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magicxc · 1 year ago

Text

Hills and Valleys

Synopsis: Legend has it that Halloween is strictly for the scares. With ghouls and goblins, vampires and werewolves, witches and broomsticks, who could disagree?

However, all this friend group wanted was a little trick or treat. Sprinkle in a few party favors, loud music, and a cabin in the woods, the myth was bound to come true.

Lurking around the corner is danger like never before, eager to bring this night to a bloody finish.

So join these friends as they fight to make it through a Halloween they’ll never forget, proving that "the scare" is more than just a fantasy.

Word Count: 3845

Warnings: Talks of Killings, Implied Murder, Nothing Too Graphic for This Chapter

Chapter 1 - Emery's POV

Series Masterlist

10 years later

Good morning Santa Monica, this is Sienna Ramirez coming to you live from Brentwood. It’s Friday October 31st as the time reads 8:32 a.m. and behind me here, is believed to be the most recent murder scene of The Resident Reaper; named after their ability to seamlessly integrate into communities, where heinous crimes are sure to follow.

Fingernails clamped between chattering teeth is the latest bad habit I’ve picked up. It isn’t until my teeth chew through the nail that I manage to force my hand away from my mouth and atop my bouncing knee, while the other reaches for the remote; fingers tracing over the buttons until the volume increases.

Authorities are unsure of whether today's latest casualty is that of The Resident Reaper but can confirm that it matches their murder method of death by strangulation. Just a few months ago, The Reaper’s seventh victim was found at a rest stop near the border of Arizona where the body was discovered some hours later. For the past 4 years, homicide cases have popped up in states lining the historical route 66 where authorities believe California may just be their last stop. Given that the prior victims didn’t fit a particular profile, ranging from men and women of all ages and ethnicities, law officials state that it’s difficult to tell who’s most at risk, but better yet the gender of the person behind these strings of monstrosities.

The remote being snatched out of my hand scares me shitless and a shriek bursts into the quiet air, hands clutching my chest until I slowly remembered that Lynn slept over the night before.

“Enough of this Em,” she pleaded, muting the tv. “You’ll send yourself crazy watching this shit.”

“It’s the news.”

“Oh you know what I mean,” she huffed.

“Lynn,” I croaked. “Every time I close my eyes, my mind races with a thousand thoughts of how it could’ve been ME at that fucking rest stop.”

“But it wasn’t.”

“I can barely sleep most nights and the thought of being alone in this house makes my chest tight,” I sobbed. “Gum isn’t the same for me anymore and the once peaceful patter of raindrops fills me with dread.”

Eyes crinkled in confusion, Lynn carefully sits next to me on the bed, a protective arm cradled around my shoulder as she rubs it soothingly asking, “what's wrong with chewing gum?”

“I had just wrapped up my trip to New Mexico, opting to drive back home for a more scenic view to clear my head.”

“You don’t have to,” Lynn mumbled.

“I need to,” I insisted, shoulders slouched as I stared at nothing in particular.

“I was four hours into my drive with enough pent up energy to push through the last three. It was nightfall and pouring rain, which was rather soothing, but I was on the verge of pissing myself.”

Silent tears streaming down my cheeks has me furiously wiping at them, inhaling deep breaths before continuing my story.

“Just when I thought I couldn’t hold it any longer, I passed a rest stop sign letting me know it’d be a quarter of a mile out. So I finally get there and there’s two other cars parked outside, which was a little too empty for my liking.”

Tilting my head toward her, I blurted “do you ever get the gut feeling that something is off? Lynn I swear the rain hammered down even harder as I sat there, with lightning spooking me silly. It was almost as if it were a warning.”

Fiddling with her fingers, Lynn proposes that sometimes our bodies know when something is wrong before our mind has the time to catch up.

Nodding in agreement, I go on to get this shit off my chest once and for all.

“Before I have time to decide anything, my legs are hurling toward the entrance and into the stall. The bathroom is surprisingly clean and puts me to a slight ease as I'm finally able to relieve myself. I wash up and use my hands as a makeshift umbrella while I sprint back to the car. As I’m running, I see this hooded figure strolling toward the bathroom. That's weird right? It's raining cats and dogs and they’re just taking their sweet ole time getting to shelter?”

