Everything was going well for DJ Riley. He had friends, a car, and got good grades all he needed was a girl to hold in his arms at night. But now it all seemed like a dream as he sat in an ambulance gripping the bloody hand of his friend and crush Tara Carpenter.
"D- DJ it hurts it hurts" Tara cried out.
"I know I know but we're almost there ok just hold on," he said moving the girl's hair from her face.
He glanced at the driver and yelled. "Can't this damn thing go any faster!!".
"Kid we're going as fast as we can ok".
DJ wasn't satisfied with the answer but he need to keep his emotions in check and focus on tara. So instead of arguing he kept his mouth shut. He looked back at Tara and saw the tears streaming down her face. His heart broke at the sight.
"Don't worry you're going to be fine and then you can talk my ear off about how elevated horror is better than the cheesy stuff" he said with a small smile.
More tears left her eyes as she looked at him
"P- promise," she stuttered.
DJ smiled and held up three fingers "Scout's honor," he said with tears in his eyes.
Tara smiled as he wiped the tears from her face.
When they finally got to the hospital Tara was rushed inside with DJ right by her side. When they were about to go through some double doors a nurse stopped him from going through.
"Sir you need to stay here"
"Are you serious she needs me" he said angrily.
"I'm sorry but you can't be back there," she said.
He knew she was right and looked through the windows one more time. Tears welled up in his eyes as he ran a bloody hand through his hair.
"Is she going to be alright" DJ mumbled.
"Give us time and we'll see what we can do, but you have to give us time," she said.
DJ nodded and looked at his shirt and hands to see blood all over them. He closed his eyes and sat in a chair. The nurse kneeled in front of him
"Do you need to be checked out?" she asked.
DJ just shook his head. "It's not my blood," he said softly.
"Well would you like us to call anyone for you"
"No it's fine I'll call" the nurse thing got up and left leaving DJ in his thoughts.
He stared at his bloody hands as two questions kept popping up in his head how could somebody do this and more importantly why.
57 minutes earlier
"And who says elevated horror is better than the cheesy stuff," DJ asked with a phone to his ear
"Me I'm saying that," Tara's voice said coming through his phone.
"And why is that, what is your reasoning," DJ asked while drying dishes.
"Because it requires you to actually use your brain Tate" she shot back. DJ shivered at the name.
"Boooo, I will use my brain when I'm back at school and you know I hate that name" he grumbled.
Tara giggled into the phone making DJ's heart jump. "Why I think it's an amazing name".
"How would you feel about being nicknamed after your dead aunt," he asked with a smile.
"I don't know maybe honored," she said.
"Fine you take it then" he laughed.
She snorted at the response."No thanks, but I'll still call you Tate"
DJ scoffed and shook his head "Your the only one allowed to do so, your lucky your cute".
At those words, both sides of the phone were deathly quiet. "Um, Thanks," Tara said softly.
"Y- Yeah sure no problem" DJ was smacking himself in the head but stopped when he heard a house phone ringing through the phone.
"Who the hell is calling you at this hour," DJ asked frowning.
"I don't know it was an unknown number so I hung up" she replied.
"Hmm that's weird, that's suspicious," DJ said in his best Cardi B voice.
DJ heard Tara burst into a fit of laughter making him smile triumphantly. He knew this was his opportunity and took it.
"You know the New Jordan Peele movie just released in theaters, So I was wondering if you uh wanted to go with me this Sunday," he asked shyly.
The line went silent again He bit the inside of his cheek as he waited for an answer.
"I thought you didn't like elevated horror," she said.
"Well I figured I would give it a shot, plus with you there you can explain it all to me" he answered.
She chuckled at his words "I would love t-" Tara was cut off when her house phone started ringing.
DJ listened to Tara as she released an annoyed sigh making him chuckle.
"Why don't you answer it while I get my dad in bed" he suggested.
"Alright, hurry back," she said leaving her phone.
DJ chuckled and nodded "Yes ma'am," he said.
DJ set his phone down and made his way to his Dad. His dad passed out drunk with the TV on. DJ sighed at the sight and used the remote to cut off the TV.
He turned back around and saw his dad gripping a photo in his hand as he slept. He took the photo from his hand and turned it over to see an old photo and saw a picture of, DJ, his Dad, and his Mom all smiling.
A pang of guilt entered his heart making him set the photo down. He sighed and tapped his snoring father. "Alright let's go big guy," he said lifting his arm over his shoulder.
"Junior what is it," his dad asked drunkenly.
"Time for bed dad," he said.
"No not yet I wasn't sleeping" he replied.
"Yeah what were you doing with your eyes closed," he asked.
