IX

-The Next Day; Friday- 

Tatum and Sidney were sitting on Tatum's porch later on that night. As usual, they were alone while Mary hung out with Stu, going to get some scary movies from the video store. Tatum looks at her best friend with concern. "Maybe Cotton Weary is telling the truth..maybe he was having an affair with your mom Sid." Sidney scoffs at her friend shaking her head at this.

"So you think my mom's a slut too?" Sidney says clearly upset. Tatum shook her head at her friend before explaining herself. "I didn't say that. But you know there were rumors. Your dad was always out of town, and Mary was hardly home. Maybe she was unhappy." Sidney took a sharp breath when her sister was mentioned. Mary really was never home. She had always been closer to Billy & Stu than either her or Tatum ever were. 

There was a moment of silence before Sidney sighed in defeat after Tatum explains that there was more to it, and that they can't prove a rumor. She gets up and goes to the other side of the porch, arms crossed. "If I was wrong about Cotton, that means he's still out there." Tatum went over to her friend and shook her head, grabbing her hands. 

"Don't think like that Sid. You're starting to sound like a Wes Carpenter flick. Don't freak yourself out, we've got a long night ahead of us." Sidney nodded to her friend, following her inside the house, missing the ghost face that passed through. 

-Meanwhile-

Stu and Mary are on their way to blockbuster, when Billy runs up beside the two catching up with them. They look over at the dark eyed boy, Mary noticeable in pain from her situation that happened with Sidney earlier. "How'd you do?" Billy asked Stu, about the party that night.

"Piece of cake. She'll be there." Mary smiled at Stu, and nudged him playfully. "It wasn't hard Billy boy. Just had to convince her that the more the safer y'know" Mary explained to her friend. Billy rolled his eyes, but kept the smirk on his face.

"Thanks buttwart, you both did good." Mary rolled her eyes at his cockiness, but kept in step with her friends. "So are you gonna try and make up with Sid?" Mary looked over at Stu's innocent question, and immediately glared at Billy when he responded rudely. "Duh..that's quick." Mary slapped the boy over the head, causing him to wince in response. "Damn Bloody Mary.." he said rubbing his head. 

Stu just shook his head, and looked over at his friend "I was just asking.. why are you always at me? I'm helping you." Mary rubbed her friends arm comfortingly, clearly hearing the hurt in Stu's voice. "Ignore him Stuey, he just doesn't know how good he has it right now." Billy glared at the girl, before looking at his best friend. "Because, I'm trying to build your self esteem, you're far too sensitive." Mary scoffed at this response, and looked at Stu when he looked upset at what was said.

Billy, trying to ease the tension he caused flicks Stu over the forehead playfully. "You ready for tonight.. both of you." Mary made eye contact with the boys before nodding. "Of course I am.. my sister is a bitch, and Tatum is no better." Stu looked at the girl shockingly but also nodded "You know it." Mary saw the shocked look on the boys face before laughing at them.

"Oh, don't act so surprised. You know we haven't been getting along with lately." The boys shook their heads, before they made it to the video store. They looked at the building that was located dead center in town, a blue building that was bigger than their local bank and the post office combined. Stu opened the door, allowing Billy and Mary to head inside before him.

Billy went his own way, while Stu and Mary went over to Randy. Stu snuck up from behind Randy, knocking the videos out of his hand and laughing. Mary shaking her head at her friend, leaning on the shelf looking at Randy. "Jesus, this place is packed tonight." Mary nodded in agreement with her friend, and began helping Randy pick up the videos that Stu caused him to drop.

"We had a run in the mass murder section." Stu looked at him, seeming interested, and Mary got up and shook the dust from the floor off her hands. She leaned against the shelf, looking at Randy. "You coming to the rendezvous tonight?" Mary looked at the boy innocently as she asked. Randy nodded to her and Stu "of course, I get off early-- curfew you know" He shrugged, before looking over and seeing Billy. "Aw man, now that's in poor taste." Mary & Stu looked over to where Randy was looking, seeing Billy standing in the horror section, talking to two girls. 

