my baby

twenty one .

september 21 , 1984 . 12:03 pm

Hawkins High's annual Homecoming dance was next Saturday.

Nancy and I had seemed to grow a little closer, and the cheerleading girls and I nearly fell off since Candice's disappearance. The last time I sat with them at lunch was Monday, it was now Thursday, and the group itself seemed to be falling apart. Heather, who was elected as new captain of the cheer squad, had gotten into an argument with Carol and Allie over positions.

Trust me, I don't know more than you. Someone wanted to be a flyer, someone was forced to be a base, someone had gotten injured, I think everything was going to Hell.

"The police say she might of wondered over to a nearby town, lost her memory," Nancy began. Together, along with her boyfriend Jonathan, had been sitting at the far table in the lunchroom, away from most of the others. There, I couldn't be interrogated by anybody.

"Or," Jonathan said,"a hiker found her, or someone driving along the road that night picked her up."

Jonathan Byers was his full name. He had shaggy brown hair and brown eyes that Nancy seemed to love. He was a total sweetheart, and insanely smart as well when it came to solving puzzles and mysteries. They were a perfect match.

"Exactly," Nancy nodded. "But no one has made a call to any police department. That's the thing."

"Candice can fight," I added. Nancy and Jonathan still didn't know Billy and I were the ones to call in. They also didn't know about our younger sisters' "adventure" into the night, and what they saw. "Maybe someone picked her, she got scared, fought, and ran away. Maybe she did happen to lose her memory."

"We have to think about how hard of an impact, how bad of an accident for that to happen for her to lose her memory completely." Jonathan said.

Nancy and I nodded sadly. "She would have to be damaged, really bad."

My mind went back to the sight of the Thunderbird. How the front end was completely destroyed by the impact of the tree. The inside was completely crushed, too. No one could even squeeze into the backseat. However, Billy and I didn't see any blood. Candice must have have survived.

I also thought about Billy. I had his jean jacket in my bag for the last couple days to give it to him, I was too scared to go to his house, whether it was between passing classes or lunch. Even after school before football practice. However, Billy was acting as if I was completely invisible to him. Like I didn't even exist. Did that kiss affect him so much to the point he has to do this?

"Another thing is, someone kidnapped her." Nancy shrugged. I picked at my peanut butter jelly. With all that happened these past several days, I had no appetite.

"Josh." Jonathan looked down. "Listen, we know he's not that bad of a person. But we know they went missing the same day. What if this was all planned? They ran away together?"

"Now why would they do that?"

I pondered for a moment. I remembered the way Coach Worthhall threw a fit at Candice the day of the first game. I remember seeing slight bruises on her arms and throat.

"Ugh, my stupid dog tripped me in the hall,"
She would say, laughing. "Fell a couple stairs down."

As for the throat, I just assumed she hung out with Tommy the other day.

"Parents?" I suggested. Nancy and Jonathan both looked over at me, confused.

"Abusive parents..." She pondered for a second, rubbing her hand against her forehead. "Makes sense."

"Maybe Josh picked her up?" I asked. "That's why no one reported anything."

"I think we're on to something," Jonathan nodded. "I think we got this figured out."

"Now the only thing I don't have figured out, is what dress I'm gonna buy for Homecoming." Nancy winked at Jonathan, while he rolled his eyes.

"You still wanna go?"

"Of course I do!" She laughed. Looking over at me, I already expected the question.

"Rose?"

"No," I chuckled. "No, I don't really do dances."

"It'll be perfect! Come with me after school Friday. I'm going to Starcourt, they have really nice dresses. And...your dad owns the mall, for Christ's sake. He'll beg you to get more audience there."

I laughed. I shoved the the rest of my lunch back into the bag to finish it later. "Okay. Okay, I'll go with you."