Most of the ride to the hospital was silent. Both Wes and Y/n were relieved Tara was safely recovering from her injuries, but they knew something would happen.
The radio played an old 90s rock song as Wes turned the knob, decreasing the volume of the tune. He averted his gaze to his girlfriend, who rested her elbow on the car door trim, staring outside. Biting his lip, Wes decided to speak up. But before he parted his lips, Y/n said something first.
"Do you think we're next?"
Wes was caught off guard by the sudden challenging question. He hesitated before facing the road again. "What do you mean?" he managed to say.
"You know what I mean," Y/n responded, not looking away from the infinite trees that passed. "What if Ghostface came after one of us?"
The car became quiet. Wes struggled to come up with an answer. So, he took one hand off the wheel and grabbed Y/n's, entwining his fingers with hers.
"Look," he began. "I know. . . I know I can't say Ghostface won't come after us. It's inevitable; we're both relatives of previous victims. Maybe not from the original 'Stab' movies, but there's still a chance. But if they do," Wes swallowed before exhaling again. "If they do, and I'm not there, I want you to know I love you and always will."
Y/n turned her head to her boyfriend, wondering how she got someone like him. She pressed her lips together into an insincere smile and admired him while he drove. "And if he attacks us," Wes continued. "I'll protect you with my life, alright?" He assured, grazing her hand with his thumb.
"With your taser?" Y/n joked, attempting to lift the dark mood lingering.
Wes chuckled, glancing at Y/n before parking at the hospital. "If I have to, then yes. With my taser," he beamed.
-
When Wes and Y/n arrived, Chad, Mindy, and Amber were already in the hospital room where Tara stayed. "Hey," Tara greeted weakly. She had gone pale, Y/n noticed as she crouched down.
"You alright?" Y/n pressed her lips, attempting not to cry.
Tara nodded. "I'm fine," she responded. Wes and Y/n went to a group of couches and another hospital bed where the other trio sat. He held Y/n's hand as they watched Tara, attempting to hide their pity.
Silence lingered in the room as they all thought of something to say.
"You're strong as hell. You know that, right?" Amber laughed, holding Tara's hand; the other one was bandaged.
"Yeah, I guess so," Tara remarked; chuckles from the rest emerged, relieved their friend was safe.
A door opened suddenly, revealing her older sister, Sam, and an unfamiliar boy Y/n couldn't recognize. Once they entered, the group immediately got up, startled. They hadn't seen Sam in five years since she had left. Sam instantly went to her injured sister. "Hey. . ." she whispered as Tara stared in surprise. "How are you feeling?"
"You came," Tara said weakly.
"Of course, I came," Sam replied. She looked over at the boy behind her. "This is my boyfriend, Richie," she introduced.
"It's so nice to meet you," he greeted. "I'm so sorry if I'm intruding," he added.
Tara waved slightly. "Nice to meet you, too," she responded insincerely.
Sam walked over to Mindy and embraced her, as well as Chad. Once she got to Wes and Y/n, she glanced at their entwined hands. "No way," she exclaimed, an amused grin across her face. "You guys are—"
"Yeah. Two years," Wes interrupted as Sam pulled Wes into a hug.
"Thank you for calling," she murmured.
"Yeah, of course."
Sam noticed Wes' bleached hair. "Look at your hair! I like it!" She complimented, messing with it.
When she got to Y/n, she smirked slightly. "It's about time," Sam grinned, implying Y/n of her lasting crush on Wes for the past six years. She forgot that she had ranted to Sam about him, causing her to shake her head in embarrassment.
"Don't. Now is not the time," she awkwardly said.
"What is she talking about?" Wes whispered.
"As I said, now is not the time!"
Sam walked over to her boyfriend to introduce the group. "This is Chad, Mindy, Wes, and Y/n. I used to babysit them all," she pointed out.
"Which is always how I like to be introduced," Wes mumbled sarcastically.
Amber raised her eyebrows amusedly as Sam turned to her. "And Amber. Hey," she greeted.
"Hi," she smiled ingenuously. "Nice to see you." Sam nodded awkwardly as Richie interjected.
"Hi, I'm Richie," he suddenly spoke, causing Y/n to eye him suspiciously.
Amber recoiled slightly. "Hi."
"Where's Mom?" Sam questioned.
"She's stuck in a conference in London. She called me earlier," Tara replied.
"For all of ten minutes," Amber whispered. "Uh, but guys, Tara's really tired, so maybe we should give her some space," she advised.
