Scream 1996 [Male reader insert]

October 13, 1996

"...The Exorcist was on and it got me thinking of you."

You set down two VHS tapes on the counter.

"Will that be all for today?" Randy asks sweetly in his customer-service voice. You hum in agreement, plucking dollar bills from your wallet.

"Alright, your total is $_.__. Do you want the receipt in the bag?" You knit your eyebrows at that.

"That's not right, I usually pay more than that."

Randy hands over the receipt, "Think of it as a discount, my friend. Who doesn't love a discount?"

You eye him warily, "Look if you're trying to score brownie points with Sidney, don't bother."

The ginger sputters, "Wh-What? Why would you think that? We're good pals, aren't we? What's the big deal?" You let out a sigh handing him the money. "Say from your personal opinion, would this score brownie points with Sid?"

You look at him deadpan as he put cash in the register. You throw coins at him before leaving the store. Randy could be heard inside of the store complaining about the pain.

Once you got home, you belly-flop onto your bed. Since your movie-watching mood had been ruined, you contemplate going to sleep early. Hugging a pillow, you thought that at least one of the movies could uplift your sour mood. You looked back and forth at the VHS tapes in your hands. Psycho and When A Stranger Calls. Before you could make a decision, you hear a scream coming from the room next door Sidney's room.

The VHS tapes fell from your hands onto the bedding as you tore your door open. A few steps later, you stand in front of Sidney's door. You knock lightly, trying to calm yourself down and not seem so rash.

Behind the door, you hear Sid speak, "Yeah?"

"Are you okay? I heard you scream."

"Uh, yeah-yeah, I'm fine. It was nothing, sorry."

Feeling confused and frankly uneasy, you stand still, leaning forward and tilting your head to the side to try and hear something anything. You could make out harsh whispers but couldn't discern any words. Who was Sid talking with?

No sooner did your father, Niel, come rushing forward while pulling you away from the door. He didn't hesitate to knock a few times before turning the doorknob and trying to open the door, only for it to be jammed.

"What's going on in there? Are you okay?" he peers inside the room. You try to get a glimpse inside, which proved difficult with Niel in your way.

"Can you knock?" Sid replies despite Niel's previous knocking.

"I heard screaming."

"No, you didn't," Sidney insists.

What was she hiding, and why did she feel the need to hide it?

Sidney moved the object that blocked the door from opening further, and Niel took his chance to fling the door open. You and Niel, along with Sidney, scan the room only to find nothing out of place. Why was she looking around as if expecting to see something unusual?

Niel didn't seem the least bit apprehensive. He simply looked at the two of you and explained minor details about his business trip again.

"There's cash on the table, and I'll be staying at..."

You and Sidney retort, "The Hilton." Both of you exchange glances.

Niel continues, "Out the airport so call if..."

"We need anything," the two of you finish.

He backtracks, "I could've sworn I heard screaming," he looks at her questioningly.

Sid brushes off his comment with an innocent look, "Have a good trip, okay?"

"Sleep tight, kiddos," Niel ended before leaving you and Sidney with forehead kisses. He walked off, presumably downstairs, while you stayed standing at Sidney's doorway. She looks at you expectedly, silently telling you to go back to your room.

"Look, could you at least tell me later? If you don't want to, it's fine," You tell her before retreating to your bedroom.

You couldn't get over her suspicious behavior, so regardless of what you may have told her, your curiosity got the better of you. You press yourself against the wall separating your rooms, straining your ears. The sound was quite muffled, but you could make out the sound of another voice. Someone with a deeper voice and subtle southern cadence. You only knew one person whose voice fit that description Billy Loomis, Sidney's boyfriend. Realistically it made the most sense too. What puzzled you was why he was here in the first place. Tomorrow was Monday, so Billy and Sid would be seeing each other in a matter of hours.

You supposed if you had a partner, you would also sneak out from time to time to see them.

You lift yourself off the wall and made your way downstairs. There was no sign of Niel. You weren't troubled about his whereabouts as it was common for him to be gone, though you couldn't deny your interest in where he went.

You enter the kitchen and search the cupboards for a cup. While you filled said cup with water, you notice the backdoor was unlocked. You noted that the door was locked when you last entered the kitchen.

"Huh, wonder how that happened."