afterlife

Chapter Seven

That night, Sam decides to have a friend group sleepover at her apartment, safer together than apart. Eliza and Chad help make dinner in the kitchen, when Eliza says, "I think you should get out of the city. You know, considering what happened to you last time. You know, maybe Sidney would let you and Mindy come with me too."

He ponders it for a moment but says, "That's very thoughtful of you, but, um I don't think I'm going anywhere."

Sam brings out extra pillows and blankets to Anika, who sits on the couch, "Here you go."

"Sam?" Mindy calls.

"Yep?"

"We do not have to stay here," She says.

"Well, too bad. I insist. Safety in numbers," Sam replies. Tara walks into the kitchen as Sam grabs a wine bottle from on top of the fridge.

"This'll be so fun. A slumber party with the Fab Five," Chad smiles.

"Fab Five?" Sam questions.

"Yeah."

"Did you just give us a nickname?" Tara asks.

"I sure did," He beams, "I mean, we've been through a lot together, and it's a pretty cool nickname."

"That's debatable," Sam says.

"Yeah, who are we, the Michigan basketball team?" Eliza chuckles.

"You can't just give yourself a nickname, dingus," Mindy insults.

"Of course I can, dingus, because I just did," He fires back. He puts his hand out in front of Mindy, "Fab Five, up top!"

"No," Mindy says.

"Down low," He thrusts his hand to Tara.

"Get that away from me," She says. Eliza chuckles and grabs onto her arm.

He brings his hand up to Sam, "Please for the love of God."

"Don't do it," Mindy instructs. The girls all smile at him.

"You know, I would actually like a little more respect and support from my fellow members of the Fab Five," He exclaims, "Especially you, Eliza. We're the dream team remember?"

"I don't play football anymore, dingus," She points out. The girls all laugh at him.

Anika calls from the living room, "Guys. What the hell?"

She turns up the TV volume, which has a news broadcast with the headline along the bottom, "Prime Suspect Samantha Carpenter", "We're hearing from sources inside the homicide division that the prime suspect is none other than Samantha Carpenter, one of the survivors of the Woodsboro killings in 2022, seen here attacking a woman on the street last night."

The video from the night of the party plays on the TV, with Samantha watching in shock.

"In the wake of the Woodsboro tragedy last year, rumors sprouted online that Carpenter was actually responsible for the killings, blaming the crimes on her boyfriend Richie Kirsch and teen, Amber Free——"

Sam turns off the TV and storms off to the table. Everyone remains silent, not knowing what to do or say. Tara goes over to her sister and sits next to her at the table, already set for dinner.

"I know you're not a fan of the way that I've been handling things," Tara says quietly, "and that I've been giving you a really hard time. But I can say that none of us can relate to what you are experiencing."

Sam turns to her sister with tears threatening to spill, "And I'm really, really sorry that you have to do that alone."

Sam sniffles and looks back down at her plate, "It's not your fault. And I know I shouldn't care what people think." She wipes away a tear, "It just sucks being this hated."