#lonelym00n fic

[lonelym00n]

You stole my heart (but you're too young)

Sam Carpenter x Reader

Word Count: 5.2k

Summary: Sam thinks you deserve better than her, you couldn't disagree more.

Warnings: Nothing? Age gap but everything is legal (I left it up to interpretation but Sam is like 26 while R is 20ish). Kissing, if that's a warning.

A/N: Based off of this! Marrying my love for music with the scream franchise one fic at a time <3!! This one uses Tyler the Creator's song, Fucking Young/Perfect!

Day that I met you girl, knew that it was something special

With heavy footsteps and a yawn, Sam Carpenter made her way up the endless stairs leading to her apartment. Her boots thudded against each step particularly loudly today, a direct result of the ache in her legs that came with working a shift for not just one of her shitty jobs, but both of them.

At long last, she approached the door that signaled she’d finally made it through her tiring day. Sam momentarily struggled with opening the series of locks on the door- as it turns out, unlocking a door is especially hard when balancing her work bag and two boxes of pizza. 

She manages to unlock and open the door eventually, and steps into the comfort of the apartment. Like a hot shower after an extra hard gym session, her overworked mood fades away at the warmth of her home. 

Sam calls out a greeting and makes her way over to the table, setting down the pizza. Her bag is tossed onto the nearest chair, and once her hands are empty, she takes a moment to roll out her tense shoulders, groaning softly.

After some long overdue stretching, she shuffles towards the living room to announce the arrival of the pizza and to take a mental note of the apartment’s occupants. She’d heard Tara speaking with someone when she’d walked in, but had a greater need to first set her belongings down, and then engage in her daily check-in of how her sister’s day had gone.

“Tara,” Sam calls out before rounding the corner that leads to the living room, “The pizza’s here.”

Tara’s sitting on the floor, surrounded by papers, two different notebooks, and a few pencils. Her laptop is propped up in front of her. To her sister’s right sits a girl Sam has never seen before and she pauses slightly at the sight. 

Tara huffs at her notebook and lets the pen she’d been holding fall out of her grasp. She looks up at Sam.

“Thank god,” she whines dramatically, “I needed a break.”

The small girl stands, lightly brushing herself off. Tara turns toward your seated form.

“Come on, pizza time.” The girl’s scarred hand enters your vision, breaking your intense concentration by offering some help in standing up. 

You take it gratefully, letting her pull you up. 

Sam, who’d been sneaking glances at you throughout the whole interaction, sucks in a breath now that she can fully make out your features. Your eyes twinkle and your preferred style of clothing suits you perfectly. You’re effortlessly beautiful, and Sam is utterly captivated by the allure that you exude.

She’s snapped out of her slight daze at the sound of Tara’s voice.

“Sam, this is Y/N. We have Chemistry Lab together.”

You wave, wiggling your fingers slightly as you do so. A tiny smile is on your lips and she swears you’re batting your eyelashes up at her, either that or her tired mind is playing tricks on her. Probably the latter.

“Hi Sam, it’s great to meet you.”

She hates the way your smooth, sweet-sounding voice almost causes her to let out a shudder. You stretch out a hand and suddenly she’s nervous, hoping her own aren’t too rough like they sometimes could be.

She meets you halfway, ensuring she’s extra gentle about clasping her fingers around yours. The contact has a spark shooting up her spine, and she clenches her jaw to bite back the gasp that almost escaped.

She clears her throat, “It’s nice to meet you too.”

You pull away, and her hand almost feels cold at the lack of warmth. All too suddenly, Tara’s quickly pulling you towards the waiting pizza.

Sam stays rooted to her spot, rapidly trying to process the sudden pounding in her chest. The light laughter trailing from the dining table knocks her out of her stupor. She blinks and retreats to her bedroom to take a much needed shower, hoping it’ll not only help lull her into a more relaxed state, but clear her mind too.

She sets the water to the hottest temperature and strips out of her soiled clothes. A small hum slips out of her chest when the scalding water makes contact with her body. She stays in the shower longer than necessary, and throws on a tanktop and shorts when she exits.

The apartment is quiet when she resurfaces from her room. The digital clock on the oven reads 11:27 PM, and she ignores the small pang in her chest that rises up at the realization that you’ve likely returned to your own home by this time. 

Sam heads over to the dinner table where the pizza boxes (thankfully) still sit, grateful that Tara only had one friend over tonight because it meant there was still plenty of food leftover for her to eat. As much as she loved Mindy and Chad, they had a habit of eating first and being considerate second. It’d left Sam to have to scrounge up a meal for herself on several different occasions, but she cared more that everyone was eating and getting fed, so she never complained. Besides, she’d always put the twins and Tara before herself, the older girl felt the strong need to protect them because of the hell that they’d gone through together back in Woodsboro.

Tara pads into the kitchen while Sam’s polishing off her second slice of pizza.

“How was work?”

Sam swallows the last piece of crust, then answers. “Long, boring.”

The younger girl nods. “Thanks again for getting the pizza. By the way, sorry I didn’t tell you about Y/N coming over, it was kind of a last minute thing. She offered to help me with the pre-lab.”

Sam shrugs, “No big deal.” Then, cautiously, “She seems nice.”

A small smile pulls at Tara’s lips, “She is, super smart and funny too. You should see her and Mindy together, they’re hilarious.”

Sam unknowingly files the new found information away. She hums, “I bet.”

“Actually, I invited her to game night tomorrow. Are you gonna be home in time?”

Every Friday night the sisters hosted some kind of get together, whether it be a movie night, craft night, or their most recent obsession, a game night.

Sam mentally runs through her schedule, luckily enough she didn’t have a shift at the bar, so she’d be home by six.

“I get off at 5:30, so yeah.”

Tara smiles, “Good, you could use some fun.”

Sam rolls her eyes and lightly punches Tara’s shoulder, “I have fun!”

The shorter girl laughs, “Keep telling yourself that.”

The two girls share a brief hug before Tara heads to bed. 

Sam tucks the leftover pizza into the fridge, double checks the locks on the door, and goes to her room. She climbs into bed and burrows into her pillows. She drifts away with the quiet excitement of getting to see you again tomorrow.

We met through mutual friends and this is where the story and confusion began // ‘Cause I was at Nirvana but I had to pretend that I wasn’t

Tara was right, you and Mindy were hilarious together, Sam can’t stop herself from chuckling at your shared antics.

“Uno,” you smirked. 

Mindy slammed her hands down on the table, narrowing her eyes, “There’s no way! You have to be cheating!”

You lean towards Mindy, whispering teasingly, “Sorry to break it to you, but I’m just that good.”

Mindy grumbles. “Someone hit her with a plus four, for the love of God.”

You laugh heartily. 

Tara plays, then Chad, Anika, Ethan, and Quinn take their turns.

“None of you had anything?” Mindy asks incredulously.

She has a skip, but with Sam sitting between the two of you, it wouldn’t be useful to play it. She groans and throws down a yellow two.

“Do something Sam, she can’t win again.”

Sam laughs and scans through her cards. She has a pretty good hand, and surprisingly a few different cards that could stop you from winning. The card she chooses to play, however, is a simple five.

What? It’s not like she wanted you to win or anything, she just liked seeing Mindy lose.

Dramatically, you slam your hand down on the top of the pile, ridding yourself of your last card and giggling gleefully as you go. 

“You had a wild card as your last card?!”

You smile so brightly at Mindy that Sam’s sure the other girl might go blind.

“Read it and weep, Meeks!”

“I hate you!”

There’s some brief discussion on which game should be played next, and everyone agrees when Quinn suggests Pictionary. 

“Let’s do it in pairs,” Chad chimes in, throwing his arm around Tara.

“I get to pick first, since I won!” You gloat.

You scan the members of the table, searching for whoever would be best to assist you in scoring another win. When your eyes land on Sam, you know exactly who to pick to secure your victory. Plus, you might’ve been harboring a secret crush on the girl, so it’d double as a good bit of bonding.

“Wanna join me, Sam?”

She gulps, but nods rather furiously. Her words come out so quick, she nearly stumbles over them altogether. “Yeah, yeah count me in.”

You grin at her and her heart flutters. 

Tara and Chad pair up, and Mindy chooses Quinn, which Anika snorts at. She and Ethan happily team up, even though the choice was out of their hands.

The game goes exactly as you thought it would, with you and Sam in the lead by two points.

“Suck it Mindy, another point for us!”

Mindy fights back a scream of frustration, “You’re only winning because of Sam!”

You shoot her a cheeky grin, “Yup I know! I’m not afraid to admit that she’s carrying our team, it still means I’m winning!” 

You place a hand on Sam’s bicep, patting it softly as if you’re thanking it for its drawing skills.

Okay, so maybe you’d been dying to feel the hard muscle, watching it flex as she sketched out each prompt, but that was for you to know and you alone.

“Sammy’s unstoppable, so glad that I have such an amazing partner.”

Everyone laughs, with the exception of Mindy who glares. Sam is eternally grateful for her tan skin, because it hides the blush that erupts on her cheeks at both the nickname and the compliment.

You and Sam win. You cheer and hop out of your seat, dragging Sam up with you. You dance around while she grins, just watching you. Suddenly, you’re leaning up to throw your arms around her shoulders, pulling her in for a victory hug. When Sam’s hands land on your waist to return the embrace, it’s as if time slows. She’s completely engulfed in the scent of your flowery perfume and it makes her head spin deliciously. You’re so warm against her, and she can’t ignore how the two of you fit together so perfectly. It feels right to have you in her arms, and the thought scares her slightly.

When you pull away, she swears that her heart goes with you. 

You flop back into your seat to gloat at Mindy a second time. Sam sits gingerly. She feels anxious, like one of her friends might be able to see how the rhythm of her heart shifted during the hug to match the pace of yours. 

She wasn’t used to this feeling. When she was with Richie, he never made her feel things so intensely. And god, this was all because of a hug? A hug with one of Tara’s friends, no less.

Sam sank further back into her chair, realizing how utterly fucked she was. 

Now me and she held hands and we danced, nothing more // She kissed my hand a couple times, FaceTime when we’re bored

You were a frequent visitor to the Carpenter’s apartment after the game night. You’d find any excuse to come over, whether it be helping Tara with chemistry or gossiping over a cheap bottle of wine with Quinn. 

Tonight was one of those nights, where you and Quinn were sipping wine in between exchanging stories. Both you and the redheaded girl were sophomores whereas everyone else in the group were still freshmen. It helped having someone to recount the horrors of the frat-obsessed days with, and Quinn was nice enough to drop by the corner store to supply the wine, so it was always a welcome occasion to spend some time with the other girl.

Normally it was just the two of you, since Tara was usually off with one of the twins or Anika and Sam was almost always preoccupied by work.

Today though, was one of those rare dares where the older girl ended her work day early. She’d already finished a shift and gone to therapy, so with nothing else to do, she headed home.

Upon noticing that you were in the apartment, Sam tried her best to keep her distance. Her plan was to hide inside the walls of her bedroom and drown out the lovely sound of your laughter with some TV, but it was quickly spoiled by Quinn.

“Sam, you’re here! Come sit with us.”

She smiled nervously and made her way over to the couch. Quinn was of course already taking up the lone chair, so she was left to join you on the loveseat. 

Ever the observer, Sam’s dark eyes took in the flush that rested in both yours and Quinn’s face, and the half-empty bottle of wine. 

A light slur fills Quinn’s voice, “Y/N was just about to tell me about this girl she met last year.”

Sam’s ears perk up, and she turns to fully face you. Her knee bumps into yours as she shifts to be more comfortable, her skin burning where it had made contact with yours.

You snort out a laugh, “She was kind of cute, I guess. I met her at some bar. She was tall, and like lean, and totally my type and all so I started giving her little signs to buy me a drink or something.”

Sam’s nostrils flare at the talk of your attraction for this girl. Her dark eyes are boring into you, tracing over your entire body while you speak.

“She came up to me and started flirting pretty heavily and then out of nowhere, some guy came up to us and threw his arm around her shoulder. It was weird ‘cuz she just kept flirting with me and then he started flirting too and then all of a sudden they told me they wanted a threesome.”

Quinn laughs hard, leaning over to shove your shoulder. The alcohol has made her limbs heavier, and she pushes you with a lot more force than she likely planned, toppling you over and onto Sam’s lap.

Sam reacts quickly, catching you by the waist to stop you from tumbling off the couch. She internally screams at the feeling of her hands on your bare midriff, the cropped shirt you were wearing leaving part of your lower torso uncovered. 

You squeal and break into laughter, uncaring that your limbs are now tangled up with Sam’s legs.

You make no move to readjust yourself, so she doesn’t either. The way your weight is partially leaning up against her is too good, feels too right. 

Quinn’s phone rings and she gasps, waving her phone around for you and Sam to see. “It’s Max! I gotta go, he’s the one who actually manages to get me off.” 

The girl races up to get ready.

Sam, the protective person that she is, calls out to her.

“Quinn, be careful! Take an uber or something.”

“‘Kay!”

She runs out the door, leaving the amalgamation that is you and Sam behind.

You untangle your arms from her legs and flip over to face her. Her legs open to instinctively make room for you, and you lay yourself in between them, your cheek resting on her tight core.

She’s panicking at not just the position, but your proximity. Though she had spent a considerable amount of time with you due to your recurring presence in her apartment, she’d never stopped being slightly nervous around you. She understood it was because of the feelings that she harbored, but she wished some of her usual confidence could translate over to the time she spent with you too. It was slightly embarrassing to be a clean six years older than you and still fumble around like a schoolboy. 

You turn and blink up at her from your spot on her abdomen. She stares down at you in response.

Things are still for a moment, as you look at each other, wondering what the other is thinking. 

The liquid courage helps you break the silence.

“You’re really pretty, Sam.”

She’s stunned, because she’s been called hot, even sexy on a few different occasions, but never pretty.

Her heart sits high up in her throat.

“Really?”

You nod, all soft and encouraging, and she has no choice but to believe you because you look so sure.

“You’re strong too, not just physically, but mentally. You’re caring and always look out for everyone.”

She’s not sure what brought on this onslaught of compliments, but it causes so many different emotions to rise up in her chest. She’s lost on what to say, but she doesn’t have to speak because you continue.

“Sam, you're the most selfless person I know. You do so much for other people, it’s crazy!”

She laughs lightly, but it comes out more watery than she’d planned it to be.

Your shiny eyes twinkle up at her, and you shimmy up her body so that you’re now lying on her upper chest, near her shoulder.

She could lean her head down and brush her lips against yours so, so easily. But she doesn’t.

No matter how much she wants to, she holds herself back.

And god does she want to, more than anything, because you’re looking at her with a gentleness she’s never seen before. With your eyes on her, she doesn’t feel like the schizophrenic daughter of a serial killer who’s rumored to have covered up a series of murders. She doesn’t feel broken, or like the mistake that tore her family apart. You’re looking at her like she’s whole and like she’s worth something good. 

She knows that if she kisses you, she’ll probably never be able to stop, because you’re everything that someone like Sam Carpenter needs.

Loyal, loving, uplifting.

But she’s scared, because every good thing she’s ever had, she’s broken. She couldn’t risk bringing that upon you, because it’s you and you don’t belong on the long list of people who have gotten hurt because of her.

You’re too good, too perfect, too fucking young. 

Her heart hurts. As much as she needs you, she won’t let herself have you.

As if you’re able to hear her internal battle, you continue your previous thought, “You do so much for other people, but never anything for yourself. I wish you’d do more for yourself.”

A tear slides down her cheek, but in your tipsy state, you remain blissfully unaware. Instead, you’re playing with the ends of her hair and twirling it around your fingers. You don’t even know it, but your touch comforts the vulnerable girl immensely. 

You sigh heavily, press a quick kiss to her clothed shoulder, and push yourself off of her. You stand and move to gather your stuff, clearly getting ready to leave.

“You’re leaving?” She asks, despite it being obvious that you are planning to.

Wobbling slightly, you slip your jacket over your shoulders. “Mhm, it’s late.”

She sits up and moves to stand by the door, grabbing her trusty bomber jacket. 

You tilt your head confusedly, “What are you doing?’

Sam looks at you like it’s obvious, “I’m gonna walk you home. It’s dark, you shouldn’t go alone.”

A series of giggles bubble out of your mouth, “No, you stay here Sam. Besides, if you walk me home, I’ll have to walk you home so you aren’t alone in the dark.”

She smiles despite the stupidity of it all. Then, a thought crosses her mind. She probably shouldn’t, she knows, but she can’t help herself from offering it up as an option.

“How about you spend the night here?”

Your eyes are wide, doe-like, and you pause to consider the offer. “Hmm, okay. That’s the most fair thing to do.”

Sam’s pleased with herself, glad to have found a happy medium where neither of you would have to worry about the other’s safety. 

“Take my bed for the night, I’ll do the couch.”

You shake your head vehemently. “No, no.”

You walk over to her, grab her hand, and tug her towards her bedroom. She doesn’t protest.

Once inside her bedroom, you nudge her so that she’s standing in front of her bed. 

“You sleep here, I’ll take the couch.”

She goes to argue, but you shush her.

You lift your still-joined hands and press a kiss to the top of hers.

“Goodnight, Sammy.”

You release your hold on her and shuffle out of the room. 

The next morning, she smiled at your sleeping form as she passed the couch on her way to work. 

Things shifted in your relationship after that night. Sam still told herself you two were just friends, despite the way you both acted like more. 

You started coming over to the apartment just to see her whenever she was free. The two of you would cook together, flirty comments thrown in here and there as the food was prepared. Other times you would watch a movie on the loveseat, sat so close together that your thighs touched.

When you were too busy to travel through the chaotic NYC transportation systems to visit Sam, you’d FaceTime her. Though you claimed to be bored, you both knew the real reason for the calls.

Her feelings for you grew, and yours did too. 

Though you had a sneaking suspicion that she returned your feelings, you didn’t want to pressure the older girl. She’d gone through far too much, and so you’d be patient and wait for her to come around to the idea of something more.

And when temptation calls, I never pick up

Sam’s urge to kiss you popped up a few more times.

You were always so thoughtful, she couldn’t help it.

On days when you knew she’d worked a late shift the night before, you’d appear at the door with her favorite coffee and a muffin the following morning.

You texted her nightly, reminding her to eat if she hadn’t already. 

You’d go to parties with Tara, not because you wanted to, but to keep an eye on her for Sam’s sake.

You memorized her therapy schedule and made sure to send a heart or some sweet little message right when the session ended.

Safe to say, Sam had fallen for you despite her desperate attempts not to. 

Though she was tempted to say something to you, she always made sure to hold herself back.

She was deeply traumatized and had the scars to prove it, you deserved better than someone like her, someone your age who was actively building a future for themselves instead of working two dead end jobs and struggling to afford the city’s high cost of living.

More than that, she had her younger sister to consider. She didn’t know how she could possibly tell Tara, wasn’t sure if the shorter girl would find it weird for her to be dating someone practically the same age as her.

You were just too young and it would never work out between you two because of it.

You bring me joy, joy, joy, joy and you fill a void that was once missing

Sam had been avoiding you for a while, and you were upset. You’d grown used to spending all of your time with the older girl and quite honestly, you missed her. 

So you did what any person would do and showed up on her doorstep. You were slightly nervous, Sam usually sent you her weekly schedule so you knew when she’d be working but she hadn’t this week.

You aren’t sure if you’ve done something wrong or if something has happened, but you’re sure that you’re about to find out.

Sadly, you aren't, because it’s Quinn that opens the door. 

“Oh hi, sorry I’m just looking for Sam?”

Quinn gives you a small smile, waving you in. “She’s not here, I think she’s working late at the bar tonight. You can come in and wait though.”

“Okay.” You enter the apartment and chat idly with Quinn for a bit. She shares a few stories of her recent hookups before she has to leave to attend her evening class.

You’re alone in the Carpenter’s apartment, so you decide to make yourself useful and prepare a dinner for them. They almost never had time to do so, practically living off of cheap takeout, and you’re more than happy to try to sneak in a few solid meals for them here and there.

Sam always looked at you so gratefully whenever she came home to a nice dinner, so maybe it’d get you back into her good graces. If it didn’t, at least you’d know she got some sort of nutrition in her diet.

Lucky for you, someone has gone shopping recently, so you get to work on making a spaghetti dish with a salad to go with it.

Along the way, you lose track of what you’re doing. When you’re finally finished with cooking, you realize that you’ve unconsciously set the table and dimmed the lights to create a more calming atmosphere. 

Whoops?

The apartment door opens, and in walks a very tired looking Sam. Her shoulders are hunched over, and she kicks her boots off, uncaring of where they land.

You make a small noise and she halts, snapping her head up and gasping at the sight of you and the display of food on the dining table.

“Hey Sam, sorry, Quinn let me in and I kind of got carried away but I can go if you wan-”

Her firm body slams into yours, and she wraps you up into a tight hug.

You sigh and melt into the contact, tucking your head underneath her chin. A pleased sound rumbles through her chest and she pulls you impossibly closer. 

When she pulls away, she tilts your chin up gently so that you’re looking into her eyes. The deep brown color is swirling with emotion and you’re struck by the beauty of them.

“Thank you,” she says softly, “This week has been so shitty and you just made everything better.”

Your eyebrows knit together, concernedly, “I’m sorry to hear that. Here, go sit.”

She obeys, and sits in her usual spot. You fix her a plate, making sure to grab an extra bowl so she can serve herself some salad.

You place it in front of her and move to sit across from her.

Sam eats while you make little jokes and teasing comments, and she’s sure that this is the way things are meant to be. All her troubles are pushed out of her mind. Her father’s voice is silent. The people that hate her are so momentarily insignificant she forgets they even existed in the first place.

You make her so happy, and with you, the person she was before she was attacked, before the drugs, before her father walked out on her, that person feels safe enough to come out. The piece of her that was missing returns, and it’s all because of you.

You’re washing her dishes, and carefully listening to her talk about her horrible week, and Sam finally feels herself snap.

When you’re drying your hands on the small towel that hangs beneath the sink, she’s grabbing you by the shoulders and twisting you around to face her.

“Wha-”

Her lips are on yours, no hesitation, no going back. You’re too stunned to return the kiss for a moment, but god when you finally do? It’s perfect, too perfect. Your soft lips against her slightly chapped ones drive her wild, along with the soft little gasps and groans you’re releasing. It’s everything, but she’s waited so damn long for this that it’s still somehow not enough.

Her hips are pinning yours to the sink, her hands clutching both sides of your face. It’s then that she growls lowly, bites your lip, and slips her tongue into your mouth when you moan in pleasurable pain.

Sam’s kisses are incessant, furious and intense, just like her. You want to get lost in them forever, would gladly do so.

But then, all too soon, she’s pulling back and touching her lips as if her mind has finally caught up to her actions.

You should find someone else // I’m not the one for you, shit, I’m still growing up by myself

“Wait, wait, we can’t.”

You’re still dazed, not quite sure what she means. “Huh?”

“I can’t do this, I-” She runs her hands down her face, clearly in distress.

“Sam, it’s okay, calm down.”

She shakes her head, “No, I can’t.” She continues, “I’m sorry, but this will never work. You deserve better than me.”

She’s sighing, raking a hand through her long hair, “I’m older than you, I’m fucked up. I’m not what you deserve. I don’t have anything figured out. You’re young, you should find someone else, someone your age who’ll be grown up by the time they’re my age.”

You’re frowning at her. “Sam, none of that is true.”

Boy I know that we could be more than just friends // But you’re scared

She’s scoffing, doubtful. 

But you refuse to give up so easily, “Sam, look. It doesn’t matter, okay? I don’t care that you don’t have a stupid college degree or a 9-5 job.”

She looks at you so sadly, “But you should. I’m a mess, and that’s not what you deserve. We’d never work.”

You’re frustrated. “Look, I don’t care about what I deserve! It doesn’t matter to me, not when you exist.” 

You step forward, moving into her personal space. You cup her cheek, thankful that she doesn’t move away from the touch. Your thumb strokes her skin softly while you talk, “We both know that we aren’t just friends. We could be so much more, and it would work, Sam. You’re scared, and I get why, but this is what we both want. Please don’t punish yourself for thinking I deserve more than you. You’re what I want, the only one I want.”

You lean up on your tiptoes and press a chaste kiss against her lips before pulling back.

“I love you, Sam. So much. All you have to do is let me, and I will.”

Sam searches your eyes, and finds only love looking back at her. 

She’s been selfless for so long now, maybe it’s time she started thinking about herself and what she deserves, what she wants, what she needs.

She deserves to be happy with you, she wants to, and she needs to.

So for once in her life, she stops being so worried about everyone else, and lets herself have you.

With a sweet, meaningful kiss to your lips, you get your answer.

“I love you too.”

And girl I know that you’re the one for me

[lonelym00n]

The End.

Part five of The Devil Likes the Pirate Series

Tara Carpenter x Reader

Word Count: 8.9k

Summary: All good things must come to an end, even if the path to get there is a difficult one.

Warnings: Spoilers for Scream VI, some violence, and a few buckets of angst!

A/N: That's it, it's done! For my first ever series, it's not terrible! Sure it could be better, but I'll happily settle for it being good. I never would've thought that my silly oneshot would've turned into this, but I'm so glad it did!

The Carpenter’s apartment goes from being quiet enough to hear a pin drop, to the loud thunder of arguing voices. 

Sam orders Tara to pack a bag, to get all of her stuff together quickly so they can take off.

Tara refuses, stating that Sam is overacting and that she doesn’t want to disrupt her life here in New York.

While the sisters are locked in a battle of crossed swords, you are preoccupied with your own feelings of unease. Mindy has been eyeing you with something akin to skepticism for the past few minutes and you are desperately trying not to panic under her scrutiny.

You have an idea of the conclusion that she’s likely come to. The attacks occurred last night, the same night that everyone was conveniently accounted for inside the apartment. Everyone but you.

All the current signs point to you and as daunting as it is, you can’t deny that if you were in Mindy’s shoes, you’d suspect yourself too. It didn’t take a mind as sharp as Mindy’s to piece together what it might mean that Ghostface reappeared at the same time that you were absent.

A sliver of luck is evidently on your side, because no one else but Mindy has stopped to consider potential suspects. 

You know that it’s going to be hard to talk Mindy out of her distrust in you, but you have to attempt to sway her opinion before she notifies the rest of the group. 

Without alerting anyone else, you cautiously wave Mindy over to you. 

Begrudgingly, she makes her way across the room. Her arms are crossed firmly over her chest while you chew your lip nervously.

“I know how it looks, Minds, but it wasn’t me.”

She snorts, “You do realize that’s exactly what the killer would say, don’t you?”

You attempt to swallow the lump that’s formed in your throat. This conversation was going to be harder than you thought. 

