.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚

As Adora walked over to the fountain, she noticed her Tatum's concerned expression. Her cousin's gaze scanned over Adora's tense posture, the way her shoulders were drawn up, and her jaw clenched tightly. Stu and Billy flanked her, both guys stepping in close as though to shield her from the questions, whispers, and rumors still buzzing through the school.

"How did the questioning go, Adora?" Tatum asked, her voice gentle but worried.

Adora let out a long, heavy sigh. "It was intense;" she muttered, struggling to find the right words. "They asked... I don't know, just the usual questions, I guess. I mean, I've never been involved in anything like this, so..." She trailed off, letting the weight of her frustration show.

With a quick drop of her backpack against the fountain's wall, she slid down next to Stu and Billy. She leaned back, resting against their shoulders, and felt herself relax slightly. They were close, and their steady presence made her feel safe. Both Stu and Billy exchanged a glance, each too familiar with the proximity of Adora;

Tatum's gaze didn't falter, concern etched into her expression. "What did they ask you?" she asked, her voice softer now.

Adora let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through her hair. "Everything, really. They kept circling back to Casey and that night, like they thought I'd suddenly remember some huge detail that would magically solve the whole thing." She shook her head, frustrated.

Stu slung an arm over her shoulder casually, flashing his usual mischievous grin. "Guess they think you're guilty by association. That's how they work."

Billy narrowed his gaze at her, studying her face closely. "They don't know who they're dealing with. You don't have anything to hide, right?" His voice was low, almost a challenge.

Adora met Billy's gaze, her eyes glinting with a hint of challenge. She managed a faint smile, almost playful yet guarded. "Of course I don't have anything to hide. Do you?" She asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

For a split second, Billy's expression flickered. Then, he smirked, as if dismissing her question as easily as one of his usual jokes. "Nothing worth hiding here, sweetheart." He replied smoothly, his voice low. 

Tatum reached over, offering a reassuring squeeze in her hand. "They'll leave you alone soon enough. Sheriff Burke also knows that you can't hurt a fly."

Adora nodded, feeling the tension ease a bit as she leaned further into Stu's and Billy's shoulders. The feeling of being caught between them was both comforting and confusing; she felt safe, but a strange warmth and the conversation of a few hours ago on Stu's couch seemed to linger between them that she couldn't quite shake.

The conversation turned to Sidney, who sat quietly next to Billy, looking just as tense as she was feeling. "What kind of questions did they ask you, Sidney?" Tatum asked.

Sidney sighed, her gaze moving from face to face around the fountain. "They asked if I knew Casey." She replied quietly.

Tatum nodded. "Yeah, they asked me too."

Stu smirked, glancing sideways at Adora as he tossed an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, did they ask if you liked to hunt?" He asked, grinning.

Billy raised an eyebrow, still watching Adora out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, they asked me that too. Did they ask you?"

Tatum looked baffled. "Why would they ask if I liked to hunt?"

Randy, who'd been listening closely, interjected. "Cause their bodies were gutted." He said bluntly.

Billy rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Randy." He muttered, exasperated, but he couldn't help but feel Adora's body next to his.

Tatum scrunched her nose in disgust. "They didn't ask me if I like to hunt."

"Because there's no way a girl could've killed them." Stu declared with a shrug.

Tatum scoffed. "That is so sexist. The killer could easily be a female. Ever heard of Basic Instinct?"

Randy shook his head, unimpressed. "That was an ice pick, Tatum. Not exactly the same thing."

Stu shrugged again. "Yeah, well, Casey and Steve were completely hollowed out. And, let's face it, it takes a man to do something like that."

Tatum narrowed her eyes. "Or a man's mentality." She shot back.

Sidney, looking disturbed, spoke up. "How do you gut someone?"

Everyone turned to her, but Stu was the first to answer, with a little bit too much enthusiasm. "You take a knife, and you slit them from groin to sternum."

