I Know The End ✸ Steve Harrington

iv. the man with no face

chapter four .  .  . the man with no face

THE NEWS OF WILL BYERS'S dead body being found in the Quarry spread like wildfire, disquieting the town of Hawkins. Many people had different reactions — some were left in disbelief, some parents were left paranoid and some with heavy hearts that a boy that young had died. For Josie Henderson, it was a full parade of misery.

The school day had dragged, with endless music blasting through her headphones all day, keeping her head down, not bothering to pay attention in class which the teacher's didn't question, thankfully, while trying to get through the day without crying.

"Henderson!" Steve abruptly called out, making the girl pull her headphones off her head as he stepped in line with her, "Look...the cops are probably gonna want to talk to us about the party."

Josie looked at him like he had grown two heads. "Um...why?"

"Because Nance is still worried about your friend, Barb, and she went to my house, came back saying she found a guy with no face in my yard."

"A guy with no face?"

"Yeah, she came back talking crazy." Steve stressfully put his hand through his head of hair, "I just need you to not say anything or my parents are gonna murder me."

"Sure, I won't say anything." Josie plainly said.

"Please— Wait, what?" Steve creased his brows, baffled. He was confused that Josie just complied, no trace of sarcasm in her tone — nothing. "Just like that? No bullshit...you won't say anything? Did you hit your head, Henderson?"

"Yes, Harrington, I won't say anything." The girl breathed out a laugh, raising her brows, "Can I go now?"

Steve nodded, "Yeah...sure." He watched Josie prop her headphones back onto her head, walking through the school doors and out onto the parking lot. Steve stood in his spot, completely bewildered that their interaction didn't end up in an insult competition like it usually did. Throughout the morning, he wasn't paying attention or anything, he noticed how Will's death had effected her from the way she ignored everyone around her all day — she babysat him for three years of course it did, but the way she looked like she hadn't slept in days was as clear as day, the smile she usually wore had been replaced with a blank stare and her not bothering to get her work done in class was unusual. Brushing his thoughts about the girl off, the Harrington boy walked away in the opposite direction.

Cycling straight to the Wheeler's household, the five were sat in a circle in the middle of the basement. To Josie, the circle felt small, too small for her liking. There was an obvious gap amongst their group, even with Eleven being a new member, it felt empty without Will.