Chapter Text
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.
"Amber, are you sure you don't want to be in it?" Mindy questioned all while she lined up with the rest of friend group. The lined brick of the Woodsboro High School behind them all. "I can get my mom to take it after school."
"No, I got it, it's all good," Amber reassured her with the most convincing smile possible.
Amber held the Polaroid camera up to her eye, trying to get all three of them into the frame: Wes Hicks, Mindy Meeks-Martin, and Liv McKenzie. They all had goofy smiles on their face, holding each other while staring into the camera, excited for the first day of school.
Amber focused it one last time. She has been in every photo with this friend group since sixth grade when Mindy's mom started the tradition. Except, this year she was not. Being the one taking it did not make her upset at all, in all honesty, she was just too tired for this. Another photo, another year. It's not like the four missing people from the Polaroid mattered.
"Crap! Let me fix my hair real quick!" Liv said, letting go of her smile to run her fingers through her faded pink dyed hair.
Amber lowered the camera, not seeming to mind, except class was going to start any minute due to the flood of students starting to walk through the main entrance. Everyone greeting each other from the long summer that has passed. Some people looked different, a new nose piercing or a new haircut that fixed everything that was wrong with them. There was nothing new about Amber, nothing really changed.
Though she was reminded about what actually happened over the summer when she caught a glance of the redhead walking in the building; one of the people missing from the photo.
Her heart rate spiked as she kept her gaze on the girl who disappeared from her life in a matter of one day. One rainy day in the beginning of June. She could do it, the first day of school was usually a breeze.
"Hey!" Mindy called out when her older brother, Chad, was walking on the sidewalk. "Get in this photo, both of you!"
Chad looked at them and acknowledged his twin sister with his free hand, retuning a wave but with no response. His other hand occupied with a girl's hand; a brunette much shorter than him. Amber watched Tara Carpenter in her cheerleading uniform, her skirt swaying as she tried to keep up with her boyfriend's harsh pace into the school.
"What a dick," Mindy insulted her own brother with the shake of her head. "Liv, you ready?"
Amber noticed the smile on Wes's face dropping but when she lifted the camera back up to her eye, a more faker one had returned. Clearly, he was not the only one who had gotten his heart broken -- except, his was less recent.
"Yes, I'm ready." Liv nodded, her grin coming back to her face.
"Alright. . . say cheese!" Amber called out, her finger on the trigger button.
"Cheeeeese!"
FLASH!
END OF THE DAY
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.
tamber hs au
-- chapter one: woodsboro --
contains: amber's hatred for the small town in california, first day of junior year, and a brunnette that can see through anything.
warnings: tryna get the vibes of a lesbian flic. A slow start but will get rolling.
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.
The cafeteria during sixth period was loud, a cacophony of laughter and conversations throughout every table. Everyone seemed excited to tackle another year at Woodsboro High
It made Amber anxious.
She bit the side of her mouth in the food line to get her bullshit of a meal that apparently gives her all the protein she needs. The metallic taste lingered between her tongue and teeth.
She was a people watcher by nature. In fact, it was interesting, seeing what friend groups have stuck together through the months of being apart. Spotting the signs of who decided to spend their break indulging in less-than-legal activities. Amber had dipped her toes in that area a bit, something she was not exactly proud of.
The line was long, the lunch ladies already feeling overworked, and the slop did not smell delicious to the slightest — especially the stench of overcooked vegetables and stale bread — but Amber still stayed.
Then she spotted Quinn Bailey near the front of the line, laughing with her new friends.
As her heart clenched, her head dipped low. She allowed the taste of her blood to overcrowd her mouth further while her teeth dug into the side.
Without a word, she left the line to head to the other section. Ignoring the sound of her hungry stomach — due to her lack of breakfast — which could be heard over the roaring of the cafeteria.
Fries will do just fine.
"Man, I dunno, Mister Riley already gave him a detention," Mindy explained to Wes and Liv as Amber began approaching the lunch table. "First day! First day and Ethan Landry is already in detention!"
"What'd he do?" Liv asked, leaning in with interest.
"Mister Riley's no phone rule. He decided to test it," Mindy informed as her hands went up, following with a shrug. "It was actually kinda funny."
Wes shook his head in disbelief, not really accepting that Ethan would do something like this. "Really? Last year he was super quiet, that's actually sort of weird."
