𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 , 𝐬. 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

𝟎𝟏𝟎. 𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐏

▍The room fell silent. The heavy breaths between Max's quiet sobs seemed to echo around the small counseling office. 

BAM ! a loud thud was heard outside of the room, seemingly just down the hall. Everyone jumped, as Steve grabbed a lamp off of the desk.

"A lamp , Steve? Really?" Mirren said, tilting her head. She wanted to smile , but she couldn't. Not now.

He turned towards the door and shrugged. "Better than an oar." Steve mumbled as he walked into the hall.

The group very quickly followed behind him, holding their own tiny, objectified weapons. Dustin held a flashlight, and Summer was beside him, holding a newly sharpened pencil with the pointiest end you'd ever see.

Footsteps flooded the hall as the group stopped, ready to fight off whatever was approaching rapidly.

Suddenly, Lucas Sinclair jumped in-front of Steve, who shook his lamp threateningly. Instead of standing their ground, though, they both storages screaming.

"Its me!" Lucas yelled, putting his hands up on defense.

Max's eyes went wide as she turned on her heels, clearly annoyed at the anxiety Lucas had put everybody through. "Are you kidding?!"

Summer, however, stopped in her tracks, getting a better look at the boy. He was cute, but this wasn't the time.

"Jesus, what's wrong with you, Sinclair?!" Steve yelled, throwing his arms down dramatically. "I could've taken you out with this lamp!"

Lucas furrowed his brows and stared at the group, who were all still a little bit in shock. "I'm sorry!"He then looked at the two girls he didn't know. He pointed to them, raising an arched eyebrow. "Who are they?"

Robin spun on her heel, facing Mirren, who was right beside her. "Mirren , Summer, and Claire. You know Claire."

"I mean , kinda." He did know her a little bit, being on the cheerleading squad, alongside her ex boyfriend being best friends with Jason. He waved to the Castman sisters and then looked over at Claire.

Claire looked at him and smiled a polite, greeting smile. "Hey."

Lucas mimicked the motion and then turned to the rest of the group. "We've got a code red, guys." He announced, making his way over to Claire, Dustin, Summer and Max, who were all in their own little clump behind Steve. "Dustin, Claire, i've.. been with Jason, Patrick, James, and Andy, and they've gone like totally off the rails!"

"James, like.. like my ex boyfriend, James?" Claire asked. an eyebrow raised.

He nodded hesitantly then continued talking. "They're trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is!" He spoke to Dustin, specifically, but Claire was more freaked out now.

"Wait, so they're trying to find Dustin? And, if they do find Dustin, they find the rest of us. Meaning that James will know i'm with you guys?" Claire asked, her voice getting more and more panicked by the second.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, yeah, pretty much. Why?"

The group turned towards Claire, concerned looks being exchanged silently.

"If he sees me hanging out with you guys, he's gonna freak out. He's already mad at me for fighting with him in school the other day. He's gonna lose his shit!" She ran her hands through her dark hair as she started to spiral.

Steve turned towards Lucas and nudged his arm. "I am guessing they're pretty angry, right?"

Lucas nodded quickly. "James and Jason especially. James is upset that Claire won't answer the phone, and that he can't find her anywhere. It's only a matter of time before they find out she's here."

"Damn it." Steve mumbled under his breath, catching a glimpse at the girl breathing heavily beside Summer. Summer put her arm on Claire's shoulder and rubbed it, trying to calm her down.

Dustin looked towards Lucas and nodded. "That definitely... sucks, but we've got bigger problems then those assholes, okay?"

There was an overwhelming silence suddenly, and all eyes fell on Max and Mirren, who stared down at the ground.

—————

When Erica Sinclair opened her front door to see two blonde guys in Hawkins jackets, she almost shut it immediately.

"Hey there," Jason Carver started, his hands in his pockets and a friendly smile plastered onto his tanned face. "is, uh.. is Lucas home?"

Erica started shutting the door. "Negative."

However, the other boy pushed it back open. "Do you know where he went? Have you seen a girl with like.. uh.. like long brown hair, too? Her name is Claire and she's such a little—." His voice was frantic and he was sweaty.

"That's his girlfriend." Jason inturupted, trying to be sudle as he kicked James in the foot. "She's, uhm, missing. We were all supposed to go out—."

Erica scrunched up her face. "Go out? I see Lucas has taken a step down from Max. Isn't Claire the one that left the game early with the other one? Lucas was saying something like that."

James and Jason exchanged glances before smiling politely back at Erica. "Yes. Yes, yeah she is. Do you know where she might be?"

"Saw her with Dustin. Can you go now?" She started shutting the door, but James slammed it back open.

He chuckled lightly and apologized. "Dustin, like that D&D freak?"

Erica hesitated and shut the door slightly. "You know what. Nope, that wasn't her. Wrong person, haha. Haven't seen her." She slammed the door and locked it before they could open it back up to ask more questions.

As she walked back to her room, she sighed. "They owe me so much money." She mumbled, shutting her bedroom door loudly.

———-
AUTHOR SPEAKS !

hi babes! my school starts next tuesday, so chapters will definitely be much slower over the course of the school year. i'll try for one a week! Love ya !

xoxo, kenn.