CONNECTION |steve harrington x oc| BOOK 4

chapter 13- hawkinsgate

The car slowed to a stop across the way from a distinctive home. Blue siding and a yellow door. Everyone knew it was Ms. Kelley's house. She would famously give out full size candy bars if any of the high schoolers went trick or treating to her on Halloween. 

"Are we sure we want to bother her? I mean, it's her break too." Phoebe asked as they stared across the street. 

"She's always telling me I can talk to her anytime, might as well be now." Max answered without looking away from the bright door. 

"And you want to go alone?" Dustin confirmed. Max nodded. It took her less than a minute to reach the front porch and knock on the door. Ms. Kelley's face showed surprise when she saw Max on the other side and quickly invited her in. 

"Alright, she's in." Steve said plainly. 

"I'm missing collar bones, not eyes." Dustin deadpanned back. 

"Excuse me?" Steve turned around. 

"What? I watched her go in, you didn't need to announce it." He argued. 

"Okay, I've about had it with your shi-"

"No, I've about had it with both of you!" Phoebe interjected. "I don't know what is going on, but both of you need to bend over and pull the sticks out of each others asses because this is ridiculous." They just stared. "Anyone home in there?" She knocked lightly on Dustin's forehead. 

"Jeez, I thought your period was last week."

"Seriously?!" She screamed. 

"Dude, so not okay." Steve groaned at the same time.

"No." She held up and hand, silencing her brother. "We're going to sit in silence until she comes out." She folded her arms and locked eyes on the door to the house. Steve and Dustin shared a glance, but neither of them dared to speak. It was only a few minutes later than Max emerged and dashed across the street with a set of keys in hand. 

"Everything okay?" She asked hesitantly as she climbed into the silent car. 

"Fine." Dustin answered smugly. 

"Their in time out for being assholes." Phoebe filled her in. "Let's just find Nancy and Robin." It was quiet for a few minutes as they drove to the high school, but soon the walkie talkie squealed.

"Dustin." The voice panted. "It's Lucas, do you copy?" The four started at the radio in disbelief. "Dustin?"

"Lucas, where the hell have you been?" Dustin asked. 

"Just listen. Are you guys looking for Eddie?" He sounded nervous. 

"Yeah, and we found him, no thanks to you." 

"You found him?"

"He's at a boathouse on Coal Mill Road. Don't worry he's safe."

"You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?" Lucas raised his voice. 

"That's bullshit." Dustin sighed. "Eddie tried to save Chrissy."

"Then why do all the cops say he did it?" Max rolled her eyes and took the radio from Dustin.

"Lucas, you're so behind it's ridiculous, okay? Just meet us at the school. We'll explain later."

"I can't. I think some real bad shit's about to go down."

"What are you talking about? What bad shit?" Max asked as they all leaned in. The radio clicked, but instead of Lucas answering the question they heard a muffled voice. Now nothing. "Lucas? Lucas?" Silence. 

It was dark by the time they got to the school. Steve parked next to the broken door next to the cafeteria that was always unlocked. "Good thing Janitor Bud is too lazy to fix the lock." He whispered as the door creaked open and they quickly got inside. 

"Dustin, do you copy?" Robin said over the radio. 

"Yeah, we copy."

"So, Nancy's a genius. Vecna's first victims date back all the way to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a total bullseye."

"Okay, that's totally bonkers, but I can't really talk right now." They were speed-walking down the halls of the high school. 

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"Breaking and entering into the school to retrieve confidential and extremely personal files." 

"Can you repeat that?" Robin sounded even more confused. 

"Just get your ass over here, stat." Phoebe said through gritted teeth. "We'll explain everything." She turned off the radio to save battery just as they arrived at Ms. Kelley's office. Max looked around before turning the key and opening the door. Max went straight for the filing cabinet as Steve and Phoebe looked around her desk. 

"It's like a mini Watergate or something." Dustin whispered. 

"Uh-uh, not the time for a history lesson." Phoebe shook her head as Max handed her a folder. 

"Hawkinsgate." Dustin continued, ignoring his sister. 

"Wait, didn't those guys get caught?" Steve looked at Phoebe, but she just rolled her eyes. 

"Holy shit." Max was still looking at the drawer of files.

"You find it?" Dustin asked, shining his light onto the folders. 

"Yeah, but not just Chrissy's file. Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley too."

"That can't be a coincidence." Phoebe huffed as she opened Chrissy's file and placed it on the desk, Max doing the same with Fred's. "Okay, looks like Chrissy was seeing her for some family troubles. Fred was in that accident, everyone knows about that."

"Family troubles?" Steve asked. "My family sucks but I never went to counseling." 

"Yeah, well, now there'll both dead. Maybe you dodged a bullet." Dusting said snidely. 

"Seriously? You're just gonna joke about it when we're the ones who are always almost dying?" Phoebe deadpanned. "Real classy."

"Okay, fine. Max see anything else that seems weird?" Max just stared ahead. 

"Max, you okay?" Phoebe put a hand on her shoulder but there was no reaction. "Max." She gave small shake. "Max!"

"Max, come on, snap out of it." Dustin shook her from the other side. 

"Wake up, Max!" Steve snapped in front of her face. 

"Guys, what do we do?" Phoebe's voice was shaking. "Max!" She plead one final time as Max sucked in a deep breath, her eyes darting between her friends. 

"What happened?"

"You scared the shit out of me!" Phoebe breath was rigid. 

"I saw something. In the hallway." Max stood with a flashlight and opened the office door. Nancy and Robin both gasped as the door swung open. 

"What the hell are we doing here?" Nancy asked as Max and Phoebe pushed past them.

"Max saw something."

"What did you see?" Robin asked as they turned a corner. 

"A big clock, but it was in the wall. And it had a really loud chime. It was right-" Max lifter her light to point but there was only a blank wall. 

"There's nothing there." Steve whispered into Phoebe's ear. 

"It was here. Right here." Max insisted. 

"A grandfather clock?" Nancy clarified. 

"It was so real." Her voice quivered. "And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just...I woke up."

"It was like she was in a trance or something." Dustin explained to Robin. "Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy."

"That's not even the bad part." Max said as she turned to face them all.