𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓, e.m.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

CHAPTER SEVEN | CAN'T LOSE YOU
    "Somethings happening." Everyone followed the Henderson boy as he led them through the woods. Briar and Eddie walked with each other, their hands intertwined as Eddie led them.

    "Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?" The curly headed boy turned to the group, telling them they were getting close. Suddenly, Eddie let go of Briars hand, reaching out to pull Dustin back as he almost fell into the lake in front of him. "Watch your step, big guy."

    "Oh man, you gotta be shitting me. I thought these woods looked familiar."

    "Lovers lake."

    "This is confounding." Eddie and Briar looked at each other, remembering all the things that had happened on this lake, the two teens still able to hear the sound of Patrick's bones snapping.

    "There's a gate in lovers lake?" Briar looked up at Eddie, her hand finding his. Briars hand slipped into his, their hands fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces.

    "Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna's the same way." Briar thought for a moment, realizing that they were all connected.

    "Guys." The whole group looked at her, giving her their full attention. "What if the demogorgons are just doing Vecna's dirty work? Like he sends them through the gates to do whatever he needs while he stays in the upside down. What if it's all connected?"

..........

    "Easy, I said easy, man." After the boat was placed in the lake, Robin, Eddie, Briar, and Nancy got in the boat, Steve staying on the shore, getting ready to push them out. Soon, Dustin tried to get in the boat, but Eddie stopped him before he could get near it. "Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us? This thing holds three people tops, okay?"

    "But there's already four?" Briar chuckled as she tried to explain herself to the boy.

    "Eddie won't leave me, I won't leave Nancy, and Nancy won't leave Robin. So it has to be us four. Plus, me and Eddie come as a package, that's basically cancels out." Eddie nodded in agreement, pointing to the girl to get her point across to Dustin.

    "It's better this way, okay? You guys stay here with Max. Keep an eye out for trouble." Dustin looked taken aback by this, telling Nancy she should keep an eye out instead of him and that it was his theory.

    "You heard Nance." Robin smiled as Briar looked up at the young boy from her spot in the boat.

    "Me and Robin did. Just make sure you guys stay safe and look out for each other. Lucas, I swear, don't do anything stupid." Lucas smiled at his older sister, bringing his right hand up to salute her, the girl returning the gesture.

    "Aye, aye, captain." The two Sinclair siblings smiled at each other as Nancy held her hand out towards Dustin.

    "Compass." The boy reluctantly handed over the compass before Steve threw a backpack at him, barely missing his face before pushing the boy into the water and jumping in. "You said four?"

    "Sorry." Dustin, Max, and Lucas watched as the older teens used the oars to row the boat out to the middle of the lake.

    "Bedtime at nine, kiddos." Briar let out a chuckle, making Eddie turn his attention towards her. He didn't know if what he was feeling was romantic because he had only known her for a week, but he definitely had some sort of feelings. He liked being close to her, holding her hand, even just standing near her was good for him. Eddie Munson had never felt this feeling before, so he wasn't sure what it was yet. "Miss you, already!"

..........

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. Slow down, guys." Briar turned her attention the the Wheeler girl as she held the compass, Eddie and Robin stopping the boat with their oars. Steve held a flashlight up to see the compass, the hand on the compass going crazy.

    "Guys, what's going on? Guys, talk to me." Briar grabbed the walkie talkie, pressing the speak button as she talked into the mic.

    "Hey, uhm, your compass is going nuts, man." As Briar placed the walkie on the seat next to her in the boat, the Harrington boy in front of her began to remove his clothes. While Robin and Nancy watched the boy undress himself, Briar looked at Eddie, a smile on her face. Eddie returned the smile, kind of relieved she wasn't looking at the boy in front of her, but instead she was looking at him, it made his heart melt.

    "Steve, what are you doing?"

    "Somebody's gotta go down there and check this out. Unless one of you four can top being a Hawkins High swim co Captain and a certified life guard for three years then it's gotta be me. No complaints, all right?"

    "Hey, I'm not complaining." Briar turned to the boy, glaring at him as he held his hands up in surrender. "I don't wanna go down there." Steve stood at the edge of the boy, getting ready to jump in when Nancy placed her hand on his arm.

    "Steve, be careful." The boy nodded his head and jumped in with the flashlight in his hand as Robin, Nancy, Eddie, and Briar watched and waited.

    "Where are we at, Wheeler?" Nancy looked down at her watch, telling the girl they were closing in on a minute. "Okay." Suddenly, the Harrington boy broke through the surface of the water, spooking the group.

    "I found it." The group chuckled as Briar let Dustin know that he was a genius and that they had found the gate. "It's pretty wild. More of a snack-sized gate than the mama gate but still, it's pretty damn big." While the boy was talking to the group, he suddenly got pulled down a little bit into the water, his head still above water. They all waited for a moment when suddenly he got pulled all the way down into the water, scaring the group.

    "Steve! What the hell was that? Jesus!" Suddenly, Nancy and Briar stood up, the Sinclair removing the sweatshirt her brother had brought her, making Eddie stand up as Nancy jumped into the water, Robin following close behind.

    "Bowie, what are you doing?" Briar turned to face the boy as she pulled off her shirt, leaving her in a black long sleeve, her pants, and converse.

    "I gotta go down at get Steve. I was a certified lifeguard with him, I can swim." Eddie began to shake his head, not wanting to let the girl go down there.

    "No, no, not happening. You can't go down there." The girl turned to him, telling him she needed to go and save Steve. "Please, Bowie. If you die down there, I'd go crazy."

    "Way to be fucking optimistic, Eddie!" The boy grabbed the girls arm as she stood on the edge of the boat, ready to jump in.

    "Please, Bowie, I can't lose you." Briar sighed, turning to the boy and taking him by surprise, placing both her hands on his cheeks, pulling him down to connect her lips with his. His arms made their way around her waist, holding her close before she pulled away, their foreheads resting against the other's.

    "You stay here, or you come with. Either way, you won't lose me, I promise."

APOLLO SPEAKS
OMG OMG OMG
THEY KISSED
AHHHHHHHHH!!!