ORPHIC [STEVE HARRINGTON]

TWO

Kimmy parked in the Hawkins High parking lot after dropping Henry off, she pulled down her visor and fixed her makeup in the mirror, causing Emmy to roll her eyes. Emmy's hair was now smoothed down, her vest was fixed and so was her socks.

"Alright, let's go." Kimmy said and her, Emmy, and Sam opened their doors at the same time and then closed them. The three of them began walking together, Sam on the outside, then Emmy, and then Kimmy, a thing they've always done since they were kids. Sam and Kimmy explained it as keeping the youngest and the shortest safe. With Sam always walking near the road, he felt as if he could protect Emmy from cars and Kimmy protecting her from any bushes or fences, feeling she could protect her from people walking to close.

Sam, who glanced down at Emmy spoke, "You let me know if people start bothering you, alright?" Emmy kept her gaze on the high school that was only several feet away. She rolled her eyes and spoke.

"Sam, I don't need you to protect me." She said glaring at her older brother and Kimmy laughed. 

"Emmy, you're the first one to have something bad happen to them. Remember when you sleep walked into the bathroom and almost broke your arm by jumping off the tub and-." Kimmy said and Emmy rolled her eyes, wondering who invited her to share her opinions and Sam spoke.

"My point is that with everything that happened last year-"

"Don't ever bring up last year again." Emmy said glaring at her brother, and he breathed in deep and Emmy's neck began to ache causing her to reach a hesitant hand up to try and soothe it but nothing could help. She knew it, her father knew it, and even her doctors. They called it a phantom pain, where she could feel as if her neck injury from the car accident was still there but it really wasn't. Emmy dropped her hand as they approached the school doors and Kimmy spoke.

"Be back at the car by three, or you guys can walk home." She said and then walked in front of Emmy and opened the door to Hawkins, and the three siblings walked in. Emmy walked in after Kimmy, Sam walking protectively behind the girl and Sam spoke, looking at his youngest sister. 

"I'll see you at lunch right?" He asked and Emmy nodded and she gripped her books in her hand and watched as Sam made a left and walked to his first class. Emmy's eyes fell on a boy who was stapling a piece of paper to the bulletin board, curiosity soaring through her veins. 

Her first thought was "Curiosity killed the cat. Don't go looking for trouble Emerson." Her dad's voice played back in her head like he was standing before her. She walked up to the boy and got a closer look at the paper, seeing that it was a missings poster for whom she assumed was his brother.

"Is-is that your brother?" Emmy asked softly, causing the boy to turn around with a jump and he spoke.

"Y-yeah it is. He went missing a couple days ago." He said, causing Emmy's eyes to fall on the boy who smiled in the picture. He was the same age as Henry, and Emmy couldn't help but wonder if the two knew each other.