Complete Chaos

058

She laughed, throwing her head back "no way."

With his shoulder, he gently pushed her, making her almost stumble with her own feet.

"It's not funny. I was in pain for twenty minutes."

She composed herself, her laughter dying down, "I'm sorry for accidentally tripping you with my flat. I wonder how many people I have tripped."

◦ ◦ ◦ 

They had been walking for a few minutes.

Steve looked around, and all the trees looked somewhat similar to one another, but he knew they weren't going in the right direction. "I don't think this is the right way," he told Julia.

"Everything looks the same to me," she responded. She had never been to this part of the woods at day time. The Skull Rock was a place most people went at night to. It was harder to find the giant rock at night with only the moon as light.

"He's taking us the wrong way," Steve shook his head. "I'll be right back," he said and walked in front of her with Melody in his arms.

Steve walked besides Dustin.

Within seconds they both were arguing. "Dude, I'm telling you. You're taking us the wrong way," Steve argued.

"It's north. I'm positive I checked the map," Dustin said, lifting the map. There were only tall thin trees for miles.

Steve looked at Dustin as he said, "You do realize Skull Rock. It's a super popular make-out spot?"

Melody looked at her father with her big brown curious eyes.

"Yeah. So," Dustin asked, not understanding where Steve was going on about. "Yeah, well, it wasn't popular until I made it popular." He pointed to himself. "All right? I practically invented it. We're heading in the wrong direction," Steve said, heading the opposite way.

Dustin didn't have a chance to argue, "Where are you going? Steve!" Dustin whined, following behind him.

"Stop whining. Let's go. Trust me," Steve said, walking down a small hill, Melody bouncing on his hip.

"Okay, so apparently, we're going this way now? I swear to God if they get us lost," Max complained. Max and Lucas were walking a few feet behind Julia. The pair were having their own conversation.

"They are so cute," Robin expressed with fondness. Julia had caught up with Robin and Nancy and had let Steve go alongside Dustin; she didn't want to get between their argument.

From Julia's peripheral vision, she could tell Robin was looking at her. Julia finally decided to look back at the girl who was already staring at her. Robin smiled brightly at her. "So what's the deal with you and Eddie," Robin decided to ask.

"What do you mean?" Julia looked back to the front, avoiding looking at Robin. Steve and Dustin were far away from the three girls but not too far where they couldn't see where they had gone.

The conversation sparked Nancy's curiosity, and she began to listen to their conversation.

Nancy hugged the brown paper bag with food as she listened to what Robin was going to say next.

"When Eddie got in contact with Dustin, you practically bumped into me to get closer to Dustin. Then you asked where he was, and the tone you used wasn't from someone who didn't know him. Hey, I even care about Eddie's safety, but I wasn't as worried as you." Robin shrugged like the information she just revealed was no big deal.

Julia didn't even notice she had bumped into Robin and the fact that Robin was this curious in wanting to know more about her and Eddie.

"What happened between you two," Robin asked since Julia had not responded.

"We had a class together our first year of high school. At the end of the school year, we got assigned to do a project together," she explained, leaving a few details out of the conversation.

Robin wanted Julia to continue; she knew there was more to the story. Nancy was a year below Julia; this information was new to her.

"Is that all," Robin asked.

"We became somewhat friends after that." Julia avoided looking at Robin. Instead, she kicked a few dead leaves that were on the ground.

Nancy knew first hand that Robin wasn't the best at taking social cues or dropping a subject. By the way Julia was behaving and became quiet, Nancy knew Julia didn't want to continue the conversation.

"You don't have to tell us anything you don't want, Julia," Nancy said nicely, getting a grunt from Robin.

Julia was grateful for Nancy at that moment. She couldn't blame Robin for wanting to know more, but she didn't want to share her past relationship with them.

Not even Kimberly knew the full story, mostly because she never asked or cared enough to know how she was feeling and how much she blamed herself for breaking up with Eddie. 

She wanted Eddie to be safe, and there was so much she wanted to tell him.

Steve and Dustin were a few feet ahead of the rest of the group. Julia decided to catch up with them, not wanting for Robin to ask her any more questions.

Steve moved a few low branches to the side as he made his way through them. "Oh, boom! Bada bing, bada boom."

Steve and Melody were on the other and Skull Rock was in front of them. "Boo," Melody said excitedly, lifting one of her hands, feeling her father's optimistic energy.

"There she is, Henderson. Skull Rock. In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face," Steve said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Doesn't make sense," Dustin said, confused, looking down at his compass.

"Yeah, yeah." Steve moved his left hand in a mocking way.  "Even with it staring you in the face, you can't admit it."

He looked at his daughter "he can't admit it. He's a little butthead." Melody nodded at her father.

It was rare for Dustin to be wrong. Steve was going to enjoy the moment as long as he could.

"I concur," Eddie jumped down from a rock behind the two boys. "You, Dustin Henderson, are a... total butthead," Eddie said with his hands on his hips.

"Jesus, we thought you were a goner." Dustin walked toward Eddie and wrapped his arms around the older boy hugging him.

"Yeah, me too, Me too." Eddie padded Dustin on the back.