Steve

Screams Contest Entry 4/22/22
Prompt: Write an all dialogue horror story
1,479 words

“Hey, Steve.”

“Hey.”

“Where on earth is your jacket? It’s hailing!”

“Didn’t bring it.”

“Nice, Captain Obvious. Why the hell not? Hail equals automatic coat weather, dufus. You’re soaked!”

“Didn’t feel like it.”

“Didn’t feel like it? In this total gloom-fest?”

“THAT’S WHAT I SAID, ISN’T IT?”

“Whoa! Geez! Easy there tiger. Don’t bite! I’m your friend, remember? You feeling alright?”

“Yeah.”

“Sheesh. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

“Try every morning?”

“Dude! Don’t let those fuckers get you down. I know yesterday was rough, but they only bully people that intimidate them. Seriously.”

“You honestly believe that?”

“Well, it’s what all the anti-bullying shit that they post around school says.”

“Yeah.”

“Come on, man. Cheer up! I know that Tim and those guys have been getting crazier lately, but they’ll be gone next year. And we’ll be upperclassmen. Upperclasspeople.”

“Upperclasspeople?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to start a new thing. More inclusive and whatever.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Not as crazy as you.”

“Yeah.”

“Um, you were supposed to argue with me on that one, dude.”

“Yeah.”

“What’s up with all this ‘yeah’ business? You look like a fucking zombie, and you’re pretty clearly on edge. Are you getting enough sleep?”

“I guess.”

“Well, ‘I guess’ is better than ‘yeah’, I guess.”

“Yeah.”

“Hear that? It was an emphatic sigh. See this? It’s my extreme eye roll. Note the difference from the regular version by the extra acreage of whiteness displayed around my irises. What is the white part of your eye called again?”

“Sclera.”

“Right. Sclera. I always forget all those bazillion eye terms from anatomy class. Cones. Rods. It always sounds more like geometry than biology to me. Anyway, I only use that particular eye roll on special occasions. Like when my bestie is determined to be a zombie stagger-muppet.”

“Zombie stagger-muppet?”

“Omigod. Seriously?! That didn’t even get a smile? What is wrong with you today?”

“Last night, I had an epiphany. I realized that there’s something I need to do at school today.”

“And that is…?”

“You’ll see.”

“You’ll see? What’s up with all this cryptic shit? Part of the new zombie stagger-muppet makeover?”

“Yeah.”

“DUDE! Cut it out already! If I wanted to hear ‘yeah’ all the time, I’d play that stupid old Usher song on repeat.”

“Sorry.”

“Good. You should be. Now, smile.”

“No.”

“That’s an order, mister.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“No.”

“You know, I’m actually starting to warm up to the whole ‘yeah’ thing again. Why don’t you try that one again.”

“Yeah.”

“Perfect. Now remember that response when I ask you to smile.”

“No.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Just crack a smile already. I’m really trying to be good at the whole ‘cheerful friend thing’ right now. Can’t you just throw me a bone here?”

“NO!!!”

“Geez, dude! Okay, already! I’m just trying to make you feel a little bit better. I know its tough coming to school with a black eye. Especially when the guy who gave it to you is around. I get it, alright? I’ve got some makeup in my locker that might⁠—”

“LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!!!”

***

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“I haven’t seen you since before school. Feeling any better?”

“No.”

“I was just trying to help, you know.”

“I know.”

“It’s not like I’m friends with Tim and those guys or whatever.”

“I know.”

“It’s not like I don’t hate them too.”

“I know.”

“Think we should try to get back at them? You know, give them a taste of their own medicine?”

“The thought hadn’t occurred to me.”

“Okay, wiseguy. But I’m not into the whole meanness vibe. Our retribution has to have a sense of humor attached. I was kind of thinking about something involving silly string.”

“Silly string?”

“Don’t give me that look. Too juvenile? Yeah, you’re probably right. I mean, we could TP their houses, but that’s just so freaking tired and lame. Any suggestions?”

“Yeah.”

“DUDE! I can’t believe you brought that to school! Don’t show me that! You need to get that gun out of here right now! You’ll get, like, permanently expelled!”

“Yeah.”

“Again with the ‘yeah’ shit. Come one, Steve. Seriously. You can’t have that here. How did you even get it past security?”

“They’re stupid.”

“Yeah, I know. But even so, if they catch you…”

“I don’t really care if I get caught. Being expelled from this place would be a fucking dream.”