Everyone agreed as they all began to exit the hospital room. "Not you, Sam," Tara spoke up. "I want you to stay."
"Okay," she murmured as the rest began to leave.
-
The group reunited at the local bar, surrounding a billiards table. Loud music blasted in the building as they conversed about Sam.
"So, what is she like?" Liv asked. "Her sister?"
"Sam? Sam is so cool!" Chad remarked, a playful grin across his face.
"Yeah, you only say that because she let you wear Pokémon onesies to bed for a year," Mindy reminded.
Chad pointed his fingers at his sister. "That's true!" He admitted. "That's a true statement!"
"Sam is awesome!" Y/n spoke up, starting a pool game by placing a cue stick against the table, causing the balls to separate, some going into pockets. "She gave me so much advice in middle school."
"By the way, what was she talking about at the hospital? It's about time?" he quoted.
Y/n sighed. "Uh. . ." she paused. "I. . . kind of. . . had a massive crush on you in middle school that never stopped," she admitted as the group laughed.
"I remember that!" Mindy remarked. "She was so obsessed with you. Like, head over heels."
Y/n playfully hit her best friend. "I was not obsessed!"
"You were! It was hilarious," Chad added. "I used to listen in on your conversations. I'm so in love with Wes I could explode whenever he's within three feet of me!" he teased.
"I hate you all."
"Really? So, you've liked me for years then, even before we dated," Wes said proudly, wrapping his arms around her.
"I've been your girlfriend for two years. Bring down your ego, Wesley."
Chad winced. "Ooh, pulled the full name card!"
Pool balls ricochet as Amber rolls her eyes. "Trust me, Sam is not cool. Her dad left her mom, right? Walks right out when Tara was eight and Sam's thirteen," Amber pointed out, pouring a flask of alcohol into everyone's cokes. "Sam started acting out, getting in trouble with the cops, and then, on Sam's eighteenth birthday, she leaves. Ghosts them all. Maybe Sam's changed. I don't want to see Tara hurt again."
"So what, you're protecting Tara from her own sister?" Wes remarked.
"Well, someone has to," she retorted.
"Okay, so no one can associate with Tara, and now her family is off-limits too?" Wes scoffed.
"Hmm. . . motive!" Mindy exclaimed. "If I can't have her, no one can!"
"Tara and I are friends, Mindy?"
"But we're all suspects," Mindy explained, glancing at her friends. "Except maybe Liv."
Liv tilted her head and beamed. "Thank you!"
"You're way too boring to be a psycho."
"Mindy!" Y/n laughed.
An unfamiliar voice came from behind. "Yo, Liv, you want a real drink? Or are you happy at the kids' table?" It was the creepy guy from the fountain earlier, Vince. He hovered by the group menacingly.
"Ugh," Y/n muttered as Wes pulled her closer. She watched Chad get angrier by the second.
"Alright, hey, listen up, uglier Michael Myers. It was a summer fling, alright? It meant nothing!" He approached Vince intimidatingly.
"Should we stop them?" Y/n whispered.
"We don't want to get in the way of Hobbs and Shaw," he responded, a disappointed sigh escaping his lips.
Vince tilted his head. "Sorry, was I. . . talking to you?" he retorted.
"I don't fucking care who you're talking to!" Chad raised his voice.
Vince turned his head to Liv. "Liv, let's go."
"Is he fucking serious?" Y/n scoffed.
The duo argued continuously, cursing at each other when Vince pulled a switchblade from his pocket.
A bartender yelled from behind. "Hey! Get out of here, or I'm calling the cops!"
Vince jerked his head at Chad before leaving the bar. "Go," Chad ordered, swinging his arm at the door.
Before Vince left, he pointed at Liv. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart!"
"Man, fuck you!"
The rest began to leave, startled by Vince. "You see that shit?" Chad asked Wes.
Everyone exited the bar while Wes held Y/n close to him. The night was quiet, peaceful enough for one to believe there weren't psychos running around and stabbing people. "Want to sleep over?" Wes offered.
"Of course," she responded.
Y/n glanced at her boyfriend and smiled subtly as they walked to the car. Being Wes Hicks' longtime girlfriend was something thirteen-year-old Y/n only dreamed of. She was thankful to have someone like him who would protect her from harm. She could never find someone else like him.
-
A/N:
i just wanna say that chad was so fine in the bar scene idc!!! also, wes hicks best bf <3
PUBLISHED: 4/12/2023
EDITED: TBD