Lean Into Me { scream fanfic }

✮ - long road

       The car's engine rumbled beneath us as we pulled onto the highway, leaving the familiar sights of campus and the town behind. The night was dark, the only light coming from the occasional passing car and the moon hanging low in the sky. I glanced over at Stu, his blue hair casting an eerie glow under the dim interior lights. It was strange to see him like this, so changed from the boy I once knew, yet still the same in so many ways. The silence between us was thick, filled with unspoken words and unresolved tensions. I stared out the window, the landscape blurring into a monotonous stream of shadows and shapes. My mind raced with questions and doubts. What exactly were we heading into? Could I really trust Stu and Billy again? Stu broke the silence first, his voice low and almost hesitant. "I know you have a lot of questions, Natalie. And I know you probably hate us. But we did what we thought we had to do."

         I turned to face him, my expression hard. "You left me for dead, Stu. You and Billy just ran. How am I supposed to trust you now?"

        He sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "I get it. I do. And I don't expect you to forgive us just like that. But we need you. Billy needs you. And I think... deep down, you need us too."

      I clenched my jaw, refusing to let the tears welling up in my eyes fall. "You don't know what I need."

        Stu glanced at me, his eyes softening. "Maybe not. But I know we need to stop this new Ghostface. If we don't, more people are going to die. And I know you don't want that."

       I sighed, the anger and frustration giving way to a reluctant acceptance. "Fine. But once this is over, I'm done. I want nothing to do with either of you."

       Stu nodded, his gaze returning to the road. "Fair enough."

       The miles slipped by, the tension easing slightly but never disappearing entirely. We drove in silence for a while, the rhythmic hum of the tires on the asphalt almost soothing in its constancy. My mind drifted back to the days before everything went wrong, back when Billy, Stu, and I were inseparable. It seemed like a lifetime ago, a different world altogether. Finally, the neon sign of a rundown motel flickered into view. Stu pulled into the gravel lot, the crunching of tires loud in the quiet night. He parked the car and turned off the engine, the sudden silence almost deafening.

         "We're here," he said, glancing over at me. "Billy's inside. Let's go."

          I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead. This was it. The moment of truth. I followed Stu out of the car and towards the motel room door, my heart pounding in my chest.

         Stu knocked three times, a distinct rhythm that seemed to echo in the stillness. A moment later, the door creaked open, and there stood Billy Loomis. His face was haggard, eyes shadowed with sleeplessness and worry. He looked different, yet so achingly familiar.

           "Natalie," Billy breathed, his voice filled with a mix of relief and guilt. "I'm so glad you're here."

          I crossed my arms, forcing myself to stand tall. "Let's just get this over with."

         Billy stepped aside, allowing us to enter the dimly lit room. It was sparsely furnished, with a couple of beds, a small table, and a flickering TV in the corner. The air was thick with tension and the faint smell of stale cigarettes. Stu closed the door behind us, the click of the lock sounding final. We stood there, the three of us, an uneasy alliance forged by necessity and shared history.

         Billy took a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine. "We have a lot to talk about. A lot to figure out. But first, thank you for coming, Natalie. We can't do this without you."