Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tara sits in her older sister's car since the older woman declared that she would drive Tara to New York from Woodsboro. She appreciates Sam's willingness to help her; it was honestly thoughtful, so she sits silently in the back seat, thinking to herself.

I'm finally moving out...finally free to do whatever I want...

Her thoughts drift before the car pulls up to the apartment building. The building is around 25 floors, and Tara looked down at the document sent to her so she could have some information on the apartment.

Tara steps out of the car, staring up at the building.

"Tara, which floor is your apartment on?" Sam asks as she steps out of the car as well.

Tara looks over at her before answering. "It's on the 20th floor," she says. "Can you help me move all my stuff into the apartment?" She asks, to which Sam answers with a simple nod. Her apartment is on the 20th floor, so with the help of Sam, the two move all of Tara's belongings to the apartment.

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[Three hours later]

Finally, after what felt like forever, Tara is now officially settled in her new apartment. It was hard to get anything up to the apartment, but Sam managed. The older woman left earlier after all of Tara's things were put in her room. She doesn't know where her flatmate is, but she figures they'll show up sometime later.

For now, she just has to unpack all her clothes, toiletries, makeup, bedding, desk supplies, things she'll need for school, electronics, laundry-related things, etc. She puts the mattress on the bed and makes it up before she puts everything else in its rightful place. She then leaves her room to explore a bit of the apartment itself.

From what she knows, the apartment is a two-bedroom apartment. The entrance is a long hallway that leads into the living room, then there's the dining room and kitchen, which are connected. There's a hallway that leads to the bedrooms, a bathroom is at the end. Back in the kitchen, there's a room off to the side that is the laundry room.

The apartment is furnished with a dining table, a couch, a TV, a washer and dryer, and a bed, desk, and bedside table in both rooms. Overall, it looks very comfortable for its size, but comfy nonetheless.

Tara goes back to her room after she finishes exploring the apartment. She sits down on her bed and decides to take a well-needed nap.

Chapter Text

Tara wakes up with a start after hearing the front door slam shut. She grabs her phone off the bedside table, checking the time. The time is only 8:30 in the evening, two hours after Tara finished unpacking. She carefully gets out of bed, walking silently in the hallway. Tara makes her way into the living room, and her eyes dart to the big window.

It's thundering outside at the moment, the thunder crackling loudly in the sky. It's pouring down heavily, the rain pattering against the window violently. Tara thinks that her flatmate must have just gotten here, or maybe they got to the apartment earlier, and they're just getting back. The boots by the door, right next to the shoe rack Tara put there at the entrance earlier, are wet and have a bit of mud on them.

The boots are a nice pair of black combat boots. Tara doesn't know boots that well, but she thinks they might be Doc Martens. She can't tell, though, due to it being pretty dark at the moment. Tara wanders back to her room, deciding that she's going to go back to sleep and perhaps meet her flatmate sometime tomorrow.

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[The Next Morning]

The sun shines through the window, covering the city in an orange hue. Tara gets up, yawning as she stands from her bed. She slips her slippers on, walks out of her room, and goes to the living room.

A dog is the first thing she sees once she enters the living room. A rottweiler, to be exact. A big black Rottweiler. It looks at her silently, definitely a well-behaved dog. Tara stares at it silently, trying to process that there's a dog, specifically one of a breed that is known for being pretty aggressive, IN THE LIVING ROOM. Tara walks to the kitchen, feeling the dog watching her every move. It's honestly unnerving, a dog watching her, and she doesn't remember a dog in the apartment. Then it clicks...

The dog must be her flatmate's.

Tara gets a water bottle that she brought with her yesterday and takes a sip from it. She turns around, jumping when she sees who she assumes is her flatmate enter the kitchen. The girl has long, black hair, and she's wearing a 'Stab' t-shirt and black sweatpants. Once Tara looks up at the girl's face, she freezes and stares silently, her water bottle still pressed against her lips.

"What are you staring at?" Her flatmate hisses.

Tara, still in a mostly shocked state, stares for a few beats of silence.

"A...Amber...I didn't expect to see you...here...wh...what are you doing here?" Tara stutters out.

"...I live here..." Amber informs, realizing exactly who she is standing in front of.

"Oh." Tara squeaked, still in shock.

The two stay like that for a few more seconds, before Amber walks past Tara and opens the fridge before groaning.

"I thought you went to the grocery store already." She grumbles, turning around and staring at Tara with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I was thinking of going today," Tara replied tentatively, hoping Amber would understand her hesitation. "I didn't want to pick up anything that my flatmate...you wouldn't have approved of."

Amber stares at Tara silently for a few seconds before she sighs. Perhaps she's realizing she's being too harsh to Tara.

"I'll go my damn self, you should have done it yesterday."

Nope, she's still as much of an asshole as Tara remembers.

Amber walks out of the kitchen, bumping shoulders with Tara as she walks by. Tara sighs, glad that she hasn't pissed Amber off. She always seemed to do that back in high school. She walks out into the living room, noticing the dog is gone. Amber walks out of her room, the rottweiler following close behind. She's dressed in an orange T-shirt and blue jeans, and Tara can't help but think that Amber looks fine. Amber walks to the door and puts on her boots. She grabs her keys and leaves the apartment. 

Tara stands there silently, wondering if she's just dreaming or not. She pinches herself, jumping at the pain that pangs through the spot.

Nope, not dreaming.

She just looks at the rottweiler, who stares back at her, before walking to the couch and taking a seat. The dog walks to the couch and jumps up on the cushion, curling up next to Tara. She turns on the TV and just watches something random while she waits for Amber to come back.

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The lockers were taller than they should be.

They stretch endlessly upward, like columns in a cathedral made for giants, disappearing into a ceiling that didn’t seem to exist. Their familiar chipped blue paint looks darker here, warped by dream-logic into something more bruised than paint, as if the building itself had been hurt and never healed. Some locker doors hung open at crooked angles, gaping like mouths mid-scream, their interiors shadowy and empty. Others had broken vents that breathed softly—in, out, in again—with the shallow patience of something alive and waiting.

The floor beneath Tara’s sneakers hums faintly, pulsing in rhythm with the too-bright, too-dim flickering lights above. They buzz like they are shorting out, but never quite did. Each flicker cast shadows that twist in wrong directions, stretching her figure tall, thin, and wavering like smoke.

Tara stands in the center, small and still—twelve years old, as certain and unchangeable in this place as a photograph in a dusty album. Her backpack sags against her spine, its straps digging into her shoulders like accusations. It feels far too heavy, filled with things she couldn’t name, but had always carried. The weight is familiar.

In her hands, she clutches a paper folder—once light blue, now smudged gray along the edges, softened by use and age. She holds it tightly, knuckles pale, fingers sticky against the glossy dolphin sticker that clung to the corner, faded and flaking. The folder trembles slightly, though she isn't sure if it was her hands or the world around her.

The air tastes like pencil shavings, dry eraser dust, and lukewarm cafeteria pizza. The distinct flavor of school—stale, overstayed, unforgettable. And beneath it all, a faint trace of something else: anxiety. That scent people don't talk about but every kid knows.

Tara doesn't know she is dreaming. Not yet.

The silence breaks behind her—footsteps, slow and deliberate. Not loud, but inescapable. The tap of sneakers against tile rang out like a clock counting down.

Then comes the laughter. High-pitched. Sing-song. Mean. Familiar.

“Taaaraa,” a voice calls, stretched out and sweet like syrup, but cold underneath. “Didn’t anyone teach you how to walk without looking like a baby giraffe?”

Her stomach turns to ice. She doesn't have to look. She already knows. But still, like always, she turns. Slowly. Unwillingly.

Amber stands at the far end of the hallway.

She looks mostly like she had back then—thirteen years old, confident in a way that bordered on theatrical. But dream-Amber was slightly...wrong. Too tall, as if the memory had magnified her. Her limbs move like they were drawn by a child trying to mimic a doll of some kind, jointed but stiff. Her hair curls upward at the ends. Her clothes—a neat orange shirt and black jeans—were pristine, too pristine. They shimmer faintly like she’d been cut out of a catalog and pasted here.

And her eyes—glittering. Glassy. Too sharp, like shattered mirrors pretending to be irises.

Tara’s knees lock in place. Her body freezes, but her heartbeat thunders in her ears, fast and panicked. She tries to speak—to tell Amber to stop, to go away, that this isn't real—but her mouth fills with fuzz, her tongue thick and useless like it had been wrapped in gauze.

Amber struts forward, each step perfectly spaced, perfectly timed, like a performer hitting her marks on stage. The floor ripples beneath her, waves blooming with every step like she is walking on liquid glass. The hallway walls bend inward slightly, pulsing in and out, narrowing just a bit each time she approaches.

Whispers hiss from the lockers around them—voices she can't see but knows are her old classmates from this time, warped and echoing.

"Mouse-face."  "Try-hard."  "Why are your ears so big?"  "Tara the Terrified."

She tries not to hear them. But she always hears them.

Amber stops just inches from her. Too close. Always too close. Her perfume is cloying—the same sickly sweet fruit scent she wore back then, mixed with a chemical sharpness that stung the back of Tara’s throat.

Amber tilts her head, lips curving upward in a slow, predatory grin. “Oh my God. Did you cut your bangs again?” she says, her voice rising in exaggerated horror. “Or did, like, a raccoon break into your house and attack you in your sleep?”

Laughter. From somewhere. Everywhere. Amber’s posse stands behind her, blurry and indistinct—outlines more than people, their faces fogged like car windows in winter. But their giggles ring clear, synchronized, and hollow.

Tara wants to say something back—to push, to snap, to tell her to shut up, but her voice is still gone. Her throat feels stapled shut.

The memory is too strong. Even here, even now, it paralyzes her.

Amber leans in closer, her voice softening into something crueler. “You’re always scribbling your little stories, right? Maybe one day you can write one where you’re actually not a complete nobody.” She pauses and tilts her head again. “Fiction’s your only shot at being interesting.”

She reaches forward, fast, and snatches the folder from Tara’s hands.

Tara gaspes—too late.

The paper feels ripped out of her soul. Amber holds it up triumphantly like it were a trophy. It is her sixth-grade English folder—she knew it was—with the dolphin sticker, with her name scrawled in Sharpie on the corner, letters smudged by time and fingerprints.

Amber smirks and tears it in half.

The rip is loud. Unnaturally loud. It echoes through the hallway like thunder. The papers flutter to the ground like wounded birds, spiraling in slow motion.

Tara reaches for them—too slow.

The hallway convulses.

Lockers shudder and bleed streaks of colour—bright blues and sickly yellows dripping down like paint left in the rain. The shadows along the floor coil like snakes. Amber’s words become garbled static, her mouth still moving, but the sound no longer human.

But just before everything melted away into chaos, Tara saw it: Amber’s face changed.

For a split second, the thirteen-year-old’s grin faltered. Her eyes flickered—not with glee, but recognition. A sliver of guilt, of understanding, and memory. Guilt lingered on her adult self.

Tara opens her mouth to speak. To say something. But everything goes dark before she can.

Chapter Text

After three long hours, Amber comes back. She stomps her way to the kitchen, carrying all the groceries. Tara watches her silently, curious about why she seems to be...angry. She rises from the comfort of the couch, stepping lightly as she follows behind Amber. Fear grips her, imagining Amber lurking around the corner, poised to strike at any moment. This fear is rooted in experiences in Woodsboro, where Amber had a history of pulling such stunts. 

Amber's doing the exact opposite of what she expected. She's unpacking all the groceries, making sure to put everything where it's supposed to go. Tara looks through everything that Amber bought. She purchased basic items such as fruits, vegetables, bread, breakfast foods, meat, dairy products, snacks, beverages, pantry essentials, household supplies, and dog food and treats.

Tara quietly assists Amber in stowing away the groceries, and her surprise is evident as she considers the likely amount Amber spent on the purchases. She considers asking Amber about it before she does.

"Um...Amber...how much money did you spend on this?" She asks tentatively.

Amber looks over at Tara, her face impassive. "Around $200..."

Tara stares at the taller girl, her jaw dropping slightly.

"You spent...$200 on groceries...?"

Amber shrugs, looking at Tara like this is normal for her. "Yeah...?"

Tara's silence spoke volumes as she processed the startling revelation. The realization of the extent of Amber's wealth washed over her, leaving her momentarily stunned. With a subtle nod, Tara shifted her gaze, then reached into the pantry to retrieve a bag of Oreos. She walked back to the living room, her mind lingering on the unexpected revelation, and sat on the couch.

Amber walks to her room with a bag of Chips Ahoy, a bag of Skittles, and a bag of Jolly Ranchers. The massive Rottweiler, previously nestled on the couch, elegantly leaps down and dutifully trails behind Amber with unwavering loyalty. Tara watches silently, considering calling after Amber before she decides not to.

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Throughout the following two weeks, Tara and Amber's communication remains minimal, with only brief interactions. Despite being flatmates, Tara hardly sees Amber, and their limited interactions typically involve brief encounters in the quiet kitchen or the cozy living room.

The campus is bustling with the start of classes, and Tara is excited to finally have the chance to catch up with her friends. They've all been dealing with their roommate, dormmate, or flatmate situations, which kept them from spending time together. Now that classes have started, they can happily reunite and share all the stories and updates they've missed out on. Hopefully, she can talk to them about the whole Amber situation, since she does need someone else's thoughts on it.

Chapter Text

"What?!"

Tara flinches slightly at Mindy's exclamation, feeling subconscious at the stares her group is getting from students around the campus. She had told her friends about her little apartment situation with Amber. It's less of a situation since Tara barely interacts with Amber, to begin with. She observes each of her friends' faces, taking in their reactions. 

Mindy seemed to be in a mix of shock and excitement, She had always said that she could sense some kind of homosexual tension between the two. Chad seems almost non-caring, as he did get along with Amber well back in high school, simply because Amber tended to let him throw his big, after a successful football game, parties at her house. Liv has the same reaction as Chad since she also had a good relationship with Amber. Wes, the mama's boy of the group, seems to be in a mix of shock and anger, something that Tara perceives as maybe anger on her part, even though she's not sure how to feel about the whole situation.

"So...let me get this straight...you and THE Amber Freeman are flatmates...?" Mindy asks, trying to make sure she's following because this single piece of information is useful...to her gay ass anyway.

"Yeah, I now live in the same apartment with Amber..." Tara answers.

A few beats of silence pass.

"I think you should kick her out." Wes breaks the silence, getting dirty looks from Chad, Mindy, and Liv. "I mean, it's your apartment. You can easily kick her out of the place." He adds in weak defense.

"No...I can't..." Tara says quietly, questioning why Wes would even say that.

"Like...no...T definitely can't since...you know...Amber's rich and all that...and the apartment sounds like it's not a normal apartment for a college student..." Liv interjects.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," Mindy agrees. "Do you guys think that Amber's parents might have paid the dean to put Amber in a room with someone they see as responsible?" She suggests.

Tara thinks that over.

What if Amber's parents do see me as a good enough fit to help mellow Amber out?

She nods slightly. The thought is a stretch, but it just might be true, or maybe Amber insisted on being Tara's flatmate. But that wouldn't make sense...right? Amber always bullied Tara through middle school and the first semester of freshman year, Tara thought Amber hated her, but it was always verbal. The group stew over their ideas on this, Chad eventually saying what Tara's thinking.

"What if Amber requested to be Tara's flatmate? Her parents were never really present...it wouldn't make sense for them to care about her...mellowing out now." He says, making a pretty good point.

"Well, whatever the true reason is, we probably won't figure it out...since Amber's one of those mysterious types, you know," Liv says, with a simple shrug.

"Yeah, true," Mindy agrees, nodding her head. "How about we talk about who we're all roomed with?"