“Maybe getting wet isn’t a problem for some people,” she suggests.

“Ehh”

“Still a little off putting tho,” she voiced carefully.

Clicking my tongue, I continued “the whole thing was odd, and to top it all off, I saw a brown bubble and heard the unmistakable sound of gum popping just as I ran past them.

“Finally making it to my car, I cranked the engine and peeled the fuck out of there, my nerves settling the further away I got; but to be honest with you, I just chucked it up to late night jitters. It wasn’t until I heard the news the next day that I felt sick to my stomach,” I whimpered. “I looked death in the eye that night and walked away unscathed, but for how long until it finally catches up to me huh? I feel so paranoid somedays, I wish it would’ve been me.”

“HEY, NO,” Lynn shouts. “Don’t you ever, Em don’t you ever dream of saying some shit like that again.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean it,” I broke. “But who knows if that deranged motherfucker thinks I can identify them? I swear it feels like I'm just counting down the days til the inevitable.”

Embracing me she chided, “I swear on my life I’ll never let that happen. We’ll hire every sketch artist in town if it means plastering that bitches face on every tv network available.” Pulling away, Lynn continued, “I know in the moment there’s so much going on that it’s easy to confuse the details. But usually once enough time has passed after a traumatic event, we can begin to piece everything together. So, after all this time, do you think you could make them out?”

“No,” I sighed. “It was dark, rainy, and I sprinted right past them, just barely glimpsing their face.”

“Could you at least tell if it were a man or woman?”

“No Lynn, my story hasn’t changed and neither has my memory. They were wearing a hoodie, were tall, slender, and of fair skin. That’s all I got.”

“Hmm, so that narrows it down to about 60% of Cali.”

“Pftt, who you telling?”

“Listen, I’m down for you healing in whichever way you feel necessary, shit I’m practically moved in, but I cannot watch you self-destruct like this,” she says waving the remote in the air. “Unless they’re telling us exactly who to look for, no more binge watching this assholes' increasing kill streak, ok?”

“Ok, but can I at least finish the rest of the news?”

“Emmmm,” she groans.

Snatching the remote from her hand, I press the button to unmute the tv, quickly grabbing the batteries from the back and tossing them in different corners of the room to buy me more time.

Her annoyed screech has me fighting back laughter as she climbs off the bed in search of the batteries. I know she means well, but being that close to the Resident Reaper has had me on edge for months. And who knows, somehow by me watching the news, I feel like something might come to me. Maybe they’ll get sloppy enough to leave a clue behind and it’ll be something that I overlooked that night. Just anything to put me at ease and that peasant behind bars.

Police Captain Van Gogh and her troops are working tirelessly to bring this homicidal maniac to justice, however as we roll into the late hours of the holiday night, authorities are urging everyone to stay vigilant, drink responsibly, and party earlier. My name is Sienna Ramirez, signing off for the night and until next time, Happy Halloween.

“I missed it.”

“Good,” Lynn screams from under the bed.

In a huff of frustration, she gets up and unplugs the tv from the wall; as I plop onto the sheets, eyes glued to the ceiling.

“What’s so odd about brown gum?” she inquires. “There’s tons of flavors out there, why did the brown one throw you off?”

Leaning up on my elbows, I ask “when have you seen a brown gum ever? Is that really the first pack you’re reaching for? A shit flavored chewing gum?”

“Points were made,” she conceded. “But hey, enough of this boogey bitch. Lorenzo’s hosting tonight’s Halloween party up at his parents lake house and I think it’ll serve as a great distraction for the next few hours.”

“Didn’t you hear Sienna,” I retorted, “she said to party earlier and it’s already noon.”

“Emery, this party is gonna be chocked full of people we know,” she deadpans. “And besides, the Resident Reaper can’t catch us all, can they?”

“Points were made.”

