Three's A Crowd? (Eddie Munson/ Steve Harrington x OC)

7

The car was silent as the screeching of the tires began to die down. That was until it was replaced by another noise, everyone looked around slightly confused until Dustin realised it was the radio. However, the voice coming through wasn't Nancy, Robin or Eddie. "Lucas? Where the hell have you been?" Dustin questioned. "Just listen, are you looking for Eddie?" he asked. Carries heart jumped at the hearing of Eddies name. "We found him, no thanks to you," Dustin rolled his eyes. Dustin caught Lucas up on what had happened. "You guys know he killed Chrissy right?" Lucas' voice was panicked. Carries body tensed at the thought.  Dustin again tried to get him caught up but there was too much, Max told him to meet us at school but Lucas began to say he couldn't before the line cut off. "That was weird," Steve spoke. "Let's just get to the school," Max spoke.

As soon as they were in the school, the radio began to sound again. "Dustin, Nancy is a genius," Robins voice come through the radio. Carrie raised her eyebrows at Steve who just rolled his eyes. Robin explained what they had found doing research at the library and it was actually really important and helpful stuff. Dustin then began to explain the plan that they were carrying out at school. Dustin finished by telling them to get to the school as quick as they could. Max opened the door to Ms Kelleys office with the key she had stolen from the teachers house. She began looking through the files, "Fred was seeing Ms Kelley too," Max spoke with his file in her hand. The group began looking through each file, Max being the one to read the bulk of it. With each file she read, she seemed to look more and more nervous, more and more worried. "Max what is it?" Carrie asked as Dustin and Steve began to shout her name. There was an erie feeling that couldn't be shaken, Max was daydreaming like they'd never seen before. She was alive but unresponsive. That was until Lucas appeared, scaring the shit out of the group but also pulling Max from her daydream. "What is going on?" he said out of breathe. "Not here," Nancy and Robin spoke from behind the group.

And that's how the group end up at Nancy Wheelers house.

Everyones attention was on Max, as Max did her best to ignore the fact everyones attention was on her. Dustin had handed everyone a booklet type thing, it had information on Vecna but a few people were struggling to understand it. "You guys actually understand this stuff?" Steve asked, confused. Lucas shrugged looking just as confused. Carrie however nodded. "It's not that hard to understand," Dustin explained. "You get this?" Steve asked Carrie, she nodded. "D&D is a fun game, of course you wouldn't know, because you're too cool right?" Carrie laughed. "Har har," Steve replied. "So far, everyone Vecna has cursed he's killed," Dustin  clarified. "Apart from this Victor Creel dude that Nancy found. He's the only known survivor, if anyone knows how to beat this curse it's him," Dustin continued to explain. "Assuming he was cursed," Steve pointed out that the group was counting on a lot of what ifs. "How could Vecna have existed in the 50s it just doesn't make sense," Steve rubbed his head. Dustin responded with a rant about how they know barely anything about the upside down, especially since Eleven didn't create it and so on. Carrie sat for a moment listening to the conversation before her mind drifted to Eddie, she prayed he was okay, her mind then drifted to what Steve had said to her, was it too late for them? She was broken out of her daydream by Steve, "So he kills one family and he's like 'I'm good' and poof, he just disappears?" Steves theory made Carrie smile slightly, Steve caught her smiling nd smiled back. The conversation quickly died down, until everyone returned to looking at Max. "Any idea what she's writing?" Dustin asked. Everyone shook their head. Since finding out she had all the symptoms of those cursed by Vecna, everyone was on edge, Carrie couldn't imagine how it would feel to be Max right now. 

