Mindy stared at her phone, her fingers poised over the touchscreen keyboard. She took a deep breath and began typing out a message to the group chat.
"Meeting at my place at 8. We gonna talk about Ghostface again, bitchesss," her text woke the groupchat.
She hit send and waited for the replies to flood in. The little notification bubbles started appearing one by one. All in all, they were indifferent about the gathering.
Mindy frowned as she read their responses. It seemed like her friends were more interested in sheltering their own lives than the Ghostface murders that had been haunting their small town for months now.
It's like since so many attacks have happened and they couldn't do anything about it or their many failed attempts to protect themselves from Ghostface, especially when everyone was there.
Mindy sighed, frustrated. She couldn't blame them entirely; the Ghostface killings were terrifying, and no one wanted to get involved. But Mindy couldn't shake the feeling that they might have information or ideas that could help solve the case.
But even though the friends relied to her message with disinterest, one by one, they all started showing up. She nervously glanced at her phone as the doorbell rang.
Her friends had begrudgingly agreed to come over to discuss the Ghostface murders, but not many of them were sure if it was a good idea.
The first to show up was Anika, ever the so caring girlfriend, at least she appeared to be to avoid being on Mindy's radar. And it was working like a charm.
Anika greeted Mindy enthusiastically, swinging her arms around the girl and bringing her in for a quick kiss.
Mindy grinned to herself when all of her friends were seated in her faintly lit living room, the same one they were all in with Sidney.
"Hey," Tara said with a half-hearted smile as she walked in, Sam and Richie trailing behind her.
"Thanks for having us, Mindy."
Mindy nodded and greeted each of her friends as they entered, but her eyes were fixed on Sam. She wasn't expecting the older Carpenter to be here.
"Hey, Sam," Mindy said, trying to sound welcoming.
"I didn't think you were coming too."
Sam shrugged and looked at her sister.
"Wherever Tara goes, I go."
It was that no-bullshit attitude that made it sound like it was the simplest thing to say.
Tara nodded, but Mindy could sense some tension in the room. Her friends didn't seem thrilled about Sam's presence, but they didn't protest either. She wasn't exactly a fan favorite right now.
Unfortunately, along with the two sisters came the gawky and standoffish prig of a boyfriend, Richie.
The two made eye contact and Mindy begrudgingly forced a smile. But Richie knew everyone didn't want him there, minus Sam. He could feel it in the room and he wasn't a sight for sore eyes.
Mindy led everyone to the living room, where they settled on the couch and chairs.
Chad was noticeably quiet, his eyes darting around the room, seemingly uncomfortable with the situation.
Liv sat next to her, unaware of her big strong man feeling so small at the moment. She was just interested, practically itching, thinking of how tonight was going to go down.
"So," Mindy began, breaking the awkward silence.
"I guess we should start by sharing any information we might have or discussing any strange occurrences in town lately."
Y/N was the first to speak up to avert any suspicion from her in case she was too quiet tonight. They were so close to their master scheme.
"I heard some weird noises outside my window last night, but I didn't see anything when I looked." A simple lie.
She clung on to Amber's bicep, pressing her front to Amber's side. She nodded in agreement, catching on to another one of Y/N's pseudo-sympathy acts.
"Yeah, I thought I heard something too, but it was probably just an animal." Amber shrugged.
The rest of the girls followed in Y/N's facade, glancing at each other first before Liv spoke up.
"What have the police been doing about this shit? It's been months. They're the one's that are supposed to be solving this. Not us."
Anika nodded, trying convince the room.
"I'm with Liv. Let's not get ourselves involved."
She knew that Mindy's decision would sway, even if it was just by a tiny bit. Anika had way more power over Mindy than she thought.
Mindy sighed in frustration but was interrupted by Sam, who had been quiet until now.
"This man–this person, is plotting their single move every single second we're not taking action. We're just sitting ducks."