“Exactly,” she chuckles. “And if it’ll make you feel any better, we can triple up on the buddy system, so rather than two people, we can do groups of three and make it a real challenge for that motherfucker.”

“God, I love you,” I breathe out.

“I love you too. Now get up and get dressed because I have a few last minute things I need to get for my costume.”

“You’re going as Daphne, what else could you possibly need other than a purple dress and scarf.”

“I’m going to accessorize,” she sighed. “God, sometimes it’s tough being the only fashion forward one. And plus I need to pick up a few things for Jason, he’s going as Fred.

Rolling my eyes, “ahh so we’re finally worthy enough to meet your boy toy huh?”

“Em he’s not like the rest, I really like this one,” she gushed. “Now, get your ass in the shower.”

“Aye aye captain,” I said dryly, giving a salute.

|~~

I’m who every nigga wife fear, thick-thighed nightmare, I’m the boogie bitch ho I’m every nigga type yeah.

Unbuckling my seatbelt, it’s clear that Lorenzo’s party is in full effect and as I glance down at my costume, groaning in annoyance that I’ve let them talk me into this.

“Don't even think about it,” Lynn protested. “Besides, it’s too late to change.”

“Girl, whose dumbass idea was this anyway?”

“C’mon now, I thought it was cute and everyone else agreed.”

“I mean we could’ve chosen literally anyone else,” I insisted. “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was right there. You know green is my color.”

“Turn this on,” she hissed, pointing to her head. “There’s five of us in total.”

“Rude.”

“Slow! Besides, a turtle? Girl be for fucking real and glad as hell that you didn’t have to be Scooby.”

“Be gLaD yOu DiDn’T hAvE tO bE sCoObY,” I mimicked. “Bitch where the fuck ya nigga at?”

As if on cue a hand slams against the window of the car, startling us and giving me a mini freaking heart attack.

Breath fogging against the windows, the only thing I can make out is an upturned smile on the other side as my hand quickly pushes on the lock button. A light chuckle from beside me has my head twisting until I finally put two and two together, wet palms rubbing down my skirt to alleviate some of the sweat.

“Ahh, so this must be Jason,” I asked, thumb pointing in the direction of the glass.

A giddied yelp as she exits the car and jumps into his arms is all the answer I need, eyes rolling as I watch them swap dna. Stepping out of the car, I cleared my throat eager to meet the man whose had my friend dickmatized for the past couple of weeks.

“Ohh sorry Em,” Lynn giggles, swiping at his mouth to remove any lingering lipstick. “This is Jason, Jason Emery,” she gestures toward the both of us.

“Nice to meet you, sugars told me a lot about you Emery.”

“Sugar?”

“Yes, sugar,” he repeats. “I like to call her that cause she’s so sweet.”

The sound that slips from Lynns lips has me holding back my own laughter, shocked that such a noise could come from her. And it’s then that I realised that my girl is whipped. But they must still be in the honeymoon phase cause just like that I don’t exist anymore and they’re back to sucking each other's face off.

Another clearing of the throat seems to bring them back and we all finally agree to head inside.

Stepping through the threshold, I see bodies everywhere and I must give credit to some of these amazing costumes. The bass from the music has my heart thumping and for the first time in a long time I feel the shackles of fear loosen up, my body at ease as I eye all the familiar faces. Making my way over to Shaggy, I scream the lyrics to the rest of the song, feeling every bit of turnt in this atmosphere.

Say my name like candyman and bitch you know I'm there, these hoes wished they saw me when they looking in the mirror.

Red bottoms on my feet, bloody mary on my toes, every time I pop out it get scary for you hoes.

At some point throughout, I found myself throwing ass to the green goblin and as the song wraps up, it seems the mystery gang's all here.

“Ayeee, and to think you didn’t even wanna be Velma,” Steph screams in my ear. “Meanwhile you wear her so well. Of course I would've done it better.”

“Well woof woof bitch, I see you rock Scooby just as good,” I countered. “Pick a longer straw next time and you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“Hey, hey, hey, all my bitches bad,” Lorenzo yelled. “No need to get spicy.”

