some reason even though she was nothing but stupid throughout the whole movie."
Hayley, crosses her arms, smirking, "Okay, you got any other movie then?"
"You know I hate slashers. They're so predictable and gory for no reason. I'd rather watch something with a bit more—substance."
"Substance?" Hayley scoffed, tossing a piece of popcorn at Tara, who deftly caught it and popped it into her mouth. "Slashers have plenty of substance! The tension, the chase scenes, the final girl trope, it's all so thrilling."
"Thrilling? More like cheap thrills." Tara retorted, "I prefer horror that really gets under your skin. You know, movies that actually make you think, like 'The Shining' or 'It Follows'. Those movies have depth, atmosphere, and psychological terror."
Hayley rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips. "Those horror movies are fine and all, but sometimes you just want to see a group of dumb teens make stupid decisions and get picked off one by one. It's cathartic."
"Cathartic for you, maybe..." Tara said, pulling a face. "But I can't stand the gratuitous violence. And don't get me started on those Saw movies, I hate that torture porn bullshit. That's just sick and twisted."
"Hey, I'm not a fan of torture horror either." Hayley conceded, shuddering at the thought. "But slashers are different. They're like—horror comfort food. Plus, the suspense of wondering who will survive, who is the killer in some is still unbeatable."
Tara sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions. "I get that. I do. But for me, the real horror comes from the psychological aspect. The unseen dread. Like in 'The Babadook', where the horror is as much about the monster as it is about the mother's mental state."
"Yeah, yeah." Hayley said, waving her hand dismissively. "I get it, you're sophisticated. But tonight, can we please justwatch a slasher? We watched 'Oculus' last weekend, and I still don't know what half of it meant."
Tara chuckled, shaking her head. "Okay, fair point. But can we at least pick a slasher that is at least entertaining? Like, I don't know... 'Jason Goes to Hell'? I know that movie is horrible, but it's entertaining as hell if you ask me."
"Deal, I'll set it up, and you go get the popcorn and some drinks." Hayley says. "Bring some chips too if we have some." she moved to the couch as Tara grabbed some popcorn from the wooden cupboards.
"Yeah, there's some Doritos, and I can make some dipping sauce if you want some."
"That'd be great." Hayley smiled.
Tara closes the cupboard, "So... what would you li—oh fuck!" she jumped seeing a figure dressed in the iconic Father Death costume, a black robe with a ghostly white mask standing behind Hayley. "Okay, assholes. Be original, jump scares are boring as hell." she said nonchalantly crossing her arms.
"What are you talking about?" Hayley asked, chuckling at her friend. Then, she felt a cold hard sting striking her spine. Hayley yelps as she staggers back, falling on the sofa. She looks up to see the black figure and the white mask standing over her with a hunting knife.
Father Death then begins to plunge their knife directly into Hayley's stomach, and chest, writhing in pain, she screams as loud as she can, she wriggles and tries to escape but to no avail.
"Stop trying to scare me, Hayley, you know shit like that don't get to me." Tara laughs. The figure continues to stab Hayley as her screams become more and more frantic, more visceral. Tara's eyes widen and her breath quickens when she sees blood in the hunting knife, "Hayley?" she runs towards her friend, who by now is drenched in blood and littered with stab wounds. "Hayley!" Tara shouts. The hooded figure snaps their head to Tara and slashes her face, leaving a large gash on her cheek up to her nose. She presses her hands on her face, as the feeling of her warm blood drips down. "You, fucking asshole, are you crazy?!" she backs out and runs towards the door.
The hooded figure bolts towards Tara. Just as she opens the door, a taller Father Death figure greets her. An ear-piercing scream escaped her mouth as she stumbled back. The second Father Death figure sticks their knife into her mid-section, Tara gasps as she collapses onto the floor, she cries an almost inaudible huff. The two black figures tower over her as she looks into the ghostly mask. Gasping for air, and trembling, she lets out a faint sound, "Please... stop—" as the second Father Death pulls out a camera.
"Welcome to my movie, Tara." The first Father Death says as they kneel on Tara's bleeding wound, raising their knife, "Now for your final act." Tara, with tears in her eyes, lets out one last gut-wrenching scream as the knife comes down onto her.
—
Over the other side of the city, rustled leaves outside the West residence break the stillness. Inside, Jade's room was providing a calm backdrop for her eclectic collection of posters—everything from classic films to famous works of art. A large corkboard above her desk is filled with drawings, scribbled notes, and photos of her friends, Ryder Daniels, Beck Oliver, André Harris, Cat Valentine, Robbie Shapiro, and the twins Tori and Lola Vega. In one corner, a stack of well-worn journals is neatly piled, each filled with poems, songs, and sketches. Despite the mess of creative clutter, the room feels warm and lived-in, a place where she can be herself, away from the judgment and hurt outside her door.
