𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐁𝐘𝐄 ᵉᵗʰᵃⁿ ˡᵃⁿᵈʳʸ

chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE TEENS SAT TOGETHER IN THE LOBBY, watching paramedics wheel gales body out. Aria had calmed down, and Ethan was holding her hand sympathetically.

"Shes gonna be okay Ar." He said, trying to help her. Aria nods her head. Shes grateful Gale was going to be okay, but her attack made Aria more determined to find this killer.

A few seconds later, Sams boyfriend comes rushing through the door. "Danny," Sam says, before her boyfriend spews "I came here as fast as I could." To which Sams defensive sister Tara challenges "Did you?"

Danny returns a confused look.

"Im really scared you guys. I don't want to get hurt again." Mindy vulnerably admitted.

"Me too." Chad mumbled, his sister pulled him into a hug and muttered to him "I don't want you to get hurt again either." Aria admired the siblings, before her boyfriend announced,

"So, what now?" Causing the friends to turn and look at him defeatedly.

"Maybe he gets to win this time." The defeated older girl exclaimed. Tara and Aria look at each other, before their eyes land on Samantha again.

"The killers after me. I can't string you guys along on this anymore, the killer is targeting me. So maybe I can give myself up or something."

"Sam, no! We're not doing that." Aria exclaimed.

"Ari's right Sam, we'd never let that happen." Her sister replies, "You came to new york to protect me. You've done everything for me. Let us do this for you."

"Isn't there somewhere cafe we can all just hold up in?" Ethan asked, to which Tara eerily responded "No he'll just keep finding us."

Sam and Tara fall into a hug, before Chad bursts into excitement and states,

"Oh yeah! Core five baby, whoo!" And springs for a high five. The group stares at him in disbelief, all laughing at him.

"Guys, come on." Aria said, and high-fived him back. Sam and Tara roll their eyes before joining in on the group high five. Mindy teases them, before joining in as well.

A thoughtful expression clouded Tara's face, as she realized something. "We could use that though!"

Tara picks up the phone to call detective bailey, before Aria said,

"I'm gonna head to the bathroom." She plastered on a fake smile, not realizing that Ethan could see right through her. He followed her to the hallway in front of the bathroom, before grabbing her shoulder.

"Ari," He whispered, the young girl turned around with a dark expression.

He saw the tears that were ready to fall from his girlfriends eyes. "Hey," He muttered, and pulled Aria in for a hug. "Whats going on?" He asked.

His girlfriends hands tighten around him, and he does the same.

"I'm really scared, E." She mumbles, as Ethans profound expression turns into worry. "I know. But I'm gonna protect you, Aria. Nothings gonna happen."

"It already did happen, Ethan." She replied. She backed away from the hug as Ethan out his hands on her hips. "I survived the killer three times already, I don't know if everyone else will though."

Ethans expression turns confused as he asks "What do you mean?"

Tears start streaming down Arias face as she says "I can't lose anyone else. I can't lose Chad, or Sam, or mindy and Tara, I can't lose you, Ethan."

Tears form in Ethans eyes as he pulls her in for another hug. He doesn't want her to see him cry. "You won't lose me Ari. You'll never lose me." He promises.

Tears slowly fall from his eyes when the bathroom door opens. Danny comes out, and looks at the young couple up and down before returning to his girlfriend. "Hey." He nods, and quickly walks out from the awkwardness.

Ethan hurries into the bathroom in fear that Aria saw him cry, leaving her to walk back to her friend alone as she wipes her tears.

In the bathroom, Ethan quickly ducked into a stall. Tears streamed down his face as he put his head in his hand. "Fuck!" She shouted, hitting the wall. He sat there alone for a few minutes, his thoughts screaming in his brain.

Soon, he heard the door open. "Ethan, you in here?" He heard his roomate ask. "Uh, yeah." He replied.

"We're ready to go."

"Go where?" Ethan asked, coming out of his stall.

"The kill box." Chad said. "We have a plan, we're headed to the old theater. Hurry up and come out." Chad spewed before closing the bathroom door and leaving.

Ethan felt anxiety run through his veins. He didn't know if his biggest mistake was becoming ghostface, or falling in love with his targeted victim.