𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE FOURTY: the end of the beginning

and that is where she remained. lying by her bed, letter in hand. the tears evenutally stopped, but the emptiness she felt didn't. not even when robin appeared at her door asking she wanted to hang out, but she did go. she showered, that disgusting layer of grime that had built over her body whilst in the upsde down finally washed away. the blood. The red trickling down the drain as she scrubbed. Tears stinging as she scrubbed her skin red. she came out of the bathroom. the smell of cherries in the air. a scent she had almost seemed to forget she loved so much. robin sat neatly on her bed, eyes focused on the letter folded up on the nightstand beside a photo of max, el and piper from the day el moved away to cali.

"you okay?" robin finally spoke, she didn't even bother replying. she shook her head gently. robin understood, she would be distraught if steve had died. not that she'd let anyone know but steve was her best friend. so she dressed in a shirt to big for her, one of the many shirts she stole of steve harrington. they headed to the wheelers household. piper had learnt that nancy signed them all up to help recover the mess of hawkins. and there he stood. leaning against the car with dustin. steve harrington. her ex boyfriend. the boy who saved her, many times. the boy who tapped on her window every two hours for the past two days trying to get her to come out. yet the curtains remained drawn.

"piper." he spoke softly, not trying to cause any harm. he knew that she was in a disaister state right now.

"steve." she whispered back, not even letting herself finish his name as she threw herself at him. his arms wrapping around her along with the sweet smell of his cologne.

"she's in hospital. she's in a coma, but she's alive." and he physically felt the weight lift of her shoulders as she sighed of relief. she didn't waste another second before pressing her chapped lips to his cherry flavoured ones.

"ew." robin commented as the two parted, a small smile had lifted to piper's face. the reilef of max being alive meant everything to her as nancy brought her the box of old toys for the dononation box.

"piper, i'm happy to see you're okay" nancy smiled softly, the girl merely nodded her head in response. when a loud clunking noise in the distance sounded, as well as the sound of a horn. a pizza van driving up the road towards the wheeler household. nancy's mum making a comment on it. and piper felt the smile lift on her face as el got out of the van. not wasting another second with running up to her. pulling her into the tightest hug ever. even will came to hug her after hugging dustin.

"where's lucas?" will questioned. pulling away from her hug as he turned to dustin.

"he's at the hospital." he told them as if it were obvious, piper's smile insantly faded away.

"is he hurt?" will questioned before dustin even finished the sentence.

"no, he's... oh god. you don't know?" dustin tried to explain, before looking to piper and then back to them. a sense of realisation washing over his face as his voice craked slightly

"max." piper whispered softly and el gave a short cry, her hand covering her mouth as she did. piper immeditaly pulling the girl into another hug. rubbing the back of her now bald head. el was going to see her, she didn't bother asking if piper wanted to becuase she knew she couldn't. piper couldn't see her. so piper went on a walk around the now mess of her home. people rushing to back away things into cars, to get out as fast as possible. when steve pulled up beside her. he didn't say anyhting as she got in the front seat. robin and dustin in the backseat. she didn't speak as she helped them carry boxes into the highschool. the hall previously filled with basketball raging students. now housed many wounded and homeless people of hawkins. she didn't say a word as they handed the boxes over. she was too disorted too care about anything. for once in a long time her mind was blank. no thoughts. no person speaking to her. no voices. no flashbacks or haunting events. it was nothing. eveuntally she found herself wandering mindlessly around the hall. steve was helping sort out clothes. robin was at the food pick up talking with the girl she believed to vicky. somehow she found herself infront of the missing people wall. and a feeling struck her. rage. hung on the wall was a missing report of eddie, devil symbolism drawn on top. and she reached forward. her cold fingers grasping the paper and tugged it down. scruching it into a tight ball as she did. when a voice sounded behind her.

"thank you" and she spun on her heel. mr munson was stood there with his bag hung in one hand as he held a small stack of new posters in the other. he must have been replacing the vandalised posters. she stood aside as he pinned the new poster to the wall.

"mr munson. i'm dustin henderson. can we talk?" dustin spoke as he placed the drinks tray down and hopled over on his damaged leg.

"i can't imagine we got anything to talk about. my nephew is innocent. and he's still missing. i'll put up as many posters as i need until he's found." and he picked up his bag and began to walk away when piper spoke. her voice soft. gentle.

"we were with him after it. dustin was with him when the earthquake hit." she was so softly speaking, until the slight crack. and he stopped. looking back over at the two.

"and where is eddie now?" and he already knew the answer as it was written in their faces. the loss. the sadness. the fear of telling him. dustins lip quivering and piper's fast blinking. dustin pulls the guitar pick necklace from his pocket. limping closer to him. arm outstretched. his eyes darting to piper's hand. the skull ring. eddie's skull ring.

"i'm so sorry." dustin speaks, hands trembling as he passes the necklace to mr munson. piper's throat burns. she can't do this. so she turns and begins to walk away. and she leaves. she misses them. she imagines dustin telling mr munson about eddie and his death. how he was a hero. how he saved them. and she feels sick. she passes by the cars still leaving hawkins. everyone running away from hell. when the sky starts to darken. thick grey clouds rolling into the above. and her mind buzzes. a faint flicker of noise. a tingling spreading across the mind. dust falls gently. looking almost like snow. but she knew it wouldn't be snow. oh no. it would be something way worse then snow. dustin stands beside her. his hand touching her arm. colour seeming to almost fade. red thunder cracks in the sky.

it's not over.