“Is that what you’re trying to do, then? Leave me here all by myself?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?”

“I just can’t take it here anymore.”

“Look, I already told you. We just have to make it through a couple more months, and we’ll be upperclasspeople, like I said.”

“A couple more months and two more years after that. Why do you think being ‘upperclasspeople’ will change anything?”

“Because it has to, right?”

“I’ve got news for you, Megan. Nothing is going to fucking change. If it’s not Tim, it will just be somebody else. Haven’t you seen Rick? He’s already starting to take after⁠—”

“Worry about Rick when he actually does something real. For God’s sake, Steve, quit being such an Eeyore.”

“Eeyore?”

“You didn’t watch Pooh growing up?”

“I did. But why you think that cartoon bullshit actually related to real life is beyond me. It’s fiction!”

“Don’t you prefer fiction to real life? If you haven’t noticed, real life sucks.”

“But we have to deal with reality.”

“Sure. But only when absolutely necessary.”

“Pretty sure it’s about to become absolutely necessary.”

“Why? What are you⁠—? Oh, shit!”

“‘Oh shit’ is right. He’s almost here.”

“Hi, Tim! Funny⁠—we were just… Ow!”

“DON’T PUSH HER!”

“I’ll do whatever I want, bitch!”

“I’m the bitch here. Why don’t you pick on me for a change? I’m smaller than you too. And that is your favorite kind of prey, right Tim?”

“Because it’s more fun to pick on this little bitch.”

“Give it a rest, Tim. He’s never done anything to you!”

“So? Get out of my way!”

“STOP SHOVING HER!!!”

“Why, bitch? Think you can help your little friend here? I seriously doubt it. Maybe if you could hit…”

“Oof!”

“...as well as you screamed…”

“Ahh!”

“...you probably wouldn’t have to deal…”

“Ugh!”

“...with so many bruises, bitch.”

“Stop hurting him!!”

“You want some of this too, bitch lover?”

“You’re disgusting!”

“STOP IT! LEAVE HER ALONE!!!”

“What the hell? You think you can bring a fake gun to school and scare me with it? Kinda loses some of the impact when your hands’ shaking so bad, don’t you think?”

“IT’S NOT FAKE!”

“Yeah. Sure. I’m sure that security let you bring that thing right in⁠—”

“I put it inside a metal lunchbox. They never actually open it when it sets off the metal detector.”

“Metal lunchbox? You actually use one of those? In high school?! You are such a pathetic fucking loser, you’re practically begging to get your shit fucked up. If you think I’m going to fall for your sick little joke, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Oof!”

“Look at his cheeks! Turning beet red like that. Maybe he’s embarrassed that he dropped his little toy gun!”

“Stop hurting hi⁠— AHHH!!!”

“DON’T HURT HER!!!”

“Whatcha gonna do about it, bitch? Don’t have your toy gun to protect you anymore, do you?”

“OOF! FUCK!!!”

“Leave. Him. Alone.”

“Oooooo. I’m so scared. Waiving a toy gun in my fucking face really me lose my shit…”

“I don’t think it’s fake, Tim.”

“IT’S NOT FAKE!!!”

“See? You should listen to Steve. ‘Cause I’ll do it. I really will. I won’t let you hurt him anymore.”

“You don’t have the balls. I’m going to take it, and you’re not going to do shit.”

“No! You can’t have it! I won’t⁠—”

“Omigod. Omigod. Omigod. Omigod.”

“You… did it.”

“Omigod. Omigod. Omigod. Omigod.”

“You really wouldn’t let him hurt me.”

“Omigod. Omigod. Omigod. Omigod.”

“Here. Give me the gun.”

“H-here. I d-didn’t mean to… I mean, he was just about to… and I c-couldn’t let him have it, and I c-couldn’t let him h-hurt you anymore, and I… I…”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“W-what are you d-doing?”

“This is all my fault. Don’t cry. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re a good person.”

“I just killed someone, Steve.

“Don’t cry. This is the best way. It really is.”

“Wait. W-wait! W-what are you doing with it?”

It’s what I wanted all along. Just tell them I did it.”

“But Steve… wait! What are you…? Tell them… no! Wait! Why are you putting the gun to your own…?”

“You were always the strong one. It’s why I love you so much. Just keep being strong.”

“Steve? What? Why…?”

“Steve?!”

“STEVE!!!”