ASSHOLES | scream au

4. judy, judy, judy

Back at the Hicks house, Judy sat in the kitchen, a glass of wine cradled in her hand as she spoke on the phone. Clad in yoga pants and a cozy sweatshirt, she finally felt the weight of the chaotic day lift from her shoulders. "And extra soy. Thank you. I'll be there in ten minutes," she said, jotting down a note on a piece of paper. After finishing the call, she placed the sticky note on the fridge, her mind momentarily drifting to the tumultuous events of the day.

As she moved through the house, a sense of unease washed over her when she heard the door creak. "That you, tiger?" she called out, hoping for a response. Judy took a deep breath, her senses sharpening, and she instinctively grabbed a knife from the holder before slowly making her way toward the back door. Holding the knife in front of her for protection, she cautiously approached the door, peering outside into the dimly lit backyard. Once satisfied that there was no immediate danger, she closed the door, locked it, and turned to walk away. Suddenly, she gasped, startled by the unexpected presence of someone in her home.

It was just Wes. "Jesus!" he exclaimed, pulling his AirPods out of his ears, clearly caught off guard himself.

Judy let out a sigh of relief as she lowered the knife to her side. "Are you being safe out there, honey?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

Wes scoffed lightly, raising his taser and pepper spray for emphasis. "To the point that all my friends mock me, yes," he replied with a hint of defiance.

"Good boy," Judy said with a motherly smile, feeling reassured by his preparedness. She followed him into the living room, where he placed his taser and pepper spray into a bowl on the stand beside the front door.

 "What's for dinner?" he asked, his curiosity piqued as he sniffed the air.

"Sushi. I was just leaving to pick it up," Judy informed him, grabbing her purse and preparing to head out.

"Why don't you just Postmates it?" Wes suggested, raising an eyebrow at the idea.

"It gets all smooshy by the time it's here," Judy explained, recalling past experiences. "I know you hate that. Go take a shower. I'll be back soon. Can you put this away for me?" She held up the knife, a glint of humor in her eyes as she entrusted it to him.

"Uh... Yes," Wes replied, carefully taking the knife from her hand, his expression serious as he recognized the importance of her request.

Judy beamed at him, a sense of warmth enveloping the moment. She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Love you," she said, her voice softening.

"Love you," Wes echoed back awkwardly, a shy smile breaking through as he felt the affection between them.

"Lock the door," Judy reminded him as she opened the front door, the cool evening air brushing against her skin.

"I will," he promised, watching her leave with a sense of unease lingering in the back of his mind.

Judy was driving in her police car, navigating through the chaos as she passed a group of reporters lingering outside the precinct. Their flashes illuminated her windshield momentarily, but she didn't look back; instead, she sighed, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her. Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from an unknown number. Her heart raced as she answered it, bracing herself for what was to come. "Sheriff Hicks," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Hello, Sheriff Judy." The voice that crackled through the phone was chilling, unmistakably belonging to Ghostface.

"Who is this?" she demanded, though deep down, she already knew who was on the other end.