Chapter Text
The fact Lori was still alive felt like a fever dream. It didn’t feel real. At all. She was still in shock as they all left the building, all Lori could do was just sit and stare. Her eyes weren’t focused on anything, simply letting everything get blurry. After tonight she didn’t want to ever think about prom queen ever again. The thought of it even made her feel sick. As the cold breeze hit her, Lori gasped letting out a sigh she didn’t know she was holding. It’s like something was lodged into her throat and it wouldn’t leave. Lori felt a hand gently press on her shoulder, only to turn around and recognise who it was already flinching until she realised who it was awkwardly smiling.
“Jesus Megan! I think we’ve had enough scares for the night. You’re going to be the death of me. How’s your hand?” Lori asked her friend looking at her as if she’d disappear right there. After the night they had Lori felt like she was closer to Megan then she was before. Although she did kick herself for not believing Megan sooner. But all that mattered was that they were alive.
“Heard I’ll probably need some stitches. But hey. It’ll get some sick ass scar. Nothing could beat that huh?” Megan smirked before looking over her shoulders and seeing the amount of people who were standing and looked back at Lori. Pushing aside her own form of coping she finally let herself relax beside Lori. Tears swirling up in her eyes as it all finally caught up to her. The fact that this could - no almost - happened to Megan and Lori made her feel sick. Without any warning she went in for the hug. The silence weighed heavy between them as they held onto each other slightly rocking slightly backwards and forwards until one called for Megan to get seen to about her hand.
Megan was hesitant but she let go, giving Lori’s shoulder one last squeeze before walking away. Afterwards when Lori was finally alone she simply just stared off. Until someone caught her eye. Tiffany. Minutes ago they were fighting to win the title of being prom queen. Now it was just exchanging glances. But the way Tiffany looked so distraught, how could she not say something? Her own dad got stabbed in the eye. Maybe this was a chance for something to finally change.
Maybe one thing can change in shadyside.
“I can stay with her.”
Tiffany looked over at Lori, her eyes which were once filled with desire to win and a need to win something were now placed with a sense of dread and defeat. And those eyes looked at Lori almost telling her to stay to stay and to not run off after they’ve survived this horrible night. She went to speak but that died in her throat. All she could do was muster a small nod.
As soon as they got in the car it was silent. Tiffany looked over at Lori. The girl she had been scheming against, was now someone who she could see as - no. She wanted to say something but the fear of how Lori would respond. Mainly due to how Tiffany treated her. “Lori….” She began but stopped looking away feeling her eyes well up. She wanted to say something but it was too much. “I am sorry. For everything I just….I wanted to be seen.” Those words felt like a punch to the stomach. But she was trying. More than anyone else.
That seemed so horrible to admit. Yet she kept going. “I was trying to please my mom. To be her wonderful daughter. Be the girl she wished to be when she was my age. Her ideal daughter….or be nothing.” Tiffany truly did lose her mind. Sitting the fighting the urge to back track and even run out to the car. Yet something about the look in Lori’s eyes stopped her from doing anything. Soon enough they got to her house. Both girls got out of the car. And the heavy silence got too heavy.
“Please stay. I can’t be alone right now. I-“ Tiffany cleared her throat as she wanted to say anything just to get Lori to stay. Tears threatened to spill. But she looked upwards so it didn’t make her feel embarrassed. “Please.” She repeated with her voice sounding weak and small. But the thought of being alone scared her. Part of her didn’t want Lori to be near her. After a long period of time Tiffany saw a nod and they went inside together.
The adrenaline finally wore off as soon as she got into the house, Lori wrapped her arm around Tiffany’s waist helping her the stairs. Everything blurred into one another. Her body almost went slack against Lori. She felt her body slipping into a state of exhaustion with the whole events of the night setting in. “Hey…we’re nearly able to sleep soon okay? Just stay awake for a little longer okay?” Lori said softly as she got upstairs and opened the door. She closed the door and gently laid Tiffany down on the bed. Seeing Tiffany so….vulnerable. Her eyes closed with her chest slowly rising.