Some people were on Sam's side this time. She seemed to really want to get rid of these people, and they were on the same side.
Tara gave her sister a look, one of concern but also slight doubt. As much as she wanted to believe her sister was in no way involved in this, there was still a small voice in her head saying that Sam was suspicious.
Chad finally spoke up, his fingers stuck against each other.
"I think we should be careful, but if we can help, we should. It's better than doing nothing."
Mindy was glad to hear her brother have her back in this. Now she needed to hear the rest of the group.
As the group began to share their thoughts and experiences, it became clear that they were all on edge.
The Ghostface murders were affecting them more than they wanted to admit. Even with all of them there agreeing to get together to catch Ghostface once again, the meeting did not feel like a turning point, at least to the main four.
Y/N leaned back into Amber, watching the others discuss their thoughts out loud. Liv and Anika were unsure of how to feel about being there. Their reactions solely revolved on Y/N's actions, and she wasn't giving away much. Even they were convinced she was so into this.
Mindy watched as the group continued to discuss the recent Ghostface murders. Despite the tension that lingered in the air, she knew they had to address the elephant in the room.
Xavier's murder was a rather random one but it did have some significance. Mindy had a thought on the connection to Ghostface for awhile now and since she had everyone in the room, she decided it was time to confront Sam about her connection to Xavier.
Clearing her throat, Mindy turned to Sam, who was seated across the room. Richie was next to her, twiddling with his thumbs like an imbecilic child.
"Sam," she began cautiously, "I heard you used to hang out with Xavier and his older brother. Is that true?"
Sam shifted uncomfortably in her seat and nodded reluctantly. She was beginning to think that Mindy was trying to connect it back to her. All she wanted to do was protect her sister and yet she was being pointed fingers at. The thought annoyed her beyond compare.
"Yeah, we were friends back when we were kids. We did some dumb stuff together, but it was a long time ago."
Mindy gave her a unsmiling stare, arms crossed tight.
"Riiight," suspicion in her tone.
"And you used to babysit Xavier, right?"
Sam gritted her teeth, ready to shoot up from the couch.
"Xavier is a good kid. You think I would really kill him? And for what?"
Amber's eyes flashed with anger at the mention of Xavier.
"A good kid? That dumb fucking jock hurt Y/N, Sam! Do you know what he did to her?"
Everyone in that room turned to look at Y/N. All wide eyes were on her. She suddenly felt so small and targeted. She didn't think Amber would create an outburst like that and now that Sam's got her all riled up, thing might blow out of proportion.
She ignored everyone's worried faces and looked at Amber who was glaring at Sam.
"Baby..." Y/N pleaded in a quiet voice.
"Please don't get like this. Not right now."
Amber was about to respond when Mindy interjected, her voice stern. She didn't even bat an eyelash at Amber's interruption, focusing her questioning on Sam.
"You were no angel either, Sam."
Sam's eyes shot up, her face turning red with anger.
"What are you trying to say, Mindy? That I'm just as bad as him?"
Mindy didn't back down.
"I'm saying you both had a reputation for causing problems. It's no secret that you and his brother were close back then."
Sam slammed her hand on the coffee table.
"That was a long time ago! I'm not like that anymore."
Everyone else were sitting there watching the whole thing go down. Even Richie was watching like a little sheep. Liv looked around the room and made eye contact with Tara just as she was about to say something. They both were going to intervene from the looks of it.
"Hey, umm.. guys. Let's not-" Liv began, still looking over at Tara, hoping she had something else to fill in her sentence.
"Mindy, stop this. You're being ridiculous. Sam is not Ghostface."
Mindy stood her ground, her own frustration building.
"No I'm not, Tara. I just want the truth. Sam, did you have anything to do with Xavier's murder?"
Sam's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you serious? You think I would do something like that?"
Mindy's voice rose, matching Sam's anger.
