"(Y/n), you're home!" A tiny voice called. Soon after you rest your book bag on the kitchen table, a pair of small arms cling around your waist. You giggle a bit and look down to your younger sister, her bright eyes lighting up as you acknowledge her.

You lean down and pat her head "Hey there, Emmie. How are you doing, darling?"

"Today in school, Ashley invited me over to her house to stay the night! Can I go? Can I, please?" She begs, jumping up and down as she still clings onto you.

A small sigh escapes you, but you nod slowly "I don't see why not, as long as you finish your homework by then. I'll drop you off at 6 when I head to work, how about that?" You ask grinning at her "Let's make some dinner first, okay? How about... chicken nuggets?"

Emily finally decided to let go of you, and steps back "Sounds good! I'm gonna go finish my homework!" She announces fleeing to the living room "Have you heard from Mom?"

"Yeah, She says she's working the night shift, again. She won't be home until 7 in the morning." You mumble as you start to clean dishes in the sink, preheating the oven to cook dinner.

Emily sits herself down at the living room table, taking out a sheet of paper and going through her multiplication tables. She bites her lip and looks over at you "Hey, sis?"

"Yes, Em?"

"Dad called..."

You set down the cup you were currently cleaning, turning to her with a small, tired grin "Oh, yeah? What did he have to say?

"He wants to talk to mom about you. He asked what you were doing in school- what I was doing." She says quietly.

"Well, it's not really any of his business, is it?" You giggle walking over to her and sitting with her at the table "Did you say anything to him?"

She shook her head quickly, drawing her attention back to the homework. You grin and pat her head "It's okay if you did, Em. You aren't in trouble for talking to your father."

"... I told him mom was at work, and you were at school, and I was good." She says "... Why do you hate him so much?"

Your grin falters a bit, and you look down at the table "I don't hate dad, Emily. I just... he's made it really hard on us. He took a lot of us when him when he left, and he knows that... Did he mention Eric at all?"

"Never does." Emily responds quietly. You can tell she feels uncomfortable with the conversation, and she desperately wants to find a way to change the mood of the room. "Can you help me with this homework? I can't multiply double digits."

You force a small smile to your lips, pecking her forehead "Of course, Em. Let's see, twenty four, times sixteen is..."

⇜-⇝

"Hey, (Y/n)!" You hear a voice call as you approach the front desk of the movie store, setting your bag on it as you make your way around the counter "You're 23.6 seconds late! I should fire you on the spot!"

"Oh, ha ha, Randy." You roll your eyes, smiling at him "Have any luck recommending that one cute girl some good movies?"

"Well, I tried recommending Halloween, but she didn't seem to enjoy that one. Starting to think it's a lost cause." He groans

You find yourself giggling "Well, if she doesn't appreciate a good slasher, she isn't for you. I'm sure the right one will come around some day."

"I'm sure the right one will come, once she stops dating Billy." He chuckles.

You slap his shoulder lightly "Hey, now. They seem happy together. After all, they've been through a lot together. You shouldn't hope bad things for them."

He groans "Ughhh I know, but still, she's a really cool girl. I'd love to be with her."

"Don't worry, nerd. You've seen enough movies to know that the dork always has at least a chance with the girl." You giggle "Until then, maybe try putting these romance movies away? I would but... I hate that fucking romance section."

He sighs "Sure, but you have to cover the R rated section."

"Deal." You cheer grabbing the cart and pushing it down the isle. At the moment, like most days, the place was pretty inactive. Normally people came around later. Parents would drag their kids in to find a children's film to occupy them with, pre-teens would try to sneak an adult film in with their pile (which never gets passed us. Nice try, though.). But they normally came in directly after school hours. Night's were normally more for the teens. Times like this, you and Randy mainly just threw around casual banter while stocking films onto shelves.

"I grabbed a form for one of those college classes the school offers. You know, the one where you get the credit for taking the class in high school so you save yourself from taking it in college." You explain as you store the movies away.

"Blah, those classes are for gross smart people." He jokes "You know, nerds like you. But really though, why are you taking that? Don't you already have enough stuff going on?"

You nod a bit "Yeah, but I could really use the credits. They'd look wonderful on college forms, don't you think?"

"Not if you stress out over that stuff and die from sleep deprivation at a young age." He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he pushes the cart down the isle of film "You think I don't notice those bags under your eyes?"

"Sheesh, I'm not that insane about working, am I?" You ask "The bags under my eyes aren't that bad."

"Are you kidding me? The bags under your eyes are fucking Gucci brand, at this point." He retorts.

"Okay, I get it." You sigh "But I really need this class. I'm gonna need it. With my income it's going to be really hard to get into a good college."

