DAMSEL IN DISTRESS [SCREAM 1996]

23: Chinatown

Stu's car rumbled to life as Cassandra settled into the passenger seat, the tension from earlier still lingering in the air. She glanced over at him, noting how easily he slipped into his carefree persona, one hand casually draped over the steering wheel, the other fiddling with the radio until he found a station playing something upbeat.

But even the music couldn't drown out the thoughts swirling in Cassandra's mind. As the town of Woodsboro blurred by outside the window, she found herself lost in memories of Casey, the last person she truly trusted.

She thought about how she and Casey would shit-talk Stu for hours. Before and after Stu and Casey broke up. And now.. Cassandra was sitting in Stu's passenger seat.

"So, you gonna tell me what's really going on in that head of yours, or do I have to keep guessing?" Stu asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp as they flicked toward her. "I'm not good at 20 questions."

Cassandra hesitated, unsure of how much she wanted to reveal. But the truth was, she needed to talk to someone, and with Casey gone, Stu was the closest thing she had to a confidant. Even if he was far from trustworthy. They at least shared time with Casey.

"I'm just trying to figure out how I'm supposed to feel about all of this," Cassandra admitted, her voice quiet as she stared out the window. "Casey was the only person I trusted, and now she's gone. It's like I should be more upset, but I don't even know how to cope with it anymore."

Stu nodded, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, death's a bitch like that. You think you're over it, and then it sneaks up on you when you least expect it."

Cassandra turned to look at him, surprised by the hint of sincerity in his voice. "And what about you? How are you handling Casey's death? I mean.. you two were together."

He shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips as if brushing off the weight of her question. "I mean, sure, it sucks. But you know me, Cass. I'm all about living in the moment. Dwelling on it isn't gonna bring her back."

She frowned, not entirely satisfied with his answer. "You don't seem as affected as I thought you'd be. I mean, you were with her—"

"Yeah, I was," Stu interrupted, his voice a little too casual. "But everyone deals with stuff differently, right? I joke around because it's better than letting it eat me alive. If I let every shitty thing that happens get to me, I'd lose my mind."

Cassandra studied his face, searching for cracks in his facade. "So that's why you're throwing a party? To distract yourself?"

Stu glanced at her, a flicker of something passing through his eyes before he looked back at the road. "You could say that. Besides, my mom took my baby sister, Leslie, out of town, you know? To keep her safe. And my dad's always at work. House is too damn quiet."

The mention of his family caught Cassandra off guard. Stu rarely talked about them. "And they just left you here?"

Stu shrugged. "Yeah. They said I couldn't just not go to school. So.."

The weight of Stu's revelation felt heavy on Cassandra's chest. It felt like something her own father would say and do. Leaving his child behind for a masked killer, that is.

"So you didn't want to be alone?"

"Yeah, maybe," Stu admitted, though his tone suggested there was more to it than that. "And maybe the kids at school need a pick-me-up, too. All this doom and gloom, it's not healthy. Gotta balance it out with some fun, right?"

Cassandra wasn't entirely convinced, but she didn't push further. She leaned back in her seat, letting the rhythm of the road and the hum of the car fill the silence between them. But it wasn't long before Stu broke it.

"What about you, Cass?" he asked, his voice softer now. "You said Casey was the only person you trusted. Do you trust anyone now that she's gone?"

The question caught her off guard, and she took a moment to think before answering. "I don't know. I want to, but it's hard. Everyone has their own agenda. And after what happened to Casey, it's like.. how can I trust anyone?"

Stu nodded as if he understood, but Cassandra could see the wheels turning in his head. "So, no one, huh? Not even Billy?"

She hesitated again, the thought of Billy bringing a fresh wave of comfort. She toyed with the 'Carrie' VHS in her lap.

"Billy.. he's complicated. We're together and I know you're supposed to trust your partner.. but.."

Cassandra chuckled a bit and shook her head.

"If I've learned anything from my parents' fucked up relationship, I know that the person you love is sometimes the one that hurts you the most," she confessed.

Stu smirked, a knowing look in his eyes. "Billy's always been a bit of a mystery. But he cares about you, that much I know. Maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt."

Cassandra glanced at him, a small frown tugging at her lips. "What about you, Stu? Can I trust you?"

He chuckled, the sound light and almost playful. "Me? Of course, Cass. We're pals, right? You can always trust me."

But something about the way he said it made Cassandra's skin prickle. She wanted to believe him, but there was a part of her that couldn't shake the paranoia. 

"Even when I cried wolf in front of the whole school? Twice?"

"You're going through some shit. I can't say I haven't lashed out like that," Stu assured. "But, hey, at least people will remember that for the rest of their lives."

Cassandra scoffed. "Maybe it'll make the yearbook."

Stu chuckled at the thought and it made Cassandra laugh a bit more.

The conversation lulled again, and Cassandra stared out the window, lost in thought. She wondered if she'd ever find out who killed Casey, or if she was destined to be haunted by the unanswered questions forever.

They arrived at Stu's house before she could dwell too much on it. The large, sprawling property loomed ahead, and Cassandra felt a strange sense of foreboding as they pulled into the driveway.

Stu parked the car and hopped out, making his way around to open the door for her. "Come on, let's go see what Tatum's up to. She's probably inside, fussing over decorations or something."

Cassandra slid out of the car, her mind still heavy with everything they'd talked about. As they walked toward the house, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was stepping deeper into something she didn't fully understand.

Before they reached the front door, Stu turned to her, his expression unusually serious. "For what it's worth, Cass, I'm glad you're here. It's nice to have someone around who gets it, you know? Even if we're all a little fucked up right now."

Cassandra nodded, offering a small smile. "Yeah, I guess it is."

They stood there for a moment, the tension between them shifting into something unspoken but understood. It was as if they were both acknowledging that, despite everything, they were in this together.

For now, at least.

Stu pushed open the door and held it open for Cassandra. She walked in and he followed.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

its the way stu always holds cass' door for her for me