"what's your favourite scary movie?"

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THERE WERE two people in Chad Meeks-Martin's life that he swore were his platonic soulmates. The first was obviously his twin sister, Mindy, but the second often surprised others. He'd grown up alongside Layla Torres, his mom having been friends with her mom through his uncle. He'd never get to meet his uncle, but he had always remembered the stories that Layla's mom had told her when they were younger.

While Mindy had always gravitated towards Tara when they were in elementary school, Chad had found himself spending most of his free time with Layla. Sam Carpenter would babysit them all when their parents all went out for dinners, and since he and Layla were both more athletic while Tara and Mindy would rather do arts and crafts, it was only natural that they'd spend their time outside in the garden.

They'd followed the same trend into high school too. Layla had always been the fastest in their grade and her parents had really encouraged her to take up track when she was only seven years old. She loved it to her very core. No matter what was happening in her life, as soon as Layla stepped on to that track she was free. Chad hadn't been fast enough to make the track team - something that Mindy took great joy in winding him up about. He was strong though, and it meant that he packed a mean throw when it came down to running across the football field. 

They'd often find themselves sitting on the benches outside of the school after practice, waiting on either Dewey, Gale or Martha. Joel Martin, Chad and Mindy's dad, was often out of town for work and it was rare that he would ever find himself designated to pick the duo up. 

As they got older, they began walking home with each other instead. Chad had been the first one that Layla had ever told about her crush on Tara Carpenter - something that he still liked to hold over Mindy's head as she was so sure that he was wrong when he predicted that their two friends liked each other.

"Hey Columbia," Chad called as he threw himself down on the bleachers as Layla slowly skidded to a halt, having finished her last lap of the track while she waited for the boys football practice to be over. Track practice always finished earlier than the Woodsboro football team, but it was an unspoken rule that Chad and Layla always waited for the other.

"Shut up," Layla replied, rolling her eyes at the nickname. She looked down at her watch, furrowing her eyebrows as she pursed her lips a little at the lap time that looked back down at her. "I won't be getting anywhere near New York until I manage to shave some of that last bend down."

Chad shrugged, not arguing with her. He knew that she was determined to get to Columbia University on a  D1 scholarship for track. They all knew that she didn't need a scholarship when her adoptive mom had became morning news royalty in New York, but he knew that Layla didn't want to keep taking handouts from Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers forever. They'd already done so much for her, and she didn't want to cause them anymore hassle.

The other side of it: it was so much easier to leave Woodsboro when you had something else lined up. The rest of their group had always been quite content in the small Californian town, but it was no secret that Layla wanted away as soon as possible. The town had a bad history and it just so happened that it seemed to run deeply through her own family line.

"Don't fret," Chad replied, swinging a loose arm around his friends shoulder as he ruffled up her  hair a little. Layla made no attempt to escape from under his arm, simply rolling her eyes as they both grabbed their kit bags and began to head out to the parking lot where Chad and Mindy's shared car was resting. "I'm sure Blackmore will take you if Columbia don't. It's not Ivy League, but it does mean you'll get to see this face every day..."

"Lucky me," Layla joked, chuckling at his fake hurt gasp as she opened the passenger door and threw her bag down by her feet. "I could only dream of being so fortunate."

"Very funny, Torres," Chad replied as his hand went to plug his own phone into the old and ripped AUX cable that Mindy kept swearing she was going to replace. He groaned as Layla snatched the cord from his hands, waving it in the air in celebration.

"My turn," Layla cheered, watching as the boy tried to pretend he was annoyed but the smile was permanently resting on his lips. "Now... Taylor Swift or One Direction?"

"Trick question," Chad replied, putting the car into gear as they began to drive away from the field. The sun had just began to set and it was in moments like this that Layla almost forgot how much she hated Woodsboro. Almost. "Both?"

Layla laughed, knowing that the boy knew her better than she knew herself.

"Both."

————

Mom's out of town again. YOU should come over HERE. 

Free dinner. Many binge watch options.

Tara smiled a little as she sent the message to Amber, wiping away at the tear that had just fallen from the corner of her eye. She was certainly upset about... the whole situation, but she knew that Amber coming over would be able to calm her down. The girl was her best friend, and always knew exactly what to say after one of her and Layla's fallouts.

Tara and Layla were notorious for being on-and-off over the past four years. It seemed to have been a similar pattern every year:

1. They'd have months of being great

2. They'd argue about Layla hating Woodsboro and being desperate to leave

3. Layla would leave for New York, they'd break up and spend their Summer break ignoring each other

4. Layla would return in time for school starting, they'd make up and repeat.

This year it was different. Senior Year was their last chance to really be together as a friend group before graduation, and the question that seemed to loom above their heads was already causing tension between Tara and Layla.

