Rock Bottom (Stuilly - Scream 1996)

Part 5

A whole week has passed since the second time that Billy left. Some mornings, Stu drives through Woodsboro to see if he could find him again, sitting outside a store or even in a park. There was no way Billy could have gotten too far with the ankle in that condition, yet there was no trace of him in Woodsboro.

On Sunday, he decided to visit Nancy Loomis' tomb. It was almost empty, with a single withered rose there that seemed left many days ago. He wondered if maybe this should have been his starting point in the search, but there was no way Billy would get here without being recognized.

He looked one last time at the crypt name in disgust, having an unpleasant idea of what to do next, even if it was pointless.

He went to Hank Loomis' house. He hasn't laid a foot there in years. To think this used to be his second home... Now it looks unwelcoming and empty.

He knocked on the door, even if he didn't have high hopes. A blonde woman in her late thirties with a little girl hidden behind her legs opened the door. Stu was baffled to see the man had a new family now, he could sense the rage building up in his throat.

He excused himself with a fake smile, lying about being a mistaken address. He jumped in the van and drove fast, feeling completely miserable.

It was crazy to think that he hadn't even thought that much about Billy the last few years, yet he felt totally devastated that he had come back to his life just to leave the next second.

He used to think of Billy as a faraway memory from the distant past, but now has come to the conclusion that he was trying to not think about him at all. He felt far too comfortable in Billy's presence, it wasn't like being with any of his other friends. They were just decoys, Billy was the real thing.

And he was left feeling lonely and miserable as never in his life.

By the second week, he considers Billy's advice and tries to go out with his so-called friends and not be alone for a long time.

Yet, when he's been in his house, he wonders if Billy hasn't knocked on the door when he was out and left because he hasn't found Stu in there.

Stu sits at home and he sighs deeply. He's been in a state of complete depression ever since last week. His whole facial and bodily demeanor has changed. He has become much more sluggish and lethargic.

There is a stack of bills sitting on his living room table because he hasn't had the heart to do anything about it. The state of the house has degraded into complete chaos, and the mail that used to line the house has been piled up in the corner and gone completely untouched.

There's the sound of sirens outside, it's not the ambulance sound but the police one. They seem to stop outside his house, and after a minute, the door ring sounds.

Stu's expression goes from sadness and depression to confusion and fear as his eyes widen, and his heart rate speeds up. He quickly gets up from his couch and walks to the door in complete confusion. He looks through his peephole and sees several police officers with their weapons drawn.

"What the... " his face turns to one of complete terror, and then he quickly opens the door and speaks in a fearful tone. "What's going on? What is it? What's happening?"

He speaks in a panicked tone of voice, and his whole body is shaking profusely as he speaks with a panicked and terrified tone.

It's Deputy Riley who approaches him first, signing to the officers that they lower their weapons.

"Sorry ,Stu. We have to check your house, I have a judge order. I'll explain to you, just let us do our jobs, okay?" Dewey pats Stu's shoulder to calm him down as he leads him out of the house.