"𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙡𝙮, 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙨,

𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙩-𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣.

𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙬!

𝙄'𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙮!"

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

"So WHAT makes a horror film a horror film?" The teacher questioned, hopping up and sitting on the corner of his desk, perhaps trying to look casual.

The class seemed pretty chill, I quickly realized. The teacher acknowledged me as soon as I entered the room, making some odd comment that I realized a few minutes later that it was a joke. Mickey greeted the teacher- Mr. Johnson, but he preferred to be called by his first name: Craig. One of "those" teachers. But most of the professors seemed to be like that in college. Just relaxed guys who don't particularly stress over the little details.

Craig told me that I could take a seat anywhere, seeing as how there no assigned seats, but Mickey informed me that the students were creatures of habit, and they sat in the same seats every class. Not wanting to upset anyone, I quietly asked him which seats were not taken. And he just shrugged and pointed to one of the seats behind him.

I stayed there as the class started, trying not to draw any undue attention. But, surprisingly, several of the students went out of their way to say hello to me and make introductions. As the class started, I learned that the class had a lack of actual work, and was mainly for debates and discussions on films. Occasionally, Mickey would pass a note behind his back sharing unprovoked gossip about whatever student was currently talking, or just saying how he was so much smarter and better than everyone in the class.

They were pretty funny notes, if I were honest with myself, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of a laugh, so I sent them back with a small quip on them, ranging from "Who asked" to "Your hairline sucks".

I learned a lot about the class from just watching the first thirty minutes of it. There were two main debaters. Mickey, and a guy named Randy Meeks. Randy had the most.....well, a certainly unique beard starting to grow. And he would not be quiet for more than five minutes at a time. He knew his stuff, and was throwing movie quotes left and right, and sparking controversial statements with every word he spoke.

Mickey loved to argue. It was clear in the way he spoke. Although he was in front of me and I couldn't see his expression, his body language was vivid. He swayed side to side when he spoke, his voice raised in defense. His fists pounded on the surface of his desk, and even his feet tapped in a strange rhythm to his sentences, almost seeming to emphasize his words. He threw in a lot of insults towards Randy to spice up his arguments, as well. But he never insulted his classmates like that. So either he and Randy were friends, or mortal enemies. Either one was a viable option.

The class was mainly the two going back and forth, if I'm honest. Sometimes another student would add in their own opinion, but Meeks and Altieri were the real stars of the class.

I didn't have anything to add. I wasn't a film geek- I watched movies casually. I took this class just because I liked the sound of it! I certainly wasn't as well-versed in the lesser topics of obscure movie tropes.

Until I was forced to speak.

"So, WHAT makes a horror film, a horror film?"

The teacher went silent, his eyes narrowing to peer at each student's face before he continued speaking

"Horror movies are popular." He said, taking off his glasses and wiping them off with a small cloth "Slashers, psychological, thrillers. They can have a wide array of antagonists, ranging from aliens, to the paranormal, to normal humans who snapped."

Mickey moved his head, looking towards Randy. Hm. Some secret joke between them?

"But what makes a scary movie so scary? I'm not talking about the obvious jump scares, the blood and gore, that kind of stuff. What subtle things can force the fear of god into the audience? What makes them leave sweating, scared to sleep alone that night??"

Mister Johnson's gaze finally landed on me, and his eyes widened. He snapped his fingers, pointing at me.

"You! New girl- you haven't said a single word during this class. You need to join in for discussion points- what's your take on this?"

And suddenly the entire class was turned in my direction, looking at me. Mickey gave a grin, seeming to take delight in my sudden uncomfortable situation.

I straightened my posture, leaning my elbows against the top of my desk "Uhm...besides the obvious...?" I spoke slowly, trying to buy myself some time for my brain to think of something "Uh- high-pitched sounds?" I guessed "And...and slow shots of ordinary objects. You know, the things- uhm, the things that seem...ordinary. Like every-day things."

"And WHAT makes that so scary?" The teacher prodded, waving his hand in the air as it to wind an answer out of my throat.

"It, uh..." I tapped my fingers on the desk, fidgeting slightly "It doesn't. It just adds to the uncomfortable feeling. Makes the audience uneasy."

"Okay, but he asked what makes the audience scared, not what makes them uncomfortable!" Randy said with a wave of his hand, mimicking the teacher.

"You dumbass, that IS what makes them scared!" Mickey retorted, earning a rebuke from the teacher on his language. Randy rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, dude! Look, the more uncomfortable the audience is, the more they'll get scared at the jump-scares, the blood, the gore, the slashing!" he pointed to each of his fingers as he listed off the reasons "If they give slow-shots of ordinary objects, then that creates an ANCHOR to reality! People will go home, see that ordinary object that they own- like a key, or a hammer, or something like that- and they'll associate the feelings they had for that movie whenever they see the object."

"Yeah, but that's a marketing ploy!" Randy cried, throwing his hands up in the air.

"No, it makes the movie's effects last longer!" A blonde girl argued "It makes the audience go home scared, and that's what the question was about!"

I felt a tap on my knee as the argument continued. Looking under my desk, I saw Mickey's hand reaching behind him, grasping a torn piece of paper in his hand.

With a sigh, I grabbed it, putting it on the top of the desk before unfolding it.

"Randy Meeks is a bitch." was scrawled out in uppercase letters. Below that, were the words "You wanna get some coffee or something later?" Signed with a smiley face.

I snorted, making Mickey in front of me turn around to look at me, that same wide-eyed psychotic smile on his face. He wiggled his eyebrows, nodding his head and mouthing "Yes-"

I reached forward and shoved his shoulder, and he laughed and turned back around to add in another argument of his own to the ongoing discussion.

I grabbed my pen and twirled it around in my fingers, putting it to the paper and pausing. Hm...was Mickey really the best person to hang around? To go get coffee with? I barely knew the guy, only knowing his name and that he had ultimately failed as my "Campus Buddy".

Eh. Might as well make friends when I can.

What's the worst that could happen.

I wrote down: "Sure. You're buying."

And folded the paper up and nudged Mickey's shoulder. He took the paper, raising a brow at me before turning around and unfolding the paper himself.

A minute later, he passed the note back to me.

"Fine. But you buy me a coffee next time."