Layla wanted to get the hell out of Woodsboro, travelling to the East Coast and never coming back. Tara didn't know what she wanted, but she knew that running away from Woodsboro wasn't high on her list of priorities. Her mom, albeit the fact she was barely home, lived in Woodsboro. Her sister had lived in Woodsboro, and as much as she hated admitting it, she always hoped that one day Sam would return with an apology and everything would go back to how it used to be.

Have to do better.

Amber's reply shook Tara out of her thinking. She pursed her lips, a small smile tugging at the corners of them again.

Unlocked liquor cabinet and break-up gossip.

SOLD!

Tara smiled, moving her phone to her left hand as she reached out and took a shot of her inhaler. She was a little out of breath from the crying fit she was recovering from, and a little bit bitter knowing that Layla was probably sitting in a car with Chad laughing on their way back from practice. 

She wanted to hate the girl but she knew that they'd be back in each other's arms by the end of the year, if not the end of the week. It was just how they worked - and everyone knew it. Layla could be a bit erratic and Tara always played it safe, Layla was athletic while Tara was artistic, Layla was a hothead and Tara was... well, that they shared. They balanced each other out.

She jumped as the landline rang again. 

Fucking landline won't stop ringing.

Is Wes still bugging you? No doubt he heard about the breakup.

Tara rolled her eyes, the thought seeming more normal. She slammed her phone down, crossing the room and picking up the phone.

————

"I'm going to go over to Liv's tonight," Chad told her as they sat in the drive thru lane. It was their post-practice routine to grab a McDonalds before heading back to wherever they were heading for the rest of the evening. Usually, that had been the Meeks-Martin residence but with Mindy often heading out to see one of her 'many suitors' as she liked to say - although Layla was sure it was just Francis - it meant that it was often just her and Chad. "And I think Mindy is out too."

Chad had started dating Liv during the Summer. Layla didn't have any strong feelings towards the girl, although she knew the rest of the friend group didn't have much care for her. She had worked with Tara during the Summer, which Chad had explained was how they ended up getting together.

Layla loved her Summers in New York, but she always hated the feeling of FOMO when she returned. The group would spend days catching her up on everything she had missed, and then she'd eventually head round to Tara's to make-up with the girl. Normally, there had been little to no developments across the group to report but it seemed like there had been a significant shift within the friend group this Summer.

Wes had admitted he had a crush on Tara only days after Layla had left and they'd split up again. Tara had, of course, turned him down which had lead to an awkward dynamic between the two childhood friends. Amber had decided that Layla wasn't worth Tara's time, making her suddenly a lot more hostile than she used to be when the girl returned. Mindy had started casually seeing some girls from their school and neighbouring schools, and Liv and Chad had started dating.

She hated to admit it to her dad, but she had begun to wonder if she was regretting coming back.

"Do you want me to drop you off at Tara's or your place?"

Layla snorted a little, shooting Chad a side-eye with a small shake of her head.

"Me and Tara aren't talking right now, remember?"

"Yeah, I just thought you could get it back on," Chad replied, tapping her knee with his hand before returning it to the wheel. Layla turned her body in the passenger seat to look at him in a mix of disgust and disbelief. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Yeah, sure," Layla muttered, not quite believing him. She turned to look out the window as he paused their conversation to lean over and accept the food from the fast-food window. He passed her the bags without saying anything, realising that he'd over-stepped. Usually when the two girls split up, they'd be back together instantly but it seemed that there had been a shift in the dynamic. Chad didn't know if he wanted to know what was wrong, and he knew that Layla had no intention to speak about it.

They sat in silence for a second as Chad waited on Layla to say something.

"Just drop me home, asshat," she replied, sending him a small smile to show that she wasn't upset with him for pushing the Tara topic. He grinned back, his goofy demeanour instantly back as he flicked his best friend on the arm. Layla glared at him as she continued to eat her fries, rolling her eyes so hard that she was sure she almost pulled an eye muscle.

"Is Liv thinking of going to Blackmore too?"

"Nah," Chad replied, before furrowing his eyebrows. "Or maybe. I actually don't know, we don't do a lot of talking."

"Chad, I really do NOT want to hear about your and Liv's sex life."

"Again, NOT like that," Chad replied, a deep blush crossing his face for a second as he swatted at her knee once more. "We haven't even reached that part of our relationship yet."

"What stage are you at then? Please, humour me," Layla replied, actually curious to find out more about Liv and Chad's relationship. Everyone else said it was all surface level but the brunette girl could see that her best friend had at least a little bit of feelings that went past the basics for the girl.

"I've been asking her to accept my find my friends request."

Silence.

"I take it back, I think I would rather hear about your sex life."

"Shut up, Torres."

————

"She told me the other day, she wonders... what's your favorite scary movie?"

"The Babadook It's an amazing meditation on motherhood and grief."

"Isn't that a little fancy pants?"

"Well, it's elevated horror."

_____

Layla flicked her shoes off as soon as she was in, leaving them lying on the lounge floor. She turned around as soon as they were off, sighing a little as she locked up the door. It was something that even Gale had insisted upon doing every night - making sure that every window and door in their house or apartment or wherever they were was locked. And not just one lock, but multiple.

