HIS HAND RESTED ON HER BACK, GUIDING HER TOWARDS THE GROUP. She can feel the curious eyes of Mindy and Quinn on them as they arrive together.
"Look who's here," Mindy says, with a hint of amusement in her voice. "The newest dynamic duo. Because that's not suspicious at all."
Quinn nods in agreement. "What's up, guys?"
Ethan gives them a small smile, but Tatum can tell he was still tense. She shifts uneasily, wondering what the urgent meeting is about.
Mindy takes charge, as usual, addressing everyone like she's making a presentation.
"Ok, nerds, listen up. As terrifying as this all is, I'm actually glad I get a chance to redeem myself for not calling the killers last time. It's fine. Ok, the way I see it, someone's out to make a sequel to the requel."
Tatum tries to focus on Mindy's words, but her mind keeps wandering off to Ethan's hand on her back. She, somehow, feels safe and protected with him, but she also knows that danger is looming over them.
She can feel her mind starting to wander as Mindy gets deeper into the details. She's heard all of this before and can't help but feel like they're wasting time.
A sequel means more death, more terror, and more danger.
It means they're fucked.
''Suspicious new characters brought in to round out the suspect list. And or body count. Check, check, and check.''
"I don't like this." Ethan adds, his tone serious.
Tatum's heart starts racing as she considers the possibility. She looks over at Ethan, hoping to find some reassurance in his expression, but he's as stoic as ever. She takes a deep breath and focuses back on Mindy, trying to push aside her fear and focus on the task at hand.
''Longer chases, shootouts, beheadings, you gotta top what came before to keep people coming back.'' Mindy explains.
Chad rises his pen to ask, ''Beheadings?''
Mindy smiles, ''Beheadings.''
Tatum's eyes drift off as Mindy starts to lay out her plan, her mind wandering to the lack of sleep she's had over the past few days. She feels like she's on autopilot, her brain struggling to keep up with the conversation.
Every time she tries to focus, her mind seems to shut off, like it's trying to protect her from the horrors of the situation. She tries to shake herself back into focus, but it's like trying to swim through molasses.
She's grateful for Ethan's presence beside her, his warmth and solidity anchoring her to reality. She knows she needs to stay alert, stay sharp, but her body feels heavy, and her eyelids keep drooping. She's barely holding on.
The next thing she hears Mindy say is, ''It's not looking good for Gale and Kirby.'' Tatum supposes she should feel some sort of way about that, but she doesn't.
She can't shake off the resentment she has towards her mom. Their relationship has always been rocky, and things have only gotten worse after Dewey's murder. Tatum can't help but secretly wish that her mom had died instead of her dad. It's a dark thought, and one that she tries to push out of her mind, but it lingers like a bad taste in her mouth.
Tatum doesn't want to lose anyone else, but she can't help feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction at the thought that her mother might be in danger. It's a confusing and conflicting feeling, one that she doesn't know how to process.
Mindy adds, ''Oh, and this is not even the worst part.''
Chad points out, ''This is the part where she tells us the worst part.''
''The worst part is franchises are just continuing episodic installments designed to boost an IP. Which means, main characters are completely expandable now, too.''
Tatum rolls her eyes. Mindy has always been dramatic, but she can't help but feel the knot in her stomach tightening. She looks at the others, all of them huddled around, eyes wide with fear. It's as if they're all waiting for someone to tell them what to do.
The girl can feel her anxiety rising by the minute. Without even realizing it, she starts scratching at her wrist, the sensation of her nails digging into her skin somewhat grounding her in the chaos of the moment. But then, Ethan's hand wraps around hers, stopping her in her tracks.
She's confused for a second, but he just gently takes her hand and places it in his lap. She can feel the warmth of his hand on top of hers, a comforting type of touch. Tatum looks up at him, a mix of gratitude and embarrassment flooding through her. His hand steady on hers, his grip gentle yet firm.
Mindy suddenly adds, ''That means it's not just the friend group. Any of us could go at any time, especially Sam and Tara. And, well, maybe Tate, too, but that's TBD.''
A shiver runs down Tate's back, causing her scars to ache. ''That brings me much comfort, Mindy, appreciate you.''
She had always thought of herself as a side character in the group, not important enough to be a main target. But now, with Mindy's words ringing in her ears, she can't shake off the feeling that she's in danger. Well, in more danger than she usually is, that is.
Ethan's sudden shift beside her catches her attention. ''Wait, wait, any of us? Am I in the friend group?''
Mindy nods, ''Yeah.''
Ethan continues, ''Am I, like, one of the targets?''
Mindy confirms it with a slight hum, and Ethan's next question catches everyone off guard. "Am I gonna die a virgin?"
