Elijah Brooks's life is turned upside down when his best friend Will Byers goes missing one night. Teaming up with an unlikely group of friends, Eli finds himself transforming from a quiet bookworm to a courageous adventurer willing to do anything f...
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A VICIOUS CLOUD OF SMOKE PUFFED from Billy's mean lips as he emerged from the car, a proud grin dancing on his face. His dark red top had been opened one button too many, revealing a small layer of golden skin bursting beneath the fabric.
"Oh, man. I must be dreaming," his voice crawled into the night, dark eyes glued to the porch. "Harrington and his little bitch."
Brandy perked at that, and only then did she notice Steve's stone-faced figure pinned in front of the door. His hands pressed firmly into the curves of his hips, the muscles in his neck tightening.
"And who's the kid?" Billy asked, a speck of cigarette bud flying from his ember hands like a firework.
Eli stiffened from behind his older sister, who had already planted herself in front of him like a shield. "That's my brother. Back off, Billy. Just go home."
"Yeah, see, I can't do that," the blond teen slurred, sliding in front of his Camaro as he took another drag of his cig. "I'm looking for my stepsister. Little birds told me she was here."
"Huh, that's weird," Steve sighed, hopping off the porch and meeting the other boy in the gravel. "We don't know her."
"Small, redhead? Little bit of a bitch?" Billy tried sourly, cigarette dancing between dry lips.
"Sorry, buddy. Doesn't ring a bell."
"What about you, huh?" His eyes glossed over to Eli, making the younger Brooks tense up again. "You go to school with her, huh?"
"I said step off, jackass," Brandy spat.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Billy barked in a cold, clipped tone. "Let the boy speak for himself."
"Hey, she's not here, dude," Steve interrupted, locking eyes with the Hargrove again.
Billy considered this, letting the thin air of white smoke billow between them. "You know, Harrington...this whole situation it's...I don't know. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies."
"Oh yeah? Why's that?"
He shakes his head, mouth puckered closed. "My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day. And then I find her with you, in a stranger's house. And you lie to me about it."
Steve let out a mocking chuckle, eyes flickering to the forest in feign cluelessness but real annoyance. "Man, were you dropped too much as a child or what?"
Eli flinched at the comment, finding the Harrington's choice of words particularly distasteful. He knew the boy was just trying to play an act, but still.
