Freddie Blackwell

Freddie Blackwell was a teen and first killer to take up the Blank Face guise, that resided in Sunset Ridge, Colorado. He was first introduced in Grinded as the pseudo-protagonist, before becoming the main antagonist.

He is initially presented as the main protagonist of the first story, presenting himself as a sensitive guy that is smitten with August Thrombey, while maintaining good relationships with his friends and family.

In the original story, after being established the supposed final boy, it is soon revealed by the final act that Freddie was indeed Blank Face, having orchestrated the murders, all to make sure that August would be his and his only. By this point, he exhibited many delusional characterstics, along with becoming pyschotic as opposed to the calm and loving deamenour he normally shown.

His plan to frame Quentin for the murders is stopped by August, with the help of Sophie Dlamini, Thomas Strode, and Sarah Abbott, with August killing Freddie after a long night of terror.

## Biography

### Early life

Freddie was born in 2001 to Jasmine Blackwell and a father that walked out on them when Freddie was a child. From a young age, Freddie had trouble with delusions and infatuations. Before he started elementary school, his father gained custody of Freddie for a short while. Freddie was then returned to his mother's care when she gave birth to his younger sister, and she noticed an unsettling change in her son.

He began seeing councillors for his mother's sake, against his father's wishes. The councilling sessions continued until his freshman year of high school, where he slowly stopped taking his medication as well. Upon entering high school, Freddie sought to distract himself and his thoughts with anything, so he joined the football team, where he met August Thrombey and Thomas Strode. His infatuation with August began the moment he met him, with Freddie becoming increasingly obsessed with him, growing jealous of anyone that looked at August in a certain way.

In early 2017, Freddie, now completely off his medication, started planning his psychotic plan to make August 'his'. He also continued staying in contact with his father, who never saw anything wrong with his son or his behavior.

### The Sunset Ridge Murders

Freddie is awakened by the distant sounds of police sirens. After heading downstairs, where his mother is also clueless as to what is happening, the arrival of August at the front door interrupts their breakfast. He greets August and the two set off for school, making awkward conversation before speculating why the sirens were wailing so early. As they walk, they pass by the park and hear Yun-Jin Park reporting the death of Michael LeBeck, shocking them both.

Freddie and August eventually arrive at Sunset Ridge High, seeing it overrun with reporters and cops. The sight makes both boys uneasy. They find their group of friends: Lily Mason, Sophie Dlamini, and Marcus Winters. Freddie asks if they know who the victim was, Lily reveals the identity as well as the school-wide interrogations set to take place throughout the day. They're joined by their friend, Thomas Strode. Freddie makes a remark regarding Michael, calling him a sexpest, but he is quickly scolded by Lily. The bell rings shortly after, and as he, Sophie, and Lily head towards the school, he's stopped by Quentin Vaughn, who is trying to find out if August is interested in him. Freddie makes a promise to ask, on the condition that if he says no, Quentin will leave him alone.

At lunch time, Freddie joins his friends in the cafeteria where he and August continue to flirt and discreetly fondle each other, catching the attention of their friends. They then get up and walk outside to the assembly, being held by the sheriff, Sarah Abbott, and the Principal. Like majority of the student body, he isn't too happy with the game being cancelled. When Paul Beauregard tries to start an argument with Quentin and Thomas, Freddie steps in, defending his friends.

The day after and Freddie comes to school, only to discover that Paul was murdered the night before. He finds Thomas, who expresses his lack of care towards Paul and his family. Thomas then points him over to August, telling him to go get his guy. Startling August, Freddie finally asks him out on an official date, to which August quickly agrees to. They then have their first kiss, which they both admit was long overdue. The bell rings, pulling them to their own classes.

In Mrs. Baker's class, Freddie tells Sophie about his date when Mrs. Baker announces all classes have been suspended from that moment on, until the killer has been caught. He and Sophie rejoin their friends outside, where Lily makes plans for them to come to her house that night. Freddie is apprehensive at first, but comes to agree following a little talk with August.

Later that night, Freddie gets to Sunset Ridge Memoriam Hospital after finding out that Thomas has been attacked and another victim, deputy Erica Rhodes, has been claimed. He finds Lily and comforts her, but they're interrupted by Yun-Jin. Freddie is impressed by Lily putting the reporter in her place, when they're called over to Thomas' room by his mother. They become tearful seeing their friend, with Freddie asking if he's okay. Sarah knocks at the door and requests a moment alone with the teens. After mentioning Quentin having been questioned a second time, Freddie begins to suspect that Quentin may be the killer. Sarah then informs them that she and another deputy will be following them up to Lily's house, and won't be going anywhere until the morning comes, or until everyone decides to go home.

After Thomas is discharged, Freddie and his friends arrive at Lily's mountainside house. He and August share a moment alone, with Freddie promising to make him feel good once they're alone and away from their friends. Sophie interrupts them and so Freddie tells August to go ahead with her while he goes and gives Lily a hand in the kitchen. When he comes back to the living room with Lily and a handful of snacks and beer, Freddie takes a seat next to August.

After a while, Freddie and August excuse themselves to go upstairs, where they start getting hot and heavy. They're shortly interrupted by Lily, who informs August to go find and talk to Thomas, since they'd just had an argument. Freddie decides to take the time to take a shower and get prepared for when August comes back.

Freddie isn't seen again for a while, with August finding the bathroom to be trashed with signs of blood on the walls. When August tries to flee the house, he is stopped by Thomas. August remains distrustful of Thomas, who is swiftly stabbed by Blank Face, revealing themselves as Freddie. August is clearly mentally destroyed by the reveal, and Freddie explains his motive and how he was the only one who deserved to have August. He fully believes that everyone else he'd killed was simply coming between them and ruining any chance at a supposedly promised future together.

But when August angrily rejects him, Freddie claims no one will have him and the two begin to brutally fight. In the ensuing scuffle, Sophie tries to help, but Freddie easily overpowers her. Sarah also tries to intervene, but Freddie, now armed with the gun he stole from her, shoots the sheriff before focusing on August. Before he can kill him, Thomas tackles him to the ground and both the gun and the knife fall to the floor. Thomas grabs the gun before Freddie has a chance, and cannot process anything before he's shot in the chest, flying back to the floor. Not wanting to take any chances, August follows up on Thomas' assault and stabs him twice, deep in the heart, killing Freddie and ending the murders of Sunset Ridge.

## Relationships

#### Family

* **Jasmine Blackwell** - Mother
* **Peyton Blackwell** - Sister

#### Enemies

* **August Thrombey** - Former love interest and attempted victim
* **Thomas Strode** - Former friend and attempted victim
* **Sophie Dlamini** - Former friend and attempted victim
* **Sarah Abbott** - Attempted victim
* **Lily Mason** † - Former friend and victim
* **Erica Rhodes** † - Victim
* **Paul Beauregard** † - Victim
* **Paul Waitts** † - Victim
* **Michael LeBeck** † - Victim
* **Quentin Vaughn** † - Victim

## Appearances

* ***Grinded - Appears in 15 of 31 Chapters***
* ***Grinded: Part II -*** (hallicunation) ***Appears in 1 of 40 Chapters***