Everyones attention was stripped away when the door to the basement opened revealing Robin and Nancy. "Okay, so we have a plan," Nancy motioned to her and Robin. They sat down and began explaining how they were going to attempt to visit Victor Creel and ask him about the curse and more importantly how to survive it. However, Steve wasn't happy when he realised he wouldn't be going with them. This lead to the 'adults', Carrie, Steve, Nancy and Robin all being dragged upstairs into Nancys room. "Well I never thought id be in here," Carrie laughed as she stepped into Steves room. "I bet you didn't either," she nudged Steve, who was in no mood for laughing. "Nancy, you're outta your mind if you think I'm babysitting again," Steve spoke now in the middle of her room. "They're not babies anymore, you're looking after someone in real danger," Nancy corrected him. "I know but why me?" Steve questioned groaning. Robin burst in and began looking at Nancys tapes. "Can you please not touch anything?" Nancy spoke digging through her closet. "I can't do anything here," Steve complained. "Why can't I go?" Carrie spoke up. "No offence Carrie, but its easier to change mine and Robins looks than erm yours," Nancy spoke awkwardly. Carrie looked down at her tattoos and nodded. "Not freak enough to stay with Eddie, too freak to be here," she rolled her eyes and walked back down to the basement. She walked slow enough, the conversation upstairs was finished, if Steve came after her she'd know he wasn't lying, he was picking her this time. She stood in the hallway, giving him a chance to catch up, but he never came. He didn't follow after her, in fact she could hear him in the distance begging Nancy to let him come, something about 'turning on his charm'. Carrie shook her head and went down the stairs. 

Nancy and Robin had gone, leaving Carrie and Steve in the basement with Dustin, Lucas and more importantly Max. The group couldn't help but stare as Max scribbled down letters from across the room. "I know you guys are staring at me," Max turned her head as the group tried to look busy, mumbling their innocence. "How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I dont know," she sighed. She walked over to the group who were trying to look into any direction but the one she was coming from. "You can look at me now," she stood infront of them with letters in her hand. "For you," she began handing out letters. Carrie began to panic, she barely knew Max how awkward was it going to be when everyones stood with a letter and she isn't, of course she'd understand why but its still, very awkward. Carrie's mind spiralled with what she could say to make it less awkward, she's about to clarify that she doesn't need one when Max turns to her holding out an envelop smiling. Carrie takes it gladly. Dustin begins to open the letter, "What are you doing? Dont open it now," Max stops him as he fiddles with it. "Thats not for now, its for after, ya know, its a fail safe, for if things dont work out," she nods. Lucas stops her, "Wait, Max, things are gonna work out," he attempts to reassure her. "No, I dont need you to reassure me and tell me its all gonna work out. People have been telling me that my entire life and its almost never true. Its never true. I mean of course this asshole curses me, I should of seen that coming," she finishes. Carrie zones out as she watches Lucas look at Max with so much love and hurt for what she's going through and she swears all she wants is someone to look at her that way. Someone to look at her that shows they're terrified to loose her. Someone who looks at her through a window of love. "Come on," Steve holds out his hand to help her up, she has no idea where theyre going as she wasn't listening. He doesn't let go of her hand as they walk up the stairs of the basement. "When are we going to see Eddie?" she asks Dustin which prompts Steve to let go of her hand. 

Carrie quickly realises that no one but Max knows where they're going. Its not long before they arrive at Max's house, she wanted to drop off her letters here. Leaving the rest of the group in the car. The is an awkward silence as they wait for Max until Dustin breaks it. "Why didn't you wanna stay with us?" he asks Steve. "You ever think I spent time with Eddie because he wanted to spend time with us?" Dustin asks Steve, clearly annoyed at what happened earlier. "Its not like that," Steve shakes his head. "Well its either that or you do like Nance?" Dustin questioned. "I-" Steve began, looking back at Carrie. Steve was saved by the bell as Max threw open the car door. "You okay?" Steve asked. "Im fine. Just drive," she instructed as she got in the car. Steve just nodded as everyone prepared to drive to the next mystery location. 

The location happened to be the cemetery where Billy was buried, it must of been emotional for Max, however when she got out of the car so did Lucas who followed her out of the rest of the groups ear shot. Leaving Dustin, Steve and Carrie once again, Lucas joined them after the minutes as they watched Max sit opposite Billys grave and begin reading a letter. "Something just doesn't feel right," Carrie spoke, trying to get a better view of Max. It had been a while since they'd let her go up there. "Ill go get her," Steve began to walk but Carrie grabbed his wrist, "wait, I think she'd prefer if I spoke to her, girl to girl I guess?" Carrie smiled at Steve and he nodded. She set off walking to Max and said her name softly when she got there. "Hey Max," she paused. "Max?" she put her hand on her shoulder before looking at her directly. "Max?" her voice was rising in fear. "MAX!" she began trying to shake the young girl as she realised her eyes were rolled and white. "MAX PLEASE," she shouted. The group could hear some sort of commotion but looked confused as they watched the interaction. "STEVE!" Carrie screamed causing the group to run up the hill to where Max sat.

"MAX WAKE UP!"