from the inside out

“Actually, I really don’t like Grease all that much. Never have.” Spencer shook her head at the other’s question. “My favorite musicals aren’t exactly school appropriate, though… So I settle.”

“Really? Well, fair enough.” Grease seemed like a nice production, even if all she knew of it was based on Northlake’s version and a quick google search. “You mean like... Rock of Ages?” She remembered one time her mom had talked about the movie once when it came out as being a negative influence. She couldn’t recall why or anything about it, but her pop culture knowledge was very limited.

hanna had to remind herself that cady knew her, that she wouldn’t be bringing these things up if it wasn’t serious. she listened, trying to piece together cady’s thought process from the information she was receiving, but she was struggling. “ what like the disappearances this year, ella and everyone have something to do with our parents and heather? because of some notes you and some other people got in their lockers? is that what you’re saying? ”

Wolfgang didn’t like when people called him out for things that were actually true, maybe that’s why he didn’t respond right away. He didn’t wanna act out, and he didn’t wanna be mean to Cady. “You wouldn’t have.” He said quietly twisting his lips in thought. He wanted to tell her because everyone had given up on him, but he didn’t. “No I’m not.” He lied, stubbornly. “Don’t what?” He wondered as he rose a brow. Trying to continue to comfort her, he ran his hand up to her shoulder. “That’s the spirit.” He said with reluctance as he didn’t really care much for saying the phrase. Then, he smiled to himself. “You have a crime journal? Cute. Yeah, I’ll help. What do you need?”

“I really would’ve, though,” she said quietly, for the first time admitting to herself how much she might’ve actually liked him. It was in a different way than Dalton, and maybe not the way it should’ve been, but she couldn’t push down anymore that it was there. “You are. It’s infuriating." She didn’t say anything else for a moment, just shrugging and sighing and trying to rein in her fear in order to think more clearly. “Yes. And it’s not cute, it’s very well organized,” she insisted, flipping through the photos until she found the beginning. “Start there. I’m thinking I’ll go poke around in your library and meet you back here when you’re caught up.” She had a feeling the mansion would be eerie to walk around in the dark, but nothing was worse than waiting around like a sitting duck. Maybe that was why she kept trying to find answers despite always coming up empty.

hanna was relieved for a moment, but it disappeared as cady kept talking. heather’s name being uttered was enough to throw hanna off, much more actually discussing her disappearance. she stayed while she spoke, adjusting her books to one arm so she could take the note with free hand and look a little closer. “ parents? ” she reads aloud, questioning tone to her voice as she looks back up at the other. “ heather wasn’t a parent. ” she said, as if that totally clarified and dismissed the situation, holding the note back out to cady.

that made concern appear on hanna’s face, raising her brows for a moment “ yeah sure. ” she answered easily. then she had to shake the worried thoughts from her head, placing a smile on her lips to answer “ that’d be great. ” tilting her arms a little so cady could grab a couple from her pile. as they started to walk hanna gave a quick glance over her shoulder before she asked “ everything’s okay, right? ” looking over at cady as she did, smile had faded once more and concern returned as she pushed the bathroom door with her hip, holding it for cady before letting it swing shut.

cradling maybe one too many books as she made her way out of most recent class hanna looked up with a smile as cady pulled her aside. pleased to see her buddy, and especially seeing her buddy with a smile on her face like she usually did not the mildly concerned motherly look that had been a bit more frequent since the lock in, she responded with a chipper “ hey, ” following with a nod for the next question “ yeah, of course, what’s up? ”

“It’s got some horror elements if you really look into it; but it’s more of a comedy. It’s a musical from the 1970s. Kinda a cult classic; but I’ve seen better, if I’m being honest.” It definitely wasn’t one of Spencer’s favorite musicals; but she did enjoy it. The Time Warp was one of her favorite songs.

“Oh, that’s lovely. I really enjoy musicals. Music in general, too! What I’ve heard of them anyways. What’s your favorite then? Grease?” 

“Yeah, no sweat.” Wolfgang attempted to tease. He found her words bittersweet, on one hand she basically admitted to what he’d suspected all along. But she was right, he didn’t wanna put in any of the effort. He still didn’t. “Guess that’s why he’s courting you and I’m not. I don’t like red tape, unnecessary measure. I doubt you’d have let me if I had, anyway.” He reasoned before shrugging. Sighing, he brushed his lips against her head. “I would, nugget.” Wolf admitted, denying to himself that he was sobering up. Keeping the gentle motion against her back, he squeezed her lightly against him. “Because you need it. – That? I guess it’s easy to get used to being alone when you’re forced to be by yourself.” 