“I must say, your pick was spot on Lenny,” Steph hooted. “Cause much like Shaggy, your ass stays high.”

“Well life often imitates art.”

“I don't think that’s how it goes.”

“Everyone shut the fuck up and meet my heart in human form,” Lynn screams over our conversation, wrapped in Jasons arms, his face buried between her neck.

“Ahh so this is the infamous Jason, run while you still can,” Lorenzo jokes, dapping him up.

Staring daggers through him, Lynn goes through introductions, handshakes get thrown in the mix, and Julez interrupts our greetings, oddly enough dressed as Scrappy Doo. She goes on to call us shit friends for leaving her out of the equation, but adds how she “managed to find something last minute anyway.”

Julez is what I’d call a floater. She drifts from friend group to friend group and while we’ve always been cool, she’s never really been as close with us as we are with each other. She’s always had her own thing going on and I can respect that. Come to think of it, she wasn’t invited because she was supposedly in Atlanta on a business trip. Whatever! Apologies get thrown around and we focus back on the conversation at hand.

“So where did y’all meet?” Lorenzo asks.

“In the coffee shop,” Lynn gushed.

“Go on,” Julez urged.

“I ordered my usual as I do everyday, and like most days I was running a little late for work except I had a presentation that morning so I couldn’t just stroll in at my usual time” she continued. “So I’m hightailing it out of there and I bump into this brick wall smelling fresh out of heaven.”

“Ohh what cologne were you wearing?” Steph interrupts. “I don't think my brother will appreciate another tie set this Christmas.”

“Well it became coffee scented real quick,” Jason chuckled.

A sea of groans sounded with everyone wincing at the idea, while Lynn nodded in faux concern.

“So lemme get this straight,” I blurted out. “Lynn spills coffee all over you at like 9 in the morning and the first thing you think to do is exchange numbers?”

“No no no Em, so get this,” Lynn explains. “I ran to get some napkins and started apologizing profusely until he grabbed both my hands, pleaded for me to relax, and suggested that I make it up to him with a lunch date.”

“Her treat of course, I mean it was only right” he jokes.

“Ahh boy, you’ve got a funny one.”

“No need for sarcasm Julez, that was actually cute,” Steph pointed out.

“Well gang, it was nice to meet you all,” Jason waved to us. “But I think it's about time we split up.”

And with that they left, hand in hand. I’d be lying if I said I weren’t a little jealous. I think it’s always bittersweet when one of your close friends gets into a relationship and you no longer have the same access to them as you once did. But green-eyed monster aside there’s something about him that seems a little off, though I can’t quite put my finger on it just yet.

“What’s going on up there?” Julez questioned, tapping my temple.

“Nothing really, I’m just meeting him the same as you are.”

“Well he seems pretty cool, though only time will tell huh?”

“That right there Lenny, and he’s fine, I’ll give her that,” Steph adds.

“Can we also add sweet talking to that list,” I butt in. “So get this, ole lover boy calls her ‘sugar’.”

A round of laughter cuts through the music, each of us dying at the thought but even I can admit that shits kinda cute.

“That’s military men for you, mark my words they’ll be married by Christmas,” Julez assured us.

“Military? How the hell did you find that out?”

“I googled his ass Lorenzo, how else?!”

“We just met the motherfucker, what do you mean?”

“Lenny, we’ve been knowing his name though,” Julez retorts. “You’d be amazed what you can find out with the google search engine, like the fact that he’s served two tours in Iran.”

“Jinkies, what are you, the FBI?” I asked, fully intrigued. “But what else did you find out?”

“Yeah, and why didn’t you tell us?”

“Oh Steph, not you too?” Lenny cried. “You know what I don’t even wanna know. I’m off to find that sexy ass bunny I saw earlier.”

“Aye ladies, let's do this later yeah? I came here for a good time not a long time,” Julez raved.

“Alright fine, but tomorrow I want full deets bitch,” Steph warned.

“I got you, but as of now I need another drink like four drinks ago. And speaking of, y’all should try the Jekyll and Gin next to the punch bowl; shit they need to call it puppy power cause my ass hasn’t stopped moving yet.”

