As we walked across the campus I looked over at the group of reports. "Hey, babe," I said. Billy hummed. "What's your mom doing here?" I asked. "What all the other reporter's are doing here," he said it like it was obvious. "Yeah, no shit. But why? She didn't come to Woodsboro," I said. "I don't know. She went to Gale's book tour thing or whatever. I'm pretty sure she knows I was involved in the killings back home," he said. I turned and looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry. What?" I asked. "Don't worry. She would never rat us out," he said. I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. "Can we go eat now?" Stu asked. "That's all you do," I told him. "I'm a growing boy," he said. "Well, you got the boy part right," I mumbled. We walked off to head to the cafeteria for lunch.
Billy, Stu, Derek, Hallie, and I all sat at a table just casually talking when Mickey came up and sat down on the other side of me. "Hey, y/n," he said, looking at me. "Mickey," I said. "Think you'd let me interview you for my documentary?" He asked. "For fucking what?" I asked. "You know I turned down Primetime Live, 20/20, and Dateline," I told him. "Drop it. I've been thinking about this whole murder thing," he said. I noticed Stu and Billy give each other a look. That look that said they couldn't wait to hear a new theory. "Have they checked out Randy?" He asked. "What?" I asked. Stu and Billy laughed out loud at that. "I know he's an innocent victim the first time around, like you three, but he's a little off," Mickey said.
He couldn't be serious. I kept looking back to last night and what he had said, the way he looked at me. "Randy isn't a killer," I said. "Come on. Randy? The guy is harmless," Hallie said. "He wouldn't have the guts to kill someone," Billy told him as he leaned back in his chair. "That's what they said about Dahmer," Mickey said. "Dahmer also used to kill animals and pick up road kill for fun. Randy is simply a horror buff. He used to work at blockbuster back home," I said. "So, that means he knows how to get away with it," Mickey said. Stu just started laughing. "He's a pussy. He thought he had a chance with y/n and still does," he laughed.
After lunch I went to the theater. "We've been through this before. You know what I think about your potential as an actress," my drama professor said. "I know. I know. It's just that with, um, the murders... and the movie and my life --" I said. "I do know how difficult it is for you," Gus said. "Gus, I just -- I don't think I can do it," I told him. "The battle for the soul is caught in the forum of art. You're a fighter, y/n. That's why you're here. That's why this is you major," he said. "Yeah, I'm a fighter," I said. *and a killer* I thought to myself. "I didn't hear that," Gus said. I looked at him. "I'm a fighter," I said. "I don't believe you. I don't," he said. I looked at him for a few long seconds. "I'm a fighter," I said again.
"Okay. So, at the risk of sounding like a college drama teacher, if you've got pain around this kind of material, use it. This is your role, y/n. Cassandra is one of the great tragic visionaries of literature. She saw it all coming. The wars, the murders, the madness. She knew she was cursed. It was her fate, and she embraced it. None of us can avoid our fate, but as an artist... you can honestly face it and fight it," Gus said. "You're good," I said. "There's no understudy. I'm desperate," he said.
I kneeled down in front as someone shook aluminum sheets to great thunder and as a fog danced along the stage from a machine. I waited for my line to come up.
"All behold the dreaded fate of Troy that once stood proud and lit up in the hills of Sparta!"
"Now Shrouded in the deathly smoke of ruin, her royal children pitched from her walls, her people driven through her ruins. And now alone in fate's cruel isolation..." I stood up in the all red costume. My arms raised above me.
"stands Cassandra, her kingdom, family and friends driven to the wind."
The red sheer shawl wrap blew behind me. "No crime against gods or man have I commuted, saith to speak the truth," I spoke as I stepped back and laid the shawl over my head and let it hang around my shoulders.
"And each hideous vision born from my mind has come to pass," I said along with the others. "Troy has fallen, not by my hand or wish, but as I foresaw," I said, walking across the stage as I was supposed to. "So now, fate's vengeful eye... is fixed..." I said and looked up at the person who was lowered over the stage. He poi yes down at me. "On me," I finished still looking up at him.
"Tell us, O Cassandra, where has the sweetness of life gone?" I brought my arms up in front of my face as one of the actors came towards me. Then I moved to spin as he took me by the waist and sang me to the other side. "What stops fate's hand from striking now at thee?" As I was moving around in the crowd of actors I thought I saw a ghost face. He was coming towards me, chasing me. I ran around trying to avoid him. I ran straight into him. His hand raised with the knife in his hand. I let out a horrified scream as he threw me to the ground. When I looked back up he was gone, replaced by one of the actors, who took his mask off.
"All right, hold It! Hold it!" Gus called. "Everyone take five!" He said. I felt arms wrap around me and jumped. "Hey, it's just me," I turned and saw Billy beside me. I hadn't even noticed that he made it to my rehearsal. I launched myself into his arms. "Shh. It's okay. I'm right here," he whispered. "He was here, Billy. The killer. He was here," I cried. "Alright. It's okay. Come on," he said. He stood up pulling me with him. Everyone was staring at me. He glared at them all as he lead me backstage.
