𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥

026. For My Friends.

    

     THE NEXT day after they all got to go home and get another change of outfits, they met back up to head over to Reefer Rick's so they can get Eddie some stuff and deliver him the news they got regarding Vecna. Nancy is driving, Robin in the passenger side, Val behind them with Max and Lucas in the backseats with Steve and Dustin way in the back, eating from Eddie's snacks.

"Not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car? 'Cause this is totally and royally gonna suck." Robin says, glancing at Nancy. "It'll be fine." She says as Val glanced at Robin with furrowed brows. "Why would you wanna sit in the car, Rob?" She asked and Robin glanced back. "I just can't stand to see those dull eyes of Eddie's break again. I really, really can't." She says and Val couldn't help but agree. It was like accidentally stepping on a little puppy, seeing the hurt flash in their eyes.

Or saying no to a kid and seeing that look in the child's eyes before they burst into tears. "At least he can drink himself into feeling better, right?" Steve held up the six-pack of beer as Val quickly glanced over, frowning. "Drinking isn't a good coping mechanism." She said as Max spoke up, "my mom thinks so." She says making Val look at her right away.

"Why don't we give it a trial run? Hey Eddie, uh, good news first this time. We got you some Dustin approved junk food and that six-pack you requested. Oh yeah, and we found Vecna. Only the bad news is that he's in that other, darker, much scarier dimension that we told you about, and the gate's closed, so we have no way of getting to him. Like he's entirely shut off to us, so basically, you're screwed." Robin rambles as Val looked over at her now.

"And no, I knew you were already screwed. But now you're like, doubly, triply screwed." She rambles and Val sighs. "We can't say it like that." She tells her girlfriend. "We're one step closer to finding Vecna. That's what we say. That's what's important." Nancy tells them.

"See, Robin? Positive spin can make all the difference." Steve says and Val glanced back, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Uh-huh." Was all the Buckley could reply with. "Oh, shit." Nancy says so Val turns back around quickly, leaning closer to Lucas sitting in the middle to see what was going on.

The crowd of people and cop cars along with a news reporter van. Nancy parked the car and they all quickly rushed out. "Come on, this way." The Wheeler girl leads them to the side of the news van, standing where there was less people and watching the officers, Chief Powell and officer Callahan. "Reporting a homicide here on the lake. Officer Callahan here and myself arrived first on the scene. We made our way to the shore of Lovers' Lake, about ten yards from that house you see behind me, it was where we found the victim." He said and Val instantly worried it was Eddie.

"An 18-year-old Senior from Hawkins High, Patrick McKinney." Val's heart dropped immediately as she glanced over at Lucas who Max was also looking at. Then they said Eddie was a person of interest, making her look over and glare at the two police officers. "This is not good. This is really not good." Steve said and Robin looked at Val by her.

"At--at least they didn't name you?" She said and Val glanced up at her, she can understand why, then she'd be a target too but all Val can do was give a tiny glare and glance away, crossing her arms. It wasn't fair. What was going on. "Dustin? Can you hear me? Or Val?" Came from Dustin's walkie so they all gather around. "Eddie? Holy shit, are you okay?" Dustin asked into the supercomm.

"Nah, man. Pretty... pretty goddamn far from okay." Eddie replied as Val sighs, frowning. "Where are you?" Dustin now asked. "Skull Rock. It's between Cornwallis and--" "Garett. I know where that is." Steve immediately cut off Eddie as Val rolls her eyes.

"Of course, you do." She said and Steve just sticks his tongue out at her like a child would, before they were off to the car as Dustin lets Eddie know they were on the way.

When they arrived, Dustin took out a map and Steve showed him where Skull Rock was, with Robin of course making a remark about it being the make out spot, basically implying there was a reason why Steve knew where this Skull Rock was by heart and that they didn't even need the map, and then they were on the way, leaving behind Nancy's vehicle with Dustin holding the map and compass while leading the way with Steve by him, as Nancy, Robin and Valerie were behind them, with Lucas and Max all the way in the back.

Nancy was holding the bag of snacks they got for Eddie as Valerie and Robin walk on either side of her while Val watched Dustin and Steve straight ahead of them as the pair were talking to one another. At some point they started going the wrong way and Val sighs, glancing at Robin and Nance. "Think we're lost?" She asked and Nancy sighs. "It's Steve and Dustin." She said and Val just nods softly.

"So we're lost." She looks at the Wheeler who glanced at her and chuckled softly. "Possibly." She said as Val glanced back at where Lucas and Max were, facing one another. "Oh, my God, they're so adorable. I just wanna squeeze 'em, you know?" Robin said, looking at her girlfriend and Nancy, walking between the pair now. "They're the cutest." Val smiles widely as Nancy glanced between them. "You two are too." She chimed in.

Val glanced at her and smiled faintly before looking away. "If I'm permitted to see a silver lining in this end-of-the-world doom and gloom, it would be rekindling of some old flames that frankly never should've been snuffed out." Robin looked at Nancy as Val elbows her girlfriend and stood between her and Nancy now. "But sometimes it was for the best, right?" She smiled forcefully at her.

Nancy glanced at her, furrowing her brows. "If this is about Steve--" "no, no, no, right, Robin?" Val glanced at her girlfriend who sighed, looking at them. "If I did mean it as a hint, would that be so terrible? For me to wish happiness for my friends?" She asked the pair and Val looks at Nancy who looks at them.

"You think I'm not happy?" She asked with a scoff. "Yes! See, Nance and Johnny boy are still going stronger than ever even with the, what? 2,000 miles distance?" Val chimes in, as she looks at Nancy. "R--Right?" She asked and Nancy nodded quickly. "Jonathan and I are fine." She insisted and Val nods.

"Got it." Robin looks away. "We're good." Nancy kept saying. "Right." Val whispered then looked away. "It's just..." Nancy starts, looking away before she sighs. "He was supposed to be here for the break, and then he backed out at the last minute for some vague, mumbly Jonathan reason." She informs them. "And, to be honest, I'm not even that surprised, because I've been feeling him pulling away lately. And I don't know if it's the 2,000 miles Val mentioned or if he met someone new or what. And now I can't find out why because he's apparently blown up his family's house phone or something. So, yeah, if the mention of his name causes a slight muscle spasm on my face or something, that's... probably why." She said as Val and Robin glanced at one another.

"Nance, Jonathan would be crazy to meet someone else and choose them over you. I'm sure it's... his own stuff he's dealing with or something. Cause, honestly, Nancy Wheeler, you're a catch. And Jonathan knows, he's just... being Jonathan, right?" Val says and Nancy glanced away, smiling faintly. "Maybe you're right." She sighed.

"But, uh, you know, those are valid reasons... but you guys love each other right? Nothing a little honesty and communication can't fix." She says now, reaching out and softly squeezing Nancy's shoulder and the Wheeler looks at the two to her side who are both looking at her now, nodding softly, smiling.

She glanced away and furrowed her brows for a split second, "you said the happiness of your friends. So, does that make us friends?" Nancy looks at the couple again who once more glance at one another. "As in officially?" The Wheeler added and Val nods quickly, looking over. "Uh, yeah." Robin says right away as Val smiles widely. "We've always been friends, Wheeler. Right?" She asked her.

"Right."

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

  

 

 

  

authors note sorry i haven't been bothering with this fic, i put a lot of my focus towards papercut so that i can finish it 🙏 left that shit not updated for like a month 😭
but it's finished now and i can now focus on this fic and as it was! <3