Everyone agrees, and the group begins discussing their roommates or flatmates. Chad's roommate is this dorky guy, Ethan Landry. He's going to try to help Ethan get out there with girls. Mindy's roommate is this attractive, according to Mindy anyway, Asian girl: Anika Kayoko. Tara can tell that Mindy might have a crush. Wes had joined the Omega Kappa Beta (OKB) fraternity before classes started, so that's his rooming situation. And Liv lives in a small dorm on campus, and she doesn't have a roommate.

They talk a little longer before the group goes off to their classes. Tara enters the lecture hall, following the mass of people also in this class. The class in question is a class on general psychology, as Tara and every other student in the lecture hall are or should be psychology majors.

This is going to be a long day.

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[Later in the day, current time: 3:30 pm]

Tara walks into the apartment, exhausted from the day of all her classes.

Who knew general psychology could be so...challenging...

She goes to her room and plops down on the bed, her short legs aching from all the walking, her hands throbbing from the amount of note-taking she had to do. She checks her phone, seeing that she got a text from Sam. It reads: 'Just got my apartment in case that flatmate of yours becomes trouble.'

Tara stares blankly at the text, she has never told Sam who her flatmate even is. She quickly texts Sam, mostly confused. 

Little Carpenter: How did you know Amber was my flatmate? 

Big Carpenter: Wes called me and told me.

Little Carpenter: Oh...

Big Carpenter: Amber isn't causing any problems for you, is she?

Little Carpenter: No, she's civil when I see her now and then.

Big Carpenter: That's completely different from what Wes told me.

Little Carpenter: What did he tell you...?

Big Carpenter: He said that you were complaining to the group about how Amber's still a bully to you.

Little Carpenter: That lying some of a-

Big Carpenter: Tara.

Little Carpenter: Sorry. But I can't believe Wes would lie about something like this.

Big Carpenter: Well, that's a good thing that Amber hasn't done anything. She hasn't done anything, right?

Little Carpenter: Nope, she's mostly kept to herself.

Big Carpenter: Good.

Tara pauses, considering telling Sam about Amber's dog before she does.

Little Carpenter: And she has a dog, a big rottweiler.

Big Carpenter: Is the dog friendly?

Little Carpenter: Yep! The big guy doesn't do anything either. Usually, I've found him lounging on the couch or somewhere behind Amber.

Big Carpenter: That's a good thing.

Little Carpenter: Yeah, he's an adorable dog.

Big Carpenter: Well, I have to go. I'm going to make an ad online about looking for a flatmate.

Little Carpenter: Ok.

Tara puts her phone down, looking up at the ceiling. She sighs before getting up, and she goes over to her desk and sits down. She grabs her backpack, which she had put by the door when she first entered her room, and she takes out her Chromebook. She opens it and begins working on the assignment that was assigned in her general psychology class, knowing it's going to be a long few hours of work.

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[Four hours later]

It is now around 7:30 pm. Tara jumps as someone knocks on the door frame of her door. She looks up and sees Amber standing in the doorway. 

"H...hey Amber. What do you need?" She asks, finding her confidence to speak to Amber.

Amber stares silently, looking Tara up and down. "I'm ordering pizza, do you want anything on it?"

Tara stares at Amber, surprised that Amber is being nice to her. "Um...just pepperoni would be fine..."

Amber nodded and walked off, presumably to order the pizza. Tara stays silent, her thoughts consumed with why Amber was being nice to her. Amber bullied her, so why would she be nice? Then a thought comes to mind: Did Amber ever truly bully her? 

Chapter Text

Tara's ears perk up as she hears the creak of the front door opening and the sound of Amber's voice greeting someone. She quickly saves her work on her Chromebook, gently closes the lid, and rises from her desk, tiptoeing into the living room to investigate. Peeking around the corner, she observes Amber exchanging money for the steaming hot pizza, taking it from the delivery person, and then closing the door with a satisfied smile.

Amber slowly turned around, her lips barely curling into a smile as she caught Tara's eye. With purposeful steps, she made her way to the kitchen, carefully setting down the two warm pizza boxes on the spacious kitchen island. Tara followed closely, and her curiosity piqued as she tried to discern whether Amber's actions were genuinely kind or merely a facade. Amber takes a Dr. Pepper from the fridge and opens one of the pizza boxes. She puts three pepperoni pizzas on a paper plate and leaves another plate on the kitchen island for Tara. Amber then walks to her room with her Dr. Pepper and plate, leaving Tara in the kitchen.

Tara carefully arranges her slices of pizza on a paper plate, the steam rising from the freshly baked crust. She reaches into the refrigerator, her fingers closing around the cool can of Sprite, and pulls it out. Closing the refrigerator door with a soft click, she makes her way to the kitchen island and perches on a cozy stool. As she takes her first bite of pizza, her thoughts wander to the events of the day, each flavor and texture of the food sparking new reflections.

She mulls over the prospect of starting a conversation with Amber, intending to gain a deeper understanding of who she is and build a potential friendship. Alongside this, she also hopes to address past bullying and gain insight into its motivations.

Maybe I should...

Tara stands up from the stool, picks up her food and drink, and walks down the hallway to Amber's room. When she arrives at the door, she pauses for a moment to gather her thoughts before raising her hand to knock.

"Amber," she says in a concerned tone, hoping for a response. "Can we please talk about something important?"

The air hung heavy in anticipation as a pause settled over the apartment. Then, breaking the silence, Amber murmured, "Come in."

Tara cautiously opens the door and enters Amber's room. What she sees takes her by surprise. The desk is tucked into the corner, with books stacked on top and a closed Chromebook. The walls are adorned with horror movie posters, a shelf displays numerous Ghostface masks, and a complete Ghostface costume adorns a mannequin in the corner. Tara begins to suspect that she might actually be inside Mindy's dream.

After regaining her composure, her attention is drawn to the dog. She is amazed by Amber's deep fascination with the "Stab" franchise—an unsettling series of films that depict the terrifying events known as "The Ghostface attacks" in the years 1996 and 1997. Amber perched on the edge of her disheveled bed, amidst a tangle of comforters and blankets carelessly tossed about. Her distant gaze fixed unwaveringly on Tara, reflecting a multitude of complex emotions left unspoken.

"You wanted to talk," Amber inquires, arching an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued by Tara's sudden request.

"Oh...um..." Tara starts fidgeting with her hands. "I just wanted to talk to you and get to know you since we barely talk," she adds, her words trailing off somewhat nervously.

Amber fixes her gaze on Tara, her eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and contemplation. After a moment of silence, she eventually nods. "Fine. Sit down and talk...I guess," she says, her tone tinged with a hint of reluctant agreement.

Tara nodded, feeling her confidence grow. She sat down next to Amber, facing her. She looked up at Amber, her eyes crinkling at the corners as a small smile played on her lips. "So, do you want to go first?" she asked, her voice filled with anticipation.

"Please, go ahead," Amber insisted, her gaze unwavering.

Tara nods reservedly, carefully choosing her words. "My favorite colour would be green. It's just soothing. As for movies, The Babadook holds a special place for me. I tend to gravitate towards elevated horror. I like dogs; I think they're cute. Also, I have an older sister who's quite important to me. I'm pursuing a psychology major, which has been quite an intriguing journey."

Amber nods, showing some authentic curiosity in learning about Tara. She sighs, understanding it's her turn. "Um, my favorite colors are black and red, I love the Stab movies, I prefer slasher horror, I have a dog; he's over there on his bed. And I'm majoring in engineering and minoring in Creative Writing."

Tara stares at Amber, surprised that Amber's major is engineering while her minor is in Creative Writing. Amber never seemed to be the kind of person to be interested in those things. The two stay silent for a few beats of stillness before Tara asks a question.

"Do you want to get the rest of the pizza, snacks, and drinks, and watch a few horror movies together?"

Amber stares at Tara, surprised that she's willing to hang out with her after all she did to Tara during middle school. She did a lot of fucked up shit to Tara during their earlier teenage years. "Sure."

Tara and Amber get up from Amber's bed and go to the kitchen. Before going to the living room, they get snacks, the rest of the pizza, and some sodas.

They have a small argument about what to put on first before Tara agrees to watch the entirety of the Stab franchise if Amber watches The Babadook first.

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[Two hours and 20 minutes later. Current time: 9:50 pm]

Tara yawns softly as she stares at the TV, which Stab 6 has just begun. They're on the part where Ghostface is threatening Sherrie with the line, "You hang up on me, and I'll cut through your neck until I feel bone." She can tell that, with how much attention Amber's showing, this might be one of Amber's favorite Stab movies, or maybe that line specifically is her favorite.

As they continue to watch, Tara considers asking Amber about the motivations behind bullying her back then. She's still a little confused about why, since Amber seems to be acting cool with her now.

"Hey, Amber," she starts, clearing her throat before continuing. "Why did you...bully me, back in middle school?"

Tara can see Amber's body lock up, watching as she tenses, her muscles tensing. "I...um...I don't know why..."

Tara can tell she's lying, perhaps being hesitant to tell Tara the real reason, so Tara urges on. "Just tell me why. We aren't kids anymore, and I deserve to know..." She expresses, attempting to comfort Amber into answering the question.

Amber appears hesitant before she sighs. "I know...I'm sorry...I've just never told anyone about this..." She gulped before continuing. "I had...well, have bipolar disorder...and at the time I felt singled out for having, what my parents called 'an extreme flaw', in middle school...so..."

"You began bullying me so you wouldn't feel...flawed?" Tara questions softly, finding sympathy for her former tormentor because it sounds like Amber never truly wanted to hurt Tara, but she did so she could feel...normal.

"Y...yeah...I'm sorry. I know it doesn't excuse my actions, but I wasn't medicated at the time. And I couldn't bottle up my emotions because I already had so much bottled up, so I did what...I learned from my parents...I hurt you in the process..." Amber explains quietly. The movie is long forgotten, as the girls have this conversation that should have happened long ago.

Tara stays silent, taking in this information and processing it. She never expected this to be the answer, to be the motivation behind Amber bullying her all those years ago. She's shocked to learn that her former tormentor was suffering in silence for so long, without help or assistance from anyone. No child should have to go through that, especially when they have parents who should have been there, should have cared.

"What do you take now?" Tara questions, her curiosity piqued at what's been causing Amber to be as mellow now, opposite to how she was back then.

"Antipsychotics. My doctor said it's something heavily needed, considering I've gone most of my life unmedicated so far." Amber states.

Tara nods, understanding immensely what Amber's come through throughout her childhood and teenage years. She didn't expect to have this conversation with Amber being so willing to explain, it shows that Amber is remorseful for what she's done to Tara in the past, and that is heartwarming.

Chapter Text

2:35 p.m., her phone reads. Tara has been tired recently. It's been three weeks since her conversation with Amber. So far, the two have found solid ground after all that Amber did when they were younger, managing to understand each other. Tara still can't believe that being Amber's friend was such an easy thing, as they have similar interests, like horror, for example. 

She sits silently in one of her psychology classes, the professor droning on and on about how certain personality disorders work. Tara is writing down notes on each disorder, finding that each one is easy to understand once you have a grasp on what it causes in the behavior of a person who has it. The revelation that Amber is bipolar surprised her at the time, but now she knows more about the disorder and how Amber personally works with it. 

Human psychology has always interested Tara, it helps explain why people do what they do, for example. There's something in how a person thinks that is always an answer to the actions of that person. Learning about how various mental problems and disorders have caused certain problems in a person's everyday life has enlightened Tara and opened her up to a whole new world of understanding the human intellect. 

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Tara gets back home around 5 p.m., she normally gets home around 4 p.m. What caused her to get home later than normal? Her friends wanted to hang out, well, all her friends except Wes. He had to assist his fellow frat bros set up the Halloween party that the OKB frat was planning. 

Tara did tell them all about what Amber and she talked about three weeks prior, as Amber did allow her to talk about it to other people who were close to her in case she needed to. It was nice getting her friend's insights on it, and they all agreed to not tell Wes since he would probably go on a tirade about how mental illness doesn't affect a person's actions or how that doesn't excuse what Amber did to Tara. 

She simply doesn't want to deal with Wes giving her, and possibly the entire group, a lecture about how Amber's actions weren't justified. Which is why he isn't going to be told about Amber being bipolar. The part about Amber learning the behavior from her family will be told to him since he has enough decency to know that a child learn their behavior from their parents, so he can't blame Amber to that extent. 

Tara walks into the kitchen and sees Amber in nothing but sweatpants and a sports bra, washing the dishes. Her jaw drops, but she quickly closes her mouth before Amber notices. Tara never thought that Amber was so toned, but damn. The way Amber's muscles tense under the light of the kitchen in reaction to the pot that she's washing, the way her abs look incredibly sturdy. Tara catches herself staring, and she looks away briefly, feeling her face heat up. 

She doesn't know why she's so flustered. It's a normal thing to check out a friend's muscles, right? She had done it to Chad before, but that was only during the times when he was shirtless, and he had gotten a particular tattoo that he wanted to show off. And, besides, Tara has seen other women wearing exactly what Amber is now...that's a lie. The only other woman Tara has seen like this was Sam, and not in any weird way. It was like four years ago, and it was a massive heatwave, so everyone Tara saw was wearing Summer clothes and trying to find ways to cool off. 

Tara takes a deep breath and pretends like she wasn't just checking Amber out a minute ago. She opens the fridge and gets a soda, pretending like everything is normal and not at all feeling intense. 

"Hey, Amb," she greets Amber, watching as the taller woman turns her head slightly. 

"You're later than normal..." Amber teased lightheartedly. 

Tara smiles softly, she doesn't know why, but it feels good not to hear a teasing remark from Amber that's meant to be directed toward her. "Yeah, my friends just wanted to hang out for a bit today, since we haven't talked much in the last couple of weeks." 

Amber nods, finishing washing the dishes. She puts them all in the dishwasher, closes it, and starts it up. "Well, good to know that you didn't get kidnapped." Amber trifles with Tara playfully. 

Tara giggles softly at Amber's teasing, finding it amusing since it's not used in the context of bullying. "Yeah, it's been a chaotic week so far," she says, before adding, "Are you going to the Omega Kappa Beta Halloween party?" 

"Obviously," Amber confirms with a light chuckle, a smirk that makes Tara's legs feel like jelly adorning her lips. 

Tara tries very hard to swoon over that damn smirk. She doesn't know why she's like this now, but she can't help but find Amber pretty...no...gorgeous fits better. "Ok, then." She expresses, returning the smile. 

Tara cracks open her soda and walks off to her room, planning on getting some study time in and some much-needed sleep. 

______________________________________ 

[6 hours later. Current Time: 11:30 p.m] 

Tara lies awake in her room, finding it impossible to fall asleep because every time she closes her eyes, she imagines Amber. She doesn't know why she is all of a sudden attracted to dark, moody, apathetic, but overall intelligent Amber. 

It makes no sense. She's only been friends with Amber for three weeks and yet her view of the older woman has changed significantly, she went from having a bit of resentment and confusion towards Amber and her previous actions to understanding Amber to having a crush on her. It should be wrong to have a crush on her former tormentor, but at the same time, it feels right to Tara. To have a crush on Amber Freeman feels right. 

She doesn't even notice her hand going down her shorts, but a small, quiet gasp escapes her lips when her fingers dip into her delicate folds. Tara imagines Amber, the raven-haired beauty, going down on her, her hands wandering all over Tara's petite body, memorizing every dip and curve. She rubs herself at the thought of Amber, her thoughts going into more kinky territory before she lets out a small whimper as she climaxes on her fingers. 

Tara pants softly, removing her hand from her shorts. She stares up at the ceiling, wondering why she just did that, before her thoughts dissipate and her breathing slows, her body following into a deep slumber. 

Chapter Text

Sunday, October 29th, 2023. The day of the frat party. 

Tara gets to the OKB fraternity with Chad, Mindy, Liv, Chad's roommate Ethan, and Mindy's girlfriend Anika. She's dressed in a pirate costume that looks cute on her, Chad and Liv are dressed as a cowboy and cowgirl, Mindy is dressed as herself, Anika is dressed as an adorable pumpkin, and Ethan, the boy is dressed as a cardboard knight. 

