𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐒 ❦ ST (O.H)

x. BUCKLEY

It warrented their patience, and a kindness that Steve was lacking with the girl.

"What, you think we'd make this shit up?" Dustin asked Adelade with venom loosely disguising his sarcasm.

Dustin followed his leaders: both Eddie and Steve had condemned Adelade to him before he even knew who she was.

"Heather died in the mall fire with her parents dipshit." Addie snapped to the young boy, crossing her arms defiantly.

"She wasn't corrupted by that dick Billy-"

Max could barely look at Addie, or the others.

"- and she wasn't a monster. I don't know what kind of sick joke this is but stop it, before I ruin you all."

She was breathing heavily. It was faster than Robin's breath each time she took a break during the mile run in school. It was faster, even, than her voice when she talked to Steve about her problems, which the boy often commented was entirely too fast to understand. Adelade's breathing was the perfect offset of Emma's shaking hands and Eddie's silent tears. Between the three of them, the group was experiencing every form of grief and despair they could imagine.

"Addie it's the truth. I saw-"

"You didn't see shit Em."

Adelade was shouting. This only increased her best friend's anxiety, and the nerve of the boy everyone considered as an outcast.

"You went to get drugs from the freak for fucks sake! Who knows what's in the air of his damn trailer.. o-or what you saw. But none of it proves that Heather. . . you are the biggest group of assholes I've ever seen."

Adelade turned to Eddie, crouching down to his level so she could stare directly into his brown eyes.

"I don't know what you offered to get Emma involved in this, but I hope it was worth it freak. The cops will be here before you can hypnotise anybody else."

"Okay that's enough." Steve came to his feet, dragging Addie by her jacket away from Eddie and her best friend as she simmered over.

"I knew this was a bad idea. You can't trust Addie Thompson to have empathy man." He spoke as he forcefully pulled her to a seat.

"Steve, stop it." Robin called as she stood up, heart racing as she watched the break down of the old queen bee.
"What we've explained would sound insane without proof."

"We aren't lying thoug-"

"We should just keep her he-"

Dustin and Steve began to speak over each other, harmonising in their displeasure for Addie's company as she silently raged.

"Shut up!"

Both the boys were silenced by Emma Carlton, whose gentle voice finally stood it's ground. Eddie jumped beside her, but looked over to her with an admiration that was rarely not seen when he observed her real nature. And right now, with her chest rising and falling with the weight of her friend's distress and the death of Chrissy, she looked stronger than anybody he'd ever seen.

"I saw it Addie." The girl's voice returned to its usual register.

"I know what it sounds like. I know what it looks like, and what that means for Heather and Chrissy. But it's true."