screaM Justice

T H R E E

"Yes," Max replied bluntly.

"Okay, so it has come to my attention that..." Amber trailed off, and Tara held up three fingers, prompting her to continue. "That three of our friends are dead. And the reason is because of a killer."

They all exchanged glances, clearly aware of the situation, and Amber responded with a scoff, flipping them off in frustration.

"Okay, look, I'm just gonna be straight with all of you. Half of you will probably die," Amber declared, causing a wave of conversation to erupt among the group. Frustrated by the noise, she used her Ghostface drum, a gift from Tara for her 14th birthday, to make a loud noise, immediately silencing everyone.

"Okay! Okay! But there are rules to avoid dying!" Amber continued. "First, don't have sex, idiots. Just don't do it, even though I know half of us, including myself, probably will. Second, don't trust anyone, especially your boyfriend or girlfriend. Never trust the love interest. Because, there's always some bullshit reason to kill your partner. Third, the one whoever has been close to the first three victims will probably die."

Everyone turned their attention towards Max, and there was a tense silence in the room. Amber spoke up, addressing Max, Haley, and Cairo with a somber tone.

"I'm sorry, Max, Haley, and Cairo, but you guys are probably in danger," Amber stated, causing a sense of unease to settle among the group. She then proceeded to list potential suspects.

"First, there's Lexi, the spoiled mayor's daughter who always gets what she wants because she's rich," Amber said, glaring at Alexandra, who seemed offended by the accusation. "And we all know Wednesday would probably kill us if she could, right?"

Nods of agreement filled the room.

"Next, Tara." Amber pointed at her girlfriend, and a playful smile crossed Tara's face as Amber winked. Groans emerged from the group. "Never trust the love interest. My girlfriend has a complicated past and a strong motive, so she's a possibility."

Amber then turned her attention to Cairo, mentioning her reputation. "And Cairo, we all know about your history, honey. You tried to get one of our teachers fired just because he wouldn't go out with you. It's a little insane, don't you think?"

Cairo frowned but quickly fired back, raising an eyebrow. "What about you? You seem to know a lot. This whole situation could be you lying."

Amber smirked and confidently replied, "Oh, really? Well, I think I know who the killer is."

Curiosity filled the room as Max spoke up, "Who?"

Amber's words shocked everyone as she pointed directly at Max. "You."

Max's eyes widened in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"It makes sense, Max," Amber shrugged, seemingly unfazed by Max's outburst.

"Fuck you, Amber!" Max shouted, her frustration boiling over as she stood up.

Amber continued, seemingly undeterred. "I mean, faking an attack would be the perfect cover, wouldn't it?"

Max pushed Amber forcefully before storming out of the warehouse in anger.

"Seriously?" Tara said, looking at Amber with a disapproving expression, clearly unimpressed by her accusations and the effect they had on Max.

---

Max murmured to herself as she made her way to her car. She opened the door and got inside, slamming it shut behind her. The accusation from Amber lingered in her mind. How could Amber say something so hurtful and baseless? Max knew deep down that she could never be a murderer.