Tears Of Rain (S. Harrington)

XIV

1983
Hawkins Indiana

'Chapter Seven: The Bathtub'

'Caught in a trap'

I pace around the station as Nancy and Jonathan sit down talking, my aunt is going to shoot me. She's literally going to pull a gun out on me and shoot my poor soul. They've towed my car in with all the things we're going to use tonight. I'm going to get arrested.

My aunt, Hopper and Joyce walk in. My aunts eyes dart instantly to mine. "Jonathan? What happened?" Joyce yells concerned as my aunt walks on over to me. "Are you okay? What the hell has happened?" She questions grabbing ahold of my face. My aunt looks down to my hands and see handcuffs wrapped around them and her eyes widen. I'm in shit. "Why has she got handcuffs on? Why does he have handcuffs on?" She yells worried.

The officer looks over to Joyce "well he assaulted a police officer and-" he looks over to me. "Was beating a boy up" Joyce points at us "take them off!" She yells. "I'm sorry we can't do that" he states "take them off!" My aunt yells with Joyce as Hopper walks forward to defend them. "You heard them. Take 'em off" he states. Oh thank god Hopper is here, they'll listen to a Sheriff. "Chief, I get everyone's emotional here, but there's something you need to see" he says walking outside as Hopper follows him.

"Well shit" I whisper to Jonathan and he smiles at me. While they go outside let's rewind for a second.
Who in their right mind slut shames a girl when she hasn't even done anything? It's beyond me, Steve is so lucky I didn't pounce on him I would of grabbed ahold of scissors and hold it to his hair. He would probably scream like a little bitch. I chuckle at myself.

Hopper comes back in and slams a box down. The box was filled with weapons from the car. Joyce and Jenni rummage through the box. "What is this?" Joyce questions. "Why don't we ask Julie? We found it in her car." When hopper said that my aunt looked over to me furiously. "Before you start blaming me, this was a mutual decision-" I say quickly "shut up Julie" my aunt raises her voice making me slide down my seat.

"I would like to talk to you in my office" he says before turning around. "It's not like you would believe me" I roll my eyes before he leans into me "Why don't you give me a try" he says softly.

We're all pulled to his office with Joyce and Jenni standing beside him. I turn to Jonathan as he hands them a photo. "You said blood draws this thing?" He questions. "We don't know, I mean it would make sense. Everyone who's disappeared including my mom must've had some blood dripping from them" I state. It never occurred to me to think my mom was with these monsters, it would make sense. They can be her new friends since she's a monster herself.

- - -

Before we know it we're all shoved into the car. Joyce and Hopper at the front. My aunt, Jonathan and Nancy in the back and your probably wondering where I am....and it's not the trunk. "Can you stop kicking me Jonathan!" I yell as pain shoots through my arm. "I'm sorry" he states. You know when your sat in the car and you have the passenger seat in the front and the other seat behind it, well I was wedge in-between the two. I roll my eyes. "One of you are switching places with me. I'm not sitting like this" I whine as we suddenly stop. My face goes right into the seat. "Ow! Could you have not done that any slower" I sarcastically say as they all get out of the car.

I don't get out I just sit down on the seat, stretching my back and legs. "God that hurt like a bitch" I whisper as I look towards Nancy's house seeing people take things and walk into their house. "I have to go home" she states "no you cant" Hoper says. She starts walking towards the house as hopper grabs onto her arm. "Hey! Listen to me. Listen to me. The last thing in the world we need is them knowing you're mixed up in all this" he says. "Mike is over there!" She shouts "they haven't found him yet. Not yet at least."

This adds up and why they haven't found him or the group. Those people are after Eleven, the bad place and bad men shes on about. That's why they're here. It's the bad men. I bet my whole entire existence that the group and El have ran away into hiding. That means Kyle is mixed up in all this. Hell he's becoming me, I'm mixed up in this too. "Get in the car!" Hopper says as they all rush in. I'm sitting up here now, no way in hell I'm going back on the floor, they're having a laugh otherwise.

Nancy and Jonathan get in but before my aunt can get in I smile upto her. "It's your turn" I smile as she gets in between my legs and wedges between as I shut the door. "Feel my pain" I chuckle she rolls her eyes. "Look we need to find them before the do" Hopper says turning around so does Joyce. "No I don't" "I need you to think" "I might" Jonathan says as he looks to me. "What?" "I don't know where he is, but I think I know how to ask him" he states as we both make eye contact. " walkie-talkie" we sat at the same time.

We pull up to the Byers's house quickly and rush out the car. Jonathan opens the door and goes straight down the hall. As I step in I see Christmas lights everywhere. "Love what you did with the place Joyce. Very festive" I laugh as we walk to Will's room. Jonathan slams the door open and rushes to Will's draws. Joyce gets on the floor "I got it" she yells and handing it to Nancy.

We all stand up and wait for Nancy to talk. "Mike, it's me, Nancy" she says into the phone. "Mike are you there?" She questions "this is an emergency Mike do you copy?" Jonathan sits down next to her as I stand up next to my aunt. Hopper takes the phone off her "Listen, kid, this is the Chief. If you're there pick up, we know you're in trouble and we know about the girl. We can protect you, we can help you but you gotta pick up. Are you there? Do you copy? Over"

I decide to snatch the Walkie-talkie off him. "Kyle I swear to god, you better tell me where you are before I crack your skull open....It's your sister. Do you copy? Over" I declare placing it on the draw.
We all look around each other. "Got any other ideas?" Before we could answer we heard Mike. "Yeah I copy, it's Mike I'm here we're here" he states.

- - -

It's turned dark now as We all sit in silence waiting for Hopper to arrive with the boys and El. We all look to one another. I close my eyes. Please be okay, please be okay. I don't want to lose my brother. He's been through too much already with my mom and El I hope to god those men haven't got her. That's all she needs, she doesn't need to re-live her trauma again.

We hear a car pull up and I rush to the door. I open the door to reveal Hopper's headlights. They turn off as he steps out revealing Mike and the gang. My eyes search for Kyle as I spot him. I run up to him "god Kyle, you scared me" I whisper pulling him into a hug. He wraps his arms around me. "You scared me you psycho" he laughs as I join in. We pull away as I look over to El.

I walk over to her and see her smile as I wrap my arms around her. "Thank god you're okay" I smile as I pull away. "Is that my dress?" Nancy questions.
I look at El then to Nancy. "Surprise" I smile with jazz hands.