Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stu Macher was known for hosting parties at his place. Every time his parents went out of town, it was almost expected to grab some liquor and head on over. Even people who had never even met Macher were on the way over.

And that's how you ended up nursing a bottle of some no-named beer in an unfamiliar house. This is why you didn't do second locations. You didn't even know anyone here- having recently moved to Woodsboro in California of all places.

At first you thought it'd be nice to try and make some friends.

Then they managed to convince you to grab a bottle of your good shit while under the impression that only the 6 of you would be hanging out.. not close to 60 people.

You grumbled as another elbow found their way to your ribs. If you stuck your foot out a little further on your next step then who would notice? It was petty but you wouldn't be so grumpy if you hadn't been lied to.

Ok maybe lied is a bit of a stretch, but It was misleading. And everyone carpooled. So now you were stuck here. Alone. And down on a bottle of liquor because apparently your... OK they're definitely not friend material- but they took off into the crowd with the bottle and you weren't jumping into a sea of people to go get it. It's probably been drained anyway.

This sucked. The house was cool though. And a fucking MANSION! But it would have been a lot more pleasing without high-school students packed in here like sardines.

Your tolerance for this place was draining as another person practically stomped on your foot. Having enough of being knocked between dancing bodies- you made your way through the crowd and looked for a quiet place.

Not wanting to head upstairs toward the bedrooms and seeing... yeah no. You firmly decided to stay on the main floor. After finally getting to the back you found your way to a garage. It was a lot quieter and even cooler without the body heat of everyone- there was even a fridge down here.

After opening the fridge and jackpot, there were a few beers there that you could have. Might as well wait out the night until your... whatever they are, are ready to leave and take you home.

After stumbling around in the dim light of the flickering blub, you found a few of those generic outdoor chairs. It was kinda funny that even in a mansion, they couldn't escape the grasp of cheep plastics.

Having a genius idea, you grabbed 2 bottles from the fridge and sat down in the chair tower, curling up slightly from the stagnant chill that hung in the air and thanking your earlier self for wearing your green sweater. The plan is to entertain yourself for a bit and when the chairs oh-so-loving design eventually started hurting your ass, you'd go looking for your ride.

Well, that was the plan until you woke up to a sudden scream.

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A piercing scream startled you awake- immediately on the defensive even as the remaining alcohol in your system makes your sensory input sluggish. The sound of breaking glass didn't even register to your ears.

You fell out the unforgiving plastic chair, hitting the floor with a thud and a sharp pain in your back that was ignored as you shot up on your feet. On the way to standing, your hands grabbed the first offensive object- which happened to be the jagged neck of a broken bottle.

The scream hung in the air like a lethal poison and you choked on each sharp breath as your vision started to clear and you could focus on what startled you awake.

In the doorway to the garage stood a pretty girl with blond hair in messy pigtails and wearing rumpled clothing. Rumpled Pajamas.

Pajamas?

You subconsciously shuffled back and the position let a beam of sunlight shine through the bay door windows- and straight into your eyes, searing the retnas. With a groan, you quickly brought up a hand to cover your squinting eyes and rub at your temples in an attempt to soothe the sharp bursts of pain shooting around in your head.

Not unlike the bursts of pain in your back on every inhale- which was concerning on its own but you had to turn your attention back to the girl, and now also guy, who were talking? Whether it was to each other or to you was unclear. You couldn't focus enough anyway.

What was clear was the rippling pain through your muscles and ache in your joints from spending the night curled up in a plastic chair.

Wait.

..from spending the night?

Your head snapped to the windows- and it dawned on you.

They had left without you last night, probably not even looking for the new kid before taking off. It might have been for the better though, seeing that you didn't trust any of them to drive you home without crashing. So you did was any mature person did and groaned obnoxiously while scrubbing your face with your hands- unintentionally cutting off the pair still standing at the top of the stairs in the doorway.

Looking up through your fingers, you could see the girl arguing (?) with the guy about something. It seemed more like chastising even though the guy had his hands up In a surrendering motion, slightly hunched and smiling. You still couldn't focus in on what they were saying- the pounding in your head serving as a blockage.

Everything was blurred and you could tell today would be a reclusive type. You didn't realize you were practically staring a hole through the pair until you caught the guys attention.

He happened to look over at you and your eyes met, dragging your consciousness out of the fog, but before you could look away he cut off the girl.

"Get enough rest sleeping beauty?"

You huffed and slid your hands through your hair to push it out of your face.

"Nah, I feel like shit."

That earned you a sharp grin from the guy, but the girl only cocked her hip to rest on the doorframe and crossed her arms.

"You scared the shit out of me and then made a mess just after we finished cleaning up!"

You glanced down at the broken glass, grimacing, and then turning back to the now angry blond. "What are you even still doing here?"

Feeling embarrassed over the whole ordeal had you grabbing the back of your neck, squeezing slightly to soothe the anxiety threatening to creep up and mix up your words to reduce them to a stuttering mess. "I was trying to be out of the way while I waited on my ride to get ready to leave- I didn't mean to fall asleep."

