Summary: Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Jane had survived the game and got a chance to grow up with her friends?
MC finds themself in a dark and cold cave. A cave they knew too well.
A shadowy and ghostly figure stalks outside the circle where they and their friends struggle on their seats.
“Are you scared?” – Mr. Red says in a strange and dark voice.
One by one, MC themself and their friends fall to Mr. Red’s scares… until only Noah and Jane remain.
“Noah… are you scared?”
“Screw you!” – the boy yells bravely to the monster.
“Ohhhh?” – Redfield cocks his head, one clawed hand reaching for Jane…
“No, no no no, GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!”
“DEAD.”
Noah plunges backwards as Redfield turns to the little redhead girl, who mumbles to herself:
“…not scared, I’m not scared, I’m not scared…”
“What’s that, little Jane?”
“I’m n-not scared! I’M NOT SCARED!”
“NOT SCARED?!”
Darkness bleeds into the air around Jane, swirling into a black vortex that lifts her off the ground.
“At last…” – Mr. Red says as the vortex swirls faster and faster, filling the cave with a sound like tortured screams.
“I’M NOT SCARED!” – Jane repeats like a mantra. – “I’M NOT SCARED! I’M NOT SC—“
The chair slams into the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. Jane’s body lies broken among the wreckage, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle, her wide, empty eyes staring right through MC.
“NO!”
The teenager jerks into wakefulness, adrenaline burning in their veins and their heart pounding in their chest… Until MC realizes that they’re safe in their own room.
“Just another nightmare…” – MC mutters to themself as they close their eyes, taking a few deep, calming breaths, letting the comforting warmth of the sun sink into them.
When their heartbeat is finally normal, MC changes their clothes and leaves the house, meeting Cid and Hilda as they’re coming back from their walk. Cid and MC chat a little (they tell him that their parents “still are overseas dealing with their great aunt’s estate or whatever” and the neighbor kindly says that if they need anything, his door’s always open) and they go to school.
A few minutes later, on the asphalt road that runs along the edge of the woods, MC hears a car approaching from behind. Stepping to the side, they lock eyes with the driver.
“Hey MC!” – the blonde guy flashes a bright smile toward them as the car slows to a stop. They recognize him immediately.
“Oh, hi Connor! Didn’t know you were back in town.”
“Yeah, arrived last Friday. Anyway, are you going to school? Do you want a ride?”
“I would love to, actually!”
“Cool, hop in.”
“Where’s Stacy?” – MC asks, as they seat in the passenger’s seat. There are just the two of them inside the black vintage Camaro.
“After she started driving, she never wanted my rides anymore.” – he rolls his eyes and MC chuckles.
They talk all the way to their school.
“Delivered.” – Connor says as he cuts the engine. A thin crowd of students trickles across the front yard of Westchester High, waving and calling out to friends as they converge on the front doors.
“Thanks. I mean it.”
“You’re welcome. Hey…” – he calls MC while they open the passenger’s door. – “Talk to you soon?”
“Yeah.” – they smile at him.
“Cool. Here, let me give you my number.”
They exchange their numbers before MC finally exits the car.
“Wow! This is what I call starting your senior year in style!” – Andy greets MC wearing the basketball team uniform.
“And look who made it through the team! Congrats, Andy!” – MC congrats him as they enter the school building.
“Thanks! I almost didn’t get through it though…”
“Pfff! You were amazing on the tryouts, bro!” – Tom, Andy’s best friend, tells him.
“Thanks, dude!”
“Andy! Tom! Where the hell were you? You need to go to the gym right now to get ready for the pap rally!” – Lily shouts when she meets them.
“Yeah, you don’t need to make Lucas even more stressed than he is.” – Ava calmly says.
“Crap! Tru dat! Let’s go, Tom!” – and the two boys run towards the gym.
The three teenagers all greet each other (Lily and MC hug. Ava doesn’t hug anyone, never) and start walking down the hall, blending through the crowd of students going to the gym.
The place is already packed, no places available to be seen.
“Didn’t know people cared so much about a stupid pap rally.”
“It is not stupid, Ava! It’s super important and exciting!”
“You say this because your girlfriend will be there showing off…”
While Lily and Ava argue, MC sees a known figure waving at them, in one of the front rows of benches.
“There!” – MC says, interrupting their friends. They all go to where a boy wearing a navy-blue beanie and denim jacket is sitted.
“You’re late.” – Noah says as MC squeezes between him and Lily.
“I know. Thanks for saving us seats.” – MC answers, with a smile on their lips. Noah shrugs.
MC doesn’t know why, but every time they see him, it seems to be impossible to them to not smile.
“Is everything okay?” – Noah asks, looking at them with narrowed eyes.
“Uh?”
“I mean… uh, it’s just that you’re not usually late…” – he says in a low voice, and MC thinks that the boy is blushing.
“Oh, yeah. I just overslept. But at least Connor gave me a ride here.”
“Connor? You mean Stacy’s brother?”
“The one and only.”
“Didn’t know he was back in town… she didn’t say anything…”
“Yeah, turns out he came back last week.”
“Uh, and… uh, is he okay?”
