𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒! [𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐲]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐘

For the rest of the evening, fueled by vodka and a collective vengeance, Margo, Jonathan, Nancy, and Murray made almost fifty copies of the tape they'd taken from Hawkins Lab, packaged them, and addressed them to every news source they could think of. 

When they were done, Murray poured more drinks and leaned back in his armchair. "Woo-hoo!" he said, holding up his glass. "To taking down the man." 

"To taking down the man," Jonathan, Nancy, and Margo echoed. 

Murray took a long sip and relaxed. "Commie bastards sure know how to make a spirit. Am I right?" 

He moved to re-fill Nancy's glass. "Oh, no, no, no," she said quickly. "We... we can't." 

"Yeah, no," said Jonathan. "I've got to drive." 

Murray looked up. "Drive? What, tonight?" 

"I gotta get home," said Margo. 

"Our- parents..." Nancy said vaguely, looking to Jonathan for help. 

"Would be proud if they knew what you were up to," Murray interjected. "Just tell 'em you're at Tammy's or Dawn's or whoever's, and take my guest room." 

Jonathan and Nancy instantly looked uncomfortable. Margo took the vodka bottle from Murray and re-filled her own drink. Third wheeling was getting exhausting. "Well, it is pretty late," Nancy said softly. 

"Okay," said Jonathan. "Uh... Could I use the sofa? They can take the guest room." He gestured towards Margo and Nancy. 

Margo looked up in alarm. "I'll take the sofa."

Jonathan widened his eyes at her. "No, no, I can take the sofa." 

"Okay, I'm confused," said Murray. "What's going on here? A lovers' quarrel? And who here is together- I thought it was Nancy and Jonathan...?" 

Jonathan let out a choked laugh. "No, no, I mean, we're just friends. We're- we're all just- just friends." 

"Friends," Nancy echoed. 

Margo raised her eyebrows and sipped her drink. Murray burst out laughing. "You've told me a lot of shockers today, but that, that is the first lie." 

"I'm just a friend," Margo offered. 

"Now that, I believe," said Murray. "No, neither of these two are exactly your type, are they?" Margo choked on her drink and coughed for a solid thirty seconds. She stared at Murray in horror. He gave her an unapologetic shrug. "Concerned citizens know everything." 

Nancy looked confused, then looked over at Jonathan. "It's not a lie," she said, laughing nervously.

"No?" said Murray. "You're young, attractive. You've got chemistry, history, plus the real shit... shared trauma." Jonathan and Nancy both looked away. "Trust issues, am I right?" He gestured towards Jonathan. "Something to do with your dad." 

"What?" sputtered Jonathan. "No, I mean, my dad's-" 

"An asshole," Nancy finished for him, nodding. 

Murray smiled. "Hm. It is a curse to see so clearly." He caught Nancy's eye. "You, you're harder to read. Probably, like everyone, afraid of what would happen if you accepted yourself for who you really are and retreated back to the safety of...Name? Name?" 

"Steve," said Jonathan, instantly catching on. 

"Oh, Steve," said Murray, ignoring Nancy's mutinous look. "We like Steve."