"...Studying" his dad replied.
DJ turned towards his dad with a smile on his face. "Studying," he asked.
"Yeah," his dad said in a high-pitched voice.
"And what were you studying," he asked moving a box out of the way.
"How to sleep with your eyes open" his dad replied. DJ let out a snort and shook his head.
When they made it to his room he laid his dad down on the bed.
"Well, try again harder tomorrow," he told his dad.
His dad hummed as DJ took his shoes off. He put a blanket over him and cut on the fan on. He started making his way toward the door when he heard his dad's voice.
"I love you, son".
DJ smiled and nodded "I love you too Dad".
DJ walked back into the kitchen with a smile on his face. He put the phone to his ear and the next thing he heard me made a frown appear on his face. It was Tara crying.
"Hey T is everything ok," he asked nervously.
When he didn't get a reply back he started pacing. After another 10 seconds, he got a text message making his phone vibrate. He looked at the message and his blood went cold.
Help
Without another word, he ran into his room and grabbed his keys and a bat. He bolted to his car with the phone against his ear.
"Tara, tell me what going on" DJ yelled into the phone.
"H- H- He said he w- would kill me if I didn't get the questions right," she said stuttering.
"What questions," DJ asked throwing the car into another gear.
When he didn't get a reply he gripped the steering wheel. "Tara what questions!!!" He yelled.
"Trivia questions for the Stab movies," she said through her tears.
DJ cursed himself for not knowing but his parents made him promise to never watch the movies after they caught him watching the first one.
DJ swerved out of the way of an incoming car before pulling a hard right.
"I don't know the answer, he said he was going to kill Amber if I didn't know the answer" that confirmation made the boy press even harder on the gas.
"What's the question," DJ asked trying to stay calm.
"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you couldn't please repeat that"
"Fine, but this is your last chance Tara, who played the dumb bitch beginning of stab 1 who answered the phone and died," a ghastly voice said through the phone.
DJ's spin shivered at the sound. "Heather Graham," he said making a hard left.
"Heather Graham!" Tara yelled.
DJ couldn't hear the person anymore but he did hear a sigh of relief come from Tara making him breathe a little easier.
Suddenly a car horn blared making DJ realize he was on the wrong side of the road. He jerked the wheel right just barely missing the car. His phone slipped out of his hand and drop to the passenger side floor.
"FUCK" he yelled.
He then took a left narrowly missing an oncoming van. He heard a scream come from his phone making his eyes water.
"TARA!!!".
He then drifted around the corner and pulled up to the back of the house. He wasted no time by grabbing the bat and going to the door. He went to open the door only to find it locked. He started beating on the door.
"Tara!!" He yelled as he started kicking the door in. He heard her scream again making him growl. He started hearing the police sirens around the corner. Saw his might he kicked the door off the hinges.
"Tara!"
DJ ran into the house with the bat in hand. He ran into the kitchen to find someone wearing a ghost face mask. Before the assailant staffer again DJ ran up and swung the bat over the attacker's back.
They groaned in pain before turning to him. Ghostface took a swing at him with a knife but he ducked out of the way and hit Ghostface in the stomach knocking them down to the ground.
DJ heard the sirens outside and looked back at Tara to see her crawling toward the door.
DJ ran over and kneeled next to her. He touched her shoulder to receive a backhand to the face.
"Uhg son of a bitch" he mumbled. He didn't blame her she was in survival mode. Tara recognized the voice and turned around to meet his eyes.
"Hey it's just me," he said with his hands up.
Tara just stared at the boy with her lip trembling. She glance behind him and saw Ghostface on the floor. When she looked back at him tears started falling from her eyes.
"D-DJ," she said in pain.
DJ took off his shirt leaving him in a tank top and put it on her stomach wound. She cried out in pain making his heart clench.
"I know I know, I'm sorry I have to pressure on it," he said.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him. He looked at the girl's broken leg and hugged her tighter.
He looked back at Ghostface and a part of him wanted to go back and bash their head in Like Negan From the walking dead. But Tara needed him so that's where he stayed.
"C'mon let's get you outta here," he said. She nodded her head and DJ picked her up as carefully as he could. He opened the door with Tara resting her head on his shoulder.
Cops swarmed the two and looked at the damage. "He's in there," Tara said weakly.
The two were led to an ambulance and Tara was put on a gurney. "Can you come with me...please" Tara begged. DJ nodded his head and jumped into the ambulance.
He gripped her hand and kissed it. "You're going to be fine, I'll keep you safe," he said.
Flashback ends
DJ looked at the double doors and sighed.
"I'll keep you safe" he mumbled.