𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

xii. mordor it is.

    

     AS THEY now head to Reefer Rick's, Dustin and Steve once again in the way back as Max sat between James and Lucas in the backseat, Nancy and Robin up in the front, the Buckley spoke up, "not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car? 'Cause this is totally and royally gonna suck." She tells their driver.

"It'll be fine." Nancy just insisted. "I just can't see to see those dull eyes of Eddie's break again. I really, really can't." The blonde girl replied, looking away. "Hey, I think he has cute puppy dog eyes." James defended Eddie as Steve looked at him right away.

"Puppy dog eyes?" Max giggled quietly and James looks at her, smiling. "Totally." He says and Steve raised the six-pack of beer bottles. "At least he can drink himself into feeling better, right, James?" That felt like a jab at James' coping mechanism who now glanced back at Steve, giving a mean look before turning away. "That's what my mom does." Max says, her arms crossed and James felt a tiny pang of guilt, glancing down at his lap.

He was just the same as Max's mom. "Why don't we give it a trial run? Hey Eddie, uh, good news first this time. We got you some Dustin approved junk food and that six-pack you requested. Oh, yeah, and we found Vecna. Only the bad news is that he's in that other, darker, much scarier dimension that we told you about, and the gate's closed, so we have no way of getting to him. Like, he's entirely shut off to us, so basically you're screwed." Robin rambled and James just lets out a sigh.

"And no, I knew you were already screwed. But now you're like, doubly, triply screwed." The Buckley added on quickly and the Hopper looks over at her. "Maybe we don't put it like that..." He suggested, crossing his arms. "We're one step closer to finding Vecna. That's what we say, that's what's important." Nancy tells them and James just nods softly.

"See, Robin? Positive spin can make all the difference." Steve says and James scrunched up his face. "Uh-huh." Is all Robin replies with. "Oh, shit." Nancy says so James leans to the middle a bit to see up ahead, only to see the crowd and the cops gathered together.

Nancy parked the car quickly and they all hopped out, "come on, this way." James walked around the news reporter van, standing on the driver's side and peering at the officers, well, Chief Powell and Officer Callahan. "Reporting a homicide here on the lake. Officer Callahan here and myself arrived first on the scene. We made our way to the shore of Lover's Lake, about ten yards from that house you see behind me, it was where we found the victim." A split second, James worried it was Eddie.

"An 18-year-old Senior from Hawkins High, Patrick McKinney." As they described the body's state when they found it, James realized why that name sounded familiar as he looked to Lucas right away and saw the look on his face. The moment they named Eddie as a person of interest, he immediately turned his head back around to look at the police chief.

"What the fuck?" He says right away. "This is not good. This is really not good." Steve says. "Dustin? Can you hear me? Jamie?" The radio goes off and they all turned away from the crime scene as James rushed to Dustin's side. "Eddie. Holy shit, are you okay?" The Henderson spoke into the radio right away.

"Nah, man. Pretty... pretty Goddamn far from okay." Eddie replied and James sighs, grabbing the radio from Dustin's hands. "Where are you, Ed?" He spoke into the radio. "Oh, Jamie! I--I'm at Skull Rock, do you know it? Well, I--I mean, obviously, you would know it because it's popular for--" "making out." James says, glancing up to see Steve is staring at him.

"Yes, yes, I know where it is." He then said into the radio. "Cornwallis and--" "Garrett." Steve cut off James, nodding before they all walk back to the vehicle. "Hold tight. We're coming." Dustin told Eddie through the radio before they all hopped into the car, same seating, and Nancy drove off, away from the crime scene.