Cady could only frown. She wasn’t sure why that stung so much. She was happy with Dalton. He made her laugh, he was nice to her. But. “You know what I think? That that right there is why you didn’t. Not because you’re stubborn, or selfish, or shut off. You’re just scared I wouldn’t have given you a chance.” The thought actually made her sad. “Why are you so quick to give up? You’re so hard on yourself,” she said, trying to catch her breath against him. “Don’t. Okay?” Calmly resting her forehead against him, she sighed. “I just need to figure it out. What would Nancy Drew do, right?” She nearly smiled through her sniffles. “Well. You’re not alone tonight.” Pausing before turning to reach for her phone, she started flipping through her photos app. “I wrote down everything I have. These pictures are of my crime journal -- don’t laugh. The newspaper clippings, personal research. Everyone’s notes. I could use your help.”

“Lie to you about letting you in.” He said simply, smiling at the fact she took the extra time to explain to him good morale. “I didn’t. I think courting is outdated. I think when you know, you know. Simple as that.” He said as his gaze averted away from hers. Wolfgang had never seen her like this, which made him even more scared, but he attempted to put on a strong face for her, he’d try and justify to himself he did it purely on the fact he was still drunk later on. Even hearing her tears caused him to frown, the fact she couldn’t see him doing it was why he was allowing himself to have the expression on his lips as he gently rubbed her back. “No, because I would never let them touch a hair on your head. Have you seen what I’ve done to people? Or at least heard?” Leaning down, he sighed as he rested his chin on the top of her head. “They’re not going to do anything to you. Hey. Hey. Shh. Just breathe.” Pulling back to look at her, he kept a grip on her shoulders. “You’re okay, nothing’s gonna happen to you. I promise.”

Cady blinked. “Well I’m glad you didn’t lie, then.” She then sighed, trying not to cross her arms. She did anyways. “So then you can’t be upset with me when someone else wants to put the effort in that you didn’t. I’m not being harsh. I just think... that’s what I want. Even if I do like being around you.” Maybe now wasn’t the best time to delve into this. He was drunk, after all, and they were both scared. “I don’t want you to do that for me. Just this is nice, I think.” Normally she wouldn’t allow this kind of prolonged embrace, but she sorely needed it right now. Hesitantly she reciprocated the hug, only gently placing her hands at his sides. Strangely, it made her feel much calmer. “How are you being so peaceful about all of it? Getting drunk and staying here by yourself... how do you do it?”

Raising a brow watching her expression, he fought the smile that felt contagious on his own lips. “Yeah, shut up. I don’t wanna have to lie to you.” Which he could’ve easily, but the buzz was still going through his veins, and he was too lightheaded to surround himself with that kind of darkness. “Cady, don’t.” He warned before sighing. “Because of your dumb stupid date.” He gestured with a hand and dropped his palm back against his leg. Dropping the water bottle on the side of him, he stood up the moment he could tell she was getting worked up about trying to explain things to him. As she continued to talk and things began to click into place for him, so did the looming fear in the room. Without saying anything, he reached for her shoulders and pulled her into a hug against him. “Hey.” He said quietly as he looked down at her. “You’re always on that dumb high of optimism, if you start to slip – we’re all helpless. I’m not letting you go down that negative path. Besides. What if it’s just a copycat? Someone who wants to scare us?” And who’s doing a pretty good job of it.

“Lie to me about what? You shouldn’t lie, you should be honest.” She kept grinning, nearly nudging him. “What?” Then she frowned. “Oh.” Her mouth opened like she wanted to say something, but decided against it. “Well you know. It wasn’t like a date-date. I mean it was, but we’re taking it slow. Courting. Which I seem to recall you didn’t want to do, so.” She wasn’t bitter -- Cady probably didn’t have a bitter bone in her body. She just felt like she needed to clarify. “No. No.” The minute he pulled her in, she felt herself losing it, shaking her head against his chest and sobbing. “You’re not listening. If it’s a copycat, wouldn’t that make it worse for me? How else do you recreate something if not thinking the same way, going after the same people -- it’s horrible. I can’t. -- I can’t.” She finally tried to settle in the middle of her words, breathing deep. “I don’t feel positive, Wolfie. I feel sick.”

Narrowing his eyes, Wolf wanted to tell her she was wrong, that this had all been some sort of ruse, but he had a feeling she’d call his bluff. “Shut up.” He opted for instead, not wanting her to leave. “I’m just mad.” He admitted as he folded his arms and tightened his grip across his chest. “That’s worrisome.” He muttered quietly to himself. Reaching to pull her chair closer to him, he looked at her with an intense stare. “What do you know?” Normally he would’ve tried to keep a cooler demeanor, but in this instance he was scared. 