“Yeah or talking,” Steph muttered.

“And then there were two,” I noted.

“Uhh more like one, I have to flag down that fine ass Captain America I saw earlier.”

These bitches really left me, and to think I - ohhh, damn even in real life Spiderman can’t commit to shielding his identity. Not that Im complaining cause that boy is fine as fuck. Shit maybe tonight instead of shooting webs, he can shoot his cum down my throat.

“Ayo Miles Morales, come here boy.”

|~~

“Oh my gosh, how the hell did we manage to get roped into helping you cleannnnnn,” Lynn complained.

“Guys we’ve been doing this since highschool, why are y’all acting brand new?”

“Dammit Lenny, I should’ve left while I had the chance.”

“Steph you’ve been drinking all night, how the hell were you planning on getting home without driving?” Lorenzo countered.

“And as ritual would have it, I assume we’re all sleeping here then?” I asked.

“See, Em gets it and I got the guest room all set up for you guys.”

“Two rooms, five people. That gives us about 2-3 persons to each room,” Jason proposed. “Sugar and I are more than willing to squeeze one more in.”

“No, the hell we’re not,” she whispered.

“Woah woah woah, what do you mean five people? Where the fuck is Julez?” Steph barked.

“That sneaky bitch, she’s probably halfway back to the A right now,” Lynn suggests.

“I mean the guest room is big enough right Steph, why don’t we let those three have it while you and I catch up for old times sake?” Lorenzo recalled.

“NIGGA THAT WAS ONE TIME.”

“Well I, for one, am not sleeping on the couch again so Lenny and Steph, no funny business please,” I stressed.

For a while I really thought Steph and Lenny would be endgame; that the constant flirting and bickering was just their way of expressing feelings. But in a weird way, I'm glad that it didn’t work out, shit the group is at peace because of it really; well as peaceful as peaceful can get. Those stubborn sons of bitches would surely find a way to make things awkward with us if things ever went sour between them.

Dragging the trash bag across the floor, I chuck it in the corner and take a seat on the window sill; retiring from my duty as trash collector for the night.

“Lenny, you know I'm down to help clean, but I'm pretty sure we can do this tomorrow,” I yawned.

“Yeah man, I’m no lightweight but even I can barely keep my eyes open.”

“J’s right Lenny, we can finish this off tomorrow.”

“No we can’t Lynn, my parents are gonna be back here first thing in the morning and I need this place in pristine fucking condition,” Lorenzo snarled.

“Well why would your dumbass host it here at the lake house then,” Steph screeched.

Leaning my head against the window pane, their bickering becomes a distant noise that fades into the background, eye lashes steadily fluttering against my face; sleep begging me to surrender.

The waves in the lake bring such serenity, the way they gently crash against one another, gracefully creating ripple after ripple. My eyes drift across the water that’s become my own personal lullaby, but it’s interrupted by floating debris. Frustration rears its ugly head at the disturbance, eyes squinting in confusion at the silhouette I see.

Sitting up further, my hands hastily reach for the glass, firmly pressed against it; brows snapped together in confusion as realisation flashes across my face. Denial grasps me in its clutches, fingernails painfully scratching against the window until the debris floats closer, revealing a face that brings my worst fear to life.

Hands balled into fists, they beat against the window. Angry, hot tears cloud my vision as they stream down my cheeks all the while strong arms grab at my fists to stop their assault. It isn’t until I hear the choir of concerned gasps and shhh’s that it dawns on me that the piercing scream is indeed coming from me. I fight against their clutches, arms swinging at whoever is in sight until I find myself pinned to the ground, my friends begging me to tell them what’s wrong.

“Julez,” I hiccup as I point to the window. “It’s fucking Julez. They’ve found me.”

#Emmy Writes #Emmy Tries #SpookySzn #Halloween Kills #Halloween Series #Halloween #Shit Just Got Real #Walk With Me #Hills and Valleys #Horror

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magicxc · 1 year ago

Text

Hills and Valleys

Synopsis: Legend has it that Halloween is strictly for the scares. With ghouls and goblins, vampires and werewolves, witches and broomsticks, who could disagree?

