"I can't believe you guys are moving in together." Robin says excitedly as I thumb through the ads in Hawkins Post.
"I know right." I smile back at her, taking my attention away from the paper. "You're the first person we've told."
"You haven't even told your parents?"
"Nope." I say, leaning my back against the edge of the counter, propping my elbows up on top. "I haven't told my mom and Steve's parents are out of town on vacation."
"What do you think they'll say?" Robin says as she begins to load the cart with returned movies.
"I think my mom will be happy, she really likes Steve. And as for Steve's parents... Honestly, they'll just be happy he's moving out." I chuckle as I roll my eyes.
"Alright, first cart of the day is finally finished, with no help from you two." Steve says as he joins us behind the counter. "Got another one for me?" He asks Robin.
"Yep, all ready for you." She says, gesturing to the cart.
"Are one of you actually going to help me this time?" Steve asks, eyeballing Robin and I.
"Robin can, I'm busy." I say turning back around and start scanning the paper again.
"Okay, Robin can help me." Steve says as they both walk out from behind the counter.
"Good, I can tell you all about Vicky." She says to Steve as he pulls the cart.
"Yeah, okay. What happened?"
"Well, you said that Tammy sounded like a Muppet, which then I agreed." Robin says as they start putting VHS tapes back onto the shelves.
"Okay."
"And she heard what I said and totally agreed with me. Then Vicky laughed. And it wasn't like a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like... it was a real, genuine laugh."
"Of course she laughed, Robin. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious. Danielle even laughed."
"That's true, I did laugh." I say crossing off another too expensive apartment with a red pen.
"Yeah, that's because Dani was there when you said it the first time." Robin says.
"That's true, I was there." I say.
"Anyway, my point is that Vicki laughed and everything was just like... it was perfect."
"But?" Steve asks as they move to a different shelf.
"But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking. I have said everything I need to say. But then I guess I get nervous, and the words keep spilling out, and it's like my... my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or... or rather my... my mouth is moving faster than my brain. And it's like I'm digging this hole for myself and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't. And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"
"Yeah, you are." I say finally taking my eyes off of the newspaper.
Robin looks absolutely defeated as her eyes stare back at mine. "Oh, I'm hopeless." She says after backing into a movie poster sign.
Steve takes a quick glance at me and then proceeds to copy Robin. With his back against the sign, Steve says, "We both are."
"What do you mean "We"?" I ask Steve with a slight tilt of my head.
Steve's eyes meet mine and they widen as he perks up against the sign a little bit. "Uh- We- We," He stammers pointing at himself, Robin, and I. "We both- we all... are hopeless. Robin... Robin can't get a girlfriend, no offense." Steve whispers to her as she shrugs her shoulders. "And we..." Steve drags out, indicating that he's blanking on what net to say.
"We?" I drag out as Robin's eyes go back and forth between Steve and I.
"We... We can't find our own place. We can't find our own place because all of them suck. Right, right, we're hopeless." Steve smiles nervously.
I stare at Steve for a moment before I shrug my shoulders, "I'll keep looking then." I say softly as I pop the cap off of the red pen start to scan the ads in the paper.
"Ooh," Robin gasps, "I think I found our morning movie." She says running away from Steve to and past the counter. "Doctor Zhivago." She says excitedly as she holds up the VHS tape, showing Steve and I.
"Ugh," Steve says with his arms crossed, "You know I don't do double VHS." He waves his arms in a 'no' manner as he walks over to the empty movie cart.
"But it's about doomed love." Robin swoons.
"Oh, well that's a perfect movie for you." I smile as I turn walk away from the paper and grab the remote.
"Precisely. Also. Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like, seriously, the most beautiful creature I have ever seen in my life." She says as I turn on the T.V.
The daily news comes on, "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 student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name..."
"Holy shit." Steve says, now standing next to me.
"...although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family. As you can see behind me, Chief Powell and the Hawkins Police Department are actively investigating the scene. We also don't yet know if foul play was involved. But whatever has occurred here is sure to touch a nerve across the community of Hawkins."
A woman they interviewed suddenly shows up on the screen, "Ever since that girl, Barb, died a few years ago, it has been one thing after another. I'll tell ya, you start to believe all those things they say, that this town is cursed, that the devil lives here in Hawkins."
The anchorwoman comes back on the screen, "Many of the residents we spoke to voiced similar concerns to us. Grief, shock, disbelief, anger. Everyone wants to know the same thing, how can so many tragedies befall a once-peaceful town? All eyes are now on the police for answers. Is the new chief of police, Powell, in over his head? Or is he the very savior this town needs? We'll be here the rest of the day right here on channel nine, where we'll keep you posted on all the latest developments. In the meantime, we recommend you keep your doors and windows locked tight. This is Beverly Moss, signing off for now."