Sidney grimaced, visibly horrified, and Adora shifted again uncomfortably against Stu, her own stomach turning. The graphic detail in his words made her sick, and she dropped her sandwich back in her lunch box, losing her appetite. She glanced down at the fallen leaf near her feet, willing herself to focus on anything but the image Stu had painted or think back at the sight of Steve or Casey's bodies. Stu noticed her reaction, a flicker of guilt flashing through his playful expression.

Billy's gaze snapped to her, catching the discomfort in her face. His expression was unreadable, though his jaw tightened when he saw her reaction. "Hey! It's called tact, you fuck-rag." he said, cutting Stu a harsh look.

Stu turned to her as Billy leaning in close with a whisper that only she could hear. "You okay, Adora?" His breath was warm against her ear, making her flinch slightly. The proximity, coupled with his earlier words, left her feeling uneasy. She forced a faint smile, trying to hide her discomfort, but it came off more as a grimace. "Yeah, I'm fine," She murmured, glancing away.

Billy's gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he finally leaned back, shifting his attention away.

"Hey, didn't you used to date Casey?" Sidney suddenly ask.

Stu shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Yeah, for like two fucking seconds."

Randy, ever ready to stir things up, smirked. "Before she dumped him for Steve."

"She didn't dump me for anyone. I dumped her."

Randy, clearly enjoying himself, kept going. "And are the police aware you dated the victim?"

"What are you trying to say? That I killed her?" Stu shot back, his tone laced with annoyance.

"It would surely improve your high school reputation." Randy shrugged.

Tatum jumped in, defending him. "Stu was with me last night."

"Yeah, I was." Stu nodded with a smirk.

"Was that before or after he sliced and diced?" Randy fired back. The grin slipped from his face, though, as he noticed both Adora and Sidney shift uncomfortably. Adora pulled her knees up, placed her arms on top of it and stared ahead of her, but Billy's hand that laid on her back did give her some comfort. And Sidney's face turned pale, her expression filled with unease.

"Fuck you, nutcase! Where were you last night?" Tatum shot Randy a glare.

Randy crossed his arms smugly. "Working, thank you."

"Oh, at the video store? I thought they fired your sorry ass." Tatum rolled her eyes.

Randy shrugged. "Twice." He popped another M&M in his mouth, his grin widening as he caught Tatum's annoyed expression.

"I didn't kill anybody." Stu groaned.

Billy patted his shoulder. "Nobody said you did, man."

Stu gave him a grateful look. "Thanks, buddy."

Randy leaned in, still grinning. "Besides, it takes a man to do something like that." He mocked Stu.

"I'm gonna gut your ass in a second, kid." Stu spoke back.

"Tell me something. 

"Did you really put her liver in the mailbox? Cause I heard they found her liver in the mailbox, next to her spleen and pancreas." Radny asked, imitating Jerry Lewis.

Tatum groaned, pushing her food away. "Randy, you goon-fuck, we're trying to eat here."

Randy ignored her, reaching over to grab more food.

Stu turned to Randy. "She's getting mad, alright? You better liver alone. Get it? Liver alone!"

Sidney rolled her eyes, her discomfort growing with every word that passed through Randy's mouth. The mention of body parts, the dark humor—it was too much. She quickly stood up, not giving Billy a quick kiss on the lips as she usually did and then turned to leave, walking briskly away from the group. Adora hesitated for just a moment, her eyes flickering between Billy and Stu, before she followed Sidney, feeling like death by a thousand cuts.

Adora could sense Billy and Stu's eyes on her, and though she didn't turn back, she felt their gaze linger like a weight she wasn't ready to carry

Billy sighed and smacked Stu on the shoulder once he saw Adora following after his girlfriend.

Stu rubbed the spot, grinning sheepishly. "It was a joke! Ow! Liv- liver- Ow! Come on, it was funny!"

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Words: 1449

Posted: November 9, 2024

Re-posted: Sunday March 23, 2025

Re-written: Sunday March 23, 2025

Thank you so much for reading again! Be sure to comment and vote! Love you guys!!

Mwah Katherine