𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐁𝐘𝐄 ᵉᵗʰᵃⁿ ˡᵃⁿᵈʳʸ

chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

ARIAS BREATHING SLOWED as she felt shivers down her arms and back. Her stomach sank into the disturbing feeling of betrayal as she saw her boyfriend take off his mask.

"Ethan." Tara mumbles, she looks over at her closest friend as she watches her break. Aria's tears pour down her cheeks and chin, as she watches Ethan's face subtly drop when their eyes meet.

"No, not you. no it can't be." She whispered, looking into the eyes of the boy she once loved.

"It can, and it is." Bailey answered for him. His words went without a reaction as Aria continued staring at her boyfriend.

"That's not even the best part!" Ethan psychotically cheered, glancing over to Sam. "My names not Ethan Landry! Is it dad?" He said looking for his fathers proud validation.

"Dad?!" Aria shockingly asked. Ethan looked to the third ghostface on Bailey's other side, as they tilted their head towards Sam, Tara and Aria.

"If it's you two then that leaves..." Sam spirals in confusion as she mumbles "Mindy?" In suspicion. The killer shakes their head, stirring up more puzzled looks. The final ghostface took off their mask, and revealed themself as Quinn.

"Hey roomies." The psychotic girl muttered. "Didn't see that one coming?"

"Quinn?!" Tara spewed. "But you died!?"

"I kinda didn't?" She replied, tilting her head.

Aria continued deepening her breathing as she horrifically watched her friend become a stranger. The friend that comforted her, laughed with her in class, but now she was gone. And she wasn't the only one.

How was Aria supposed to believe this? Not Ethan, no. This was her Ethan, the one who was too scared to text in class because the teacher got mad at him once, the Ethan who hugged Aria in his arms while she cried, the Ethan who promised her he'd always protect her. Protect her from the monsters who would hurt her, only now he was the monster.

Aria realized that it wasn't about Ethan anymore, or Amber, or Quinn, or any other fucker thats ever hurt her. She had to focus on one thing, survival.

But how could she, when she saw the look Ethan gave to her.

"You lied to me." She growled painfully.

Ethan looked up at her with a profound look. He didn't know if what he was feeling was guilt, remorse, or maybe just insanity.

"Lied?" Quinn snapped, and pounced on her. The energetic redhead jumped toward her and sliced her arm open. The deep cut distracted Aria enough so Quinn could shove her harshly.

Aria gasped in pain, before her boyfriend attempted to stop himself from taking a step forward. He kneeled to her, before trying to play it off by grabbing her and holding her in front of him.

Aria cried as he tightened his grip around her arms. He promised to never hurt her, to always protect her, it seemed like his murderous tendencies wasn't the only lie he told her.

"Ethan," Aria whispered to him. Ethan closed his eyes and blinked his tears away. "Don't." Ethan whispered back. The young couple silently cried together, shielding their pain from one another.

"What is this?" Sam announced. "You did this as some fucked up family?"

"Hell yeah, bitch! You should know better than anyone!" Quinn spewed in anger, and lunged toward her, taunting her with a knife.

"They're still not getting it!" Ethan taunted ghostly, lightly tracing Arias stomach with a knife, teasing her.

Aria groans in discomfort, trying to leave his grip which gets him to hold her tighter.

"Listen, I don't know what you think, but I didn't commit those murders in Woodsboro. It wasn't me!" Sam shouted, grabbing ahold of her sister's hand.

"We know that! What do you think? That this was all based off of a bullshit conspiracy theory? Come on. Who do you think started the rumors about you in the first place?"

Sam's heart skips a beat as she sees Quinn raise her knife. The roommate she once considered her friend, had caused all the pain that had been haunting her since her attack in Woodsboro.

Aria's eyes peer up to her boyfriend. Her teary eyes make it harder for Ethan to look back at her. Aria sniffles as she watches more tears form in Ethan's eyes. His eyes say all the words he wished he could say himself.

"Do you know how easy it was to turn Sam, the hero of Woodsboro, into the villian? How easy it is, to get people to believe the worst in people rather than the best." Quinn taunts, circling her. "After all, it was perfect. Don't you know all the best lies are based on the truth?"

Samantha's eyes narrow. "What do you mean? What truth?"
"That you're a murderer!" Ethan spat back, swinging his knife at her as Aria escaped his grip; she fell to the floor as she tried running towards the exit before meeting Quinn's blade. She deeply slashes the girl, but doesn't stab her.

She lets out a cry in pain, causing Ethan to narrow his eyes in worry. Deep down, he doesn't want her dead.

"Don't you fuck up the ending again, bitch!" The angry redhead cries out, as she swings the knife at Aria causing her to step back next to Ethan who holds her by her wrist. He brings her in, as she feels his breath down her neck. "Stop fighting." He whispers into his lover's ear.

Quinn points her knife at Samantha's face, as her face drops. "I won't let you get away this time, you fucking murderer!"

"I'm not a murderer!" Sam shouts, hitting the knife away from her.

"Yes you are you motherfucker, you killed our brother!" Ethan hauntingly yells.

"Brother?" Aria questioned. She turned to her once friend and said "You said your brother died in a car accident?" In a confused tone.

"Oh no no baby, it's not that easy." Ethan muttered. "He died in woodsboro.

And his blood is on her hands." He said, pointing the knife to Sam.

Sam looks around in confusion before noticing the realization that kicks in, in Aria's eyes.

"Richie." Aria mumbled, gazing at Ethan's teary eyes. "You're his brother."
She turns to detective Bailey who stood next to Quinn.

"You're his family."