^^^^^^

" I'M SORRY. "

alexa, play MUM by luke hemmings

^^^^^^

"Hey sweetie," Dad swung around the door frame of my room, a sweet smile on his face. "I have chicken parm for two on the way, if that's okay with you."

Chicken parm takeout is always the best, so I nodded in silent approval of his words. He smiled, spun around to leave, but hesitated, and turned back to face me. I cocked an eyebrow, and he walked over, sitting down on the end of my bed and sharing a smile once again.

"Are you doing okay, Tater Tot?" He asked, and I almost sobbed.

But then I didn't. I mean, I was doing okay, I don't know why I was going to sob. If I did sob, he would comfort me, because whenever I do sob, that's when he does comfort me, and he always does a very good job at that. Maybe he's just asking for purposes of...the current circumstances that have fallen upon Woodsboro again? Yeah, actually, that sounds like exactly why he has just asked me what he asked me.

"Honestly, I'm actually doing-"

The ringing of my phone prevented me from fully answering my question, and after getting over the fear of seeing that it was an Unknown Caller ID, I picked up my phone and let out a breath I didn't even realize I had been holding. It was just Wes. Dad gave me a sweet smile as I picked up the phone, grabbing a pen and writing on the back of a discarded drawing 'I'll let you two talk, text you when it's ready, love you so much'. I almost sobbed again. He's the sweetest father I could ever ask for. "You have another father for me? No, fuck you God, I want this one." is exactly what I would say if approached by God with a new father for me one day.

"Wes, everything okay?" I asked, sitting criss cross applesauce on my bed and leaning back on the frame.

"Yeah, my mum just went out to grab us sushi, just wanted to see how you were doing now. Are you doing okay?" His voice was nice to hear.

"Y'know what, that's funny to me that you asked me that, because my dad just asked me the same exact question, like, not even a minute ago." I pointed out a parallel between the pair, and he let out a dry chuckle.

"Same wave." A beat. "Same concerns."

"Don't." I warned, shaking my head.

"I'm always gonna be concerned for you, Tates. It's what I do, I'm sorry, but it is."

"Alright, fine, but-"

"Hey now, nuh-uh-uh, you're avoiding my question. I refuse to allow you to avoid my question."

"I'm doing okay, considering the circumstances we are currently under." Although he couldn't see me, I shrugged, which has turned into an awfully common habit nowadays. "How about you? How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay too, y'know, circumstances considered. I just got out of the shower, Mom's bringing sushi-which I already said, I'm just saying it again. Oh! And I finally finished that Roblox game we've been trying to finish for months. I'll teach you how to, no worries-"

"You finished it without me?!" I dramatically gasped into the phone. "That's it. We're done. We promised each other we would do that together, how could you? I mean, how dare you?"

"Hey now, lets not uh...lets not go crazy here, okay? We're gonna stay calm about this. Stay rational, you crazy theater kid." Wes' laughter made my heart happy. "If you're gonna be mad at anybody for this, blame Chad, because he gave me the cheat code."

"You used a cheat code? That's not even fair! That's cheating." I complained, laughing in disbelief.

He didn't reply. There was utter silence on the other end of the line; I felt a sense of panic flood through my veins like a tsunami. But then I heard his breathing, and although that provided the fact that he was still alive, it did not comfort me whatsoever. 

"Wes? Babe? Are you there?" I asked, my eyebrows crinkling together in clear concern.

"Yeah, I just um-I'm gonna go check on something, and I'm...leaving the phone at the counter. You can be on speaker, though, okay? It'll just be a second, I think Mom's home."

"Okay! Okay, love ya." I let it slip.

"Love ya too."

I could feel the smile from Wes' face, which made me happy. He was silent, and so I was silent too. He was now probably checking out whatever it was that he was going to check on, which was most likely going to end up in him helping his mother with the sushi. I sat on my bed patiently, waiting to hear his voice again. Waiting to hear him say that he'll call me after dinner, waiting to hear a sweet 'hello' from the Sheriff. There was a thud, then a bang, and then what sounded like a shout. I couldn't make sense of any words, but whatever was happening, it sounded like a struggle.