In the days that you were avoiding the rest of the group, Mindy had opened up to you about her trauma. She’d relayed that her uncle was known as the expert, the guy who knew just what to do to not only survive the killer, but to expose them. A ghost of a smile had appeared across her lips when she told you that she’d followed in his footsteps and taken up the same role. 

The task of convincing the expert that they’re wrong is overwhelmingly difficult, one incorrect move and no one will trust you for however long these attacks last.

“I swear that I went back to my room.”

There’s a wide and pleading look in your eyes, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to persuade her.

You’re scrambling for anything that can back up your alibi. “My roommate saw me! I can text her, shit I’ll call her.” 

Before you can dial the girl’s number, Mindy’s hand lands on your wrist. You snap your eyes up to meet hers.

“Alright, stop. I know how much you hate talking to her, you don’t have to call her.”

You heave out a sigh of relief. 

“You’re not off the hook completely, maybe you were at your dorm but there’s still a chance you could be lying. It’s not enough to check you off my list entirely, but I’ll leave it alone for now.”

“I get it,” swallowing thickly, you nod. 

 “Good.” 

Mindy turns to return back to the group, but stops short.

“You’re my friend and I care about you, but I won’t give you a second chance. If you screw up and do anything else that I find suspicious, I’ll make sure that none of us ever talk to you again.”

She doesn’t give you a chance to respond, but you don’t need to. You know she’d keep true to her word, and so you can only hope you don’t find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time again.

You remain in your spot against the wall for a while. It’s in your best interest to try and blend in, so you’re in no rush to reenter the room.

Most of the others are still sitting on the couch, Sam’s pacing back and forth on the phone. Tara stands in the entryway of her room with her arms crossed defiantly. 

Sam turns to face everyone, “I’m going down to the station.”

She strides over to the door and Tara speeds over before she can exit. 

“I’m coming with you.”

Sam goes to argue, but Tara cuts her off, “We’re supposed to stick together, aren’t we?”

Though you are situated directly adjacent to the entryway, neither of the Carpenter sisters spare you a glance as they leave the apartment.

A sense of apprehension creeps up into your chest, and though it’s glaringly obvious, you have a sinking suspicion that everything is about to go terribly wrong, terribly quickly.

Attempting to ignore the fact that you’ve now become a character in a real life horror movie, you survey the rest of the room once more. Mindy and Anika are hushedly whispering between themselves, Quinn has returned to her room, and Ethan is distracting Chad with some video on his phone.

You want to leave, to lock yourself into your dorm room to process the fact that there’s a pretty high chance that you might die at the hands of a knife-bearing psycho in a halloween costume, but you can’t. You can’t risk being alone right now, not only because you’d be privy to an attack, but because Mindy’s words haven’t stopped swirling around in your head. No second chance.

So, despite your want to be alone, you trudge over to the couch and perch on the edge of it. Your hands come up to cover your face as you try your best to think of anything other than the worst case scenario of the situation you’ve found yourself in. 

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to you and the other occupants of the small apartment, another attack has occurred in the rundown bodega up the street. 

Sam and Tara, who just barely evaded the long-barrel of Ghostface’s shotgun, are now sitting in the precinct’s interrogation room, accompanied by Detective Wayne Bailey.

Once he receives both of the Carpenter’s alibis for the attack the night prior, he shifts his questioning to the other members of the group. 

Mindy and Chad are promptly vouched for, leaving you, Quinn, Anika, and Ethan vulnerable to Bailey’s queries. 

The gruff man asks about everyone else’s whereabouts last night, excluding Quinn who, as her father, he can check off the list.

A reluctant conversation silently takes place between the sisters.

Sam gives her sister a sorrowful look, as if to say, ‘We both know who wasn’t there, we have to tell him.’

Tara’s eyes widen, signaling her response, ‘But Sam-’

Sam places a heavy hand on Tara’s shoulder, patting it lightly. She turns to Detective Bailey.

“Anika, and Ethan stayed over at our apartment after the movie night.”

“And Y/N Y/L/N?”

Sam pauses, trying to avoid catching her sister’s pleading glance.

“She left late last night, we don’t know where she went.”

Bailey jots something down on his notepad before looking back up at the two sisters.

“We’ll call her in for questioning.”

Tara stays frozen in her seat, unmoving. All the while, her mind is shouting at her to jump to your defense. 

Her lips, however, remain pressed together in a thin, disconcerted line. She wants so badly to believe that you’re innocent, but a tiny nagging voice sings songs that you’re guilty and that you’re out for her blood, out to finish what Amber Freeman couldn’t.

Distantly, Tara notices that Bailey gets up to leave the room. She and Sam sit in silence, the older girl afraid to say anything in fear of upsetting her volatile sister.

Twenty minutes or so later, Detective Bailey returns.

“Before you ladies go, there’s someone here who wants to see you.”

The sisters stand and exit the room per Bailey’s instruction. A blond-haired woman shuffles forward. 

Sam’s eyes light up, “Kirby!” 

The blond chuckles, “Sam!” 

Kirby greets Tara, the small girl giving her a tight-lipped smile in return.

As the two catch-up, the sight of a figure being led in by an officer snags Tara’s attention. 

Back with the rest of the group, you remained in your own little bubble while everyone else chatted amongst themselves.

Following the pattern that has been laid out for you, your peace was quickly disturbed.

You had nearly dropped your phone when it rang loudly throughout the Carpenter’s apartment. You answered the call, only to be told by the police that you were to report to the station. The call was kept brief, but you knew the reason behind it nonetheless. 

Things only declined from that point forward. 

You were nervous, extremely so. You didn’t kill the film teacher, nor did you kill Jason or Greg, but the fact that you were being treated as a suspect for the murders had you anxious enough. 

You stood up on shaky legs, fumbling towards the door. Mindy pulled Anika closer to her at your haste, while Chad and Ethan merely side eyed you. 

No one said anything as you left, and despite the want to sob into your hoodie, you kept your head high and bit your tongue.

The officer who led you into the station was nice enough, her eyes didn’t scream guilty guilty guilty like your supposed friends’ did.

You kept your eyes firmly on your shoes throughout the walk. A tiny, familiar gasp made you stop short in your path.

You looked up and met Tara’s eyes. You were conflicted at how you felt when you looked at her, your usual longing and adoration joined by several other emotions. Heartache, desolation, and gut-wrenching hurt. 

She didn’t say anything to you, just blinked back at you with those gorgeous deep brown eyes, her expression completely unreadable.

You understood well enough that the cops were only aware of your potential involvement because someone had mentioned your name to them. You’d thought that Mindy had somehow silently tipped them off at first and sure, you were wounded by it, but the knowledge that it had been Tara? Well that nearly devastated you beyond repair.

If Mindy giving the police your name was a stab to the heart, then Tara having been the one to do it was six shots to the head and a complete dismemberment of your body. 

You were entirely conscious of what the girl had gone through with the Woodsboro attacks, and how her previous girlfriend had been the one behind it all. But even so, was it fair for Tara to be treating you this way?

Since you've fallen for the girl, she’s done nothing but emotionally harm you. It started with her flirtatious teasing that drew you into her like a blissfully unaware moth to a too bright flame. She’d had you hook, line, and sinker, but to worsen your infatuation, she’d kissed you. You were trapped by then, drowning in everything that came in the small package that was Tara Carpenter. 

Just as fast as she’d pulled you in, she’d pushed you away. She left you to piece yourself back together, and once you finally repaired the cracks, she was back, admitting that she’d wanted you all along.

And now, immediately after her admission, she’s accusing you of murder.

Though your head spun from the back-and-forth, you knew that you’d stupidly always be patiently waiting for her to reel you back in.

So no, it probably wasn’t fair for Tara to be treating you this way, but it wouldn’t stop you from wanting her all the same. How could you possibly distance yourself from her when she was all that you’d ever wanted? 

Your eyes sting with the familiar need to cry at how pathetic you feel. You’re hopelessly in love with the girl who thinks you’ve committed murder. Isn’t that just spect-fucking-tacular.

You throw her a dejected look and allow the officer to continue ushering you into the interrogation room. 

If Tara glances your way at any point after your nonverbal interaction, you don’t stop to notice. 

You have bigger fish to fry than your ill-advised love for her, like the fact that not only do she and all of your friends see you as a potential murderer, but the NYPD does too. 

You’re sitting in the room for a while, left to fester in the stale air. You’ve watched Criminal Minds and Law & Order, you know that this is a common tactic used to make criminals grow skittish. Though you are not a criminal, the biting silence in the room makes the tactic work on you all the same.

Your lip has been chewed raw and as you begin to faintly taste the sharp copper of blood, the heavy door swings open.

Two people walk in, introducing themselves as Detective Bailey and FBI Agent Kirby Reed.

Your skin pales at the title of the woman and the flash of her badge. They’d brought in an FBI Agent to question you?

They pull out the chairs in front of you and take a seat.

Detective Bailey clears his throat, “Y/N, we understand that you’re a friend of Samantha and Tara Carpenter.”

You nod tightly.

“We have reason to believe the sisters are under attack by a copycat Ghostface killer. Are you aware that both Carpenters were recently ambushed at a bodega near their apartment?”

The blood drains from your face at the mention of Ghostface by name. Wait-

“Tara was attacked?”

Kirby and Bailey exchange a look at your failure to include Sam in your question.

You, on the other hand, are mentally losing it. Tara was attacked, she must be so scared, so shaken up. It was easy to be distracted by your own involvement in the attacks, but god, this was Tara’s second time going through it. 

Seeing how panicked you are, Kirby has to refrain from placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“She’s okay, Sam too. Just a few cuts and scrapes here and there.”

The fact that she hadn’t been heavily injured comforts you. You nod to Kirby in thanks. 

Bailey, on the other hand, doesn’t care too much about your emotions. It’s clear that he’s taken over the bad cop persona, while Kirby plays the good cop. 

“So, where were you tonight?”

Oh right, you’re here to be interrogated for murder. Any thoughts of Tara’s wellbeing float away at the reminder that she gave your name to the cops for potential murder. 

“I was with Mindy, Anika, Chad, and Ethan, at Sam and Tara’s apartment. I came here as soon as I got the call.”

Bailey grunts and scribbles your response onto the notepad in front of him.

Once he’s done, he lifts his gaze up to meet yours and raises a singular, probing eyebrow.

“And what about last night?”

You bite your lip, suddenly feeling very fidgety.

“I went back to my dorm room and went to sleep.”

“Did anyone else see you? Can anyone confirm that?” Bailey stares you down, a tad bit menacingly. 

“My roommate, she saw me this morning before she left.”

Detective Bailey reluctantly accepts your answer, and requests your roommate's contact information to confirm that she’d seen you. You give it to him readily.

Kirby speaks up, voice gentle, “I just have a few more questions, and then we can let you go.”

Something about the way she’s treating you so kindly makes you even more anxious. Whether it’s that or her status as an FBI Agent, you aren’t sure.

She speaks slowly, like your English Lit professor does when she wants the class to catch on to the author’s analogy buried deep beneath the text.

“I specialize in determining whether certain murders have any connection to Ghostface. I know a lot about copycat killers, and what might motivate someone to put on a mask and become a ghostface.”

You get what she’s trying to convey. Boiling it all down, she’s good at telling Ghostface apart from non-ghostfaces. She can tell the guilty apart from the innocent. Wait that means-

Suddenly, you’re no longer scared of Kirby.

Suddenly, you’re hanging off of her every word like she’s a life raft in the middle of a barren ocean. And metaphorically, she is. She’s your last hope in the series of accusing fingers that have been pointed your way.

Her eyes gleam with the sense that you’ve understood her hidden implication. 

“So,” she pushes a singular photo in front of you, “Can you tell me who this is?”

The photo in front of you is a movie poster, with all the words edited off. A tall man stares down the camera, complete with blue coveralls and a pale white mask with tufts of hair coming out of the top. 

Though you aren’t a huge horror buff, you recognize the character. But is it right to know who he is, or should you lie?

“Um,” you swallow and pause for a second, “That’s Michael Myers, from Halloween.”

Kirby hums, and slides three more photos forward.

The first one has a character that wears a red and green striped sweater, with razors extending from his fingers. Freddy Krueger.

The second picture’s character is donning a menacing grin, and has distinct clown-like makeup on. If the makeup doesn’t give it away, the singular red balloon does. Pennywise.

The third character you are admittedly less familiar with. It’s a bald man with a stark white complexion. A series of nails adorn his head, and he has a long leather getup. In his palm, he displays a glowing box. Pinface? Pinhead?

You lift a sweaty hand to point at the first picture. Your voice is shaky, “Freddy Krueger from The Nightmare on Elm Street.”

You point to the second picture, “The movie IT, it’s Pennywise.”

Finally, your finger lands on the last picture. You’re hesitant, you think you know the answer but you’re still unsure if you should be getting these right or not. Would the killer know all these characters?

“I don’t know the name of the movie. And I’m not entirely sure, but I think that’s Pinhead.”

You think Kirby is pleased with your answer, because she simply collects the pictures and places them back into their folder. 

“I know it's a bit of a weird process, but it actually gives me a lot of information. That’s all I need from you, you can go now.”

Kirby’s face remains impassive, not revealing her current thoughts. Detective Bailey, on the other hand, is looking at you with something akin to a scowl.

You stand up, legs slightly wobbly. Kirby and Bailey get up to leave as well. Bailey continues down the hallway while Kirby holds the door for you. Before you can make it fully past the door frame, a strong hand landing on your shoulder makes you jump.

Kirby glances over her shoulder to make sure Bailey is out of earshot. She pulls a card out of her jacket and discreetly slides it into the front pocket of your sweatshirt. “Call me if you need something, or if anything happens. Especially if it’s anything that could be related to you-know-who.”

You look up at her gratefully, nodding. It’s her close-lipped way of saying she trusts you.

She releases your shoulder with a small pat, and you all but scramble out of the police station.

Once outside, you check your phone for any missed messages. Surprisingly, you see one from Mindy, telling you to meet her and everyone else at the park just off of campus. 

The same park that led to your Tara-related downward spiral. The same park that was home to the catalyst of your current separation from the rest of the group. Lovely, just lovely.

Reluctantly, you make your way over to the meeting spot, completely unsure of what horrible scenario would be awaiting you this time. 

Once at the park, you stop a distance away from the group to take in the scene. They’re seated together on the benches, the only empty seat next to Quinn. Mindy stands front and center, no doubt about to shed her expert wisdom on everyone.

As much as you’d rather turn and walk away, you shuffle forward and make your way over to sit next to Quinn. The group has gone silent at your arrival, but you keep your gaze firmly on your shoes, not wanting to face the judging looks that are being sent your way.

Mindy claps her hands together to break the tense silence, “Okay nerds, listen up. As terrifying as this all is, I’m actually glad I get a chance to redeem myself for not calling the killers last time.”

She takes a deep breath, “The way I see it, someone is out to make a sequel to the requel.”

Anika interrupts with a question, “Um, what’s a requel?”

Mindy gives her a sweet smile, “You’re beautiful sweetie, let’s hold questions til the end.”

 After a few comments from Sam and Tara about Stab, Mindy launches into a ramble about sequels and requels and franchises. You’re listening distantly, but are more distracted by the weight of your own exhaustion. Being interrogated by two officers of the law took a lot more out of you than you thought it would.

Your thoughts are placed on a back burner at Ethan’s voice entering the conversation. 

“Am I in the friend group?” 

Mindy nods, along with a few others.

“Am I-,” his voice breaks slightly, “Am I gonna die a virgin?” 

Mindy laughs through her nose, sharing a look with Anika at the boy’s admittance. 

“Weird overshare, but that brings us to our suspects.” 

You stiffen at the mention of the group’s suspects. So that’s why she’d texted you to come, not just to explain the rules, but to ridicule you in front of everyone.

She gestures towards the flustered boy, “Ethan, the shy dorky kid who no one suspects because he’s so shy and dorky.”

He splutters for a moment, “Wait- I’m a suspect just because I’m Chad’s roommate?”

Mindy scoffs, “Roommate lotteries can be juked, you could’ve fixed it to get closer to us.”

He remains silent, dumbfounded. Mindy moves on.

“Quinn, the slutty roommate, a horror movie classic!”

Quinn arches a perfectly plucked brow, “Sex positive, but thank you?”

Mindy rolls her eyes at the terminology. “How’d you end up rooming with Sam and Tara?”

“I answered their ad online?” She glances at the Carpenters.

“Say no more!” Mindy barks out a laugh, “You’ve already implicated yourself!”

Sam, sensing that Mindy is getting a bit too carried away with her antics steps in, “It was an anonymous ad, Mindy.

Tara nods, “Plus we vetted her, and her dad’s a cop.”

Mindy’s eyes widen and she exclaims, “‘Cuz having a cop dad is the perfect cover, do you not remember how these movies work, Tara?!”

Tara sits back in her seat, huffing.

Mindy shifts her attention to her girlfriend, “Next up, Anika.” 

The girl blows her a kiss and Mindy catches it goofily. Her face quickly morphs into a straight look, “Never trust the love interest.”

Anika pales.

“And finally, speaking of love interests.” The horror-loving girl whips to your direction, and regards you more seriously than she had the others. You want nothing more than to shrivel up and shrink down to the size of an ant.

“Y/N, who might I remind everyone, we met while she was wearing a devil costume.”

The feeling of everyone’s eyes burning into you makes you want to throw up. 

“We’ve known you the least amount of time, and I can’t be the only one who finds it weird that the only people you’re friends with are here right now. A killer, clearly trying to keep all ties short.”

You flinch and open your mouth to respond, but Mindy continues.

“You were noticeably absent the same night the killings began. And if that doesn’t implicate you enough, your perfect motive will.”

Though you want to scream at how unfair this is, you can only sigh and give in. At this point, you’ve realized there’s nothing you can do to make yourself seem less suspicious. They all think it’s you, so why defend yourself when it would only fall on ears that are unwilling to listen?

 “And what would my motive be?”

Mindy grins, victoriously. 

“You’re in love with Tara, and not just surface level love, no no no.” She laughs to herself, “You’re actually in love with her, and it goes so far deep that there’s no way out of it.”

The urge to throw up and empty your guts is stronger than ever. You’re pissed, but more so shocked that Mindy has stooped so far as to reveal this to the whole group. And right in front of Tara. She knows now, knows everything. The girl who can’t even decide if she wants to be with you now knows the full extent of your feelings for her. Fucking great. 

The last piece of your dignity is gone forever. Mindy speaks again, “She broke your heart when she said she only wanted to be friends. Trampled it even, and you were so upset that you decided to break hers too. Only literally.”

She faces everyone, clearly proud of herself, “There you have it folks, the perfect motive! Break my heart and I’ll break yours, but worse! A flawless romance-horror mashup.”

Everyone remains silent, just blinking at Mindy in astonishment. 

Your restrained sniffles break the silence. 

You rise, not even bothering to hide your tears or wipe them away. You’re broken, worse than you’ve ever been before. 

Before you can stomp away, you meet Mindy’s eyes, letting her see exactly how upset, angry, and ruined you are feeling.

Your tone is even and still as you spit in her direction, “Screw you, Mindy.”

With that, you walk away, uncaring if it makes you look any more suspicious. 

Watching as you move further and further away, Mindy finally decides to talk once more.

“I went too far, didn’t I?” She knew she always had a flair for the dramatics and it wasn’t the first time someone had been offended during one of her killer call-outs. 

Sam had been the last victim to be scorned by Mindy’s words, “Yeah, yeah I think it’s pretty obvious you went too far Mindy.”

Ever the protective big sister, she glances over at Tara to see how the younger girl has taken the news.

Tara is sat as straight as an arrow, eyes wide and blinking slowly. She looks utterly gobsmacked and as much as a little part of Sam wants to giggle like a child at her sister’s expression, the older and more mature version of her wins over.

“T, you okay?” Her voice is soft like a blanket, a tone she reserves just for Tara.

Tara comes back to life at Sam’s question. She shakes her head heatedly, “No, I’m not okay. Mindy, what the fuck?”

Mindy bristles slightly at Tara’s anger, no one likes being on the receiving end of her chihuahua-like biting remarks.

“Tara I-”

“Mindy, why the hell would you tell everyone that? She told you all of that and you just threw it right in her face?”

Mindy’s silence spurs Tara on.

“It’s one thing to accuse her of being Ghostface but to say all that? Really?”

Tara scoffs and pushes herself out of her seat. She starts striding to catch up with you, to say what exactly, she isn’t quite sure yet, but she’ll figure it out on the way.

To her dismay, a familiar hand catches her wrist and twists her around. 

It’s Sam, because who else would chase after an agitated Tara Carpenter?

“Tara, you can’t go after her.”

“She’s upset Sam, and it’s not safe for her to be alone and upset with a killer on the loose.”

Sam frowns, lips almost forming a pout, but nods in agreement. “I know Tara. She’s really upset. But it’s not safe for you to be alone with someone who could very well be the killer.”

Though the shorter girl is still unsure of whether or not you could actually be the one behind the mask, it's the last thing she's thinking of in this moment. A snarl forms on her face, “So you agree with Mindy.”

The older Carpenter is quick to defend herself, “I’m not saying I agree with Mindy, I just don’t think that you and I should split up. Can we keep staying together Tara, please? I can’t let you get hurt again.”

Tara deflates like a balloon, the angry miniature dog that lives in her finally gone. She nods in resignation and lets Sam lead her back to the group.

Meanwhile, you finally make it back to your dorm. You pluck Kirby’s business card out of your pocket and carefully examine it. The only information given is a phone number and her name. 

You debate calling her for a moment, maybe you’d be able to find some comfort in the agent. She was the only one who didn’t think you were Ghostface, after all. 

You decide against it, choosing to instead stew in your overwhelming emotions. You’d finally been granted time to process the onslaught of events, a brief calm in the inevitable storm.

Just as it was weeks before, your bed remains your safe space. You move to plug your phone into your charger, but stop short upon seeing a message.

Tara: hey, we’re making dinner at the apt and having evryone stay over tn.

Tara: u should come

The invitation leaves you frozen for a minute. Why would she want you to stay over with everyone else? Was this some sick move for her to corner you and reject you once and for all?

You aren’t sure what to respond with, so you leave her text unanswered. You can’t think rationally right now, so you plug your phone in, lay your head on your pillow, and succumb to the swirl of your emotions.

You lay there, staring up at your ceiling and sobbing, for what must be a few hours. Your friends think you’re a killer, and Tara knows the full extent of your love for her.

Your phone, ever the annoyance, interrupts your breakdown with the alert of an incoming call.

Groaning, you roll over and pick it up without looking.

“Hello?,” your hoarse voice croaks out.

“Why hello, Y/N. About time we talked, don’t you think?” 

The voice is teasing, like it’s somehow toying with you.

A chill shoots up your spine, and you sit up against your headboard. You sort of recognize the voice, but you can’t place how you know it.

“Who’s this?”

A laugh rings out and it somehow freaks you out even more.

“Since I like you, I’ll give you a hint. What’s your favorite scary movie?”

You drop your phone onto your lap and scramble away from it, as if it was purely responsible for how terrified you feel. 

Shit, shit, shit.

Back when you were avoiding everyone, Mindy had insisted for you to watch Stab 1 with her, since you’d never seen it before. You tried to refuse, but she shut you up with just one look. Rolling your eyes, you allowed her to put the movie on.

Though she was providing commentary throughout the entire opening, you’d heard the voice that had spoken with Casey Becker on the phone. 

You heard Casey’s killer ask her the same question you’d just been asked.

Fuck.

It was him, somehow, someway, he’d gotten your number and was calling you.

You were on the phone with none other than Ghostface.

Shit.

The person on the line chuckles, their altered voice muffled because of the way the phone is being pressed into your comforter, “Now I’ve got your attention.”

With trembling hands, you pick your phone up. “What do you want with me?”

“To thank you. Y’know because of you, I get a little more wiggle room. More time to be off on my own, carving up another person or two, or planning out exactly how I’m going to kill Tara.”

“Leave her alone!”

“Oooh feisty, but not a chance. I think I’ll burn her alive and shoot her in the head, just like she did to Amber.”

“Amber was a psycho and so are you!”

“Maybe, but you’re the one who everyone thinks is psycho.”

Clenching your fists, you remain silent.

Ghostface continues, “I think I’ve decided I want to play a little game. A new game I made just for you.”

Your heart pounds in your chest, full of pure fear. “I’m not playing any games.”

“Too bad. It’s a guessing game, it’s simple really. You guess if I’m in your bathroom waiting to spill your guts all over the place, or if I’m under Tara’s bed, ready to slice through her skin at any second.”

Your blood runs cold as you turn towards the tiny bathroom connected to your dorm room. The door is shut, and an eerie silence fills the room. Ghostface could be in there right now, and you’d be dead in seconds. Worse, he could be biding his time for the perfect time to strike an unsuspecting Tara.

“Tick tock,” the killer sings.

You steel yourself and cautiously position yourself upright, ready to bolt towards your door.

“You’re in my bathroom, come out and get me you fucker.”

The bathroom door stays shut, and you’re left poised in a tense position, adrenaline coursing through your veins.

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N, I’m afraid you’re wrong.” Oh god.

“Don’t hurt her!”

“I have to. We have unfinished business.” The words are spat out, clearly in raw anger.

The teasing tone plays through the voice modulator once more, “Thanks for being apart from everyone again, it really helps that you’re always able to take the fall for me.”

Ghostface ends the call. You clamber out of bed, toss on the nearest pair of shoes, and sprint out of the door, though not before grabbing the 3.5 x 2 inch card off of your dresser. 

While racing like a madman to the Carpenter’s apartment, you dial Kirby’s number.

After one ring, she picks up. “Agent Reed.”

“Kirby!” You’re panting as you hurry along.

“Y/N?”

“Yes! Kirby you have to get to Tara and Sam’s now! Ghostface is there.”

You can faintly make out her rustling around, likely collecting her jacket and gun.

“I’m on my way. What happened, how do you know?”

“He called me, Kirby. He’s setting me up!”

“Shit, okay get there as soon as you can.”

“I’m trying!”

This can’t happen to you, not again. Your stupid emotions about everyone thinking you were guilty fucked things up even more. If they didn’t hate you and suspect you before, your absence now definitely cements your fate.

Your only hope is to make it there in time to help defend against Ghostface. 

But alas, luck isn’t on your side. When you arrive at the Carpenter’s apartment, you’re met with yellow caution tape and the flashing red and blue lights of both ambulances and police cars. 

Too little, too late. 

You aren’t even sure what to do, not knowing if it’s better for you to turn and walk away, or to feebly defend yourself like a broken record. You see a body bag being rolled by on a stretcher, and the sight of it makes everything that you’re feeling so much worse.

One of your friends is dead.

