.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚

The movie had barely reached the halfway point when Billy stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "I'm grabbing a drink." He muttered, casting a glance at Adora before making his way toward the kitchen.

Stu made an exaggerated whimpering sound, dramatically throwing himself against Adora's shoulder. "Nooo, don't leave us, Billy-boy. We'll miss you."

Billy scoffed but didn't bother responding, disappearing around the corner.

Adora rolled her eyes, nudging Stu off of her. "You're ridiculous."

Stu grinned, opening his mouth to respond when the shrill ring of the house phone cut through the room.

She startled slightly at the sudden noise. Stu, however, barely seemed to acknowledge it. "You gonna get that?" she asked, glancing toward where the phone sat on the coffee table.

Stu waved a dismissive hand. "Eh, it's probably Tatum yelling at me for not answering my pager. Let it ring."

The phone rang again.

And again.

Adora sighed, grabbing the receiver before Stu could change his mind. "Hello?"

A moment of silence. Then—

"Hello, babydoll."

The voice was smooth, deep, familiar in a way that sent a shiver rolling down her spine. She straightened slightly, gripping the phone tighter. "You've got to be kidding me." She whispered when she recognized the voice, bringing her right back to Casey's house.

A low chuckle crackled through the receiver, slow and deliberate. "Now, now," the voice purred. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

Adora's grip on the phone tightened. Her stomach twisted as memories of that night at Casey's house came rushing back—screams, flashing lights, blood.

She forced herself to breathe, to think.

Stu glanced at her, raising a brow. "Who is it?"

Adora ignored him, her pulse quickening. "What do you want?" she murmured into the receiver, voice quieter now.

Another chuckle. "Just to talk."

Adora arched a brow. "Talk about what?"

"About you."

That... wasn't the answer she was expecting.

"Me?" She echoed.

"Mm-hmm." The voice hummed in amusement. "You look good today, by the way."

Her stomach dropped. Her head snapped up, eyes darting toward the nearest window, the darkened corners of the room. Was someone watching her? But how could that be? The curtains were closed?

She forced a scoff, masking the sudden unease creeping up her spine. "Flattering, but creepy. Try again."

Another chuckle. "You're cute when you're nervous."

Adora's grip on the phone tightened. "I'm not nervous."

"Liar."

Her pulse kicked up.

Stu, still chewing on a handful of popcorn, nudged her with his elbow. "Who the hell is that?" he mumbled, eyes flickering between her and the phone.

Adora ignored him, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"I don't have time for this," she muttered, shifting to hang up.

"Ah, ah, ah," the voice tsked, amusement dripping from every syllable. "Don't hang up on me, babydoll. We're just getting started."

She hesitated, fingers hovering over the receiver.

"Good girl," the voice purred.

Her stomach twisted.

Stu, now catching on that something was off, leaned in closer, eyes narrowing. "Who is it?"

Adora swallowed hard. "No one," she muttered, trying to keep her voice steady.

The voice chuckled. "Ouch. You wound me, sweetheart."

Adora forced herself to breathe. "Why are you calling?"

"Because I like the way you sound when you're flustered."

Her breath hitched before she could stop it.

"See?" The voice was smug now. "You like this."

"No," she snapped, heat creeping up her neck. "I don't."

Another chuckle, dark and knowing. "Then why haven't you hung up?"

Her throat went dry.

Stu, growing impatient, reached for the phone, but Adora jerked away.

"Mm, protective," the voice mused. "You don't want him to hear what I'm about to say, do you?"

Adora clenched her jaw. "Shut up."

A low hum crackled through the receiver. "You ever think about me, Adora?"

Her skin prickled.

"No?" the voice continued. "That's a shame. Because I think about you."

Her chest tightened.

"Especially when you wear that little skirt of yours."

Her breath caught.

Stu was staring now, eyes flickering between her face and the phone, concern finally creeping into his expression.

The voice dropped lower. "I bet you like a little danger, don't you?"

Adora shot up from the couch. "Go to hell," she hissed, slamming the phone down before he could say another word.

Silence.

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

Stu blinked. "Okay, what the actual fuck was that?"

Adora's hands were trembling. She clenched them into fists. "It was him. The person who killed Casey and Steven." 

Stu's expression flickered—just for a second. Something unreadable passed behind his eyes before he let out a forced laugh. "Oh, come on, babe. That's a pretty big accusation just 'cause some creep called you."

Adora shook her head, chest rising and falling rapidly. "It was him. I know it was him."

Stu held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Chill, alright? Maybe it was just some asshole messing with you."

She exhaled sharply, fingers still gripping the phone so tight her knuckles turned white. "He knew what I was wearing, Stu."

That seemed to catch his attention. His smirk wavered, his jaw tightening slightly. "What?"

"He said I looked good today," Adora whispered, barely able to get the words out. "And the curtains are closed."

Stu didn't reply right away. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting toward the window as if he could see something she couldn't.

Then—

Footsteps.

Adora barely had time to react before Billy reappeared in the doorway, taking a sip from his soda. His brows pulled together as he took in the scene before him—Adora pale and tense, Stu unusually quiet, the phone still clutched in her hand.

"What's going on?" Billy asked, his voice slow, cautious.

Adora turned to him, breath shaky. "I got a call."

Billy's expression darkened immediately. He stepped forward, gaze flickering between her and the phone. "From who?"

She swallowed hard. "Ghostface."

Something in the room shifted. Billy's grip tightened around the bottle in his hand. "What did he say?"

Adora hesitated. The way he was looking at her—so intense, so focused—made her pulse quicken for an entirely different reason. "He was..." She glanced at Stu, then back at Billy. "Flirting."

Billy's jaw tensed. "Flirting?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Stu let out an awkward chuckle. "Damn, man. You've got a real charmer on your hands."

Billy ignored him, still watching Adora. "What else?"

She exhaled, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "He said he thinks about me. That I... 'like a little danger.'" Her stomach twisted at the memory. "And he called me babydoll."

Stu stiffened. Billy's fingers curled slightly at his sides.

Silence.

Then Billy let out a slow breath. "Did he threaten you?"

Adora shook her head. "Not directly. It was more like he... he was trying to mess with me." She felt another shiver going over her back. "I should call my dad and we should go back to school. I don't want to sit around here waiting for him to call again."

Stu hesitated, exchanging a glance with Billy. "Babe, school's boring. And what, you think Ghostie's just gonna pop out of a locker or something?"

Adora shot him a glare. "Stu, I'm serious." She wasn't pissed at him, if anything she was just scared.

Billy finally nodded. "Fine. We'll go." 

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Words: 1206

Posted: Sunday March 23, 2025

Written: Sunday March 23, 2025

Thank you so much for reading again! Be sure to comment and vote! Love you guys!!

Mwah Katherine