no stranger could it be (eddie munson x oc)

the makeout spot

Within a half day, Maria found herself back in the woods. At the very least, she considered, the sun was up this time, she had more of a plan, and she would be less alone.

She hadn't slept. How could she, after witnessing the mutilation at the lake? The image of Patrick McKinney with his limbs bent at odd angles, hanging in the sky like a broken marionette was not one she could easily scrub from her brain. They were acquaintances, had barely even been friends, but that didn't seem to matter the moment she heard his bones snap.

The morning light had brought with it a little hope, along with a rushed call to her house from Steve Harrington offering an invitation to the next step of their mystery solving, a rendez-vous at Eddie's newest hideout. She accepted, and was in the woods again.

Leaves crunched under her sneakers, and she dressed no longer in her cheerleader uniform, instead in some jeans and a graphic tank top, a less recognizable ensemble than her green-and-gold one. On top of the sounds of forest ambience were voices, faint as they found Maria's ears through the trees.

She paused at first, but recognized at least one, so she slowly followed the source. Intelligible words drifted to her.

"...Way less powerful."

Through the brush, she saw a flash of movement, and some familiar hairstyles on people gathered in a clearing.

"How? Why?"

One wore a baseball cap. Henderson, she assumed, but couldn't recall the first name. He said, "No idea. All I know is that something is causing this disturbance, and the last time we've seen anything like it, it was a gate."

Now was as good a time as any to make an entrance. She ducked under a branch and into the clearing. "Another gate?" Maria interjected.

Henderson had his back to her and whipped around at the new voice. He yelled.

She jumped back with a shout as he did. Two other kids audibly started as well, and she put her hands up in surrender.

"Whoa, whoa whoa, Dustin, relax!" Harrington called over the others.

That was the name. Dustin, baffled, glanced between the newcomer, and the fugitive. Maria finally noticed Eddie, crouched under a rock, Skull Rock itself, staring at her with incredulous brown eyes.

He shot instead to Steve, "You called her?"

"I—Yes, in fact, I did." Steve defended. "Sue me, but you're pretty short on allies. I figured you could use another."

Maria caught her breath, and slowly lowered her hands. She leveled her gaze at Eddie. "I hope it's not an issue."

His jaw visibly clenched, before he gestured in front of him. There was tension in his "Welcome."

Feeling many eyes on her, Maria was finally given the opportunity to take stock of what she had truly walked in on.

Steve and Robin, at the very least, didn't seem to glare at her. Next to them stood Nancy Wheeler, who Maria had maybe exchanged a dozen words with during her entire high school career. Dustin hovered by the edge of the clearing, joined by two other shorter ones.

The boy she placed as Sinclair—she should really remember peoples' first names when they told her—who'd been with the jocks during the hunt for Eddie. The girl next to him had red hair.

"Why are you guys working with a bunch of freshmen?" Maria couldn't help the skepticism that left her mouth.

The redhead snapped back, quick with a response. "Why are you guys," she turned to Steve and Robin, "working with a cheerleader?"