You aren’t angry at them for how they treated you anymore, how they turned their backs on you so quickly. You can’t be angry. Not when someone died at the hands of whoever was behind this. Not when you’re being so cruelly reminded that this isn’t a petty fight, or a game night squabble. 

One of your friends is dead. 

You’re sad, instead. So immensely sad. And scared, your limbs still shake from the residual fear leftover from the phone call. The killer was taunting you on the phone, so shouldn’t you have been the next one to go? Whoever died didn’t deserve to, not while you just got to freely exist.

But like Mindy had said, you’ve been brought into a franchise, and everyone has a role in a franchise. Your friend is now nothing more than a notch under the famed killer’s belt, a tally for the rankings of a video titled ‘which slasher villain has the highest kill count?’

And your role?

You’re the killer’s toy, their beat-up ragdoll held together by loosened strings that they’d stopped caring about years ago, but still blame for every mess they create.

You’re the scapegoat, the one to blame, traveling down a path of loneliness and carrying around the killer’s sins for all to judge you for. Just when your innocence is proven, you’ll die, a sacrifice the killer is all too happy to make.

You sigh heavily, the weight of your thoughts resting deeply on your shoulders. You can’t feel sorry for yourself though. Not when you’re still alive, still breathing.

You can’t walk away, because running from your problems has just made everything worse.

The cops are distracted, so you slide underneath the caution tape. You sluggishly drag your feet towards the ambulance, further into the throng.

Mindy’s sitting in the back of the vehicle, a blanket wrapped around her shivering form.

You approach her, moving as shakily as a baby deer.

She sees you out of the corner of her eye. You watch as hers widen exponentially, “Stay the fuck back.”

You halt. The fearful and disgusted look in her eyes at the sight of you swallows you whole. 

Tears cloud your vision, “Are you okay?”

She remains quiet, just staring at you, unblinking.

“Dumb question.” 

Mindy blinks again.

You don’t know what to say, and you don’t get a chance to. You’re being ripped away from Mindy, met with Sam’s blazing eyes.

You can just barely see Tara behind her, looking smaller than ever.

Sam grips your chin, forcing you to look up at her. 

“Where the fuck were you?” She barks.

The murderous glare she’s leveling you with has you shrinking into your skin. “I- I was in my room.”

“Liar!”

“Sam, please. You have to believe me, I’m not lying.” You’re crying now, because she’s still looking at you like an untamed beast waiting to rip your heart out.

Near blubbering, you continue, “He called me, Ghostface called me.” 

The reminder of how scared and alone you felt on the phone with Ghostface makes your cry even harder, and Sam softens slightly, albeit still glaring at you.

“What’d he say?”

“He thanked me for helping him look less suspicious. He said it gave him more time to plan his next kills.” It’s a conscious decision not to include that he’d specifically mentioned how he’d kill Tara. Sam would rip your head off right on the spot.

She stares at you, trying to decipher if you’re telling the truth.

You heave in a breath, preparing yourself to finish your recount, “He made me play a guessing game. He told me to guess whether he was waiting to kill me, or Tara.”

Sam is scarily still. In the distance, you can see Chad harshly slamming Ethan into a van.

If Sam, Tara, Mindy, Chad, and Ethan are here, then that leaves…

Quinn. And Anika. God.

If you weren’t about to be strangled by Sam, you’d likely curl into a ball and sob at the knowledge that the two girls you’d seen earlier today are gone. 

You’d beg and plead with Sam if it meant she’d believe you. “I ran here as soon as I realized he was gonna hurt her. You have to believe me.”

You stare up at her with shiny eyes, praying she accepts your story.

Without warning, you’re released from the death grip that she had on you. Sam backs away from you without saying a word, slinking back towards Tara.

You meet the younger Carpenter’s gaze for one brief second, before you tear your eyes away. You couldn’t afford to decipher how she currently felt towards you. It hurt enough to be painted as the killer, you didn’t need her rejection of your love for her to pile up on top of your already too intense hurt. 

From your spot alone, in the middle of the group, you can hear Mindy telling an apologetic Ethan to get away from her. She tells him how the two of you are at the top of her list, and that she didn’t need either of you near her ever again.

Though you aren’t part of the conversation, her words still bruise. You might’ve called her your best friend once, probably still would, but she’d forever condemn your name.

You wallow in your sorrow while Gale shows up, sharing a regretful exchange with the two sisters. Kirby comes soon after, also checking up on the Carpenters.

Gale announces to everyone that she’s found what’s likely the killer’s hideout, and everyone silently follows along while she leads the way.

You walk a ways behind the group, arms wrapped around your own waist both defensively and protectively. A firm body knocks their shoulder against yours, breaking you out of your daze.

Kirby levels you with a worried look, “You good kid?”

“Don’t worry about me, ask the others.”

She clicks her tongue at your response, “Already did, now I wanna know how you’re doing.”

You reach a hand up and drag it through your hair, “Mindy hates me, probably Chad too by association. I can’t tell how Sam feels, if she thinks it’s me or not. And I can’t even  bring myself to look at Tara, let alone ask her if she thinks I’m out to murder her.”

Kirby shoots you a sympathetic look, “That’s a lot for one person to deal with.”

You shrug, “Yeah well, nothing I can do about that.”

The two of you finish the walk towards the abandoned theater in silence.

Before you enter, Kirby places a hand on your arm to stop you.

“We’re gonna catch who’s behind this eventually. Why don’t you stick with me for the time being?”

Your eyes light up, “I’d love that.”

And truthfully you would. Staying by Kirby’s side will not only be comforting, but will also ensure that you’re no longer left to accidentally fall into a situation that makes you look guilty. For the first time since all of this started, you feel seen, like you finally have a friend that’s on your side.

She smiles at you and the two of you enter the theater. You soon realize that it’s less of a theater, and more of a shrine dedicated to the Ghostfaces of the past.

Everyone fans out to inspect the items. You’re stuck to Kirby’s side like glue, inching your way towards a display case.

She carefully places her hands atop the case, scanning her eyes across the items.

Pointing out a few items, she speaks out to no one in particular. “Charlie stabbed me with that knife, and that’s the same flannel Jill was wearing.”

You hum sadly, what she went through must have been so horrible. 

The rest of the visit to the shrine is lonely for you. Kirby leaves to bond with Mindy, then to check on Tara. You’re left to stand in a corner, trying to blend in with the shadows.

When Kirby returns, the group clusters together, forming a plan.

As you sit by Kirby’s side in the van, the plan quickly goes to shit. The killer’s call is traced back to Gale’s apartment, leaving the Carpenter sisters to race to her rescue.

You and Kirby head back to the precinct for a while, where she combs through her files once more. She gets a call about a new plan, and the two of you hop back into her car, headed back towards the abandoned theater.

Sam, Tara, and Chad stand outside. 

Chad points to you, where you’re standing by Kirby’s side. “Is it safe for her to come in with us?”

You swallow at his retort.

Kirby calmly comes to your defense, “Safer than leaving her alone, yes. Where’s Mindy?”

Sam explains that Mindy got separated and had to take a different train with Ethan.

Kirby quirks an eyebrow, “Okay, well it’s better if we wait inside.”

The others go their separate ways, leaving you and Kirby to stand by the door. She double checks the ammunition in her gun, and makes sure her bulletproof vest is intact. 

A few minutes pass where you’re left to sit and wait. With Kirby distracted with her gun and you distracted with your thoughts, neither of you notice the figure creeping up behind her.

Kirby falls to the ground, groaning before she falls unconscious. Before you can think of screaming, you’re hit hard in the back of the head.

You land next to Kirby on the ground, head spinning as your world fades to black.

You’re groggy as you wake, but you quickly notice that Kirby is nowhere to be found. You stand and take a minute to regain your bearings.

Once you’ve calmed down, you start to make out the faint sounds of voices in the main room. You slowly approach, stopping dead in your tracks once you see what’s going on.

Sam and Tara are clutching bricks, trying to defend themselves from Quinn and Ethan, who are wearing the ghostface robes and taunting the sisters with knives. 

Detective Bailey stands in front of them, waving around a gun as he monologues.

To your dismay, Quinn notices you.

“Well, if it isn’t our favorite accomplice.”

Bailey turns to face you, grinning. 

“Come on over, join us!”

The rest of the group can’t see from where his back is turned, but his gun is aimed at you and his eyes are threatening. You comply, terrified as you inch forward.

When you’re within reach, Bailey reaches out and wraps an arm tightly around your shoulders, the force of his arm nearly knocking the wind out of you.

He turns to taunt the two sisters, “We couldn’t have done it without her. Your little girlfriend was a great help, Tara.”

Sam and Tara look shocked and then betrayal fills their eyes.

You’re confused, caught up in fear and panic.

Sam’s scoffs, “You needed four people just to take me out? That’s pathetic.”

Only now do you realize what’s going on. Bailey’s making it seem like you’ve been helping them all along, still not allowing you to be innocent.

Your eyes are wide and begging for the umpteenth time, “Wait, I didn’t help them!”

Ethan rolls his eyes, a tiny hidden smirk on his face, “Drop the act! This is the fun part Y/N, remember? Like we talked about.”

You try to wiggle out of Bailey’s grip, but he’s unwavering.

Your struggling causes you to meet Tara’s eyes. She looks devastated, like her worst thoughts were coming to life. 

“Let me go! I didn’t help them, Tara please! Please it wasn’t me! They’re lying!”

Your cheeks are wet with your tears. 

Bailey looks between you and Tara for a second before a smirk slowly spreads across his face.

“Well Tara, it looks like it’s up to you.” He tucks his gun into his waistband and pulls out a knife. 

He gestures to you with the knife, “Girlfriend, or killer?”

The knife presses against your abdomen, ready to strike. 

Time pauses for a second, while your eyes are locked on Tara’s. You’re pleading, the most desperate you’ve been up to this point. Your life is quite literally on the line, and if Tara chooses not to trust you, you’re dead. 

Her mouth is agape, opening and closing, as she glances to Sam for help. Sam shakes her head and mouths a trust no one to her sister.

Tara remains conflicted.

Bailey growls, “Girlfriend or killer, Tara. Choose one.”

Tara’s gaze hardens, but you can still see how her eyes are flitting around worriedly. 

She’s biting her lip hard.

You decide to try to sway her one more time, this is the girl you love, who knows how much you love her, though not by your choice. You don’t know if she returns your feelings, but this isn’t the time to be fearful of rejection. At least if she still doesn’t believe your innocence, you’ll die knowing you did everything you could to save yourself.

You don’t sound desperate anymore, just broken. “Tara, I- I love you. And I wouldn’t do this to you, or Sam, or any of our friends. You know me better than anyone else, so you should know I’m telling the truth. I have been all along.”

The room is still and silent. 

Tara looks into your eyes, and whatever it is she sees, it makes her finally open her mouth to respond. She’s looking right at you as she speaks, “I believe you.”

It’s then that the room erupts into chaos.

You’re blinded with pain as Bailey’s knife enters your insides and twists around.

“You got it right Tara, but you’re too late.”

The knife is pulled out and thrusted back in. A trail of blood leaks out of your mouth.

Quinn and Ethan laugh. Tara’s screams ring loudly throughout the shrine, but she is held from running towards you by Sam. 

You’ve lost track of how many times the knife has entered your body. The pain is so intense that you can’t even feel it anymore.

Your vision is spotty, and you slide limply out of Bailey’s grip to crash unceremoniously to the ground.

You’re left to wonder why no one’s ever said how sickening it is to feel your own life draining from your body. Maybe because they didn’t live to retell the pain?

As your eyes drift shut, you think back to the first night you’d met Tara. How you found her to be so alluring, so painstakingly beautiful. You remember the offhand internal comment you made after hours of blushing under her relentless teasing, when you’d said to yourself that this girl would someday be the death of you.

You’d laugh at the irony if you had enough energy to do so.

With the hopes of being reincarnated into a simpler life, you finally stop fighting death’s cold grasp and allow yourself to fade away.

And fade away you do.

Until the paramedics are pumping you full of drugs, their arms flying around you with practiced precision. They’re stitching, and bandaging, and doing everything they can to save your life.

Somehow, someway, they do it. They save you.

A week later, your eyes open for the first time. 

The room is empty, your only company being a vase full of wilted flowers. 

You’re covered by a thin blue blanket from the waist down. You’d reach down and assess the damage, but your arms don’t want to cooperate, still too weak to comply with your brain’s request.

Besides, you’re alive, shouldn’t that be all that matters?

It’s then that you hear two voices out in the hallway, growing louder as they likely approach your room.

The door opens, and you suck in a breath. It’s Sam and Tara, the latter of the two clutching a fresh bouquet of flowers in her uninjured arm.

They haven’t noticed you’re awake yet, still continuing their previous conversation.

“Hi.” You mentally kick yourself for always having the most awkward greetings.

They gasp and turn to face you.

“You’re awake!” Tara flies towards you and carefully embraces you, mindful of your barely healed injuries. You make a small noise in response, though eventually slowly lift your arms to return the hug.

Sam leaves to go inform the nurse of your condition.

The small girl pulls away to set the flowers down, before moving to gingerly sit on the side of the bed.

She lifts a hand to cup your face, silently stroking your cheek with her thumb.

“I owe you a huge apology,” she begins. 

You shake your head, “We have plenty of time to talk about that, let’s just exist for now, yeah?”

She nods, big brown eyes scanning your face nervously. You watch curiously, as she seemingly works up some confidence.

“Is it true, what Mindy said?”

You pale, and meekly nod your head, knowing she’s referring to when Mindy exposed your love for her.

She’s launching herself towards you again, stopping with her lips mere millimeters away from your lips, a silent question of permission lurking in her eyes.

You glance down at her lips, wondering if they’re as soft as they were the first time you’d kissed her.

She takes that as your answer, and closes the gap. You’re drowning again, in everything that is Tara Carpenter, but there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.

There’d be time to talk later, to work through your issues of trust with her and everyone else, but for now? 

You were perfectly content with the blissful feeling of being consumed by Tara, of her expressing everything left unsaid with just her lips.

You’re scarred and hurt, beaten and bruised, but none of it matters.

You’re kissing Tara, and she’s enough. More than that, she’s all you’ll ever need.

Bonus note: Everyone thank @cartierdreamx for the happy ending, as much as I love it, r's death would've really fueled the evil angst rat that lives inside of me. Send me your thoughts, I'm so excited to hear what you all think after reading!

Taglist: @thenextdawn @dreifhraniquo29 @fanboy7794 @thelonewriter247 @simp4natasha @cartierdreamx @btay3115 @friedryes @bananasplits-world @alexkolax @ordelixx @adaydreamaway08 @youralphawolf72

As always, so sorry if I forgot to add anyone to the list that asked to be added! I tried my best to add everyone!! <3

[lonelym00n]

Just Friends

Part four of The Devil Likes the Pirate Series

Tara Carpenter x Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Summary: Things are weird between you and Tara. Can you really be just friends with the girl you're in love with?

A/N: It's 5 am. The birds are chirping. I stayed up all night for this and I would gladly do it again.

It had been a week since Tara had unknowingly crushed your heart in her small hands. You felt defeated, but more so embarrassed that you had given so much of yourself to Tara so quickly. The pieces of you that were left behind were almost nonexistent, squashed to bits at the words of her rejection. 

You hadn’t talked to any of your friends, not because they hadn’t tried to contact you, but because you were choosing to avoid them. It wasn’t a deliberate choice to ignore their messages at first. Part of you had wanted to respond, but when you glanced at the messages, you were just too emotionally drained to do so. This pattern repeated day after day and even though their messages became more insistent over the passing time, your energy still remained at an all time low.

You were admittedly ashamed by your actions, but realistically what were you supposed to do? You were tired and it felt like every last bit of hope you had for your life finally becoming worth something was stripped away completely. The thought of facing your friends, of facing her- 

It was just too much to bear at the moment. You couldn’t see her, you couldn’t see any of them, not when you were so sure that you resembled a flower that had withered up at the first sign of the dry season.

So you kept your distance. You went to class, took meals to go from the dining halls, and holed up in your room. It was an okay routine, but it didn’t measure up to the one that had been constantly filled with laughter and bliss. 

You sighed heavily, tossed your backpack onto its spot on your chair, and climbed up into your bed. With the covers pulled firmly up to your chin, you will yourself to fall into a dreamless sleep. 

It comes to you, luckily. But as fast as your peace arrives, it drifts away as someone knocks repeatedly on your door.

Groggily, you drag yourself out of bed and towards the door, mentally cursing your roommate. This hadn’t been the first time she’d woken you up from a nap because she’d forgotten her keys. 

You fling the door open, an annoyed look on your face. Your eyes widen in shock as they fall upon someone who is most definitely not your roommate.

Mindy frowns at you, a mix of anger and concern in her expression. 

“Wow, you actually are alive.” She stalks into the room, turning around to face you when she hears that you’ve shut the door. “Y’know, people don’t normally ignore their friends to the point where it’s unclear if they’re still breathing.”

You feel small under Mindy’s scrutinizing temperament. 

“Sorry,” you mumble weakly.

She examines you for a few long seconds, before sweeping her gaze along the messy state of your room. You’re not sure what exactly it is that she notices, but she drops her interrogative act and takes on a softer approach.

“Why haven’t you answered any of our texts?”

You shrug, “I dunno. I guess I needed some space.”

Mindy sinks down to take a seat on your bed. You remain standing, awkwardly folding your arms around your waist. 

“Is it because of what Tara told you? Do you not want to be around us anymore because of the whole…” She mimes a stabbing gesture.

Your heart aches at the thought of the group mistaking your absence for your fear of what they’d gone through. “No, no no. Mindy, it's not because of that.”

You take a seat next to her on the mattress.

“Then why?”

“I- it’s just,” you pause and bashfully rub your shoulder. “Tara didn’t tell you what she said? After she told me about the whole Woodsboro thing, I mean.”

Mindy’s brow furrows and she shakes her head. 

“Oh.” You feel a bit deflated at Mindy’s unawareness. You gnaw at your bottom lip and try to stop your overthinking nature from taking over. Was it weird that she hadn’t told anyone? Should you be happy about it?

You flinch harshly as Mindy places a comforting hand on your shoulder. Only now do you notice that you’ve been quiet for far too long. 

“What happened? What did she say to you?”

“Uhh,” your chest is swirling with emotions. You’d yet to talk about this with anyone and it has been eating you up for the past week. “She said she’s not ready for a relationship. She only wants to be friends.”

You find a spot on the ceiling and stare at it.

“She does? But I thought she liked you.”

You huff and flatly meet Mindy’s eyes. “So did I.”

“Look, I think I know what must’ve happened. I’ll talk to her and-”

“No!” You rush out the words, “Don’t talk to her about it please. I completely get why she’s not ready for a relationship.”

Mindy shakes her head and laughs slightly, “But I can tell she likes you and she doesn’t want to be just friends. She probably just got scared after talking about everything.”

“I don’t know. But she made her decision and I’m okay with that. You don’t have to say anything to her about it, it’s fine.”

Mindy looks like she has more to say, but she holds herself back. The two of you sit in silence.

Unfortunately, the silence does nothing to cover up the sniffle you so desperately try to hold back.

Mindy looks up swiftly at the sound. She’s met with the slow drip of tears down your cheeks.

You’re swept into a hug before you know it. She waits a beat, before speaking, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

And because you’ve been emotionally vulnerable this whole week with no one to talk to, you break and tell her everything. You tell her how you aren’t even upset at the fact that Tara isn’t ready for a relationship, but are more heartbroken by the feeling of being led on. How you had held and kissed her so intimately just to be told that the two of you could only be friends. How you can’t get the softness of her lips against yours off your mind, and how you’re not sure you ever will. Lastly, you tell her how strongly you felt for Tara, how you think you’d fallen in love with her after that day in the diner, and how you don’t think you can pretend that she doesn’t mean everything in the world to you.

Mindy, though she denies any allegations of being a hopeless romantic, feels her heart break for the agony that you’ve revealed to her. She knew you’d had feelings for Tara (everyone did, it was nearly impossible not to notice), but she wouldn’t have guessed that they went this far. She lets you cry out all your woes and gently comforts you throughout. 

When you’ve finally cried yourself into a state of emptiness, Mindy shifts the two of you into a lying position. She plucks your laptop out of your bag and props it up on her lap, perusing Netflix’s horror movie section before selecting one she doesn’t find completely abominable. 

The rest of the day is filled with sarcastic comments and relentless critiques for any moment she deems unhorror-like. Mindy does such a good job distracting you that you nearly forget all about the heavy weight that has been plaguing your mind.

You fall asleep that night more at ease than you’d been for a long while.

The next few days are filled with Mindy’s bright presence. She somehow learned your schedule and picked you up from each of your classes. You compare her to a very welcome thorn in your side.

She helps build you back up, and you slowly start feeling like a normal person again. It’s nice to be in her company and you feel so thankful to have a friend like her.

One day, when the two of you are grabbing lunch, she abruptly stops retelling a story from her shared childhood with Chad. 

She’s looking over your shoulder at something that you can’t see. 

“Earth to Mindy,” your hand waves in front of her face, to which she still doesn’t respond. 

“Fuck,” she curses quietly. She turns to you quickly, “Tara and Anika are coming over here.”

A panicky feeling fills your chest. Sure you were doing better, but you were definitely not ready to see her. Sucking in a breath, you prepare yourself for the interaction, knowing you have no choice but to face her now.

“Hey guys!” You missed Anika’s cheery nature and you nearly smile at how smitten Mindy looks when Anika plants a kiss on her cheek.

Tara wordlessly takes the empty seat next to you. 

 “Y/N, how are you?” Anika innocently acts.

You ignore the feeling of Tara’s eyes burning into you as you speak, “Eh, pretty good. My chem class is giving me a lot of trouble.”

Mindy, ever your savior, changes the subject, “T, have you tried that new latte the coffee shop has? Y/N and I tried it this morning.” 

It’s your turn to watch Tara while she’s distracted. She’s as pretty as ever, her soft brown hair laying perfectly on her shoulders. You missed drinking in the sight of her, but you mentally chastise yourself for the thought, reminding yourself that you’re not supposed to be looking at her that way anymore.

You sink into your chair at the remembrance. 

“You and Y/N tried it?” You don’t see the flash of fire in her eyes, too busy picking at your food. 

“Yeah, after her English Lit class.” Mindy turns towards Anika, “You should go with Tara to try it sometime.”

Anika hums softly in response, “Sounds good.”

The conversation dwindles in and out from that point on. You don’t participate much, only offering the occasional offhand comment when you’re mentioned. Tara keeps glancing at you, but your gaze remains firmly on your plate.

Checking the time on your phone, you stand up and gather your trash. “Well, I have calc so I have to go.”

You mutter out a goodbye to the small group and scurry away before Mindy can call you out on your lie. You don’t have calc for another two hours, you just needed an excuse to get away from the table. As you head towards the library, you idly wonder if things will always be so awkward between you and Tara. 

Your answer comes sooner than you expect. It’s Friday after classes, and Mindy is dragging you to a pizza place to hangout with the rest of the group.

She pulls you through the doorway and all but shoves you into the seat to her right. Anika sits to her left, followed by Tara. Chad sits beside her and Ethan sits beside you. You couldn’t be more grateful to be sat as far away from her as possible. 

The night actually doesn’t go too terribly. You’re able to talk to everyone without feeling weird, and you internally sigh in relief at how easy it is to avoid a direct conversation with Tara. 

As the night continues on, you indulge in Ethan’s rambling about this new mobile game he downloaded. You peek over his shoulder while he plays and explains how it works. Once you get the hang of it, he passes the phone to you and leans in closer to watch. Unbeknownst to you, Tara has been silently watching the exchange. 

You and Ethan are now playing a game of tug of war with his phone, laughing like children as you refuse to let him have a turn. 

It’s then that Tara calls for everyone’s attention. “Sam and I are throwing a movie night at the apartment tomorrow. You’re all invited, obviously.”

The group cheers at the news. Apparently Carpenter sister movie nights were a big deal. Your eye twitches at the thought of being trapped in Tara’s house for hours. And you’d have to finally meet Sam.

Your chair scrapes loudly as you stand, “I’m just gonna go to the bathroom.”

You walk away and enter the bathroom. 

Back at the table, Mindy and Anika share a knowing glance. Mindy goes to follow you when Tara stands. 

“I’ll go.” She softly announces, and turns towards the bathroom. Everyone shares a look, well, everyone except Ethan.

“What’s all that about?”

Anika reaches over to lightly shove him in the shoulder, “Keep up.” 

You’re standing in front of the mirror, staring at yourself as you internally struggle to find an excuse to skip out on the movie night.

The door pushes open and your thoughts halt at the sight of Tara.

“Hi.”

“Hi Tara,” you mumble back. 

You both stare at each other for a second. 

She breaks the silence, “Look I know what you’re thinking. But please just come, it won’t be weird if you do.”

This is the first time the tension between the two of you has been acknowledged. Your heart leaps into your throat. You sigh and reach up to scratch the back of your neck.

“I dunno…”

You make the mistake of allowing yourself to meet her eye. She’s staring up at you, a petulant pout spread across her dimpled cheeks. 

“Please? I want you to come. And Sam really wants to meet you. We both want you there, and so does everyone else.”

You open your mouth to spew an excuse but nothing comes out.

“Alright,” you relent. “I’ll come.”

She smiles and the familiar flutter of your heart returns. 

You return to the rest of the group, Tara following closely behind you. She fills everyone in on the details of the plan. The night ends shortly after.

The next day, Mindy and Anika meet you outside of your dorm room for the trip to the Carpenter’s apartment. They chatter the whole way over, reassuring you that Sam’s hard exterior was mostly just a front. 

You are incredibly nervous as the three of you approach the door. Tara opens it shortly after and ushers the three of you in, urging you to make yourselves comfortable. You take a seat on the couch, trying to stave off the anxiousness that has built up in your chest.

Tara returns from her trip to the kitchen with Sam and a redheaded girl. You assume her to be Quinn, Tara had mentioned her to you before. 

“Y/N, this is my sister, Sam, and our roommate Quinn.”

You stand up to greet them, wiping your palms on your pants. “Hi, it’s so nice to finally meet you both.” 

Quinn smiles brightly at you while Sam sweeps her gaze across you, likely determining how much of a threat you are.

Tara elbows Sam in the side, receiving a noise of displeasure in return. 

“Tara talks a lot about you, it’s nice to formally meet you too.”

You nod at her and try to disregard the first part of her comment.

Quinn speaks next, “With how often she talks about you, you’d think she’d have mentioned how cute you are.”

She teasingly runs a finger up your arm and you feel a blush rise up your cheeks. Mindy snorts behind you. 

“Thank you Quinn.”

She hums, “Anytime.”

