Inside the mind of Billy Loomis

Ghost beneath the skin

I can't stop thinking about Sidney.

Lately, it feels like she's the only thing keeping me grounded. It's ironic, isn't it? Sidney Prescott—so sweet, so innocent—is the anchor holding me down in a world where the chaos in my head keeps swirling, spiraling deeper into darkness. When I look into her eyes, all trust and softness, I wonder what she'd think if she saw me as I truly am. If she knew the real me—the one behind the mask.

But then again, maybe she's a part of the chaos too. The one who feeds it.

Stu leans against my bedroom doorframe, his gaze fixed on me like he's waiting for something. He's always watching me lately, ever since the first kill. Something's changed between us, shifted in a way I can't quite pin down, and it's throwing me off balance.

"Hey," he says, his voice softer than usual, like he's afraid of breaking the moment.

I don't look at him. Instead, I focus on the pictures tacked to my wall—Sidney at some school event, smiling with her friends. She doesn't know what's coming. None of them do. But they'll all play their parts in this. Even Stu.

Especially Stu.

"What do you want, man?" I mutter, trying to keep my focus.

Stu shifts, and I can feel him watching me, waiting for something to happen, like he's caught in the web of whatever's been building between us. He's more unpredictable now, more needy. It's almost like he's desperate for my approval. Or maybe... something else.

"You've been quiet," he says, his tone almost tentative. "You thinking about her again?"

I tense up. He always knows when I'm thinking about Sid. It's like he's jealous, like there's something brewing beneath his skin that he doesn't know how to express. But I know Stu better than he knows himself. He's reckless, but not stupid. And he's obsessed with me, in his own way.

"She's part of the plan," I say, my voice low. "You know that."

Stu pushes himself off the doorframe and crosses the room, standing close—too close. I can feel his presence, the tension that's always there when we're alone. The air between us hums with it, thick and heavy.

"You talk about the plan like it's the only thing you care about," he says, his voice taking on that weird, manic edge again. "But I know you, Billy. There's more to it. You feel it too, don't you?"

I finally turn to look at him, my eyes locking onto his. His pupils are blown wide, his expression hovering between playful and desperate. This is the Stu that no one else sees, the one that's just as messed up as I am. Maybe even more so.

"Feel what?" I ask, my tone sharper than I intend.

Stu's grin falters, and for a second, I see something vulnerable flicker across his face. But it's gone just as quickly as it came, replaced by that manic energy he wears like armor.

"You and me, man," he says quietly, stepping closer. "This whole thing... it's more than just Sidney. It's more than just the kills. You feel it, right?"

I don't answer right away. The truth is, I don't know how to. There's something between us, sure. It's been there for a while now, simmering under the surface, but I've never let myself fully acknowledge it. Stu wants to be more than just my partner in this game. But what does that even mean?

I push past him, shaking off the feeling. "Don't get soft on me, Stu," I mutter, grabbing my jacket. "We've got work to do."

But I know I'm just avoiding the real question. What happens when this is all over? What happens when Sidney's dead, when we've finished what we started? What will Stu be to me then?