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WE'LL FIND HIM.
"NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
Billy looked towards Isadora and made a face as he drove in the direction of Family Video, the pair of them on their way to pick up a movie for their movie night.
"Oh, come on, Issi, you have said no to every single movie I have suggested. I thought it was your turn to pick the movie tonight," Billy commented.
"Yes, it's my night to pick a movie, but I'm just not sure what movie I'm going to choose yet," Isadora shrugged, as Billy parked his car and the two got out before making their way into the store. As the doorbell rang, Steve looked over and raised an eyebrow when he saw the couple walking in together.
"I didn't expect to see you two until later tonight. What are you doing here?" Steve asked them.
"Now, come on, Harrington, is that any way to greet your best friend?" Isadora asked, as she walked over to the counter and grinned at Steve, who rolled his eyes as Isadora continued, "We're trying to decide on a movie."
"... I gave her suggestions on movies she could pick for tonight," Billy said. Isadora rolled her eyes at her boyfriend before shrugging as she looked towards Steve.
"I will know the right movie when I see it."
"Right, well Fast Times is always a good option," Steve told her.
"I already suggested that. She said no," Billy rolled his eyes.
"Come on, we watched it at our last movie night when it was your choice to pick the movie, William," Isadora retorted. Billy raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned at him.
"Wait, since when do you call him William? Also, how did you two get here? I thought Billy was still waiting for his car to get fixed and you won't replace that car of yours, Jones," Steve said.
"Good luck convincing Issi to get rid of that car. She absolutely adores it, and I got my car back this morning," Billy said. Isadora simply nodded in response, as she looked away from the two boys, not wanting to mention the reason why she adored her car so much.
"You're right, I do adore that car and I am totally sure I can fix it," Isadora said, shrugging the two boys off.
"Issi, we're not trying to be mean or upset you, it's just that you have been saying you can fix the car for ages now but every time you've tried, you find a new problem that needs fixing. Maybe it'd be for the best if you just gave up on the car and got rid of it," Billy told her.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Isadora sighed.
"I'm not trying to upset you, Princess," Billy said. Isadora nodded and squeezed his hand reassuringly before walking away to start looking for a movie before smiling when she saw Kendra and Robin restocking shelves.
"Hey, I didn't know you were here, Ken!" Isadora said, before she walked over to one of the shelves and started looking through the VCRs that were sitting on the shelf.
"Isa, I just finished sorting that shelf out," Kendra groaned, as Steve and Robin started talking about Vickie while Billy walked over to join Kendra and Isadora.
"Sorry, I was just trying to find a movie for our movie night," Isadora told Kendra.
"What about Grease? I know how much you love that movie," Kendra suggested.
"Hmm, I don't know," Isadora replied, as she looked through some of the VCRs and Kendra looked towards Billy, who held up his hands in response.
"I've tried to make suggestions, Issi has rejected every single movie option I suggested," Billy rolled his eyes at his girlfriend, who smiled over her shoulder at him.
"Your suggestion was Fast Times, which we have watched several times now," Isadora retorted.
"So, we can always watch it again," Billy said.
"We're not watching Fast Times, William," Isadora rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.
"Doctor Zhivago!" Robin said. Isadora looked over to where Steve and Robin were standing, as Robin announced the morning movie she'd chosen for herself and Steve to watch.
"Ugh, you know I don't do double VHS," Steve said. Isadora rubbed her fingers against her temple and winced as Steve raised his voice a little and Billy looked towards her, noticing she looked a little pale.
"Are you okay, love?" Billy asked her, as he touched her back gently and Isadora nodded.
"But it's about doomed love. Also, Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like seriously, the most beautiful creature I have ever seen in my life," Robin told them, as she switched the television on. Isadora rubbed her fingers against her temple again before walking away from Billy and over to where Robin and Steve were standing, before a news report started playing on the TV.
"We're in the Forest Hills Trailer Park in East Roane County. We don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High students was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name ..." the news report said, making Billy and Isadora look at each other.
"What the hell?" Isadora asked, as a bad feeling formed in the pit of her stomach.