"Wes?" I instantly put my phone on speaker, hopping off my bed but trying to remain slightly come. "Wes, babe, pick up the phone! Wes are you okay?! Wes! Wes, what's going on?! Wes, babe, talk to me! What's going on?!"

My heart was crashing down on a rollercoaster that didn't have any breaks; I ran out to where Dad laid on the couch. Panic. I could barely catch my breath.

"Dad, Wes needs-" I was cut off by a filtered voice.

"Oh, tut-tut-tut, are you looking for Wes?" Ghostface. "I'm so sorry, but Wes can't come to the phone right now."

"Why?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Why? Because he's dead."

The line went dead. I dropped my phone and ran out to the truck, praying that Dad would come out as fast as he was able to. The second he got in the car, the truck was most certainly past every speed limit in Woodsboro. We both heard that voice. We both understood the circumstances. We both understood the danger, and worst yet, we both understood how high of a chance there was that the killer's words were true.

When we got to the Hicks household, I quite literally tripped out of the shotgun seat and ran over to the yellow crime scene tape, mortified at seeing Judy's body getting covered with a white sheet. But there was only one white sheet. And that one white sheet belonged to Judy. I still had hope for him. I still needed hope. Sam Carpenter was at the scene as well, seeming to be in a slight argument with an officer. I rushed over to the two of them, a few tears falling due to the stress and seeing Judy's dead body. She was trying to duck down and under the tape, and the officer wasn't having it.

"No, I'm sorry, I know her son-" Sam already seemed to be asking the same question I would've been asking, so I let her continue. "Is he-"

"I'm sorry."

The world went quiet. I covered my face with both hands as the tears began to fall freely. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. He can't be gone. Not like that. I let out a sob, and once that one sob came out, more and more came afterwards. This can't be real. Not so soon. I brought my hands down from my face and looked back at the officer before realizing I couldn't handle to look at him. I couldn't handle to look towards the house at all. I couldn't even catch my breath. Frantic short breathing, that's all I found myself capable of. He couldn't be gone. This is some sort of fucked up nightmare, that's all it needs to be. 

A gurney covered by a white sheet began to be wheeled out of the Hicks' house, and my world came crashing down. My legs gave out; I fell down to my knees and let out a cry of pure anguish. This can't be real. I need to wake up. I held out a hand towards the white sheet, audibly sobbing. He can't be gone. Don't let him be gone. Not like this. Not now. Not when we just...

"Doll! Doll, Tates, hey hey-hey," Dad came onto his knees at my side, holding me in the tightest side-bear hug possible and trying to provide comfort. "Hey, you're...I'm so sorry, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"I loved him, Dad, I-" I leaned back and pressed my head against Dad's chest, sniffling and finally hugging him back. "I love him."

I told him I loved him, and now he was gone.

"Oh my God, Tatum?" Gale Weathers' voice made me drop my sadness for five seconds.

"What-what are you doing here?" I asked after standing up and turning to face the red suited woman that looked like who my mother was supposed to be, but I knew better.

"I came here because I was worried about you!" She exclaimed, and since the tears came back, I shook my head and scoffed.

"Too fuckin' late for that." I simply stated, then turning around and walking away as the tears got yet another race started.

She was worried about me? I don't fucking think so. If she really was worried about me, she wouldn't have just shown up now. She would've shown up seventeen years ago, and she should've stuck around. Now? Now it's too late. I don't need her anymore. And I'm never going to need her, either.

"My sister's in trouble!" Sam shouted all of a sudden, and I realized that more time had passed than I thought.

Dad and I exchanged a look; I wiped my tears and nodded approvingly. "Fuck her," I said to myself as we both looked back at Gale, who was giving a news report as per fucking usual. She didn't have to tag along for this. Both of us rushed into Sam's car, and she looked stunned when we looked at her expectantly.

"What are you waiting for? Lets fuckin' go!" I urged, and she started to test the speed limits on our way to the hospital.

I couldn't let anybody else die tonight.

^^^^^^

guys now it's dewey's death next chapter