"I don't know what to think anymore, Sam! All I know is that we need to get to the bottom of this, and your past with Xavier and his brother is suspicious."
"I haven't had contact with Thomas in years. You think if I wanted to get back at his brother I would killed Xavier a long time ago?!"
The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Amber's face was red with anger, Sam's eyes were brimming with tears, and Mindy felt her chest drumming with triumph.
"I..I didn't mean it to sound like that," Sam tried to fix her previous statement as she frantically observed the bewildered looks aimed at her.
But no one was giving her the time of day. Accusations and anger had torn a rift between them, and the group's unity was unraveling at its seams.
And among the torn hearts and baffled minds, the real threats were within their grasp. Sometimes Y/N forgot that her, Amber, and the other pair were behind all of this. This madness.
She checked on Amber again, making sure that she had cooled off. But the view of her tightened jaw was the answer that Y/N didn't want.
Sighing, she looked across her towards Liv and Anika. Anika was narrowing her gaze at Mind, seemingly irritated with her ignorance. Liv just looked indifferent as she comforted Chad.
They let some time pass, to grasp everything that was said. Tara was in between worlds. She felt like she was there in the room but not really, like it was just her body. She wished this wasn't her life; that her sister wasn't the daughter of the original Ghostface killer and didn't run away to leave her with their alcoholic mother who was barely home. In a way, she still resented Sam for making her life like this even though she was here right now.
With the group's tensions somewhat alleviated and their focus shifting back to the Ghostface murders, Mindy decided to bring up a different topic, one that had been nagging at her for a while.
"So, Y/N," Mindy began, trying to sound casual, "I heard you went to New York recently. How was your trip?"
Y/N, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly felt a surge of discomfort. She hadn't mentioned her trip to New York to her friends since she got back. Letting that moment of silence wasn't the best thing for her right now because that gave Mindy time to think about her next set of words. And Y/N knew exactly where she was going with this question.
"It was good," Y/N replied cautiously.
"I needed a break."
Mindy's curiosity got the better of her, and she continued, her tone becoming increasingly interrogative.
"New York, huh? That's kinda far from here. What made you wanna fly all the way across the country?"
Once again, that set off Amber's protective surge of anger. She didn't appreciate Mindy's intrusive questioning about her girlfriend's personal life.
"Don't fucking start, Mindy. Y/N went on a trip, and that's her business."
Liv and Anika turned to each other unnoticeably and nodded in agreement. They could sense that Mindy's line of questioning was making Y/N uncomfortable. They were uncertain if she could handle this on her own but they decided to back her up anyway. Afterall, there were power in numbers.
"I would wanna leave this place too. I've never even left Woodsboro," Liv added.
She was making a point. None of them had actually left Woodsboro, so she was very convincing.
Mindy, however, was persistent.
"I just find it strange, that's all. The Ghostface murders have been happening here, and Y/N decides to leave town right when things are getting intense."
Amber's anger flared, and she shot a menacing glare at Mindy.
"Are you accusing Y/N of something, Meeks?"
Chad, who had been relatively quiet during the recent arguments, could see that tensions were escalating once again.
He placed a calming hand on Amber's shoulder and said, "Let's not jump to conclusions. Mindy, maybe you should drop it."
Amber snapped her head towards Chad and he squeaked, seizing his hand from her shoulder.
Mindy, realizing that her line of questioning had gone too far, sighed in frustration.
"Fine, forget I asked. I'm just worried about everyone's safety, that's all."
Y/N thought to smile to show that she appreciated Mindy's concern. Inside, she felt a bit scared for being singled out like that but it was good thinking of Liv and Anika to come in.
"Yeah, thank you, Mindy."
She wasn't going to apologize for leaving town because in actuality, she needed the break from everyone. To avoid suspicion, she had to cut it short even though she wanted her stay to be longer.
As the tension in the room simmered, Liv and Anika felt the need to step in and defend Y/N from Mindy's prying questions to make sure that Y/N was out of her radar.
