Sunflower Girl [1]

The Body

I nervously bit my lip as I waited for Jonathan to pick up the phone.

It was almost 8 a.m. which meant school was about to start but I hoped that he was still at home.

"Hello?",his voice suddenly appeared.

"Hey Jonathan, it's Emma. I- I heard about Will and I am so sorry. I wanted to ask if there's anything I can do? I could come over if you want me to. You and Joyce shouldn't be alone right now.",I stuttered.

"We we're heading to the Coroner to see Will. Do you want to come?",Jonathan asked almost shyly. "I- I don't know if I can do it without you, Emma."

"Yes, yes of course. I'll be there. I'll just pack my things and we meet outside, alright?"

"Yes. I'll meet you there."

"Hey, Hop.",I greeted the man who was leaning against his car and smoking a cigarette. "You know these sticks give you cancer, right?"

"Yeah, kid. I actually do know that. You see, after this being the, what, hundredth time you're telling me that, I'm kinda starting to remember it.",he answered with a small grin.

I took the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it on the ground. "Then stop doing it. I don't want you to die."

The man smiled but then his expression turned serious. "How are you, Emma? You look...tired."

"I feel like shit.",I answered.

Hopper sighed. "Well, I guess, we all feel like shit right now."

"It's just- I can't believe Will's gone.",I said. "He wasn't supposed to die, Hop. He was just a little kid."

I looked up at the man with a desperate look on my face.

"I know, Emma.",Jim replied and sighed. "We will find out what happened to him. I promise you that."

"Do you really think he got off the road and fell into the quarry?" I asked seriously. "This theory makes no sense at all, Hops. Will has been to Mike's place a thousand times and rode back with his bike almost every time. He is also an excellent swimmer, Jonathan and I made sure of that when he was little."

Hopper looked at me in surprise. "You think like that too?"

I nodded my head. "There has to be another explanation."

"I believe that too, kid. I have to do some research but I think this is part of something bigger.",the man whispered.

"It's just- I wish I could've been there for him.",I whispered with tears in my eyes. "I wish I had gone missing, not him. Not my little Will."

"No, don't say that, Emma.",Jim said a bit angry. "Will would be as worried as you are right now and I would be too. Don't ever think that way. There is nothing you could've done differently. No one knew what would happen."

I sighed but didn't reply.
I just didn't know what to say.

We didn't exchange any other words after that.
We were leaning against his car when Jonathan's and Joyce appeared.

I slowly walked toward the mother and son duo.

"Hey Jonathan, I'm so sorry-.",I was cut off by the boy who almost sprinted towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I closed my eyes and inhaled his familiar and reassuring scent.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you. I was just...stressed but I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did.",the boy mumbled into my hair.

I slowly let go off him and cupped his face with my hands. "It's okay. I didn't take it very personally."

I looked over to Joyce who was talking to Hopper.

"How's Joyce dealing with all this?",I asked concerned.

The boy sighed. "She's...She's going crazy. She slept with an axe and said that she's seen a creature with no face coming out of the wall. She doesn't want to believe that Will's gone. She kept saying that she talked to him through some christmas lights. It's all really overwhelming."

I gave him a small smile. "Well, I'm here for you and I won't let you down. If there's something I can do, just tell me and I'll be there."

He gave me a weak smile in return and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Emma."

"What's taking so long?",Hopper asked the receptionist after taking a deep sigh.

We weren't waiting that long but Hopper was clearly stressed out.

"Well, everything's been a bit chaotic around here without Gary.",the woman explained a bit exhausted.

I frowned. "Without Gary? Where is he?"

Gary was a really nice man.
He was working as a Coroner since...I don't know...always?

He was living just down the street and I always saw him when I rode to school.
A really nice man.
Maybe a bit old but I didn't think he had already retired.

"Well, I thought everyone knew. Those men from State, they...they sent Gary home last night.",the brunette woman replied a bit confused.

"So who did the autopsy?",Hopper asked.

"Someone from State."

Hopper's gaze suddenly changed and he looked at me with a weird expression.

He was thinking the same thing as I.

"Hops.",I slowly said.

"There's something going on in this city.",the man muttered into his beard and confirmed our theories.

Someone was trying to disguise what happened to Will.

I looked up when a really pale looking Jonathan came into the waiting room.

I stood up and approached him with a worried gaze. "Oh God, Jonathan, come on sit down."

The boy simply nodded and took my seat next to Hopper.

"I'll get you something to drink, alright?"

I returned to an empty waiting room with a glass of water in my hand.

"Where is everybody?",I asked the woman at the reception confused.

"They both stormed out. I don't know where Hopper is though.",she answered.

I nodded slowly, muttered a 'thanks' and stepped out of the building.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

I should maybe check on Mike and the rest.

I hopped on my bike and started riding towards Mike's place.

That's why I didn't saw the heated argument Jonathan and Joyce were having right now at the end of the street.