The guy looked like he was going to say something but was steamrolled by the girl. "So you don't have a ride?"

The embarrassment grew like a symphony in your chest at being stuck in this predicament without a way out other than walking away. "No. I don't-"

She huffed, rolled her eyes, and lifted herself off the door, spinning around and calling over her shoulder "I'm calling my brother to come pick you up" before walking away presumably to a phone.

Even though it was a little rude- you couldn't blame her. You'd be freaked out too if you went to take out the trash and a random dude was sleeping in your garage.

The guy watched her leave as you looked over to the broken glass and frowned.

The sound of your knees popping and the clatter of the glass being picked up caught his attention. He stepped down 2 of the 5 steps "You want some help?"

You hardly glanced up, still grabbing the pieces off the floor. "No- it's my mess." You risked a glance up. "Sorry about the scare-" He nodded, face scrunching up for a moment and then smiling. "No biggie- I'll get you a bag!"

He practically scampered up the steps and disappeared from the doorway. With a sigh you got back to making sure all the shards of glass were off the floor, finishing only with a small cut on the side of your thumb. There was a distant "HA" and you aasumed he found a disposable bag.

The tall blond came bumbling down the steps with a small trash bag in his hands. Stopping right in front of you with the bag held open. You thanked him quietly, dropping the glass in the bag and offering to carry the abandoned bag that the girl was carrying before getting derailed by the unexpected visitor.

He denied you grabbing it and instead snatched it up himself. Now that you both had a second he asked your name, "You're new right? I don't think I've met you before this."

You laughed and nodded, opening the trash can lid for him to throw the bags in. He threw them like basketballs and pumped a fist in the air when he rung the shot, pulling a laugh and a small cheer out of you. He was a lot more comfortable to be around than the girl from earlier.

"Yeah I just got settled here last week. I'm guessing you're Stu Macher? Unless that's her name." You gestured to the doorway with a smile in place.

He snorted and told you her name is Tatum. He asked for yours and you told him, which he took with a nod and a smile. A groggy yawn cut yourself off and made you stretch.

Which you realized was a bad idea when your back lit up in pain again and you winced as you corrected the position of your spine to relieve the pain. Stu noticed the wince and looked like he was going to say something but was cut off by Tatum peaking her head around the door to let you know that her brother was here. You knew she said a name, but It flew straight by your ears.

You thanked her and made a last check to make sure all the glass was up before waving goodbye to Stu and walking out with Tatum.

Only to pause when you both got outside just to see a police cruiser parked right in front of the door. You would have facepalmed at the irony of a cop picking you up after a booze filled night, but you were so tired that you just told officer Dave-

...

...Daniel?

Oh well. You'd ask Tatum if you saw her again.

You told officer Dobby your address and name after he asked and promptly zoned out on the way back, trying to wrap your head around what just happened.

There was still an ache in your back- duller now, but still painfull. You'd take a look at it when you got home.

Eventually you gave up on thinking about this morning and decided to just enjoy the ride back.

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The ride back was mainly uneventful. Officer Donald tried to ask a few questions, but you mostly ignored them. Instead choosing rest against the cool glass of the window to watch the trees pass. When the trees faded to street signs, you reluctantly shifted to sit up and started directing Officer Dooby to your house. There was a slight discomfort of a cop knowing where you lived, but the feeling was shoved down.

You mumbled a "Thank you" and nodded at the returned "Let me know if you need anything" before swinging your legs out of the car and heading toward the door of your sanctuary.

You walked up the steps and thumped your head against the wood, feeling the grains scratch against your brow, and reached down into your pocket for the keys.

And as your fingers traced over nothing, unease began to fester as you frantically pat down each pocket. But it was to no avail. You remained keyless, and panic started to set in.

Was it in the truck you took to the party? Did it fall out of your pocket at the party? Before?

Fuck.

You barely registered the throbbing of your scalp from your hands fisted in your hair and turned around in a blind rage. Only for another shout to die down on the tip of your tongue as a small nest up in the corner caught your eye. A fake nest. One that you put up there to place a spare key in that no one would think to check.

You sighed, all anger deflating out, and walked over to the other side of the porch to drag the fold-out chair over to the other corner. With a wobble, you stepped up to reach the nest and felt around for the key, mistaking a thicker branch or two for it, but finally clasped the cool metal. With a sigh, you hopped down, put everything back in its place, and finally headed inside.

First things first, a shower and a nap were needed. The dull pounding in your head and spine was all-consuming, and you needed to sleep it off before it drove you insane.

After your nap, you probably needed to figure out how to get in touch with the group from last night to see if your keys ended up in the truck bed or cab. Didn't know how, seeing as you hardly remembered their names, let alone where they lived or their house numbers. You might just have to catch them around school.

Hopefully.

It was Sunday now- the party had been Saturday night, so luckily you only had to be without your keys for a day. And you were gonna spend the majority of it sleeping.

Scratch that.

You needed to go to the store today since you're out of milk and eggs and you wouldn't be able to go while having school all week so you couldn't put it off.

