Me, Myself, and Her

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Epiphany

The group decided to go to Mike's house to collect themselves and get things sorted out. Max was feeling somewhat better, having stopped crying some time ago. She didn't resist Annie and her hugs, so Annie felt that was good.

"Well, we should find Hopper. Have El see if she can find him once she's feeling better. He'd know what to do," Annie said, Max tucked into her side as they sat on one of the chairs.

Mike went to protect, but El immediately agreed. "I can do it. We need his help." So they turned the TV to a static channel and got El blindfolded.

They sat for a few minutes before El said, "I found him."

"Where is he?" Max asked.

"Woods."

Everyone was confused at that. "Woods?" Lucas asked.

El nodded ever so slightly then followed it up. "He's with... Will's mom."

"My- my mom?" Will asked, his voice cranking up a couple notches.

"What are they doing?"

There was a pause. "Ill... annoy?" El asked. "They're going to Ill-annoy."

"Illinois? Why would they need to get out of state?" Annie immediately asked.

Someone started knocking on the door to the basement. "Mike! Breakfast!" Mike's mom.

"Not now mom!" the child in question hollered up the stairs. He turned back to the group, looking to El. "Illinois? Like the state?"

El just shrugged and repeated, "Ill-annoy."

They sat in silence for a second before Max sat up and stood. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up," she said. The two girls went off to the bathroom and Annie decided to stay in the chair.

While they were gone, Mike stood and paced around. Annie was getting a headache watching him. "Something's not right. I can't get Hopper off my back all summer, now all of a sudden he's hiking with Will's mom to Illinois? And Dustin's MIA too? I mean, this can't be a coincidence."

"Mike would you please stop pacing, you're killing me," Annie groaned, adjusting in the chair so her legs were thrown over an arm and her back leaned on the other.

"Yes, please," Lucas said. "Why does it matter anyway? The bottom line is, they're not here. It's up to us." He gestured around the group.

Mike sighed, but stopped. "Up to us to do what exactly?" he asked.

"Find Billy and stop him," Lucas answered.

After a second, when Mike started talking again, Annie sat up with alarm. The boys all stopped and looked at her. "You okay?" Will asked, breaking the silence.

Annie looked at him, then around to the others before she answered. "I haven't heard from Steve. I left a note saying I'd be sleeping over with El and Max for those two nights but not for last night."

She immediately got out of the chair and went over to the phone by the stairs. "I'm gonna call and see if he's home." Annie couldn't believe she had basically forgotten about her brother. Especially after all those thoughts with Billy and Max.

After a couple rings, her mom picked up. "Hello?"

Annie tuned out the conversation behind her. "Hey, mom, uh it's Annie. Was wondering if Steve was home? Or did he already leave for his shift?"

There was a pause on the other end, long enough for Annie to grow concerned. "I haven't seen him, actually. He might've spent the night at a friends. Do you know when you're coming back?"