Love Story: Volume One

season one: part two

Edwina was currently sitting in her favorite corner of the library, trying to study in peace. Dustin had come up to her that morning, and practically begged her to lie to his mother. She asked him why she would risk being grounded, and he justified her imprisonment with the same excuse every time. He had a "mission", and if she really loved him, she would help.

By lying.

So there she was, studying at the library. She really loved her cousin, and she also couldn't deny that her calculus grade was slipping. And she had been fixing that grade, until she overheard the Cheif asking for old newspapers. The librarian was refusing to help, (something about Hopper not calling her back), and walked away. He scoffed and started trying to look himself, but Edwina decided to give him a break. He was so obviously clueless about anything involving research.

"Hey, Chief?"

"What- oh. Hey kid. How are you?"

Edwina had a brief history with Hopper. And by brief, she meant that for a year, she would not give the police station a moment of peace until they found her mom. Poor Flo. Edwina still remembered that day vividly. Her mother had gone to work at the lab the day before and still not shown up.

Dinner had almost been finished when Edwina actually started to worry about her mother. She was never this late, and never at work this long without giving a call. She wouldn't do this. Dustin was completely clueless that his aunt hadn't been home, but Claudia was beyond worried. She had been told of her sister in laws job before, the worries about her working there. Edwina stood up from the table and grabbed her and Dustin's dishes. Setting them in the sink, she yelled back to her aunt that she would be studying, and jumped onto her bed, only to scream immediately when she saw Steve outside her window.

Claudia yelled down the hall. "You alright, hun?"

"I'm fine, Auntie! Just saw a sweater in my closet and thought someone was in my room!" Edwina shoved Steve's chest as he plopped down on her bed. "What the hell Harrington!"

"Sorry, didn't think you'd react like that. I've snuck in a thousand times."

Edwina huffed and looked up at Steve, who was still standing in her closet. "I'm sorry Stevie, I'm just on edge."

"Why?"

"My mom still hasn't come back from work." Edwina stared down at the ground, murmuring. "She's never gone this long."

Steve could always tell when his best friend was freaking out, and he tried to comfort her, he really did. He just wasn't the best at putting those thoughts into words. "That's not like her." 

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

He sat up, scooting closer to her, trying to think of the best solution to this situation. "Maybe..." He shook his head. "No, never mind." 

Edwina tilted her head, looking over at her best friend. "What?"

"Well, I was just thinking, as a precaution, that you should go talk to the Chief?" His sentence ended with a question like he was scared of her reaction to the hypothetical. She nodded slowly, preparing herself for the worst. 

"That's a great idea, Harrington."

Edwina's mom had been declared missing a day later, and after a week, everyone stopped trying. The town just accepted that her mother was gone, and had even started trying to plan her funeral. Not Edwina. She pestered them relentlessly. A year later, Hopper still hadn't found her mother, and she couldn't help but think that her mother didn't want to be found. That the rumors of her running away from her insane daughter were true. She shook her head slightly like she was physically getting rid of the negative thoughts,  and put on a smile.