Mindy took a sip of her Diet Pepsi that was received from the old vending machine near the back school entrance before continuing. "Nah, remember how shitty he acted during second semester? Thank god he got detention, it was funny seeing him be put in place."
"I tried to wave at him this morning," Wes told the group, leaning a bit foreword towards the table. "But he completely ignored me. We made eye contact even!"
Liv rolled her eyes, "obviously he doesn't want to be associated with us. He's on his sister's side. Quinn dumped Amber, why would he need to hang with us?"
Amber set down her basket of fries, overhearing the conversation her friend group was having. Of course this had to come up. She wanted to act as if this whole break up situation didn't impact her at all, push it into the back of her mind. Erase it even.
"Sorry, Amber," Wes quietly apologized with an uneasy look as she sat down.
Amber gave him a small smile of reassurance, trying to brush it off. Everything was a reminder of her.
Mindy reached over and stole one of Amber's french fries. With her mouth full of food, she began once more. "Amber, it's been two months and you're still hanging on? I see that gloomy look on you."
Amber's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "What the hell? I was with her for over a year."
Liv smacked the back of Mindy's head with a giggle. "And you cried over Francis when she ghosted you after only talking for two weeks. Leave Amber alone."
"We do not bring that up!" Mindy rather quickly said back with a loud scoff, wanting to continue the argument that was quickly cut off.
"—Attention Woodsboro Panthers!" Tara called while cupping her hands around her mouth to boost the volume of her voice. "Spirit week starts on Monday! Make sure to change your style in support of the Woodsboro football team!"
The cafeteria settled down, even Amber's friend group shushed their little argument when Tara situated herself on top of a lunch table to appear taller — the peanut table that was rather empty. The student council leader was ready to shout words of encouragement.
Amber dramatically rolled her eyes.
"—Panthers! Let's go!" Chad cheered with the clap of his hands to rally up the student body. "Come out to see the first football game of the year where we kill those fucks from Modesto!"
"Panthers! Panthers! Panthers!" The cafeteria cheered with the boastful couple.
Just like in every coming to age movie, the Woodsboro football games were infamous. The tickets practically get sold out by the end of the night. Home game or not, the Panthers were there to support the team. In this day and age, not attending a game could lead to potential shunning.
Except, nothing ever goes right at football games.
Tara waved her hands to catch the attention once more before cupping her mouth. "We are not going to kill them, but we are going to show Modesto who is boss!" She fixed the words of her boyfriend.
"When I say Woodsboro, you say Panthers!" Chad instructed while beating his chest to exaggerate his motivation. "Woodsboro!"
"Panthers!"
"Woodsboro!"
"Panthers!"
Amber stabbed her half cooked french fries with a glare, not wanting to even try to stomach this muck today. She moved her gaze to her friend; Mindy, who was cheering at the top of her lungs.
"Panthers! Panthers! Panthers!" Mindy cheered with claps that were in synch witn students hitting the lunch tables to a beat.
"Come to next week’s football game!" Tara called out to everyone with a smile. "Show your Panther pride!"
Amber's fingers tightened around the plastic fork, the noise fading as her mind pulled her back to freshman year.
The football season started late during Amber's first year of high school. And of course, the first football game had to be a nightmare.
The bleachers were packed, the smell of popcorn looking across the area, and the sound of cheering filled the crisp autumn air. Lucky Amber, she decided to tag along Mindy and Liv in order to support Wes's first year on the team. Having to work his way up, he started on the lowest.
She tried to stay invisible to most people, trying to fit in with the crowd. For a moment, she did feel that rush of adrenaline from the football game. The excitement that spread to every single student and teacher.
Until it happened fast. One moment she was pushing her way through the stands to get back to her friends after being sent off to get popcorn, the next she was on the ground while her face exploded in pain. Her popcorn no longer in her hands.
Someone had elbowed her square in the nose. Even over the loud cheering of the game, she heard the crack of her nose. Then came the gasps.
The laughter had spread like wildfire, more people getting a kick out of this rather than rushing to help her. "Did you see that? Holy shit! Amber's face got smashed!" Even her friends were too stunned to help her at first.
After that, all of the want of seeing a football game was gone. She'd rather stay on the safe side.
"You don't even like the football team," Amber grumbled out when the noise and ruckus finally settled down in the over-populated cafeteria.
