𝗨𝗚𝗟𝗬 // 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

035

I sit behind the counter flipping through my spiderman comic as Steve and Robin continue to stare at the news, it's only been a few hours yet still no more information given on the students death.

A part of me itches to ask Steve to change the channel, because every mention of the deceased flashes a memory of red hair in front of my dark, tired, eyes.

"Steve-" I start before the door swings open and a very stressed looking Dustin and Max strut through the door, "Steve!"

The brunette turns to his small friend, pointing at the news, "can you believe this? Someone was murdered!"

Yes. It's believable.

Barb..

A part of me aches to know what happened to her, a part of me wonders if this is the work of some kind of killer, the type that waits a couple years for his next victim.

I know the world is more then school and boring jobs, I know there's real monsters out there, but sometimes people are scarier.

"How many phones do you have?"

Robin's brow rises as my own gaze shifts to the pair and away from my comic. "Three, if you count Kieth's in the back, why?"

The kid slides across the top of the desk, causing Steve to step back in confusion and annoyance, "woah! Woah! What are you doing?"

The haste in Dustin's eyes causes a fear in my own, somethings happening that we're not aware of yet and around here that's never a good sign.

"Setting up base of operations." He had said it so matter of factly.

"Base of operations?"

Intrigued, I find myself carefully placing the comic down and moving from my chair towards the group huddled around the computer.

"For what?" Steve questions,
"Looking up Eddie's friends phone number."

Something twitches in the popular brunette, "Oh Eddie, your best friend Eddie you think is cooler than me cause he plays your stupid game, the Eddie I only know of because you and Ruby won't shut up about him Eddie?"
There was a twang of annoyance in his voice I hadn't hurt before, it made me curious, like a Alice falling down the rabbit hole.

"I never said he was my best friend?" Dustin questions wide eyed before I can't help but speak up, "what's going on with Eddie?"

The boy gives his ginger friend a worried, almost awkward glance as if a story was being shared between them and a sense of anxiety overcomes me, especially with this body found.
Was my friend in danger?

"Maybe Max should fill you in."

***

"It's impossible! I've known Eddie since Middle School, granted we were never that close but don't serial killers always like.. show early signs?"

The idea struck fear into Ruby's heart, Eddie was finally becoming a close friend, this wasn't fair.

Robin shrugs, "I mean he is an outsider, that kind of seems like an early sign."
I sigh at my friend who seems to be begrudgingly helping Steve stack the shelves, "wrong. Serial killers are usually extroverts."