Randy takes a deep breath, prepared to go off on you once again. But he simply reels himself down and turns his response into a small sigh, turning back to his shelf and stacking the films on it. Finally, he settles on just saying; "You're difficult.", you respond with a tiny 'I know' before the conversation dies out.

A small moment later you and Randy shoot up at the familiar ding of the door cracking open, accompanied with the sound of laughter. You both look over to see a group of your fellow classmates, and Randy's friends, squeezing through the door.

Tatum, Sidney, Stu and Billy make it into the romance isle, surrounding Randy as he stocks the shelves with cheesy films. She lightly taps on his head "Hello, good sir, can you kindly point me in the direction of a good horror film?"

"You know damn well that is a very loaded question." He says "What's up with ya'll? Why's the gang all together?"

"They are all coming over to my place tonight." Tatum says "Movies, drinks, premarital hand holding. All that gross teen stuff."

Randy chuckles "Awww, without me? Very rude to leave your best friend out of it."

You glance over to them and notice two of them eyeing you down. You shiver a bit and ignore the two boys, even when Stu starts to walk over to you.

"Hey, (Y/n)." He says "I'm sorry about attackin' you in the office earlier today. Real shitty of me, not gonna lie."

You glance over at him, nodding your head carelessly "Oh, yeah um, that's fine. You're cool." You utter awkwardly as you pull yourself off the floor, pushing the small cart of movies down the isle a small bit. You take slight note about Stu following you closer down the isle, as you return back to the ground to stack the bottom isle with films.

"You aren't stressed or anything though, right? I mean, I know we don't talk much but you've got a lot going on..." He questions.

You sigh a soft bit "No, I'm totally fine. I mean, work, and school, and clubs, and all that stuff are just part of life. Gets stressful at points but I think I'm doing very well."

He nods a bit, humming skeptically, but you wouldn't notice that. He sits in the isle beside you "Where do you want to go after high school?"

You shrug "I don't think I'll make it into any place I really want to go. Why? You got big plans outside of Woodsboro?"

He chuckles "Oh yeah, totally. I've got a big ol' exciting life ahead of me. Gonna leave Woodsboro behind."

You giggle a small bit "Any life outside of this town seems like the best kind."

He nods chuckling "But really, what do you want to do with your life?"

"I don't really know." You mumble as you shove away another DvD case "Not really set on anything, yet."

He shakes his head a bit, leaning on your cart "You're really good at avoiding any questions that would hint me anything about you."

"Oh? Is that why you're talking to me?" You scoff, glancing back at him.

He rolls his eyes "Yeah, this is an interrogation."

"Well, you're horrible at it." You retort

"Is it that much of a crime to want to get and know ya?"

You shake your head "I don't have much to say, really. I'm a pretty uh, normal person? I guess that's how you put it."

"Boring way to put it." Stu groans.

You feel someone walk up besides you, and immediately after someone plops on the floor right beside you "Even the ditzy blonde in every horror film has more to them than that, sweetheart."

"Hey Billy, do you always eavesdrop on conversations? Or do you and Stu always just come as a pair?" You respond sarcastically.

"Two for one, baby." Stu giggles.

Billy rolls his eyes "What do you got against us? We just wanna be your friends!" He whines leaning back against the shelf you were trying to stock.

You send him a small glare "I don't know what you both are getting at, but I doubt it's friendship."

"Stu, Billy, don't torture that poor girl. Jesus." Sidney calls out to them from two isles over, both of them turning to her for a moment "Pick out some movies!"

You thought maybe, just maybe - for the love of god - that might make them go away. But, alas, Billy just turns his attention back to you.

"Okay, what's your favorite movie?" Billy asked, staring you down. How did he manage to come off more interrogative than Stu? Maybe because he has more brain cells underneath that skull. Billy is always up to something, you can't help but feel like he knows something you don't every time you two speak "Even Randy can't squeeze that question out of you."

"I don't really have one. I watch a lot of different kinds of films." You shrug "Movies are just neat."

"Favorite horror movie, then." Stu pushes.

You roll your eyes "I like all types. I mean, there are a lot of cool directors in that genre."

"Ugh you're harder to figure out than a fucking Rubik's Cube."

"Rubik's Cubes aren't hard, Stu."

"Oh, look at you, mister big brain over here."

You smother a laugh and shake your head "You both are... Something else."

"Why, thank you, my lady." Stu responds happily "I get that quite a lot."

You roll your eyes "I'm sure you do. Now, can ya'll leave me alone?"

"What? No way, we still haven't learned anything about you!" Billy argues, only moving closer to you.

You sigh in annoyance and push yourself up off the ground "Fine. But if you guys are going to bother me can't you at least help me put these away!"

"Deal."

"Sure."