**
The doorbell digs and in walks my brother and Max. "Hey, guys." Dustin says as they walk up to the counter.
"You guys see this?" Steve asks Dustin as he points to the news on the T.V.
"How many phones do you have?" Dustin says ignoring the question.
"Someone was murdered." Steve says dumbfounded.
"How many phones do you have?" Dustin asks again.
"Two. Why?" I cut in.
"Technically three, if you count Keith's in the back." Robin says.
"Yeah, three works." Max says to Dustin, nodding her head.
Dustin starts to take off his backpack.
"What are you doing?" Steve asks him just as Dustin slams his bag on the counter, shoving it across violently.
"Whoa!" Steve says as bag drops to the floor, knocking things down with it, and the three of us step out of the way. "What are you-"
"Dustin, what are you doing?" I shout as he climbs over the counter.
"No, no, no! My tapes!" Steve yells as Dustin knocks the VHS tapes to the floor. "Dude."
Dustin completely ignores us as he walks over the scattered tapes and sits on the stool in front of the computer.
"What are you doing, man?" Steve exclaims as he walks over to Dustin.
Robin and I begin to clean up the mess my shithead of a brother made as he says, "Setting up base of operations here."
"Base of operations?" Robin asks as she stands up.
"Get off." Steve tells Dustin.
"No, I need it."
"Need it for what?"
"Eddie's friends' phone numbers."
"Oh, Eddie. Your new best friend you think is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?"
"Eddie, yes... I never said that." Dustin says defensively.
"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 says as we continue to pick everything up.
"Alright, look Robin, I totally empathize, but this cannot wait until Monday."
"What, because calling all of Eddie's friends is an emergency?" I ask picking up a clipboard.
"Correct!" Dustin shouts.
"Want me to strangle him or do you want to?" Steve asks me.
"We could take turns." I smile up at him.
Steve nods his head, agreeing, and then turns back to Dustin and Max. At least she had the audacity to walk around like a normal person.
"Can you fill them in while I do this?" Dustin asks Max, frustratingly.
"Fill us in on what?" I ask, turning around, finally done with picking everything up.
Max just looks at me, her mouth opening and closing, trying to find the words to say.
**
Robin, Max, and Dustin are calling Eddie's friends as Steve and I man the store. Mainly Steve, I'm looking at the paper again, still having no luck. However, if I do find something, Steve turns it down because "the people that live in the building are weirdos or the building itself looks terrible", there's always something he doesn't like.
"Hey, guys, I might have a lead." Max says after she hangs up her phone.
Robin hangs up her phone as well and Dustin and I both turn to face her.
"Seriously?" Dustin asks, smiling.
"Yeah. Apparently, Eddie gets drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there."
"That sounds promising." Robin says.
"Where does this Reefer Rick guy live?" I ask.
"See, that's the thing. No one knows. He's more of a... a legend than someone that people actually know.
"What about a last name?" Dustin asks.
"I don't know that either."
"Bet the cops know the last name." Steve pipes in, gaining our attention.
"What?" Max asks as Steve continues to put tapes away.
"Cops. I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer," Steve says moving to the edge of the counter and leans on it. "I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system."
"The cops? Really, Steve?" Dustin says getting off of the stool and walks over to Steve. "That's your suggestion?"
"I think at this point, they should probably be filed in on what we know, what's going on."
"You think Eddie's guilty, don't you?"
"Whoa. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit. I just, you know, don't think we can rule it out."
"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve." Max says.
"And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent a little less time worrying about the customers and more time trying to find Eddie." Dustin laughs sarcastically at Steve.
"Oh, well, somebody has to attend to the customers. Don't just blame this on me, Danielle hasn't been helping either." Steve points to me.
"Hey, what was I to do, the phones were taken." I raise my hands in surrender.
"Besides, we've got a very big selection of customers in here, it can be super overwhelming for these people."
"Yeah, it can be." Robin smiles and turns to the computer, sitting on the stool.
"What are you doing?" I question as I join her, followed by Max and Dustin.
"Maybe we don't need a last name." She says as she begins to type, searching our system. "Twelve Ricks have accounts here." Robin says as Steve walks behind the counter and stands next to me.
"That's a lot of Ricks." Max states.
