THE WAY IT ENDS ━ scream?

02. THE BAR

Everyone seemed to get the hint and quickly went to leave the room. Sam went to leave with the rest of them but Tara quickly called her out. "Not you, Sam. I want you to stay."

The older girl nodded. "Okay."

"But the rest. . ." Chad glanced back at them. They all nodded at him, Mindy lightly pushing him out the door so they could leave.

☆ ★☆

LATER THAT NIGHT, the group found themselves in a bar playing pool. Well, everyone else was playing pool. Carlyn had a burning hatred for the game, so she mostly watched while sipping her Shirley Temple. Amber had brought a flask full of alcohol, but Carlyn decided it would be wise not to drink when she was staying with the sheriff.

"So what is she like?" Liv asked, as she leaned against the pool table. "The sister?"

"Sam? Oh, Sam is so cool," Chad grinned.

"Yeah, you only say that because she let you wear Pokémon onesies to bed for a year," Mindy retorted.

"I remember that!" Carlyn exclaimed as memories of Chad in the onesie popped into her head.

"That's true," Chad confirmed, pointing at his sister. "That's a true statement."

"Hey, remember when you got gum stuck in my hair?" Carlyn tilted her head at him. "And I had to cut it? You're really lucky I rocked that bob."

Chad winced. "You didn't talk to me for, like, three days. It felt like so much longer. I won you back with a Ring Pop, though."

Carlyn's eyes widened as she nodded. "You did!"

Chad looked at Wes. "Are you taking notes?"

Wes blinked. "I was the one who bought the Ring Pop and told you to give it to her."

Carlyn turned her head to look her boyfriend. "Did you actually?"

"Yeah," Wes nodded.

Carlyn grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Amber rolled her eyes at them and looked at Liv. "Anyways, trust me, Sam is not cool. Her dad left her mom, right? Walks right out when Tara's eight, Sam's 13." She refilled Chad and Liv's glasses. "Sam started acting out, getting in trouble with the cops. And then, on Sam's 18th birthday, she leaves. Ghosts them all. Maybe Sam's changed. I just don't want to see Tara hurt again."

Wes's brows furrowed. "You're protecting Tara from her own sister?"

"Well, someone has to," Amber deadpanned.

"Motive!" Mindy pointed at the girl. "If I can't have her, no one can."

"Seriously, Mindy?" Amber spat out. It was no secret to all of them that Amber loved Tara as a bit more than a best friend. She was constantly scaring off guys who tried to get with the girl.

"But we're all suspects," Mindy's eyes then landed on her brothers girlfriend. "Except maybe Liv."

Liv perked up at that. "Thank you."

"You're way too boring to be a psycho," Mindy added. She looked at her friends. "And, Car, you're way too nice, but I mean, that'd be a classic good girl gone bad, right?"

Wes's eyes narrowed. "Well, it couldn't have been Car 'cause she was with me last night."

There's always two killers," Mindy shrugged, a hint of teasing laced in her tone.

"Yo, Liv," a new voice called out, making everyone turn away from Mindy to see Vince. "You want a real drink? Or are you happy sitting at this kids' table?"

Carlyn rolled her eyes. "Look, creep, she's obviously not interested. So take you and your stupid ass mustache somewhere else."

"Shit," Vince's eyes raked over her body, making her shift uncomfortably. "You can come, too, Princess."

Wes moved in front of her and Chad pushed himself off of the pool table, walking closer to the man. Carlyn's hand came up to her necklace, feeling the W. "Listen up, uglier Michael Myers, say one more word to either of them and I guarantee you my fist is gonna meet your face."

"I'm sorry," Vince cockily tilted his head at him. "Was I talking to you?"

"I don't fucking care who you're talking to–"

Vince's eyes moved to the pink haired girl. "Liv, let's go."

"Don't you fucking talk to her!"

Their voices overlapped each other's until Vince pulled out a switchblade. "Shut the fuck up."

"Hey!" the bartender shouted. "Get out of here or I'm calling the cops."

Vince lunged towards Chad teasingly before stepping back, pointing at Liv. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart." His eyes flickered to Carlyn. "And you, Princess."

Wes tensed and Carlyn placed a hand on his arm. She leaned closer to him so her lips were near his ear. "He's not worth it," she muttered.

"Hey, man, fuck you," Chad hissed.

"You kids, too!" the bartender demanded. "Let's go."

Carlyn swallowed and began to gather their things. Unfortunately, getting hit on, especially by older men, was nothing she wasn't used to. She was a teenage girl and men were creepy.

The group of kids walked out of the bar, Wes looking over at his girlfriend with furrowed brows. "Are you okay?" he softly asked her.

She nodded. "He's just weird. I don't know what Liv saw in him, but Chad's definitely an upgrade."

𝒎𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒆𝒍 !!
short chapter but i'm trying to give us a little bit before wes's death😭😭