Ethan and Chad arrive just after her reply. Ethan flops down next to Anika while Chad moves to greet Sam with a hug. You sit down next to Mindy. 

Soon enough, the remaining members move to make themselves comfortable on the couch. Tara eyes the empty spot next to you, but Quinn slides in before she can make a move towards it.

You turn to greet her and she gives you a smile that is anything but innocent in return. Sam commandeers the remote, flicking on the first movie for the night. 

Your efforts to pay attention are thwarted by little touches from Quinn. She drags her finger up your arm again and traces along your collarbone. Once she gets bored of that, she twirls a stray piece of your hair around the same finger. 

You find that you don’t really mind the innocent touches, so you allow her to do as she pleases. 

The movie finishes sooner than you expect. You look over at the rest of the group to find Anika, Mindy, and Ethan all fast asleep, slightly tangled up on the couch. Sam wordlessly puts on the next movie. 

About halfway through, Quinn decides to go to bed, but not before sending a flirty wink your way. When the movie finishes, you notice that Tara and Chad are now asleep too. 

Sam stands up and pads into the kitchen. You hesitate a moment before deciding to follow her. You make sure she hears you as you do so, so you don’t catch her off guard by accident.

“Do you want anything to drink?” She offers.

“Sure, water would be great.” 

She hands you a glass and the two of you stand in the kitchen in silence. 

After a short internal debate, you speak, “I just want to say that I really admire you. Tara’s really lucky to have a sister like you.”

Sam seems surprised at your comment, “Thanks.”

You nod in response. 

She glances up at you, “I’m sorry about the whole barging into the diner thing. I know I put you into an awkward situation. I was just kind of in a panic and didn’t stop to think.”

“Oh no it’s fine,” you quickly reassure. “I can understand why you were so upset. I guess I’m sorry for the part that I played in that too. It’s my fault Tara didn’t answer you.”

Her hard exterior softens slightly at your apology. “Don’t be sorry, you had no idea.” 

You two share a smile, and your eyes drift to Tara’s sleeping form on the couch. Sam looks over her shoulder to see what you’re looking at before turning back to face you again.

“You like her, don’t you?” She asks softly.

Your heart burns in your chest. You wish things were easier enough for you to say yes, but you couldn’t. It wasn’t what Tara wanted.

“I care about her,” you clarify. “We’re friends.”

If Sam notices how choked up you sound, she doesn’t say anything. You sigh.

“I should probably get back before it gets dark.”

She nods in understanding but places a firm hand on your shoulder before you can move to retrieve your belongings. “It was really nice to meet you. For what it’s worth, I think you’d be good for her.”

Tears spring into your eyes but you hold them back fiercely. You choose not to comment on Sam’s words.

“Thank you for having me over. I understand how much trust this takes.”

You turn and make your way over to the living room to grab your jacket and keys, silently slipping out of the apartment so as not to wake anyone. Only once the door is firmly shut behind you do you let the tears fall.

You return safely back to your dorm and fall asleep with the thoughts of what it’d be like to be happily in love with Tara firmly on your mind. 

Ironically, she texts you the next morning, asking you to return back to the apartment so the two of you could talk. You knew eventually that you’d have to hash out the tension that remained between you and her, but you didn’t think it’d be so soon.

After a quick shower and a bite to eat from the dining hall, you head back to the Carpenter sisters’ apartment. 

You arrive shortly after and knock gently on the door. Quinn opens it with a smirk.

She calls out over her shoulder, “Tara! Y/N’s here!”

Tara appears and gently wraps her fingers around your wrist to tug you into the apartment, heading swiftly in the direction of what must be her bedroom. You barely have enough time to notice that the group of friends is still occupying the apartment, biding a brisk hello to them as you are pulled past.

Once you are inside the room, she clicks the door shut. 

“Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” you smile gently, trying to hide your nervousness, but very obviously failing.

Tara bites her lip, “I hate that you’re nervous around me now. I ruined things, didn’t I?”

You are shocked at her words and you blink a few times before responding, giving her a soft look, “Tara, no. You didn’t ruin things. I’m sorry I’ve been acting weird, but don’t blame yourself. You aren’t ready for something and I get that.”

She paces around the room for a minute, seemingly deep in contemplation. You take a seat on the edge of her bed, waiting patiently.

She turns towards you, “What if I am ready?”

You look at her stupidly. “What?”

She runs her fingers through her hair, “It’s just… I can’t stop thinking about you. And the other day with Ethan and god yesterday with Quinn, I can’t stand the thought of you being with someone else.”

You’re in a complete stupor, it’s hard to believe you aren’t dreaming right now. “Tara, I don’t understand.”

She sits next to you and grabs your hand. The air is charged and you feel like you could faint. 

Tara licks her lips, “Let me tell you a different way.”

You lose yourself in her eyes as she leans in, unable to think about anything other than the shortening proximity. You can feel her breath on yours and just before your lips can touch, Anika barges into the room, a frantic expression on her face.

“You’ve got to come see this.”

You and Tara scramble up and rush into the living room. Everyone’s eyes are glued on the TV.

Your heart sinks as you read the headline. Beside you, Tara trembles.

Mindy’s the one to break the silence, her tone full of anguish and fear.

“It’s happening again.”

***

A/N: ooh things are about to go downhill!! I think the next part is going to be the finale and it's gonna be a wild ride! I messed up the timeline last chapter (scream vi is a full year after scream v, not a few months) but there's not really a way I can fix my mistake without things getting even more messed up. So either just ignore that Tara said it was a few months ago and pretend that this is a full year later or don't, the story still works either way. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Taglist: @thenextdawn @dreifhraniquo29

guys im horrible at taglists, plz forgive me if I accidentally forgot anyone I'm trying to rush this out so I can go to sleep before the sun rises

[lonelym00n]

Is it okay to run when you're feeling weak?

Part 3 of The Devil Likes the Pirate Series

Tara Carpenter x Reader

Word Count: 4.1k

Summary: You get closer with Tara and all her friends. She opens up to you about her past.

It had been a few days since you last saw Tara, and though she did follow up on her promise to text you, it was hard not to feel a bit sad about the time spent away from her. And sure, maybe it was ridiculous to be feeling that way, but within the short span of time that you’d gotten to know her, Tara had you wrapped tightly around her pinky finger. 

You’re currently tucked into your favorite corner of Blackmore’s library, textbooks splayed haphazardly in front of you. Your backpack occupies the chair to your right and the two positioned across from you remain empty, a rare occurrence for this time of the year. You would’ve expected the library to be filled with students cramming for exams, but then again, you had to admit that midterm week wasn’t as hellish as you expected it to be. While you normally despised studying, you were honestly just more thankful for the reprieve from being buried up to your eyeballs in assignments. 

Your attention is barely on your studies, way too preoccupied with thoughts of Tara and when you’d get to see her next. The last you’d heard from her was that Sam had her locked up in their ‘dungeon of an apartment’ and that she likely wouldn’t be able to escape for a while. You felt bad for being the cause of not only a huge fight between the two sisters, but the loss of Tara’s freedom too. You’d jokingly told Tara over text that you’d shimmy up the fire escape so the two of you could hangout and she replied that Sam would probably shoot you if she caught you. Having witnessed how scary the older girl was when mad, you certainly weren’t going to find out if the threat was empty or not. 

Just as you’re about to turn back to your work, your phone buzzes with a notification. You curiously shift your eyes to it and nearly jump out of your seat in joy as Tara’s contact name is displayed on the screen.

Tara: hey stranger

Y/N: hey matey

Tara: enoughhhh pirate jokes 

Y/N: okay okay

Y/N: so what’s up?

Tara: i’m bored, pls tell me ur doing something fun so i can live vicariously through u

Y/N: sorry nothing exciting, just studying for midterms in the library

Tara: shit i almost forgot about those

Tara: i hate house arrest

Y/N: house arrest must suck

Y/N: any chance you’ll be off of it soon?

Tara: ughh hopefully sometime this week

Tara: why, do you miss me or something? ;)

Y/N: god you’re insufferable

Y/N: but… maybe i do miss u just a little bit

Tara: awww i knew it <3

Tara: i’ll talk to sam when she gets back from the store and see what i can do

You click your phone off with a sigh. Sam would probably refuse to let Tara out of the house and you’d be stuck thinking about her from a distance. Whatever reason Sam has for being so protective of Tara must be a really good one. You couldn’t even begin to guess what had happened. Tara did mention that she’d tell you eventually, and you made a mental note to be extremely patient with her in the meantime. 

Reaching into your backpack, you pull out a pair of noise canceling headphones and place them onto your head. You switch on some soft music to play in the background while studying and start reviewing the exam material.

You sit hunched over your thick textbook for what must’ve been at least an hour or two. You’re so engrossed in your reading that you don’t notice that the two chairs in front of you are being pulled out. It isn’t until you feel a tap on your shoulder that you register that there are now two people sitting in front of you. 

“Oh shit!” You jump slightly in surprise and tear the headphones off your head. “So sorry, I didn’t even see you sit down.”

You finally glance up to see who is in front of you and promptly choke on your spit.

Tara grins cheekily back at you, grin stretching further at the coughing fit you’re now caught up in. “Surprise!”

“Tara, what the hell are you doing here?!” You practically splutter out the question, cheeks tinting pink (as they so often do around Tara) in embarrassment when you realize that another person is witnessing you literally choke at the sight of Tara. 

Tara mischievously raises a single eyebrow at you and her eyes twinkle with joy, “You should know by now that giving your location to your kidnapper is a bad idea.”

You laugh gleefully at the familiar joke and a feeling of warmth blossoms throughout your chest. 

“Jokes aside, I convinced Sam to let me come here to study for midterms. She allowed it but made me bring a friend with me.” She turns to where her friend is sitting silently beside her and then looks back at you, “Do you remember Mindy?”

The girl looks sort of familiar, but you couldn’t say you remembered exactly who she was. You smile apologetically at her and exchange a quick hello before speaking, “It’s nice to officially meet you Mindy. I’m assuming you were part of the group that helped rescue me?”

Thankfully, Mindy doesn’t seem offended that you don’t remember her. She nods and slowly smirks, “Y’know I’m not surprised you don’t remember me, you were too busy making googly eyes at Tara here to notice anybody else.” 

You flush a deep red before groaning and ducking your head down to bury yourself in your abandoned textbook. 

Above you, Tara and Mindy snicker at your reaction. 

“Told you she blushes easily.” The two laugh some more at Tara's retort.

You lift your head up with a frown etched onto your face. Promptly, you flip both of them off. They each respond with a chuckle.

“Anyways, even though you so rudely insulted me,” you roll your eyes playfully at Mindy before softening your expression, “I want to say I really appreciate whatever your part in helping me that night was. I already told Tara this, but it means so much to me that you guys were looking out for me. I’m sorry for whatever drama I caused in the aftermath”

Tara eyes you softly while Mindy waves off your apology. “No need to apologize. It was the right thing to do and I’m glad we were able to help. Even if Sam did almost kill me”

Tara swats Mindy on the shoulder for her comment. Deciding to change the subject, she scans her eyes across your study space before fixing you with a scrutinizing look. “How long have you been here for?”

“Uhh,” you tap your pencil against the desk while you think, “Two, maybe three hours. Why?”

Tara gasps and tuts at you disapprovingly, “Have you taken a break from studying to eat something at least?”

You shake your head, now that she’s mentioned it, you could use a snack. 

She stands up and gently pulls you out of your seat. “C’mon,” she tugs your arm, “I’m gonna get you a snack.”

Obediently, you go to follow, but stop dead in your tracks when Mindy speaks up in alarm, “Wait, Tara?!” 

Tara sighs heavily, drops your arm, and gives you a pointed look that tells you to wait where you are while she goes to talk to Mindy,

From your spot a few feet away, you can just barely make out their hushed conversation.

“You heard Sam, she said I need to stay with you at all times! We can’t piss her off again.” 

Tara grunts in annoyance, “No, she said not to let me out of your sight. We’re just going to the coffee place right over there, you can watch us from where you are.”

“I don’t know.” Mindy sounds unsure.

“Mindy please? I’ll buy you a brownie and a latte.” You can tell by her adorable tone that she’s pouting and it takes a lot of self-discipline not to turn around to see it.

Mindy draws out a long groan, “Fine! But I’m gonna be watching so don’t do anything I wouldn’t want to see.”

Tara’s smile is triumphant as she skips over to you and threads her fingers through yours. You give her hand a small squeeze. 

As the two of you wait in line, she looks up at you sweetly, “So did you really miss me or were you just joking earlier?”

You bite your lip, hoping to god she won’t tease you if you tell the truth. “I did miss you. You grew on me really quickly Tara.”

She sighs happily, “Good, because I was thinking the same thing. I really missed you too.”

You grin like an idiot, so glad that you weren’t alone in your sentiment. 

The line shifts up slightly and it is swiftly your turn to order. You give the barista your order and motion for Tara to do the same. When she relays her coffee order, you do your best to commit it to memory. She adds Mindy’s items and before she can retrieve her wallet, you whip out your card and tap it against the screen. Tara glares at you but you only smile back innocently.

The two of you slide down to wait for your food and drinks to be ready. 

“Well,” Tara drags out the word and releases a breath, “I know you’re probably wondering why Sam locked me in the apartment or why I couldn’t come here without Mindy. And I do owe you an explanation but-”

You hastily cut her off, “You don’t owe me an explanation for anything Tara. It’s all up to whether you want to tell me or not. Whatever it is you went through, it’s obviously a very big deal. I’d understand if it’s not something you want to ever share with me.”

She pulls you into a quick hug, “I do want to tell you, but I think I need more time. Just so you know though, it’s something that me, Mindy, Chad, and Sam all went through. That’s why we’re all so protective of each other.”

You give her an understanding look, “Thank you for trusting me with that.”

She nods, “Sam’s still really mad at me and she probably won’t let me go alone anywhere for a while. I do want to keep hanging out with you though. Do you mind that it has to be with one of my friends?”

Your brow furrows slightly and you’re fast to shake your head, “No I don’t mind at all. I totally get it and I’m honestly just happy that I get to see you at all. Plus, your friends seem really nice, it’d be nice to get to know them.”

Tara sighs in relief before wrapping her arms around your neck and leaning up to kiss you on the cheek. 

You smile brightly at the gesture. 

A few seconds later your name is called and you step forward to collect the order. Tara grabs the items you’re unable to scoop up. The two of you return back to where Mindy is sitting.

She chirps out a thanks and the three of you enjoy your food silently. The rest of the afternoon is spent with you continuing to study, with Tara and Mindy begrudgingly joining you. You take frequent breaks to poke fun at each other and your heart flutters happily in your chest. If this is what it felt like to have friends, you never wanted to let them go.

From that day forward, you began to spend a lot of time with Tara and her ragtag group of friends. You loved hanging out with them, they were everything you felt you’d been missing in college. Mindy was sarcastic and hilarious and Anika was kind and bubbly. You liked her especially because she would always put a stop to Mindy’s teasing. Chad was cool, but you found him to be a bit more intimidating than everyone else. You didn’t mind Ethan, he was just a bit too shy and dorky for your liking. 

Overall, you found a sense of home in the group. You were so grateful that they accepted you into their circle with open arms. 

Your feelings for Tara were stronger than you’d ever felt for anyone thus far in your life. Her personality shone so brightly, it was no wonder why all her friends gravitated towards her so strongly. She was so sweet, yet so witty, brave, and strong. You are beyond thankful that you were lucky enough to stumble into her life, and you tell her so all the time.

The weeks fly by as you become even further integrated into the group of friends. You’re no longer on the outside, you’re one of them. Not a day goes by where you don’t feel so fortunate to have met them.

It’s after one of your many hangouts with Tara, Mindy, and Anika (you refer to them as double dates in your head) that Tara tells you she has a surprise for you. She takes you to a beautiful park and leads you to a more secluded spot, where a picnic is neatly laid out. You squeal like a child and excitedly run over to take a seat on the blanket. A conversation you can’t make out plays behind you.

“Anika and I are going to be just over there. We’ll be able to see you the whole time. Are you sure you want to tell her?”

Though Tara feels nervous, she nods her head nonetheless, “I trust her Mindy. It’s going to hurt like hell to talk about it again, but I want her to know. Besides, she’s in danger even being around us, so I feel like I owe it to her to tell her.”

Mindy agrees, she’d done the same thing with Anika when things got serious between them. She understands the position that Tara is in. “Okay. Call out if you need us.”

The three girls split off, heading their separate ways. 

Tara plops down next to where you’re splayed out on the blanket, her thigh bumping against your own. You grin lazily at her.

She takes a moment to herself to admire you. Her fingers card through your hair before shifting to smooth the pads of her thumbs across your cheeks. You relax into the touch, sighing softly.

Tara’s lips press to your forehead and you close your eyes at the gentle contact.

She murmurs out your name and you leisurely open your eyes. “I’m ready to tell you about what happened.”

You open your mouth to protest but she shuts down your attempt, “No it’s okay, I want to tell you. Everyone else is okay with you knowing. Even Sam.”

You sit up straight, “Even Sam? She knows about me?”

Tara eyes you a little guiltily, “ I told her a while ago that we’ve been hanging out. She isn’t thrilled about it, but she was glad to at least know. She’s been trying to meet you, but I keep turning her down. I didn’t want her to scare you away before I could give you the full story.”

It’s a little scary that Tara’s overprotective sister knows about you, but you reassure Tara that it’s fine. “Well at least we haven’t been sneaking around her back, she’d probably be more upset if that were the case. I’d love to meet her someday.”

Tara seems thankful that you don’t freak out about it. The two of you sit in silence for a moment. Tara turns to face you, a faraway look in her eyes. Sensing that things are about to get heavy, you give Tara your full attention. 

“Have you ever heard of the Stab movies?”

You scratch your chin in thought. “Maybe? I think I’ve heard of them but I’ve never seen one.”

“Well,” she explains, “The original movie is based upon a series of killings that took place in Woodsboro, California. The two killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, went crazy and killed a bunch of their friends. After the first Stab movie came out, the events of the killings became well-known by everyone.”

You’re completely unsure why you’re hearing facts about this movie, but Tara must have a reason, so you remain silent.

“Ever since the original killings and the first Stab movie, different people have taken up the killer’s mantle. These series of killings have been repeated five different times and three of them have taken place in Woodsboro.”

You feel dumb, how hadn’t you heard about a literal horror movie being remade five different times? “Oh my gosh, I had no idea.”

Tara’s eyes brim with tears and she looks smaller than ever at this moment. “Y/N, I moved here from Woodsboro a few months ago.” 

You gasp and tears jump into your own eyes. You gently pull Tara into your lap to comfort her. “Oh Tara, I’m so sorry. It must’ve been so scary to live there.” 

You press a few soft kisses into her hairline as her tears begin to silently drip down her face. 

“I didn’t just live there." She pauses for a long moment. "I lived through one of the killings.”

Oh my god. Your body shakes as your own tears spill out. You hug her closer to you and she wraps her arms around your neck.

After a minute of quietly sobbing, she continues with what you are sure must’ve been a real-life nightmare, “It’s a tradition for the killer to wear a black cloak and a white mask with a screaming ghost face. I was home alone the first time I got attacked. I got stabbed seven different times and the killer broke my leg.”

She cries into your shirt and you clutch her so tightly in your arms. It’s unbelievable to hear that the girl who seems so put together at all times almost died a few months ago. 

“I was so scared when I woke up in the hospital. It was almost impossible to believe that I had survived. And then about a day later, I was attacked again at the hospital.”

You reach aimlessly into the picnic basket and fish out a bottle of water, which you then offer to Tara. She takes a meek sip, but gives you a grateful look.

“After that, Sam decided we needed to leave town. It wasn’t safe anywhere. But, I didn’t have an inhaler with me, so we had to stop at my girlfriend’s house, where I kept a spare. It was a trap, and my sister’s boyfriend Richie and my girlfriend, Amber, revealed themselves to be the killers.”

She sobs brokenly at the mention of her girlfriend. You do everything you can think of to comfort her, even while knowing that it would never be enough to make her feel better. The betrayal of her own girlfriend almost killing her would likely stay in her mind forever.

“Fighting spread all throughout the house. Eventually, Amber and Richie were overpowered. Sam killed Richie but I- I-” 

You coo at her and rub your hands soothingly around her whole body. She’s crying so hard she can barely breathe and you fish out the inhaler you’ve seen her take out of the front pocket of her pants many different times. You spew words of praise and encouragement at her as her shaky hand wraps around it and she takes a puff of much needed air.

Once her breathing has calmed, she continues her sentence from earlier, “I killed Amber. I shot my own girlfriend right in the forehead. I’ll never forget seeing her body crash into the ground. Some days I can’t live with the thought of what I did to her.”

“I’m so so sorry Tara. She never should’ve put you through that.”

Tara sniffles. “I lost so much over the course of three days. We all did. Our best friend Wes and his mother were killed. Chad was attacked and he lost his girlfriend, Liv. Mindy got stabbed in the shoulder. We didn’t deserve to go through all that pain.”

You hum in agreement. The three people you proudly called your friends certainly didn’t deserve that. You had so much more love and appreciation for them now knowing what they’d fought through. 

Tara has calmed down a bit and just as you think the worst of it is over, she speaks up again, “A few more things. Sam is the daughter of Billy Loomis, the original ghostface killer. I learned during Woodsboro that she and I have different dads. Mindy and Chad’s uncle, Randy, was a part of the original killings and didn’t make it through the second. Basically, all of this means that you’re in a ton of danger just from hanging around with us. Ghostface always comes back to haunt the survivors.”

While you should, you don’t care that your life is in danger. You’re more worried about someone coming back to attack your friends. You would never be the same if you lost one of them so cruelly.

Tara has stopped crying, but she still looks so sad. “I understand if you don’t want to hang around us, you know?”

You huff out a breath you didn’t even know you’d been holding. Tenderly, you tilt Tara’s chin up until her eyes meet yours. “Tara, I could never leave you or our friends. In fact, you’re going to have to try harder than ever to get rid of me. Now I’m the one who’s not going to let you out of their sight.”

Her brown eyes swirl with so many different emotions as she looks up at you. You’d pay a million dollars for the chance to take a peek inside her head right now. 

You’re suddenly met with the familiar warmth of her lips pressing gently into yours. You melt into the sweet kiss.

Tara pulls back reluctantly and bops you on the nose while she slowly climbs off of your lap. You miss her warmth immediately, but don’t protest.

“Look, Y/N, I really really like you. But as much as I want to be, I’m not ready for a relationship right now. I’m sorry, I never meant to lead you on.”

Tears spring out of your eyes despite your desperate attempts to keep them in. Though you are completely understanding, your heart still breaks at the news. “It’s okay Tara, I get it.”

She wants so badly to reach out and comfort you, but she feels she’s done enough damage for one night. 

You pull your knees up to your chest and cry softly. Tara, who you had flirted with and even kissed several different times, was now telling you she didn't want a relationship. Your hopes had been so high that things were going to work out romantically between the two of you that you hadn't prepared yourself for the possibility of being turned away. Regardless of the way your chest aches with sorrow, you feel stupid for crying in front of Tara, who has gone through so much. 

You swipe your tears away aggressively, berating yourself for your moment of weakness. “Can we still be friends?”

You don’t even really know why you’d asked the question. Being just friends with Tara, the girl you feel so strongly for, is going to tear you apart from the inside out. A whole new set of tears trickles uselessly down your face, clouding your vision completely. 

Tara’s heart clenches at the sadness that oozes out of you, “Of course.”

You can’t stay here anymore and let Tara witness you being a worthless mess. You call out to Anika and Mindy, who come rushing over. 

Before they make it into earshot, you whisper to Tara, “I’m sorry. I know it’s the asshole move, but I just need some time to get a handle on my feelings for you. I still really want to be your friend, but I can’t do it right away. I care about you so much, so please keep yourself safe.”

A protest flies out of her mouth as you stand up and dust yourself off. “I’m so sorry Tara, thank you for trusting me with everything, I’ll never tell another soul. See you in a bit.”

Anika and Mindy arrive shortly after you tell Tara goodbye. They try to call out to your retreating form, but you’re too wrapped up in your deprecating thoughts to listen. The three girls can only watch helplessly as you trudge further and further away.

[lonelym00n]

It's (sometimes) okay to trust a stranger

Sam Carpenter x Hicks!Reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: Sixteen year old Sam just needs a friend. Despite the odds, she finds one in you.

A/N: this was supposed to be short but for some reason I couldn't stop myself from making it longer. hope u enjoy anyways!

Harshly slamming your front door shut, you stomped towards your car, hopped in, and quickly started the engine. Your chest was heaving up and down furiously and you could feel tears uselessly streaming down your cheeks. In one last fit of anger, you pounded your clenched fists into the steering wheel. Your temporary breakdown is interrupted at the sight of the front door swinging back open, your mom striding quickly towards you. You move faster than her, shifting the car into reverse and flying into the street without a care in the world. 

You hear your mom scream your name as you shift back into drive and absolutely floor it, cruising carelessly into the slowly darkening night. Hopefully she noticed you were going well above the speed limit, you knew it would piss her off even more if she did. 

Reaching one hand up towards your face, you angrily swipe the tears away before clicking the radio on. The volume is unnecessarily loud, just how you like it. 

As you aimlessly drive, you’re finally able to catch your breath and get a grip on your raging emotions. Deep down you know you had no right to be as mad as you are, but you were just so frustrated with your mother’s behavior lately. She expected you to be so perfect and happy and a ray of fucking sunshine all the time and trying to live up to her high standards had you so exhausted. It didn’t help that she constantly compared you to your younger brother, who she so clearly favored.

Tears welled up in your eyes for the second time and you let them fall. You felt hopeless and defeated. Worst of all, there was nothing you could do to make yourself feel better. You could only accept your fate and lay in the bed that was made for you. 

You pull into an empty parking lot, hug your knees tight to your chest, and force yourself to recall the fight between you and your mother. 

***

You sat in your room, humming along to the music you had idly playing in the background. After finishing all of your homework, you had decided to paint your nails. It was something that you found to be oddly relaxing and it had become a form of self-care for you. 

Before you could open up the bottle of nail polish, a knock sounded at your door. “Come in,” you called. 

The small form of your eleven year-old brother, Wes, peeked into your room. “Mommy says it’s time for dinner.” He grins toothily at you, “She got sushi!”

Though sushi was more of his favorite food than it was yours, you smiled brightly for the boy’s sake. “Mm yum” you hummed, “Race ya to the kitchen.”

He laughed as you took off, sprinting down the stairs and skidding to a halt just in front of the dining room. Before you could even begin to situate yourself at the table, your mom’s overly sweet voice broke your inner peace, “Y/N,” she scolded, “No running down the stairs. You or Wesley could easily get hurt.”