"So?" Mindy said, turning to face Amber when she had finished cheering. "Football games aren't meant to be watched. It's a good time to spend time and hang out with your friends. No one actually pays to see those idiots clash heads."
Wes nodded in agreement. "Thank god I left the team after the first game last year. My head hurt so bad, man."
"Your injury probably left permanent brain damage," Amber snarled and continued to kill her fries.
"Wes, we all know you only left because Tara Carpenter dumped you for the captain." Mindy rubbed salt in the wound that has been open since last year. "Aka, my brother."
"I know he's your brother. Jeez." Wes scoffed in attempt to hide his embarrassment.
"Or Tara left you because of your stupid bleached hair," Mindy threw in another comment.
Amber settled her attention on the brunette across the cafe, how delicate her boyfriend was when he helped her down the table. As if Tara's eyes were searching for Amber's all along, the two of them made eye contact.
Amber was the first one to break it when she decided to torture her fries even further by drowning them in ranch.
There was nothing more Amber hated than spirit days. Each year, her friends dress up in the silliest and stupidest ways possible. She did not want to show up to school looking more like a loser than she already is — it's not like she could if she wanted either. . . due to her lack of style variety.
Stab being her favorite movie, she had an infinite supply of shirts that had at least Ghostface on it. If there was a day based off of Stab, she would be set but. . . some stupid theme like country or bbq dads made Amber would have luck.
Mindy began to beg. "Amber . . . please go to the football game? You haven't been to one since freshman year!"
The freshman year football game. . . it was a rough year so to say. It made Amber's nose scrunch up, her head shaking at the reminder of the blood her body had lost. As if she went through the pain again.
"I would rather die," Amber muttered lowly and landed one last final blow to a fry.
"Oh come on," Mindy said, believing Amber was on the dramatic side today. "It's not that bad."
"Not that bad?" Amber shot back. "I got elbowed in the nose, remember? It broke and everyone got to see me bleed all over the place."
Liv winced. "Yeah, that was rough. . . but it was two years ago."
Amber shook her head no before dipping a bit to eat some of her fries. The embarrassment still creeps onto her, her cheeks seeping in pink from the reminder of the memory. Sure, the pain had faded and her nose healed, but the laughing and the staring was still stuck. "I'm not going."
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.
Amber fiddled with her camera in the office of Gale Weathers. Mrs. Weathers was the teacher who toom charge and decided to run the yearbook club this year. Due the lack of popularity of photography, Amber was known to be one of the only ones who becomes present during these short and quick meetings.
Mrs. Weathers was definitely not as laid back as her husband — who also works here — Mr. Riley.
Apart from one other person, Quinn Bailey. Who Amber hoped was not going to show up to meet and discuss with the new leader.
"So far. . . it's only you and Quinn Bailey who have signed up," Mrs. Weathers had sighed out, reading the list with the point of her finger. She leaned back in her office chair with a disappointed look.
Along with a different advisor, it was a different room. The office of Mrs. Weathers felt a little bit smaller, but Amber seemed to like it. She hoped that the closeness would be able to make the connection between student and teacher more apparent.
Amber peered through the eye view, ensuring that everything was in working order. "Yeah, that's how it was last year. . . and the year before."
Mrs. Weathers shook her head in confusion. "Yearbook club is so important for the school. Many photos are hung on the walls throughout the school. I cannot just have two girls on my team doing all the work."
Amber shrugged before handing Mrs. Weathers the camera. "Is that why Miss Prescott quit? She just left with no reason."
"To be frank. . . " She started while examining Amber's camera — which was more on the expensive side. "Miss Prescott has always been on the paranoid side. Dont quote me, but it may have to do with that."
"Paranoia from yearbook club?" Amber sat up in her seat to peer at what Mrs. Weathers was doing. The small clicks of the buttons could be heard, meaning she was changing the settings. The girl cringed, knowing she was going to have to switch it back.
"Ah, you know. Everything," Mrs. Weathers sighed out before taking a peek through the view finder. "This is an excellent camera, Amber."
Amber smiled with a boost of pride, knowing that this camera was her most prized possession. "Thank you, my parents got it for me for Christmas a few years back."
At that reminder, Amber's shoulders tightened. Knowing it was the last Christmas she spent with her parents, her face began to sour. Sure, she cherished the memory of the holiday, but the more recent ones have been feeling hollow.
