⸻ ❛𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒!❜
Rory Hargrove is obsessed to uncover the truth behind Barbara Holland's disappearance, while facing her brother's enemy and buried secrets from...
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RORY HARGROVE ARRIVED AT THE TRAILER PARK, where she now lived with the Mayfields. Susan's income wasn't enough to afford the little luxuries of owning a house, so they had to settle for life inside a trailer. Which, to be fair, was still a hell of a lot better than living under a bridge—though the neighbors were... questionable, to say the least.
Thankfully, Rory had earned a merit-based scholarship thanks to her high school grades, which allowed her to attend college. Still, she could already tell she'd soon need a part-time job to support herself—despite Steve, her beloved boyfriend, offering more than once to cover her tuition. But something deep in her subconscious screamed at her to be self-sufficient. She didn't want to be a burden to him.
The next item on her mental checklist was dropping off her duffel bag at home before heading to Family Video, where she'd get to see her boyfriend's face light up the moment he saw her. Her visit wasn't a surprise, but she knew him well enough to know that his reaction would be pure joy. And she loved that about him—the way he always lit up when they were reunited, like it was the first time all over again.
But entering the trailer park wasn't as uneventful as usual. It had always been a little sketchy—full of the more forgotten corners of society—but this time, it felt... much more off.
It wasn't exactly unheard of to see cops around here. Drug busts and shady dealings weren't anything new in that area. But it had never escalated to this level—crime scene tape fluttering in the breeze, officers blocking off entire lots, yellow lights flashing, the air heavy with tension. And definitely not reporters speaking directly into cameras, their voices echoing through the park, broadcasting live into people's homes.
Then it clicked.
The news she'd heard on the radio—the death of the Hawkins High student—that's what this was about.
That tragedy had happened there. Right there in the weirdly quiet, run-down trailer park that Rory and the Mayfields now called home.
Which meant... Susan or Max might've seen something. Or worse: might know something.
THE SWEET SCENT OF BUBBLEGUM AND POPCORN, mixed with the chemical tang that clung to VHS tapes, wrapped around Rory the moment she opened the glass door of Family Video—the cozy little shop where Steve and Robin now worked, and with far more enthusiasm than they ever had at Scoops Ahoy. And thank God for that. She was happy for them.
As soon as she stepped inside, her eyes landed on the small commotion of voices coming from behind the counter. Bingo—two birds, one stone. She'd come to see Steve, and found Max too, who hadn't been home.
