starry eyes ✮ slashers.

chapter 015.

fifteen. hold you close.

Lyra arranges to walk with Carrie to the main reception where she can received a new printed timetable, since she'd been moved to the other cinematography group.

Carrie's given the paper and the two walk outside, into what's known as the courtyard. Where Billy and Stu had first laid eyes on her, unbeknownst to her. The girls take a seat on a bench and observe their surroundings.

"I like morning lessons, I didn't have many before but it's always less crowded." Carrie admits, green eyes lingering on little clusters of people that avoid the two like they're the plague.

Lyra hums in acknowledgment of what she'd said but doesn't respond, she doesn't need to. Carrie had been so grateful to have a friend, she hangs of Lyra's every word. Lyra hopes one day soon the blonde realises she doesn't have to do that, that they're both equals, that Carrie is a good person despite whatever immature assholes might've told her.

"Lyra." The girl snaps out of her mind when there's a hand laid on her shoulder, the owner retracts it and smiles charmingly at her. As charming as he can, at least.

"Billy, Stu, you guys alright?" She asks, sharing a small look with Carrie. The look had no particular emotion, just a reminder of the words they'd shared about the two.

Billy walks around the bench, taking a seat on a tree stump next to it. Stu sits on the floor in front of the three, able to observe them easily.

"Yeah, you know, just waiting for cinema class to start." Billy tells her, a glimmer of something in his eye. The same something she'd recognised from the day in the lunch hall. What is it he knows that she doesn't?

"I'm going to be clear here, because of what happened the other day—" Stu straightens his posture as Lyra begins to speak, he's fearful Billy had offended her in some way. "Tom, professor Hanniger, whatever you know him as. He's my boyfriend, but you can't tell anybody, please." Lyra's desperation bleeds through her words.

Billy recalls the look of distaste Tom had sent his way as he wrapped an arm around Lyra. The way he looked disgusted as he met Billy's dark eyes. The boy's grip on the tree stump below him tightened in anger.

"Your secrets safe with us." Stu tells her with a smile, yet a certain amount of disappointment hidden in his gaze.

"Thank you, all of you." Lyra includes the blonde at her side with a nudge and Carrie smiles politely, wanting to sink into the Earth and never be seen again. Billy's eyes scan over her, quickly looking away as though she's nothing special, nothing interesting, not worthy of his attention.

"So, we were thinking, tonight Stu and I are having a movie night, maybe you'd want to come? They'd be non-scary movies exclusively, I promise." Billy smiles, those two words ringing in Lyra's mind. 'scary movies'. She shrugs, there's only one way to get answers, and she has a feeling tonight will help.

Lyra wonders if she should invite Carrie, but knowing how uncomfortable the poor girl is simply talking to them, she makes up her mind. It's not fair to make her tag along.

"Text me, I'll be there." Lyra smiles and Stu flashes a grin back. The conversation is over and they enter the classroom, Billy shuffling under the gaze of their professor. Stu's panics had got in his head, perhaps ghostface couldn't defeat the miner killer.

She should've told Tom what she was really doing instead of telling him she was with Carrie. She's doing what every stupid protagonist with no brains does in a horror movie. She's going to the house, completely ignoring all red flags. It's okay though, Carrie knows where she is so if all goes badly, she'd given her Tom's number. Only for emergencies.