They both started to pull movies off the cart placing them on the shelves. For a moment, you three existed in peace. But then they started to talk to you again. Shame.

"So, (Y/n), We are all picking out movies. Any films to recommend us?" Billy asked.

You scoff a bit "You two are friends with Randy, aren't you? Can't you bark at him for suggestions? You know damn well by now he's the king of it."

"Wouldn't it be better to get a fresh opinion?" Billy retorts "I'd like to know what movies you like."

You shake your head "I don't like anything that isn't already popular. You boys would have a lot more fun finding out what movie you like the most. Pick a good movie, you'll like it, pick a bad movie, you might like making fun of it. Either way you win. Nothing my advice can do for you there."

"Do you have any other traits besides being passive and dodgy?" Stu complains "It's hard to get a read on you if you never share any opinions."

"Again with this? Why is my opinion important to you both at all? We have what, one class together? Why does it matter."

Billy moves closer to you "Actually, we have 6th period together. And you and Stu have 2nd, 4th, and 5th. Actually, now that I think about it; you, me and Stu all have 3rd period together, too. The only periods we don't share with you are first, and that's only because me and Stu here share a study hall with Sydney and Tatum."

"Don't you think it's only appropriate we try to make friends with our classmates?" Stu ponders smirking "Besides, we think you're-"

"We think you are nice, under all that, there's something there." Billy cuts him off- it seems, out of worry he'll say something stupid "You seem really busy, a lot, wouldn't it be nice to have a few friends?"

You turn your attention back to the movie rack biting your lip and shoving the last movie on the cart onto the shelf. You look back to both of them, only to find the two eyeing you intently for a response. You know you have to come up with some sort of retort, and just as you're about to open your mouth-

"Guys, come on, we can't stay here all night! Jesus, hurry your asses up and pick out something." Tatum shouts from almost the other side of the store. That's enough to get the boys off their feet, shooting up and glancing over to them.

"Oh, um, okay-" Stu utters awkwardly "We'll just pick out one real quick."

You almost want to laugh at how off guard they acted. It's like they forgot they were even in a video store. You pull yourself off the ground and guide the cart back to the front desk, leaving the two boys harassing you all night behind. You watch them scramble to find a movie, feeling your lips curl up a bit into a grin as you watch them act like fools.

You notice them move over to the horror isle, and you sigh moving out from your safe spot behind the counter, walking over to them "So... do you guys want a 'good to watch drunk' movie or an actually decent film?" You ask them quietly.

They both glance over at you "Hmm, most likely drunk... Why, got a recommendation?" Billy says with a slick grin.

You press your lips together, nodding a bit "I just might... Have you guy seen Texas Chainsaw 4 yet? It's so horrible, and that's what makes it perfection."

"Oh, really?" Stu chuckles "I thought the second one was the worst."

You shake your head "Only at first glance. When you take a step back, the movie could be viewed as commentary for what happened to the view of the movie after popular culture really got a hold of it. It's comedy, completely intentional. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4: The Next Generation is actually bat-shit insane. Take the entire Sawyer family, but now Matthew McConaughey is in the family- he has a robot leg controlled by remote controls- and the family works for the Illuminati. It's complete hell with no direction, and I love it."

"For a person with no real opinions, you seem to have a lot to say about Texas Chainsaw..." Billy states, giving you a small smirk, the one you don't really know whether to love or hate yet.

You let a small grin make it's way onto your face "Well, of course. Horror is my favorite genre, after all."

Stu and Billy seem to light up at this comment, which causes you to giggle just a little bit more "I have to go to the backroom and sort out some movies that just came in this afternoon. You guys should probably go appease your girlfriends- Tatum always looks like she's on the verge of stabbing you." You say taking a step back from the two "Have a good night, dudes." You say moving towards the back. As you walked you could feel the eyes on your back, but you refused to allow yourself to look back.

Stu sets the movie on the counter, Randy sighs looking at it "Jesus, that movie sucks. What compelled you to grab that off the shelf?"

"Oh, just a small recommendation from your wonderful co-worker." Stu responds with goofy look on his face.

Randy raises a brow skeptically "Oh, a recommendation from (Y/n)? Those are quite rare indeed. Actually, I hardly believe it. How much did you harass that poor girl?"

Billy just shrugs "I have all kind of tricks under my sleeve." He responds, which brings out a small chuckle in Stu.

The two left that store on Friday night feeling like gods. Tatum and Sidney both remarked that the boys seemed a lot joyful that night, and they couldn't pin down exactly why. Similarly, you went home feeling a bit joyful, a new feeling bubbling up in your chest. For some reason those two idiots, as goofy as they are, made your night a whole lot better.

Maybe they weren't as bad as you thought they were.

Just maybe...