𝕹𝖔𝖙 𝕴𝖓 𝕸𝖞 𝕸𝖔𝖛𝖎𝖊! - Scream 1 (1996) ✅

.Part 14

It was getting late, and one by one, the teenagers began filing out through the front door, mumbling excuses about parents and curfews with a grumble of dissatisfaction hanging on their tongues. Gracie found the whole thing amusing, leaning against the doorway beside Stuart as the two of them waved off the departing guests, playing the part of the good hosts.

The door remained wide open, letting in a crisp breeze and the fading sound of laughter from the retreating crowd. Sidney approached them, clearly intending to ask if they'd seen Tatum, but before she could speak, Billy suddenly appeared, springing from the shadows with a classic fake scare. Sidney jumped, startled beyond reason, while Gracie merely flinched, having expected as much from someone like Billy.

"Billy? Jesus, you scared me!" Sidney gasped, hand over her chest.

Billy leaned against the doorframe, effortlessly cool in his worn leather jacket and faded blue jeans. His eyes raked over Gracie's body slowly, taking pleasure in the sight of the visible bite mark he had left on her shoulder earlier, before turning his full attention to Sidney. Stuart, who had been silently observing, smirked as he rubbed his chin and gave Billy a knowing look.

"Dude. What are you doing here?" he asked, the tone more teasing than confrontational. Billy rolled his eyes at his friend but answered anyway, "I was hoping Sid and I could talk."

All eyes now shifted to Sidney, waiting for her response. She hesitated, clearly caught in an internal debate. Gracie, sensing the awkward tension creeping into the air, stepped in before it settled. "If Tatum sees you, she'll draw blood," she said with a dry laugh, knowing Tatum's temper well. Stuart, ever the instigator, jumped in again. "You guys can go up to my parents' room. To talk and... whatever," he added, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Billy.

Gracie nudged him sharply in the ribs. "Subtlety, Stu. Subtlety," she muttered under her breath.

Eventually, Sidney relented, deciding to give Billy the chance to explain whatever it was he had on his mind. She took his hand and led him up the staircase, and just before they disappeared down the hall, Billy turned and gave Gracie a wink, one she returned with a look of faint amusement.

Stuart and Gracie's eyes remained locked on the spot the couple had vanished from when Randy suddenly emerged from the kitchen, just in time to catch the tail end of Billy and Sidney disappearing upstairs. "What's Leatherface doing here?" he asked with a raised brow.

"He came to make up. Ain't that sweet," Stuart cooed in a mock-lovesick voice, clutching his hands to his chest like a soap opera star. Randy lingered in the doorway, his eyes flicking between Stuart and Gracie, recalling something that clearly unsettled him—likely memories from earlier that night.

Stuart noticed the look and his smirk darkened into a quiet warning. "You'll keep shut, won't you?" he said smoothly, his tone light but loaded. He didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he bent down and hoisted Gracie over his shoulder in one swift motion. He was even considerate enough to hold the hem of her skirt in place, shielding her modesty from everyone—everyone except him and Billy.

Tucked neatly between two random knick-knacks on the living room bookshelf sat a small camera, completely inconspicuous and overlooked by the dozens of teenagers who had passed by it throughout the night. It remained unnoticed, its lens blinking patiently. The crowd had thinned dramatically, leaving behind only the true horror diehards who clustered around the television, their eyes glued to the grainy movie playing. Stuart and Gracie sat just as they had before, her body curled comfortably on his lap as they shared the last of their beer.

Stuart kept glancing upward with a smug expression, clearly enjoying the knowledge of what was happening in the room above them, while Gracie's eyes continued to shift around the room, a sense of being watched prickling at her skin.