Lori wasn’t sure what to do. She went to sit down but then looked over at Tiffany. “I really want to get to know you. The real you. The real Tiffany Falconer. You don’t make it easier but…I guess that's what motivates me to keep going.” Lori decided to lay next to her. Granted it was slightly difficult to do that because her bed happened to be small. But Lori didn’t care. She just needed to know Tiffany was still there. That something wouldn’t happen. Lori reached out and gently rested her hand against the side of Tiffany’s face, the way that Tiffany instinctively leaned slightly into Lori’s touch sent sparks around her mind.
“Maybe in another universe we could’ve been friends. I know I would have liked that a lot. Instead of going backwards and forwards constantly. I just want to be in the universe where I can-“ Lori’s rambling was cut off by the sound of the stairs creaking. She sat up, her eyes widening as the door slowly. Lori looked up trying her best to be quiet as she heard a knife scratching against the door before it was hit wide open.
Nancy falconer was one intimidating woman.
“Get away from my daughter you evil little girl!” Nancy screamed, plunging the knife directly into Lori’s shoulder, yanking it back out instantly, grabbing her by her forearm and pulling her to the ground. She wasn’t afraid to go great lengths to keep her daughter away from someone who shouldn’t even be prom queen. “You disgusting girl. You have some nerve to steal my daughter’s spotlight!” She screamed again stabbing Lori in the stomach, her crazed eyes scanning the room as she removed the knife, Lori’s body slumped down with a thud.
With her bloodied hands she cradled Tiffany’s face. “It’s okay. I’ve dealt with it. I’ve dealt with it now…” Nancy whispered quietly with Lori’s blood getting onto Tiffany’s cheek. As if on cue Tiffany’s eyes shot open, looking at her mom. Eyes filled with fear she sat up and moved back falling off of the bed, grunting in pain as she scrambled over to the side where Lori was. Does everything she touches become worse? Tiffany held Lori’s face in her hands, as she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate.
“Lori?” Tiffany said, shaking her with her voice wavering as she tried to get Lori to wake up, only for it to be in vain. Tears welling up in her eyes she shook Lori again. “You can’t die. You can’t. I - you can’t die. You survived this insane night. You can’t die, idiot…” Tiffany tried to sound angry but it sounded more like an incoherent broken sob, as she shook Lori angrily. Tiffany always got what she wanted yet the one thing she truly wanted was out of reach. The person Tiffany needed in her life was now gone, she let out a strangled cry that seemed to be residing in her body for quite some time.
Nancy looked at them, the sight of them filled her with rage. Seeing her daughter being close to someone who was as rotten as Lori Granger. “You will not be laying another hand on my daughter!” She said raising the knife again to stab Lori only for Tiffany to throw herself in harm's way. The blade skimmed her cheek, her own mother gasping and moving back outside of the room, stumbling away in shock. “You….don’t let her do this to you. She’s not good to you! You know this. Don’t let this-“ Tiffany didn’t let her finish her sentence as she finally had enough.
Without even thinking about it, Tiffany pushed her away. “Don’t you ever say anything about her! You know nothing. You…you don’t know me..!” Tiffany said, backing away looking down to Lori, more tears threatening to spill as she couldn’t help but find herself losing her mind. Why does this have to happen to her? Tiffany didn’t deserve any of what was happening, right? Maybe she did. After all, Tiffany had been cruel, rude and horrible to everyone. She had everything coming. But she looked down at Lori. That girl didn’t deserve any of this, that was something that Tiffany knew.
And Tiffany did something she didn’t expect to do.
When Nancy went to use her knife again Tiffany pushed her with as much strength as possible, this time something broke. Nancy’s body fell crashing down on the small white statue, blood trickling almost in a poetic way. The noise rang out around the house until it was silent once again. She was dead. Tiffany didn’t know what to even know what to do with herself. Simply just staring forwards until she heard a noise from behind herself. Lori.
Tiffany let out a sigh she didn’t know she was holding. She rushed back. An expression moulding onto her face looking over to Lori, gently cradling in her arms as she cried ever so quietly. “You’re okay, you’re gonna be okay. I promise…” Tiffany wasn’t going to let anything happen to Lori ever again. She mumbled other words to her as she began to wonder things she didn’t know she could think of until now.
Maybe things can change this time around.