𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫. ►

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE DIVE

After many hours of Steve worrying about River, him insisting she stayed home, he finally gave in and let her go along with them all, it's not as if she would have listened if he decided otherwise anyways.

Andy had been dropped of by Jo, his mom had been calling for him the past few days and he barely found out. Even though he insisted he'd be back, no one knew if he really would.

"This is the absolute worst. Eddie didn't kill anyone!" River yelled out to Jo, who nodded, still processing everything as she drove right behind Nancy's car, following them.

"Right, right. So why does every source point to him?" Jo muttered out this question, and River shot her a quick glare.

"It's all bullshit, Jo."

"No, yeah. I know!" The senior had laughed nervously as she turned her music down. "I just- you know. Im confused."

River remained quiet as she watched Nancy pull over, Jo doing the same. She stepped out as she watched Mike do the same, from the car ahead of her.

They haven't talked much, not with all that's happening with them, and with the world.

He looked to her, giving a weak nod, and he watched as Jo walked forward, throwing her brown satchel over herself after she shut her door.

"Hey, Jo!" Dustin giggled, waving her over. "Come help me with this." He gave her a sly smile, and River watched as Steve shoved him, turning red, and shaking his head, Dustin had only cracked up in response.

"Okay!" Jo smiled, and she began to run over to them both. River stood there quietly, smiling lightly as she watched. She had her own backpack on too, and she had let go of the straps she was just holding firmly.

"Can I walk with you?" Mike asked, his voice was small, but River heard him. She began to walk forward, nodding and looking down.

"Yeah, Yeah."

After walking for around some time, the whole group had found that it wasn't as easy to find Skull Rock as Steve said it would be. They'd been switching ways the whole time, and it's been longer than it should've been.

"Think we're getting lost?" Those were the first words Mike had said since they began walking, and it took a lot of thinking.

He didn't know why he was this nervous, because he had never felt like that. It always came natural to him with El, to be cool and fine. River made him 10x more nervous.

"I think my brother is getting us lost, yeah." She agreed slowly, swinging her arms very little as she walked. She looked up to Mike, and gave a small, small smile. The first she had in a while.

Mike slightly perked up, and the smile that was just on River's face traveled to his. He fiddled with his hands as he continued to walk by her, and suddenly his nerves had faded a bit.

"Oh, hey I think you may want these." Mike pulled out every single one of River's bracelet's she wore before she got hurt, the ones she took off.

"When did you get these?" River laughed a little, she turned, and Mike already knew to put them in the small pocket of her backpack.

"Just grabbed them real quick. I know you're bracelets are like your superpowers so..." Mike glanced to River as he said this, and she only laughed.

His heart always warmed up when she laughed, it did. But now it was even more, he felt some sort of comfort on a level he hasn't felt before. He was happy to hear her laugh again.