"Holy shit," Steve said, as the group all gathered around to watch the news report.
"As you can see behind me, Chief Powell and the Hawkins Police Department are actively investigating the scene," the reporter said. Isadora folded her arms across her chest as the bad feeling settled in the pint of her stomach and she watched as Robin switched the TV off before Isadora walked past her friends and over to the shelves to try and find a movie. Billy watched her go before walking over to where she was and gently touching her shoulder.
"Are you okay, Issi? You look a little pale," Billy said.
"Yeah, I'm just a little shaken, I guess," Isadora shrugged, as she grabbed a VCR off the shelf and looked at it, before shaking her head and putting it back.
"Love, what's going on?"
"Look, it could be nothing but I just have a bad feeling about that news report."
"What kind of bad feeling?" Billy asked her.
"I—I don't really know how to explain it, it's just a bad feeling that I have. Hey, this seems like a good choice for our movie night," Isadora said, as she grabbed a VCR from the shelf before showing it to Billy.
"A horror movie? You never normally suggest horror movies," Billy said, as he put a hand to Isadora's head, and she made a face as she pushed his hand away.
"Stop doing that, I'm not sick and this movie looks kinda interesting," she retorted and Billy shook his head as the bell to the shop rang and Isadora looked over to see Dustin, Ellie and Max hurrying into the store together, making Isadora smile, "Ellie, you're back from California?"
"For spring break, yes. I'm staying with Max," Ellie smiled.
"Oh, it's good to see you again," Isadora said, as she walked over to hug Ellie tightly.
"Hey, Steve."
"You guys see this?" Steve asked and Isadora looked over to see the news report was playing on the television again.
"How many phones do you have?"
"Someone was murdered."
"How many phones do you have?" Dustin repeated the question.
"Two, why?"
"Technically three, if you count Keith's."
"Yeah, three works."
"Max, what are you three up to?" Billy asked, as he walked over to where the young teenagers were to see what was going on.
"What are you doing?" Steve asked at the exact same time, as Dustin removed his backpack and jumped over the counter, sending VCRs flying.
"Hey, what are you —"
"My pile!"
"No, no, no, my tapes! Dude, what are you doing, man?" Steve cried, as Dustin helped himself to the computer.
"Setting up of base operations here."
"Base of operations?"
"I need it."
"Need it for what?"
"Looking for Eddie's friends' phone numbers."
"Oh, Eddie, your new best friend you think is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?" Steve asked, and Billy nudged Isadora, who rubbed her fingers against her temple before turning to look at him.
"Is Steve jealous?" Billy asked her quietly.
"I don't know if it's jealousy or if he feels like Dustin replaced him with Eddie."
"Seriously, you guys, maybe on a Monday you can play around in here like toddlers, but it's Saturday. It's our busiest day," Robin told the teenagers.
"Alright, Robin, I emphasise, but this cannot wait until Monday."
"What, because calling all of Eddie's friends is an emergency?"
"Correct."
"Do you want me to strangle him or do you want to?"
"We could take turns," Robin suggested. At the mention of strangling, Billy noticed Isadora was rubbing her neck and he frowned as he watched her.
"Are you okay, Issi?" He finally asked. Isadora lowered her hand and nodded as she looked towards her boyfriend.
"Oh, yeah —" she nodded before turning her attention towards Robin and Steve, "Maybe before we consider strangling anyone, we should let Dustin, Max and Ellie have a chance to explain what the hell is going on."
"Can you just fill them in while I do this?" Dustin asked Max.
"Fill us in on what?" Robin asked.
"Max, what is going on?" Billy asked. Isadora noticed Max seemed to be hesitating and Isadora had a funny feeling that whatever Max was about to tell them had something to do with the murder that had happened at the trailer park.
"Is this about what happened at the trailer park?" Isadora asked.
"Do you know something, Isa?" Kendra asked her best friend.
"No, I only know what we heard in the news report just before," Isadora said.
"I saw Chrissy's body in Eddie's trailer this morning."
"What? Are you sure?" Isadora asked her.
