A NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION
Ryan Fordman has lived next door to Steve Harrington her entire life. Her entire life, he'd always been a window away, occasionally shouting across the space between their houses. They were inseparable... at least, they we...
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Fifteen minutes later, Ryan and Steve walked into the Fordman house, both still in shock over the events of the past hour. Ryan didn't know which part to be more upset about, Will's episode or the way Billy's father treated him. They were both awful and completely unexpected.
She had explained what Steve had missed on their way to her house, not sure whether to feel angry because of what Billy kept doing to Max or sympathetic for the way his father was. So far, she had settled on both while Steve just shook his head. He didn't like Billy, same as Ryan, but his father was a real piece of work. Was it possible to hate someone so much and still feel for what they were going through?
"What the hell do you mean she's gone?" Aaron's voice snapped from the living room as they walked in. "No, she's not here. I don't even know if she even knows where here is. Last I checked, Ryan was with Steve, they haven't made it home yet— Hopper, I don't know!"
Ryan slammed the door loudly, tossing her bag on the ground by the coat rack. Aaron poked his head around the entrance of the living room, waving at the two casually leaning against the wall. Ryan shook her head, turning to look at Steve as Aaron spoke again, "Yeah, she just got home. Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"Aaron," Ryan hissed, shooting him a warning glance. Whatever was happening with Hopper and El, whatever argument they were having, Ryan did not want to be in the middle of it. Not right now. "We have company."
"I know, but it's Hopper. It's important." Aaron pleaded before turning to Steve. "Hey Steve, what's up?"
Ryan rolled her eyes as Aaron led Steve into the kitchen away from her. Apparently, she was going to have to deal with it anyway. Sighing, she walked into the living room, picking the phone up off the side of the table, "Hey Dad, what's going on?"
"Have you seen your little tail today?" Hopper asked as a greeting.
She laughed in confusion, "My what?"
"Have you seen your sister today?" He tried again.
"Uh no, I haven't been by the cabin. I've been at school and—"
"She's not at the cabin." He interrupted before she could continue to speak. "That's why I'm asking. I don't know where she is."
"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" She exclaimed. She felt like she was back in 1983, one of her kids missing from their homes. This time, it was El, her little sister. "She's a kid, not a cat!"
"I'm looking okay!"
"Oh my God, what if she's hurt? What if you don't find her?" Ryan sank into the couch, clutching the phone close to her ear. El was gone, no one knew where she was. What the hell was she supposed to do? "Hopper, what do I do?"
"Calm down, kid. Just relax." Hopper spoke calmly. "You and your brother head over to the cabin. Maybe she'll show up."
"Yeah, we'll be on our way!" Ryan agreed quickly, before her eyes landed on Steve laughing at something Aaron had said in the kitchen. "Shit—"
