Cutting Class

As the sun rises over the sleepy suburban streets, a paperboy peddles his way through the neighborhood, leaving a trail of news and gossip in his wake. His first stop is the residence of Bill Carson, district attorney extraordinaire, who's preparing for a hunting trip that promises to be anything but tranquil. As the boy delivers the morning edition, he takes a moment to caution Paula, the DA's teenage daughter, about the importance of staying on the straight and narrow - no boys in the house, no skipping school, and most importantly, no slacking off on her homework. With that, he scurries off into the dawn, leaving behind a newspaper with a headline that will set off a chain reaction of events: "Boy who killed father released from Mental Asylum."

Meanwhile, Bill Carson is trading in his briefcase for a rifle and heading out to the swampy wilderness, where he'll spend the day blowing off steam and testing his mettle against the great outdoors. Unbeknownst to him, however, there's someone lurking in the shadows, armed with an arsenal of arrows and a grudge that will soon turn deadly. As Bill takes aim at the morning sky, the mysterious figure strikes, sending an arrow whizzing towards its unsuspecting target.

Back on dry land, Dwight Ingalls is running late for class after a series of unfortunate mishaps on his way to school. His tardiness prompts Mr. Conklin to give him the third degree about what's going on in his life - or rather, what's not. Little does anyone know that Dwight's troubles are only just beginning.

In gym class, Paula and her best friend Colleen are putting their athletic skills to the test, when Paula stumbles upon a set of bow and arrows that seem oddly out of place. A leaf clinging to one of the arrows catches her eye, and she can't resist the urge to take a little nibble. Meanwhile, Brian's trying to make a name for himself by climbing the ropes under the watchful eye of their P.E. coach, but Dwight's got other plans.

At the local hot dog stand, Colleen, Paula, and Gary are waiting for Dwight to show up when Brian suddenly materializes, eager to insert himself into the mix. Colleen takes it upon herself to give him a piece of her mind, claiming that he's got a crush on Paula - which only serves to fuel his embarrassment. Just as things are about to get out of hand, Dwight rolls up in his car, and before you can say "hot dog," he's whisking Paula away for a little alone time.

Of course, Brian's not one to take no for an answer, and soon the two boys are vying for Paula's attention. As tensions rise, Dwight makes it clear that he's not interested in sharing his newfound friend - at least, not with someone as pesky as Brian. With that, the trio takes off into the great unknown, leaving a trail of suspicion, deceit, and murder in their wake.

As the body count rises and the list of suspects grows shorter, Paula starts to realize that nothing is as it seems, including her own feelings about Brian - and Dwight's cryptic warnings about him. Just when you think things can't get any more complicated, a gruesome discovery in the school's copy room turns everything upside down, revealing a killer who's not afraid to leave his mark - literally. And at the center of it all is Dwight, whose ring on the killer's finger seems to scream "guilty as charged." But has the real killer been hiding in plain sight all along?

As chaos erupts at the institution, Brian's malevolent intentions come to fruition as he attempts to eliminate Paula, Dwight, and an unsuspecting math teacher. The school janitor fortuitously happens upon the scene as the violence unfolds. In a bizarre twist, Brian commandeers the public address system in the principal's office, broadcasting his twisted monologue into each classroom they encounter, taunting Paula and the teacher with his sinister intentions. Meanwhile, Paula remains oblivious to the danger, still convinced that Dwight is the culprit she's been pursuing.

Undeterred by the gruesome carnage he's inflicted, Brian stalks his prey, entering a classroom where he brutally dispatches the math teacher before pouncing on Paula. Just as all hope seems lost, Dwight bursts into the room, wrestles Brian away from Paula, and they make a hasty retreat to the nearby shop class. As they hide, Brian's maniacal laughter echoes through the corridors, proclaiming, "YOU'RE A YANKEE DOODLE DANDY TOO; YOU TWO MUST KILL OR DIE!" Little do they know, their tormentor has anticipated every move, sealing off their escape route and activating the machinery in a fiendish trap.

Cornered and desperate, Brian subjects Dwight to a terrifying ordeal, forcing his head into a vice and training a drill on his face. Just as all seems lost, Paula seizes the initiative, striking Brian with a claw hammer that sends him tumbling onto a whirring saw blade, which promptly bisects his torso. As the dust settles, Dwight and Paula make their escape, fleeing the scene in Dwight's car.

Their temporary reprieve is short-lived, however, as they spy Bill plummeting down a hillside, only to narrowly avoid collision thanks to Brian's earlier sabotage of the brakes. Bill emerges from the wreckage, shaking his head and remarking, "Shouldn't you be in school? You're not cutting class, I hope!" Paula's enigmatic smile belies her true feelings as she gazes out at the carnage they've left in their wake.