Jade hunched over, scribbling furiously, her dark hair falling around her face in loose waves, her room was lit dimly by moonlight piercing through the blinds and a single lamp on her desk, casting a yellow glow on the pages of her notebook. The notebook was old, worn at the edges, and the leather had softened from years of use. It was a gift from someone special, and Jade clung to it like a lifeline, filling its pages with intricate drawings, heartfelt poems, and songs—all about her the girl who used to make her world go around.
The song she was working on had taken hold of her thoughts, each word heavy with unspoken emotions she'd buried deep inside. But tonight, the words wouldn't come. Her pen hovered over the paper, the ink threatening to spill out in frustration, yet nothing materialized. Writer's block had her in its grip.
Jade sighed, dropping her pen and leaning back in her chair, eyes wandering around her room. Her gaze landed on the corkboard pinned to the wall above her desk, a collage of memories frozen in time. Jade's attention focused on a particular photograph—the one from eighth grade, the year they had all been in the school's production of 'The Wizard of Oz'. Tori stood in the center, beaming in her blue gingham dress, holding her basket as Dorothy. Jade was beside her, dressed in black and green, ironically as the Wicked Witch of the West, a mischievous grin on her face as she leaned into Tori's shoulder. On the other side, Lola, as the Scarecrow, had her arm slung around Ryder, the Tin Man, who was trying to maintain a serious expression but failing miserably.
Jade's lips twitched into a small smile as she remembered that night. Her eyes drifted to another photo, one that was more worn than the rest. It was from her tenth birthday. In the picture, Jade was holding a cake, its candles glowing brightly, while a younger Tori hugged her from the side, pressing a kiss to Jade's cheek.
Jade swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat as she shifted her attention to the small blue string bracelet lying on her desk. It was frayed, the knot torn, but she kept it anyway. Jade picked up the bracelet, running her fingers over the worn string, the memories flooding back in a rush.
It was the first week of fourth grade, and Jade was sitting alone at lunch, as she always did. The lunchroom was the worst part of her day. The noise, the smell, the way everyone seemed to fit in except for her—it felt like living in a nightmare she couldn't escape. Jade sat in her usual spot near the window, where she could at least pretend to be somewhere else.
The seat across from her was empty, as it always was. She picked at her sandwich, trying to make it last as long as possible. Eating slowly seemed to make the time pass faster, or at least it felt that way. She kept her head down, avoiding the usual laughs and whispers from the other kids. They always found something to mock—her old sneakers, her pale skin, the way she kept to herself. Jade was used to it by now, but that didn't make it any easier. She hated it.
Jade was halfway through her sandwich when she noticed them. Two new girls at the school—she'd seen them around the past few days. They had to be twins because they looked exactly alike, except one wore glasses with her hair tied back, while the other let hers loose around her shoulders. They looked like the kind of girls who would have no problem making friends, the type who belonged in the pages of those magazines Jade sometimes peeked at in the grocery store—the ones full of girls with perfect hair and clothes that didn't come from second-hand stores. When they spotted her, Jade immediately panicked. New kids didn't usually bring anything good for her. She braced herself for whatever mean joke they might have planned.
The girl without glasses was the first to approach. She had a huge smile, the kind that made you think of sunshine and rainbows, even if Jade didn't believe in that kind of stuff.
"Hi! I'm Tori, and this is my sister, Lola." she said, pointing to the girl with glasses. "Do you mind if we sit here?"
Jade looked at them, surprised. No one had ever asked to sit with her. "Uh, sure." she replied. She kept her eyes on her lunch, expecting them to start laughing or make some kind of joke, but they didn't. They just sat down, unpacked their lunches, and started eating like it was the most normal thing in the world. Jade was surprised. For a few minutes, they just ate in silence. It was weird, but not in a bad way. Usually, she hated sitting with other kids because it always ended with them saying something mean or just ignoring her completely.
Lola, the one with glasses, looked over at Jade. Her eyes were sharp as if she was always thinking about something complicated. "What's your name?"
"Jadelyn..." she said, trying not to sound nervous.
"Jadelyn, huh?" Tori repeated as if she was testing how it felt on her tongue. "That's a pretty name." She smiled.