Many people are at the party, some wearing costumes and others not. So far, Tara has counted at least 15 Ghostface costumes: the cheap, plastic masks you can get from any Halloween costume store. She's shocked that Ghostface is popular, considering that the first two movies are based on real-life events. To put it simply, Amber went into detail about how each Ghostface attack happened, the motives, and the killers, and she even went into vivid detail about every single kill. It was actually kind of scary, listening to Amber talk about a bunch of murders that happened in the late 90s. 

______________________________________

Tara walks through the party, a little tipsy after three hours of drinking shots with her friends and a near-date rape attempt. Yep, some guy, Tara thinks his name was Frankie or something like that, attempted to take Tara up to a room upstairs and...well, the rest isn't exactly a pretty picture. Luckily, her friends were with her, and Chad might have threatened to beat the shit out of Frankie if he tried anything. 

As Tara walks through the party, "Faster n Harder" by 6arleyhuman is blasting through the fraternity. Red, green, orange, purple, and blue flash through the house, bathing the various party-goers in its colorful intensity. 

Tara makes her way to the makeshift bar, getting a solo cup off the table. She takes a sip from it, grimacing from the bitterness as the liquid flows down her throat, before drinking more of the beer. 

Huh, so Sam was right. It does taste like cat piss. 

She walks away with the cup in her hand, taking small sips of it as she walks. That is...until she hears a voice behind her. Tara turns around to see Wes making his way to her. 

"Hey, there you are," Wes yells over the music as he reaches Tara. 

Tara stares up at Wes, a small smile falling onto her lips. "You were looking for me...?" 

Wes nods, "Yeah, figured I'd try to say hi to all my friends and make sure everyone's having a good time." 

Tara giggles softly at Wes' admission. "Really? Well, I'm fine. I was just drinking some beer, but I'm ok," she admits, her words a bit slurred. 

The opening to "Gladiator" by Jann plays over the speakers as the two talk. 

"Well, you know. If you want something harder, I got some fireball up in my room," Wes offers, with a look of something in his eyes. 

Tara stares up at him silently, thinking over her decision carefully before she smiles. "Fuck it, lead the way." She agrees. She doesn't want to offend Wes by denying him, it's not like he's going to do anything since they've been friends since childhood. 

Wes smiles and begins leading to the staircase, having some devious plans on his mind. Tara follows behind before she hears someone call her name, to see that it's Anika. 

"Hey, T. We're heading out early, are you coming?" Anika asks. 

"No, I'm going to stick around and hang out with Wes for a bit," Tara replies, giving Anika a small smile. 

Anika's expression falters for a few seconds before she nods and heads back over to Mindy. Tara and Wes continue walking to the staircase, but as they get closer, Wes's hold on her hand seems to get harder. 

Tara winces. "Hey, Wes. Can you let go?" 

Wes doesn't reply, and Tara starts to become a bit scared. "Wes, let me go." 

Again, Wes is silent, and by now, he's just pulling Tara forcefully to the staircase. To anyone else, it would look like Wes is forcing her into doing something with him, which Tara begins to fear that he is. 

"Wes, let me go!" She tries again, this time louder, trying to pull away from his tight grip. 

Again, no response. A small smacking sound and a groan from Wes startles Tara, and she looks up and sees that someone has tripped Wes, causing him to let her go. She stares up at her savior, finding it to be someone dressed as Ghostface, except the costume isn't one of those plastic masks like she's seen every other person dressed as Ghostface. No, it looks similar to some costumes from the Stab movies, but different and unique. 

The person stares down at Wes. "She asked you to let her go, tu hijo de puta." They insult him. They kick Wes in the crotch before their attention turns to Tara. 

"Are you okay?" They ask. 

Tara stares up at the person, bewildered at what just happened. The person tilts their head to the side, snapping their fingers in front of Tara's face. 

She blinks as she's knocked out of her shocked state. "I...I...um..." She stutters. 

"Are you okay?" The person asks again. 

"I...um...y...yeah. I'm okay, thank...thank you for helping me." Tara stutters out. 

The person nods, seemingly accepting that answer. Tara feels her arm being grabbed, and she turns around to find her friends. 

"Are you okay?" Mindy practically yells in her ear as she checks over Tara to make sure she isn't hurt in any way. 

Tara giggles softly at Mindy's reaction. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine...um...this person helped me." She says, as she points towards the person, who has stuck around. 

The group looks at the person, all having varying reactions. Mindy stares at the person in curiosity and what looks like adoration, Chad seems curious but cautious, Liv is just confused, Anika seems to have a hint of wariness in her eyes, and Ethan appears confused and a little scared. The person watches silently before they reach up to their mask and lifts it off their face, shaking their head to get their raven-black hair out of their face. It's Amber...

"So...is that your guy's friend?" She asks, gesturing to Wes' crumpled body on the floor. It seems Amber managed to knock him out when she tripped him. 

The group nods slowly, shocked that Amber is just casually wearing a Ghostface costume and saved Tara from Wes. They thought Amber hated Tara, well...the twins and Liv, since Anika and Ethan were new additions to the group since they got to college. Tara is just as shocked as her friends. Sure, her relationship with Amber has been growing, but she never expected Amber to save her from nearly being in a situation with a person she trusted. 

"Yeah...um...after this, he probably isn't going to be our friend anymore," Chad says to break the tension between the group and Amber. The others nod in agreement. Tara sighs as she turns back to her friends. 

"Guys, I'm going to head home with Amber, if that's okay."

The group says their goodbyes and agreements before Tara walks off with Amber, leaving the fraternity. They both make their way back to the apartment in silence. Once there, Amber heads off to her room to change into some normal clothes, leaving Tara to her thoughts as she walks off to her room to change. 

Chapter Text

Tara wakes up the next morning, feeling groggy and hungover. She carefully lifts her head off her pillow, squinting her eyes as the sun's light peaks through the blinds. She lifts herself into a sitting position, grabbing her phone off the bedside table. The time reads 10:57 a.m. She groans softly as she gets up from her bed, slipping her feet into her slippers. Tara yawns as she makes her way to the bathroom, walking in, and she pauses, her face flushed red at what's in front of her. Amber's facing the mirror, completely naked, possibly getting ready to shower. 

Tara very carefully walks out of the bathroom, trying not to draw attention to herself as she makes her leave. She walks back into her room, closing the door quietly behind her. Tara stands there, her back pressed against the door, trying to get the image of Amber's naked body out of her head. But she can't. Amber's body is ingrained in her mind. The simple curve of her breasts was mesmerizing, the way her muscles seemed to gleam in the bathroom light, and the slight poke of something sticking that stood between her legs. Tara couldn't say exactly what it was, but she could tell it was long. 

Tara shakes her head to get the image out of her head before it leads to her fantasizing about Amber. She takes a deep breath, feeling the red from her cheeks cooling down. She hesitates before heading out to the hallway again, this time heading to the kitchen. Once she reaches the kitchen, she makes something small for breakfast, hoping it'll distract her from her thoughts of what she saw a few moments ago. 

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[A few hours later]

Tara walks through the campus alone, her thoughts racing through her head. The one that's at the top is well...the image of Amber naked. She has tried to block out the thought multiple times throughout the day, but it still succeeds in existing within her mind. 

She eventually manages to clear the image from her mind once she remembers that she made plans with Sam earlier in the day. Tara quickly makes her way to the meeting spot the two sisters agreed on, finding Sam leaning against her car. She walks up to her older sister, happy to be able to hang out with her after the past month. 

"Hey," Sam greets when she notices Tara coming to her. 

Tara nods at Sam in greeting, standing in front of her. "So, what are you going to do?" 

Sam stares at Tara, smiling softly. "Do you want to go out to a restaurant, or maybe we can walk through the park and talk?" She suggests. 

Tara thinks for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, let's walk through the park and talk." 

Sam nods, and she gets in the car. Tara walks over to the passenger side and gets in. Sam begins to drive, and she drives them both to the park. They get to the park after around thirty minutes. Sam parks the car, and they both get out. 

They begin to walk through the park, the autumn leaves falling slowly to the ground slowly and the breeze gently rustling through the air. Tara and Sam walk side-by-side, engaged in their conversation. 

"So, let me get this straight, Amber is a lot nicer to you than she was before?" Sam asks, her expression showing all of her confusion. 

Tara looks up at Sam, nodding. "Yes, I've said it a ton of times. Amber seems to just not...care...it's confusing. I thought she hated me, but now she's...fine with me...?" 

Sam goes into deep thought before she clicks her tongue. "Well, did she apologize for what she did?" 

Tara nods, "Yeah, she apologized. And it was genuine." 

Sam looks even more confused since she knew Amber had always bullied Tara when they were younger, so it doesn't make sense to her why Amber's acting so different towards her little sister now. "What...what were her reasons?" She asks, her eyebrow arched. 

"She told me she learned it from her parents...and she..." Tara pauses, considering telling Sam about Amber being bipolar before she sighs, "She also has bipolar disorder..." she finishes quietly. 

Sam stares down at Tara, "Really...?" 

Tara's thoughts fly, questioning why she even said that. She nods slowly, sighing. "Yeah, she told me she was unmedicated for most of her life, and she blamed it because she didn't...want to be singled out for being different from anyone else." She explains. 

Sam looks straight, her expression impassive as she processes this information. Tara looks up at Sam, wondering what's going through her head. They both stay silent, their thoughts racing through their minds. 

Sam sighs, breaking the silence. "Okay..." she says, pinching the bridge of her nose. "She blamed mental illness and that she learned that behavior from her parents...?" 

Tara nods, wondering what Sam's going to say. "Yeah, those were her reasons." 

Sam looks down at Tara, her expression serious. Tara gulps, having an idea that Sam's going to say something negative about Amber. Before Sam can speak, Tara interrupts her. 

"Listen, I know what you're going to say, and I just want you to know that I haven't forgiven her. I'm letting her earn my forgiveness, which she's doing well at." She explains. 

Sam stares at Tara, nodding slightly. "Can I say what I wanted to say, now?" 

Tara nods, listening to Sam intently. 

"I don't condone what Amber did to you...But, I don't blame her either..." Sam says, letting Tara drop any input if she wants. 

"You don't?" Tara asks, surprised since Sam, ever since she found out about Amber's bullying, hated the girl. 

The older woman nods. "I don't. Mental illness isn't a joke; the insecurities that come with it cause people to do things that they wouldn't do. Sometimes the illness itself is the main reason behind why some people do certain things, sometimes bad things...." 

Tara stares at Sam, her expression bewildered. 

She...understands Amber's reasons...? 

Tara nods slightly, understanding Sam's insightful observation. "Okay...so, what have you been up to since we last talked?" she asks, hoping to get off the topic of Amber. 

Sam looks down at Tara, her expression unreadable. "...do you remember Richie?" She asks, looking down at Tara. 

"Yeah, what about him?" Tara inquires curiously. She hasn't heard anything about Richie in a while, she remembers Sam and her boyfriend fucked like rabbits while she was still in high school, but things died out the summer after Tara graduated. 

Sam's expression turns sad, and she sighs, looking straight. "He cheated on me..." she says, "...with a minor." 

Tara's jaw drops at that reveal, her eyes widening. That was the most unexpected revelation out of anything that Sam could have said. "What?" 

"Yeah, turns out he's been doing that for a while..." Sam responds gravely, an undertone of sadness, disgust, and something that Tara perceives as dismay settling in her voice. 

Tara doesn't know how to react, discovering that Richie is a pedophile is one of the most shocking things to be told. She thought Richie was a nice, kind of awkward guy, but never a pedophile. "I...um...I'm speechless..." She says. 

Sam nods slightly before her face lights up. "Remember when I told you that I made an ad for a flatmate?" 

Tara nods, curious about what news about the flatmate ad from Sam that she'll get. 

"Well, someone responded. Her name is Quinn, and she's not that much older than you, but she's nice...and considerate." Sam discloses, her tone suggesting she's happy about this, Quinn. 

Tara smiles up at Sam, happy that she managed to get someone who's not a rude person, even though she's sure Sam would kick out that person the moment they start being an asshole. One particular word that Sam used to describe Quinn, and she raises her eyebrow. "What do you mean by...considerate?" 

Sam looks over at Tara. "Well...she brings hookups to the apartment, but she keeps it quiet to not disturb me," she explains. 

Tara nods in understanding. Quinn does sound considerate according to Sam. "Well, that's good," she says, her voice tinged with curiosity about learning more about Quinn. "Can you take me back to my apartment?" She adds. 

Sam nods, smiling softly at Tara. "Yeah, sure," she agrees. 

The two walk back to Sam's car, both get in, and Sam drives Tara back to her apartment so she can get some classwork and sleep in for the evening. 

Chapter Text

A lot of stuff has been happening with Tara and her friends since Halloween, at least she thinks Amber's her friend (they're on good terms, so that's a maybe). Classes have also ended, and won't start up again until mid-January. Of course, these distinct occurrences all range in how good, or how bad, they are. 

For a little catch-up, Wes is no longer in the friend group. You would think that they would have dropped him sooner back in high school since he was such an ass then, but no. They dropped him sometime back in November after the stunt he pulled back at the frat party in October. You'd think that dear, little Wes would understand, considering what he was trying to do to Tara was not okay, but no...he blew up at them, and called them all a bunch of names. It took some force from Chad before he got the memo that he wasn't in the friend group anymore, and even then he begged and pleaded to be understood and for them not to do this to him because, verbatim word-for-fucking-word: "I have been you guy's friend since we were in kindergarten, you can't drop me now over a simple mistake." 

It was not a simple mistake, as some may imagine. Wes has done things that made them all wonder if he was even a good person before that party, and yet he believed he deserved Tara's and anyone else in the group's forgiveness. The simple answer is: that he doesn't. Tara, Chad, and Mindy have given him so many chances, but the mama's boy simply threw those away, thinking he was untouchable. He was not, and fortunately, he's no longer the group's problem. 

Another good thing, Sam and Amber have officially met, and Sam luckily didn't mention anything that Tara told her. Surprisingly, Sam and Amber got along. They both managed to bond over their shared protectiveness of Tara. Tara honestly regrets letting the meeting happen, since now...she has two overprotective guard dogs. And that's no fun. It's especially not fun since Sam made Amber promise to make sure Tara doesn't get hurt, which Tara had to witness. Luckily, unlike Sam, Amber lets Tara do her own thing and doesn't treat her like she's still a child; instead, she treats Tara like her age. 

Of course, after what's been happening since October, Amber's now in the friend group. The others were hesitant with Amber, well, not the other three that Tara's known since childhood, but the newbies: Ethan and Anika. Ethan was honestly afraid of Amber, while Anika was suspicious of her. Anika's reasoning? She was there when Tara used to complain about Amber during the first few weeks of classes, therefore assuming that Amber was still bullying Tara. It took a bit, but Anika is no longer suspicious of Amber...and Ethan is still a bit afraid of her, but not so much now. 

The bad things did end well; it's one thing. To put it short, the week before Thanksgiving, Wes stalked Tara. And, what could he have done that was so bad that it borders on the possibility of getting a restraining order? Well...he sent death threats to her, probably expecting her to forgive him for what happened in October. But Tara didn't crack, even though it was mentally draining for her. Instead, she reported Wes to the dean. He got expelled from Blackmore and is stuck back in Woodsboro for hopefully the rest of his pathetic life, his record permanently tainted because he decided to stalk Tara. He's probably not going to be accepted into any other college now. Worst mistake of his life, honestly. 

Other than that, nothing much has been happening. Tara's life has been good, she has friends, she has somehow officially befriended Amber, Wes is no longer a part of her life, and hopefully, things will stay how they are. 