Wes apologized, a small frown on his chubby face. You, however, remained silent and clenched your jaw in irritation. Of course within seconds of her being home, she had already found a way to put a stop to your relaxed state.

She handed out the sushi and you all dug into your respective meals. She and Wes chatted about his day at school while you kept to yourself, deciding instead to scroll mindlessly through your phone. Seeing a particular funny post of Kirby’s, you couldn’t stop the light chuckle from sliding out of your mouth.

Your mother tutted and reached across the table to pluck your phone from your hands. “No phones at the table.”

You had to refrain from rolling your eyes, instead choosing to divert your attention to your nails, noting that they would need to be filed before you applied the polish. 

Your mom turned her attention away from Wes and onto you. “So,” she spoke, sounding extremely cheerful, “How’s school going for you, honey?” 

You sighed before responding, “Okay, I guess. Lots of assignments this week so that sucks, but I guess it’s fine since there aren’t any exams.”

She seemed pleased by your response and bit into another piece of sushi. Just as you were about to turn back to your own meal, she spoke again, “Who do you hang around with these days?” 

You groaned internally, knowing by her tone that nothing good could come out of this conversation. Leave it to Deputy Judy to try and police who you decided to hang out with. You scratched your neck before answering, “Mostly just Kirby these days. Other than her I keep to myself.” 

Her eyebrows raised at your answer before she shook her head. You did roll your eyes this time. “What mom? Go ahead, explain to me what the problem with Kirby is.” 

Needless to say, you were annoyed. She never approved of who you were friends with and wasn’t afraid to tell you exactly what she thought of them. “Well,” she spoke indignantly, “To start, the girl has broken about ten different driving laws. She’s constantly participating in underage drinking and has helped Jill Roberts sneak out of her house on several different occasions. She’s a terrible influence, sweetie, and from what I’ve heard, her parents are almost never home. That’s always a bad sign.”

You huffed and raked your hands through your hair in frustration. “Seriously? It’s Jill’s own choice to sneak out and that has nothing to do with Kirby. All you really have on her is that she’s a shit driver.”

Judy gasped and she raised a scolding finger up at you. “You watch your mouth around your brother, young lady. Bet you learned that awful language from her.”

Your eyes nearly bugged out of your head at your mom’s audacity. “Jesus mom, Kirby’s not the only teenager that swears, you’re so obnoxious sometimes.”

“That’s it!” She stood up and stomped her foot on the ground. “You aren’t allowed to be friends with her anymore!” 

You jumped out of your seat and let out a hysterical laugh at her crazy behavior, “Seriously!? Do you not hear how ridiculous you sound?”

“You better quit while you’re ahead missy.”

You scoffed, the anger coursing through your brain making you feel very bold, “You know what mom? I’m not gonna quit while I’m ahead. I’m sick of you trying to decide who I can and can’t be friends with!” Your lip curled up in defiance and you decided to continue, “You always do this. You always try to put yourself in charge of who I hang out with! I’m done with it. It really pisses me off.”

She looked shocked at your outburst but you didn’t care. She refused to listen to you when you talked calmly so if you had to raise your voice to finally get your point across to her, you would do so gladly. “I don’t know where this behavior is coming from Y/N Hicks but I expect an apology right now.”

You laughed loudly at her words. “No! You know what mom, I’ll tell you where this behavior is coming from. I have no friends because of you! No one at school invites me anywhere because they only see me as the deputy’s nark daughter. And the people who do hang out with me? They all leave!” You threw your arms up in the air wildly, “They either leave because you bust their party or because you force me to push them away!” 

At this point your face is bright red as the words spew out of your mouth. You feel frustrated enough to explode. Little Wes sits in his chair, completely silent as he watches the two of you argue.

Your mom speaks up, tone quiet in that way that means you have most certainly crossed a line, “I’m keeping this phone.” She waves your phone in front of you and you want to double over and scream loud enough to shake the whole house. Clearly she hadn’t cared about a word you said.

“Good! I don’t need it anyways!” You trudge over to the entryway and throw your coat over your shoulders, hearing your keys jingle in your pocket at the erratic action. 

“And where do you think you’re going?” She yells from the dining room. 

“Anywhere but here!” With that, you fling yourself out of the house.

***

Your tears have diminished to sniffles at this point. Part of you feels broken and you don’t know what you’re supposed to do to fix it. 

Lost in the crooning sound of the radio and your racing thoughts, you don’t notice the figure creeping towards your car. 

The sudden tap at your window causes you to let out a terrified shriek. Your knee knocks into the horn as you twist towards the source of the tapping noise and you scream even louder at the powerful beep that rings out into the dead of night..  

Your chest rises raggedly as you hesitantly trail your eyes up the figure that looms outside your window. The panic that took over your body calms slightly as you realize that it’s just a girl. You do feel a bit nervous as you recognize the girl to be Samantha Carpenter because even though you were mad at your mom, it doesn’t escape your mind that she had incessantly warned you to stay away from the girl standing outside your car.

She doesn’t look like she’s going to harm you now, with the amused twinkle that sparkles in her brown eyes, so you roll down the window and chuckle awkwardly, “Um hi?”

A teasing smirk stretches across her face, “Hello there. Didn’t mean to scare you half to death.”

You try not to blush at the reference to your moment of panic. “No, don't worry about it, you didn’t.”

She gives you a look that says you’re full of shit but smiles despite the fact. “So,” she draws out lazily, “What brings you here at this time of night?” 

It’s then that you notice the hazy look that’s in her eyes and with what your mother had told you about the girl, you note that she’s probably under the influence of some kind of drug right now. “Uh,” you struggle for a cool sounding response before lamely gesturing around. “Same as you.” You resist the urge to facepalm as your retort comes out as more of a question than a straight response.

She huffs out a laugh and something inside of you flutters at the sound. She cocks an eyebrow at you, “Oh really? So you mean to tell me the deputy’s daughter is out here high off her ass from whatever drug she had managed to scrounge up for the night?”

Your eyes widen comically, but a grin makes its way across your face regardless. “Yup.”

Samantha seems to find your act kind of funny and you internally cheer and congratulate yourself, before mentally sighing at just how corny you are. 

The lanky girl walks around to the other side of your car and motions for you to unlock the door. Curiously, you do. She quickly steps inside, making a small noise of approval at the warmth she’s provided. It’s then that you notice that she hadn’t been wearing a jacket, her (very) muscular arms completely bare in the black tank top that stretches across her form. Dumbly, you fish out your favorite jacket from the backseat and wordlessly offer it to her. She looks at it with interest but leans up to put it on anyways. You think you imagined it, but for a split second you swear her tan cheeks darken slightly.

She clears her throat and the charged atmosphere that had filled the car moments ago disappears with the action. “Clearly I know who you are, Y/N Hicks, so tell me, why would Judy Hicks’ daughter allow a complete stranger into her car?”

You think for a moment but shrug, “Some company is actually just what I needed right now.” She nods in understanding and you continue, this time bearing the teasing smirk on your own face, “Plus, you’re not the only one with a trick up their sleeve. I know who you are too, Samantha.”

A cheshire grin spreads across her mouth. You think it suits her. “Oh yeah? Mommy told you about me then?” You nod and she barks out a laugh, “All bad things, I hope.”

You chuckle at the mirth that has appeared in her expression. “Most certainly all bad things. I swear that’s all Judy Hicks is capable of seeing.”

She seems to pick up on the heaviness of her tone and you wonder if the drug she has taken has given her some heightened sense of perception. “Things don’t seem to be all perfect in paradise.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Sam smiles but it looks more like a grimace, “Believe me, I do.”

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence. You wonder what exactly happened to Sam to lead her down this path, but you know better than to ask. Despite your mother’s constant warnings, you find that Sam is actually really refreshing to hang around. She sees the world for what it really is, cold and lonely. It’s a nice change of pace to what you’re used to being around.

The peaceful atmosphere is broken as she reaches into her pocket and fishes out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She waits for a beat, anticipating you to chastise her, and looks pleasantly surprised when you don’t speak a word. Your eyes remain locked together as she places the stick into her mouth, rolls the window down, and leisurely lights the cigarette. 

After she takes a long drag, she looks at you curiously. “Y’know you’re nothing like what I thought you’d be.” You motion for her to continue and she does after a short moment, “I figured you’d be a cheery brat like your mom and that you wouldn’t even give someone like me the time of day.”

The last bit of her sentence causes a sad pang to vibrate through your chest. You frown and give her a soft look, “Someone like you? You seem really nice Sam.” She looks at you like you’ve grown three heads, clearly not believing you. “I’m serious,” you say gently, “you must be such a strong person to keep pushing through whatever it is you’re going through. I don’t know you that well, but I know enough to be able to tell that you’re a good person.”

Her eyes brim with tears and she doesn’t even flinch as they spill down her face. Her cigarette, now forgotten, falls from the hand that had been dangling out the window and onto the uneven pavement below. You pull her towards you into a tight hug. After a while of her sobbing softly into your shoulder, she pushes away slightly to meet your eyes. Your heart breaks at how small she sounds when she whispers a tiny thank you up at you. 

You brush the hair out of her eyes and lightly thread your fingers through it. She melts into the contact and you want to cry at how adorable she is. 

The two of you sit like that for what feels like hours, but is more than likely just a few minutes. 

She finally pulls away from you completely and settles back into your passenger seat. Her smirk reappears and you smile at the sight. “Drive. There’s someplace I want to show you.”

You’d known the girl for all of five seconds yet you could already tell that you’d likely do whatever she asked of you, your mother’s opinion be damned. If she had asked you to climb up the rooftop of an abandoned building, you’d likely say yes. And if she had asked you to stay with her up on that same rooftop for the rest of the night, you’d probably (definitely) agree. And if, when the sky began to display a mixture of pink and orange tones, she shyly asked if she could kiss you, you’d press your lips softly to hers in a heartbeat.

Bonus A/N: I've never written a flashback before so I really hope that part turned out okay :)

[lonelym00n]

can u write jealous/possessive amber freeman accidentally lashing out on the reader?

Green-Eyed Monster

Amber Freeman x Reader

Word Count: 1.8k

Summary: Amber Freeman doesn't like sharing what's hers. You get caught up in the aftermath.

A/N: Thank you for the request! <3

Amber Freeman knew she was an extremely jealous person and she also knew that her intense streaks of possessiveness had a tendency to get her into trouble. It only took her three trips to the principal’s office in elementary school to realize that she was alone in the hot-blooded and pulse-pounding rage she felt whenever another kid touched one of her toys. 

She knew all of this, and yet, she couldn’t quell the green-eyed monster that roared to life inside of her at the sight of you talking to another girl. Amber wouldn’t usually be this upset at someone else for simply talking to you, but this girl in particular was a repeat offender of being extra flirty and touchy with you, both acts that Amber read as an attempt to steal you away from her. 

Like a hawk watching its prey, she waited for the girl to make a wrong move, to place her hands upon what Amber considered hers. As she stood up against the wall silently seething, her temper rose progressively higher and higher and higher, until Amber was so enraged that she couldn’t remember ever being so mad in her life. Her chest heaved up and down erratically and her hands shook with the primal need to stomp over to the girl and rip the vocal cords right out of her throat so that she could never talk to you again.

She continuously examined the reaction taking place between you and the girl. The two of you were sitting on a couch trading laughter back and forth. Amber’s lip curled up into a snarl at the way the girl’s grin stretched even further across her face any time she successfully made you laugh. The girl twirled her hair around a singular finger that Amber found herself wanting to snap in two. Her violent thoughts increased the more she observed the girl in a manner that was way too hyper aware for her own good. 

Amber shifted her eyes to you next, and if she was any less mad than she currently was, the sight of you surely would’ve made her soften. You looked so pretty in the outfit that she had helped you pick out for tonight's party and everything about you was accentuated so perfectly. She trailed her eyes almost lasciviously across your form, wanting nothing more than to pin you down and prove to you that she was so much better than anyone else.

A sudden movement from the brainless girl in front of you halted Amber’s unabashed leering immediately. Like a helpless witness forced to watch the most sinful crime be committed, she glared viciously as the girl placed a hand upon your upper thigh, unknowingly sentencing herself to certain death.

At the horrific sight, Amber felt like she’d been swept up into a tornado of pure blazing fury that had no intent of relenting until every person but you and her had been added to the list of casualties that resulted from this unfortunate accident. 

The heinous action of the hand beginning to massage your thigh was the final catalyst in unleashing the uncivilized savagery that had encompassed Amber Freeman.  ***

You had been innocently sitting on the couch and taking a break from dancing when Sarah, your lab partner from biology, sank down next to you. She was a nice smart girl who, quite frankly, was the reason you were even passing bio in the first place. You liked her well enough and found that you enjoyed her company, but it was no secret to you that your girlfriend absolutely hated her. So, while you did like talking to her, you were filled with apprehension at the thought of how Amber would react if she saw how closely Sarah was sitting to you right now. 

You shivered, but participated in the conversation that Sarah had struck up nonetheless. She was recounting all the times your bio teacher had glared at the two of you for whispering to each other while he lectured, something that never failed to make you laugh. 

The chat shifted away from innocent recounts of biology class to something that had a bit of a heavier air to it. Sarah complimented your outfit and you shifted uncomfortably, making a point to notably mention that your girlfriend had been the one to all but dress you up into it. She didn’t flinch at the mention of Amber and you got increasingly more hesitant to continue the conversation with the direction that you sensed it was headed towards. 

Sarah, seemingly emboldened by the alcohol that she had consumed, deposited her hand way too far up on your thigh to be considered friendly. You were sure that you looked visibly uncomfortable but she wasn’t deterred in the least bit. Her hand began to firmly massage your thigh and before you could even pull away and tell her off, a firm body flew over the side of the couch and slammed into Sarah, cleanly tackling her straight to the floor. 

A small crowd excitedly grouped around the two forms now wrestling on the ground. Your line of sight was cleanly blocked off and though you frantically tried to identify who had knocked Sarah away from you, all you were able to catch was a flash of familiar raven hair. Amber. Oh shit.

After a significant amount of time and a small power struggle, Amber’s friend Chad and one of his football buddies had finally managed to rip the two girls away from each other. Amber’s limbs flailed around wildly in an attempt to break free as Sarah, whose nose had already turned an abnormal purple color, was led into a different room. 

You stood in shock at the frantic manner at which Amber tossed herself around in Chad’s arms at the hopes of her escape. She stilled suddenly as your eyes met hers, a chill shooting straight up your spine at the feral look that filled her eyes. 

With a renewed vigor, she successfully wiggled herself out of Chad’s tight grasp and, like a man on a mission, made a beeline straight for you. She clasped her hand tightly around your wrist and forcibly dragged you to her room, too caught up in her rage to hear you begging for her to loosen her grip.

You, on the other hand, were feebly trying to hold back tears at how firmly Amber was clutching onto your wrist. You could feel the bruise already beginning to form and counted your lucky stars that the bone hadn’t given in and snapped all together. 

In a flurry of erratic movements from Amber, you were thrown into her room and promptly slammed into the wall. If she had applied just a tiny bit more pressure, the wall would’ve cracked with the force at which you had smacked into it. 

Though tears were now streaming down your face, Amber still hadn’t recovered from her near psychotic state. Her lips smashed against yours in a fit of pure possession, and though you returned the kiss, you nearly whimpered at the feeling of her teeth gnashing into yours. It wasn’t until she bit down onto your lip with the intent to draw blood that you audibly cried out and shoved her away from you with all your strength. 

Amber’s eyes fluttered in surprise as she immediately snapped out of her rage at the pitiful sound that had escaped your mouth. Guilt swiftly took over at how broken you looked in front of her. 

Your wrist was throbbing and your back ached from where it had cruelly bumped into the wall. Your vision was cloudy with the still-falling tears and your senses were overwhelmed with the coppery taste of blood that coated the tip of your tongue. You sunk down the wall and curled into yourself, surrounded by feelings of pain and in a complete daze due to what had just occurred.

Tears leaked uselessly out of Amber’s own eyes as her roughness finally caught up to her. She clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs that flew out. She was so upset with herself for doing something she had never thought she’d be capable of doing, something she promised herself she would never do. She had hurt you. 

She knelt down in front of your crumpled form, too scared to console you through touch in fear of you flinching away. 

“Baby,” she practically whined out the term of endearment, “I am so sorry. I wasn’t in control, I- I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m so sorry I hurt you, fuck!”

Your tears slowed to sniffles at her sincere apology. Amber had been nothing but gentle with you throughout your relationship up until now, so you were sure she was telling the truth. Even though it probably would’ve been more rational and wise to sprint away from her at full speed, no one else mattered to you as much as Amber did. She’d been there for you through so much that you couldn’t imagine seeking comfort in anyone else.

You peeked up at her so sadly and Amber felt a piece of her heart break away at the sight. “Amber, my whole body hurts.”

She cried even harder and spewed out a second round of apologies and pleas for your forgiveness. She reached out to touch you but stopped short, “Please, I’m so sorry. Can I touch you?”

You nodded cautiously and her arms pulled you into a loose embrace that was filled with so much care. She trailed her hands all over your body in complete sorrow. She rubbed your thumping back tenderly and leaned down to softly kiss each of your injuries, whispering apologies as she went.

Exhaustion filled your whole body as she began to tell you how much she loved you and swore she would never hurt you again. Feeling safe and loved in her presence again, you allowed her to scoop you into her arms and settle you comfortably into her bed. She tucked the comforter around you like a cacoon and you sighed into its warmth. 

“Is there anything else I can get you, baby?” 

You looked into her eyes and tiredly spoke up, “Just you. Will you come hold me?”

Amber’s heart leapt into her throat, so relieved that you asked her to join you in bed. She situated herself next to you and carefully wrapped her arms around you, smiling to herself when you fell asleep almost instantly.

Before she succumbed to the heaviness that weighed her eyelids down, she felt one more thought drift across her mind. Once enough time passed for her to not look suspicious, she’d be the last person your lab partner would ever see alive.

Taglist: @alexkolax

[lonelym00n]

There's no one else I'd rather kidnap

Part 2 of The Devil Likes the Pirate Series

Tara Carpenter x Reader

Word Count: 4k

Summary: At the diner, Tara catches you up on what happened at the party. A surprise guest cuts things short.

A/N: I can't believe how well the first part of this did! It makes me so happy to know that people actually like these silly little fics of mine. I was debating on posting this tomorrow instead, but it's more fun to do it now, so here you go!

After an undefined amount of time spent enduring what you’d classify as one of the highest forms of torture (Tara’s relentless teasing), you finally felt as though you could stand without immediately collapsing. You rose slowly and gathered your belongings before turning to face the impish girl, “I feel disgusting. I’m gonna head back to my dorm, shower and change, and then we can go.”

As you turn to leave, she calls out in a tone that you can’t quite identify. Distressed maybe? “Wait!” 

You whipped around to face her and immediately regretted the rushed movement as the pounding from earlier returned to your head. You clutched your head and swore under your breath. “Yes?”

She looked hesitant and unsure, but you were in too much pain to even attempt to question her odd behavior. She bit her lip in contemplation before she spoke, “I should come with you to your room.” 

Your face scrunched up in confusion and you scanned her face puzzledly. It was a bit of a weird thing for her to say and you might’ve even ventured out to ask why, but the hints of anxiety and unease in her expression made you bite your tongue. Seeing no reason for why she couldn’t come with you to your room, you nodded, “Yeah sure.” You thought for another second before groaning aloud, “God I hope my roommate isn’t there. She sucks.”

Tara was visibly relieved that you didn’t turn down or question her abnormal request. She sprung up from the bed, retrieved a tote bag out of the closet, and scrambled around the room to collect a few articles of clothing and her phone. Once she was done scurrying around, she turned towards you and gestured in the direction of the door. “Lead the way.”

You hummed as you opened the door and recognized the building you were in as the one just next to where you resided. The two of you made the short trip over to your building and quickly appeared in front of your door. You knocked twice and let out a quiet cheer when no response came from inside the room. You unlocked the door and pushed it open.

The room you had been placed in was slightly bigger than most of the other freshmen dorms, something that had you very excited when you read about it on the admissions website. Even better than that, you were one of the lucky few to have a small bathroom attached to your room. You loved your room because it made you feel like you had won the lottery. Well, you did get the short end of the stick on the roommate side of the equation, but that’s besides the point.

You and Tara stepped into the room and you closed the door and turned the lock shut once you were both safely inside. Her weird mood from earlier reappeared for a second at the click of the lock, but it disappeared swiftly as she swept her gaze across the room. Her mischievous grin returned and she quirked a brow, her eyes twinkling. “Which side is yours?”

You held your breath as you pointed to your side of the room. You hoped she didn’t find anything too embarrassing to tease you about, but secretly, you were more worried about if she’d like your decorations. You didn’t have anything out of the ordinary, the decor mostly consisting of posters displaying musical artists you liked, a few pieces of pottery you had painted, a small collection of books, and the stuffed teddy bear you had smartly named Mr. Hugs. 

She turned towards you once she finished her investigation. She gave you a thumbs up, signaling that your living space had passed the unspoken test of what she thought of your interests.  “You have good taste. Well done.” 

You smiled at the praise and internally jumped for joy at her approval of your room. “Pleased to hear it, Inspector Tara.”

She broke into a fit of laughter at your goofiness. “My god you’re such a dork. Had I known you were a nerd I would’ve chosen someone else to kidnap last night.” Despite your want to be (fake) offended, you couldn’t hold back a grin at the mention of what the two of you were referring to your odd predicament as.

Your face twists into a smirk as you lightly slap her shoulder and scoff, “Oh please I’m way better than anyone else you could’ve picked.”

She pretends to think for a second, “Hm nope, definitely not.”

You roll your eyes playfully at her response. “Whatever loser, you’re the one stuck with me now.” She pokes her tongue out at you and you flip her off in return. 

“Welp,” you clap, “I’m gonna shower and get ready, feel free to make yourself comfortable wherever you like.”

You smile at her and pad over to the bathroom. Once you’re in the solitude of the shower, you grin like an idiot. Tara’s easily the prettiest girl you’ve ever talked to and while you still don’t remember the events of last night, you are grateful for whatever you’d done to end up in her company. Like a lovesick puppy, you think of her throughout the entirety of your shower. 

You finish up quickly and dress yourself into the clothes you had picked out for yourself. You went through your post-shower routine relatively quickly and paused before you exited the bathroom. You could just barely make out Tara’s soft voice speaking hurriedly. You slowly opened the bathroom door, making sure she noticed that you were about to leave the bathroom before reentering the room. 

The sight of her half laying half sitting on your bed made a spark of joy shoot up your spine. The two of you exchanged small smiles as she exchanged her goodbyes to whoever she had been conversing with on the phone. You grabbed your shoes and perched on the edge of your bed as you pulled them on. 

You nearly jumped out of your skin as her hand reached out and lightly stroked through your hair. You turned crimson at her action and she bit her lip in delight at the sight of your darkened cheeks. She removed her hand and at your questioning look, sat up fully on the bed. “What?” she asked nonchalantly. “Your hair looks really soft when it’s wet.” 

You tried your best not to gape at her. Nervously laughing, you cleared your throat before speaking, “Oh, thanks.” You look up at her to find that she’s already eyeing you with a gentle gaze. Your heart thuds so loud as you maintain eye contact that you swear she can hear it. Deciding to break the silence you clear your throat again, “Well, uh, feel free to use the bathroom to change or get ready, if there’s anything along those lines that you want to do before we go.”

She shoots you a double thumbs up (you have half a mind to laugh at her strange affinity to keep reusing the gesture) and you watch as she strides into the bathroom with her tote bag firmly in hand.

She gets ready swiftly and without a hitch, the two of you begin the short walk towards the small diner located just off campus that she tells you she frequents. 

When her hand reaches out to interlace her fingers with yours, you definitely don’t blush at how perfect it feels to hold hands with her.

***

The start of your meal follows the same pattern that the earlier hours of the day held. The two of you pass jabs back and forth and she grins in delight whenever she catches the red hue that rises up in your cheeks. It’s not until your food arrives that the reason behind the two of you coming to the diner is brought up.

Tara’s expression hardens as you finally ask her to relay the events of last night to you. She sighs deeply and chews into her lip nervously. 

In an attempt to comfort her, you place your hand on top of hers. “Tara,” you speak gently even though you’re unsure of why she looks so nervous, “It’s okay, I won’t be mad or weird about whatever happened. You helped me, hell you even let me stay in your room for the night. You can tell me.”

She sucks in a breath and turns your joined hands over to wordlessly play with your fingers. It seems to calm her down as she opens her mouth to inform you of what happened. “Okay. Well I have no idea how you got there, so I can’t help you remember that part.” You nod in understanding.

She continues, “I was watching my friends dance and teasing them for how horrible they are at it.” She laughs softly to herself at the memory. “Anika caught you watching us and she said she thought you were looking at me. It was hard to tell because you were so far away and tucked into a corner of the room.”

You blush for the millionth time, of course your drunk self had been way too obvious about checking Tara out. “Anika waved you towards us and when I thought you were finally gonna make your way over, some douchey frat guy wearing an angel costume wrapped his arm around you. My friends and I were kind of shocked at the sight, especially Mindy because she swore you were giving her “vibes”.”

She wiggles her eyebrows at the mention of your “vibes” and you look away, laughing to yourself at the thought of one of her friends catching onto your sexuality. “Anyways, it seemed like you and the guy were together. I thought it was a little off considering you had just been blushing at having been caught watching us, but the two of you were matching so we just assumed we had the wrong idea earlier.”

You nod, “That makes sense. So what happened next?”

She suddenly looks hesitant again and you curl your fingers even tighter around hers and give them a reassuring squeeze. You furrow your brow. Despite offering your reassurance to Tara, you were starting to get a little nervous yourself. She begins again, slowly, “He pulled you somewhere, I couldn’t see where. We went back to dancing but I couldn’t shake the feeling of something being wrong, so I kept glancing around to see if I could spot you again. When I did, you were standing with him and a whole group of guys. They were laughing so loudly about something, but the guy wearing the angel costume was leering down at you so creepily. You didn’t notice, I think you were looking around the room.”

Your chest feels tight and you hope that you are wrong about what you think might’ve happened next. 

“I saw that you were drinking out of a cup and that’s when I got really worried. You couldn’t stand still, you looked like you were about to topple over any second. You looked really really drunk, Y/N, and compared to how you had looked when we caught you watching us earlier, you were about a hundred times worse.”

Tears brimmed your eyes at what you were being told. Tara notices and joins her empty hand with your own. Her hold on you is so gentle yet so firm and it feels as though she’s your only anchor in what is quickly becoming a terrible storm. You mumble for her to tell you the rest, and she does, paying close attention to your face. 

