This alerted her attention, and she finally looked up. "Do you not see where the fucked up is in that sentence?" She whined, slapping his palms against her thighs.
"He was gonna kill you." There he was. The Stu she knew. His eyes were glistening and his voice dropped to his usual soft tone he carried with her. "He promised to leave you out of it if I helped him. You were supposed to be asleep upstairs."
The realization washed over her. "You drugged me." She said sternly. Or, somewhat sternly.
He shook his head, not denying, but not admitting. "To keep you safe, that was the plan. If you had just stayed up there-"
She cut him off, remembering something else. "Yeah? Up there with your stalker pictures?"
"Kimmy, I love you-"
"You're a murderer."
"I did this for you!"
Her lip trembled. "That doesn't make it any better."
"He was gonna kill you. I did all of this to protect you. You're the one who doesn't get it."
Her eyes grew wider, obviously offended. "Sorry that it's just a little hard for me to trust someone who just killed all of my friends."
Stu shook his head, he wanted to explain himself some more, but she kept talking. "Randy-"
"He was in love with you."
"So?"
"I had to protect you. You're mine. My final girl."
Her head was pounding. What the fuck was she even supposed to say, or do in this situation.
Both of their heads shot up, and they dashed back into the kitchen where Billy and Mr. Prescott still were. "What the fuck?" Billy was yelping. "How did this happen?"
Sirens.
Both boys' gaze landed on Kim, who was honestly utterly clueless. "Does it look like I'd have time to call the police?" She asked, suddenly unfazed by their "scary" looks. She was tired. She was fed up with their bullshit, to be blunt. She wanted to go home and pretend this one some sort of sick dream.
Billy looked back up at Stu. "Did she do this?" He gestured to Sidney's lifeless body on the floor, and Stu shrugged.
"Not that I know of. She was never near a mobile when I was chasing her."
"FUCK!"
Billy tossed his knife over at Mr. Prescott, who appeared to be dead in front of the fridge. "Plan B." He muttered, pushing past Kim and Stu and over to the front door.
"What? You guys can't just leave." Kim said, making Billy's head tilt. "Yeah? Well, don't worry. You're coming with us." He sneered, gesturing for Stu to grab her. "Let's go." He mouthed.
Kim stepped away from her friend. "No. I'm not." She stated, holding her hand out to stop him. "If any of us leave now, they'll know who did it. Actually, they'll think I had something to do with it as well. But it won't matter. Because if you run, all of this would have been for nothing." She tried to sound convincing.
"If she doesn't want to come that's fine. But you have 30 seconds to make up your minds." Billy ignored her speech, backing out the glass sliding door.
Stu turned back to Kim, pleading eyes. "Baby, please." He begged. But she shook her head. "I can't. I can't leave. And if you do, you'll be a felon on the lose."
The sirens sounded closer. "Kim, I'm running out of time. I cannot leave without you." He asked again, stepping closer. s
"Then don't leave. Let Billy take the fall like he deserves. I won't rat you out."
His eyes lingered on hers for a second longer before bending down, and placing his lips onto hers. His hand reached up for her cheek, and her fingers trailed through his hair.
But, just like that it was over. And Stu was slowly backing out the glass door, following Billy's steps. "I love you."
"Then stay." She was almost inaudible, and any chance he had of repeating it was gone. He was gone.
And the sirens were roaming closer, and then a moan sounded from the foyer. Kim shot her head around, dashing through the living room hall and to the front door. "Randy!"
The boy was spitting up blood, rolled over to the side. "K- Kimmy." He sputtered as she picked up his head, placing it on her lap. "Oh, god. Randy. Just hold on, the cops'll be here soon." She cooed, running her fingers through his hair.
Randy shook his head, trying to sit up. "Billy. It's Billy." He warned, grabbing ahold of her waist protectively.
She sighed, thinking of what to say. "I know. He's gone, he got away."
Randy's eyes turned dull. "No."
∞
"You want me to lie?"
"Sidney, you didn't see Stu the way I did. He didn't want this."
It was a week after. A week after their world had crumbled around them. Sidney just made it through surgery, and now they were awaiting the station to close the case.
Sidney's scared lip trembled. "He killed my mother." She mumbled, almost inaudible.
Kim didn't know what else to say. If Sidney turned him in now it was over. There would be no getting him back. And for some reason, in some impossible way, she needed him back.
"He didn't want too-"
"Kim-"
Dewey's office door creaked open. "Girls," His voice was cracked and he had bandages around his head.
He promptly took a seat at his desk, feet away from the Sheriff's. "I need your statement." He reached into a drawer, pulling out notebook paper and a pencil from a cup.
The girls stared at each other, as if shooting daggers by though. Sidney spoke first. "It was Billy. He killed my mother, and then Casey and Steve."
Kim let out a breath she was unaware she'd been holding. Watching as Dewey scribbled onto his sheet of paper, she reached for Sidney's hand, who jerked away.
"And Stu? Do you know where he is?" He set his pencil down, rubbing his wound- which Kimmy still hadn't figured out where it came from- through his white T-Shirt.
"No."
∞
Weeks had gone by. She'd hoped for a sign from the boys. Well, mostly the boy. But nothing ever came. Even a polaroid. Although she hated the idea of being watched, at least she'd know he was there. Waiting.
School still hadn't started yet, and the days felt longer. Dragged on and on. All she could do was wait. And trust. She'd racked her mind for weeks on anything else she could be doing. But, she had no ideas.
She could barely talk to Sidney either, because after Kim had convinced her to shut her mouth about Stu, she wasn't very happy with her. And to be honest, Kimmy wasn't very happy with herself either.
She felt awful. Like an awful friend. Stu did- if not- help kill Sidney's mother. Motive or not, that's fucked up in her book. But she couldn't help protect him. Like he protected her. Didn't he? Didn't he protect her? That's what she thought. That's what she was convinced of. And that's why she was so determined to keep his name out of the case.
But, considering he'd disappeared. . .with Billy. Things weren't looking to great for him. It doesn't take a genius to piece that together.
All she needed from him was a signal, a sign he was still around, still watching. Little did she know was her wish would be granted, sooner than she thought.
Popcorn popped on the stove, she was sitting on her counter, waiting for it to finish. Her mind was full of fast paced thoughts.
Her house was quiet, both parents were at work. Which was fascinating given her circumstances. But, once again, she was home alone.
RING! RING!
The sound was sudden, and it made her jump. She hated that sound now. She slid herself off the counter, picking up the phone. "Hello?"
"I missed you, Kimmy."
A gasp escaped her lips. "Stu?" Her voice shook. "Love," He answered back, clicking the voice changer off.
"Stu!" The stove sizzled. "You have to tell me where you are-" She could hear his breath hitch.
"Kim, listen-"
"Stu, please-"
"Kimberly. I can't tell you. I shouldn't have even called. But I will come back for you, I promise. Just, wait for me."
The line went dead, causing tears to brim her eyes. Stu and his damn promises. At least she got the closure she'd asked for. Maybe he'd been listening.
She slammed the phone back onto the counter, her breath heaving. And then another sound rang through the house. Her body whipped around, grabbing a knife from the holder on the counter.
Tip-toeing her way through the main hall, she approached the foyer. And what she saw caused her to drop the knife, it making a clanking noise on the floor.
One final polaroid before he left. Only, this one's film hadn't showed yet, it was still forming. He was close.
∞