______________________________________

[Current Date: December 2nd, 2023] 

Tara sits in the apartment, some cop show running in the background on the TV as she reads a book. She thinks it is Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but she's not paying attention. Amber is the one watching SVU, and her rottweiler is as well. Tara's not paying attention, but she thinks the episode that Amber is currently on might be in season 4 or maybe 5; she's not sure. But she can tell that Amber is invested in it. 

She looks up from her book, staring at the TV, watching the show briefly so she can get back to her book. From what she gathered from listening, and now watching, a girl was raped at a bar by like three or four guys, and the detectives are currently arresting some guy that's a parking attendant. 

Ok, this is actually investing. 

Tara dog-ears the page of her book that she was on, and puts the book beside her, turning her attention back to the TV. This show is truly one-of-a-kind; she can see why Amber watches it. It's what some would call enticing, the idea of rapists being tried and put behind bars for their crimes. It's...justice-filled, Tara believes. Even though the story of the episode plot was created by an excellent team of writers and screenwriters, if you want to be more accurate, it's still chilling considering most of the episodes are based on true stories. 

The only reason why Tara even knows that as a fact is because Sam, when they were younger, watched this show, and the others in the Law & Order franchise, almost all the time. Tara remembers how excited Sam would get when a new episode came out, and how Sam, when Tara had asked about SVU specifically, would tell her about how each episode is based on true events. 

That might be why Tara never got into shows like Law & Order because the fact that the episode plot could, and probably is, be based on actual cases of actual victims. They have been the target of men who are not what some would call good people. And that, as an idea, that events in a show are referencing actual events, seems kind of psychologically terrifying. True events that are in a show that are portrayed extremely well, boggle the mind and shock viewers even more because some true events portrayed in shows are almost too graphic to believe, and yet, they happened. There are case files, DNA results, and everything to deal with a case, which is put into one or two episodes. And that is what is truly chilling about certain 'based-on-true-events' pieces of media. The psychological aspect, and the realization that this particular event had happened in the past. 

Tara blinks, taking a deep breath as she refocuses back on the TV, deciding that maybe it's time to finally give a Law & Order show a chance. Since it is genuinely interesting and, at the same time, deeply chilling. 

Chapter Text

The time on her phone reads 10:07 pm. Tara sits on the couch in her apartment, listening as Mindy and Chad bicker over something. Her friends, except Amber, wanted to have a group hangout at someone's apartment, and they all agreed to do it at Tara and Amber's apartment. 

Mindy had begged Sam to come and bring that Quinn chick, and even though Sam said no multiple times, Mindy eventually got her to say yes. Those are the two that the group is currently waiting on, as well as Amber. Amber is in the kitchen at the current moment. Tara can see her from the couch, and the raven-haired woman is on the phone, talking to someone quietly. 

Tara doesn't know who, but she assumes it's probably one of Amber's parents based on Amber's body language. Amber is standing at the island, leaning over it slightly, her back to the fridge, meaning she's facing the general direction of the doorway. She's relaxed, but at the same time, her body shows that she is probably talking to someone whom she respects. Leaving Tara to believe that it might be her father. 

This idea that Tara has is reasonable, considering Amber has talked to her mother on the phone in the group's general presence, but she tends to talk to whom Tara assumes is her father. Tara doesn't know Amber's family, having never met any of them, so she's not sure if Amber's father is famous or something like that. Eventually, Amber hangs up and walks back to the living room, plopping down next to Tara. Her dog, who has been letting Liv, Anika, and Ethan play with him, leaves the three swiftly and jumps up into Amber's lap. 

Amber smiles and pets the dog on the head, noticing Tara staring at her. 

"What...?" Amber says, giving Tara a confused look. 

Tara jumps slightly, her thoughts breaking when Amber speaks. "Oh...um...sorry. I'm just thinking," she explains. 

Amber nods, going back to playing with her dog. A knock is heard on the door, and Mindy immediately gets up and zooms to the front door, opening it up. 

"Hi, Sammy," Mindy greets Sam with a devious smile, to which Sam just glares at her and walks past the twin, a redheaded girl following closely behind. No one, except Tara, is allowed to call Sam "Sammy." 

Tara stares closely at the redhead, figuring this is Quinn. She can see Ethan staring at the redhead, and the boy quickly gets up and runs up to her, practically jumping into her arms. She is startled slightly before she hugs Ethan back. 

"Hi," the redhead greets the boy with a small smile, letting Ethan get down from her arms. 

Tara is shocked that 1) Ethan knows this woman that Sam brought, and 2) Ethan practically jumped on her in a hug, wrapping his legs around her waist. Who the hell is this girl to sweet, dorky Ethan? 

Before Tara can ask, Chad beats her to it. "How do you two know each other?" he says, before pointing at the redhead, "And who are you?" He asks. 

"This is Quinn," Sam answers for the redhead, now known as Quinn. Quinn waves silently. 

"Guys, this is my sister," Ethan says with excitement in his voice.  

Everyone, except Sam, Ethan, Amber, and the dog, seem to be in some degree of shock. Ethan has a sister...he has a sibling...what else does the group not know about him? 

"Well, half-sister actually," Quinn adds. 

Ok, that makes more sense, the two don't even look close to being related. Quinn's a redhead, her hair a rusty orange kind of colour, and Ethan is a brunette. The shock leaves everyone at that explanation, understanding it. 

The people who were standing sat down, and the group all huddled up, discussing what they should do. 

"How about we play a drinking game?" Liv suggests. 

Everyone mulls over the idea before the idea is given everyone's form of agreement. Amber gets up and goes to the kitchen, coming back with two bottles of vodka and tequila. She places the bottles on the coffee table, goes back to the kitchen, and comes back with a few shot glasses. 

Tara stares at the glasses. She can tell they're expensive, with a little crown printed on the front of every single one. She has no idea how much money they truly cost, but it's probably over $50 or so. She watches as Amber puts the glasses down and sits back down on the couch, her curiosity piques at the sight of the glasses. She didn't even know there were any shot glasses and alcohol in the apartment altogether, but she'll remember that for later. 

The group begins playing a version of Truth or Dare. The rules are basically that if you don't answer a truth or do a dare, you have to take a shot. It's a classic drinking game that's mixed with a kids' game. 

______________________________________

An hour into the game, Tara's already pretty tipsy, as well as a few others. It's Mindy's turn now, and she looks over at Tara with a mischievous smile. 

"Tara, truth or dare?" Mindy slurs slightly, her smile growing slightly. 

Tara stares at Mindy, thinking over her choices. "Dare." 

Mindy's smile seems to grow. "I dare you to..." she pauses for dramatic effect, "...to sit on Amber's lap." She dares. 

Tara stares at Mindy, her eyes widening slightly. She can feel the heat building up in her cheeks, she sighs before getting up and plopping right down on Amber's lap before Amber can say anything. To Amber's credit, she doesn't do anything, she just allows Tara to sit. The two stay like that for the rest of the game, finding it surprisingly comfortable. 

Eventually, the game ends, and the group decides to watch a movie. It was a long debate before everyone agreed to watch the 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sam and Quinn had gone to the kitchen and made popcorn for everyone, and now everyone is super invested in the movie; no one is paying attention to anything else that happens. 

Chapter Text

How did I let them convince me to attend this?

Amber sits silently on her motorcycle, waiting silently for the rest of the group. She doesn't know why, but she allowed Tara and Mindy to convince her to go to the annual Winter Carnival that Blackmore hosts every year. She honestly hates carnivals because of her mother and stepdad. To explain, during the few times that the couple took her to a carnival or fair when she was younger, they never let her do anything. It was always about her mom wanting this or that, never about the child that they were with. The thought alone makes Amber's blood boil, her mother was always an evil bitch.

During the call in which Tara and Mindy begged Amber to go with them and the group, Amber was out at a coffee shop, meeting with her father. It was honestly kind of mortifying since her father thought she had no friends, so it wasn't so fun when he questioned her about it and made her tell him everything about them, including that little crush that she has for Tara. It was even more mortifying when he gave her that knowing look. She figured he probably thought Tara was a good match for her, which was worrying considering he hadn't met Tara before, or at least Amber thinks he hasn't...she's not sure.

She jumps slightly when she hears what sounds like Mindy yell her name, and she looks up, seeing the group making their way to her. She sighs quietly as she gets off her motorcycle, taking her helmet off, and hanging it on one of the handlebars.

Amber flinches when she feels small hands wrap around her waist in a hug. She looks down, finding that Tara is hugging her. She feels her face heat up, but she plays it off since it's pretty cold out at the moment, reluctantly hugging Tara back. She watches as Tara pulls away, immediately missing the girl's warmth, but she hides it before anyone notices.

"All you love birds, stop being gay. We get it," Mindy comments, to which a tint of red takes Tara's face while Amber pretends not to be bothered by the comment.

"All right," Chad saves them both from Mindy shipping them, "Whose ready to celebrate Ethan's birthday?"

That gets a few cheers from the group, while Amber looks a bit confused, but she will go with it. She didn't know today was Ethan's birthday, since no one told her...which she doesn't care about. But she'll probably have to ask Liv or Sam when Tara's birthday is.

The group walks through the entrance of the carnival, the colors and lights flashing through the area, filling the frigid evening air with an energy of excitement. They all go through the various motions of playing the carnival games and going on the various rides while they wait for the parade portion of the carnival to start.

______________________________________

The parade is supposed to start at 8:30 p.m. And here Amber is, playing a rigged knock-down of the cans game. You see, Chad tried out this game earlier since he wanted to win Liv a little plushie, but he lost the game because it's rigged. The only reason Amber's trying it out is that she knows the mechanics of a rigged carnival game, meaning she knows how to beat it. Well, that's a reason. The other reason is that she wants to win a plushie for Tara.

She aims carefully at the area she knows is the sweet spot of the cans, throwing the baseball with most of her strength. It hits, and the cans crumple, signaling Amber's victory. She smirks as the attendant hands her a simple plushie, as the plushies are randomized. She walks away, going to join the others who are waiting by the road where the parade will pass through.

As she walks, she examines the plushie carefully. It's a small French bulldog plush that's in a sitting position. She smiles softly, thinking that the plushie fits Tara well since she's like a little French bulldog sometimes, personality-wise of course. Amber's smile falters slightly, her mind shifting to thoughts of contradiction.

I...I shouldn't be thinking about her like this; she probably doesn't even like me back. God, why do I even think she'll like this damn plushie? She'll probably hate it, or maybe she'll pretend to like it, but in reality, she will hate it. It was dumb to even spend $5 on a game to win a plush for someone who won't even like it. She'll most definitely hate it, maybe she even hates me.

Before Amber's thoughts of beating herself up continue, she hears something that catches her attention. She strains her hearing to listen to this particular conversation, picking up on Sam's voice and some men. She moves closer, seeing the group and a man. She watches from afar, curious about what's going on. She can tell the man's presence is making the others appear uncomfortable, while Sam seems to be pissed. Amber's seen an extent of Sam's anger, but never like this. She moves even closer, being able to hear the conversation fully.

"Sam, please give me a second chance..." The man begs.

Sam shakes her head, "No, you're a disgusting piece of shit..."

"Just go, Richie," Chad butts in, looking like he's ready to jump in between the two.

So, his name is Richie...got it.

"Shut the fuck up, little boy!" The man, apparently Richie, insults Chad.

"Do not talk to him like that," Sam defends Chad, her face contorting to a more pissed-off expression.

Amber watches silently, her eyes narrowing. So far, she's realized that this Richie guy is a jerk, but she's willing to eavesdrop further before she makes up her next actions. She's a tad bit curious about what kind of history Sam and Richie have. She watches as Sam and Richie continue their argument, letting it reach its peak, hoping to learn a bit more information other than that Richie is an asshole.

"You are so pathetic," Sam insults Richie.

"That...that's not true," He tries to defend himself.

Sam smirks, a small chuckle leaving her mouth. "Yeah, you. You're a man-baby, and you probably made your little girlfriend do all the work." Richie stands there, clearly insulted but also shocked and speechless.

"You're a limp-dick, little fuck who cried when I caught you cheating on me," Sam finally says what everyone who knew the context of this altercation was thinking. Everyone, as in most likely Quinn, Tara, Chad, Mindy, and Ethan.

Amber stands where she is, her jaw dropped. She didn't expect to see or even meet an ex of Sam, but here she is. All she knows is that he cheated, but she's curious about that context as well. Amber wonders who this man found more attractive than Sam, because if she were him, she would have put a ring on her finger after four or five years of dating.

How the hell did Richie fumble Samantha Carpenter? Like, just how? Sam is one of the most attractive women I have ever seen, and then there's Richie...he's not that attractive, and that might be my preference for a partner talking, but damn is he fugly.

She walks over to the group, sidling up next to Tara. She leans in close to the smaller woman, her breath fanning over Tara's ear.

"What's going on?" She whispers to Tara. She watches as Tara jerks from her sudden appearance, rightfully frightened.

Tara looks up at Amber. "Oh...um...that's Richie, Sam's ex..." she starts before her voice goes to a whisper, "He cheated on her with someone much younger than us."

Amber's jaw practically hits the ground at that.

Holy fuck!!! This guy is a pedo?!?!

She blinks, nodding slightly. She and Tara turn their attention back to the argument, listening in again. All Amber can think about is how this Richie guy, Sam's ex, is a pedophile. One of the good things that her mother instilled in her was that pedophilia is unlawful, and people who do it are disgusting. Her father also told her about how some "kinks" aren't exactly savory. Well, there's nothing wrong with having kinks, but her father taught her about the ones that shouldn't be kinks, like, for example, attraction to minors. That one specifically is the one that Amber herself despises, since it's an attempt at an excuse for being into kids.

Amber considers saying something to help Sam win this argument because Richie keeps throwing out things like how Sam used to do drugs or any of her insecurities. He was holding those things against her, to put it short. She steps forward, a blank look on her face as she sighs and goes through with her plan.

"So...let me get this straight, you fucked a minor?" She says, giving Richie an unreadable look.

Richie jumps slightly, not expecting Amber to "appear out of nowhere." He nods slightly, not sure if he should answer or not.

Amber nods, her blank expression twisting into a cruel smile. "So you're a pedophile, huh?" She chuckles darkly, "You are pathetic."

Richie stares at Amber, flabbergasted. "Well...it's just...it's just a kink...so it's fine," he defends himself.

Amber scoffs, her expression disgusted. "That's not a kink, dumbass. An excuse is what it is, you should go to prison for it. You're just a pathetic little boy who doesn't know self-control, and you need to go back to pre-k to learn the difference between right and wrong."

She can tell that the others are in awe, and Richie is shocked, considering someone stood up to his toxic ways. Her smile grows at Richie's crumbling self-esteem.

"Now, run along, little boy," She commands, watching as Richie runs away with his tail between his legs. She chuckles, watching as Richie's figure gets smaller through the crowd of people.

Amber turns around, staring at the others with an expression that shows that she's feeling happy with the outcome of what just happened. The others don't know how to react other than stunned faces while also being in awe, to which Amber nods at them, signaling she's done being blatantly wonderful. She sidles back up next to Tara, and everything goes on like normal.

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An hour or so later, the parade started. The group watches as the various floats go by, mesmerized by the different and unique designs of each one. The group is next to each other in this order: Sam, Chad, Liv, Mindy, Anika, Tara, and Amber.

Amber is silent next to Tara, her gaze settled on the floats as they pass by. She remembers the plushie she won for Tara, and she takes it out of her pocket, tapping Tara on the shoulder. Tara looks at her, her face confused.

"What?" Tara whispers to Amber, trying to keep from interrupting everyone's focus on the parade.

Amber holds the plushie out to her. "I won this, and figured you should have it," she says, acting casual about gifting it to Tara even though the gift-giving is a lot more sentimental than she's trying to act like it isn't.

Tara's face lights up at the little toy, a small smile growing on her lips. "Aw, thank you, Amber. It's so cute," she exclaims softly, taking the plushie from Amber. She stares at it silently, smiling as she hugs it gently.