"So, let's narrow it down." Robin says as she hit the enter button on the first name and reads the latest rentals. "Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo. What are the chances our drug dealer has a family?" She asks Max.
"Not likely."
"All right." Robin says as she goes to the next Rick on the list. "Rick Conroy. Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, and Romancing the Stone.
"No." Max, Dustin, Steve, and I say simultaneously.
"Okay. Rick Joiner. Mask, Footloose, and Grease."
"Nah."
"Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon and Splash."
"Definitely not." Max says as we all laugh.
"Okay, Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cheech & Chong's Next Movie, Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams, Cheech & Chong's Up In Smoke."
"Bingo." Dustin laughs.
"Lipton?" Max asks.
"Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland Road." Robin says and reads from the computer.
"That's out by Lovers Lake." I state.
"Middle of nowhere." Max concludes.
"It's a perfect place to hide." Robin smiles.
"Well, what are we waiting for." I say and walk to the opposite side of the counter and grab my purse. I sling it over my shoulder after I grab my keys, holding them up as I turn back around. "Let's go."
We then rush out of the store and start to pile into my Jeep. Steve pulls his seat forward to let Dustin and Max in as I sit in the driver seat and start my car. Steve waits for Robin as she turns the open sign to close and locks the door. She rushes over and quickly gets in before he shoves the seat back and hops in the passenger seat himself.
**
It's night by the time we finally make it to Reefer Ricks. Dustin passes out flashlights from his bag as I reach into the glovebox and pull my emergency one out for myself.
"I didn't know you kept a flashlight in there." Steve says to me.
"Well, when you have a paranoid little brother like I do, you're always prepared." I smile back and get out of my Jeep.
Once everyone else is out, we turn on our flashlights and Dustin leads us to the front door. He rings the doorbell once we step foot on the porch. After 10 seconds of silence, he rings the bell again. No one answers immediately so he continues to ring the doorbell rapidly.
"I swear you're the most impatient person that I know." I scold him.
Dustin ignores me and stops ringing the doorbell, only to knock on the door.
"Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here." Steve concludes.
"Eddie!" Dustin yells, ignoring Steve. "It's Dustin!" He shouts at the door as he points his flashlight through the window. "Look, we just want to talk, okay? No cops, I swear. We just wanna help."
Dustin continues to bang his fist on the front door. "Eddie!"
"Shh." Robin shushes as she and Max begin to shine their flashlights through the windows.
Dustin ignores her as he starts to ring the doorbell again but this time he shouts, "Rick! Reefer Rick!"
"Don't scream that." Steve scolds my little brother.
"Rick!"
"He's not there."
Max walks off to the side of the house, catching my attention. I leave Dustin and Steve and walk over to Max.
"Reefer Rick!" Dustin shouts again. "He could just be really high."
"Is that a foot?"
"No, that's a shoe."
Max and I shine our flashlights down the side of the house and spot a shed that sits back behind the house, surrounded by trees.
"Hey, guys?" Max shouts back at the rest of the group.
"Oh, yeah, he's definitely gotta be in there." Steve says spotting the shed.
We quietly walk over, pointing our flashlights through the windows to try and get a better look. The door was slightly ajar and Robin carefully and quietly pushes it open the rest of the way.
"Hello?" She says as she steps inside. "Is anyone home?" She asks as the rest of us follow her.
"What a dump." Steve says as he and I walk to the right side of the shed.
There's nothing but camping and fishing gear in here. The water reflects onto Steve as he turns off his flashlight and grabs an oar off of the wall.
"What are you doing with that?" I ask him.
"Just stay behind me." He says sternly and proceeds to jab the tarp covering the boat with the oar.
"What are you doing?" Dustin asks, startled.
Steve ignores him and pokes the tarp with the oar again.
"What are you doing?" Dustin asks again.
"I would also like to know." I speak up.
"He might be in here." Steve says jabbing at the tarp again.
"So take the tarp off." Dustin tells him.
"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off." He argues with Dustin, knowing very well that Dustin won't. Steve continues to poke and prod at the tarp as Dustin and I shine our flashlights so he can see.
"Hey, look over here." Max says to no one in particular. "Someone was here."
"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran." Robin said from right next to Max.
"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar." I smile sarcastically.
"I know you think you're being funny, babe, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight-"
"Ahh!" Dustin, Steve, and I scream as the tarp flies up and Eddie jumps out of the boat. He tackles Steve, catching him off guard.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!" Steve shouts as Eddie pushes him against the nearest wall.
Eddie pulls out a pocket knife and holds it against Steve's throat.
"Eddie, stop!" I shout.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Steve also shouts.