However, all this friend group wanted was a little trick or treat. Sprinkle in a few party favors, loud music, and a cabin in the woods, the myth was bound to come true.

Lurking around the corner is danger like never before, eager to bring this night to a bloody finish.

So join these friends as they fight to make it through a Halloween they’ll never forget, proving that "the scare" is more than just a fantasy.

Word Count: 2414

Warnings: none for this chapter

Prologue

Series Masterlist

Emery (Em for short) - outgoing and friendly to most but doesn’t have main character energy in the sense that she isn’t wildly popular and chats to everyone in sight. Though she is super fun and goofy around her friends, Emery takes on a more chill and easy going vibe amongst others. A bit of an overthinker, she’s the mom of the group - displaying a good sense of level headedness and ensuring that things between them is as smooth sailing as it can be. But beware! There’s a shift after the incident and Emery becomes this shell of her former self: sad, paranoid, and borderline pessimistic. Velma for Halloween.

Lynnley (Lynn for short) - a lil slow but she means well. Sexually affirming, Lynn is the hawtie of the crew and fiercely loyal - usually the first to jump to her friend's defense. Even though she’s prissy, she won’t hesitate to clear a bitch. But beware! There’s a shift after the incident and when pushed to her limits, Lynn transitions into the ultimate mean girl, willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Daphne for Halloween.

Lorenzo (Lenny for short) - big ole gentle giant. He’s the jokester, corny, and flirtatious one of the group. Goes by Lenny cause Lorenzo sounds too proper. A little stubborn in regard to his silver spoon status, but willing to learn and do better for the sake of his friendships. Takes the feelings of other into consideration, but ultimately puts himself first in most situations. Always down to party! But beware! There’s a shift after the incident and Lenny finds himself forlorn and vengeful. Shaggy for Halloween.

Stephanie (Steph for short) - spicy! She’s the bitch of the group, sometimes mean under the guise of being blunt although she can definitely be that too. Her smart mouth didn’t exactly land her a ton of friends as she usually takes things too far, thus being the apology tour queen. Enjoys the fuck out of her own company so it’s typically the crew or herself. Yet, underneath it all she’s fair; calling out bullshit as she sees it. But beware! There’s a shift after the incident and while this tough cookie has always been so sure of herself, circumstances see Steph more hesitant and even sensitive. Scooby for Halloween.

Julianna (Julez for short) - big, round eyes are her most striking feature and the starting point for most of her friendships. Somewhat cheesy but smooth as hell in the dating department. A social chameleon, she drifts from friend group to friend group but definitely considers this one her fave. Party animal, so she STAYS with the goodies, therefore Julez is usually the first one faded at the get togethers. A genuinely sweet person, she’s quite frankly the nicest one of the group. But beware! There’s a shift after the incident and her lack of cautiousness leaves her the most exposed. Scrappy Doo for Halloween.

The cool breeze blows gently against warm skin, swaying seamlessly between the sea of people. It's about 75 degrees outside and though the sun peeks through the fluffy clouds, its warmth is inescapable, covering every inch of ground. The winds add a comfortable sensation, making the temperature feel a few degrees cooler than it actually is.

There’s a freshness that lingers in the clean air; deep breaths satisfying the nostrils of those in the vicinity. Snacks are pulled out and the crinkling of their packaging adds all sorts of interesting aromas to the mix. There’s a foul odor to the sour cream flavored chips and a sugary scent to the caffeinated drinks. But it's the Jolly Ranchers and Hubba Bubba that add a deep sense of nostalgia.

Bench tables are filled to the brim, laughter echoing from each group of friends as they wait on their ride home. The afterschool chatter varies from crushes to beefs, to class work, and everything in between. Cliques gather around to whichever space is available - crouching under trees, standing near the cafeteria, or simply chilling on the stoop.