Liv, her voice firm but gentle, turned to Mindy.
"Mindy, we all have our reasons for needing a break sometimes. Y/N's trip to New York doesn't mean she's involved in any of this."
Anika chimed in, her tone more persuasive, "And besides, babe, we've all been on edge because of the Ghostface murders. It's not fair to single out Y/N."
Mindy sighed, realizing that she might have overstepped.
"I just... I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't mean to make you feel targeted. I guess I've been so on edge lately that I let my fear get the best of me. We're all a suspect really."
Y/N offered another fake smile.
"It's okay, Mindy. We're all feeling the pressure. Let's just focus on finding the truth together."
Anika, with her calming presence, continued to coax Mindy.
"We're all in this together, baby. Let's not turn on each other. We need to support one another if we want to get through this."
Mindy nodded, appreciating the support and understanding from her friends.
"You're right, Anika. I'm sorry for pushing so hard. Let's work together and put our energy into finding the fucker."
For now, everything was at neutral ground. A single word could really fracture that atmosphere, their trust in one another gradually fraying. Just as they attempted to regain their composure, Ethan, who everyone forgot was even there, cleared his throat, looking anxious.
"Um, I just wanted to say something," Ethan began, his voice shaky.
"I know I'm new here, but I've been researching the Ghostface murders, and I think I might have found something relevant."
Mindy's head snapped towards Ethan, her suspicions on high alert. The recent attack on her had left her wary of newcomers, especially when it came to discussing the murders. And Ethan wasn't her favorite person right now.
"What do you mean, you've been researching?" Mindy asked, her voice sharp.
"How did you even get involved in this?"
Ethan shifted nervously under Mindy's scrutinizing gaze.
"Well, like I said, Mindy. I wanted to help. I thought I could look into it and maybe find some leads."
Mindy's eyes narrowed as she regarded Ethan with skepticism. She had been attacked just a month ago, and now this newcomer was digging into the Ghostface murders? What more information could he have?
"You just waltzed into our group, and now you're investigating the murders? How do we even know you're not involved?" Mindy's voice was accusatory, and her friends exchanged uneasy glances.
Ethan's face paled, and he stammered, "I swear, I'm not involved in any of this! I just wanted to help."
Mindy's anger boiled over, fueled by fear and mistrust from the day after her attack.
"We don't even know you, Ethan. You could be anyone. How can we trust you?"
Chad, who had been mostly quiet during the previous arguments, stepped in, attempting to diffuse the situation.
"Mindy, cut this shit right now. Ethan just wants to help."
But Mindy wasn't ready to back down. She was determined to protect her friends, even if it meant alienating someone who might genuinely want to assist.
"I won't take any chances," Mindy declared, her voice trembling with anger and fear.
"You need to leave, Ethan. We can't have someone we don't trust involved in this."
Ethan looked crestfallen, but he nodded and slowly got up from his seat.
Chad groaned and sprung up before Ethan could take another step.
"No, dude. Stay."
He barged over to Mindy, face close to hers with his teeth gritted so hard they could break.
"Mindy, you're being way too much right now. You need to dial it back down like a thousand notches."
Mindy wasn't one to back down from an argument and she definitely wasn't going to take this from her younger brother.
"I'm the only person that seems to want to figure this shit out–"
"That is not it. We ALL want to find this fucking guy..or girl."
As the group sat in the dimly lit living room, the atmosphere was heavy with suspicion and tension. The heated exchanges from earlier still lingered in the air, and everyone felt emotionally drained.
Mindy still couldn't shake her nagging suspicion that Sam and Richie might have something to do with the Ghostface murders.
"Look, we need to address the fact that the murders started when Sam and Richie came back to Woodsboro."
Sam's eyes flashed with anger, and she clenched her fists.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me with this shit."
Mindy hesitated but persisted.
"I'm not accusing anyone, Sam. I'm just saying it's a strange coincidence."
