𝑪𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 - 𝑬𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏

✧28✧

"Dustin slow down!" I try to yell to the boy who's running as fast as he can.

"Come on Avery! Go faster!" Steve yells at me since I'm behind everyone.

"I'M TRYING DUMBASS!" I say in between breaths, "I HAVE ASTHMA"

I can see Eddie running after Dustin who has stopped running. Right as I reach everyone Dustin speaks and continues his route again but this time he only walks faster, "Something's happening"

"Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?" Eddie speaks to him but the boy ignores him.

"I think we're getting close" Dustin says to Eddie that's behind him, not looking where he's walking and not knowing he's about to fall into Lover's Lake. Just in time, Eddie catches up to him and grasps his shoulder, preventing him to go any further.

"Watch your step, big guy"

"Oh, man" Steve says out of breath, "You've got to be shitting me"

"Yeah, I thought these woods looked familiar" Eddie replies. He had gotten out of Lover's Lake just hours ago, only to return to it now.

"Lover's Lake" Robin says.

"This confouding" Dustin states.

"There's a gate in Lover's Lake?" Max questions the group.

"Whenever the Demogorgon attacked" Nancy starts to explain, "it always left an opening"

"Maybe Vecna's doing the same thing" I add with  my eyes on the lake.

"Yeah, only one way to find out" Steve says.

"It must be... here somewhere" Eddie starts walking off on his own, searching the ground for something.

"Eddie, what are you doing?" I ask him.

"I, uh, left the boat... here somewhere" he scratches his head, looking around him, "Ah! Found it" he snatches a tarp, revealing the boat that used to be in the boathouse.

Steve helps him put it back in water, while the rest of us watch them.

"Easy" Steve instructs Eddie as their moving the boat, but Eddie let's it go in the water harshly without doing it on purpose, "I said easy man!"

"Sorry, dude" Eddie apologizes.

"Here" Steve extends his hands to Robin to help her into the boat, but she instead places both her hands on Steve and Eddie's heads for support, "Yeah, I'm just gonna do that" she says while stepping foot in the boat.

Eddie decides to get in as well, he turns to Nancy, landing her his hand and she gladly takes it, "Wheeler" he greets.

"Thanks" she smiles and sits down.

"Princess" he says to me and I take his hand as well. This time he flashes me a real smile and I send one back. 

"Thank you" I say and my fingers linger on his longer than they need to while I sit.

Dustin's about to get in too, but Eddie pushes his head back, "Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us?" he says to the boy, "This things holds 4 people tops, okay?"

"It's better this way, you guys stay here and keep an eye on Max, okay?" Nancy says to Dustin who looks defeated that he can't come with us, "Keep an eye out for trouble"

"You keep an eye out" he replies and shrugs his shoulders with a certain attitude and Nance takes offense to his tone, "It's my goddamn theory" he argues.

"You heard Nance, D" I say to him.

"Who put her in charge?" he points to me.

"I did" I defend myself.