"This is stellar, no wonder all the photos last year were beautifully done," Mrs. Weathers continued to compliment. "Especially during the football season; I cannot wait to see this in action this year."
Amber grimaced at the mention of football games. She was not the one who took those photos — Quinn did. She knew that Amber hated going to those events so she managed to go to nearly every one. In trade, Amber did majority of the other clubs.
"I uh- I actually didn't take those ones. . . " Amber admitted with an awkward fumble. "Quinn did, I don't really. . . wanna take her credit- like the football ones."
Although her own mention of Quinn's name brought a feeling of embarrassment within her, it felt wrong to take the compliment that was really meant for her ex girlfriend — who by the way, absolutely destroyed Amber.
Mrs. Weathers did not respond as she took a couple of pictures, getting a feel for the tool Amber was going to be using this year. The memory card began flourishing with pictures of the cramped office.
Amber awkwardly picked at her nails and the black polish in hopes Mrs. Weathers wouldn't be even more disappointed that she pulled the short end of the stick — being Amber who was less advanced in photography.
Oh, how Amber wished there was a film club instead.
The camera flashed in multiple moments, different directions, and different objects. Whether it was the News Team award placed on the edge of Gale's desk or her college diploma, Amber's camera caught it well.
"You may have to clear that out when you find the free time," Mrs Weathers said before returning the camera back to Amber. "So. . . Quinn was in charge for the football games?"
Amber accepted the camera back in nearly an instant, her muscles tensing up at the sight of the new implemented camera settings. "Yeah- I don't really do football games."
The advisor leaned back in her chair to think for a moment, "well, lucky you, if she doesn't show up. . . looks like you and I are going to nearly every game."
Suddenly, the camera settings weren't too important when Amber heard that. There was no way; the fear inside of her began to boil. She knew she was overreacting but the embarrassment she received from that night made her quickly disagree with this idea.
"I can't go to the football games- I work at the local diner, and I work every Friday night," Amber tried to lie, sitting up further with disagreement. "There's no way I can do that."
Mrs. Weathers rose her eyebrows in surprise at Amber's little outburst. "Do you want to lead this club, Amber Freeman?"
Amber swallowed down her anger and nodded. "Yes, of course. Of course I do."
"It's either you find the time to go to the football games, convince Quinn Bailey to show up to the club, or get members for the club."
Amber let out a loud sigh when she closed the door behind her after the first Yearbook Club meeting of the year. Her shoulders slumped in relaxation after being tense. . . of course, she had to do something to continue having this role in the club.
Option three seemed like the best option for her.
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.
Amber tapped her foot anxiously in the hallway. Her eyes were scanning the bulliten board of what clubs were being made this year, where to sign up, and of course, the Woodsboro High School spirit week information.
It did suck having eighth period off and no friends in it. All alone.
Her fingers plastered on the Yearbook Club flier in hopes someone would see it eventually. The design was crappy, ugly, and to be honest. . . not convincing at all.
A tired sigh left her lips at the assigned clothing for Monday: PAJAMA DAY - come in all cozy to prepared for the exciting week.
She rolled her eyes, simple enough. She could do that. Her headphones continued playing the song through the wire. The volume all the way up. If you could take any guess to what she was listening to, unless you guess country, you were right.
Her eyes grazed the football photos that were posted to excite the Woodsboro students even more. There were all the popular football guys who Amber paid little attention to.
Amber let out a sigh at the photo of Chad, his football gear on with the biggest smile on his face. He was holding the championship trophy from last year. . . next to him was the brunette, Tara, her cheerleading uniform tight while she smile into the camera.
The two weren't close. Far from close.
They never really talked before, even when Wes was lucky enough to have her. Amber wouldn't even be caught dead hanging out with just Wes Hicks anyway.
Her fingers reached up to graze the image plastered—
Amber nearly jumped when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Her music seeming to get increasingly louder in her mind. A small gasp escaped her lips as if she was caught.
"Hi! Um, I didn't- I didn't mean to scare you," Tara Carpenter apologized quickly with the wave of her hand when Amber took her headphones out of her ears.
"Hi?" Amber sighed out with embarrassment. The heat flushed to her cheeks due to the fact that she might have been caught touching the photo.
