❤ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 ❤ (ɢʜᴏꜱᴛꜰᴀᴄᴇ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ)

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟛: 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐝

╔══════ ∘◦ ☆ ◦∘ ══════╗

Y/N = your name
L/N = your last name
N/N = nickname

TW: mentions of murder, graphic mentions of violence

General notes: lots of dialogue towards the end

word count: 965

╚══════ ∘◦ ☆ ◦∘ ══════╝

I try my best to focus on my breathing, staring at the linoleum of the classroom floor. It was first period, not unbearably early but still not the most tolerable. 

The teacher was mumbling so quietly, you could hear the second hand of the clock ticking away. I never could read analogue. I tap my pencil gently, almost rhythmically along the edge if my notebook.

As the teacher went on and on about pre-calculus or complex algebra or whatever teachers usually go on about during first period, I couldn't bring myself to concentrate, not even a little bit. 

The teacher's words all melted together like a wad of candy left in the back of a hot car on a summer's day. It felt like someone had smudged the camera lens of my life with heavy-handed fingers. Blame it on lack of sleep, grief or what have you. Any way you slice it, it felt like I was losing my fucking mind.

The school bell rang, loudly and sharply throughout the classroom. Unmistakably and unapologetically interupting my teacher mid sentence. He sighs, dismissing us in a tired sort of way as most adults who lead unfulfilling lives tend to act.

I get up from my desk and head out to lunch. I leave the building, looking around from someone to sit with.

Tatum and Sid are already sitting on the fountain with their boyfriends and Randy's there as per usual.

"Hey, guys." I greet, I get a murmur of hellos back. We talk a little amongst ourselves but the subject abruptly changes to Casey Becker's murder.

"Did you hear about Casey and Steve?" Tatum asks.

"Yeah, those two were killed last night, right?" I add, treading lightly for both my own and Sid's sake.

"We're not just talking killed here, we're talking splatter moving killed." Tatum goes into detail, I shift in my seat a little. "Ripped open from end to end." 

"That sucks, she sits next to me in English." Sid adds.

"Not anymore." Tatum keeps going. "It's tragic, her parents found her strung up in a tree her insides on the outside."-

"Oh my god, do they know who did it?" I ask.

"I mean they interogated the entire school - teachers, students, janitors. They're still totally clueless." Tatum replies.

"Do they think it's school related?" I question.

"They don't know I mead Dewey was saying it's the worst crime they've seen in years, I mean since...well, it's bad." Tatum says, a little tactlessly. I glance at Sid, she looks uncomfortable to say the least.

"Um, what kinds of questions did they ask you guys? They haven't talked to me yet." I hastily change the subject.

"They asked me if I was close to Casey." Sid says.

"They asked me that too." Tatum responds.

"Did they ask you if you liked to hunt?" Stu asks.

"Yeah. They ask you?" Billy adds.

"Hunt? Why would they ask you if you liked to hunt?" Tatum says, looking confused. If I'm being honest, I'm pretty confused too.

"Because their bodies were gutted." Randy replies.

"Thank you, Randy." Billy says, in his usual sarcastic way.

"They didn't ask me if I liked to hunt." Tatum adds.

"Because there's no way a girl could've killed them." Stu puts simply. I give him a look.

"That is so sexist, the killer could easily be female, Basic Instinct." Tatum scoffs.

"That was an ice pick, not exactly the same thing." Randy says.

"Yeah. Casey and Steve were completely hollowed out and the fact is that it takes a man to do something like that." Stu goes on. Tatum shakes her head at him.

"Or a man's mentality." Tatum adds.

"How do you gut someone?" I ask timidly. I regret it as soon as I the words leave my mouth. Sid looks upset and everyone looks at me. The silence is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

"You take a knife and you slit 'em from groin to sternum." Stu explains, breaking the silence.

"Hey! It's called tact, you fuckrag." Billy scolds. I fidget with my hands uncomfortably.

"Hey, Stu didn't you used to date Casey?" Sid asks abruptly.

"Yeah, for like two seconds." Stu says.

"Before she dumped you for Steve." Randy taunts.

"I thought you dumped her for me." Tatum replies.

"I did, he's full of shit." Stu says threateningly.

"And are the police aware that you dated the victim?" Randy asks.

"What are you saying? That I killed her?" Stu jeers.

"It would certainly improve your highschool cue." Randy states.

"Stu, was with me last night, okay." Tatum vouches for Stu.

"Yeah, I was." Stu smirks. Gross.

"Was that before or after he sliced and diced? " Randy asks. Sid pulls away from Billy, looking uncomfortable.

"Fuck you nutcase, where were you last night?" Tatum snaps.

"Working, thank you." Randy says mater-o-factly.

"What at the video store? I thought they fired yor sorry ass." Tatum rolls her eyes.

"Twice." Randy smiles snarkily, popping a grape in his mouth.

"Nah, I didn't kill anybody." Stu says.

"Nobody said you did." Billy adds.

"Thanks, buddy." Stu thanks sarcastically.

"Besides it takes a man to do something like that." Randy says, mocking Stu's voice.

"Yo, I'm gonna gut your ass in a second kid." Stu threatens menacingly.

"Tell me something." Randy starts."Did you really put her liver in the mail box, because I heard that they found her liver in the mail box next to her spleen and her pancreas."

Sid looks even more uncomfortable than before and moves away from Billy completely.

"Quit it, you goonfuck I'm trying to eat here." Tatum snaps.

"Careful, Randy she's getting mad better liver alone."Stu jokes, cracking up from his own joke. Sid turns over to Billy and kisses him goodbye. 

Billy stares at me as their lips meet and keeps them on me as she leaves. I break eye contact abruptly, looking at the ground.

"Liver alone!" Stu grins, albeit a little insensitively. Billy punches Stu lightly.

"Ow, liver, liver, liv- it was a joke."