"Eddie, Eddie! Stop!" Dustin screams causing Eddie to break his killer gaze from Steve and to Dustin. "Eddie! Eddie! It's me. It's Dustin. This is Steve. He's not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?"
"Right. Yeah." I hear Steve whisper.
"Dustin he better get that knife way from Steve's neck or so help me God-" I start to whisper.
"-Okay, Dani-"
"-I will light his ass on fire." I finish.
"Just give me a minute." Dustin whisper scolds me. "Steve, why don't you drop the oar?"
Steve does exactly what Dustin says and drops the oar, only for Eddie to push the knife closer against Steve's neck, drawing blood.
"Okay, that's enough." I say stepping closer to Eddie, but Dustin holds out his arm, causing me to stop.
"He's cool. He's cool." Dustin tries to get through to Eddie.
"What are you doing here?" Eddie says, keeping his eyes on Steve.
"We're looking for you." Dustin speaks up.
"We're here to help." Robin confirms and Eddie turns his gaze onto us.
"Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band. This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. And you already know my sister, Dani. You tried to get her to pay D&D with us the other night, remember?"
"Yeah and that's Steve, my boyfriend." I say, pointing at Steve. "You know Steve, you never liked him, but just let him go." I calmly say to Eddie.
"We're on your side." Dustin explains. "I swear on my mother. Right, guys?"
"Yes. Yes. Right. We swear." Max says.
"On Dustin and Dani's mother." Robin reconfirms.
"Yeah, Dustin's... Dustin's mother." Steve mumbles as Eddie firmly holds the knife against Steve's neck.
Just let him go.
My hand begins to twitch the longer Eddie holds the knife up to Steve's neck.
"Dani, don't." Dustin whispers as if he knows what I'm about to do.
However, before I can lift my hand, Eddie releases Steve. Steve lets out a grunt and I quickly rush over to him as Eddie walks away.
"Are you okay?" I ask, placing a comforting hand on his back as he bends over, clutching his neck.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He chokes out. "Am I bleeding?"
"Just a little. Thank God, he let go. I was about to blast his ass through the window." I chuckle a little.
"I love you." Steve chuckles as he looks up at me. He shakes his head, stands up and leans against the wall, pulling me into him. Steve wraps his arms around me and holds me close as Dustin talks to Eddie, who is now sitting on the floor.
"Eddie... We just want to talk." Dustin reaches his hand out to touch Eddie, but as soon as he touches him, Eddie jerks his hand away. "Okay?" Dustin holds his hand out for Robin to Stop as she slowly walks over to Eddie and Dustin.
Robin squats down next to both of them, "We want to know what happened." She says to Eddie.
"You won't believe me." Eddie sniffles.
"Try us." I speak up causing Eddie to look up at me with bewilderment.
Eddie gets up and moves to the center of the room and begins to explain his story involving Chrissy. Dustin sits down on the floor in front of Eddie and the rest of us huddle around him.
"Her body just, like, lifted up into the air and, uh... And she just, like, hung there. In the air. And her bones... Uh, she... Her bones started to snap." He whimpers. "Her eyes, man. It... It was like there was something, like, inside her head, pulling." Eddie says as he makes a pulling motion with his hands. "I... I didn't know what to do, so I... I ran away. I left her there. You all think I'm crazy, right?" Eddie scoffs.
"No. We don't think you're crazy." Dustin says reassuringly.
"Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds." Eddie yells as he begins to cry.
"We're not bullshitting you." Max says.
"We believe you." Robin speaks up.
"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little... difficult to take." Dustin says as Eddie listens to him attentively.
"Okay." Eddie nods his head.
"You know how people say Hawkins is... cursed? They're not way off. There's another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours."
"Like ghosts and shit?"
"There are some things worse than ghosts." Max clarifies.
"These monsters from this other world... we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you." Dustin says.
"If they're back again, we need to know." I speak up.
"That night, did you see anything?" Robin asks.
"Dark particles, maybe?" Max asks Eddie.
Eddie shakes his head no.
"It would almost look like dust, swirling dust." Dustin says to him.
"No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh... or touch." Eddie says. "You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she... she was in a trance or something."
"Or under a spell."
"A curse."
"Vecna's curse." Dustin realizes.
"Who's Vecna?" Steve asks.
"An undead creature of great power." Dustin says, not taking his eyes off of Eddie.
I slowly reach my hand to Steve's grabbing a hold of it as Eddie says, "A spell caster."
"A dark wizard."
Steve holds my hand and caresses the back of it, comfortingly, with his thumb.