Some people choose to listen to their favorite artist, the sound of music flowing deep into their ears. Others prefer the ambiance of the school yard, the different personalities meshing together to form core memories for the future to come. Few students pull their books out to get started on today's homework, opting to spend the rest of their evening leisurely. Even fewer spend their time in solitude, comfortable with their own being. And then there’s them: The Three Musketeers.

“I’m thinking the bowling alley for my birthday this year, ohh and they just got a new skating rink too,” Emery gushed.

“Yes, but you can do neither,” Lynnley butt in.

“That, plus I was thinking dinner at The Atticus would be nice,” Lorenzo chimed. “And I know one of the waiters there who’s willing to serve us alcohol.

“I think the hell not, besides it’s my birthday and you’ll BOTH be there. You can choose whatever you want to do when it’s your year around the sun.”

“Whatever,” Lorenzo groaned.

A comfortable silence fills the air, each person attending to their own current interest; but it’s the presence of each other that brings an added sense of solace. Emery, pen and paper in hand, is making a list of all the things that she needs for her upcoming party, including but not limited to guests, outfits, cake decoration, and skating lessons. Lynnley is currently filing her nails, ensuring that each finger has the perfect curve of a twenty degree angle; lips tutting in unappreciation of her dry cuticles. How she’s managed to let it get this bad, she doesn’t know. Lorenzo scrolls mindlessly through YouTube, enjoying whichever silly video popped up in his suggestions. Every so often, he’ll pan the screen over in amusement for the girls to get a good laugh in too, his commentary sometimes funnier than the content he shows.

Eventually some distant yelling breaks their concentration, heads whipping in the direction of the ruckus to see the commotion. But it quickly turns into annoyance when they realised that the voice belonged to none other than Billy Badass.

“My goodness, I wish he’d get expelled already,” Emery sighed.

“Same here, if only he were into men then I could do something about it. One word from me to my parents and his ass would be done for.”

“It’s such a shame something has to be done to you directly for your parents to use their status for good, Lorenzo.”

“They aren’t vigilantes Lynn - they can’t just go around punishing everyone we hate. And I told you about calling me Lorenzo.”

“Oh yes, my good sir, shame on us for forgetting,” Emery teased, mustering up a poor posh accent.

Billy Badass is a nickname garnered by the crew for a student about two grades their senior. Though his antics skirt on the edge of sexual harassment, no one has ever really called him out on his shit; opting instead to ignore him into boredom. Billy thrives on the banter and reactions that he gets, eagerly bickering with person after person all in the name of free entertainment. However, there’s been talk that his resentment is another prime reason for the endless heckling.

It typically goes like this: Billy spits game at his latest crush, flirting and the sorts in hopes of making things official. If all goes well they get the ‘honor’ of calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend but let's be real, how long do relationships in middle school last anyway?! So this process repeats itself on end, more times than not ending in rejection, which most young girls have come to find out he can’t take. Then comes the name calling and the teasing and the spitefulness. It had gotten so bad that one of his ex-girlfriend went as far as to fight him, Billy's booming voice all but a whisper as he retreated under the guise of not wanting to get physical. And while most people can respect that he won’t hit a young woman, it pales in comparison to the constant verbal attacks he showers them with on a daily basis.

It’s like a fisherman attaching a worm at the end of his fishing rod, ready to cast it into the water in hopes that a sea creature will bite. And when they do, the sharp end latches on the inside of their jaw, their efforts to break free painful and most times pointless as their fate has been sealed. In some cases people fish for sport, throwing them back into the water once the fun has been had and the pictures have been taken. And in other cases, they get prepared to land on a plate. For most ladies, they’ve come to be a fish thrown back into the water, a thing that Billy has no lingering interest in once his fun has been had. But it still doesn’t make the tugging of the hook, sunken inside their jaw, any less painful.

And unfortunately the crew knew all too well what that felt like. It happened to both Emery and Lynnley earlier in the school year, the two bonding with Lorenzo after he stepped in to tell Billy to fuck off. Faced with another conflict, his tail was swiftly tucked between his legs; the group coming to understand that it’s not that he won’t fight, it’s more like he can't fight - and thus, the name Billy Badass was born.

