𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫. ►

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE MASSACRE AT HAWKINS LAB

Dustin, Max and Lucas were pressed up onto one couch, River and Mike sitting on each arm of the cast. "And what exactly were you doing at the lake?" Officer Powell had looked straight at all of the kids from his seat, raising his eyebrow.

"Well.." River began, she had looked to her four friends for help who also exchanged looks with one another.

"We we're going for a walk." Max answered, nonchalantly once she had looked away from Lucas. She stated this as if it had been the most obvious thing yet.

"A walk" Officer Callahan mocked, laughing lightly. "At 9 P.M?" He gestured to the windows, that showed how pitch dark it was outside as of now.

"Yes." River shrugged, looking to all of her friends who nodded in agreement. "To the lake. Do you know how nice and calming it is at night, Officer Callahan?"

As River said that, Dustin had muttered many times of how they were there to swim. This caused River to nudge him, though he didn't get the memo, he just kept lying his bad lie. "Swimming, yeah!"

"Dusty." Mrs. Henderson spoke up, her voice breaking as she did. She frowned, and it very showed her fear greatly. "Someone was just murdered there."

"Yeah, we didn't realize that til we uh, til we got there, Mrs. Henderson." Mike smiled lightly, Lucas continuing from beside him after his face had lit up.

"That's why we didn't swim!"

"Was Nancy with you at this night swim, Michael?" Karen had asked, watching as Mike nodded. She had been staring at Mike the whole time, partly because she was disappointed and partly because she was worried for both him and Nancy.

"Yes." He firmly answered quickly after.

"No." River did the same. He shared a look with her, his eyes widened for a quick second before he turned.

Mike had puffed his bottom lip out, scratching his neck. "Uh." His voice cracked a slight bit. "I mean, maybe."

"Yeah, yeah. She was there...and then she wasn't. She like-she left." River explained, watching all of the adults reactions. Some had just stared blankly at her, and some had given a look of confusion.

"And that's when you guys came." Lucas pieced together their lies, he was sure it made the most sense ever. And he was sure they were great at this.

"And- and they dared us to say what we said." Max gestured to herself and River as she lied once again.

"Oh yeah!" Mike chuckled, and he began pointing to the two girls along with the boys.

"Yeah, about the killer." Lucas confirmed, and they all let out fake laughs. If you had just walked in on the scene you'd think all of these kids were crazy. Mainly because most of them are anyways, but that didn't matter right now.

"You're lucky you didn't get shot. Very disappointed in you, son." River's face fell as she listened to Mr. Wheeler's sudden input, and she stared blankly at him. Her fake laugh was no longer in the working.

"Have you had any contact with Eddie?" Officer Powell continued to ask questions, ignoring the complete scene the kids just caused as they talked one after another.

"None. Not with that psycho." Mike assured, he was pretty good at lying, better than the rest thought he would be. The scrawny boy had looked to his mom who stared him down right after saying this, as if checking for her approval, to see if she believed him.

All kids had collectively agreed with Mike anyways, either stating how they didn't know him or hated him because he was a supposed killer.

"Oh, that's a bunch of bull!" Erica stepped up, her arms crossed as she yelled this out. River practically winced, she shut her eyes before opening them to see Erica being scolded by her parents. "I mean, you realize they're lying. The whole couch is on fire."