"If you were the only suspect in a senseless bloodbath, would you be standing in the horror section?" Mary snickered as she saw her friend begin to get fired up, while Stu began to defend the dark eyed boy. "It was all a misunderstanding. He didn't do anything." Stu explained pointing at his best friend. Randy scoffed at his friend "You are such a little lap dog. He's got killer printed all over his forehead."

Mary glanced at Randy, and sharply replied to him "don't insult him like that." Stu looked at her and moved his hands in a segment that said just tone it down a little. Mary breathed out frustrated, but rested her head in her hand on the shelve. "Okay smart guy, so why'd the police let him go?" Stu copied Mary's movements, listening to Randy begin to rant. 

"Because obviously they don't watch enough movies. This is standard horror movie stuff - Prom night revisited" Randy moved down the aisle, Mary & Stu following him as they talked. Mary, finally beginning to join the conversation as she begin to feel more inclined to speak. "Why would he want to kill his own girlfriend, and his best friend" She pointed to herself. "I was in the house too smart guy." Randy rolled his eyes in response to the girl, and Stu wrapped an arm around Mary protectively. This did not go unnoticed by Randy at all. 

"There's always some stupid bullshit reason to kill your girlfriend and best friend. That's the beauty of it all. Simplicity. Besides, if it gets too complicated, you lose your target audience." Stu mocks him, making almost a cartoon voice and face, making Mary snicker before the conversation continues. Mary was watching Billy, who she noticed was now paying attention to the conversation. Mary nudged Stu, as to say to wrap it up. "So what's his reason?" Stu said, listening to Randy intently.

"Maybe Sidney wouldn't have sex with him." Randy shrugged. This caused Mary to snort in response, and Randy looked over at the girl with a sharp look. "What? Is she saving herself for you?" Randy was taken back by the sharp remark from his friend, and looked at Stu who didn't even seem remotely surprised. "Maybe. Now that Billy's tried to mutilate her, do you think Sid would go out with me?" Mary laughed in his face before shaking her head no. "Not at all." Randy's face drops before Stu continues the conversation.

"I think her father did it. How come they can't find her pops?" Mary nudged Stu in warning, telling him he was going too far. Randy begins to get heated, and raised his voice. 

"Because he's probably dead. His body will come popping out in the last reel somewhere- eyes gauged -" Stu and Mary looked around embarrassed, trying to get him to calm down. "c'mon man." Stu gritted his teeth, but Randy kept going. "See, the police are always off track with this shit. If they'd watch Prom Night, they'd save time. There's a formula to it. A very simple formula! Everyone is a suspect!" When Mary looked around, she realized that the whole store was watching them. Stu began to look around, having a pretend cigarette in his fingers, insinuating that Randy was high off his heels.

Randy went to turn around, when he was caught by surprise, Billy grabbing him by the shirt. "How do we know you're not the killer?" Stu and Mary came up from behind Randy, with Stu leaning on Randy playing with his earlobe. Billy's eyes were dark in anger, and Mary was waiting to step in if she needed to. "Uh hi.. Billy" Randy smiled sheepishly. 

Mary walked over to stand beside Billy, who was clearly furious by the amount of attention that the boy had caused. "Maybe, your movie-freaked mind lost it's reality button." Mary put a hand on Billy's arm, an attempt to get him to calm down. Randy shrugged Billy off of him, laughing off the awkward encounter. "You're absolutely right. I'm the first to admit it. If this were a scary movie, I'd be the primary suspect."

Stu from behind Randy whispered in his ear, playing with it at the same time. "And what would be your motive?" Billy's grip had softened, when he looked at Mary who was equally annoyed. She awaited her friends response, while Mary pulled Billys hands off of him. "Its 1995.. motives are incidental. It's the millennium." Billy laughed at this, and grabbed Randy's nose in his fingers. "Millennium.. I like that." Stu grabbed Mary's hand, while Billy slapped Randy's cheek playfully. "Good kid."