Friday, October 24, 1997
6:05 am
It had been a few hours since you and Sid were attacked by Ghostface at the Delta Lambda house. Your group gathered in the hospital where Derek's arm was being stitched up while the rest of you underwent short interrogations by the police.
They had asked you about your relations with the previous years' murders as well as the current ones. It was determined that the killer's motive likely stemmed from the idea of becoming Billy Loomis' successor, their goal being to kill off all survivors of Stu Macher's party. Meaning, everyone from Woodsboro was currently in the red zone.
Especially you and Sidney.
The police decided it was best if the two of you were each assigned your own bodyguards. You weren't sure how to feel about having two grown men watching your every move until this murder mystery was solved. But it wasn't like you weren't already used to being watched...
Thankfully, those guards haven't been assigned yet as you stood beside Derek while the nurse wrapped up his wound. He felt pretty grim after what happened, especially since Sidney hadn't spoken a single word to him after leaving the sorority house. She sat alone after being questioned, wallowing in her own self-condemnation.
"She can't even look at me," Derek muttered, wincing as the nurse wound the bandage a bit tightly.
"She feels guilty..." You voiced, gaze flickering down to his arm. "She thinks it's her fault you got hurt."
"But it's not. I chose to go after the killer, I thought I could stop him." He insisted. "Sid shouldn't blame herself."
Before you could respond, two sheriffs stepped around the curtain as it was Derek's turn to be interrogated. You knew that was your cue to leave when Dewey stood not far behind them, nodding you over.
"She just needs some time," you said, patting Derek's shoulder sympathetically. "She'll come around."
"Thanks." He whispered, giving a small smile. You returned the smile before heading over to Dewey.
"Hey, how're you feeling? You alright?" Dewey asked softly, almost like he thought you'd break if he spoke any louder. Although you weren't visibly brooding like Sid, you felt just as bad as she did. On top of that, you felt extremely guilty for keeping Stu and Billy a secret from her. You knew they were here—you've even spoken with them—yet, you still haven't told anyone. That was betrayal in itself. And Sidney's had enough betrayal in her life.
"If I had a nickel for every time someone's asked me that today," You let out a huff of air.
"I know. I'm sorry." Dewey cracked a smile at your half-hearted joke. "I just worry about you two. Trouble seems to follow no matter where you go. I'm afraid to take my eyes off you kids for even a second."
"Dewey, it's not just us that's unsafe. I meant it when I said to watch your back," You cautioned. "You know what it's like to lose someone important to you— we both lost a sibling last year. I couldn't stand it if you or anyone else got killed too."
The despair your eyes carried was enough for Dewey to pull you into a warm embrace as he sought to bring you solace.
"We're going to find whoever's doing this, and put a stop to them before they can hurt anyone else." He stated reassuringly while rubbing your back. You nodded against his chest, wanting to believe him, regardless of how low the chances were.
"Did Randy tell you we were meeting up for lunch later?" Dewey asked as you eventually broke apart. "You think you're still up for it?"
"Yeah," You smiled with a newfound determination. "The sooner we throw this killer behind bars, the sooner I can go back to living a normal life. And I mean that for all of us."
"That's the spirit!" Dewey cheered, making you laugh.
"Well, I'm gonna check on Sid, see if she needs anything. I'll talk to you later."
"Alright," He said, returning to his serious detective mode, scanning the hall for any suspicious activity.
You made your way over to Sidney, who was sitting just a few feet away. She stared blankly at the wall, arms crossed as you sat down next to her. You were quiet for a few moments, allowing her to decide whether to speak or not.
"You know, I knew this was coming." Sid continued to stare ahead, finally breaking the silence. "I knew this wasn't over."
"Me too." You admitted, staring down at your hands.
"That poor girl," Sidney stated, thinking about the unfortunate death of Cici Cooper. "How is it that Billy has managed to ruin more lives without even lifting a finger?"
You could feel your hands clamming up when she turned her head to look at you. Though Sidney's question was rhetorical, it seemed as if she was actually waiting for an answer.
"I don't know." You whispered while shaking your head.
"All the people that died by his hands deserve justice. My mother deserves justice." She said, looking away again. "But if the police haven't found them by now, I know they never will."
Sidney would hate you for not turning in both Billy and Stu immediately. If it weren't already clear now, that sure solidified it.
Luckily, you spotted Hallie and Mickey walking over just in time to redirect the conversation from Billy. "I'm gonna grab a quick coffee, you guys want any?" Hallie offered.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks." You smiled whereas Sidney declined with a single head shake.
Hallie left through the double doors, and Mickey moved to sit beside you. "How're you two doing? You guys holding up okay?"
"Not at all," Sidney heaved a heavy sigh, glancing over toward her boyfriend as he was still being questioned. "Derek could've been killed, you know."
"But he wasn't. He's fine." Mickey assured. "He just needs to realize that the '90s is no time to play hero."
Sidney closed her eyes, fighting back the smile that almost broke through. You, too, wanted to laugh but decided it was best to refrain.
"Why would anyone wanna go back into that house anyways?" Mickey whispered, gaze darting to you then immediately back to Sid. You noticed how her eyes widened slightly as if she were hit with a new realization.
If she trusted Derek before, her expression told you that she certainly didn't now.
"I need a minute." Sid said as she suddenly stood, and you watched as she rushed out the same doors Hallie exited.
You nudged Mickey in the ribs, earning a small "ow" from him as your brows furrowed in frustration. "Why would you say that?" You asked.
"It was a valid question!" He defended.
"Doesn't mean you should ask it." You countered. "Sid already has enough trust issues as is, now you've gone and made them worse."
"You can't blame me for something that was already fucked up in the first place." He said, making you scoff.
"You're a dick." You crossed your arms, shifting your body to face away from him as you glared at the wall in front of you. Mickey sighed, already regretting his words.
"Okay, okay, that was fucked up. I shouldn't have said it like that. I'm sorry." He apologized. "But still, don't you find it odd that the killer managed to miss every major artery and nerve in Derek's arm?"
You slowly turned to face Mickey again after listening to his genuine question.
"What're you trying to say? You think it's Derek?" You asked, eyebrows raising at his subtle accusations.
"All I'm saying is, is that it's odd." He reiterated, not trying to point any fingers.
"Well, I don't want to think about any of it right now... I'm just so tired." You said, both physically and mentally. You wished you could just shut your brain off even for a few minutes.
"I know," Mickey wrapped his arm around you comfortingly, pulling you closer. "It'll be okay."
You rested your head against his shoulder, hoping to find some peace in his presence, but the second you closed your eyes all you could hear was Billy's voice in the back of your head.
"You gotta thing for killers."
Your eyes shot back open, inhaling sharply as you thought about how close you were with Mickey. Maybe Sid was right about distancing herself from Derek... maybe that's something you should be doing too. You care about Mickey a lot, you do, but you can't afford to be wrong about someone again.
Even if he isn't the killer, it'll be safer in the long run to stay away. He can't get hurt if you detach yourself from him.
And that's just what you'll have to start doing for anyone who isn't a Woodsboro native.