chapter four,
the final five

        THE ENTIRE WALK to Sam and Tara's apartment, Carlyn had been on-edge. Her hand had hovered over her pocket, ready to pull her taser out just in case she needed to. Any sound made her jump. She'd already been walking fast to the building, but the second it entered her line of vision, she picked up her pace and relaxed.

Anika opened the door for her. "Hey," she greeted softly, smiling at Carlyn.

"Hey," Carlyn returned the action, walking further into the apartment.

"Oh, look, the fifth member of the final five," Chad pointed out, making Carlyn furrow her eyebrows as she set her bag down on the floor. "She'll agree with me."

"The what?" she questioned, moving into the kitchen where the others were. "And about what?"

"Chad gave us a nickname," Mindy informed her, turning her head to look at her.

"Of course he did," Carlyn sighed as she shook her head. She'd decided on the way over that she wasn't going to mention the call from Ghostface. It would just make them worry more, and she didn't want that.

Chad looked at his best friend. "Okay, c'mon, Car, you have to admit Final Five is a cool nickname!"

Carlyn hummed. "Debatable."

"Thank you!" Mindy exclaimed, swinging her arm over Carlyn's shoulder. "You can't just give yourself a nickname, dingus."

"Uh, of course I can, dingus, because I just did," Chad argued. "Final Five, up top!" He raised his hand for a high-five from his sister.

"No," Mindy denied.

"Down low?" Chad lowered his hand in front of Carlyn, who simply laughed and shook her head. "To the side?"

Tara glanced down at his hand. "Get that away from me."

Chad turned to Sam. "Please, for the love of God."

"Don't do it," Mindy advised the older girl.

Chad let his arm fall to his side, defeated. "You know, I would actually like a little more respect and support from my fellow members of the Final Five next time I try."

"You're making it worse," Tara remarked.

"Listen to the women in this," Mindy added.

"Guys?" Anika called out, making them all turn. She raised the volume on the TV, the same reporter from the previous night on the news. The five of them all moved into the living room. Carlyn frowned as she read the headline. Prime suspect: Samantha Carpenter.

"We're hearing from the sources inside the homicide devision that the prime suspect is none other than Samantha Carpenter, one of the survivors of the Woodsboro killings in 2021, seen here attacking a woman on the street last night. . ." The video that the girls who'd thrown their drink on Sam took of the group played on the screen. "In the wake of the Woodsboro tragedy last year, rumors sprouted online that Carpenter was actually responsible for the killings, blaming the crimes on her boyfriend, Richie Kirsch and teen Amber Free—"

Sam grabbed the remote and turned the TV off before walking into the dining room, clearly upset. The four teenagers watched her leave. Tara followed her sister, leaving Mindy, Chad, and Carlyn behind.

They listened in on the sisters' conversation to see if they would need to join or not.

"It just sucks being this hated," Sam sucked in a breath, and the three of them all shared a look before heading into the dining room.

"Hey, just a reminder. . . not a single person in this room hates you," Chad assured her as the three of them sat down at the dinner table. "Okay? We have all been through some fucked up stuff, and we are coping with it differently. But I mean, we moved here together for one very specific reason. . . we're a team."

        "We are. . ." Mindy began after a second of silence. "The Final fucking Five."

        "Thank you very much," Chad grinned and turned to get the high-five he'd been wanting earlier. "That's absolutely right. That's what I'm talking about."

        "I hate myself for that," Mindy commented.

        "You said it," Tara's eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hand.

        Carlyn stared at Mindy. "How could you?"

        "I'm sorry," Mindy apologized.

        Chad nodded, proud of himself. "It's the Final Five."

        "Say it," Mindy told Carlyn and Tara.

        Carlyn shook her head. "Absolutely not."

        "Yeah, no," Tara agreed. "I'm not gonna say it. Not now. . . I mean, yes, we're a team, but—"

        "C'mon, say it," Mindy pleaded.

        "I've been sleeping with Cute Boy from across the hall," Sam suddenly blurted out, making the younger adults go silent.

        "I knew it!" Tara exclaimed after a few seconds of silence, throwing her head back. "I fucking knew it! I knew it. I knew it. I knew it!"

        "Called it!" Mindy hollered. "I knew it from the day you had that hickey."

        "Yeah, Sam, you did a horrible job at hiding that," Carlyn laughed, the others joining her. "I burnt myself with the hair straightener."

        The five of them laughed harder, and for a second Carlyn forgot they were being targeted by a psycho and the call she'd received earlier from said psycho.

        "I feel like we should high-five or something," Tara suggested when their laughter died down.

        "A Final Five high-five, maybe, please?" Chad eagerly raised his hand.

        Tara pressed her palm against his. "Don't call it that, but we'll do the high-five."

        "It's kinda cute," Mindy admitted as her and Sam placed their hands on Chad and Tara's.

        "Let's discuss our brand later, yeah?" Carlyn tilted her head as she completed the high-five.

The all dropped their hands and Chad turned to Carlyn. "Listen—"

"No."

Sam's phone went off and Carlyn momentarily tensed, but her worries were put to rest when Tara snatched her sister's phone and held it out.

"Is that him?" Chad asked, referring to Cute Boy.

Tara pulled the phone out of Sam's reach, answering the call and holding it up to her ear. "Hey, so, what are your intentions. . ."

Tara then handed the phone back to Sam. "Oh, it's fine, I'll call him back."

"Poor guy," Mindy teased.

The loud moans and rhythmic pounding against the wall that came from Quinn's room made them all fall quiet once more.

"Oh, my God, Quinn and her gentleman caller are back at it again," Tara pointed out.

        "Getting it too, okay," Mindy praised.