She speaks so softly, like one word spoken too loudly will cause you to crumble. “I don’t know if he put something in your drink or if it was just made way too strong. But when I realized what was likely going on, I told Anika and Mindy and they agreed that we needed to get you away from him. We tried waving to get your attention but you didn’t catch on to it. The guy started dragging you towards the stairs and we were all so scared. My friend Chad was with us and when we told him what was going on he stormed over to cut the boy off.”

You couldn’t hold back the tears anymore and they started flowing freely down your face. You could feel your lip trembling and Tara got up to slide into your side of the booth, pulling you into a hug. She whispered tiny words of comfort into your hair while she waited for your tears to slow. Once they did, she pulled back slightly to wrap up the night’s events, “While Chad and the boy shoved each other, I pulled you away. We tried to ask you if you knew the guy or if you had any friends at the party, but you were so out of it that I don’t even know if you knew what we were asking. The only piece of information we got out of you was your name. We left the party and took you outside and that’s when we decided that one of us would just have to take you in for the night. I volunteered to stay with you because after everything that I saw, I needed to make sure you were okay.”

You hug her tighter, silently expressing all that you were feeling. 

“On the walk back, it was like the last sober part of you drifted away completely. That’s when you started openly flirting with me and let me tell you, you said some pretty interesting stuff.”

You let out a watery laugh at your own drunken expense. Tara laughs with you and her hands delicately reach up to smooth your tears away. You gaze at her and you don’t care if your eyes give away your every emotion, because in this moment you are so entirely grateful for the girl sitting in front of you.

After a long while, you turn your head and slowly press a shaky kiss to the hand lightly stroking your cheek. She makes no move to stop running her hand along your face. You enjoy her touch too much to ever even consider asking her to put a pause to it. 

Taking a deep breath, you prepare a response to all that she’s told you. “Tara, I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am that you were there. That you noticed what was going on. I mean without you I could’ve been… I-” You exhale steadily and continue, “You literally saved me from experiencing one of the worst things and you didn’t even know me. I feel so stupid that I wasn’t looking out for myself, but for some reason, you were. And I’ll never be able to repay you for that or even tell you how much it means to me.”

Unshed tears sit in both of your eyes and Tara scoots impossibly closer to you. “You don’t need to thank me. I’d do it all over a thousand different times just to be sure I wouldn’t have to see you get hurt.” 

Something about how she says the words makes you think they might mean something a bit more to her, but you don’t comment on that. Instead, you’re more focused on how her eyes are darting from your eyes to your lips. “You’re the only thing that I remember from that party Tara. And I can’t help but think it’s for a reason.”

You lean so closely into her that you’re able to count every freckle that’s splashed across her face. Your nose bumps gently into hers and you wait with bated breath to see if she’ll close the gap between your lips. Just as she’s about to, her phone buzzes incessantly, signaling the inflow of a large amount of notifications.

You go to pull back, thinking you’d either gotten the wrong idea or that the moment had been broken, but she stops you from moving away with a hand nestled softly into the hair at the nape of your neck. She inches closer to you and when your lips finally do meet, it feels as though the storm of emotions that this girl brings out in you has churned to an all time high. 

Your lips crash into each other repeatedly and you don’t even think Moses could pull you away from the addictive taste of Tara’s lips. Her phone continuously buzzing from its spot in her tote bag goes completely ignored by the two of you. 

Annoyingly enough, you do need oxygen eventually. You gently push away from Tara but make sure to press your lips together once more before fully exiting her space. 

Tara looks uncharacteristically shy, wearing a soft smile that accentuates her endearing dimples. Her nose wrinkles cutely as you softly bop her on the nose. 

Her expression shifts slightly and it seems as though she’s deep in thought. You wait patiently for her to bring up whatever is on her mind. Just as she goes to speak, the diner’s doorbell rings and out of the corner of your eye, you can see someone speeding towards your booth.

You and Tara whip your heads in the direction of the heavy stomps. You are met with the sight of someone who looks strikingly similar to Tara. 

The woman slams her hands down on the table, making the silverware fly up into the air at the force. You flinch and Tara groans, her face twisting up in frustration.

“What the fuck Tara!” The woman is so clearly pissed off. You can see how her whole body trembles with her anger. 

Tara sighs deeply, “Sam look-”

The woman cuts her off, “No Tara, seriously what the fuck do you think you’re doing? I went to check on you last night and found Mindy and Anika in your bed. You weren’t anywhere to be found and I texted you and called you so many different times throughout the night and you didn’t answer once! I couldn’t sleep at all, I was worried sick thinking something had happened to you!” 

The woman, Sam you think Tara had called her, is breathing raggedly and there’s a noticeable streak of panic in her eyes. “And then when I finally catch wind of you, it’s from overhearing you tell Mindy you were going out to a diner. I searched every diner in the city to find you Tara and you what, try to offer me a simple explanation?” 

Tara’s level of frustration has raised exponentially throughout Sam’s rant. She’s practically vibrating in her seat and your eyes widen at the situation you’re caught in the middle of. Her teeth grind together and a wild look that rivals Sam’s appears in her eyes. “God Sam if you would ever let me speak and would stop being so goddamn overbearing all the time, maybe I could actually speak to you and have a normal conversation about things for once! I don’t owe you any explanation at all for what I choose to do Sam, this is my life! You can’t control me every second of every day!”

Sam gets impossibly angrier. “Are you serious? You know why I care so much about where you are so don’t even go there! And I don’t want to control you! I’m only trying to protect you!” 

Sam turns to look at you and you avert your eyes so fast it’s possible you could’ve gotten whiplash. She laughs in disbelief. “While I’m worried sick about you all night fucking long you’re doing what, having a hookup? Seriously Tara, that’s what you’re choosing to do after everything?”

Your eyes flash with hurt and you recoil as if you’d been slapped. You feel so small under Sam’s scrutinizing gaze.

Tara stands up from the booth and shoves Sam upon hearing her words. “God shut up Sam! You have no idea what you’re talking about.” She glances apologetically at you over her shoulder for a second before she spins back around to face Sam, a whole separate wave of fury taking over her small form.

You can only gulp and try to press yourself into the cushions of the booth.

Sam laughs again, this time flinging her arms up into the air. “Oh really? Because I sure as hell think I do! Let me guess, after knowing that girl for one day, you’re already so damn smitten that you’re willing to look past any the signs that might point to her being an absolute lunatic, just like you did with-”

Tara’s face hardens and her jaw clenches so hard it might shatter. “Don’t!” She practically barks the word out as her finger presses into Sam’s chest. 

Sam doesn’t heed the warning, too far gone into whatever rage she has slipped into. “Amber, Tara!” She shouts the words into her sister’s face. “Just like you did with Amber!”

You don’t expect what comes next, and it seems Sam didn’t either. Tara’s hand flies up out of nowhere and lands an open palm smack right onto Sam’s cheek. 

Sam gasps and a few tears of shock roll down her face, not even beginning to sooth the burn that spreads across her pulsing face. She goes to say something, her words finally catching up to her but Tara viciously cuts her off. “Get the fuck out Sam,” she spits out the words. “Go outside and wait for me to come out.”

Sam complies, though she stubbornly attempts to apologize again, “I’m so-”

“Get out Sam! Now!” Sam finally trudges out of the diner, hand clutched against where she’d been slapped.

Tara takes a few minutes to calm herself down. You brace yourself, unsure of what was going to come next. 

She’s facing you again now and you do the only thing you can think of. Your arms open and you let out a small oomph when Tara’s body slams itself into your embrace. She buries her face into your shoulder for a long moment and in a reversal of the events of this morning, you’re now the one soothingly rubbing her back. 

She cries into you and your heart breaks at the way the sobs wrack through her whole body. Once she has stopped crying, you allow her to pull away.

She looks so exhausted from her fight with Sam. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m sorry you had to see that.”

You shush her, “Don’t be sorry baby.”

Her eyes brighten a tad bit at the pet name. “Sam is my incredibly protective older sister,” she explains and you nod, “There’s a whole lot more to that story than I can even begin to say right now.”

You rush to speak, “You don’t owe me an explanation about anything. You can do that some other time.”

She smiles in appreciation but frowns shortly after. “Look, I have to go. I’m gonna go home with Sam, avoid her for a day or two to make her feel guilty, and then I’ll maybe consider talking to her.” She pushes her phone into your hands, opening up the contact app. “Put your number in, I’ll text you tonight and then when things have finally calmed down, I’ll fill you in.”

You punch your number into her phone and give her one last big hug. She sighs happily and you feel a little bit of the stress come off her shoulders. She pulls back and even though you know she really does have to go, you lean up and tenderly kiss the corner of her mouth. 

Tara hums in contentment, bops you gently on the nose, and exits the diner.

Tag: @cartierdreamx

Bonus A/N: Fingers crossed it makes sense with the last fic in mind.

[lonelym00n]

The Devil Likes the Pirate

Tara Carpenter x Reader

[Series Masterlist]

Word Count: 3k

Summary: You're a drunken mess for Tara Carpenter and she's never going to let you hear the end of it.

You adjusted the red horns that sat atop your head before glancing at the mirror to give your full appearance a onceover. You supposed you looked good, though certainly not as amazing as your roommate and her friends looked in their matching Harry Potter costumes. The red dress you had chosen to wear was tight and fit your form perfectly, and the black boots you selected complimented the outfit perfectly. If it was up to you, you would’ve matched with the rest of the girls but since they already had all the necessary characters covered, you accepted your fate of dressing up as a devil. It was an easy costume to piece together at the last minute, which you were thankful for as your roommate had informed you of tonight’s party only just yesterday.

Hurrying so the rest of the group wouldn’t be waiting on you, you grabbed a crumpled $20 bill and shoved it into your bra in case you were lucky enough to pass a food vendor on the way over. You skipped dinner again today, just simply not having had the time to walk over to the dining hall with all the outfit planning you had to do. 

As your little makeshift group began the twenty minute walk to the frat, you let yourself drift to the back and trailed just behind everyone else. It had been nice of your roommate to invite you but you weren’t dumb. You knew she only mentioned it because one of her friends had brought it up in front of you and it would’ve been awkward had she not asked if you wanted to come along. While you’d normally skip out on these things (an unbearably sticky and overcrowded frat house wasn’t high up on your list of fun places to visit in NYC), it was Halloween and subsequently every college student's favorite excuse to drink themselves to the cusp of death. Coupled with that, your mother had just scolded you about how you needed to start putting yourself out there. You agreed with her, as much as you hated to. You’d been at Blackmore for three months and hadn’t even managed to befriend your own roommate.

You eyed the frat house warily as you watched it come closer and closer into view. The sidewalk practically vibrated with the bass of what you knew was probably some shitty song from 2016 that everyone only pretended to know the words to. You wanted to roll your eyes at the cheap looking disco lights that were occasionally visible through the tightly drawn blinds. The girls squealed excitedly as the group of guys guarding the door happily waved the group into the house.

Stepping inside, the girls found an empty spot to occupy while you split off and made a beeline to the drinks table. You sighed in relief as they had more than just beer available and swiftly threw back two shots of rum before getting to work on making yourself a concoction of whiskey and Coke, heavy on the whiskey. 

Finished with your creation, you tucked yourself into a corner to survey the rest of the party, hoping to find someone worth getting to know. Most of the partygoers were already plastered, as you had expected them to be. Your roommate and her friends were dancing together and giggling each time they were approached by a different guy. You smiled slightly to yourself at the pair that stood across from them, a dorky looking kid in a knight costume and a taller beefy guy who had very clearly dressed as a cowboy just for the excuse to forgo a shirt. Moving on from them, you looked to the dance floor hoping to find someone outright embarrassing themselves. What, or rather who, you laid your eyes upon made you suck in a breath in utter awe. A girl with the prettiest eyes you think you’d ever seen was chuckling as she watched two other girls dance in the most goofiest way possible. 

You bit your lip slightly as you trailed your eyes across her breathtaking appearance. The pirate costume she wore accentuated all her features but with the way you felt utterly captivated, you’d think she’d be better dressed as a siren. You swore if you had been able to hear the soft laughter falling from her lips, the sound of it could’ve easily lured you to whatever untimely ending she had planned for you. 

Gulping down the rest of your drink like a woman starved, you find yourself unable to tear your eyes away from her. You swear the room starts spinning as you keep looking at her and while you want nothing more than to approach her, the sight of her has you firmly rooted to your spot in the corner. 

Happy to accept your fate of staring at this pretty girl all night, you turn your attention to the two girls she was dancing with. They’re both beautiful and you nearly scream in frustration at the thought that one of them is probably her girlfriend. You squeeze your eyes shut as a quiet curse slips out of your mouth. You feel a bit stupid for admiring this girl who was probably already in a relationship. With how attractive she was, it’d be a crime for someone to not have scooped her up.

Deciding to give her one last sullen glance, you flinch as you make eye contact with the girl dressed as a pumpkin. She smirks and turns to the other two, leaning in close to whisper something before pointing in your direction. You can only watch in a panic as the other two girls spin around to face you, grins stretched across both of their faces. The pirate girl gives you a small wave and you almost faint at the adorable sight. You probably would have too, had you not noticed that the pumpkin girl was gesturing you to come over to the trio. You feel your eyes widen enough to pop out of your head. 

Before you can take a step towards the girls, a heavy arm loops itself around your waist, dangling dangerously close to your ass. You look up sluggishly and are met with the grin of a very sleazy looking guy, who funnily enough, is dressed as an angel. 

“Hey sweetheart.” His grin stretches wider at the light blush that rises up to your cheeks at the nickname. He speaks again, “Looks like I finally found my devil.”

And yup, okay, the alcohol had definitely taken its toll on you because sober you isn’t the least bit interested in men, let alone men like him. You feel very stupid for skipping dinner on a night you knew you’d be drinking. And yet, you find yourself letting out a girlish laugh at his cheesy line about your matching costumes. “Hello,” you smile up at him meekly. 

“You’re quite hot.” He rakes his eyes suggestively along your form, taking note of the empty cup dangling loosely from your grasp. “Let’s go get you another drink, yeah?” 

He pulls the two of you towards the drink table and you don’t make any move to protest, staying securely under his arm. He releases you quickly as he mixes up a drink and you let your eyes absentmindedly scan the room again while you wait. The edge of your vision has a slight cloud to it due to the alcohol you’ve consumed, but drunk you doesn’t think any differently of it. You look back towards where your roommate had once been, noticing that all the girls were gone. Under normal circumstances you might’ve felt your heart sink deep into your chest at the knowledge of having been left behind, but you can’t find it in yourself to care right now. 

A tap on your shoulder makes you look back towards angel boy, who pushes the cup into your hands and watches as you take an eager sip. “Thank you,” you smile brightly at him. 

“My pleasure,” he rasps back, a glint in his eyes. His arm snakes its way around your shoulders this time and you let him lead you towards a group of guys. He strikes up a conversation with them as you just stand there, occasionally sipping your drink. As you often do when you are bored, you glance back around at the other guests of the party. There are fewer people filling the house than there were before and the music has been turned down to a volume more suitable for the guests to talk amongst themselves. A bright, lazy smile fills your face and you find that you actually like the more quiet atmosphere that the party has turned into. 

Just as you’re about to turn back around to face the group you’ve somehow become a part of, you notice three people wildly waving their arms in your direction. Confusedly, you wave a greeting to them and squint in their direction, trying to make out who possibly could’ve been waving at you. Unsurprisingly, your vision has blurred even more and you have no idea who the three people could be. Your shrug and finally turn back to the guys you’re standing with, flushing almost as red as your dress at the sight of angel boy looking down at you.

He smirks at your reaction and plants a sloppy kiss onto your cheek before pulling you closer towards him. You stumble into him, now completely pressed into his side. He faces his friends again and says, “Alright boys, me and this one are gonna head upstairs.” 

The guys whoop and holler and clap their hands onto his back, shaking the two of you with the force. Angel boy laughs loudly and begins walking away, you follow along without protest. Before you can make it out of earshot, one of the guys calls out in your direction, nearly cackling, “Yo, do you even know her name?” 

Angel boy flips him off, still laughing, while you just furrow your brow in confusion and choose to ignore the odd question. His laughing, however, is cut off quickly as he stumbles into a firm body. Unable to stop yourself, you crash into him. He grunts and shoves whoever is in front of him, “Watch where you’re going man,” he scoffs. 

The guy in front of the two of you steels himself and grinds his boots (cowboy boots, you snort at the sight) into the ground, unmoving, before he speaks in an angry tone, “How about you leave that girl alone?” 

The two boys begin shoving each other and you just stand in your spot, more confused than ever and completely unable to process what is going on. A soft hand takes yours and gently pulls you into its owner’s direction. You move willingly, more than happy to chase the feeling of butterflies you got when your hand fit perfectly into the other. 

“Do you know that guy?” a melodic voice asks.

Sheepishly, you move your gaze away from your hands and look up to see who was speaking to you. It’s the pretty pirate girl from before and you feel your knees buckle as your heart rate increases exponentially. “I don’t know,” you slur.

The girl looks over her shoulder at the two other girls in alarm. The girl with short brown hair speaks next, “Uh shit okay, do you have any friends here?” 

You shrug in response, suddenly feeling very small under the group’s gaze. 

The pumpkin girl asks, voice soft, “What’s your name?”

You beam, now there’s a question you can answer. “Y/N,” you state happily. 

The three girls let out a sigh of relief. The pirate girl gives you a small smile and you feel dizzier than ever. 

The boy who had stood in your way earlier calls out to the group, “Let’s get the hell out of here. We can figure out what to do outside.”

The girls share a look of agreement and the pirate girl takes your hand again (you sigh audibly at the feeling), making sure that you follow behind the group as they file outside of the house. 

They stop a short distance from the frat house. You take in all of their appearances curiously as they begin to talk, trying to figure out what their next move was going to be.

“Okay,” the cowboy speaks, the boy in the knight costume standing uselessly by his side, “we rescued the girl, what the hell do we do now Tara?”

The pirate girl stops to think for a moment. You think she looks cuter than ever with the slight crinkle that appears between her brow. “Well we can’t take her to the house. Sam would kill me.”

The group all agree. You watch on, not a thought behind your eyes but how beautiful you find the pirate to be. The pumpkin girl turns towards the girl with the short brown hair, “Any ideas Mindy?”

The girl sighs deeply before nodding her head, “She clearly has no idea what’s going on, so we won’t know where to take her back to. The only option I see is for us to take her to my dorm.” 

The pumpkin girl pouts, you notice that she’s now wearing the knight’s hat and laugh to yourself at the sight. “But babe, our movie night.”

Mandy (was that her name?) sighs again, “I know, I’m sorry Anika. But what else can we do?” 

She goes to comfort the pumpkin girl. Suddenly the pirate girl, seemingly debating something, speaks up, “I’ll stay in your room with her Mindy.” The group protests and disagrees, but the pirate girl remains firm in her decision. “No guys, I’m the one who got us in this situation. Mindy and Anika’s night shouldn’t be ruined because of this. You two just go take my room for the night.” 

Mindy (that’s her name!) says, “And when Sam literally murders us when she notices you aren’t home?” 

Tara rolls her eyes and huffs, “I’ll handle Sam, seriously guys don’t worry about it. It’s not like we have any other choice.”

The group look like they still want to protest, but something keeps them silent. Maybe they know the pirate girl would just shut them down. 

Tara takes your hand again and you take it as your sign to start walking. Everyone else follows behind silently. From somewhere behind you, you hear what you think might be the knight boy ask, “Is this technically kidnapping?”

The sound of a friendly swat follows his question. 

You lose yourself in the warmth that Tara’s hand gives you and are no longer keeping track of time. At this point in the night, your mind has completely shut down from the alcohol. You start thinking about how worried your mom will be tomorrow when you tell her you don’t remember half of what happened tonight. 

In a flash, you arrive wherever the group has decided to take you. Idly, you take note of the copious movie posters plastered on the wall. The people in front of you look more like blobs than people, and you hear someone let out a muffled shout as you begin to pass out. 

***

You wake up with a groan and are immediately met with the urge to puke and a splitting headache. You open your eyes and nearly sob at being met with such bright lights, for a split second you even think you might be dead. The moment is lost as bile rises up your throat and you hurriedly lean over, violently throwing up into the trash can that had been smartly set by the bedside. Tears leak down your cheeks as your chest heaves up and down. 

A quiet, concerned voice calls out to you in an attempt to soothe you, “Hey, you’re okay.” 

You want to feel embarrassed at someone witnessing what feels like your lowest moment in life, but you’re in too much pain to care. “I feel like I’m dying,” you wail.

A soft giggle sounds out at your dramatics. You feel a hand start to gently rub your back. It calms you down, and you’re finally able to sit back up in the bed and look over to who’s beside you. 

You swoon at the sight that you’re met with. It’s the pirate girl, dressed in a pair of baggy shorts and a shirt that swallows up her small frame. She reaches up and tucks a piece of hair behind your ear. Stupidly, you just blink back at her.

Your throat feels drier than ever as you try to come up with something to say. You want to slap yourself at what comes out of your brilliant mouth. “Hi.” 

Her body shakes with laughter at your curt greeting. “Hey there. Not sure if you remember anything but I’m Tara. You were really drunk so my friends and I took you here.”

You groan and hide away in your hands. You didn’t remember much of what happened, all you could seem to recall was the girl sat in front of you. Tara laughs and pries your hands away from your face. “Look, how about after you drink some water I take you to a diner or something. I’ll fill you in on what happened.” 

You want nothing more than to be swallowed up by the pillows that you’re laying on, knowing full well you’re probably as red as a tomato at her offer. You nod and stutter a bit as you once again try to get yourself to speak, “Yeah, um yeah. That sounds good.”

She smiles at you and shakes her head. After a beat of staring at each other, a teasing glint appears in her eyes. “Y’know, I can’t wait to tell you all about what you told me last night. Said some pretty nice things about me. It’s almost hard to believe that the girl in front of me now is the same person.”

You flush even brighter than before, which you never thought possible. You pull the fluffy comforter over your head and groan loudly into it. She breaks into a fit of laughter and you find yourself trying not to join in. This girl would surely be the death of you.

[lonelym00n]

No Promises

Amber Freeman x reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Summary: Amber Freeman needs several hugs and the constant company of her girlfriend.

Amber sat in her art class with the most displeased frown etched upon her normally smirking face. She scoffed as her phone buzzed with another text, reminding her of the reason for her current state of irritation. 

Her eyes shifted in annoyance to the usually occupied but noticeably very empty seat next to her before they returned to the text conversation open on her phone. 

Amber: Baby you’re late

[Seen 10:05am]

Amber: Did your chem test run long or something?

Amber: Helloo?? Are you not coming to class?

[Seen 10:09am]

Amber: Y/N stop leaving me on read, where the hell are you?

Y/N: amberrrr yk I love you, right <33?

Amber: Duh.

Amber: You’re ten minutes late babe. Did you fall into the toilet or something?

Y/N: haha very funny but, no

Y/N: how mad would you be if i told you i wasn’t coming to class…

Amber: Mad enough to finally snap and stab u like I’ve been threatening to

Y/N: guess this is it for me then, been nice knowing ya Ambs  >:(

Y/N: at least ur pretty face will be the last one i’ll see

Amber's foul mood dissipated slightly at her girlfriend’s dorky nature. If she wasn’t so used to the teasing flirtatious remarks from the other girl by now, she was sure she would have blushed. 

Amber: If you’re not coming to class where are you? Got someone more important to be with?

Y/N: babe you know that could never be true

Y/N: i have a dentist’s appointment

Y/N: i’m really sorry i didn’t tell u, but i know you would have weasled your way into coming with me if i had

Y/N: and i didn’t want u to miss class cuz of me

Amber: But I hate being here without you. You know that.

Y/N: i know, i’m sorry, i’ll be back for lunch if that helps at all

Y/N: i’ll bring u whatever u want from that place u love if u promise not to stab me

Amber: Alright bring me the caesar salad and some fries. 

Amber: No promises btw. >:)

Amber pulled herself away from her phone and began lightly sketching on the pad in front of her. Unable to stay mad at her girlfriend, she let herself calm down as she settled into the rhythm of one of her favorite classes. A soft smile graced her lips as she thought about how caring her girlfriend was, tricking Amber into attending class and offering to bring her an off campus lunch. This girl had her full heart and as much as Amber prided herself on her independence, she knew she’d do anything to keep Y/N by her side.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class period and the start of the next one. Amber trudged to her next class begrudgingly, knowing she’d have to sit through three more classes til she’d next get to see her girlfriend. 

The next two classes were a bore, as she’d expected. She felt herself slip back into her usual brooding demeanor as she stalked into the history classroom. Amber walked towards her seat and slumped down into it.

“What’s got your panties in a twist, Freeman?” Mindy asked with a shiteating grin. Amber rolled her eyes at Mindy’s remark as Tara slapped the Meeks-Martin girl lightly on the shoulder. Mindy shot Tara a wounded look and it was Tara’s turn to roll her eyes. 

Tara fixed her gentle gaze upon Amber before speaking, “Upset because Y/N’s at the dentist today?” 

Amber’s brow furrowed at the knowledge that Tara had seemingly been informed of her girlfriend’s whereabouts. She stupidly felt hurt for some reason. She looked at Tara with what was almost a snarl. “How do you know? She told you?” 

“Easy tiger!” Mindy laughed, thrilled at the opportunity to tease Amber while the girl was too distracted to quip back. She quickly shut up at the wicked glare Amber sent her, turning to instead focus on the mind-numbingly boring reading they had been assigned.

Tara, knowing Amber well enough to not fear the girl’s cold exterior, remained unbothered by the intimidating expression Amber held. “She told me in chemistry before she left. Told me to make sure you didn’t go on a rampage when you noticed she wasn’t gonna show up to art.”

Amber sighed, feeling stupid for being so quick to jump down her best friend’s throat about the situation. “Right, sorry Tara. Didn’t mean to get so defensive.” 

Tara gave her a sweet understanding smile in return as the two girls began taking notes on the chapter. History class passed by extra slow as Amber swore she literally felt the minutes tick by. The girl shot up and gracefully slipped out of the room as soon as the lunch bell sounded, leaving Tara and Mindy to only smile at the girl’s very obvious rush to be reunited with her girlfriend.

Amber sat by herself at the group’s normal table, glaring holes into her phone as she waited for any sign of life from Y/N. As enough time passed for the rest of the group to take their seats at the table, Amber silently debated whether or not she should go on that rampage Tara had mentioned after all. She smirked to herself at how it would lift her mood to lock some poor unsuspecting soul in a bathroom stall. 

Amber’s group of friends chatted amicably, ignoring the girl’s quietness and even feeling sort of grateful for a change from her usual snarky demeanor. Tara glanced at Amber from the corner of her eyes, knowing the girl was likely planning someone’s demise and silently willed Y/N to make a faster arrival. 