“I guess so. We didn’t talk much though.” – they shrug.
“Oh, okay.” – MC is not sure why Noah is suddenly acting so weird, but before they can say anything, a tall, handsome guy with glasses walks up to a podium:
“How you doing, Westchester High?!” – Lucas flashes a smile.
The students roar in response, the bleachers rumbling and shaking as the crowd pounds their feet on the wood.
The Student Body President introduces himself, starting the pap rally. At his signal, several cheerleaders jump up from the bleachers, bouncing and waving their pom poms in the air.
“You can do better than that! Let’s hear it!” – Stacy shouts, grinning wide.
One by one, the cheerleaders tumble across the gym. Stacy draws thunderous cheers as she pulls off an effortless roundoff into a backflip.
After her, a redhead girl does a beautiful and perfect cartwheel.
“Whoa!!! Go, Jane!” – MC shouts excitedly. The girl looks up to where her friends are and waves at them.
“Jeez…” – Noah mutters to himself, letting out a sigh.
“What?” – MC asks, turning to him.
“Uh, you know how I always get nervous when she does this kind of thing…”
“Don’t worry about it, Noah. Jane is a strong and healthy girl. And she knows what she’s doing.” – MC says to him as they reach out their hand and hold his gently.
The boy turns to look them in their face, before a small smile tugs in the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I know.” – he answers, squeezing their smaller hand lightly. – “It’s just… I can’t help but feel worried about her, you know?” – MC nods. – “We almost lost her that day…”
And memories flash through their minds.
Ten years ago…
MC and their best friend Jane did found the ruins in the middle of the woods. And they did found Mr. Red.
And the gang did played “are you scared?” with the monster. And the game almost ended up in tragedy: Jane broke her neck.
But, miraculously, the girl survived.
Obviously, it was not easy.
Jane had paralysis and had to undergo surgery and years and years of physiotherapy.
But Jane was alive.
Despite all the difficulties, all the ups and downs, all the sleepless nights and painful days, Jane made it through. Thanks to numerous exercises and her strong willingness, the girl was able to move again.
And the “incident” (how they called that day) made the group unite even more. And they were friends until today.
More than that, the redhead girl loved exercising so much that she decided to try for the cheer team during middle school. Mom and Noah weren’t very happy about it, but they agreed in the end. They would do anything to see her happy.
And now Jane was this happy, strong and healthy girl.
MC is snapped out of their memories as the crowd applauds to a group of guys in basketball jerseys that forms up in front of the podium where Lucas is. The cheerleaders are back to the benches, waving her pom poms to the basketball team.
MC looks down and sees their hand in Noah’s.
“S-sorry!” – MC immediately releases his hand, feeling their face getting hot.
“N-no, it’s okay…” – he answers back, blushing.
Neither of them say anything for a few minutes. Thankfully, Lily was so excited with the pap rally that she didn’t notice the two awkward and red teenagers beside her.
“MC!” – Jane yells, throwing herself in her best friend’s arms.
“Hi, Jane!” – MC chuckles, holding her tight.
Ava, Lily, Noah and MC were waiting the rest of their friends in front of the locker rooms.
“Did you guys like the pap rally?!” – Jane asks excitedly to her friends.
“You were all amazing during the pap rally! I was so energized by just watching you!” – Lily squeals.
“Awww, but I was the best one, right, Lil?” – Britney says, holding her girlfriend close.
“Y-yes!” – Lily’s face goes pink. Ava just rolls her eyes and asks, ignoring Britney:
“Hey, where’s Dan?”
“The football team is still changing.” – Andy answers her. – “Wow, I am starving! Can we go to the cafeteria? Dan won’t care if we go first.”
“Of course I’ll care.” – Dan suddenly appears, behind the other boy, startling him:
“Dude! You almost gave me a heart attack!”
“Heh, didn’t know you were such a scaredy-cat, Kang.” – Ava teases him.
“I’m not a scaredy-cat! You wanna bet?”
“Fight me, Kang.”
“Anyway, here I am. Let’s go eat?” – Dan announces, interrupting Ava’s and Andy’s argument.
“Finally.” – Stacy says and the gang starts walking towards the cafeteria.
“Uh, why Britney has to come with us?” – Jane whispers to MC.
“Because she’s dating Lily.” – but is Noah who answers.
“I know! But, uh, having to deal with her during cheer practice is more than enough! What Lily sees in her? Anyway, Lucas was so cute talking all confident during the pap rally!” – and Jane looks all dreamy to the boy with glasses walking ahead, talking to Stacy.
Noah rolls his eyes, annoyed, and MC can’t hold a giggle.
Jane has had a crush on Lucas for years and, although Noah is his friend, Beanie Boy would still get all jealous when his sister talked about the other boy like that.
“Anyway, I can’t believe we finally are seniors! I’m so excited! I feel that this year will be special! Do you feel it too, MC?”
MC looks up to their best friend, Jane’s wide and brown eyes shining expectantly.
“Yeah” – MC agrees with the redhead girl, as the gang enters the cafeteria. – “I can feel it too. Something big will happen this year.”