It's Not Three Inches With You

Chapter 8

Hopper 

It was late that night or possibly early the next morning that I came home after spending the night with Joyce.

El was with Max so I knew she'd be fine, though I still felt a little guilty for leaving her here. I wondered whether Max knew about her father coming down from California yet.

Knocking on the cabin door, there was no response.

El and Max were probably playing Madonna at top volume like usual.

"El?" I called as I walked inside.

"Max?"

But there was no response.

"El?" I called louder, heading toward her bedroom door and opening it.

Nobody was inside.

Sh!t, I thought. Where are they?

"El! Max!" I called again, though it was probably pointless.

Slamming the door behind me, I stormed out of the cabin and walked into the woods.

"El? Max?"

No response again.

Walking back inside, I speed dialled Joyce's number praying she would pick up.

"Jim?" she asked.

"Joyce, I need your help."

"With what? Hop what's wrong?" she spoke and I exhaled, picking up a cigarette from the bench and lighting it.

"El and Max are missing." I told her.

"What!?" Joyce exclaimed into the phone, already panicking.

"Don't panic." I told her. "Just come to the cabin."

Joyce had already hung up.

So much for don't panic, I thought, though there was no point in thinking it.

I was just as worried as she was, especially after everything that had happened to us over the last few years.

If El and Max had been taken by one of those...things, I don't think I could ever forgive myself.

Only a moment later, a car parked up in the gravel at the foot of the forest and Joyce's small figure came running toward me.

"Hop." She cried, running into my arms.

"Joyce," I breathed.

"Where are they?" she asked anxiously and I shook my head.

"I don't know."

Joyce pulled back frantically.

"Jim what if one of those...those things took them?" she whispered, echoing my own thoughts and I pulled her back toward me.

"They haven't. We're going to find them."

Joyce looked up at me, fear in her eyes.

"Hopper. What if it's like Will?"

I sighed, knowing very well that the thought had passed through my own head before.

"Its not. They'll be fine. They probably just snuck out. They're teenage girls after all."

She didn't look convinced.

"Hop-"

I looked Joyce in the eye.

"Joyce. Breathe. How many times did you sneak out when you were a teenager?"

Joyce smiled slightly before pushing the thought away.

"Its different. El's not like me. She's different. What if she was taken back to the lab? What if they took Max too?" she panicked.

I fought the urge to punch her, despite how much I was in love with her. I was just as worried but the thoughts she was putting through my head were only making it harder for me to cope.

"Or what if they just snuck out to go see a movie with Mike and the others or something?" I shot back, in a half hearted attempt to calm her.

"Mike's with Will." She told me.

I sighed.

"Look, Joyce. I know you're worried. So am I. But I'm sure they're fine. Even if they aren't, there's no point just standing around and talking about what might have happened. Lets just go inside and we'll deal with this in the morning."

Joyce hesitated.

"You want me to do nothing?" she exclaimed and I exhaled slowly.

"Joyce, there's nothing we can do. Let's go inside and we'll think about it in the morning."

Joyce sighed, her breath laced with worry.

"Hop-"

"Come on." I interrupted, offering a weak smile.

She didn't smile back.

"Hop, the kids-"

"Will be fine." I finished for her and she sighed again.

She didn't say anything else, simply following me back inside the cabin.

(A/N: Helloooo again! Sorry about the angst in this chapter but yk, I needed jopper somewhere, so here it is lol :) Also, I said I had exciting news so imma deliver :) I bet the suspense is killing you lmaooooo- I'm updating Mondays now too! I've already finished writing the book and I've started on the sequel 🤣😭 Hope ur excited! Hahahaha- anyway, how are you guys? Srsly thought I was gonna fail science and some how I didn't, so go me lmao- stay safe, totally tubular and I'll see you all Monday! xx)