(A/N: welcome to the house of wax series and stuff. I don't really have much to say except I think writing fanfiction based on a horror film, and fanfiction based on a children's series at the same time says a lot about me.)

       You sat with Carly and Paige, eating fries and more or less tuning out their conversation. You were sad that Carly was due to leave soon, but you were trying your best to forget that fact. The two of you had been friends for years, and you really didn't want to lose her.

     "There's a place in Tribeca for $3'000," Paige said as she looked through a newspaper while eating fries.

    "That's still too expensive. All the money I've saved up won't even cover two months' rent. I'm gonna have to work every second I'm not in class until graduation," Carly responded as she sat across the table from you and Paige.

    "I still think you should just find one of those houses with a bunch of tenants on eBay. You might end up in a band, then boom, money for a better place," you shrugged. You took another fry, dipped it in ketchup, and then stared blankly as you
accidentally dropped it into the vast sea of red.

    Carly gave you the same look that you were giving to the fry. Apparently she didn't like your idea.

    Paige nudged you in the ribs, "shut it will you. And Carly, you better not think of not going."

    "I'm not, but..."

    "Good," Paige said interrupting Carly before she could get another word out, "because you know how proud I am of you."

    "It's just an internship," Carly replied sheepishly.

    "A really cool one though," you added.

    "Exactly, you're going to be at InStyle Magazine. Of course, you could always stay at the Waffle House as a waitress for the rest of your life," Paige said as Carly drank the coke she had in front of her (the drink. I promise I mean the drink).

     "No thanks," Carly laughed as she began to flip through the InStyle Magazine she had brought along with her. Either to pass the time, or prepare for her future line of work, you had no clue.

    Wade, Carly's boyfriend, appeared as he sat down beside Carly. You didn't have any beef with Wade, but he did annoy you. A lot.

   "Hey babe, sorry I'm late. There were these two drunk rednecks wrestling in the bathroom," he told her, barely glancing at you and Paige.

    "Why wasn't I invited? I can yeehaw the day away," you pretended to tip your imaginary hat towards the couple.

    "Now that's something I'd love to see," Carly said shooting you a smile before turning her attention back to Wade, "but were there really?"

    "Nah, there aren't any rednecks in New York," Paige chipped in as she ate another fry.

    "No. There's not," Wade said as he cleared his throat, giving Paige a smile that looked more like a grimace than anything else.

    "You know, I'm gonna see what Blake's doing. He seems to like that car more than me nowadays," Paige said as she got up, giving the three of you a little wave.

    Taking that as a sign to give the couple some alone time, you got up from the table as well and went to search for Nick and Dalton.

    They were still in the building, Dalton was recording everything as always and Nick seemed to be buying a drink.

    "What's up you two?" You asked, approaching them. Dalton turned the camera to you while giving you a little wave. Nick barely glanced over his shoulder as he finished purchasing his drink.

    Nick brushed past you still not saying a word, you exchanged a glance with Dalton, but all he gave was a shrug as he followed after Nick. Really made you wonder how these two got invited out to this sort of thing.

    Not wanting to be left alone, you walked alongside Dalton as the three of you exited the building you had just entered. From what you could see, they were heading to the table Carly and Wade were sitting at. Meaning you really didn't have to get up since it all circled back to the same place.

    "Get a job man," you saw Nick kick a van out of a guys hand as he walked. This made you wish that the trip had two less people. Him, and the one who decided he'd be a ✨great✨ fit for this road trip.

     Him, you, and Dalton all sat down across from Wade and Carly. You have her a quick wave as if you hadn't been sitting here just a few minutes ago. You noticed the look of disgust Wade had on his face while he looked at Nick. It quickly erased as he tried turning his expression neutral.

     "So what do you think, guys? Gonna be a sweet game tomorrow, huh?" He asked trying to make light conversation.

     Nick muttered something under his breath before saying, "yeah."

     Dalton mocked Nick's tone as he held up his camera at the two sitting across from him and turned it on.

     "Dalton please don't film me." Carly huffed as she made eye contact with the camera.

    "What?"

    "Please."

      He smiled at her before saying, "it's just on. I'm not filming." He was in fact filming. You could literally see that it was on.

     "The red lights on," Carly said looking away as Nick swatted down Dalton's camera.

    "Come on, put the camera down. You know she doesn't like having people in her face," Nick looked over at Carly before saying in mock pity, "she folds under pressure."

    You laughed as you averted eye contact, even out of the corner of your eye you could see Carly flip you off.

    "Nick, you got something to say to me?" She asked, her voice sounding fed up with his antics already.

     "No, no. I think you've already spoken enough for the both of us, don't you?" He smiled as he opened the bottle you had saw him purchase earlier and drink it. (I don't know if that's proper grammar or not, but it is words).

     "You guys are lame, I'm out of here. See ya," Dalton said as he got up and walked away.

     Nick glanced back, seeming to appear to want to follow him, but he made the choice that annoyed you all and stuck around.

    "I call dibs on window seat," you quickly called out, knowing full well you didn't want to be stuck between anybody like you were on the way here. You guys still had a quite of bit left to drive, and there was no way you were going to be stuck in the middle like a sardine the whole time. You needed air.

     "I call shotgun then," Wade responded, lightly nudging Carly with his elbow. Nick grimaced at this.

    "Yeah as if you haven't been sitting there the whole time, making eyes at Carly," you joked with a smile.

    Carly laughed as she looked away, Wade rolling his eyes at the comment.

    "You know, I think I'm going to go get ready to leave," Nick said with a forced smile as he got up and left.

      You exchanged a glance with the two others before the three of you decided to get up and go to the cars as well.

(A/N: hi) (also I know this chapter is about 1'000 words less than y'all are used to me writing, but I'm trying to write this in chunks that match up with the movie before we derail into stuff that doesn't happen in the movie.)