Other Friends

3

Lizzy

Sitting in the Principal's office wasn't a new thing for the teen. What is new to this occasion is that Windy is with the teen and her Uncle Jim is already waiting for her as they enter the room. In the principal's chair no less.

"What's going on Hopper?" Windy anxiously asks, sitting next to her friend. Lizzy is silent, her leg bouncing in nervous anticipation.

"Lizzy. Windy. I just wanted to ask you two, some questions." He says nonchalantly. Windy and Lizzy look at each other, suspicious.

"Okay, old man. What kind of questions?" Lizzy questions.

"Where's your friend?" He questions, ignoring the old man comment.

"Don't know, we were looking for her when we were called in here." Lizzy replies with a shrug.

Hopper gives the two girls a look for a moment before scribbling something in his notes. "Was she babysitting Will last night?"

"Probably. She usually babysits all the boys." Windy replies, seeming unsure of where he was going with this.

"When was the last time you saw Will Byers and Bella Rose?" He asks as he got a pen ready, to take notes again.

Lizzy looks at him, curious if he forgot already. "Well yesterday morning, of course. All three of us spent the previous night at Windy's and had breakfast before Bella went over to the Byers to pick up Will, to watch him for Jonathan. As you should know this already." She slowly explains to him.

Windy was nodding in agreement, "Yeah. Jonathan called yesterday morning, he picked up an extra shift and asked Bella to take Will to the Wheeler's for a D&D session for the whole day."

He sighs in contempt, "Yeah, she already told me that part."

"Why're you asking? Is there something wrong? We were on our way to see Bella for our free period."

"Well, Joyce called, concerned about Will. Seems like he didn't get home last night." He states with a sigh, "Now it seems Bella is also missing."

Windy and Lizzy look at each other in concern. "That's odd. She wouldn't just disappear like that."

"Would she be prone to ditching?" He gave Lizzy a knowing look.

"No, she's not me Hopper." She replies with an eye roll.

"We will try to get ahold of her parents then. Do you know what route they would have taken last night?" the cop asks.

"Mirkwood." Windy and Lizzy say simultaneously.

He gives them a look, "What?"

"What?" They ask, sitting more at attention in the chairs.

"Nothing. Nothing." He shook his head as if he was clearing it.

"Do you want us to help with searching for them?" Lizzy questions, both girls concerned that their friend has suddenly gone.

"No, we can do the investigation ourselves. No investing by yourselves. I mean it Lizzy." He directly said while pointing at me.

"Have you no faith, Uncle?" she asks, clutching at her chest in fake hurt. Windy snorts at the motion.

He shook his head in defeat and sighs, "Get out."

Windy-

After school, Lizzy and Windy were walking out when we heard a shout. "FINALLY!" The two turn their heads to the right and see Joyce speed walking towards them. "Girls."

Lizzy looked panicked at Joyce, "Joyce. Did we do something?"

"Not that I know of, but that's not why I'm here-" but before she could finish her sentence she was cut short.

Windy chimes in "Have you seen Bella today? She never showed up to classes." she questions in worry, since Hopper talked with the girls this morning.

Joyce's face pales. "So they're both gone?" she whispers in almost shock and fear.

"Apparently, but we need to find them." Lizzy says a bit frazzled.

"Maybe the boys know something we don't?" Windy suggests looking over to the middle school.