Richie, who had been mostly quiet throughout the evening, finally spoke up.
"We had nothing to do with those murders. We came back to Woodsboro for Tara, not to cause trouble."
Amber, still upset about what happened to Y/N, chimed in, "I don't know, Mindy. It does seem suspicious that the murders started when they returned.
As much as she was pissed off at Mindy, she was still going to do anything to paint Y/N as an angel.
Sam's voice quivered with anger and frustration.
"This is ridiculous! We've been through so much, and we would never hurt anyone."
Chad, trying to mediate, said, "Really, Mindy? Stop pointing fingers."
But Mindy couldn't let it go. Her paranoia and fear had pushed her to the brink, and she was desperate for answers.
"I just want to know the truth, Sam. I can't ignore the timing of it all."
The argument escalated once again, with accusations and angry words flying between Mindy and Sam. The rest of the group watched in weary silence, too tired and emotionally drained to intervene. The Ghostface murders had taken a toll on their friendships, and the bonds that once held them together were unraveling.
Hours passed as the argument raged on, with no resolution in sight. In the end, they were all left feeling exhausted and hopeless, trapped in a web of suspicion and fear that showed no signs of dissipating.
The argument in Mindy's living room had reached a standstill, leaving everyone frustrated and emotionally drained. Sam, who had been the target of Mindy's suspicion, couldn't take it any longer. She slammed her hand on the coffee table, demanding everyone's attention.
"This is fucking stupid!" Sam shouted, her voice quivering with frustration.
"This is the third meeting we're having a meeting over this and it's brought us to fucking nowhere every time."
Mindy jumped where she stood, a bit startled by Sam's yelling. Even when she crossed her arms, she felt unstable, like a towering pillar about to crumble.
Sam huffed. "Instead of putting the blame on me, we should be trying to figure out who's behind these murders!"
Amber wanted to get a rise out of her so she threw more gasoline into the flames.
"How do we know you're not involved?"
Liv, Anika, and Y/N joined in, their frustration boiling over as well. They were really stirring the pot with this one.
"Yeah, Sam, how do we know?" they all echoed in unison.
Sam's eyes filled with tears, a mix of anger and hurt.
"I can't believe you're all ganging up on me like this! I thought you were my friends!"
Mindy, who had initiated the accusations, looked taken aback by the sudden turn of events. She had started this, but now her friends were turning their suspicions towards her.
Chad, who had been trying to mediate throughout the evening, stepped in once again.
"Okay, let's calm down, guys. Accusing each other won't solve anything."
But the others weren't ready to back down. They had reached a breaking point, and their fear and frustration had pushed them to confront Sam.
Anika, her voice trembling, asked, "Sam, can you explain why the murders started when you and Richie came back to town?"
Sam wiped away tears and took a deep breath.
"I can't explain it. It's a terrible coincidence, but it doesn't mean we're involved."
Y/N, visibly shook, interrupted with a trembling, "We need answers, Sam. We need to know we can trust everyone in this group."
The room fell silent, the weight of the accusations and the fear of the Ghostface killer hanging over them. Sam felt cornered and hurt, and Mindy realized that her own suspicions had led to this confrontation.
As the tension in Mindy's living room reached its peak, Sam, overwhelmed by the accusations and the confrontation, made a move to get up and leave.
She couldn't bear the weight of suspicion from her friends any longer. But before she could reach the door, Tara's voice pierced the air.
"Stop, Sam!" Tara's scream was filled with anger and desperation, freezing Sam in her tracks.
Sam turned to her sister, her eyes filled with confusion and hurt.
"Tara, let me go. This is just too much."
Tara, her face flushed with anger, stood up and pointed an accusatory finger at Sam.
"No, you don't get to walk away from this, Sam. You're the reason all of this is happening!"
Sam's eyes widened in shock by her own sister's accusation. Of all the people, she didn't expect Tara to get like this.