"Yeah. . . hey," Tara said while she tried to regain her composure.
"Hi. . . ?" Amber repeated and tried to gulp down the awkwardness. Her eyes couldn't stay on one place, darting all over the girl with freckles.
The faint noise from the earbud played in the empty hallway.
Tara shifted on her feet before continuing. "The board- you were looking at the board, yes?"
"Yeah. . . ?"
"You should volunteer!" The peppy girl suggested, she hugged her clipboard tighter to her chest in anticipation. "For the football game next week. We need people to help run the ticket booth. It's a little easier now that we only accept payments through cards but either way, we need people. Maybe you could help?" She rambled on, getting lost in her own words of requirement.
What was this girl on?
Amber furrowed her eyebrows with a shake of her head. "No. Why would I even do that? I wasn't even planning on going to the game."
The black-haired girl's mind wanted to go through all the reasons why she hated the football games once again-
"Because you like volunteering," Tara said back while her shoulders rolled in a shrug.
"What?" Amber asked. "No, I don't? Well, I don't mind it. . . but I'd rather do something else with my time." Her fingers nervously twirled the wired earbuds.
Tara's eyes had begun to squint, her intense gaze was kept up towards the other girl. "That's not what it says on your transcript. You have over one hundred fifty hours of volunteering."
Oh.
"Are you stalking me or something?" The other girl questioned. She looked around the empty hallway in hopes that some security guard comes saves her any minute from this brunette who apparently has looked at her transcript.
Which can only be accessed through higher authority. . . but of course, Tara was practically higher authority.
"No!" Tara quickly let out, waving her freehand once again as an excuse. "No- I just know you like volunteering for environmental club. . . well becuase I run it."
And how did Amber forget that Tara Carpenter ran environmental club. The only club Amber was willing to go to apart from yearbook and art club from time to time.
"All I have to do is walk around and pick up trash around the school."
"Volunteering for the football game would be fun. You haven't been to a football game in so long- and quite honestly, the job is just so simple." Tara explained.
Amber furrowed her eyebrows once again, her eyes scanning the board before going back to Tara. "You are definitely stalking me. How do you even know that?"
Tara laughed nervously, this time her eyes couldn't stay on one place. She shifted her weight from one foot to another. "I just. . . I have a good memory, I guess. And- and I noticed you weren't at any of the games last year. . . It's not stalking, promise."
Amber studied Tara for a moment, her gaze shifting from Tara's hopeful eyes to the clipboard she was clutching tightly. Something about the way Tara was so insistent made Amber curious. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it would be a chance to step out of her comfort zone, just a little
"I don't do football games," Amber eventually grumbled out.
"But. . . you do yearbook club?" Tara asked, her voice raising at pitch in confusion when trying to read the flier on the board. "Are you getting people to join?"
Amber nodded with an uneasy shrug. "Well, trying." she mumbled in embarrassment, also noticing the terrible design on the paper.
Tara giggled with an eye roll, "I don't think anyone is going to join if your flier looks like that. . . no offense, but I can barely read it."
"Yeah well-. . ." Amber squinted at the paper before letting out a defeated sigh. "Yeah, it kinda does suck."
Tara clutched onto her clipboard again, peering up at Amber with a cheeky smile. "You know. . . I could help you."
"Help me?"
"I help you. . . . you help me," Tara offered, this time it was her turn to shrug. Her smile widened in excitement. "Show up the volunteering event for the football game, we'll redesign your flier and I'll help out your club."
"And why would I need your help?" Amber asked then scoffed — to be fair, it did seem like a good idea but it did make her pride deflate a little.
"Because I know people, I have connections, plus. . . I've always had an itch for photography, maybe I can help your little photo taking club out."
"Yearbook club," Amber corrected.
"Sure, Yearbook club." Tara gave her another smile before backing away. "I'll see you at the volunteering event; it starts at five!"
Amber watched the brunette turn the corner at the end of the hallway, her clipboard still in her hands and her pony tail swaying as she made her journey. The black-haired girl sighed in disbelief, weighing her options once more.
Getting Tara to join meant more members and Amber would only have to go to one football game — this upcoming one for volunteering — before she could assign a new member for photos.
Amber grumbled out incoherent words before finally giving in. She pulled the flier off the board with a quick tug.
Once again, she wished there was a film club.
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.
END OF THE DAY
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.