        Their phones all went off. Carlyn furrowed her brows and reached into her pocket. An Airdrop request was placed on her screen and she clicked accept. Her phone sent her into her photos app, where a picture of Quinn struggling against Ghostface was displayed.

Carlyn's breath hitched in her chest and she would've sworn that her heart stopped for a second. Her legs carried her before her mind could catch up. The five friends rushed into the living room. Chad pulled Carlyn and Tara into him, arm around both girls protectively.

        Carlyn's heartbeat picked up as Quinn's screams suddenly went quiet. They all stared at the door to her room in anticipation. "Run," Mindy uttered just as the door to Quinn's room bursted open. Her body came tumbling out, crashing right into Anika.

        Carlyn gasped and moved back, out of Chad's hold. He didn't seem to realize as he dragged Tara towards the door. Carlyn stared at Quinn's body and only looked up when she heard Mindy's voice.

"Oh. . . fuck."

        Ghostface came forward, slashing Mindy's upper arm. The girl screamed in pain as she fell back onto the couch. Carlyn squatted onto the ground next to Mindy to help her up while Anika latched onto Ghostface's leg.

        "Mindy, c'mon, we gotta get up," Carlyn's voice shook as she spoke. She flinched as she heard Anika's screams and her head snapped up. Her eyes widened, watching as Ghostface dug his knife into the girl's stomach and dragged it up.

        "No!" Mindy screamed, pushing her pain into the back of her mind as she worked harder to help Carlyn get her up.

        Sam came running into the living room, hitting Ghostface in the head with something and knocking him to the ground.

        Unfortunately, Ghostface made a fast recovery as the girls helped Anika off the ground. They ran into Quinn's room, slamming the door behind them and locking it.

        Mindy and Anika sat on the bed, cradling their wounds. Carlyn helped Sam keep the door closed. Then, the pounding on the door stopped.

"Carlyn, bathroom door," Sam quietly instructed. "Hurry!"

        Carlyn let go of the door and hurried into the bathroom. She was momentarily distracted when her eyes landed on the sight of Quinn's hookup's body in the tub. Blood was smeared all over the wall and Carlyn would've puked had she not turn back to the bathroom door as Ghostface appeared in front of it. Carlyn's hand hit the door, but Ghostface's body only blocked it from closing.

He slashed his knife towards her but missed when she jumped back. The next thing she knew, she was being dragged back into the bedroom by Sam. Carlyn pushed the door shut, holding it closed with the other girl as she tried to lock it. Her hands were too shaky and Ghostface slamming on the door wasn't helping any. Sam left her side so she gave up and opted to instead just lean against it.

Sam pushed Quinn's dresser towards her. The two girls successfully managed to get it against the door. Carlyn clenched her eyes shut for a second as she focused on putting all of her body weight against the dresser.

Sam left her side once more and ran toward the window. Carlyn watched as Cute Boy slid a ladder between his window and theirs. Sam spun back around, eyes landing on Mindy and Anika. "You two go first. Mindy!"

        "What, no," Mindy protested, in the middle of getting up to help Carlyn.

"Mindy," Sam tried.

"Someone needs to help Car hold the door!" Mindy shouted. "I'll send Anika next. Go!"

A guilty look crossed Sam's features before she turned and climbed through the window, onto the ladder.

"Oh, shit, you're losing a lot of blood," Mindy noticed, eyes set on her girlfriend.

"Say something more positive!" Anika forced out through the pain.

"Come on!" Sam shouted, having made it to Cute Boy's apartment. "Come on, Mindy!"

"Go," Carlyn shoved Mindy away. "You and Anika need to get across." Mindy looked like she was about the argue, so Carlyn stopped her before she could. "You're both hurt, okay? Get to safety. I'll be fine."

Mindy looked torn as she stared at her. A second went by before Mindy nodded. She swiftly picked Anika up and dragged her to the window. Anika sat back on the bed, in too much pain and not mentally prepared. "You have to go."

"No, Mindy!" Anika cried out. "I'll be right behind you, I promise!"

Mindy gripped Anika's face and leaned forward, giving her girlfriend a kiss before she climbed onto the ladder. Carlyn watched them, stomach dropping because she knew, deep down, that one of them was not making it out alive.

        "Anika, go!" Carlyn shouted when Mindy crossed the ladder. The girl only sobbed and shook her head. Carlyn pushed the dresser so it was in between the wall and the door, making it a little bit harder for Ghostface to get in.

        She moved over to Anika, helping her off the bed and onto the ladder. She turned to go back to the dresser just as Ghostface managed to push the door open.

"Fuck," Carlyn breathed out, glancing back to make sure that Anika was okay. Carlyn pulled out her taser from her pocket and got closer to Ghostface.

Ghostface lunged and swung his knife. Carlyn leaned back and stepped away. She flicked the switch on the taser and ducked, pressing the button that made the electricity come alive on the top as she shoved it into Ghostface's side.

        The man crumpled over, Carlyn stood back up behind him. He didn't stay weakened for long, though. His left elbow slammed into her stomach. The blow knocked the air from her lungs. She dropped the taser, hands going to her stomach as she stumbled back until her back hit the wall.

        Ghostface stood up, keeping Carlyn pressed against the wall. Her ran the tip of his knife over her cheek, trailing it down her neck. The girl's eyes flickered over his shoulder, hoping that her friends were safe before she died. Instead, she saw their horrified expressions as they looked at her and Anika, who was frozen in the middle of the ladder.

        She expected Ghostface to stab her, but instead he grabbed her throat and slammed her head back into the wall before tossing her to the ground.

Pain shot through Carlyn's body as ringing exploded in her ears. Through blurry vision, she watched Ghostface walk over to the window and grab the ladder. She could see him shaking it and she could vaguely hear multiple screams.

Then, he turned around and left the room.

𝒎𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒆𝒍 !!
ethan's so nice omg