adoration. Steve Harrington

Reefer Rick

Steve and I pulled up to the video store as Dustin, Max and Robin had their eyes wide on the screen of loaned movies. When they saw us get in, Robin immediately wrote something on a piece of paper and hurried outside. We all got in my car, Steve and the kids squeezing in on each other as Robin told me to go to the address she wrote down. 

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Steve asked, annoyed in the back. I almost laughed at how close him and Dustin were. 

"We think we know where Eddie is... I mean if your Reefer Rick thing is right." Max said from the back, pushing Dustin even more on Steve, only causing them to play a human version of hot potato. I smiled, watching them toss Dustin around, and almost immediately, Steve's eyes locked into mine through the mirror. I awkwardly began looking ahead of me once again.

Not long after, we were in front of what appeared to be an empty house. We all started flashing our flashlights through the window, but no signs of life were even visible.

"Well... Adelaide has lost her mind!" I heard Dustin said, as the three others shushed him.

"Think again, Henderson." I whispered as I saw what appeared to be a big, metallic shed behind the house, right on the lake. I pointed to it, and everyone started following me to it. 

As soon as we approached the door, Harrington quickly walked in front of me to enter first. I rolled my eyes, but following anyway. As he opened the door, he held his flashlight as if it were a bat. But as we started looking around, Steve found an oar and started hitting the tarp with it. 

"What are you doing?" Dustin asked, jumping as Steve hit the tarp with his oar. "What are you doing?" He repeated as he continued.

"He might be in here." Steve answered, focused on the tarp. Robin and I watched the two boys interact with each other in a concerned yet amused way. 

"So take the tarp off." Dustin said as if it was the obvious thing to do, giving Steve a "you're stupid" look.

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off." Steve retracted, turning to Henderson. I rolled my eyes at how stupid this was. 

I started wandering in the small room. I observed the table until I noticed some packaging for energy bars. They didn't look as old as everything else. I called it out.

"Maybe he got spooked and ran away..." Robin suggested as she looked at the packaging. I looked back at her, considering her theory.

"Don't worry. Steve'll get him with his oar." Dustin said, sarcastically. I turned around and, still, Harrington was hitting the tarp, with Dustin closely behind lighting a flashlight for him. 

"I know you think you're being funny, Henderson, but considering the fact that everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred," Steve started, as Dustin just shook his head, mocking him. " Personally I don't find it funny in the slight-" Suddenly Eddie came out of the tarp, screaming. We all started screaming as he pushed Harrington against the wall, a gun to his neck. 

Dustin started screaming his name, and as he turned to us, Henderson's voice became more and more calm, trying to bring Eddie back to reality. Soon after, his eyes shifted to Robin, then Max... and then me. His eyes locked into mine and quickly he let the gun hit the ground. 

"Adelaide." he muttered in an exhausted voice. I smile at him as he sits on the ground, leaning against the wall. While he's explaining to Dustin and Max what happened to Chrissy, Steve walks quickly towards Robin and I, panting. 

"Are you okay?" I ask Steve, concerned. I carefully take his recovering face into my hands and look for any bruises on the top of his head. "Do you feel light headed? Or dizzy?" I ask, worried. I don't know what came over me, but as soon as I saw his head hit the metal wall like that, something took over me.