Amber felt her jaw clench and her nostrils flared in deep annoyance. She had woken up that morning (just like every other morning since she began dating Y/N) feeling particularly soft and happy at the thought of getting to spend another day with her girlfriend. The girl’s absence, however, was seriously about to set Amber off. She was going to force herself to calm back down and just send Y/N a text until her ears perked up at the mention of her favorite franchise in her friends’ conversation.

“C’mon Mindy,” Wes scoffed, “Stab 8 is easily the best. You only prefer the original because your uncle’s in it.” 

Mindy went to retort back but was interrupted by Liv, who chimed in to agree with Wes. “Stab 8 is so much better. That’s the one by the director of Knives Out, right?”

Tara’s eyes widened comically as she took note of the murderous scowl upon Amber’s face. Being the only one to notice, she pleaded to whatever god might be listening for the conversation to come to an end. Just the opposite happened, however, as Amber’s posture became stiff and rigid and the girl stretched out to her full height before she gripped the picnic table with almost enough force to snap the pieces off into her hands. 

“You’re an idiot Wesley.” Amber spat with a tone full of hatred. Everyone but Tara seemed completely caught off guard at Amber’s burning tone. They all sat in silence, shocked by the girl’s tone. 

Wes cleared his throat nervously, “What?”

Amber sneered as she pushed herself into Wes’s face. “You heard me, momma’s boy. You’re an idiot, just like anyone else who thinks Stab 8 is anything but an absolute garbage movie.” She glared at Liv next, who shrunk back into Chad’s arms. Amber poked her finger harshly into Wes’s chest before gripping his shirt tightly and twisting it to pull him impossibly closer. “Next time you open your stupid fucking mouth around me, make sure you think twice.” 

Wes sputtered, mouth opening and closing like a fish, unsure of how to get Amber to loosen her grip enough so he could slip out of her strong grasp. He was about to speak in what probably would’ve been a plea for his safety until a voice spoke up firmly from somewhere behind Amber. 

“Amber, what the actual fuck?” Y/N clutched a brown paper bag by its handles as she alarmingly took in the scene splayed out in front of her. Amber had Wes clutched in a death grip, his face bright red from embarrassment and fear, while the rest of their friend group sat scared stiff, helplessly watching the interaction happen.

Amber released Wes so quickly he almost toppled over the bench backwards. She whipped around to face her girlfriend, finally feeling the sociopathic part of her quell at the sight of the girl standing behind her. “Baby!” She smiled gleefully as she scooped Y/N into a hug, nearly lifting the girl up off the ground. The group of friends behind her experienced whiplash at Amber’s sudden reversal of moods. 

Y/N seemed equally as shocked, trying not to let Amber’s tight and warm embrace completely divert her from what the girl had been previously doing. Amber sweetly kissed both her cheeks and Y/N’s brain finally caught up to her. Holding the bag of food in one hand, she clasped her other around Amber’s wrist, dragging the girl away from their group of friends, shooting them a confused yet apologetic look before setting her attention fully on Amber. 

“Amber?” Y/N questioned hurriedly, “What the fuck happened with Wes?” 

Amber tilted her head (very cutely, Y/N noticed) at her girlfriend’s bewildered expression. “Oh, that?” she said nonchalantly. Y/N nodded and Amber had to refrain from pulling the girl into another hug at the action. “He said Stab 8 was the best film in the franchise.” 

Y/N’s mouth dropped open at Amber’s reason for outright attacking Wes. “Amber!” She scolded her girlfriend like a mother would a child. “You can’t do whatever you just did to Wes because of his opinion of a movie.” 

Amber tried her best to not look like a kicked puppy for the second time that day. “Yeah I can babe. Especially when it comes to Stab.” She blinked slowly as she just stared at Y/N, who was torn up between being concerned for just how deep Amber’s love for the slasher franchise ran and (for the umpteenth time in her relationship with the girl) greatly wondering what the hell kind of parenting the Freeman’s had raised Amber with.

Y/N’s hand rose up to pinch the bridge of her nose, a habit Amber knew that meant the girl was stressed. Amber reached up and gently cupped her girlfriend’s cheek, smoothing her thumb over the soft skin. Their eyes met and Y/N made the decision to table the more serious conversation for a time when Amber and she were alone, knowing the other girl would remain fully stubborn on the matter unless she felt she could be fully vulnerable.

Amber heard her girlfriend sigh and watched as she nuzzled into the hand that was placed upon her cheek. “Let’s go to our spot, Amb.” Like it was a spell spoken straight from an enchantress’s lips, Amber dutifully followed behind Y/N.

The two girls took their place on the ground under the towering oak tree. Amber pressed herself as far as she possibly could into her girlfriend’s side, receiving a warm smile in return. She watched as Y/N reached carefully into the takeout bag, retrieved Amber’s salad and french fries and gently passed them into her waiting hands. Amber smiled wider than she had all day long and planted a tender kiss on Y/N’s forehead, before slowly beginning to eat her food while the other girl fondly watched. 

“I really missed you today Amber, I’m sorry again that I didn’t give you any notice about the appointment.”

Amber’s heart constricted firmly in her chest at her girlfriend’s soft apology. Y/N had a way of making her feel so whole, cared for, and seen. She gently placed a hand on the other girl’s knee, stroking the skin there just as she had done earlier with her cheek. “Don’t be sorry, just be happy that we’re together now.” 

Y/N smiled at her and the sight knocked Amber’s breath away. She knew at that moment, just as she had many others, just how lucky she was to have the privilege of being able to wholeheartedly love the girl in front of her. A love that, as silly and probably insane as it would be to compare the two, towered above even Amber’s sometimes irrational love for the Stab films.

[lonelym00n]

The Road to Recovery

An epilogue for The Devil Likes the Pirate Series

Tara Carpenter x Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Summary: Is it worth the effort to repair your relationships, or should you just let your friends go?

Warnings: Talk about injuries, nothing super gory

A/N: The epilogue is here (finally)! I hope it wraps up the series nicely. Thank you all so much for reading <3

The road to recovery, as it’s often said to be, is going to be a long one. You are confined to your hospital bed for a minimum of two weeks, set to undergo observation and a multitude of x-rays until your body has recovered enough for a laparoscopy to ensure that your wounded organs have properly healed. 

You internally groan when the nurse informs you of your long stay. The next two weeks are going to be extremely boring, especially because you've been instructed not to move unless you’re being visited by your physical therapist or it is absolutely necessary to do so.

If it’s not bad enough that you can’t move, as with every other hospital, your only form of entertainment is watching the crappy TV shows provided by the hospital’s very limited cable subscription. 

As much as you want to grumble and complain, all the effort that it’s going to take for you to heal is worth it because it means that you’re still alive. If your traumatic near death experience has taught you anything, it’s that you have to be thankful for life and its hardships even when you are desperately wishing for things to be easier.

In an effort to uplift your mood, you switch on the TV, dig into a cup of jello, and carefully shift into a comfortable position.

***

The two cups of jello that you ate must’ve had the same effects on you as a Thanksgiving feast, because your eyes droop shut during the second episode of Property Brothers. 

It’s darker when you awake, and after blinking away the sleep in your eyes, you notice that you have a visitor.

“Kirby?” 

The FBI Agent turns her head in your direction with a grin, “Hey kid!”

You both take a second to scan the other’s injuries. There’s an array of bandages on her face and you can just barely make out the thick gauze hiding underneath her loose shirt. 

Kirby’s lips curve into a frown at your pale and weak form, “He really did a number on you huh?”

You nod, “But the doctors say I’ll be okay.”

She shuffles over to stand right beside your bed, “I’m glad.”

There’s so much you want to say to Kirby that it takes a good few moments to gather your thoughts together. Ever since Tara told you that Kirby had survived, you haven’t stopped thinking about how grateful you are for the older woman. She trusted you when no one else did. 

“Kirby, I- I really can’t even begin to say how much I appreciate you having my back. I don’t think I would be here if it weren’t for you.”

She shakes her head, “I only did what was right, no need to thank me.”

Tears prick your eyes, “But I do need to thank you. You didn’t even know me but you were still there for me. None of my friends can say the same.”

Kirby sighs and gently grabs your hand. “I’m sorry. Have you talked to any of them about it yet?”

A shakily exhale leaves your chest. Though you’d seen Tara a few times, the two of you still hadn’t talked things through. You were terrified that it would break the honeymoon phase you and she were living in if you approached the topic, so you refused to bring it up. You knew from Tara that Mindy had been released from the hospital, but the Meeks-Martin girl had still made no effort to come see you. You tried your best not to hold it against her, but deep down it made you even more sad to know she was avoiding you all together.

A few tears trail down your cheeks, “No. Mindy’s treating me like I’m the plague and I’m too scared to talk to Tara about it.”

The agent squeezes your hand in an attempt to bring you comfort. “Mindy will come around, to be honest I’m betting that she just feels really bad. And Tara, well, I’ve heard the way that girl talks about you. It’ll make both of you feel better to talk things through and get that extra weight off your chests.”

“You’re right,” your heart feels heavy in your chest. You’ve been doing your best to avoid thinking about your time spent treated like a suspect, the hurt that it brings you is too overwhelming when coupled with the burning stab wounds littered around your abdomen. But now that it’s been breached, you know your feelings are going to come flying out like the contents of Pandora’s Box. 

“God Kirby, it just hurts so much to think that no one even gave me a chance. There was nothing I could say or do. How am I ever supposed to trust them again when they so clearly didn’t trust me?”

A deep frown stretches across Kirby’s face and she moves to carefully wrap her arms around your shoulders in a hug. “You don’t have to trust them. You don’t owe any of them a single thing.” She pulls back to get a better view of your face, “But, I know you still care about your friends even though they hurt you. Just talk to them, and after that, make them earn your trust back. Your relationships are damaged but with time, they’ll heal.”

“Okay,” you nod and lean back in the bed. “That sounds good, thank you Kirby.”

“Anytime. I’m here for you from here on out kid.”

***

Tara comes by two days later, with yet another bouquet of flowers. She’s accompanied by Sam, the older girl refusing to let Tara leave her side.

Under normal circumstances Tara would throw a fit but since they had almost died just last week, she lets her sister’s behavior slide.

The younger girl greets you with a kiss on the forehead and moves to replace the old flowers with the new ones. Sam offers you a smile and a wave before making her way towards the empty bed next to your own.

You scooch yourself over to make room for Tara on the bed with you. Your abdomen screams at you for the small movements, but feeling Tara’s warmth next to you will more than make up for it.

When she’s finished with the flowers, she slides into your bed. Her hands instantly start sweeping across your form, a new habit she picked up to reassure herself that you were still alive and breathing. You melt into the contact, occasionally humming in content. 

You let yourself enjoy the peace for a moment. It’s nice being cared for by Tara, letting her fiddle with your blankets and your hair as she quietly fusses over you. 

But as much as you want to continue living in this heaven with her, the gnaw of leftover hurt and dejection in your chest has grown incessant since your talk with Kirby. You’ve been avoiding rehashing the nightmarish events with Tara because you’re terrified to lose her again, like you have every other time the two of you have had emotional talks. 

Hesitantly, you grab one of her hands to stop its movement and draw her attention to you. Those big brown eyes of hers immediately look up at you, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. The sight of her has you nervous and bumbling. Whatever you were going to say to approach the topic is stuck in your throat in favor of admiring her.

She tilts her head cutely and entangles the fingers of her trapped hand in yours. “Is everything okay?”

You close your eyes for a second and take a deep breath. When you reopen them, Tara’s eyes are filled with concern.

You swallow thickly, “We um,” you pause briefly, working up the courage, “We need to talk Tara.”

She freezes for a second but quickly finds herself again, “Okay. Yeah, yeah we can talk.”

Sam slides out of her place on the other bed swiftly. She squeezes Tara's uninjured shoulder as she passes by, “I’ll be just outside if you need me.”

The younger Carpenter nods to her sister in thanks. Sam sees the apprehension in Tara’s eyes and offers the girl a small reassuring smile. 

The tension in the room increases when the door closes behind Sam. You and Tara blink at each other for a few long seconds.

You shift your gaze to your waist and pick at the thin scratchy blanket. When you start worrying your bottom lip between your teeth, Tara reaches up with her free hand to cup your check.

“Hey, it’s okay, you can talk to me.”

You look up to meet her eyes and see nothing but care and reassurance. It gives you the push you need to open up to her. “Well, I wanted to talk about everything from last week, and uh, how it made me feel.”

Her eyes widen a bit but she nods quickly, “Okay. I’m listening, go ahead.”

“When I saw you in the police station, god I felt so betrayed Tara. I know that since I was the only one who hadn’t stayed over it made me look bad, but no one even gave me a chance to explain myself. I get why you might’ve given them my name, but it still hurt to know it was you because it meant that you didn’t trust me enough to talk to me yourself.”

Her eyes shine with unshed tears and she slowly trails her thumb down your cheek, “I’m so sorry, about that and about everything. Me and Sam were just so scared and shaken up, and Detective Bailey was asking for everyone’s alibis, and Sam mentioned that you hadn’t stayed over. I tried to tell her not to, but she had to tell him. He was the one who decided to bring you in for questioning, not either of us. I know that doesn’t make anything better, but maybe it helps you to know.”

It did make you feel slightly better. It’s not like she threw him your name and told him to question you. “It does help. When I got to the park, I just felt so judged and alone, like I was some sort of outsider. And then Mindy said all that stuff and it just broke me. It upset me so much that she called me out like that and turned everything I told her in private into a stupid motive.”

The memory of Mindy’s words is particularly painful for you to relive. You’d never felt so exposed and let down. Quietly, a few tears begin to slip down your face.

Tara’s bottom lip trembles with the effort it takes to hold back her own tears, “I hate that we made you feel like that. We’re your friends and that’s never how you should feel around us. And Mindy, god, I was so mad at her for what she said to you. I tried to chase after you when you left but Sam wouldn’t let me.”

The timid look that you give her nearly breaks her heart. “You did?”

A tear escapes her eyes, “Yeah. I didn’t want you to be alone, not when you looked so upset.”

“I was so scared that you were going to hate me, or reject me, and that you thought I was the killer. I had to get away.”

“I could never hate you. And I wouldn’t have rejected you, I really really like you. When I told you I only wanted to be friends, it’s because everything that happened with Amber hurt me so much. I was scared that I could get hurt again, so I pushed my feelings away. And that pushed you away, and I’m so fucking sorry. All the Ghostface stuff happened so fast, and I never got a chance to apologize or to explain myself.”

You’re both crying now. You tug Tara closer to you and she positions herself so her head lays on your shoulder, moving carefully so as not to jostle you or lay on top of any wires.

She looks up at you from her position, “I didn’t think it was you, Y/N. I was just trying to be cautious about trusting anyone. The only person I was sure it wasn’t was Sam. When Wayne had you, I hesitated because of everything Ethan and Quinn were saying. And I was so, so scared that all the Amber stuff was happening again, but I believed what you said. You’re nothing like Amber, you wouldn’t have done something like that. I’m sorry it took me that long to be sure of it.”

You wrap your free arm around her waist and bury your teary face in her hair. You feel infinitely lighter having gotten your feelings out into the open. Part of you has healed from hearing things from her perspective. 

“It makes me feel so much better knowing all of that, thank you Tara.”

“Of course, I’m sorry about how I made you feel.” She looks down at your wrapped abdomen, “And I hate that you got so hurt because of me.”

You tighten your grip on her, “It’s okay.” Then, a bit playfully you add, “And don’t blame yourself, it wasn’t you who stabbed me 17 different times.”

She lifts her head and slaps your shoulder lightly, gasping. “Stop that you know what I mean.”

You laugh heartily and Tara swears she could stay here with you forever. She traces her eyes along your features and finds herself in awe of your soft beauty, as she is everytime she looks at you.

Her hand reaches up to cup your chin and her fingers splay out across your jaw. You’re utterly lovestruck as you stare into her pretty eyes.

She leans forward and gently captures your lips with hers, sighing softly into the kiss. When she pulls back, she smiles sweetly up at you.

“I feel the same way, you know. I really love you too.”

***

Tara, and by extension Sam, visit you practically everyday after that. The younger sister brings her laptop with her so that you three actually have a good selection of movies to watch. 

One night after Tara fell asleep, tucked into your side, Sam offered you an apology too. You forgave her immediately, though she hadn’t really done anything other than be her usual protective self, you appreciate the sentiment all the same.

It’s a quiet day when Mindy finally walks into your room. Sam had to sort out some work stuff, so the two sisters would be heading over a bit later.

“Hey,” she offers shyly. 

“Hi Mindy.”

“Is it okay if I come in and sit?”

“Of course yeah, sit anywhere you like.”

Seeing her here is shocking, but not unwelcome. Tara had informed you that she was trying to convince Mindy to come visit you so that she and you could talk. According to Tara, the short-haired girl was entirely sure that you hated her and would never want to speak to her again.

Mindy shifts around a little and her leg hasn’t stopped bouncing since she’s sat down.

Deciding to reprieve her from her fidgeting, you give her a small smile. “I don’t hate you Mindy.”

Her eyes are wide and they snap up to meet yours, “You don’t?”

“I don’t.”

She breathes out a sigh of relief, but still looks a little apprehensive. “I’m surprised you don’t. I would hate me if I were you.

You had thought long and hard about how you felt about Mindy, and while you were deeply hurt by her words, you could never bring yourself to hate her. You considered her your best friend for a brief moment in time and she was the only person that was there to comfort and support you when you were wallowing in your feelings for Tara.

“I thought about hating you, but I really care about you, Mins. I know that you feel some pressure to follow in your uncle’s footsteps. I just wish that you listened to me, and that you didn’t go so deep on the motive stuff.”

She cringes at the reminder, “I feel, so so stupid about that.” Her hands come up to cover her face for a moment as she groans. “I’m sorry, it was extremely shitty of me.”

“It was pretty shitty of you,” you chuckle, “but it’s okay. I’d probably be more mad if things didn’t end up working out between me and Tara.”

She smiles, “I’m happy for you both.” Her face turns more serious and she leans forward to softly place her hand on your thigh. “Genuinely though, I feel terrible. I was just so sure it was you and I guess it kind of scared me. I’m sorry, I know that’s no excuse. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

You ponder it for a minute. Bingo. Your face twists into a smirk, “I have an idea.”

***

It’s a few hours later when Sam and Tara arrive. They’re wrapped up in a conversation as they enter, so they don’t notice the current state of your room.

Sam notices first, “What the-”

“Surprise!” you cheer.

Your hospital room has been completely rearranged. The two beds have been pushed together to form a makeshift couch, and the chairs are positioned beside each bed. Fairy lights have been strung around the room and a white sheet hangs across from the sitting area, placed perfectly in the center.

You, Mindy, and Chad (who’d been wheeled in by his sister) grin at the dumbfounded Carpenter sisters.

Sam, ever the mom of the group, raises a singular eyebrow, “What did you three do?”

Your smile stretches even wider. “We’re recreating movie night! Hope you Carpenters don’t mind not hosting for once.”

Sam rolls her eyes good naturedly at your comment. 

Tara walks over and hops up on the bed next to you. You greet her with a kiss to her cheek and she beams at you, pleased. “Baby this is such a nice surprise. But how’d you manage to put all this together?”

You share a secret little glance with Mindy, “I called in a favor from a friend.”

After a good few minutes of cheerful banter, the group settles in to watch the movie. You and Tara are pressed so close together that she’s practically sitting on your lap. 

After a week full of misery, things finally feel right. Your wounds are steadily repairing themselves and your relationships have been mended. Slowly but surely, you are healing.

Tara, the girl who started it all, who stole your heart away with her teasing smiles alone, leans over to whisper in your ear, “When you’re finally out of this hospital, I’m taking you on a date. Just me and you.”

Your eyes shine with the same love that you see reflected in hers. “I’d love nothing more.”

“It’s a date.” She kisses you chastly and quickly pulls back. Her hand reaches towards your face and when she boops your nose softly, you know you’ll be in love with Tara Carpenter for the rest of your life.

Taglist: @thenextdawn @dreifhraniquo29 @fanboy7794 @thelonewriter247 @cartierdreamx @btay3115 @friedryes @bananasplits-world @alexkolax @ordelixx @adaydreamaway08 @youralphawolf72

Note: The last installment for the series will be the alternate ending, which I hope to have finished by the end of this week. I won't be including the series taglist, so leave a comment or send in an ask if you want to be tagged in the alternate ending! Thanks for reading, the angst awaits!

[lonelym00n]

Max Fox x Reader - Headcannons

this is for all the max fox girlies out there. if you're a mikey madison fan and haven't watched better things just for her, shame on u.

this is likely going to contain max snippets from every season, so don't read if you care about spoilers.

GO WATCH BETTER THINGS!! seriously it's a really good show about a single mother raising three daughters.

also, LOOK AT BABY MIKEY. LOOK AT HER.

Pre-relationship

when max isn't with paisley or her boyfriend of the week, she's with you

you're the most chill of all her friends so she hangs out with you mostly when she doesn't feel like causing her mom an aneurism

sam loves you more than max's other friends

you always thank her for her hospitality and do the dishes for her if she cooks when you're around

max's favorite thing about you is that she doesn't feel the need to worry about if you think she seems cool or not

you love watching old movies with max because she always has such thoughtful comments on the cinematography

you always arrive early to her band's gigs just so you can cheer her on from the front row

you are max's personal Lyft driver when you get your license (sam is thankful that the bill has gone down significantly)

How you catch feelings

you fall for max first

your feelings for her start when she begins opening up to you about her dad and how much her parent's divorce has affected her

she tells you about the jealousy she holds for how much she has to share her mom with her mom's job and her two sisters

she also opens up about how she has no clue what to do once she graduates

you tell her that sam loves her just as much as she did before her sisters were born and that there's no rush to decide what path she wants to choose post-graduation

you realize your feelings for max when she surprises you by playing your favorite song on the guitar

the smile she gave you after she finished playing made your heart leap into your throat

you knew you had it bad for her after that

Unrequited feelings

you're too much of a chicken to admit your feelings to max because you don't want to ruin your friendship

you are horrified when she starts dating the 34 year old man, you tell yourself that it's not because you're jealous, but because max is only 16 (it's definitely because you're jealous)

max cried on your shoulder when she learned her dad had stood her up on her graduation day

you threaten to train chewy to bite him for the next time he shows up to interrupt her life

she laughs and your heart skips a beat at the sound

when max tells you about her decision to go to college in Chicago, you try not to cry (let's pretend you chose to go to college somewhere in LA)

you do cry when you drop her and sam off at the airport on their way to Chicago (cry is putting it lightly, you full on sobbed into max's shirt)

Other people notice your feelings

with max off at college, you have a hard time figuring out what to do with yourself when you aren't attending classes

you take to moping around the fox's house

frankie is the first to catch onto your feelings for max, after seeing you sniffle pitifully into a carton of ice cream for the third weekend in a row, they figured you must've loved max more than you let on

frankie doesn't say anything to you about their realization, concluding that you probably hadn't yet registered that you harbored more than friendly thoughts for max

sam doesn't question why she keeps finding you fast asleep on her living room couch, so she remains none the wiser about your love for her daughter

when max calls you crying one night and tells you about how she doesn't think college is right for her, it takes everything in your willpower not to encourage her to hop on the next flight back to LA

you tell her she has to make the decision on her own but that you will wholeheartedly support her either way

when she does return, you don't even hide how ecstatic you are

the pain of hiding your feelings for her does return, but it's nothing compared to how heartbroken you felt while she was away

when she starts dating olivier, you feel more depressed than you do jealous

max notices your more frequent sad moods and her heart pangs dejectedly whenever she asks if you're okay and you brush her off

you feel lost and decide to confide in rich about your love for max, you always thought he was such a good second dad to her

he isn't fully surprised at your feelings for the other girl, having sensed that something more was likely going on between you two

he's so happy that you decided to tell him and offers you words of advice that he had picked up from being in similar situations to yours

from that moment on, he's silently rooting for you and max to get together

Max realizes her feelings for you

with her new love for photography, she innocently invited both you and paisley to model for an idea that she wanted to shoot

paisley agrees excitedly while you agree with more reluctance

the pictures with paisley turn out great

when it's your turn, max is in utter awe at how gently your beauty comes across in the photos

you fit the image she had wanted to capture so perfectly and as she continues to photograph you, her heart thumps wildly in her chest

the slow groundbreaking realization of the love she so deeply holds for you creeps up her spine

she pushes you away the next week and the week after that, filled with panic

now that she has figured out how she feels about you, she knows she'll never be able to hide it from you

you feel hurt that max is avoiding you, but you figure it's because she's spending more time with her boyfriend (max didn't tell you that she had broken up with him directly after the photoshoot)

max tells rich about her feelings for you and he only just barely manages to hide his joy at the news

he reassures her there's nothing wrong with the way she feels about you and that her family would accept and support her regardless

after a week of gathering up her nerve (and a third week of avoiding you), she reveals her feelings for you to sam

sam is shocked but reassures max that she is so happy and proud

when max falls asleep for the night, sam rushes to frankie's room for advice on ways that she could be there for max

Confession

one morning, frankie urges max to confess to you

needless to say, max is pissed at sam for telling frankie

a big fight starts between the three of them (max upset with sam for telling frankie, sam mad at frankie for telling max that she had told them about it, and frankie yelling at max to just tell you how she felt)

you, completely fed up with being avoided by max, stomp into the fox household to give the girl a piece of your mind

the fighting comes to a halt when you walk in the door, frankie and sam quickly scurry away

just as you're about to speak, max gently grabs your arm and tugs you outside with her

she shushes all your attempts to talk and apologies for avoiding you

she looks nervous and so uncharacteristically max as she takes your hand in hers

when she tells you she was avoiding you because she realized she was in love with you, you nearly forget how to breathe

she looks at you so worriedly while she waits for your response

when you tell her you feel the same, her eyes crinkle in happiness

max leans closer and the two of you share a soft kiss

max lovers you better cause some commotion in the comments!! she needs more love and I won't be silent about it anymore!

[lonelym00n]

The Red Means I Love You

Amber Freeman x Reader

Word Count: 2.8k

Summary: Ghostface is running around and you don't know who to trust. Amber reassures you that things will be okay.

Warnings: Typical canon violence with descriptions of blood. Please read with caution! Follows the events of Scream V. Also, Angst!

A/N: guysss... I did a thing... I'll just let you read and find out.

Title + fic inspired by Madds Buckley's song, The Red Means I Love You

If someone had told you a few days ago that you’d have to watch your close friend take a bullet to the head, you’d have slapped them across the face and added them to Mindy’s ever-growing list of potential future ghostface suspects. 