Amber's heart skips a beat, her love and affection for Tara growing at that moment alone. She nods, happy that Tara likes the gift. The smaller woman surprises her when she hands Amber a plushie as well, an adorable rottweiler one. Amber stares at the plush, taking it from Tara gently. She holds it in her hands, her expression unreadable until she smiles.

"Thank you, Tara," she says to Tara, holding the toy in her hands. Tara nods, visibly content that Amber seems to enjoy her gift. The two go back to watching the parade, both feeling great that the other enjoyed the other's gift.

Chapter Text

The sun shone down on the campus of Blackmore, and the two weeks of classes had already begun again. It's a nice, crisp January morning, now it is 2024. The New Year's party that Sam insisted on throwing was better than the last one she threw; it was less bland, showing clear signs that Quinn had some say in the planning of the party. It was honestly pleasant seeing Sam show some amount of romantic interest in someone so...Tara doesn't know how to describe Quinn, but she can tell the girl is compassionate and holds a care for Sam that Mindy commented on being something that falls between friendship and gay. 

Speaking of Mindy, she found this small coffee shop/bookstore place that's close to campus, and by found, Sam had told the group where her new job is. Tara hasn't been there yet, but the couples in the group have. It's cozy and not crowded at all like the coffee shop on campus. The small girl wants to go, but she has no idea what the place is called. She wants to go with the entire group, not only to give Sam a surprise visit but also to see what's so good about the place other than the lack of people and quietness. 

So, as of now, she's stuck in one of her psychology classes with Professor Walker. Yes, you read that right, as in Charlie Walker, a close friend of the director-legend Roman Bridger. It's weird to be taught psychology by someone who used to babysit some of her friends, but here Tara is, being taught by someone who used to watch Amber at some point in the late 2000s. 

Sam wasn't surprised to find out that Charlie Walker became a professor for a psychology class that goes over the psychological elements in media when Tara told her about him and how his class is quite easy. According to Sam, Charlie was super into movies back in high school; he was the president of Woodsboro High's Film Club. So, to Sam, it would make sense to see him teaching a class on psychology in movies and such since that's what he did in high school, as well as hosting a few Stab-a-thons. 

Currently, the man is going on about how gay people in horror movies NEVER flirt normally. A quote from this rant is: "Gay people never flirt normally, it always has to be shit like threatening each other with weapons like a knife or fighting in a secluded area because one is an antagonist and the other is the antag.'s kidnap victim." He's going off about it, probably because he's right. In most horror movies, usually, slashers or torture-porn, characters that the fandom thinks are gay have interesting interactions with other characters that are probably gay or might be cheating on their partner if they have one. 

Tara's pretty sure he's mentioned the Stab franchise and Saw franchise doing this the most out of most horrors under their genre, which she can agree with both since Mindy had made her watch the entirety of Saw. Meanwhile, Amber managed to do something that her friend group couldn't: get her to watch the Stab movies. Both do have moments with characters that the fandom suspects are homosexual. 

Now that I'm thinking about it, Amber's and my relationship is kinda similar to any homosexual horror–

The class ends before Tara can finish that thought. She stands up like the rest of her peers, gathering her stuff like everyone else, and she leaves the class and heads off to the spot where the group always meets after classes almost every day. She makes it there in record time, finding Mindy and Anika there. Thankfully, she's not late, but not early either, so that's a good thing. Usually, she's the last one to show up to go on these random outings that Mindy plans. 

She walks up to the two, plopping down next to Mindy. Now to wait for the others. 

"So...where exactly are we going today?" She asks Mindy, her head tilted slightly in curiosity. 

Mindy looks at her, a small smile taking her face. "Well, we, as a group, are going to visit Sam at her job," she says, which gains an eye roll from Anika. 

The Asian girl hits Mindy on the shoulder lightly. "We're going to The Bookshelf Café, T," she answers. 

Tara looks puzzled for a few seconds before she remembers what The Bookshelf Café is. There was one in Woodsboro, it was the hotspot for high schoolers. She had no idea there was one in New York until now. The only reason she never went to the one in Woodsboro back in high school is because Amber worked there, and it's pretty well known what their relationship was like back then. Luckily, Amber isn't similar to how she was in high school, so Tara has nothing to fear. 

She can hear Chad's voice approaching. The three at the picnic table turn their heads, seeing Chad coming to the table with Liv by his side and Ethan following behind. She smiles softly, fond that Chad and Liv have such a lovely relationship, but she also can't help but feel a pang of jealousy. And, no, she's not into Liv or Chad, but she wishes she could have that kind of relationship with someone. It feels weird, being one of the three people in her friend group who are single. And she's pretty sure she's one of the two who is a virgin, Ethan being the other one, since it seems he hasn't been able to get anyone. Chad's been helping him with that, Tara's pretty sure she's heard Chad call Ethan a snack, which is strange because he has a girlfriend. 

Anyway, the three get to the table, and now everyone's waiting for Amber. It might be a while since Amber's last class is around an hour or two longer than everyone else's last. The group is fine with this since it's common knowledge to them that Amber's last class is one of her hands-on engineering classes. 

______________________________________

Around an hour and thirty minutes pass before Amber even shows up. Tara's the first to notice her, and she notices a familiar animal trailing behind Amber. Mindy practically squeals in her ear at the sight of the rottweiler, getting up quickly and running to hug the big dog. Amber watches silently with an impassive look on her face. She walks over to the table, the dog wiggling free from Mindy to follow behind. Amber sits down next to Tara, her dog curling up under her feet. 

Tara stares at the dog, petting him gently on the head. She looks up at Amber, still a little surprised that she brought her dog. 

"Hi, Ambs," She greets Amber, smiling softly. 

Amber looks down at her, nodding slightly. "Hey," she returns the greeting. 

"Ok, now that we've got everyone, who's ready to visit Sam?" Chad says, attempting to get some energy running through the group. His attempt is futile as most, if not all, of the group are pretty tired from all of their classes today. 

"Let's just...go to that coffee shop..." Liv says, standing up from the table. 

The others follow suit, and they all begin walking done the sidewalk to The Bookshelf Café. The café is a few blocks away, so it won't take that long to get to it. 

Around ten minutes later, the coffee shop is in view. The group gets to it and goes inside. It's exactly how it was described to Tara. It's quite cozy, and it isn't crammed like the on-campus coffee shop is. Not only that, but it even permits dogs to be allowed in, so Amber's rottweiler is allowed inside. 

Chad collects what everyone wants before going up to the counter to order everyone's drinks, and Ethan and Liv follow right behind him to help. Mindy and Anika wander off to the autobiography and biography book section in hopes of finding the autobiography of Roman Bridger, since Mindy wants that specific book, since she hasn't gotten it yet. That leaves Tara, Amber, and Amber's dog. 

Tara stares up at Amber before she wanders off to a random section, hoping to avoid having to be alone with her since it'd be so awkward. She finds herself at the register of the bookstore, and she gulps, immediately seeing Sam talking to Quinn. 

That must be why we didn't wait for Quinn because she must work here... 

She walks up to the two, coughing slightly to get their attention. Sam is the first to look at her. 

"Oh, Tara. Hey, is there something I can help you with?" Her older sister asks, clearly a tad bit surprised to see Tara here. 

Tara beams, "Oh...I was just wondering how your day was?" 

Sam chuckles softly. "Well, I've been good. But I know you better than anyo.e, what do you need?" She asks again. 

"Where's the psychology section?" Tara sighs, knowing Sam caught her. 

"It's over there to your left, Tara," Quinn butts in, a small, kind smile on her face. 

Tara nods. "Thanks, Quinn," she says to the redhead. Quinn nods before she and Sam go back to their conversation. 

Tara makes her way to the psychology section, looking through the various books. She eventually picks out five books that one of her psychology teachers suggested students get, and she walks back to the register. She finds Mindy, Anika, and Amber there, most likely about to pay for their books. Mindy looks excited about hers, so that means she found The Autobiography of Roman Bridger. Anika is holding around two bags of books, and Tara takes a glimpse at them. There are other biographies and autobiographies of other famous movie directors, like Roman Bridger.

She takes a look at what Amber has, and she sees it's a few books on true crime, and some of Gale Weathers' books on the only two Ghostface attacks and other murders like them. Tara had no idea Amber was into true crime, even though she loved the Stab movies.

She joins the three, paying for her books while having a small chit-chat with Quinn, Sam has left to go handle the other register in the bookstore, as she pays for her books. The girls leave half of the building, joining Liv and Ethan at the table where all their drinks are neatly set in front of each chair. 

They each sit down where their drink is, putting their stuff, and they begin conversing about trivial topics that only a friend group as chaotic as this one would talk about. Chad comes back from his book shopping, holding a bag that most likely has a bunch of books on football stuff. He joins the conversation with ease, and the evening seems to pass with an easy-flowing conversation between the entire group. 

______________________________________

Around forty minutes or so later, Quinn and Sam join the group during their break. The two join the current conversation about whose better: The old couple from X or Ghostface. Currently, about half the group is on Ghostface because the antagonist would kill Pearl and her husband. 

"And how would Ghostface survive a shotgun blast from the double-barrel, huh?" Chad reasons. He's been on the side of Pearl and Howard from X this entire time. 

Amber stares at him like he's stupid. "Howard got a heart attack from Lorraine's dead ass moving, and besides, Ghostface would empty the double-barrel so when Howard gets it, it'd be empty," she defends, knowing damn well she's right. 

"Sorry, Chad. But I have to agree with Amber. Ghostface always cuts his victims' chances of having a functioning weapon off, always," Quinn agrees with the raven-haired woman. 

Chad looks slightly offended before nodding, accepting his defeat. Liv giggles behind her hand at Chad's dismay, finding it funny and adorable that he was so wrong but accepted it. 

"And, besides, Ghostface could easily win in a 2v1 fight against Pearl and Howard, hands down," Mindy says, taking a sip from her latte. 

"Ok, I get it. Stop rubbing the salt in the wound," Chad replies, looking more disgruntled, which earns another giggle from Liv. 

The group continues talking until they hear someone calling Sam and Quinn's names. They look up to see an older woman walking towards them, a serious expression on her face, until she sees Amber. She softens slightly before she goes back to staring at Sam and Quinn. 

"Where have you two been?" She asks sternly. 

"We're sorry, ma'am," Quinn mutters quietly. 

"We were just hanging out with...our friends during our break. Sorry for not telling you where we were going to take our break early," Sam adds. 

Tara's confused before she processes that this woman might be the owner of the café. She sees Mindy's mouth gape slightly, and she realizes that Mindy might recognize this woman. 

"Oh my god, you're Jill Roberts, Roman Bridger's cousin!" Mindy practically gushes, which gains a chuckle of amusement from the older woman. 

"You're a fan of my cousins, I assume?" She asks, even though it's pretty obvious. 

Mindy nods, practically shaking like a happy dog. "Yeah, he's my favorite director of all time." 

Jill smiles slightly before her gaze shifts to Amber. "Hello to you, too, Amber."

The others look at Amber, confused. How does a director-legend's cousin know her? 

Amber smiles slightly. "Hi, Jill," she greets the older woman. 

Mindy looks between the two, "How do you two know each other?" she asks what everyone at the table is thinking. 

"She's my cousin," Jill begins, "Well, if you want to get more technical, Amber's my first cousin once removed." 

Everyone at the table stares at the two, some bewildered, and the other half putting the pieces together. 

Mindy gasps, realizing. "Amber, your dad is Roman Bridger?!" 

The others stare at Mindy, realizing this as well. They all look at Amber for confirmation. 

Amber nods, confirming that she's director-legend Roman Bridger's daughter. "Yeah, he's my dad." 

The group stared, absolutely shocked. Mindy's even more shocked because she's been the daughter of her idol's presence for a while. Jill can feel the tension, so she sighs. 

"Well, I'm going to leave you guys to it. Sam, Quinn, don't be late getting back to your stations after your break is over," Jill says, and with that, she walks away. 

The group continues to be shocked before Ethan breaks the silence. 

"So...why is your last name Freeman, then?" He asks Amber, accidentally being humorous in his own little way. 

The group laughs at that, the tension dropping from that surprise information. 

Amber smiles, glad that she isn't being stared at so intensely now. "Well, Freeman is my mom's last name, and I never got along to change it because I've been in her custody most of my life. I only met my dad when I was 16, so...me and his relationship isn't that strong, but it's better now than it was back then," she explains. 

The group nods at that. It would explain a lot about how Amber is and how she acts. 

"So, did you know he was your dad?" Mindy asks out of blatant curiosity. 

Amber nods slightly, "I've known since I was 5, my mom always made sure I was aware that I wasn't her husband's child." 

"That sucks, no wonder your mom was such an ass whenever our mom talked to her ever since she married that guy," Chad comments, as in him and Mindy's mom. 

Amber chuckles softly. "Yeah, she's pretty much an asshole on her own. If she didn't marry that rich schmuck, then she wouldn't be such a neglectful excuse of a mother." 

The group stays silent at that news, they consider pushing it before deciding not to, since Amber's mother and stepdad don't sound like the most fantastic people. Mindy goes on to ask Amber questions about her dad, about what he's like as a father, while the group watches on in amusement at Mindy's curiosity to learn about Roman Bridger from his daughter. 

Chapter Text

Tara sits in her room, doing one of her assignments. It's a basic assignment on the psychology behind the human mind, how the different parts of the brain function to help the human, and the outcomes if a specific part is missing. She writes on the document, revising her words in each paragraph. She's almost finished; she just needs to write the basic outcomes of the cerebrum if it were missing from the brain. 

"If the cerebrum were to be missing from the human brain, it would cause many issues with the human," she mumbles to herself, fixing any grammar mistakes she made. 

Here's what she has so far for these few paragraphs: For starters, the person wouldn't be able to coordinate their movement. Effectively, the human, in theory, wouldn't be able to move properly. Other problems that would occur would be a lack of speech, judgment would be made even harder to make, thinking and reasoning would be unavailable to the person, and problem-solving would be a failure. The person would be unable to express emotion properly, and lastly, learning would be impossible without proper help from a professional. Other difficulties would include the possible lack of senses. 

Tara stares silently at her work, nodding slightly to herself. She switches tabs to the instruction document, reading over it. So far, she's done the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem. Now she needs to do each of the lobes of the brain: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe, and the temporal lobe. 

She switches to another tab, reading up on how each lobe works to infer how the lack of one, theoretically, without dying, would cause the person to act. She switches back to the document tab and begins to write her inference of the psychological effects of the lack in each lobe. 

Tara sighs quietly. "This is going to be a long day," she mutters, continuing to work. 

______________________________________

She sits silently in her class, her pencil tapping on her notebook as the lecturer drones on and on about the components of the human mind and the psychological outcomes, both mentally speaking and physically. About two weeks since the group last hung out at The Bookshelf Café, and it's been mostly calm after. Other than the mountain of assignments that each student has been stacked with since the third week of classes started again. 

Tara's almost completely burnt out from all her classes alone, because studying the human mind is a lot harder than it seems. And don't even get Tara started on all the stress that follows, studying how every single mental illness affects the brain. It's only gotten harder as time passes, single handily every class is actively kicking her in the ass. 

She sighs, writing her notes down quickly as she waits for the class to end. Eventually, the professor releases the students. Tara gets up, packing her stuff up quickly before she makes her way out of the lecture hall. She sighs as she walks out of the psychology building, making her way through the campus. She yawns, wondering what she'll have to do today, assignment-wise. 

Maybe I should stop by the coffee shop before getting back to the apartment... 

After a few minutes of walking, Tara slides into the on-campus coffee shop, sliding easily into the pretty long line. She waits silently as the line moves on, reading what everyone is texting in the groupchat as she waits for her turn to order a coffee and maybe a pastry. She giggles softly as she watches Mindy and Chad bicker over what console/PC game is the best in the groupchat. 

