𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋

𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕖𝕟

Horror movies felt different after Woodsboro. It wasn't like you couldn't watch them anymore—you found your trauma in other places, like making Jiffy Pop at night or hearing the whine of police sirens in the distance. The movies just didn't feel the same after you'd experienced them firsthand. 

Because now you knew exactly what it felt like to have hot, runny blood splatter across your face. Now you knew exactly why those busty teenage girls screamed so goddamn loud.

But it was still fake. You could at least remember that.

So you watched them.

Billy fixed the VCR for you before they left. They also stocked you up with all of the Twizzlers and Dr. Pepper you could ever want. You made it your personal duty to go through all of it before they had the chance to come home and take it from you.

My Bloody Valentine was your pick for the evening. It felt like forever since you'd watched it curled up in the corner of Randy's tiny apartment. This too felt different.

The phone rang exactly when you knew it would. You let it go until it fell silent on the coffee table. A moment later, it rang out again and you waited for the two beeps before lifting it off of the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, babydoll."

You rolled your eyes and switched the phone to your left hand so you could shovel another handful of popcorn into your mouth. "Hey yourself."

"What are you doing?"

You propped your head up with your arm, watching the screen blankly as a certain protagonist met a certain gory demise. "Movie," you replied shortly. You were still a little ticked off that they left you there alone.

"My Bloody Valentine?"

"Mhm."

Leave it to Billy Loomis to recognize a horror movie by the pitch of the screams through a phone. The signal was weak, but through the static, you could hear a distant groan.

"But you promised I could watch that with you!" Stu moped. His voice was quiet, hidden behind layers of white noise.

"You can!" you giggled, sitting upright. "Just hurry up and get here."

Billy took the phone back. The voice modulator was still on and the sound of his chuckle made a shiver roll down your spine. "We'll be home soon. Half hour tops."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

There was more he was planning to say, but there was a scuffle through the phone and you had to hold it away from your face while the boys wrestled for the device. After a handful of seconds, you heard Stu's triumphant voice. "Hi, baby! You're staying up for us, right?"

"Duh," you smiled, even though they couldn't see you. You knew they'd hear it in your voice. "I missed you like crazy."

You could almost hear his heart skip a beat and the thought made you smile even wider. You liked to picture Billy shooting him a dirty look from the driver's seat before Stu cleared his throat and lowered his voice an octave. "What are you wearing—?"

"OK! We're done here, thank you very much," Billy intervened, snatching the cellphone from his friend's hands. He readjusted the device and put it to his ear. "Thirty minutes. Can you handle that, doll?"

"Mhm."

"I knew you could. We'll call if anything changes, but only answer like I showed you."