In retrospect, you suppose you were naive for thinking that you’d make it through Woodsboro High without falling victim to someone deciding to take up the infamous killer’s mantle. You should’ve suspected that it would happen eventually, especially considering that three of your best friends were related to survivors from the years prior. That fact alone painted a bright red target on your back and it was only a matter of time until an eight-inch hunting knife sunk into you because of it.

Did some higher deity sew the stars together to seal the fate of you and your friends? Were you destined to die at the hands of the ghost that haunted the little town you’d lived in all your life? Some part of you thinks that yes, this was meant to happen, because a tiny voice in your head always figured the friend group you’d become a part of was doomed from the day it began to form.

Everyone else in Woodsboro had it easy, their parents were present and the killings that plagued the town only existed for them in the form of the notorious Stab franchise. The same couldn’t be said for your friends.

Put a handful of Woodsboro High’s most traumatized students into one group and what do you get? The perfect cast for the next series of killings. Mindy tells you as much when you and the rest of your friends are clustered together in her living room, trying to identify who among you was responsible for brutally attacking the others left and right. 

As if being friends with people who are related to the survivors wasn’t bad enough, you learn from Tara’s older sister that she is connected to Billy Loomis, the original ghostface himself. More than being connected, Sam’s his daughter. You have half a mind to notify your parents to start picking out your tombstone now.

You barely listen as accusations fly around the room. How could it be possible that you were in the same room as the killer right now, when you’ve known everyone here your whole life? You were having a hard time processing the fact that one of the kids you’d played in the sandbox with in elementary school had grown up to become someone so sinister. 

Distantly, you hear Mindy conclude that Sam must be the killer, that it made the most sense because of who her father was. She storms out of the room and after a beat, you stand up on shaky legs and murmur a goodbye to the remaining occupants of the Meeks-Martin living room. Your head was reeling and you needed to get away or you’d break down and lose your last semblance of sanity. 

If there is a God that exists, they must hate you, because you break down anyways. Just outside the house, you’re hunched over, a hand clutched desperately at your rapidly rising chest. Despite your best efforts, you’re unable to chase away the dread and terror that have nestled in and made a home in your torso. 

Too wrapped up in trying to calm your irregular breathing, you don’t hear the familiar clunk of boots swiftly making their way towards you.

Though your vision is blurred, you’ve spent enough time around Amber to recognize her presence almost instantly. She’s bent over you concernedly, and you think she’s speaking to you but you can’t hear her over the accelerated pounding of your heart that has arisen from the lack of proper oxygen intake. 

Her body firmly encompasses your own and your senses are overtaken with everything Amber. If you were able to breathe, you would’ve sighed at the feeling of security that blanketed over you. 

Amber’s hands grasp yours and she presses your joined hands onto her chest, where her heart steadily thumps beneath. At the feeling of it, you will your own heart to match its rhythm. It takes a while for it to slow down but once it does, you faintly become aware of her sweet voice reminding you to breathe slowly, in and out, in and out. 

She looks relieved when you finally descend back to reality. “There you go, baby. You’re okay. I’m here.”

You throw your arms around her and sob into the embrace, struggling to ignore the burning in your chest. She rubs your back and shushes you quietly. 

“Amber, I can’t do this. I’m scared.”

She presses a chaste kiss to your forehead and pulls you in closer, resting her chin on the top of your head. “We’re gonna be okay.”

You mumble into her chest, “How can you be so sure?”

Practically smothered in her embrace, you remain completely unaware of the ominous look that has blossomed in the dark brown eyes that you love so much. 

“You trust me, don’t you?” 

You nod, albeit a bit hesitantly.

“Good. I’m going to protect you, I won’t let anything happen to us.”

It isn’t lost on you that just as there is with everyone else, there’s a slim possibility that Amber could be the killer. But out of everyone, you know her the best. Ever since she had asked you out, all shy and nervous and very un-Amber Freeman like, the two of you had been inseparable. She weaseled her way into your everyday thoughts and in turn, you became the center of warmth that thawed her previously cold heart. No one could deny that you and Amber balanced each other out perfectly. For the first time in your life, you found someone you could trust enough to fall deeply and irrevocably in love with. If you could trust Amber with such an intimate and fundamental piece of your soul, you could trust that she wouldn’t be silently plotting your death, right?

Wrong.

Just like Liv’s skull cavity, your heart shatters at the abrupt finality of Amber’s bullet. 

Chaos erupts at the spray of Liv’s blood and the crash of her still-warm body hitting the ground. Sam and Richie scatter as Tara knocks Amber’s next shot off course. 

The only thing you can think to do is run, so you do. You clamber up the stairs and dive into the hall closet. You clamp a hand over your mouth to muffle the pitiful sounds desperately trying to slip past your lips. 

You feel utterly broken, like the piece of your soul that you’d given to Amber was cruelly snatched out of your body and crushed in her murderous grasp. You want nothing more than to scream and wail until you yell yourself hoarse, but you can’t give up your hiding spot. As much as you’re sure that the pain of betrayal outweighs any cut from the blood-stained knife, you don’t want to find out if there’s any truth to the comparison. 

You hear two sets of feet making their way up the stairs, one stomping heavily and the other flailing uselessly. You aren’t one-hundred percent sure, but you think the pained whimpers you’re hearing belong to Tara. Which means Amber was likely the one accompanying her.

At the thought of your girlfriend, you recoil further into the closet. You can feel your whole body shaking in fear. 

After a few more long minutes, you can hear the familiar creak of Amber’s boots on the hardwood floor. She’s calling out your name and you press your hand harder against your mouth to completely silence the sound of your breathing. 

Her search becomes more frantic and the clunking of her boots begins to pick up speed. You reach around blindly in search of anything you can use to fend her off.

Just as you tighten your grip around what you think might be an umbrella, the closet door flies open. You swing with all your might, but Amber moves quicker, grabbing the umbrella and disarming you.

She quirks an eyebrow and chuckles at your failed attempt to hit her. She motions for you to stand.

 “Come on, down to the kitchen we go.”

You make no move to get up, paralyzed at the sight of her donning the ghostface robes. 

She groans, “I can’t have you ruining the plan. Let’s go.”

Her commanding tone does nothing to move you. You’re rooted to the spot in fear, wondering what fate is waiting for you down in the kitchen. 

Amber growls and you flinch backwards as she steps into the closet, towering over your seated form. 

“You’re being such a pain in the ass.”

Her hands wrap tightly around your waist as hoists you up and tosses you over her shoulder. You struggle futility, but there’s no chance you can escape the strong arm wound snugly around your midsection. 

Amber carries you easily down the stairs and you wriggle around faster, knowing from your frequent visits to the house that you’re almost across the threshold that leads into the kitchen. 

You’re placed onto the ground and firmly shoved to the other side of the island. Before you can even think to move, the steel barrel of a gun is pressed into your forehead. It’s Richie on the other end of it, and only then do you realize that Sam is laid out on the ground, a hand pressed into her side, where blood is trickling out despite her efforts to stop it. She looks up at you with sorrow and terror and you’re sure that your expression reflects hers like a mirror. 

Amber takes the knife that Richie offers to her and makes her way to a different corner of the kitchen. She jumps gleefully, and if things weren’t so fucked up you might’ve found the sight endearing.

Though the gun blocks out most of your vision, you see two other women in the kitchen. 

Gale Weathers and Sidney Prescott. Shit, even they managed to get trapped in this nightmare. 

Richie, seemingly pissed that you aren’t giving him your full attention, grips your jaw with more than enough force to leave a bruise. Your resulting moan of pain is insignificant to him.

“Leave her alone!” Sidney yells out and Amber’s knife presses threateningly into her throat, swiftly silencing her.

Richie laughs menacingly, “Sid, when are you gonna finally realize you aren’t in control here?” 

He turns towards you and frowns angrily.

“You know if it were up to me, you’d have been dead at the start of this thing.” 

A glob of his spit lands on your cheek and the gun is pushed further into your forehead, the force practically moving you backwards.

You’re scared, the most afraid you’ve ever been in your life. Your hands are trembling and you stutter, completely unable to come up with the necessary words to plead helplessly for your life. 

“Pathetic,” Richie growls out. He looks in Amber’s direction, “I don’t know what you saw in her honey.”

“She usually has a lot more fire in her.” 

You meet her gaze for a second. Amber’s eyes are nearly black, pupils blown wide with what must be psychotic pleasure. 

You open your mouth to finally say something, but the sudden smack of the gun across your face shuts you up. You cry out and lift your hands to your face instinctually. Your head is pulsing at the unexpected pain.

While Amber’s distracted with Richie’s assault on you, Sidney makes a grab for a knife sitting on the countertop.

Her actions don’t go unnoticed. Amber reacts with the speed of a demon and plunges her knife into Sidney’s gut. Gale yells out as Sidney crumples to the ground.

With both Sidney and Gale momentarily incapacitated, Richie knocks you backwards, sending you carelessly stumbling back and straight into Amber’s arms. He turns towards Sam, while Amber pins you against the counter.

“Get rid of her Amber, we need to start staging the bodies. Fast baby, we don’t have much time.”

She hums, not bothering to verbally acknowledge him. You shiver as your eyes lock together, hers still full of straight mania. 

Her arm lifts up and she moves slowly, tracing the blade against the smooth skin of your face. You try not to gag at the coppery smell of blood that is being carelessly smeared across your face.

She smiles softly at you, creating a confusing juxtaposition with the wild expression that fills her eyes. 

Amber leans in to whisper almost lovingly in your ear, “I always knew you’d look so pretty covered in blood, baby.” 

You can’t stop the tears from leaking out of your eyes. You’re so distraught, it’s nearly impossible to think straight with how overwhelmed you are. How could this Amber be the same Amber that had admitted to being nervous the first time she told you she loved you? 

“Amber, please.” You begged brokenly, hoping the girl you loved so dearly was still somewhere inside the maniac that stands in front of you.

Her gaze softens just a hair and you nearly cheer at the glimpse of your Amber. 

“I’m sorry. You know I’d keep you around if I could.”

The relief exits your body. Your heart drops deep into your chest at the words.

“You said you’d protect me.” You feel desperate, there had to be something you could say to snap Amber out of this state.

She pouts and brushes a strand of your hair behind your ear. “I did. Richie wanted you to be the opening kill, but I stopped that from happening.” 

The special smile that she always saved just for you spread across her face, “I even convinced him to leave you to me tonight. I’ll be the last person you see, won’t that be nice?”

Your jaw trembles with the newfound knowledge. Amber spared you, but only to prolong your life so you’d die by her hand. Your resolve finally breaks, and you are fully encased in dread. 

In a strange mirroring of the day’s earlier events, you begin weeping loudly. Amber’s arms wrap around you in an attempt to comfort you. 

She deposits a kiss onto the top of your head.

“I know you don’t understand it, but I’m doing this because I love you.”

Her arms tighten around you and you’re suddenly blindsided by excruciating pain. Amber’s knife is slowly pushed deeper and deeper into your body, your insides twist around at the intrusion. 

As you yell out in pain, she shushes and gently praises you, repeatedly whispering how much she loves you. 

She rips the knife out of your gut, just to harshly plunge it back in once, twice, and a third time. You feel sick at the squelching that sounds out each time the knife enters your stomach. 

Blood dribbles out of your mouth as you groan in pain. 

Hazily, you notice that she’s covered in your blood. Your vision is darkening and you feel yourself begin to dwindle in and out of consciousness. 

Amber takes note of this and leans closer, her lips nearly touching yours. 

“You did so good for me, love. I’ll make sure they cast someone beautiful to play you in the movie.”

With a final whispered confession of love, Amber places a gentle series of kisses to your bloodied lips. She stabs you once more, and lowers your body carefully to the ground as she pulls the knife out one last time. 

You lay there, unable to move even if you wanted to. You stare up at the ceiling, it spins around and around and around. 

Your ears are ringing. If you could think clearly, you reckon you’d wonder what you did wrong to end up in this situation. You don’t think there’s any possibility for things to have ended differently. Fate was cruel and unforgiving, but at this point you have no choice but to lie in the bed that it has made for you.

The pain is gone, replaced with the silent weight of nothingness. You feel yourself drifting away, and you welcome the feeling. Maybe your next life would be kinder to you.

Unfortunately for you, your peace never comes. 

Instead, you find yourself opening your eyes disorientedly. You let out a sharp hiss at the blinding white lights that glare back at you. 

Once you’ve adjusted to the light, you finally make out that there are a couple figures crowding around you. 

“Wha-”

It hurts to talk, as a matter of fact, everything hurts. 

“Alright, alright you’re okay. My name’s Dr. Ford. You’re gonna be in a lot of pain for a while, so let’s take it easy.”

You stare back at the man in disbelief.

Somehow, despite all the odds, you survived.

A/N: ta da!! I'm actually planning a part 2 to this that follows our dear reader through the events of scream vi, so stay tuned! Heads up, it won't actively be about an Amber x R relationship cuz... well you know :'(

Fellow Amber stans plz forgive me for not feeding y'all more regularly.

[lonelym00n]

Complete

Tara Carpenter x Amber Freeman

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: Two oblivious idiots in love finally realize their feelings for one another.

A/N: first fic! hope you like it :)

The group sat huddled in Amber Freeman’s living room, waiting for the girl to finish cleaning up whatever vase the drunken party goers that occupied the girl’s house had broken this time. Tara felt herself sigh as her eyes flit around the room anxiously, silently hoping her taller friend would hurry up and take the empty space next to her on the couch before Wes returned from the bathroom. She took in the room while she impatiently waited for Amber. The girl’s once meticulously clean house was a mess, red solo cups littering nearly every surface. Tara held back a grimace at the sight but didn’t let it bother her too much, as she knew Amber had likely already scheduled for a cleaning service to come by the next day. 

“You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here,” slurred Chad, who had been standing by Amber’s front door ushering the last few drunken kids out of the house. Tara watched as he clapped one of his football buddies on the back nearly hard enough to send the sizable kid flying down the front steps. Chad laughed and slammed the door shut, turning back to the group of friends. He wobbled slightly as he approached the couch before throwing his body onto it, quickly tossing an arm around Liv’s shoulder. “After party time!” he smiled.

Tara could hear Amber in the other room muttering to herself and clanking around with the vase. She felt her lip quirk up at the thought of her friend likely sending mental death threats to whoever was responsible for the damaged decoration. 

Mindy looked away from Chad and Liv to avoid gagging and turned towards Tara. She noticed the girl's happy expression and felt a devilish smirk appear on her own face. There’s nothing Mindy loved more than teasing the shorter girl. “Hey T,” she called, “Bet I know who you wish was sitting next to you right now.”

Tara felt herself blush as she stuttered out a response, trying her best to sound unbothered. “Oh yeah, and who would that be?”

Mindy’s smirk grew even bigger but her reply quickly got cut off by Wes entering the room. The boy surveyed the room quickly and smiled widely when he noticed the empty seat next to Tara. He all but ran over to the couch and sat himself so close to Tara that their thighs were touching. Tara felt her stomach turn, from the alcohol or the swirling emotions in her gut, she didn’t know. She shot Mindy a pleading look but the girl only cleared her throat awkwardly and called out to the only person not currently in the room with the group of friends. “Freeman, get in here already!”

It had become tradition for the group to convene together after every party Amber threw. Whether it was to watch a movie, play a board game, or simply chat about the chaotic events of the night, the group greatly cherished the extra time they got to spend together. Tonight they would likely just talk amongst themselves, the party having been a particularly rambunctious one. Tara especially enjoyed nights like these, where they could just exist in their own little space together, uninterrupted by shitty parents or uninteresting classmates. She tried not to let Wes gluing himself to her side bring down her mood.

Speaking of the boy, he was currently talking animatedly about some story his mom told him while Tara nodded, pretending to listen. Really she was just waiting for Amber to finally enter the room.

Lately things had sort of shifted between the two friends. Tara thought back to a few nights ago when she had gotten into yet another argument with her mom as the older woman had given her zero notice about her upcoming business trip, which required her to be out of town for a whole month. She had been close to tears when she hastily texted Amber about the situation. Just as Tara was about to tuck herself into her bedroom for the night, a series of knocks sounded at her front door. She opened it to find Amber, who had clearly rushed over due to her pajama-clad appearance. She wrapped Tara into a hug as the smaller girl sobbed into her chest. Amber locked the door, scooped Tara up as if she had weighed nothing, and carried the girl up the stairs to her bedroom. She placed the girl in her bed and climbed in beside her, pulling Tara back into her chest as she softly and delicately stroked her hair. Tara glanced up and felt her heart clench at the gentle way Amber was looking at her. Tara held eye contact with the taller girl as her tears began to slow down. She tried not to move a muscle as Amber’s hands cupped her cheeks, thumbs moving to lightly wipe away the falling tears. Amber leaned forward and Tara felt her eyes flutter shut at the warm feeling of Amber’s lips tenderly meeting her forehead. Tara cuddled further into Amber’s embrace to hide her flustered expression, hoping to be swallowed up into the girl’s arms. As if Amber could hear her unspoken wish, the girl’s arms tightened around Tara and the two quickly fell asleep at the shared comfort and warmth.

Tara snapped back to reality as Wes spoke up, “Tara hey? Are you okay?” 

He sounded concerned, she noticed, but she couldn’t be bothered to try to decipher the reason why, still too distracted thinking about that night with Amber. “I’m fine Wes.” she replied. He looked like he didn’t believe her and Tara felt herself inwardly roll her eyes. She wished the boy would give her more space and couldn’t help but feel suffocated by how adamantly he pushed his presence onto her. Tara tried not to feel too guilty at her thoughts, she and Wes were friends and she liked his company, but ever since Mindy had pointed out the boy’s obvious crush on her, she could only fleetingly hope he would somehow get the hint that she didn’t return his feelings. He looked like he wanted to say something more but held back, leaving the two in an uncomfortable silence. 

Tara took it as her sign to restart her hopeless glances around the room. She held back a gasp as she met Amber’s eyes, the tall girl standing in the entryway of the living room, her arms firmly crossed and her jaw clamped shut. Tara couldn’t identify what emotion was churning around in Amber’s eyes, but knowing her friend as well as she did, it most certainly wasn’t a pleasant one. 

Amber stomped into the room, the sound of her doc martens crushing a cup halting all conversation that had previously occupied the room. She sat next to Mindy, who scooted herself further into the corner of the couch in an attempt to avoid Amber’s wrath. Now the group was finally united, Mindy and Amber’s couch faced Tara and Wes’s while Chad and Liv, placed in the middle of the two, remained blissfully unaware of the impending war that was likely to begin very soon. 

Mindy sat up and sighed, knowing it was on her to try to break the silence in the room. “Another successful party Amber.”

Amber, who still looked like she was about to burst into flames, gave Mindy a tight smile, but said nothing. Tara bit her lip nervously as Amber’s bad mood wasn’t seeming to dissipate. She wasn’t sure what had Amber so pissed off and she wanted nothing more than to try to comfort the girl. Wes shifted beside her, moving impossibly closer to her, and Tara felt herself stiffen. He leaned in, as if to whisper something into her ear, but snapped forward at the loud thud of someone hastily standing up. 

Startled, Tara’s eyes too flew towards the noise. It was Amber, now standing with her fists clenched and Tara swore the glare she was sending towards Tara and Wes’s direction could kill. Amber glanced around at the group of friends before she spoke, “Well as fun as this has been, I’m going to bed.” Her jaw clenched even tighter and for a second Tara worried she would break it with the force before Amber released it to speak again, “Feel free to take one of the guest rooms or leave, whatever you guys want to do, I really don’t care.” She began to stomp up the stairs before she looked back towards the group once more, “Don’t fuck up my house anymore than it already is.” With one more glare shot in Wes’s direction, she sped to her room and slammed the door.

Chad and Liv, completely unbothered with the tense mood, scrambled down the hall towards one of the mentioned guest bedrooms. Mindy, feeling again as though she wanted to gag at the couple, looked at Wes and Tara. Wes was distracted by his phone while Mindy and Tara struck up a silent conversation, having gotten plenty of practice communicating through reading lips and hand gestures while at school. 

Tara furrowed her eyebrows and mouthed ‘Amber?’ trying to understand what had caused the girl’s foul mood. She had been looking forward to spending the rest of the night in the girl’s company (in fact it was the whole reason she had attended the party in the first place) and was upset that it had been cut short.

Mindy fixed Tara with a deadpan look, as if to say ‘really?’ Tara felt herself become even more confused. Mindy sighed at her friend’s obliviousness and gestured wildly between Tara and Wes. Tara still didn’t understand what she was being told. 

Before she could continue the conversation, Wes shoved his phone into her face. He smiled at Tara proudly before he spoke up, “Since Amber’s being a bitch and ruined the rest of the night, I asked my mom to come pick us up so we can go hang out at my house. She said yes.” 

Tara shot Mindy an alarming look, not knowing what to reply with to reject Wes’s offer. Mindy stifled a laugh and Tara’s eyes widened even more at just how unhelpful Mindy was in situations like these. She flipped her off and turned towards Wes. “Um,” Tara couldn’t stop herself from laughing awkwardly as she rushed to come up with an excuse. “I told my mom I was staying here for the night and she wouldn’t like it if she found out I went somewhere else.” As Wes’s expression fell, she let a quiet apology slip past her lips before rising up from the couch. “I’m gonna go check on Amber.”

It took all of Tara’s willpower not to sprint full speed away from the situation and towards the one person she had been waiting to talk to all night. She knocked softly on Amber’s door and though there wasn’t a reply, she pushed it open slowly before calling out the girl’s name in a soft, questioning voice.

Amber still hadn’t responded and Tara would’ve become even more worried had she not spotted Amber perched at the corner of her bed, arms still firmly crossed and jaw still tightly clenched, glaring holes into the Stab 4 poster positioned perfectly on her wall. Tara slowly approached the girl, coming to a stop right next to her. The room remained silent as Tara couldn’t come up with any words to say.

After a painstaking amount of time had passed, Amber spoke up, though her eyes remained firmly fixed onto her wall. “Do you like him?” she firmly asked.

Tara, once again, found herself completely confused. She had no idea who Amber was talking about. “Wha-” 

Amber grit her teeth before quickly interrupting Tara, “God, come on Tar. You know who I’m talking about. Do you like him?”

Tara began frantically racking her brain, trying to remember the earlier events of the party and for the life of her couldn’t remember being around any guy. “Amber I don’t…” Tara trailed off as she finally put the pieces together. Amber had to have been talking about Wes, in fact that’s more than likely why her mood had turned so sour. Though she didn’t understand it fully, Tara knew Amber had a strong dislike for Wes that the boy returned for Amber. Amber must be upset because she disapproved of how close Wes had been to Tara on the couch, and the fact that he had stolen Amber’s unspoken spot for each of these after parties. Tara cleared her throat, “Are you asking me if I like Wes?” 

Amber rolled her eyes and Tara tried to ignore the disdain she felt for Amber fixing her with such a negative reaction. She was normally never on the receiving end of Amber’s anger. “Yes Tara. Do you like Wes?” The taller girl spoke curtly, wanting her question to be answered so she could get the pain of what she thought the response would be over with. 

“No.” Tara replied so suddenly and surely that Amber felt herself caught off guard, a rarity for her. Tara watched as Amber’s angry expression shifted more towards confusion. Tara spoke slowly this time, to make sure Amber could fully grasp her words, “No, I don’t like Wes.”

Face jumping from emotion to emotion, Amber faced Tara fully. Tara sat down next to Amber now that the girl wasn’t vibrating with annoyance. She waited for a beat until she caught a look of relief in Amber’s eyes. She reached out hesitantly and let her hand cover Amber’s in an attempt to fully calm the girl down. Amber’s eyes became fixated on their joined hands and Tara released the breath she had been holding when Amber didn’t pull her hand away. Tara’s fingers absentmindedly began stroking over the other girl’s hand and she felt the familiar clench of her heart reappear as she took in the softness of Amber’s skin against her own. 

When Tara was sure that Amber was fully down from the apparent emotional rollercoaster she had climbed upon, Tara hesitantly broke the comfortable silence they had fallen into to ask a question she always wanted to know the answer to. “Why don’t you like Wes, Amber?”

She heard Amber suck in a sharp breath but upon scanning her face, saw that the girl didn’t wear a furious expression. If anything, Tara would say that Amber looked nervous. At the unfamiliar expression on her friend’s face, Tara didn’t know if she should be more put off by the girl’s nervousness or by her earlier anger. She continued stroking Amber’s hand with her own while she anxiously waited for a response. Finally, Amber spoke, and it was so quiet that if Tara hadn’t been anticipating a response, she wouldn’t have heard her at all. “Because he likes you.”

Tara, again, was left hopelessly confused. Amber didn’t like Wes simply because he liked her? She searched Amber’s eyes for a further explanation and gasped softly when she realized what the shyness in Amber’s expression might’ve been telling her. Tara gulped while Amber looked worriedly into Tara’s eyes. If Tara wasn’t on the cusp of finally figuring out if her buried feelings for Amber were returned, she would’ve gone on a rampage to find out who made the always confident Amber Freeman look so small. 

Tara’s head reeled even further (if that was even possible) at her second realization of the night. She was the one who made Amber look so small. She made Amber vulnerable. 

Amber seemed to notice that Tara caught on to what the taller girl had kept hidden for so long. She would’ve sworn she was the one with asthma as she found herself unable to breathe while she waited for Tara to respond, to say something. Amber sighed dejectedly, taking Tara’s response to be a negative one. “Look Tara, it’s fine-”

It was Tara’s turn to cut Amber off this time. Sensing that she had been silent too long and sent Amber the wrong message, Tara shook herself out of her daze. “Wait Amber,” she’d never felt so nervous in her life as she went on to ask her next question, Amber’s attention fully on her. “Can I kiss you?”

She waited for a verbal response but what came instead was the feeling of Amber’s lips gingerly meeting her own in a soft, sweet kiss and in that moment, Tara had never felt more complete.

[lonelym00n]

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☾ The Essence of @lonelym00n

The moon is lonely on a night like this

And yet still, she shines on in a silvery bliss.

Earth’s moon can’t ever stop gleaming

And hide away in the wooly clouds like the Sun.

No, not when she must constantly be

a guiding light for everyone.

While it’s a welcome thought

that for many, she is the beauty in the darkness

and a reliable presence in the ghastly and cruel world,

it’s hard to be so counted on, 

a shoulder for millions to lean upon.

How can she be there for everyone

when she’s still changing, still fading 

and still piecing herself together?

She can’t, not really, not as well as she’d like to.

But still, she tries, because who else will if not the moon?

・゜・:.。..。.:・☆・゜・:.。..。.:・☆・゜・:.。..。.: ☆・゜・:.。.:・

☾ Disclaimer: None of the images used on this blog are my own. If I'm able to credit the artist, I will do so. I don't intend to claim anyone's work as my own.