This is for you Chrissy

Carter six

TW: Bad Parenting(body shaming children)

JASON's POV:

The police this year really like to get in the way of us high schoolers having fun. It's absolutely awful. Luckily they haven't arrested us yet.

"What do you want, officer," I ask.

"Sheriff," he replies tersely.

"I'm sorry, sheriff, what can I do for you."

"When was the last time you saw Chrissy Cunningham?" he asks.

"Uhhh after the game, maybe you'd like to ask one of the boys. She said she was going home to change."

"Well according to her mother, she never came home," he says, "do you know where else she might have gone?"

"I can't think of anything," I say. Is Chrissy ok? Where is she?

The sheriff nods and goes into Benny's abandoned burger shop. I cringe at the vandalism on the walls.

"How do you think the Hammond family would react to this?" He scolds.

He starts to interview us, one by one. He finally gets the answer he wants out of Patrick.

"I saw her get into Eddie "the freak" Munson's van," he replies casually. All of us turn to face him, "I figured she was just getting drugs for the party or something."

"Nah, Chrissy doesn't do that shit," I say.

"Then maybe she didn't stand you up last night," he smirked. I rolled my eyes. How fucking annoying can they get.

"Listen, I don't think it's anything serious," the sheriff started, "her parents just wanted me to check in."

But i knew he was wrong. Anytime a person goes missing in Hawkins, it can't be good.

As soon as the sheriff leaves I break down. Chrissy was with that freak. That satanist. He could be using her as a sacrifice.

"We are going to find her," I say, "and we are going to kill that freak if he has so much THOUGHT about laying one of his ringed fingers on her."

"Yeah!" Everyone cheers. Everyone except Lucas. He seems unsure for whatever reason. It's hard not to pity him. A mere freshman who hasn't learned how to fight for what he loves yet.

STEVE's POV:

Robin and I were emotionally preparing for the hardest day of the week at family video, Saturday. The two of us have gotten into the habit of ranting about doomed love.

"I'm hopeless," Robin announces, leaning against the wall.

"Eh," I respond, this isn't the first time I've heard that, "we both are."

Robin starts ranting about how we could combine and have all of the luck in the world revolving around our love life before she picks out Hotel Trivago as our daily movie. I HATE that it's double VHS, but the topic is relatable.

Doomed love. It's funny how a few short years ago, I was the king of Hawkins High. Now, I work my ass off for $3/hour at a video store with a band geek. The weird part though is that despite my hardships, I've been happier being best friends with the girl who rejected me, and literal freshmen.

RING! The bell on the door of the shop rings as Max and Dustin burst through the door.

"Steve, we have a problem," Henderson exclaims.

"Can this wait? It's Saturday," I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, it's the busiest day by a long shot, and I'm currently mentally preparing myself so I don't become a total colossal mess. So if you don't mind, out." Robin points to the door.

"Seriously, he's right. Someone was floating," Max pipes up. I look at her confused, people normally float in the water, what's wrong with that?

"In the air," Dustin adds.

"Wait, what? " Robin says. I must not be processing this correctly, did he say in the air?

"And then her arm just... snapped," Max adds, "she's fine now though."

"Eddie snapped it back into place," Dustin explains. Of course it was Munson, not only is he oh so cool, but he can set bones too! I thought sarcastically.

"Ok Dustin, look. If more paranormal shit is really happening in this town then we are royally screwed. We don't have El or Hopper anymore, and the only people left in town who know about this are literal teenagers..." Robin rambles.

"Eddie's 20," Dustin reminds her.

"So now Eddie 'the freak' Munson knows?" I snap. How could they trust him.

"Boys, save your petty arguments for later," Robin interjects, "what I'm saying is that if you're right, we don't stand a chance."

We all stand there in silence. None of us knowing what to say.

"Well we have to do something," Max says, breaking the silence, "my friend— or at least I think she's my friend— broke her arm, but it could have been so much worse. I can't lose anyone else I care about. Not again." We all stare at her. She hasn't said this much to any of us in months.

MAX's POV:

I can't let anyone else that I'm close to get hurt. I've lost too many people already. God I wish Eleven were her, even without her powers. She made everything better.

We all agreed that if this kept happening, we would do something about it. It's terrifying to think that someone or something other than El would have the ability to lift people in the air and snap their bones. 

Steve is letting us stay at his house tonight. None of us wanted to be alone if this is really happening again.

"Chrissy, do you want to call your parents to let them know that you're ok?" I ask once I get back into the van.

We've all piled into the van, Steve and Robin's car behind us.

"No," she says definitively, "my dad's never home anyway."

"What about your mother?" I ask.

"She's... not a good one," Chrissy responds. I nod sympathetically.

"Hey, it's ok," I say. Chrissy turns to face me, I can see the pain in her eyes.

"If you want we could... talk about it?" it's been so long since I've had one of these types of conversations. Not since El was here.

"She just... expects this... p-perfection from me," she says, "not exactly in the 'get good grades' way, more in the 'be skinny and b-beautiful and perfect material to marry a rich man' way."

"Oh," I say.

"Yeah," she turns away.

"I'm really sorry Chrissy, that sucks. It will get better, I promise." I know there's nothing I can say that will make her feel better in this moment, but I know I can help her.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."