"What? How is this my fault?"
Tara took a deep breath, her voice trembling with anger and frustration.
"You left this town, and everything was quiet. But as soon as you came back, these murders started. It's like you brought this fucking nightmare with you."
Sam's face contorted with a mixture of anger and hurt. She tried so hard to fight the fresh tears that were coming up.
"That's not fair, Tara. And you know this."
Tara shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I can't believe you're so blind! Can't you see the pattern here?"
The sisters began to argue, their voices growing louder and more impassioned with each passing second. The rest of the group watched in silence, not knowing how to intervene in this deeply personal and emotional dispute.
Sam's voice cracked with emotion.
"I can't believe you're blaming me for all of this, Tara! I thought you'd understand. I'm just trying to protect you."
Tara's anger softened momentarily as she looked at her sister, but her resolve remained firm. "You keep saying that Sam but I'm beginning to think otherwise. All I've gotten was hurt from you since you came back. We all have."
The room was filled with a heavy, uncomfortable silence as the sisters glared at each other, the weight of their argument hanging in the air. The accusation had driven a wedge between them, further straining the already fractured bonds within the group. The Ghostface murders had taken a toll on their friendships and now threatened to tear apart even the closest of siblings.
As the argument between Sam and Tara continued to escalate, the rest of the group watched in helpless dismay. The once-tight-knit circle of friends had been shattered by suspicion and anger, and it seemed there was no end in sight.
Feeling the need to take charge and mend the growing rift within the group, Y/N stood up abruptly, her voice firm and determined. Now that the group was at its lowest point, she knew that everyone would be easily influenced and they would follow whatever nonsense spilled out of her mouth.
"This isn't getting us anywhere. We're all scared and frustrated, but we need to support each other instead of getting like this. Fighting isn't going to do shit."
Liv and Anika just followed whatever move Y/N was going with and Amber was just being a supportive girlfriend as usual. The rest had all grown tired of the constant arguing and accusations.
The siblings weren't even listening Sam nearly tore off the door hinges like last time and was making a break for the car while Tara threw herself back on the couch.
Y/N turned to Chad.
"You and me, jock boy. Let's go."
Chad, at first confused, followed after Y/N anyway.
Liv and Anika exchanged a glance and then moved to Tara's side to offer her support. Amber wanted to get involved and made her way to Tara as much as she didn't want to be near her.
As Y/N approached Sam, she gently placed a hand on her shoulder, interrupting the argument. "Sam, we're here for you. We may have our doubts, but we also care about you."
Chad added, "Yeah, we're all stressed out, and it's making us say things we don't mean."
Sam's anger began to wane as she looked into the sincere eyes of Y/N, Chad who had come to support her. Richie didn't even think of coming outside again until the last minute. Sam realized that her friends were hurting just as much as she was, and they needed each other more than ever.
Tara, on the other hand, was still upset, but Liv and Anika offered their empathy and a listening ear. They recognized that Tara's frustration and fear had driven her to blame her sister, and they took it upon themselves to comfort her while at the same thing sprinkling some blame onto Sam so there was a shred of doubt in the back of Tara's head.
Slowly but surely, the tension in the room began to ease. While Sam and Tara's relationship was still strained, the group was no longer at each other's throats. Regardless, Sam and Richie went home. Tara did not want to go with them so she stayed at the Twins's, so did everyone else.
Anika stood up after she was done comforting Tara and scanned the room at the exhausted faces.
"Is anyone hungry?"
Chad immediately beamed.
"Oh yeah, I'm starving."
Mindy rolled her eyes, going over to grab her phone to call for pizza.
"You're always hungry as if you're not eating all the time."
Her brother shrugged, hoping over the couch to sit.
"I'll have a large meat lover's pizza with extra pepperoni."
As she rolled her eyes and put the phone to her ear, Mindy groaned.
"Cashapp me, dumbass."