Scott hears a noise outside and pauses to listen for danger. The scene cuts to the front porch, where Scott, now in a red hoodie, walks outside with a wooden baseball bat in hand as he investigates what is causing the noise.
Suddenly, a figure appears hanging from the roof, and Scott yelps in terror, almost hitting the person in the face with his bat until he realizes that it is Hope Stilinski, his best friend, who is yelping just as loudly.
"Ahh!"
Scott huffs in frustration and annoyance before lowering his bat. "Hope, what the hell are doing here?!"
"You weren't answering your phone! Why do you have a bat, hey wait, isn't that mine?" Hope asked, eyeing the bat in his hands.
"Oh my God! It is!" Hope exclaimed, hitting Scott's shoulder, who yelped.
"Ow!"
"I thought you were a predator! And maybe." Scott huffed.
"What? I feel so offended!" Hope exclaimed, dramatically.
Hope looks at Scott, clearly offended by the implication, before scoffing and changing the subject to why she's there.
"Look, I know it's late, but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called-- they're bringing in every officer from the Beacon Department, and even state police."
"You listen to all his phone calls?" Sam asked.
Hope scoffed. "Nah, I just listen to the important ones."
"Right."
"For what?" Scott frowned.
Hope has difficulty concealing her glee regarding her answer. "Two joggers found a body in the woods."
"Sorry." Hope apologized to Derek as she heard how it sounded.
"It's alright." Derek replied.
Reaching up to pull herself free of the trellis, Hope lands on her feet in front of Scott, who still looks confused.
"What, a dead body?"
"Okay, yeah. Stupid question." Scott put his hands up in offense.
Hope reaches up and leans on the railing to look at Scott at eye-level with a sarcastic expression. "No, a body of water." She rolls her eyes. "Yes, dumbass, a dead body!"
Scott looks unnerved about this news as Hope climbs over the railing to join him on the porch.
"You mean, like, murdered?"
"Nobody knows yet. Just that it was a girl, probably in her twenties." Hope replied.
"Hold on, if they found the body, then what are they looking for?" Scott questioned, confused.
Hope becomes overwhelmed with glee at the drama of this situation as she finishes the story. "That's the best part-- they only found half."
"The best part?" Sam questioned, a little disturbed.
"Duh!"
"We're going!"
~👍~
The two pull into the preserve in Hope's teal blue Jeep, illuminating the sign warning against entry after dark with the Jeep's headlights. Hope gets out with a flashlight in hand. Scott follows, hurrying to keep up with her as the walk in the dark woods.
"We're seriously doing this?"
"You're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town." Hope reminded him. "And look! Now something is happening!"
"Not exactly what I meant." Scott mumbled. "I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow."
"Why so you can just sit on the bench?" Hope asked, sarcastically.
"What? No! Because I'm playing this year. In fact, I'm making first line." Scott told her.
Hope looks back at Scott in disbelief. "Hey, that's the spirit! Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one."
Scott rolls his eyes. "Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?"
"How am I supposed to know that? They didn't say anything about that." Hope shrugged.
"Makes sense."
Scott's breathing starts to become rapid, shallow, and wheezy as the two continue up the hill, with Scott struggling to keep up with Hope's quick pace.
"Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, huh?"
"Is that how you lost your inhaler.?" Melissa asked her son who nodded, sheepishly.
Scott leans his back against a nearby tree as he pulls his inhaler out of his pocket. However, when Hope keeps pushing on, Scott continues to make his way up the hill after him.
When they see a handful of people ahead of them waving flashlights around as part of the search, Hope and Scott dive behind a large fallen tree branch as they plan their next move, turning off the flashlight so they don't attract attention. Unfortunately for them both, Hope impatience eventually wins out, and she whispers back to Scott as she jumps up and runs toward the action.
"C'mon!"
"Wait, Hope!"
"Come on!"
"Hope!"
Hope finally hears the last attempt to call her name, but the split second of distraction caused the nearby K9 officer to start barking at her, scaring her so much she falls backwards onto the ground.
The deputy with the search dog immediately points his flashlight at Hope as she tries to recover from the shock.
"Hold it right there!"
Hope puts her hands up while Scott, several meters behind him, hides behind a nearby tree, pressing his back to it and closing his eyes as though it will keep him from being seen. Just then, another male voice is heard-- it is Noah Stilinski, Hope's father and the Sheriff of Beacon County.
"Hang on, hang on..."
Hope stands to her feet, shielding her eyes from the bright flashlight held toward her by the deputy.
"This little delinquent belongs to me." Noah sighs, used to it.
Hope waves with a smile. "Hi, dad."
"So, do you, uh, listen in to all of my phone calls?"
"Only the important or the one's that interest me." Hope answered with honestly.
"Now, where's your usual partner in crime?" Noah asked.
"Scott? Well, he's a home. Y'know, wanting to sleep instead of look with me." Hope lied.
Well, young lady, I'm gonna walk you back to your car... And then you and I are gonna have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy." Noah said as she followed him with a sigh.
~~~~~
ITS BACK!!!!! WHO'S EXCITED!!!