𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚊𝚢 𝙳𝚒𝚎 | The Goonies

Chapter Eight | Brand

Back at home, Lacey poured over her resources, trying to find anything that might be of use to the boys. Her father hadn't been able to tell her anything about the hunt for the missing criminals, except that one of the low-risk men had been found and detained - not the news she had been looking for.

There was a knock at her door, and her mom peered around the door. "Lacey dear, it's almost ten o'clock. You need to give that work a break and go to bed, sweetie."

She bobbed her head lethargically and closed her file. "Yeah, sure. Goodnight, mum."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

Once her mother was gone, Lacey leaned back in her chair and stretched. How long had she been sat there? Two hours? Three? She wasn't sure. Still, no new breakthroughs - only things she'd been over once, twice, reading between lines that weren't there.

Throwing herself face down on the bed, she sighed. There had to be a way to help. Whether Mouth and Mikey liked it or not.

She turned the radio on, as she usually did, with a half-hour timer, and drifted off to sleep with reports of a library opening, a ghostly ship spotted in the fog, and non-existent updates on the twenty remaining convicted criminals loose in Astoria.

***

Lacey's Friday fencing session came and went sooner than she would have liked. She poured all of her frustration into her thrusts and parries, so much so that her coach pulled her aside afterwards and congratulated her improvement. She pulled up her mask to reveal her reddened face, and only thanked her coach before stepping out of the sports hall and going to get changed.

She was surprised to see Mikey waiting outside the school. Even more surprised when he called out for her to wait and she realised he'd been waiting for her.

"Hey," he said, falling into pace with her. "I just wanted to say thanks in person for the stuff you'll be bringing over later."

She shrugged. "That's alright. It's the only thing I can do."

Mikey caught her arm. "We've been talking, and... None of us want anyone else to get hurt. So... I think it would just be best if you posted the information and let us deal with it."

Lacey bit her tongue and nodded. "If that's what you want. I know I can't force you to take my help."

He smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"But if there's anything I can do - me or my dad - you know where to find me," she insisted. "I'm more than willing to help."

"Thanks," he repeated. "We'll keep it in mind."

She could see in his eyes he was only saying that to placate her, and decided it would be good to just part ways now. "Have a good evening, Mikey," she said, quickening her pace.

"You too," he replied to her retreating back.

***

When Lacey got home, she gathered all of the cuttings, photos and reports that she'd finished with and loaded them into one file, somewhat haphazardly with only a little organisation. She figured they'd be able to organise it how they wanted, if the material was even useful to them. Although she doubted it. She'd combed through it enough to know there was little of interest there, and it certainly wouldn't get them out of the mess they were in.

The Walsh's house was only half an hour's walk away, but that time was halved by bike. Deciding to make it quick, she zipped the file in a backpack and cycled the distance.

At the gate, she paused. How was she meant to get it to the door? They had a postbox, sure, but the thick file wouldn't fit, and she didn't fancy leaving it on top for just anyone to find.

She studied the contraption intently, and then managed to find the hidden latch on the gate; it sprang open with a slight squeak.

She had planned only to leave the file just inside the door, but when she eased open the fly-screen and slid it onto the tiled floor she was met by a pair of feet. She looked up slowly and saw an older boy looked down at her with raised eyebrows.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked as she straightened herself up.

"I was just dropping off a file." She gestured at it. "I'm one of Mikey's friends," she added hopefully.

The suspicion still lingered, but the boy shrugged and picked it up. "Sure. So what's the file on?"

She shifted a bit, wondering if this boy knew about the predicament Mikey was in. "The Fratellis. I've been doing a project on them and they asked to see the cuttings I'd gathered."

Immediately, the suspicion turned to curiosity. "The Fratellis, huh? Does it make for a good read?"

"It's interesting," she confirmed.

Before she could stop him, Brand leaned backwards and called out: "Mikey! Your friend's here!"

"Brand, who- oh, hi Lacey," Mikey said, stopping just behind the older boy.

"I brought the file," she said, and Mikey looked to where Brand held it.

WORD COUNT: 824

PUBLISHED: 9/02/19