“Ughh, that poor girl, can’t we just kick his ass? I'm sure we can make it look like an accident.”

“A three on one is far from accidental Lynn,” Emery laughs.

“Yeah,” Lorenzo agreed. “Besides as much as the prick deserves it, it wouldn’t sit right with me to assault him like that.”

“Oh my gosh Lenny, when did you become Mother Teresa?”

“Right after third period. Now come on let's see if that chick needs some help.”

Shuffling from their seats, the three amigos approached the scene, Billy scurrying away as soon as he saw them out of the corner of his eyes. Left behind was his latest target, cheeks beet red and fuming. Both fists tightly clenched together, she takes a few steps in his direction, stopped in her tracks by Lorenzo’s harsh grip on her forearm.

“Easy. Trust me we all want to hit him, but you throw the first punch and it’s lights out for you; in the form of expulsion of course.”

“I don’t care about that,” she huffs.

“Well you should. There’s no need to let Billy get under your skin.” “And you are?”

“Em-”

“She’s Emery, he’s Lenny, and I’m Lynnley,” she interrupted. “And you would be?”

“Out of here, I have a practice to get to,” the mystery girl spat over her shoulder.

“That’s how you treat the people that tried to help you?”

“I didn’t need it, Lenny, is it? I can hold my own, but thanks anyway.”

“Ok miss girl, well I hope you can hold that homework too. You conveniently left for your bathroom break right before it was assigned,” Emery sneered.

Stopping in her tracks, the young lady peers over her shoulder, pride on full display as she contemplates asking for the homework. How badly will this one score affect my overall grade? she thinks. How strong willed do I need to be really? she ponders even further. Would it hurt that bad to let her guard down? New to town and new to school, Stephanie isn’t exactly a hit with the people here. Most of them have formed friendships that spent years in the making and she blows off the few people whose attempt at a conversation with her didn’t immediately result in a favor. Could it really be that bad to try being social for once?

“Lorenzo, Emery, and Lynnley, right?” she asks, hand scratching behind her ear.

“YEAH, YOU BETTER RUN YOU FAT FUCK,” yelled Julianna, who conveniently just showed up.

“Julez baby, thank you, but I believe they’re called plus sized these days.”

“Em, I’m not tryna be considerate with the enemy.”

“And that’s Julez,” Lynn interjected.

“Julez, got it. Well I’m Stephanie.”

“Stephanie is the town's newest hard ass,” Lorenzo teased.

“Welcome!”

“Speaking of Julez, you’re welcomed to come to my upcoming birthday party at the bowling alley.”

“Ohhh the one with the new skating rink?” Julianna gushed.

“I still think you should consider dinner.”

“Or at the very least bowling lessons.”

“You shits, it’s her birthday!”

“THANK YOU, Julez, and just for that, you’re getting the first piece of cake,” Emery promised.

“Sure, whatever. Steph, are you game?” Lorenzo asked.

“She better be, how badly do you want that homework?”

“Just say the word and I can get you the homework WITH the answers to match,” Lynnley winked.

“Besides, you’re gonna love it,” Julianna encouraged.

Chuckling, she agreed to go to the bowling alley for Emerys birthday AND to the homework answers Lynnely promised. Surprisingly enough, she passed the homework with flying colors, briefly wondering how Lynnley had managed to get her hands on the material, not that she cared enough to ask. Stephanie never did make it to practice that day and neither did she have any trouble with ole Billy Badass moving forward.

That afternoon, the group fell into a natural conversation, catching Stephanie up on the latest tea; practice long forgotten. This day would be the first of many for the newest addition to this friendship quartet. Settling into the steps, they each leave one by one, their rides in tow. And though today will serve as a core memory, many more like this eventually become the norm - the five-person clique banding together, day after day, for what they will soon realise will be their last.

#EmmyWrites #Emmy Tries #SpookySzn #Hallowen Kills #Halloween Series #Halloween #Prologue Tings #Meet Tha Crew #Horror

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