For the first time in what felt like all day, Cady smiled a genuine blissful smile. It didn’t sound like a, shut up, I’m annoyed with you. It sounded funny. “Shut up?” She repeated, peering at him. “I’m not wrong, then. -- About what?” She was really trying not to feel so beaten down and shaken up, but there was nothing she wanted to do more than let go of some of the weight she’d been carrying around. Why she wanted to do it with Wolf, she didn’t know. He wasn’t the only one who’d gotten a note. And he wasn’t the only person close to her she could’ve confided in. For some reason she just thought maybe he’d get it better than anyone else did. She didn’t look at him, instead feeling tears well up in her eyes. “It’s just.” Cady stood, starting to pace around the room. “Ella. Colton. Darcy, the notes. What if it’s connected. But then it can’t be, because then.” Then I’d be a target. “Do you remember...” Her voice was really shaking now. “The Heather Riley murders? The ones from the 90′s? My aunt was a victim."

“No… It’s a song. From The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Ever hear of it?” Spencer couldn’t really understand how someone didn’t know what the Time Warp was. To her, it kinda seemed like one of those songs you heard but didn’t always know its origins until you were older. “And yeah. Galveston is in Texas. Little island city off the coast.”

“Rocky... is that like a scary movie? I don’t really watch a lot of those,” she said, smiling sheepishly. “Or any movies. -- That’s so nice! Mine are sort of between Houston and Austin. Does that mean you went to the beach all the time?”

“Haven’t been to any Southbank parties either. And back in Galveston, I only went to the cast parties for drama. They weren’t really the same as your stereotypical high school parties. They were more like a glorified barbeque where we played Time Warp fifty times and got high.” Spencer missed her friends back in Texas; and she especially missed her drama club friends. The drama department here wasn’t so bad; but she hadn’t grown up with those people. It would never be the same.

“Oh, is Time Warp a game? It sounds fun.” Her smile was genuine, and so was her question. “Galveston, that’s in Texas, right? I have family there on my dad’s side.”

“I’m not shutting you out. I’d have to let you in to begin with to do that.” He snapped back. “Sure.” Wolfgang dismissed with an eye roll, finding he was only really protecting himself because she seemed so contented earlier in the evening. “Yeah, but I’m not testing you.” He lied. Nodding, he idly messed with the bottle cap on his water bottle as he sighed. “I knew a few did, but… I didn’t realize you’d get one too. Are you– I mean I don’t know why anyone would even target you. You’re like pure as hell, or whatever.”

“Well. Technically speaking you did let me in. You could’ve told me to leave when I showed up here. But you didn’t.” Even though he was getting a little saucy her tone stayed even. “Then what are you doing?” Cady didn’t really believe him, but she always found the best thing to do instead of arguing with a person was to let them explain their side to you. “It’s definitely bigger than we originally anticipated,” she said, pulling her legs up to sit criss cross. It wasn’t something she did very often. Only when she felt uneasy and something as simple as that familiar connection to being a kid with nothing to worry about could make her feel better. It reminded her of sitting on her floor and writing in her diary, back when she didn’t really have anything to write in it except for her horse’s daily activities and what she learned in Sunday school that week. “I don’t --” Cady had never been a very good liar. The truth always seemed to fight its way out of her. She wanted to say she had no idea why, but that wasn’t entirely true, so she just sighed, her head falling to her hands as she slouched over in her chair, elbows resting on her knees.

Spencer merely shook her head. “Considering I’ve never been to a Northlake party, I wouldn’t know… But I’d assume it was a night of your stereotypical alcohol consumption, hook-ups, fights, and destruction of property?” None of that sounded like fun to her, at least not currently. Maybe on a manic high she’d enjoy a party; but otherwise, she hated people.

“But it’s the same for every school right? Southbank included?” She didn’t actually know that, she just kind of assumed based on what she’d always heard. “Bingo. So you didn’t really miss much.”

“Nothing.” He murmured feeling as if explaining would’ve been too much of a hassle. “I guess how many ever times it takes until I believe it. – You’re fighting yourself.” He retorted quietly into his shoulder as he wiped his eyes against it. “It’s not the easy way out. – and I’m sorry, I’m really not trying to be mean.” Wolf said with a shrug. “Huh. Wait what fu– you got one too?” Then he felt as if he was sobering up as he sat at the edge of his bed and put his palms against his face, for once feeling more panicked about her getting one than he initially had about his own.

“Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out,” she frowned. “No I’m not. And it is.” Sighing, she pressed her hands together, folding them over and over again until she stopped feeling so nervous. But she never did. “Aren’t you, though? You said it yourself, you test people.” Then she nodded. “Yeah. I think... I think it’s supposed to be a message. All of the notes combined, I mean. I just haven’t figured out what it means yet. Anne has these newspaper clippings, and I'm too scared to ask my parents but I think they know something. And Jaime -- Jaime got one. Maisie, too.” It was obvious from the tone of her voice she was scared. She just hoped it wasn’t also obvious there was something she wasn’t telling him.