Tatum can feel her cheeks flushing as Ethan's words register in her mind. She can't help but snort at the absurdity of his question, but deep down, she's feeling a twinge of something else.
Tatum shakes her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts, but she can't help but steal a glance at Ethan out of the corner of her eye.
Mindy responds with a quip, "That was a weird overshare. But I don't know, ask Tatum."
Tatum rolls her eyes. Her mind drifts to darker thoughts, as it usually does, thinking about the possibility of losing another person she cares about. She wonders if any of them will make it out of this alive. The idea of Ethan dying makes her feel sick to her stomach.
Mindy continues, ''Anyway, that brings us to our current suspects. Ethan, the shy dorky guy who no one suspects because he's so shy and dorky''
Tate feels a sudden urge to look over her shoulder, just to make sure no one is watching them.
''Ok, ok, wait, why am I on the suspect list?'' Ethan asks. ''Because I'm randomly Chad's roommate?''
''Roommate lotteries can be juked,'' Mindy scoffs. ''You could've fixed it to get next to us.''
As Mindy continues to list off the suspects, Tatum's mind begins to wander. She can feel her body tensing up as the accusation lingers in the air.
She tries to keep a neutral expression on her face, but her heart is racing. Ethan, a suspect? It feels surreal. But Tatum can't deny that the idea of someone close to her being involved in the murders is terrifying. She feels Ethan's hand press down on her and she accepts it wholeheartedly, seeking comfort in his touch.
As he whisper-asks her if she believes Mindy, Tatum shakes her head slightly. She doesn't believe it, but the thought lingers in her mind nonetheless. Ethan brings her a sense of calmness she hasn't felt in a long time, and she doesn't want to let go of that feeling.
''Ok, so, we have our rules, and we have our suspects.'' Sam concludes.
Ethan jumps in. ''Wait wait wait, what about you guys?''
Mindy explains, ''I mean, I think it's pretty safe to rule out the five of us that went through this last year in Woodsboro.''
''Agreed.'' Chad adds.
The curly-haired boy is fidgeting nervously.
Quinn, who's been mostly quiet thus far, suddenly jumps in and takes the lead, ''Um, not agreed, what if the trauma you went through caused one or more of you to snap?''
Tatum's heart sinks.
Ethan nods. ''Yeah, or the fame you got from the killings made you thirsty for more.''
Tatum removes her hand from his lap, fists clenched, feeling a mix of betrayal and disgust.
"Fuck you," she mutters under her breath before standing up and walking away from the group.
Her heart is pounding with anger and hurt. She tries to walk away fast, but Ethan runs after her. He quickly follows her down the subway steps, jumping two or three steps at a time to catch up to her.
"What the hell was that?" Tatum demands as she turns around.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Ethan says, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I just thought-"
"Just thought what?" Tatum interrupts him, still seething. "That I wanted to be a victim of a serial killer again? That I enjoyed the attention and the nightmares and the constant fear that someone was going to come after me? It fucking ruined my life. It ruined who I was."
He looks genuinely apologetic, his eyes full of regret. "I know, I'm sorry," Ethan says again, trying to touch her arm but Tatum jerks it away. "I didn't mean to upset you."
Tatum glares at him, her eyes flashing with anger. "You said you saw me, Ethan," She blurted out. ''Well, what is it that you see? Victim or killer?''
The boy shakes his head, his expression still contrite. "Survivor."
Tatum takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. She knows that he didn't mean to hurt her, not really, but his words cut deep. "Don't ever say stuff like that again, okay? It's not funny."
"I won't," Ethan says, his eyes sincere. "I'm sorry, I am."
She softens a little. "I know," she says, her voice gentler. "You can make it up to me by not letting me get murdered on the way home, got it?"
He nods again, and they walk down to the subway platform together. As they wait for the train, Tatum feels a small sense of relief that they've made up. It's not as if she has an abundance of friends. But she knows that the fear and paranoia that's been building inside her isn't going to go away anytime soon.
Tatum rests her head on Ethan's shoulder, grateful for the comfort he offers. As the subway rumbles beneath them, Tatum jumps at every noise and movement, her nerves frayed from the events of the night.
He quickly notices her unease and whispers, "You can close your eyes, Riley. I'll keep you safe. Cross my heart and hope to die."
At first, Tatum is hesitant, but eventually, she closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath. She can feel Ethan's arm around her, protecting her, and his words calm her down. For the first time in what feels like forever, Tatum allows herself to relax.
The warmth of Ethan's body and the gentle rocking of the subway lull her into a sense of security, and she finds herself drifting off to sleep.