deception: ethan landry

𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝓇𝑒𝓅𝑒𝒶𝓉𝓈 𝒾𝓉𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻

we both followed tara into the living room, fixing our hair, and adjusting our clothes. my heart was racing, i knew what was coming but was not ready in the slightest to hear the words. 

when we entered the living room, we were met with the familiar faces of our friends, and "cute guy" from across the apartment. ethan took a seat beside chad, and quinn pulled me beside her, putting her legs on me, and resting her head on my shoulder, turning on the t.v. 

"whose names have been released as jason carvey and greg..." the news man went on before i interrupted realizing who they were talking about. "holy shit," i said as mindy started, "that's that chode from our film studies class,"my eyes met ethans who was already staring at me. my breath picked up, thinking of all the possibilities. maybe this wasn't what i thought it was, but then what the fuck was it? 

tara looked at sam before she started panicking herself, we all looked at sam for reassurance that this wasn't what we thought it was, what we hoped it wasn't. "amelia, tara, pack a bag, we leave in ten," was all she said before she rushed to the kitchen as tara pleaded with her sister, begging not to leave her new life behind. our new life behind. 

tears fell down my face as quinn comforted me, "i don't want to leave you. can you come with us? please?" i begged quinn, now shaking as she brushed through my hair with her fingers. sorry was all she repeated to me as she pulled me in tighter. i didn't know what to feel or how to act but i knew i needed to be strong, for tara and sam. 

i caught ethans eye as he looked at me, concern written all over his face. "you ok?" he mouthed at me, all i could do was shrug as i listened to the news continue and tara and sam arguing in the kitchen. this was too much for me, i was getting claustrophobic. i stood up and looked back at quinn. i sat on the coffee table in front of her, and put my head in my hands. my leg was bouncing up and down and quinn put her hand on my leg to try to stop it but no matter what she did, the pounding in my head, and the pounding in my chest would not stop. i knew this feeling all too well. 

a panic attack. shit. 

i sat there, trying to control my breathing while i told myself that it was all in my head and that everything was going to be okay. suddenly a phone ringing snapped me out of my trance, i shot my head up and my eyes met tara's and then sam's. no, no, no, this can't be what i think it is. please anything but this. 

"why did everyone freak out when the phone just rang?" ethan asked, puzzled. like i said, you just had to be there. anika sighed, "you gotta keep up my dude," ethan looked at her and then me. "ghostface calls to taunt us," mindy clarified to ethan, clearly annoyed that he didn't already know this. i smiled at him as best as i could, to show him that i was ok. i didn't want him to worry about me.

quinn picked up the phone, silence on her end for a couple seconds before she spoke. "my dad wants to talk to you," she said, getting up and passing the phone to sam. i exhaled a breath i didn't know i was holding. relief flooding through my body.  

a couple minutes later, the call ended. sam grabbed her jacket and left, without saying anything to us. tara followed shortly after. i didn't know if i should follow but i couldn't bring myself to do so. "they're going to meet with my dad at the police station. i think you should go too, melia," she said to me. i nodded my head and placed my hand on ethan before exiting. "be safe," was all he said before i shut the door behind me. 

be safe. how could i be safe when this could all be happening again? i can't. 

i met tara in the stairwell gasping for air. "hey, it's ok, it can't be happening again, ok? let's just catch up to sam ok?" i said as i grabbed taras hand and we continued down the stairs. when we got outside sam turned around and pushed us back towards the door. "no, get back inside and lock the door," she said, sternly. "sam-" i started.