With a groan, you lazily kicked off your shoes and stumbled over to the couch, promptly buried your face in the cushions, and passed out.

You startled awake at a loud "THWAK", tumbled off the side of the couch and landed on your face. You really needed to stop falling off things when you're asleep.

Another, softer, thwak sounded again, and you turned your attention to the window across the room, watching the branches sway and curl under the strong wind. You laughed in embarrassment when you realized the startle was all for a branch hitting the window.

You shook the lingering adrenaline away like a wet dog and stood up from the space between the couch and coffee table, shuffling around to walk to your room to grab a change of clothes. When passing the kitchen, you happened to glance at the clock on the wall and stopped in your tracks. It was already 5:43. You had slept for the majority of the day and were quickly regretting it.

Almost tripping over your own feet, you ran into your room and grabbed the first clean clothes you saw, which were just a pair of sweats and your Led Zeppelin shirt. You rushed to the bathroom, socks sliding everywhere, and took the fastest shower possible. When you were out and clothed, you decided to throw on your wristwatch because the last thing you needed to do was lose track of time and have to walk back in the black of night. Yeah, you needed to walk because you needed to replace the radiator in your van. Hopefully you'll be able to pick up the part next weekend. You weren't very happy about having to dip into your savings but you hadn't had the chance to get a job here yet.

When you made it back to the kitchen, you looped a small chain through the spare key and threw it over your head as a necklace. The key settled under your shirt on your chest, eliciting a small shiver from the cooled metal. You wouldn't want to lose the only spare you had, so braving the cold was the best option right now.

After throwing your shoes back on and locking up the house, you began your walk to the store. You didn't really pay much attention to the walk. Only noting a few details here and there while listening to the steady crunch of gravel. Like the bright yellow mailbox 5 houses down from your own. The house down the street that had one of those screened-in porches that made you pause and take a mental note to make one for yourself. The house around the corner with a tree in the front yard that was thicker than 2 of you. You went back to trying to figure out ways to contact the group from last night. Thinking about the keys made you realize that you'd need to get a new set of locks in case you can't recover your set. Which would also mean you'd have to break into your van to use it, considering the spare is in the glove box. Wonderful.

Fuck- you really needed to get your keys back.

Finally, you ended up at the glass doors of the grocery store and reached for the handle. You saw someone heading out, so you held the door open without a second thought. He was just barely taller than you with medium-length brown hair. Kinda cute but looked like an asshole. Don't know why, he just does.

You looked away and continued on your mission to get milk and eggs. Could probably go ahead and grab another loaf of bread. You checked your watch every once in a while as you grabbed your items and headed to the checkout line. By the time you were out the door, it was 6:27, so there was still a decent bit of light left, and you realized you'd have a minute to check out the film store you passed by a couple of times since you've been here.

You weighed the thought for a minute longer and decided to stop in a grab something to watch tonight. You had to be quick, so you made a beeline for the horror section.

The deeply layered psychological horrors, when well-made, were your favorite. You loved having to root through each detail to understand the deeper meanings and causes of actions. The puzzle types especially kept you hooked. Slasher films were still a favorite for the less energetic days. Today was a lower-energy day.

You quickly skimmed the selection of slasher films and decided on Texas Chainsaw Massacre and headed up to the counter, avoiding other patrons in the store. You set the movie down and try not to stare at the cashier. You had a bad habit of staring.

You watched as the guy dragged the tape over, eyes not leaving the cover as he moved it to process the transaction.

"Horror fan?"

You looked up, met his eyes, got nervous and looked back down at anything else.
His name tag read 'Randy'
You noticed another patron step into line behind you, so you tried to finish the transaction and get out of the way.

"Yeah, Bubba is a fun slasher."

He laughed sharply.
"Fun? He chops people up with a chainsaw! How is that Fun?!"

The scrutiny grated against your skin. This was exactly why you hated talking to new people. You never know how to say the right things.

"I meant the characterization. Clearly not the slaughtering part."

Luckily, he chose to let it go. Well, he grumbled to himself for a moment before letting it go.
When he told you the total, you handed him the cash and tried your best not to commit a crime while he counted out the change.

"You look my age- do you go to the school? I haven't seen you before, and I would have remembered someone with those piercings."

Right- since you've been here, you have seen that practically no one has piercings here other than a few with their ears done. Over the years, you've gotten a few facial and body piercings, nothing too crazy, but it was definitely not common in little Woodsboro.

"Uh, yeah- I actually only recently started going about midway last week. And most of it was figuring out where I'm supposed to be each period."

He nodded and finished ringing you up, thankfully not asking any more questions. You got your shit and finally moved on out of the line.

You ducked your head down and made your way to the door, too stuck in your head to hear that the same asshole look-a-like from the store earlier was annoying 'Randy' behind the register.

You walked as fast as you could. Not even bothering to check your watch as the sun kept dipping down further and further. Relief spread through you as you reached your street.

Only a few more feet and you'd be in the comfort of your home, away from everyone else.