Eventually, it's her turn. She slides her phone into her back pocket and orders her coffee and a pastry. She gets a mocha coffee and a chocolate croissant and goes over to the waiting line. It takes a few moments before the line mellows out and Tara gets her stuff. She leaves the coffee shop, carrying her items.  

She makes her way back to the apartment, texting the groupchat as she makes her way there. The group has planned another movie night at Tara and Amber's apartment, meaning Amber is probably already making popcorn for the entire and getting the snacks and drinks together. Tara smiles softly at the thought of Amber being so caring for the friend group while also maintaining her mysterious and undisturbed demeanor. 

Tara shakes the thought away as she makes her way to her apartment complex. She takes the stairs up to her apartment and goes to the door. She puts her key into the lock, opens it up, and walks inside. As she walks down the hallway, she can practically taste the buttery sensation of the popcorn wafting in the air from the kitchen. 

She goes to her bedroom first, propping her backpack down against her desk. Tara pulls her laptop out of her backpack, setting it down on her desk. She then sits down and lifts the lid, looking through all her assignments that she has to do before the others get here. It's not that much work, so she decides to do it quickly, and then maybe she'll hang out with Amber as they wait for the others. 

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Around an hour or two later, Tara is finished with her basic work for her classes. She submits her assignments and closes the lid on her laptop. Yawning softly, she gets up from her desk and goes out into the hallway, heading into the living room. She doesn't find Amber there, so she goes into the kitchen, and Amber isn't there either. She figures that Amber might be in the bathroom, freshening up. 

Tara walks to the bathroom door, knocking gently. 

"Hey, Ambs. Are you in there?" she asks, 

A small hum of acknowledgment comes from Amber from the other side.

"Can I come in?" Tara asks. 

"Go ahead," Amber says through the door. 

Tara smiles and opens the door, her face flushing as she sees Amber. The taller woman is in a casual outfit with a pair of gray sweatpants and a simple sports bra, and don't get Tara started on the bulge in Amber's pants. She stares silently at Amber, and she can feel a bit of blood trickle down from her nose. 

Amber looks at her, her eyebrow raised, and then she notices the blood. 

"Carpenter, are you good?" She asks, tearing a piece of toilet paper off the roll, she carefully wets it and dabs it on the blood, trying to clean Tara up. 

Tara's face flushes even more, but she manages to answer. "Yeah, yeah. I'm ok...you look good in this," she compliments, gesturing to Amber's outfit. 

Amber smiles. "Oh. I'm just trying to cool off. It's hot in this apartment." 

Tara nods slightly in understanding. "Yeah, we should get the air conditioner fixed before we boil alive when summer starts coming around," she says, smiling softly. 

Amber huffs out a chuckle, throwing the piece of toilet paper in the trash can. Tara and Amber stare at each other silently, both inching closer and closer until their noses are touching. 

"You know, you're gorgeous. Even all the scars make you more beautiful," Tara says softly, talking about the small scars on Amber's arms. They're not big and healed well over time. Now, the scars are lighter than Amber's skin tone. 

Amber is silent, but she nods in response to the compliment. She's never heard anyone call her scars beautiful before. They used to be an angry red, some pinkish, and they used to hurt like a motherfucker. But now, they're healed up and Amber can barely feel them. She wonders if Tara would find her beautiful if she ever saw the others...

The two get closer to each other, carefully making sure the other is okay with this. Amber, tired of playing the waiting game, dives right in and her lips nearly touch Tara's. Then, before they can come in contact, the front door bursts open and they both can hear Mindy's loud voice entering the living room. They move back from each other, startled. 

Amber huffs quietly, annoyed by the interruption. Tara and Amber make their way into the living room from the bathroom, pretending like nothing was about to happen a few seconds ago. They both look at their friends, deciding to pretend like they weren't about to kiss. They'll both probably bring it up with the other when the other after their friends leave, or maybe whenever they get a chance alone. For now, they're going to spend their time with the group and watch some movies. 

Chapter Text

Tara and Amber sit in the living room of their apartment with the group, it's only been an hour after the others arrived. Tara can tell that Amber is slightly annoyed, she has an idea that the older woman's annoyance has to do with not being able to kiss Tara. She understands since she also wants to kiss Amber. 

A horror movie is playing on the TV, and everyone is paying attention while eating and drinking their popcorn, snacks, and drinks. Tara jumps at a jumpscare on screen, burying her face in Amber's shoulder. She feels Amber move her, and she finds herself settled snugly on Amber's lap. She smiles slightly at the kind gesture since she's aware that Amber's trying to soothe her, so she isn't afraid of the movie. 

Now that she's on Amber's lap, she can feel the bulge that she saw earlier in Amber's sweatpants, sitting unmoving and undisturbed. She realizes that Amber must have a dick, Amber's not hard either so she can control it, unlike some guys. It honestly feels like Amber's trying her best not to make Tara uncomfortable, which makes Tara happy. 

The movie goes on for a few more minutes before it ends. The group considers starting another, but they can't because they all have classes tomorrow and Sam has a shift in The Bookshelf Café. The others say their goodbyes and head out to their apartments/dorm rooms. Tara and Amber are still on the couch, letting most of the night sink in. 

Amber carefully sits Tara down on a seat on the couch, getting up so she can go to her room. Tara thinks quickly and grabs Amber's hands, stopping her. Amber looks down at the girl, her head tilted slightly. 

"Is something wrong, Tara?" she asks. 

Tara stands up, using Amber's hand as support, and she sighs. She stares up at Amber, trying to convince herself to do what she's about to do. Nodding to herself, Tara leans forward quickly, crashing her lips to Amber's, causing the woman to fall back on the couch. Amber pauses before she kisses Tara back, bringing her up to a sitting position on her lap. She holds the smaller woman's hips gently, gaining a moan from the woman as they kiss. 

Amber's dominating the kiss with unrestraint, and she pulls away to catch her breath. The two stare at each other, their foreheads pressed against each other, breathing heavily as they calm down from their makeout session. 

"That...that was something," Amber huffs out softly. 

Tara giggles softly. "Yeah, I... I've been wanting to do that for a while," she admits. 

Amber chuckles, "Have you?" 

Tara nods, wrapping her arms around Amber's neck. "Amber, w...will you fuck me," she asks quietly. 

Amber stares at Tara, her expression unreadable. "Are you sure? I could hurt you." 

Tara nods again, pecking Amber on the lips gently. "I'm sure, I want you," she confesses. 

Amber breathes in, nodding slightly. "Ok, tell me if I hurt you," she says gently. 

Tara whimpers quietly as Amber puts her down on her back gently on the couch cushions, spreading her legs wide. Amber pulls down her pants and boxes, letting her cock rest against Tara's leg. She stares down at Tara, carefully pulling down the girl's shorts. 

Amber tilts her head, running her legs over Tara's legs. She helps Tara out of her shirt, tossing it somewhere on the living room floor to pick up later whenever they're done. She carefully maneuvers her hands over Tara's body, memorizing every dip and curve of the woman's petite body. 

"You're beautiful, amar," she states. 

Tara doesn't know what "amar" means; she'll probably have to ask later. She moans softly as Amber cups her breasts, small whimpers escaping her lips as Amber expertly fondles her tits. Amber carefully lifts Tara's legs, positioning them over her shoulders, her ankles next to her head. She lines her cock up with Tara's small slit, glimpsing at the younger woman for consent to continue. 

Tara stares up at Amber, nodding. Amber pushes her cock into Tara gently, the tip popping her hymen. Tara gasps out, compelling Amber to pause. She waits silently for Tara to adjust, her patience prolonged. The woman under her whines, wanting Amber to continue. Amber pushes slowly into Tara, beginning to thrust gently. Tara moans out as Amber's cock nearly fills her, even though the older woman's being gentle. 

"That's a good girl. You're taking me so well," Amber whispers in Tara's ear, her thrusting getting faster. 

Tara moans out, wrapping her arms around Amber's neck. 

"P...please..." She begs, her voice breathy. 

"Please, what?" Amber asks, grabbing Tara's hands. She pulls them off her neck, pinning Tara's wrists together above her head. "And, no touching," she commands sternly. 

Tara sputters slightly, her body starting to jerk up and down as Amber thrusts into her. "...harder..." she whimpers out. 

Amber chuckles, complying gladly. "You're doing such a good job, baby," she praises gently. 

Tara feels like something is about to burst in her abdomen, and it does. She cums around Amber's cock, moaning loudly. Amber smiles at the girl, a little upset that she didn't get to cum, but she's not completely mad. She pulls out gently, her member glistening with Tara's cum and juices. She leans down, peppering Tara's face with gentle kisses. 

"You have been such a good girl for me," she murmurs in Tara's ear, lavishing a full kiss on the girl's lips. 

Tara's spent, but she kisses back nonetheless. Amber picks up Tara and takes her to her room. She lays Tara down on her bed and tucks her in. 

"Get some sleep, princesa," she whispers to Tara, kissing her gently on the forehead. 

Tara nods slightly in her tired state, watching as Amber walks out of the room to leave her to sleep. She falls into a deep and much-needed slumber, snuggling into her bed. 

Chapter Text

Tara sits silently in one of her classes, Professor Walker's, actually, listening to the man ramble about another topic concerning psychology. This man is a whole-ass mood sometimes. But he's extremely intelligent, and Tara's pretty sure she's one of his favorites because she knows a lot about psychology, takes notes frequently, answers questions whenever she can, and turns in her assignments on time. All. The. Time. 

If this was high school, she would have been called a teacher's pet, but it isn't. She's sometimes shocked that she isn't called a teacher's pet, considering that she's in a class with a lot of immature freshmen and other students in different years. Professor Walker is probably one of the greatest professors at Blackmore, which is one of the reasons why Tara is taking his class. 

After approximately thirty minutes, the professor ends the class. Tara rises along with her classmates, gathers her belongings, and exits the classroom. Her daily routine has become almost automatic; she wakes up, hastily consumes breakfast if time permits, attends all her classes, returns to her apartment, diligently completes her assignments, has her dinner, goes to bed, and then does it all over again. 

Amid her busy schedule, Tara often manages to carve out time to spend with her close friend Amber, as well as with her other friends. Despite their differing majors, they find regular opportunities to hang out and enjoy each other's company. She truly treasures the moments she gets to share with the important people in her life. 

Tara walks out of the psychology building and strolls through the campus. She takes a deep breath, relieved that her day of classes is over. Even though psychology is her passion and comes easily to her, it's still stressful to go through it every day. But that's the life of a college student: attending multiple classes each day until graduation. 

She makes her way to the apartment, going into the building and heading up to her apartment via the elevator. Tara rarely uses the elevator because it's usually out of order, but today it wasn't. She walks up to the doorway of her apartment, unlocks the door, and heads inside. 

As she walks down the hallway, and instantly hears Amber talking to someone. She pauses, listening in. 

"So, you can speak Spanish?" The mystery person asks. 

"Yep," Amber replied, emphasizing the "P" in the word with a pop noise. 

Tara notices that Amber is talking to Sam and silently hopes that Sam hasn't said anything too embarrassing, as older siblings tend to do with younger ones. She sighs and walks into the living room, where she finds Amber and Sam having a conversation on the couch while drinking tea. Tara steps into the room, noticing the soothing aroma of tea wafting through the air as the duo exchange words in the warm and inviting atmosphere. Her face flushes, remembering that that's the couch she and Amber fucked on. She internally hoped Amber cleaned it up before Sam got here. 

She clears her throat. "Hey Sam, what are you doing here?" she asks the older woman. 

Sam looked over at Tara, and Amber glanced over as she drank some of her tea from the mug. "Oh, Mindy said she's planning to host a game night here and wanted me to be here." 

Tara internally grimaces. She needs to have a conversation with Mindy about not asking her first before holding a little game night at her place. Then she remembers that Mindy had asked her if she could host small get-togethers at her apartment before they all moved to New York for college. 

She nods slightly, yawning softly. "Okay, I'm going to take a shower. I'll be back," she says, addressing both older women. 

She walks off to her room, sighing softly as she steps in. Tara puts her backpack down and goes to her closet, picking out a simple and casual outfit. She grabs a pair of underwear, shorts, and a plain orange t-shirt. She exits her room and heads to the bathroom, intending to take a pleasant, warm shower. 

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Amber glides a knife across her back, smirking down at the girl almost cruelly. "What a goddamn slut you are, huh, Carpenter?" She hisses against her ear, moving the knife down to her thigh. 

Tara shivers under Amber, her face buried in a pillow. How in the world did she end up here? Well, for starters, they're in their junior year of high school, and they're at Amber's house. The taller girl threw a party like she usually does, and Tara went at the request (begging) of her friends.

She whimpers into the pillow, biting down on it. She doesn't even know why she decided to do this with Amber, as it was a dare for them both to spend around an hour or two having sex. Tara was mad and embarrassed when that jock dared her to do this, but now she's shy and extremely needy for Amber's touch. But she shouldn't be, because this is someone who bullied her for all of middle school and the first semester of freshman year. 

Amber begins carefully cutting into Tara's skin, leaving small markings on her flesh. Tara jolts forward slightly, her pussy involuntarily clenching around nothing. Her hymen hasn't even broken yet, and yet her body craves Amber's attention. By this point, it feels like Amber might edge her and leave her in her slutty and needy mess. She might even take a picture of Tara in this state, and, knowing Amber, might use it to blackmail her and make her Amber's bitch. 

A loud, hoarse moan leaves Tara's mouth, it is damped into the pillow as Amber dips a vibrator into her pussy, activating it. It buzzes inside Tara, causing her to moan and whimper into the pillow loudly. She drools as she tries to stay coherent, her back arching under Amber as she effectively becomes more and more of a needy mess- 

______________________________________ 

A knock is heard on the bathroom door, breaking her from her fantasies. Tara's eyes widen as she realizes she's probably been in the bathroom for a long time, showering. 

"Hey, you haven't fallen asleep in there, have you?" she hears Mindy's voice through the door, noticing a tone of concern in her voice. 

She sighs softly, glad that it's just Mindy and not Amber. She doesn't think she can face Amber after fantasizing about doing that with Amber. Especially since that fantasy was one of Tara's darkest, but definitely one of the more sexual ones. 

"Yeah, I'm still awake," Tara yelled over the sound of the shower in response to Mindy. "Give me a moment, I'll be out soon." 

She hears Mindy say something like "ok," before she hears footsteps seceding from the door. Tara finishes up her cleaning, her mind faintly drifting to her fantasies about Amber. She gets out, dries off, changes into the clothes she picked out, and walks out of the bathroom, carrying her dirty clothes to her bedroom. She drops them in her dirty clothes basket and heads out to the living room, finding the group. 

Tara sits down next to Amber, excited to get this game night started. The group plays various board games, card games, and mobile games for the next few hours. Hell, they even played Never Have I Ever, Truth or Dare, and Two Truths and A Lie. 

After about an hour, they start playing Among Us on their phones. The game becomes quite stressful for everyone. Chad, who was a crewmate, is dead, and Quinn, who was an impostor, is also out. Both are silently watching as everyone else plays and discusses who the other impostors are. 

It's about halfway through the game, and Liv is going on about how it isn't her. She's trying to defend herself against Mindy and Amber's accusations. 

"Fuck you, Amber! I'm not the fucking killer!" she yells in defense as the voting period ends, and they're back to the game. 

Tara catches Amber smirking out of the corner of her eye. "I know," Amber says before taking Liv out. Then Sam eliminates Mindy, and the game comes to an end. 

The group fell silent as they stared at their screens, realizing that Amber, Sam, and Quinn were the impostors. Quinn had already been voted out earlier. The three begin laughing at everyone's shock. Quinn wipes a tear from her eye while Amber rolls on the floor in laughter. Sam is quietly giggling to herself, unable to contain her amusement as she tries to stifle her laughter. 

