Last Summer 🔪Scream 1996

Ch. 7: Up Front

I open my eyes, seeing movie and band posters lining his walls, shelves of cassettes and CD's stand in the far corner next to a messy desk with a boom box sitting on it. An unmade bed sits in the center of the room, a spot light shining down on it from a crack in the blackout curtains.

Stu walks around me, opening the curtains as he quickly makes the bed. I watch as he fixes it with no problem before laying down and tapping the blanket next to him. I walk forward, sitting down as I open my bag and grab two borrowed textbooks from this last school year.

"I figured we could just do Calculus today and plan to do Biology a different time..."

"Oh yeah!"

He hops up, grabbing a jar off a shelf and getting two twenties out before handing them to me. I watch him put the jar back with a raised eyebrow as I slip the money into my bag.

"Money up front and paid."

I smile as I open the text book, turning to page twenty five before grabbing paper and pencils. I look up at him as he goes to sit down, smiling as I look up.

"Do you have the notes I gave you the other day?"

"Yeah...hold on..."

He walks over to the desk, opening the top drawer before digging in and pulling out my notebooks. He smiles at me as he sits down, holding them out for me to take. I grab them with a smile, opening up my math notebook and looking back up at him with a large smile on my face.

"Let's get started!"

——

"Same time tomorrow?"

I'm packing up as Stu rubs his head, recovering from the hour and a half long math session. I grip my bag strap as I wait patiently for his response. He stands, exhaling before throwing me a smile.

"Uh...yeah! We can even hang out after...I mean if you want..."

He tries to act all nonchalant, arms crossed as he shrugs. I play like I don't want to as I shrug myself.

"Hmmm...I don't know...maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"Yes. Maybe." I smirk as I grab the last of my things, walking towards the door as he watches me. "It depends on how well you do tomorrow...See ya!"

I wave as I walk down the hall, admiring the interior of this beautiful house before I make my way down the stairs and out the door.

——

I decide to walk towards Tiff's, passing houses and buildings as I move down the street. I get there in record time as I reach up and knock on the door. It flies open revealing her older sister, Bonnie.

"Hey, Chris! Come on in!"

I smile in greeting as I walk in, following Bonnie as she walks into the kitchen. She grabs a glass out of the cabinet before grabbing the orange juice out of the refrigerator, pouring it before taking a sip.

"Tiffany's not here right now...she went out with a guy from school..."

"Really?"

My eyes widen as I walk fully into the room, gripping the strap to my bag as she smiles. She takes another sip before looking at me again, swirling her drink around as she begins to speak.

"Oh yeah! Martin wasn't to happy to see the guy...apparently they're in the same class and he's not that happy that his little sister is dating a guy who's heading to college..."

"Wow...who is it?"

"I don't know...some guy she met at a party...do you want some?"

She offers me a glass as I brush my hair back. I shake my head as I give her a closed lip smile. She shrugs as she takes another sip, finishing the glass before walking over and rinsing it out.

"What did you want Tiff for anyways?"

"Uh...just to hangout..."

I smile at her as she looks at me, washing the glass before drying it and putting it away. She dries off her hands before turning and smiling at me.

"Would you like to go to the mall?"

"I don't know..."

"Come on. We never hangout. And I know, you're my sister's friend, but I have to take Darnell with me and we're going with Casey. Which I love both of them, but Casey feeds off of playfulness and when she's around Darnell, he's almost to much to handle....and you're a really cool person when you're not locked away in your own personal cell..."

"So you want me to go...to be a buffer?"

"No. I want you to go because you're an amazing person who I hardly get to see!" I cross my arms as I look at her, waiting for her to continue. "And I want you to be a buffer..."

"Is Maddy going to be there?"

"No. She has violin lessons until 5:30 and after that she's going to an art exhibit with her father...you know, rich girl problems..."

"Good...because I really don't like her..."

"I don't really either...she's Casey's friend which means I have to like her...I mean she's a total bitch to everyone she meets! And her dad is no better....he spends his days yelling at everyone in his path and his nights fucking his secretary...no wonder her mom is a pill popping drunk..."

Her eyes widen as she looks at me, holding up her hands.

"I wasn't supposed to say any of that..."

"I-it's okay...I won't tell anyone..."

This is one of the reasons why we don't hang out as much. Bonnie is the type of gossiper who doesn't mean to gossip, they just do. Words flow out of their mouths faster than Niagara Falls. That's why if I ever have a big secret, I won't be telling her.

"Well...let's go. I still need to pick up Casey and swing by to get Darnell from his Karate class..."

I nod as I follow her out the door, heading for the jeep that she shares with her sister. The Roman family is one of those where it's large to some people, but small or average to others.

Althea, Tiff's mom, is a realtor for multiple districts in this part of California. Martin Sr. is a doctor at the local hospital and is gone most nights. Martin Jr., also known as the oldest of the Roman siblings, just turned nineteen and will be heading off to college with his best friends this fall.

Bonnie and Tiffany are both still in high school, Bonnie in the grade above Tiff and I l. She was born almost exactly eleven months before Tiff and hates it. Their parents took a small break after that, all the way up until eleven years ago when Darnell was born. Now Althea is pregnant again, a girl who will be named after her mother, Miranda.

I've spent many nights here with this family, to the point where I feel they're my own sometimes.

🔪🗡

A/N

A deeper look at Tiff and her family! I honestly can't wait until I try to do scream 5....it'll be fun!

Drink water!!!!!

Love
-the Author