CHAPTER THREE.

LIVER ALONE

CYNTHIA leaned against Billy's leg, reading a book as the group talked. She glanced up at Stu from her spot, noticing the distance between him and Tatum. She sighed. The two had broken up a few weeks ago and despite still being friends, it was kind of awkward. Billy handed her grapes ever so often as the conversation turned to the police investigation, "What kind of questions did they ask you?" Tatum inquired. 

"They asked me if I knew Casey," Sidney said from her place between Billy's legs. 

"Yeah, they asked me that too."

"They asked me if I remember anything memorable about the killer," Cynthia sighed, "Which I still don't, nothing besides that creepy Ghostface mask." Billy sent Stu a look behind the girls' back and Stu merely shrugged imperceptibly. 

"Hey, they ask if you like to hunt?" Stu questioned the brunette boy. 

"Yeah they did," Billy replied, handing Cynthia another grape, "They ask you?"

Tatum frowned, "Hunt? Why would they ask you if you liked to hunt?"

"Cause their bodies were gutted," Randy spoke up bluntly. The lanky boy was the group's film geek, mostly interested in horror and thrillers. Cynthia enjoyed his company as he brought something new to the group. 

Billy's leg shifted behind Cynthia, "Thank you, Randy." He spoke warningly his eyes cutting from Randy back to Cynthia. 

Tatum pouted, "They didn't ask me if I liked to hunt."

"Cause there's no way a girl couldn've killed 'em," Stu chuckled. 

Tatum looked at him disappointed, "That is so sexist. The killer could easily be a female. Basic Instinct."

Cynthia spoke up, "She's right. A woman could easily kill a man, with the right motivation." The group quietened. While Sidney, Tatum and Randy thought she was talking about her mother killing her father, the other two knew better.

Randy returned the conversation to Tatum, "That was an ice pick. Not exactly the same thing."

Stu nodded, "Yeah, and Casey and Steve were completely hollowed out. And the fact is, it takes a man to do something like that."

"Or a man's mentality," Tatum objected.

Sidney spoke up mindlessly, "How do you gut someone?" 

Once again the group quietened before Stu responded, "You take a knife and you slit 'em from the groin to sternum." Cynthia's eyes narrowed at him. His goofy grin made it seem like he merely knew the answer but Cynthia knew him better than that. 

Billy spoke up, sending him a warning look, "Hey, it's called tact, you fuck rag."

Sidney sighed before she asked Stu, "Hey, Stu didn't you used to date Casey?" She shifted the conversation away from herself and back onto the boy. Although Cynthia was suspicious of his quick answer on how to gut someone, she didn't like Sidney's tone. 

Cynthia looked up at him as he replied with a small chuckle indifferently, "Yeah, for like, two seconds." She shook her head. She knew it was quite a long time they dated and he must be feeling something. But Stu tended to bury his feelings in jokes and laughter. 

Randy cut in, "Before she dumped him for Steve."

"I thought you dumped her for me," Tatum spoke. She looked offended despite the fact they had broken up. 

"I did. He's full of shit," Stu snapped at the boy. 

"And are the police aware that you dated the victim?" Randy asked.

Stu looked at him with a confused look, "Hey, what are you saying? That I killed her?"

"It would certainly improve your high school Q."

Stu shook his head, "Nah, man, I was at home last night, you could ask my parents."

"Really? Sure you didn't sneak away to slice and dice," Rnady asked in a deep voice. 

Cynthia shifted against Billy's leg and stood. The ground was starting to hurt so she moved toward Stu. His arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her into his lap as Tatum stated, "Fuck you, nutcase, where were you last night?" Stu's head buried into Cynthia's shoulder and he pressed a kiss to the base of her neck. She giggled lightly and Stu smiled into her neck.

"Working, thank you," he responded.

"The video store. Didn't they fire your sorry ass?" Cynthia chuckled. 

"Twice," he responded smugly, his teeth clamping onto a grape. Cynthia rolled her eyes at his attitude.

Stu stated seriously, "I didn't kill anybody." Cynthia frowned at his tone, toying with his hair.

Billy spoke up from his silence, "Nobody said you did," his eyes widened a fraction at the boy. The group didn't catch it but Cynthia did. She noticed everything about these two, even if they were being subtle about it. Her eyes flickered between them before she dismissed her thoughts. 

"Thanks, buddy," Stu smiled, patting his leg.  

Randy began to mock him, "Besides. It takes a man to do something like that."

Stu chuckled, "Yo, I'm gonna gut your ass in a second, kid."

Randy stood, making his face all weird as he questioned in a nasally voice, "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 her pancreas."

"Randy, you goon! Fuck! I'm trying to eat here," Tatum complained as Sidney picked up her bag. 