"Yes, I'm sure. She was in her cheerleader outfit, same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie last night," Max told the group.
"And you told the cops all of this, right?" Billy asked.
"No ... but Dustin doesn't think Eddie is responsible for Chrissy's death. We can't presume anything but it doesn't look good for Eddie, her body being found in his trailer," Max said.
"And so that's why you're trying to call Eddie's friends?" Kendra asked.
"Eddie screamed before running, and he was driving away from the trailer park like a maniac, but the look on his face, he was scared, really scared ... and I don't know if it was because he killed her or —"
"Something else killed her?" Kendra suggested.
"Yes, and so now we need to find Eddie to get his side of the story," Max said, making Kendra and Steve look at each other, as Isadora tensed up, memories of the Mind Flayer flashing through her mind as her friends talked.
"So, let's find Eddie," Isadora finally suggested and soon the group were calling Eddie's friends while still attending to customers who were coming into the shop. As the group was making calls, Billy walked over to Isadora and gently tapped Isadora's shoulder.
"Issi, what if Eddie is responsible for that girl's death?" Billy asked, as the blonde turned towards him and wiped her nose. She paused for a moment, as she noticed the small droplets of blood before quickly hiding her hand and shrugging as she refocused her attention on Billy.
"I don't want to believe he is responsible, but if we find out he is, we'll turn him over to the cops. He is my friend though and everyone deserves a chance to prove they're innocent," Isadora said.
"Okay," Billy nodded.
"Hey, guys, I might have a lead."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Apparently Eddie gets drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick and sometimes Eddie crashes there," Max said, as the group turned their attention towards her.
"That sounds promising but where does this Reefer Rick guy live?"
"See, that's the thing, no-one knows. He's more of a legend than someone that people actually know," Max explained.
"What about a last name?"
"They don't have that either."
"Bet the cops know the last name," Steve said.
"What?"
"Cops. I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system," Steve said.
"Yeah, but the cops? I mean, Eddie's our friend," Isadora reminded Steve.
"Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?" Dustin asked.
"I mean, I just think they should be filled in on what we know, what's going on."
"What is it that we know, exactly?" Isadora asked him.
"You think Eddie's guilty, don't you?"
"Whoa, I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit. I just, you know ... I just don't think we can rule it out."
"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve."
"And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent more time trying to find Eddie," Dustin snapped. Isadora winced as pain shot through her head and she rubbed her fingers against her temple again, trying to get rid of the pain in her head.
"Steve, maybe we should give Eddie a chance to prove his innocence before we talk the cops. I mean, Isa's right. We don't know anything and Eddie's our friend," Kendra said, as Robin jumped onto the computer and started typing a name in.
"What are you doing?" Max asked her.
"Maybe we don't need a last name. Twelve Ricks have accounts here."
"That's a lot of Ricks."
"So, let's narrow it down," Robin said. Isadora moved a little closer and watched as Robin started clicking on names,
"Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo. What are the chances our drug dealer has a family?"
"Not likely."
"All right. Rick Conroy. Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the Stone."
"No," the group said.
"Rick Joiner; Mask, Footloose and Grease."
"Oh, some of those are the movies you like to watch too, Issi. Are you secretly a drug dealer too?" Billy jokingly asked her.
"No," Isadora rolled her eyes at her boyfriend as the group ruled Rick Joiner out as a potential drug dealer.
"Rick Kimborough; The Blue Lagoon and Splash."
"Definitely not," Max laughed.
"Rick Lipton; Fast Times at Ridgemount High, Cheech & Chong's Next Movie, Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams, Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke," Robin read out.
"Yep, that sounds like our guy," Billy nodded.
"Lipton?"
"Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland Road."
"That's out by Lover's Lake."
"Middle of nowhere."
"It's a perfect place to hide," Robin nodded. The group nodded in agreement before hurrying out of the video store, locking it behind them and they all squeezed into Steve's car before driving towards Lovers Lake to try and find Eddie. Isadora had no idea what they were going to find but there was a bad feeling forming in the pit of her stomach and she didn't like it.
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Enjoy! Xo
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