Jade blinked, unsure if she was serious. Pretty? No one had ever called her or anything about her "pretty" before. She expected them to start laughing any second now, to reveal that this was all just a setup, but they didn't. Tori just kept smiling at her, and Lola was—well, she was still smirking, but it didn't feel mean.
"Yeah, whatever, Ria." Lola brushed her sister's comments off. "Can I just call you Jade instead? That sounds way cooler."
Jade, didn't say a word,"Jade?"She said to herself, before nodding.
"So, Jade..." Lola said, leaning forward and propping her chin on her hand, "What's the deal? You always sit by yourself?"
Jade shrugged, looking down at her sandwich. "Yeah." she mumbled.
"Why?" Tori asked, sounding genuinely confused. "You seem nice."
"People don't like me." Jade said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "I'm... different."
Lola snorted. "Different is good. Different keeps things interesting." Jade stared at them, still waiting for them to make fun of her until Lola noticed her worries. "Don't worry, we don't bite. Well, unless you're into that, then—"
"Lola!" Tori slapped her sister on the arm. "Don't be weird!"
Lola just laughed, and Jade couldn't help but feel that these two were different. They didn't seem to care that she was the quiet, lonely kid. They were just being nice.
"Sorry about her, Lola gets weird sometimes. So, what do you like to do, Jade?" Tori asked, her mouth half-full of a cookie. She didn't seem to care much about manners, which Jade found kind of funny.
Jade shrugged, not sure what to say. "I don't know. I like reading, I guess. And watching movies."
Tori's eyes widened even more if that was possible. "What kind of movies? Like animated princess movies?"
Jade shook her head. "Not really. I like scary movies. The ones with ghosts and monsters."
Lola leaned in, her glasses sliding down her nose a bit. "Really? Scary movies are the best. Most kids at our old school thought they were too scary, but I think they're really cool."
Jade looked at her, surprised. "You do?"
"Totally!" Lola said with a grin. "There's something so cool about them! Like how you get scared and excite you at the same time."
Tori nodded, though she looked a little less sure. "I get scared a lot, but I still like them. As long as I'm not alone..."
"That's 'cause you're a pussy, Ria." Lola laughed.
Tori's head snapped toward her sister. "I'm telling Mom you said the P word!"
"Then I'm telling her you dropped her lipstick in the toilet." Lola countered with a smirk.
"Dang it!" Tori, pouted as Lola grinned.
Before she knew it, Jade was laughing. Not the fake kind of laugh she usually did to get people to leave her alone, but a real laugh. These girls were different. They weren't teasing her or making fun of her. They just... wanted to talk.
They kept talking about movies, then about books, and then about all sorts of random stuff. Tori was really into singing, and Lola loved to draw. They even told Jade about their dog named Coco and how he always tried to steal their food. For the first time in a long time, Jade didn't feel like the weird kid who nobody wanted to sit with. She felt like she had friends.
When lunch was almost over, Lola nudged Jade with her elbow. "You're pretty cool, Jade. Maybe we can be friends."
Jade looked at her, then at Tori, who was nodding eagerly. "Yeah, that'd be nice." she said, trying not to sound too excited. But inside, she felt warm and fuzzy, like maybe things were going to be different from now on. Maybe she wasn't going to be so alone anymore.
As Jade was about to turn away, Tori caught her attention again. "Wait!" she said as she rummaged through her backpack.
"Oh, great, here we go again, Ria going all sappy." Lola sighed, rolling her eyes, as she chuckled.
"Quit bugging me, Lo!" Tori continued to look through her bag. "Now where did I put those?"
Jade felt a little nervous about what Tori was looking for, especially since Lola was shaking her head with a grin on her face.
"Found it!" Tori exclaimed, pulling out a blue string bracelet. It looked handmade like she made it herself. She took Jade's hand. "Here, let me help you put it on." She slipped the bracelet onto Jade's wrist, smiling that smile Jade would grow fond of. "There! Now, we're friends."
Jade smiled, that simple gesture had meant the world to her. It's more than just a piece of string. Jade sighed, setting the bracelet back on her desk. She stared down at her notebook, the unfinished lyrics staring back at her, mocking her with their half-formed thoughts. Jade wiped at her eyes, not realizing tears had started to fall, she picked up her pen and began to write again, the words flowing more easily now, each one laced with the raw emotions she'd been holding back for so long.
So, yeah… there is an established history between Tori and Jade. Lola Vega is NOT Lola Martinez from Zoey 101, she is an original character with an original fully written backstory. Lola Martinez does still exist as a different person in this AU.
I'll try and update it as much as I can, but most likely, it will be a weekly update, every Thursday or Friday.