"Not anymore," Cynthia threw down the grape she was holding, her appetite suddenly gone, thinking about what she'd witnessed the night before. Sure she'd killed her own parents and made it look like a murder-suicide but... God, she still felt queasy.

"She's getting mad, right? Better liver alone," Stu joked. Cynthia shook her head as Sidney walked away and Stu repeated his joke, "Liver alone!" Billy punched him in the arm, "Ow! Liver. Liver. It was a joke."

Cynthia rolled her eyes at the boy as Billy pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her shoulder, "You okay?" he questioned as the others continued to talk. 

"It was horrifying. Seeing her dangling there. Like... God! It makes me sick just thinking about it."

Billy kissed the side of her head, "Then don't. What do you have next?"

"Free period, then soccer." 

"Perfect, I have frees too, I'll come to watch you." He in fact did not have frees but he would miss every class just to be with her. He messed around with a lock of her hair as she engaged in conversation with the group. Stu looked at him with an expectant look and Billy rolled his eyes. He knew what the taller boy was referring to. He nodded gently and Stu looked back to Randy.

Later that day, Billy sat on the bleachers watching the soccer team practice. He sat with a few other football players, however, he wasn't listening to their idiotic talk, more focused on Cynthia kicking a ball into the net. As he watched, the conversation caught his ears. 

"Damn, Cynthia Archer's ass looks amazing in those tiny shorts," one of the boys, Jesse Duncan commented. 

"Watch your mouth," Billy warned, barely even glancing back at the boy. Jesse had been trying to get with Cynthia since freshman year and it had always been getting on his nerves, however, lately, the boy seemed extra annoying. 

Jesse chuckled, "She's hot man. Even you can't deny it. I don't know when she'd gonna let me hit again but I'll wait for her for eternity if I have to."

Billy scowled at a singular word. Again? The boy listened in on the conversation behind him. Jesse was spewing some lie about getting with Cynthia last year and he slowly internalized it. He would deal with the fucker later but right now he was more concerned about watching Cynthia smash into one of the other girls. 

He was mesmerized by her as her head fell back and she groaned toward the sky. She breathed heavily as the coach called for a stop. She and the coach spoke to the girls in annoyance before dismissing them. He knew she'd been happy when she was appointed soccer captain. She liked the power of ordering everyone about. 

As the team went off, Cynthia jogged toward the bleachers. The boys behind him snickered. She stopped at the bottom and leaned against the barriers, "Why are you still sitting there? Let's go."

Jesse called out, "Looking good Cynthia."

"Fuck you."

"I'm sure you'd love to."

"I'd rather take an axe to the face thanks," Cynthia snapped. Billy walked toward her as he chuckled. She pulled him off, "Your buddies are incredibly annoying."

"They're not my buddies," Billy grumbled as his arm hooked around her shoulder. He contemplated whether he should say something about Jesse's lies and decided against it, he would tell Stu first and they would decide together whether or not they'd let the girl in on their secret. 

"Whatever, I hate that asshole. I just wanna...." she mumbled her final words under her breath with a small groan. She stopped in the parking lot and she turned to look at him, "It doesn't matter. I need to get my bag from the changing room. Bring the car around?"

"Sure, doll."

For a moment, her eyes narrowed. The look disappeared quickly and if he'd blinked, he wouldn't have caught it. She smiled, pecking him on the cheek and skipping off into the gym. He watched her go, her golden hair practically glowing in the sunlight. He let out a small chuckle at her before turning. 

However, he was met with the annoying group of football players once more. He sighed in annoyance as Jesse threw his arm around his shoulders, turning him back to where Cynthia disappeared into the gym, "You're a lucky man, Billy. You and Stu."

"Excuse me?" he raised an eyebrow at the boy. 

Jesse chuckled, "Come on man, no need to lie. She practically hangs off the two of you as if her life depended on it. And you two, well you two aren't much better. But, hey, I get it, man. You two keep doing what you're doing, but when she gets bored with you two, send her mine and my buddies' way."

The boys behind him laughed. Billy breathed deeply. Too many witnesses. In broad daylight. No mask. No knife. Instant arrest. He composed himself from his murderous thoughts as he pulled out of the boy's grasp and walked toward his Camaro. 

As he turned on the ignition, the car roared to life underneath him. He tore out of his space and pulled around to the front of the school. Cynthia exited and hopped in. She started to speak, but he kept silent thinking about what Jesse had said. 

He wasn't going to lie, he was in love with Cynthia. And he knew Stu was too. One look from her and both knew they'd do anything, which was already evident considering their secret. He didn't care about Sidney. She was merely a means to an end. Cynthia was his entire being, the brightest part of his soul. And you probably couldn't even call it just love. They were obsessed. She was an exotic drug and they were addicts.