"How?!?!" Mindy yells, trying to figure out how she didn't catch on to Amber and Sam being the impostors. She aided Amber in accusing Liv, but she was wrong to do so because the crewmates had just lost. 

"So... I was left alive for some reason," Tara says to break the tension in the room. It's not that serious, most of the group were just shocked that Sam and Amber teamed up against them, all except Quinn, who was a part of the trio. 

Amber puts her shoulder over Tara's shoulder, pulling her close to her. "That's because you're my little human pet," she says in a seductive tone to Tara. Everyone bursts out laughing at the blatant tease, while Tara blushes fiercely. 

"Hey!" She playfully protests, hitting Amber on the shoulder lightly. 

Amber chuckles, kissing Tara on the head. "Not my fault you are so adorable," she compliments. Tara blushes even more, putting her face in her hands. 

"Wait a minute," Mindy says, pointing at Amber and Tara, "You two got something going on that you haven't told us about?" 

Amber and Tara look at the group before they look back at each other. Tara gives Amber a look, silently asking if she can tell them. Amber hesitates before smiling softly and giving Tara a nod. 

"Well, um...I...you...know...me," Tara starts, "and Amber...had sex," she finishes, waiting for the reactions to come. 

Sam and Quinn's jaws drop, Mindy's eyes widen, Chad doesn't look so surprised but a little bit, Liv is speechless, and Ethan comes back into the living room from the bathroom, looking confused. 

"So...what did I miss?" Ethan asks, still very confused. 

Chapter Text

Tara sits silently in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. She's wearing something simple because she has classes. Things have been getting more hectic over the last few weeks, with the apparent production of Stab 9 taking place on the campus of Blackmore, directed by Roman Bridger. It turns out he can make a good comeback. 

Mindy has been gushing in the group chat for the last two months since Stab 9 was said to be brought into production, causing the series to have a new installment from the actively hated Stab 8, or what the directors called it, Stab, which is stupid. It's not the original; it's the eighth movie in the franchise. They should have just named it Stab 8. The Meeks-Martin twin is eagerly anticipating the release of the movie, as all of Roman Bridger's films have a reputation for being exceptional. To form her own opinion, Tara is considering asking Amber if they can dedicate one of their group's movie nights to watching all of her father's movies. 

Tara has noticed that she hasn't been seeing Amber around their apartment as often as she used to. She assumes that Amber's busyness with her classes might be the reason for her absence. Tara speculates that Amber's involvement in the production of Stab 9, given that her dad is Roman Bridger, could also be a contributing factor. However, Tara doesn't have any concrete evidence to confirm her suspicions. 

She plans to approach Amber the next time she encounters her to inquire about when they will meet. In the meantime, she will proceed with her day and attend her classes, hoping that she can overlook the fact that Stab 9 is currently being filmed and produced on the left side of the campus. She is optimistic that the production won't create the usual disruptions associated with movie shoots for both herself and other students at the campus. 

______________________________________

Tara's life seems to revolve around her classes. The constant presence of lectures and studying fill her days. It's becoming increasingly challenging for her due to several of the lecture halls scheduled for her classes being used for the filming of Stab 9. This complicates matters as it creates communication barriers with her professors and adds to the existing issues. Interestingly, the only lecture hall that remains unaffected by the movie filming is the one where Professor Walker holds his class. 

The classroom was filled with the solemn weight of Professor Walker's disappointment as he addressed the group of students who had been consistently late with their assignments. Tara felt a sense of relief, knowing she wasn't part of that particular group, but couldn't help but feel a shiver of unease at the sight of Professor Walker's intense demeanor. Despite his slight build of around 160 lbs, his stern presence exuded an unspoken authority that made him seem imposing. Tara remembered how he had once delved into a discussion about the effects of deprivation on human behavior, emphasizing how lack of sustenance could lead to irrationality and even feral instincts in extreme cases. 

This is going to be a while... 

______________________________________

Tara wearily trudges up the stairs to her apartment, feeling the weight of a long day of classes. As she steps inside, she reflects on the recurring issue in many of her classes - several students have been consistently missing assignment deadlines over the past semester and the current one. Letting out a tired yawn, she decides it's time to freshen up and head to the shower before settling down in her room to tackle her assignments. 

She wearily drops her bag onto the chair by the window as she enters her room. With a sense of relaxation sweeping her, she moves towards her closet, carefully selecting a comfortable outfit. After choosing, she gracefully heads to the bathroom, eager to immerse herself in the warm embrace of a refreshing shower. 

After about an hour, she finished her shower and changed into a fresh outfit for relaxation time. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she was surprised to see an unusual sight. The floor was scattered with small rose petals, and tiny candles were placed along a trail leading somewhere. Tara stood in quiet bewilderment, her features betraying her confusion, before cautiously deciding to follow the trail of rose petals. 

Tara slowly makes her way to the living room, her footsteps barely making a sound on the hardwood floor. She notices a trail of rose petals leading from the entrance to the balcony. With a sense of anticipation, she carefully slides the glass door open and steps out into the chilly night air. Looking around, her confusion deepens until she spots a small ladder propped up against the wall, its rungs glistening with moisture from the recent rainfall. At the top of the ladder, a solitary candle flickers in the gentle breeze. 

Taking a deep breath, Tara ascends the ladder with cautious steps, mindful of the slippery rungs. As she reaches the rooftop, her eyes widen in surprise at the sight before her: a cozy picnic setup bathed in the soft glow of fairy lights. Tara pulls herself up onto the rooftop, and there, leaning casually against the wall, is Amber, a warm smile playing on her lips. 

A rush of emotions washes over Tara as she takes in the scene before her. Her initial confusion gives way to a growing realization. Could it be that Amber had arranged this enchanting rooftop picnic for the two of them? 

Amber glances up from her phone, her face illuminated by a small but genuine smile. 

"Hey there," she greets warmly. 

Tara, who is still taking in the charming scene of the rooftop picnic, turns her attention to Amber upon hearing her voice. 

"Hi," she responds, returning the smile. 

Amber's lips curled into a gentle, knowing smile as she looked at Tara, her eyes filled with warmth and affection. It was as if her entire being radiated love and concern, enveloping Tara in a sense of comfort and security. 

"So..." Amber starts, drawing out the "o" slightly, "What do you think?" 

Tara looks out at the little setup before turning her attention back to Amber, "I think... I think it looks wonderful, but why did you set this up?" 

"Well, I figured since we haven't hung out much since the whole Stab 9 production taking place on campus, I decided to set up this little...picnic. Just the two of us," Amber answers, her smile seeming to grow brighter when she talks about the filming of Stab 9 on campus. 

Tara nods slightly, understanding Amber's thinking. And then she remembers that Amber's dad is Roman Bridger. She honestly forgets about that sometimes, even though Amber is the spitting image of her father. Tara once looked up Roman Bridger on Google, and the only comment (more like a question) that she made to herself at the time was, "Why is he a dilf?"

"Well, I think that's really sweet of you," Tara says with a small smile on her face. 

"I actually was wondering if...this could be our first official date after what happened after the last movie night? You know, after we fuc-" 

"Ok, okay, I understand," Tara interrupted Amber. "But yes, I would like this to be our first official date. Let's agree not to tell the others yet, though," she added. 

"Agreed, I have no idea what they'd think after we told them we fucked," Amber agrees with the shorter girl. 

As they settled into their seats at the table arranged by Amber for their rooftop rendezvous, they delved into lighthearted topics that sparked joy in both of them. Conversation flowed effortlessly as they shared laughter and stories, even recounting the amusing incident when Sam appeared ready to reprimand Amber during their last game night. They both expressed gratitude for Quinn's intervention, as it prevented a potentially awkward situation from escalating. Tara couldn't help but imagine the tense exchange between Sam and Quinn after everyone else had departed from Tara and Amber's apartment. 

After a wonderful evening filled with engaging conversation and delightful food provided by Amber, they reluctantly realized that it was getting late and they both had classes the next day. And so, after savoring each other's company for what felt like an hour or maybe even three, they made their way back to the apartment. Once they were back, they decided to unwind by watching a few movies before eventually snuggling up with each other on the couch and drifting off to sleep. 

Chapter Text

As Amber sits in her engineering class, she concentrates intently on carefully shaping the wood piece at her workstation. Engrossed in the task, she's fully immersed in the hands-on project assigned by her professor. This particular project is an open-ended assignment, allowing each student to create anything they desire within the realm of engineering. It's a significant undertaking, as this project constitutes half of the overall exam for the course. To break down the exam structure, the first half entails a physical creation phase where students design and construct a project for assessment, while the second half involves the more traditional written or digital examination. 

Amber meticulously wielded her tools, slicing through the sturdy piece of wood with precision, crafting it into a perfect, imposing rectangle. Her skilled hands worked diligently, carving and shaping the massive wooden structure with a determined focus. The purpose of her labor was a grand foosball table, a project she had dedicated to creating for Chad. As she delicately refined the edges, memories of Chad's enthusiasm for foosball flooded her mind. She vividly recalled observing him engrossed in intense matches on the bar's foosball machine during the off-season from football back in Woodsboro. Despite his prowess on the football field as the celebrated star quarterback of Woodsboro, his deft maneuvers on the foosball table revealed another dimension of his athletic talents. 

Amber's perceptive nature led her to recognize Chad's fervor for the game, tantalizing her with the anticipation of his joy when presented with her meticulously constructed creation. After the engineering project is graded, she plans to carefully pack it up and give it to Chad for his upcoming birthday. She has already crafted a special gift for Mindy, so she intends to tailor the twins' gifts to correspond to their individual personalities. 

She picks up the wooden piece and screws it into the legs of the foosball table. Now all she needs to do is create the little wooden players and put them on the table. She will also have to build the little ball that every foosball table has. 

...my hands are going to be numb after this... 

_____________________________________

As she walks through the campus, the afternoon sun is shining down. She passes by one of the sets for Stab 9, disregarding the actors and actresses as they do their jobs. The scene is being recorded by what appears to be a 5K video camera camcorder. Amber is knowledgeable about cameras, and her father had mentioned the type of cameras he planned to use for this movie. In the previous Stab movie he directed, Stab 7, a Panasonic AG-AF100 was used. Amber had seen that particular type of camera when she briefly lived with her dad after she met him at age 16. Amber had to admit that he had quite a few old cameras in his house. 

Amber let out a soft sigh as she walked off campus and headed to The Bookshelf Café, deciding to spend her downtime there for an hour. Once she entered, she could smell the small tarts that Kirby tends to make when she's there. She walked to the counter and ordered a cappuccino and a chocolate tart. 

She gets her items and goes to sit at a table somewhere in the corner. She puts her items down and sits down, putting her bag next to the chair as she sits down. She gets her laptop out, puts it on the table, and begins checking her emails while she drinks her coffee. 

As she looks through each one, she can hear the bell on the front door ring as it is pushed open and someone steps in. She continues her task at hand, ignoring who it is. 

"Amber," someone says, causing the woman to look up. It's her dad. 

"Hey, Dad," she greets, taking a sip from her coffee. 

Roman smiles, taking a seat across from his daughter. "What are you doing?" 

Amber chuckles slightly, "Just looking through my email." 

She can hear her father chuckle softly. "I've been needing to do that for a while." 

Amber nods slightly, closing the lid of her laptop. "Taking a break from filming," she asks. 

"Yep, we're about to record the climax. My body actors just need to get put into the final Ghostface costume appearance," Roman says. 

Amber nods. "Oh? You're already done filming the fire scene?" 

"Mhm," Roman hums in response, nodding. 

Amber nods slightly, smiling. "Well, I need to head back to my apartment before Tara calls me," she says, standing up. 

"Tara? That little girl that you used to bully when you were younger," Roman asks, standing up with his daughter. 

Amber saddens slightly, before nodding. "Yeah, that Tara." 

"You've apologized to her, right?" 

"Yes, Dad. I apologized...and she forgave me," Amber confirms. 

Roman nods, smiling at the sincerity of his daughter. "Ok, that's a good thing. At least she won't hate you for the rest of her life, which would dictate her interactions with you in the future." 

Amber pauses her packing up, looking up at her father. "Why are you being specific?" 

Roman lets out a hearty laugh, "Sorry, I didn't mean to get into the specifics about what would probably happen if you didn't apologize." 

Amber shakes her head, putting her laptop in her backpack. "I get too much of my personality from you," she mumbles, taking a bite out of her tart. 

The two begin walking out together, continuing their conversation. 

"You get a lot of your attributes from me," Roman says as the two walk out of the café. 

"Don't remind me," Amber mumbles quietly. 

The two continue talking for a few more minutes until Roman has to head back to the set of Stab 9 so he can do his job. Amber heads back to her apartment, a happier pep in her step. She yawns softly as she reaches the apartment and opens the door. She steps inside and realizes that Tara isn't here yet. 

Amber smiles slightly, glad that she can get a little time for herself for an hour or so. She walks to her room and puts her backpack down, deciding that she'll cook herself something to eat before she begins studying. The upcoming finals are imminent, and Amber is somewhat apprehensive because it is finals. She has never felt confident about standardized tests, despite consistently maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout her high school years and currently being among the top of her class as a college student. 

She sighs as she makes her way to the kitchen after having changed into some sweatpants and a t-shirt. 

I hate finals. 

Chapter Text

Tara colors in the bubbles on the paper, and her sleepiness and stress are evident as she does the final. She sighs, hoping she can get through this final. She has like four more to do later in the day, so she's been stressed lately. When she was studying constantly, she almost pulled an all-nighter the week before. 

She wishes she could have her friend's support during the finals, but everyone has such different majors, to the point that no one is in a class with each other. Tara blinks, continuing to colour in the bubbles on the paper. She's actually glad that this specific test is multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank. It's hard, but Tara's studied enough to the point that she knows the answers to each question or understands what she's being asked. 

We'll be fine, you'll be fine, there are only four more left. 

______________________________________

She gets home, trudging through the dim light of the apartment. She steps into her room, dropping her backpack, before going to the kitchen. Her dog follows behind her, keeping on her heels as she steps into the kitchen. 

Amber sighs, tired from the multiple finals she's had to take throughout the last week. Finals for engineering started earlier than everyone else's final exams. This means that Amber's been up for the last week, studying when she was home, drinking coffee daily, and doing multiple layers of the finals that she had to take. 

"Hey, Titan," she mumbles softly to the dog as she puts some Purina One dog food in Titan's bowl. 

Titan licks her hand, his tail wagging as he leans his head down and begins eating his food. Amber pets him on the head before she leans back up and puts the bag back in the pantry. She yawns softly, grabbing a pack of cookies from the pantry. 

She opens the pack and begins eating one of the cookies. Amber chews on one, seeing Tara walk to the hallway where their rooms are. Her eyes light up slightly once she sees the shorter woman, but she leans back on the counter and waits for Tara. She pulls her phone out of her pocket, scrolling through Instagram. 

Tara walks into the kitchen, grabbing a Sprite out of the fridge. 

"Hey, Amb," the woman greets. 

Amber looks up from her phone, finishing eating the cookie. "Hey," she greets. 

Tara and Amber stare at each other for a few seconds before Tara puts her Sprite down on the kitchen island, she walks around it and makes her way to Amber. Amber watches as the younger woman approaches, and smiles softly when Tara hugs her. She hugs back, pulling Tara up. 

The girls hug for a few minutes, both breathing quietly. It's relaxing to be able to hug each other after all the stress with the finals. 

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Tara moans loudly into the pillow, her back arching off the bed as she squirms under Amber. Amber runs a small, blunt knife across the back of the woman's thighs, cutting carefully into the skin, while she uses her other hand to pump her fingers into the younger woman's pussy. 

"Such a good girl," she whispers, pumping her fingers faster into Tara. 

She flips the younger woman on her back, smirking down at her. "Ah, not the waterworks. I know I haven't broken you yet, Tara," Amber whispers in Tara's ear condescendingly. 

