ASSHOLES | scream au

8. liv, liv, liv

Mindy lay sprawled on the couch, the room quiet now except for the droning sound of Stab playing on the TV. Frances had already left, and the buzz from the alcohol was hitting her hard. Her head lolled to the side as she reached for the tequila bottle, taking a lazy sip.

The door creaked open, and Richie poked his head into the room, scanning for signs of life.

"Do you know if there's any beer left?" he asked, his voice hopeful. "There's none in the kitchen."

Mindy glanced at him with a half-hearted shrug. "There's some in the basement."

Richie hesitated, shuffling on his feet. "You wanna come with me?"

Mindy snorted. "No, but you were right to ask."

Richie's shoulders slumped as he weighed his options, the desire for a beer battling against the dread of going into the dark basement. After a beat, the thirst won. With a resigned sigh, he grabbed the other candlestick from the mantle, gripping it like a weapon.

"I'll be right ba—" he stopped mid-sentence, wincing at his slip. He knew better than to tempt fate. He gave Mindy a sheepish look before hefting the candlestick and heading toward the basement.

Mindy shook her head, a sly grin creeping across her face. "Well, he's dead..." she muttered, settling back into the cushions.

The TV flickered, casting eerie shadows across the room as the Stab scene intensified. Mindy's gaze remained glued to the screen, but a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention.

She tensed.

Something—someone—moved behind her.

Her heart skipped, and she spun around, breath hitching in her throat.

It was Liv. Very much alive. And absolutely pissed.

"Goddamn Uber cancelled on me," Liv muttered, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Could this night get any shittier?"

Mindy blinked at her, sitting up straighter on the couch, confusion etched on her face.

"Where's my brother?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Liv rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Probably off accusing everyone of being the killer."

Mindy tilted her head, still staring at Liv. "He went looking for you..."

"I didn't see him, okay?" Liv snapped, growing irritated. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mindy leaned back, her gaze sharpening. "Just revising my suspect list."

Liv's expression shifted, a dark glint flashing in her eyes as she stepped closer. The shift in her demeanor was unsettling, and Mindy felt her pulse quicken.

"You afraid of me, Mindy?" Liv asked, her voice low and taunting. "You think I did something to your brother? Think I'm gonna cut you up?"

Mindy shrank slightly under Liv's piercing stare. "A little now, yeah..."

Liv's mouth curled into a slow, dangerous grin. "You said I was too boring to be the killer."

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "But maybe that's the twist, huh? What do you think? You're the expert. And you know what happens to the expert eventually..."

Liv slowly dragged her finger across her throat, a sinister smile lingering as she watched Mindy recoil.

Mindy sat frozen, breath caught in her chest, eyes wide with fear.