𝑮𝑹𝑬𝒀 - Eddie Munson [2]

NINE

NINE|VICTIMS

The group sat at a bench in the trailer park to update Nancy on what they knew, everyone silent, not knowing where to start. Birdie glanced over at the girl beside, growing tired of her intrusive staring.

"Okay, Robin, just say what's on your mind." She sighed with frustration, raising a brow at the startled girl. "Why are you staring? Have I suddenly grown two heads?"

"When did you and Eddie Munson become a thing? I don't think I've seen you two talk once in high school. And everyone knew everything about you." Robin said, everyone turning to stare at Birdie as they remembered her high school status.

"I was just buying weed and one thing led to another." Birdie shrugged casually as her cheeks flushed red, a smile breaking out on her lips.

"Damn, look at you all smiling and blushing." The girl laughed as she playfully nudged Birdie. "He definitely gave you a lot more than weed."

"That's my sister." Steve reminded the pair, pulling a disgusted face. "I don't need to hear anymore."

"He was amazing." She whispered to Robin and Nancy, winking at the pair before turning around, Steve staring at her with disgust as he had heard her. "Okay, there are children here, let's catch Nancy up."

"You're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it's from the Upside Down?" Nancy repeated back to them, letting the news sink in as she confirmed she heard them correctly.

"If the shoe fits." Steve confirmed causing Bernadette to snort at his comment.

"Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse." Dustin continued to inform Nancy of their theory. "Now, whether or not he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don't know."

"All we know is something is different." Max added. "Something new."

"It doesn't make sense." Nancy mumbled to herself, piecing together the information.

"It's only a theory." Birdie shrugged, leaning her chin on her palm tiredly.

"No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense." The girl explained her confusion while glancing around at the group. "I mean, why them?"

"Maybe they were just in the wrong place." Dustin suggested. "They were both at the game."

"And near the trailer park."

"We're at the trailer park." Steve said slowly, fearful that one of them would be next. "Uh, should we maybe not be here?"

"There is something about this place." Nancy stated. Bernadette shuddered as a breeze drifted over her, a sudden looming feeling filling her body. "Fred started acting weird the second we got here."

"Acting weird as in?" Robin questioned her carefully.

"Scared, on edge, upset." She listed, thinking back to when she last saw Fred.

"Max said Chrissy was upset too." Dustin remembered, looking over at the quiet ginger girl.

"Yeah, but not here." Max explained. "She was crying in the bathroom at school."

"Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?" Birdie picked at her nails with boredom, wondering if Eddie was okay and if she should have stayed with him for longer. "So what if Fred and Chrissy saw the vecnus-"

"Vecna." Dustin corrected her with a small eye roll. Bernadette raised her left hand and flashed her middle finger at him, scrunching her noise up tauntingly.

"I don't know about you guys, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone." Steve scratched at his face as he thought about the situation. He reached across the table and grabbed his sister's hand, pushing it down.

"Maybe they did." Max stated. "I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley's office. If you saw a monster, you wouldn't go to the police. They'd never believe you. But you might go to your-"

"Your shrink." Robin cut in, realising the direction Max was thinking about.

The group nodded in understanding before standing up and heading towards the two cars they had brought. Steve grabbed his keys as Nancy headed towards her car, confusing the others as they questioned what she was planning.

"Nance." Steve chased after the girl, stopping her in her steps. "Where you going?"

"Oh, there's just something I wanna check on first." Nancy said discreetly, gesturing to her car.

"Something you wanna share with us?" Dustin called out, shrugging as he waited for her to explain.

"I don't wanna waste your time." She brushed it off. "It's a real shot in the dark."

"Yeah, okay." Steve said sarcastically. "Are you out of your mind? Flying solo with Vecna on the loose?"

"Hey, he got the name right!" Birdie cheered, clapping her hands sarcastically.

"It's too dangerous." He continued to lecture the girl. "You need someone to." He trailed off before throwing his keys are Robin. "Here. I'll stick with Nance. Take the car, check out the shrink."

"I don't think you want me driving your car." Robin instantly shot back fearfully causing Steve to question her. "I don't have a license."

"Why don't you have a license?"

"I'm poor." She shrugged, not knowing how else to answer.

"I can drive." Max offered, gesturing for Robin to hand her the keys. Birdie stayed silent, waiting for someone to remember she had a license.

"No, never again." Steve said with worry, not knowing what state his car would be returned to him in. "Anybody but you."

"All right, this is stupid." Robin sighed, grabbing one of Dustin's walkie talkies from his bag before throwing Steve his keys back. "Us ladies will stick together. Unless you think we need you to protect us?"

"Coming!" Birdie skipped after the pair, flipping her middle finger to her brother before placing a cigarette between her lips.

"So, you and Eddie." Robin twisted her arm around Birdies as they wandered over to Nancys car. "I'm gonna need more details."