The Devils Bargain | stuilly | billyxstu | stuxbilly

Chapter 15

Sidney felt her heart come to an abrupt stop, the group freezing as their attention shifted to her bag, from which her blaring phone emitted an intrusive sound that filled the tense silence. Mickey's voice broke the silence. "Should we answer it?" His voice came out hesitant, and anxiety fell through his tone.

Slowly, Sidney turned the bag, unzipping it with deliberate care, pulling the phone out, and staring down at the number displayed on the screen.

The realization struck her the moment her eyes locked onto the last few digits. It was him, as if there was any doubt. The same haunting number that had called her while she was in her dorm room, a number that invoked memories of guts, blood, and that poor man's smashed-up face. seared into her mind every time she closed her eyes. Her bandaged arm throbbed with lingering pain, a painful reminder of the attack that only happened a few days ago.

"I don't think we should." Randy interjected swiftly, his eyes scanning the darkened courtyard, where small groups of people had chosen to stick together instead of going back to their dorms. Despite Randy's attempts to somehow see the shadow of a man, they all knew that nobody was going to spot them before they wanted to be seen.

Sidney continued to stare at the number, her body trembling within Hallie's hold, until the call ended.

She wished that were the end of it—that she could feign ignorance and toss the phone away. But deep down, she knew the call was merely a tool for torment. Discarding the phone wouldn't deter them from their relentless pursuit; if anything, it would probably cause them to act out, and while the idea of pissing the Ghostface off was tempting, she couldn't risk her friend's life for something so petty. Unsurprisingly, the phone erupted once more, its tone somehow more aggressive.

Breaking the tension, Hallie moved with a determined grace, knowing full well Sidney wasn't going to answer herself, sliding her arms off and seizing the phone with a quick flick of her hand. Tension gripped her body, but her expression displayed unwavering resolve and palpable anger. Sidney marveled at Hallie's bravery, or perhaps stupidity; unlike herself, who still believed her victory over Billy and Stu was more luck than skill, Hallie faced the threat head-on. A surge of determination and inspiration mixed with fear surged through Sidney as Hallie moved away from the group, her phone pressed to her ear.

"Listen! Leave us the fuck alone!"

"No. You listen to me, you stupid bitch."

"I'm going to gut you all, and Sidney gets front-row seats to your execution." The deep, angry voice rang down the phone; the modulator that she had heard in the movies sounded so much scarier when it was directed towards her. No attempt to be kind; no attempt to pretend. Straight to the point, and if Hallie wasn't so pissed off, she may have been smart enough to be scared.

But a fire burns in Hallie's chest, rage, a protective instinct, and fear are all stirred into a fiery pot of screw this guy. "What is your problem?!"

"Sidney's done nothing to you! We've done nothing to you!"

"Sidney has done enough. This is personal, and you are all just in the way. "

Hallie turns to the group, motioning for them to start looking around for someone on a phone, but with everything that just happened and the groups of scared partygoers, there were a lot of people on the phone right now. People were crying down to their parents; some were too drunk to take the situation seriously, and the people still wearing the Ghost-face costume just felt like they were taunting them.

A change unfolded within Sidney, the tears on her cheeks drying as a newfound confidence emerged. A stronger, more powerful woman stepped forward, bringing comfort and power to herself. Hallie flashed a reassuring smile at Sidney, nodding as Sidney grabbed Mickey for his help to trace the caller. Randy, having faced the consequences of a previous split-up gone awry, remained steadfast by Hallie's side.