She joked about it with her friends but they all knew that she appreciated it. Her father had been taken out of her life so easily, and Layla was secretly forever worried that the same would happen to her friends or her adoptive parents. Gale and Dewey had been such a support beam for her since she was little, and she didn't know what she would do if anything happened to them.

The familiar hum of Dewey's snores mixed with the gentle sound of Gale's voice caused her heart to ping a little. Layla turned back around after hanging her coat up to see the sight that she had become all too familiar with.

Dewey was passed out on the couch, a bottle of whiskey on the ground that was just grazing his hand that was dangling off the couch. She noticed that it was half empty - something that might have concerned her more if she hadn't known that it wasn't full that morning. She hated that she wasn't surprised at the way he was, but it was his way of coping with everything that had happened to him throughout his lifetime.

She smiled a little as she looked at the old TV screen, watching as her mother wore a pastel mint suit and laughed along with the guest on her morning show in New York. Dewey and Layla had moved out there at the start of Summer in her freshman year, but he couldn't handle living in a life that was never meant for him.

He left, they broke up and Layla was spilt in between them. 

Despite all of it, it was clear that they both never stopped loving each other. Layla saw it in his eyes every morning when he'd check the time before "accidentally" switching the channel to catch her morning news announcements. She'd see it in Gale every Summer when she asked about the state of the trailer, or if he was feeding her well, or if he was happy.

Layla wasn't sure that either of them would be happy unless they were with each other.

She reached down, grabbing one of her blankets from the small basket beside the TV. She pulled Dewey's shoes off his feet so that he would be more comfortable, and she flung the blanket over the sleeping man. It had become a little bit of a routine for her when she found Dewey like this. He hadn't used to do it at all when he was Sheriff, but once he was 'retired' from the force, it had became a weekly occurrence. 

He loved Layla, he did. But he loved his comfort spirits too, and as long as he was there for her when she needed it, Layla didn't hate him for it. How could she? He had watched as her mother survived numerous attacks only to die from natural causes. He had been there as her father bled out from the 2011 murders. He had been there for her track meets, her middle school graduation, her first period. He had shown her how to drive a car (and had once tried to show her how to shoot a gun before Gale stepped in).

Layla loved him for it all. And if that meant she had to overlook the drinking, then she would.

_____

"Who was the killer in Stab 1?"

"I know this one, you fuck! It's Billy Loomis! He was Sidney's boyfriend, and he was played by Luke Wilson, and I got you, asshole! I got it! I got it right!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tara, but that's just not correct."

"What? No, no, it is! It is! That is right!"

"The correct answer is Billy Loomis and Stu Macher! There are two killers in the original Stab. I'm afraid someone's got to die now."

____

Layla rubbed at her eyes as she shuffled out of her room. The banging on the front door continued, her phone clutched tightly in her hand as she moved towards the door of the trailer. She cast a side glance at her adoptive father's snoring body, noticing that the blanket she had draped across him had already been shrugged off his sleeping frame.

She squinted as she checked her phone, the time staring right back at her. 1:03am.

They didn't usually get any visitors to Dewey's trailer, and both Dewey and Layla liked it like that. The less people that knew where the legendary Ghostface survivor and his adoptive daughter lived, the better.

Layla rested her head against the door, her toes extending as she rose to peer through the peephole. Her heart stopped for a second as she recognised the blonde woman. Layla's blood ran cold, and it was as if she was eight years old again, standing almost the sterile white tiles of the hospital walls. Her fingers trembled as she undid the locks, opening the door wise and finding herself speechless as she noticed the woman's fist in the air just before she was able to make another chap.

The blood against her brown sleeves instantly told Layla that things were about to go to shit.

"Sheriff," she wavered, her voice unable to hold its own as she looked at the blood stains around the Sheriff's fingernails. She clearly hadn't had time to scrub away whoever's blood that was before heading over to the Riley residence. "Please don't-"

"We tried calling you, but you weren't answering."

"Judy, please-"

"I need you to come with me to the hospital, Layla," Sheriff Hicks replied, trying to keep a calm face as she looked at the teenage girl. She'd braided her hair when she was seven, she'd taken her for a ride in the cop cruiser when she was nine. She'd been there when her mother died, when her dad was killed and when her adoptive parents split. "You're her emergency contact, and we can't get a hold of her mom."

Layla grabbed her coat from the rack beside her, ramming her shoes into the old dunks that rested beside the front doorframe. She shuffled outside in her pyjamas, half-stumbling as she rushed after her friend's mom. Just before Judy could open the door to the car, Layla's wrist had snaked around her forearm and tugged her back around to look at the girl.

"Who the fuck was killed?"

"Tara Carpenter was attacked," Judy said, causing Layla's entire world to come crumbling to her feet as she looked at the woman with nothing else to be said. "But she wasn't killed. She's alive."