Amber puts the knife on the dresser before she returns to Tara. She cups the woman's breasts, rubbing the palm of her hand over Tara's dusty nipples. She smiles as she listens to Tara whimper and blubber, the woman's mind just a tad bit broken. 

She continues teasing Tara's breast, leaning her head down. She takes one of Tara's nipples into her mouth, sucking harshly, causing the woman to gasp sharply. Amber continues to give Tara's breast this harsh treatment, moving her head and giving the other the same treatment. 

"You want me to ruin you, Tara?" Amber questions, mumbling against Tara's nipple. 

Tara mewls loudly, her hips bucking against Amber's thighs. Amber chuckles, slapping Tara's thigh. 

"I'll take that as a yes," she mumbles. 

Amber pulls her shorts down, pulling her cock out. She carefully pushes her member into Tara, watching as the girl wiggles more. Tara whines, her eyes rolling back into her head as Amber's entire dick hits her cervix. 

She pulls all the way out, leaving the tip in Tara before she pushes her full amount back in quickly. She continues with this rough motion, repeatedly pounding into Tara's cervix and G-spot. Tara moans Amber's name loudly, small, incoherent whimpers slipping past her lips. 

Amber pumps harder into Tara, grunting quietly as Tara squeezes around her member. Tara blubbers incoherently, her body jolting violently beneath Amber. Amber's eyebrow furrows slightly, the pounding putting a strain on her muscles. 

Tara cums around Amber's dick, her body shaking. She pants quietly before moaning loudly as Amber continues fucking her. 

"Such a pretty girl," Amber mumbles, drawing her cock out of Tara. 

She flips the girl on her stomach and plunges her cock back inside Tara roughly. Amber fucks her harshly, causing Tara to let out loud, whiny moans. Amber lets out a sigh as she fucks Tara, glad that the younger woman is so easy to manhandle. 

Amber pounds into Tara's G-spot harshly, causing Tara to whimper and blubber incoherently over her various curses. 

"This is going to be a while, querida," she mumbles into Tara's ear as she leans over the woman. 

Tara mewls loudly, cursing incoherently as her body is jerked back and forth with Amber pounding into her. 

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Amber pants loudly, her cock slipping in and out of Tara's wet pussy. They've been at this for three hours now, and Tara has come around fifteen times already. Tara's thighs are soaked with her juices, her own cum rolling down her thighs. 

She's a complete mess of moans, whimpers, and mewls. Amber pounds roughly into Tara, her cock ready to burst with cum inside her. Tara whimpers quietly, her walls squeezing around Amber. 

"Fuck, you're going to make me cum, cariño," Amber mumbles, the strain of pounding into Tara getting to her. 

"P...please...inside," she mewls incoherently. 

Amber tilts her head, chuckling. "You want me to cum inside you?" 

Tara nods her head quickly, her body in complete incoherence. Amber chuckles again before she pounds into Tara faster and fills the girl's crevices with her sticky, white seed into Tara. She pulls out, leaving the girl shaking and in a horny mess. 

"Such a good girl," Amber mutters. 

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Amber sits silently on the edge of her bed, watching as Tara sits on her knees, bobbing her head up and down on Amber's cock. She groans as Tara takes her entire length down her throat. 

"Go on. Make me cum, slut," Amber commands Tara, bucking her hips against her face. 

Tara works harder, taking Amber's cock in and out of her mouth. She groans around Amber's cock, her eyes rolling back in her head as Amber's cock hits the back of her throat. Amber shudders, her cock busting inside Tara's mouth, her cum going down her throat. Some of it leaks out, rolling down Tara's chin and onto the floor. 

Amber pulls her cock out, looking down at Tara with a small smirk on her face. She chuckles at Tara's spent face, reaching down and patting the girl on the head gently. 

"You've done such a good job, mi princesa,"  Amber praises, pulling Tara up into her lap. 

She falls back on her bed, cuddling with Tara on her bed. 

"We'll get you cleaned up in the morning," Amber mumbles, kissing Tara's neck gently. 

Tara shudders, moving closer into Amber's warm embrace. Her eyes droop as she falls asleep, cuddling into Amber's larger body. 

Chapter Text

Tara stretches her arms above her head, yawning. It's been four years since that fateful day when she first found out that she would be sharing an apartment with Amber. Since the second semester of freshman year, she's been in a loving and truly beautiful relationship with the much taller and sexier woman whom she has grown fond of throughout their time together. Through thick and thin, she and Amber managed to make out their differences and, in the process, create something new and ravishing.

Now, she sits in her room in the apartment, getting ready for graduation. Yes, today is the day that Tara and all her friends get their diplomas and go out into the real world to get jobs that hopefully fall under what they just spent four years learning about and understanding for their selected career.

I can't believe today's the day.

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Students, all in either black or maroon gowns, file out of the auditorium, going to their families. Tara sighed quietly, glad that the graduation ceremony was over, as she approached Sam.

The older woman pulls her into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, I knew you could do it," Sam says once she lets Tara go.

The shorter brunette smiles. "Thanks, Sam," she says to her older sister.

The other,s with their own families, make their way to the two. Her friends effectively pull her into a group hug, showing off their shared affection for each other. Tara manages to wiggle out of being between Liv and Chad's grip, falling right into another.

She looks up, finding it to be her girlfriend. "Falling all over again, hermosa?" Amber teases lightly, lifting Tara into her arms.

Tara scoffs playfully, hugging Amber. "I was wondering where you were, I didn't see you with the other engineering majors," she says into Amber's gown.

The woman chuckles. "Oh, I didn't tell you, did I? Well, I was also majoring in entrepreneurship, so I could start a business," she explains gleefully.

Tara stares silently before giggling softly. "So, that's why you were so stressed, huh?" She teases, poking Amber's nose playfully.

Amber just laughs quietly in response. The two's interaction gets various "awws" from the other and their parents. The group as a whole decided to go out to eat to celebrate the recent graduates after the younger of the group changed out of their graduate gowns and dropped them off at their apartments.

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The group eats and talks at The Bookshelf Café, talking about various topics. Chad's going to go back to California to play for the California Golden Bears, meaning he's going to go pro and go all the way to Berkeley, California. Liv's going to join him in California, working in the merchandising section for the Golden Bears. Mindy and Anika are going together to Los Angeles, Mindy as an up-and-coming director and Anika as a screenwriter. Tara already knows they're both going to be an iconic duo in film history.

Ethan is going to be a teacher, which Tara's shocked by, but the man passed the exams and is coming out of his shell, so she thinks he'll be an excellent addition to wherever he will go to teach. Lastly, Quinn is going to go to medical school in Modesto, CA, so she can have her doctorate and be allowed to be a doctor, but she has Sam to help. The two have been dating behind the group's back, but they seem to care about each other very much, so Tara thinks they're made for each other.

Tara is going to become a psychologist, and maybe be helpful with troubled people. While Amber is going to run a business, something small of course, before she'll open another once the first takes off. Tara can't wait to see that, since she and Amber are going to move in together after they get out of their apartment and move somewhere closer to Sam and Quinn.

The short woman smiles to herself as she watches the group socialize, proud of the accomplishments that have flourished within the group. They first started in elementary school, the friend group, but they had that toxic idiot, Wes. But now, they all have each other, people who care about them the same way throughout the entire group.

Maybe in a few years, they'll be a big ole' family. A found family; a family that each person loves and cares about. Maybe Tara will get to marry the woman she's fallen in love with and will continue to fall in love with. The woman she wants to spend the rest of her life with, the woman who had hurt her so many times in the past, but showed that she's changed again and again. This woman is Amber Freeman.

Chapter Text

The streets bustle as various types of people walk through them, doing their daily chores and such, as the afternoon sun blazes down on them. In the therapy center, many young individuals are setting up appointments or waiting for their time to go to the therapist's office. 

A young woman makes her way to the back, entering a room marked with the plaque "Mrs. Carpenter-Freeman's Office." The short woman at the desk shoots her head up from her work, staring at the secretary. 

"Ah, Valerie. Is there something you need?" Mrs. Carpenter-Freeman asks, with a small smile on her face. 

The woman, now known as Valerie, nods. "Yes, ma'am. Mr. Smith just wanted me to tell you that your six o'clock had canceled earlier this morning," she says. 

Mrs. Carpenter-Freeman nods, cleaning her glasses off with her sleeve. "Oh, well, that's unfortunate. I will be leaving in a few minutes. Thank you for telling me, Valeria." 

As the young woman nods in acknowledgment, she turns and leaves the room, gently closing the door behind her. Tara leans back in her chair, feeling the weight of the morning's activities. A yawn escapes her lips as she realizes that she has been up since the crack of dawn. However, a sense of relief washes over her, knowing that she can finally head home and reunite with her wife. 

As she prepared to depart, she meticulously gathered her belongings, double-checking to ensure that nothing was left behind. Tara made her way to her car, settling into the driver's seat and placing her bag carefully on the empty passenger seat. As she set out on the road, a sense of relief washed over her, knowing that she had no therapy sessions scheduled with her clients for the remainder of the week. 

It can be quite challenging at times, even though she truly enjoys her job. Meeting with multiple clients throughout the day, with half of them being teenagers from abusive households, can be emotionally draining. Despite her passion for her work, the cumulative impact on her can be quite overwhelming. 

Focusing on the present now, she needs to get home and hopefully relax with her wife. 

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As she enters the house, Tara's steps echo against the hardwood floor. She unclenches her hand, and her car keys clatter into the ceramic bowl by the door. Tara moves through her home, the soft smile on her face deepening as she catches sight of Titan reclining on the couch, a patch of sunlight bathing his fur. Despite his advancing years, the dog still exudes playfulness, interspersed with moments of contented laziness. 

Tara's warm smile spread across her face as she strolled over to the dog. She reached out and gently patted him on the head, feeling the softness of his fur beneath her fingertips. Leaning down, she scratched behind his ears, eliciting a contented sigh from Titan. His tail wagged joyfully, thumping against the couch arm as he leaned in to lick Tara's hand, showing his appreciation for her affection. 

She lets out a gentle laugh, the sound bubbling from her chest, before straightening up in her stance. Tara jumps slightly as she feels the embrace of small arms hugging her legs. Looking down, she is met with the sight of her youngest, wrapped around her legs in a tight and affectionate hug. 

"Hey, Mama," the small boy greets her. 

Tara chuckles, picking the boy up. "Hey, Silas. Where's your mom?" She asks. 

The boy, Silas, hugs his mama a little tighter, his love for her clear. "She's outside with Autumn, Xander, and Bree," he answers. 

Tara smiled, nodding as she carefully settled Silas back onto the ground. She walked out to the back door, the wooden porch creaking slightly under her weight as she stood, overlooking the scene. The midday sun bathed the backyard in a warm glow, casting long, playful shadows across the yard. Tara watched with a contented smile as Amber supervised the twins splashing and giggling in the crystal-clear pool. Nearby, their oldest daughter, Bree, lounged comfortably on a reclining chair, absorbed in a book on a lazy summer afternoon while the cat sat on her lap quietly. 

She grinned gently, reflecting on the journey of her life thus far. It had been more than good – it had been truly wonderful. She was blessed with an incredible wife, four remarkable children, each with their unique and outstanding qualities, and a fulfilling career in the field of psychology and therapy. 

She also has a wonderful group of friends, and she and Amber are still part of the same friend group from when they graduated back in 2027. Interestingly, Mr. Landry, also known as Ethan, is one of the teachers at the high school, teaching World History. Coincidentally, he is Bree's teacher. It was quite an intriguing experience for both of them when they encountered each other again at the first parent-teacher meeting of Bree's high school career. This may have been the moment when Ethan realized that Bree inherited her fiery temperament and her proficiency in Spanish from Amber, and her intelligence and beauty from Tara. 

Tara's face lights up with a gentle smile as she recalls the cherished memory, her warm gaze resting affectionately on Amber. Since the early days of their relationship, Amber has been Tara's unwavering source of support, and Tara feels fortunate that she allowed Amber to demonstrate her growth from their shared experiences in school. After college, Amber remained Tara's staunchest advocate, offering continuous support and encouragement throughout the years. 

In the present day, Tara and Amber are proud parents to four wonderful children. Their eldest is Bree, who is 15 years old. Following Bree are the twins, Autumn and Xander, who are both 12. The youngest member of the family is Silas, who is 8 years old. Bree was born in 2030, the twins arrived in 2033, and Silas joined the family in 2041. This also means that Tara is around 37 years old, while Amber is 38. 

Over the past few years, Amber and Tara have faced significant challenges while raising Bree, who has been grappling with typical teenage issues and rebellion. Despite these difficulties, there have been moments of respite for Amber and Tara when Bree has had good days. Nevertheless, they continue to navigate the complexities of parenting, pursue their careers, and carve out time for themselves. They've both come a long way, but they know they have each other for life, and they both love each other very much. 

Tara's eyes sparkle with delight as she catches sight of Amber walking towards her. A wide smile spreads across her face, creating a warm and inviting expression. She takes a few quick steps forward, her arms outstretched in anticipation. As she reaches Amber, she pulls her into a tight embrace, holding her close with palpable joy and affection. 

"Hello, querida," Amber greets Tara, kissing her cheek gently, which elicits a fake gagging noise out of Bree. 

Amber shoots a glare at the teenager before turning back to Tara. "You just got off?" She asks. 

Tara nods, "Yeah, my six o'clock canceled, so... I'm here." 

The taller woman smiles, moving her face closer to Tara's. "Wanna know something?" 

"What is it?" Tara asks, her breath quickening. 

Amber grins. "I love you," she says. 

Tara giggles, "I know you do," she says before kissing Amber directly. This gains several mock gagging noises from their kids. 

"Please, stop," Bree begs in the background as the couple kisses. 

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Tara and Amber sat quietly in their dimly lit bedroom. It was late at night, and the house was hushed, the occasional murmur of the kids' voices seeping through the walls. Amber was absorbed in her laptop, the soft glow of the screen casting a warm light on her face as she meticulously browsed through websites, ordering essential supplies for her flourishing retail business. Her business was no ordinary venture—it specialized in all things related to horror, catering to avid fans of the genre. From collectible figures to rare DVDs, the store offered a wide range of products for horror enthusiasts. 

Tara's eyes glistened with warmth as she gazed across at Amber, her expression softening as she carefully marked her place in the book and gracefully shifted her position to sit closer to the older woman. 

"Amber...?" Tara says softly, her voice tinged with concern as she reaches out to the focused woman, hoping her words would penetrate through the fog of concentration shrouding her. 

Amber let out a soft hum to show she had heard Tara, then turned her gaze towards Tara, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yes?"

Tara slowly approaches Amber, her gaze filled with warmth and affection, as she gently takes the laptop from Amber's hands. With a soft smile, she places the laptop on the bed before gracefully settling into Amber's lap, relishing the closeness and intimacy of the moment.

She grasps Amber's face gently but firmly, drawing her in close until their faces are just inches apart. "I want you to know how much I truly love and appreciate you," she murmurs, sincerity shining in her eyes. 

Amber's lips gently curled up into a heartwarming smile before she leaned in to place a tender kiss on the woman's forehead. "Yeah, I know," she murmured, her voice tinged with warmth and affection. "I love you as well," she said, her words filled with sincerity and love.

Tara kisses Amber, causing her to grab her hips. Amber squeezes slightly before she pulls away, "Let's go to bed, huh?" 

Tara smiled warmly and said, "Yes, I think it's time for us to head to bed."

Tara and Amber nestled close together, lying side by side beneath the gentle weight of the soft, cozy blankets. With tender affection, Tara delicately extended her arm towards the lamp perched on her bedside table. Her fingertips moved with precision, gracefully locating the switch. With a soft, satisfying click, the room was immersed in a soothing darkness, cocooning them in an atmosphere of intimacy and tranquility, inviting them to drift into peaceful slumber.