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     PAISLEY GROANS AS SHE lifts her head off the pillow. The sun shining bright from her curtains that her dad probably opened beforehand. Her head spins remembering the pool and being at Steve's last night. She remembers tossing Nancy across the pool. The bright smile the spread across her friends face as she reached the surface makes Paisley shake her head, trying to rid herself of the stupid memory.

    "PAISLEY!" Her dad yells. "Yeah, I know. I know," Paisley waves her dad off even though there's no way he can see her. She stumbles along the striped rug, her finger glides across The Smiths poster right next to her door. A smell of burning enters Paisley's nose. "Dad, please tell me you're making waffles and not purposely burning down the house—Brooke?" Paisley stops in her tracks as she stares at her best friend eating sushi in her kitchen. Paisley's dad, Cory, is all smiles as the waffles burn in the pan.

   Paisley is more concerned as to why Brooke is eating sushi at 7am. "I let her in. She was at the door, sushi in hand," Cory laughs, flipping an already crisp waffle.

   "I, uh, didn't go home last night," Brooke says. Actually, the sushi doesn't concern Paisley anymore. "You went to the Byers? How's Joyce?" Paisley says, grabbing an apple rather than a charred waffle. Brooke laughs a bit. She can't wait to see the look on both Cory and Paisley's face when she tells them she ended up at the Sheriff's house.

    The random stop to the local and only sushi place is making her way too happy as she shoves more California rolls into her mouth. "Brooke, why'd you laugh?" Paisley leans across the island, raising a suspicious eyebrow at the other brunette. She swallows the sushi, "I ended up at Hopper's—"

   "What?" Both members of the Slora's yell at her. "Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? My parents were arguing when I got home so I decided fuck it and just didn't go home."

   "Weren't you two tipsy last night? How come he didn't arrest you—Ow!" Cory yelps as he burns himself. He just decides that waffles aren't the way to go and turns off the stove top. "Why does it matter? I think he was too busy getting laid to care. We have to get to school soon," Brooke spins around on the stool.

   Paisley and Cory watch Brooke walk away and into Paisley's room to borrow clothes. "What's more concerning? The sushi or Hopper?" Cory asks. Paisley just sighs and walks away as the fire alarm sounds.

  
   "SO, HE JUST—let you in?" Paisley asks, still wondering how the hell Brooke isn't behind bars for even bothering Hopper. "Jesus, yes, Paisley. Oh, God. Now they're sucking face in public?" Brooke scrunches her nose at the sight of Nancy kissing Steve.

    "Guess last night went well then. Come on, class is starting soon," Paisley doesn't want to see anything more than she already has. Stupid couples and their stupid love. "So, are we just never gonna talk about the thing we heard in the woods?" Brooke asks, tilting her head to the side.

   Paisley rolls her eyes, "No, because it was just a very loud bear. Can we get to class?" Brooke knows it wasn't a bear. Maybe a weird goat or something but not a bear.

     As they walk to class, Brooke sees a poster for Will. His one of many missing posters plastered around town. "Have you heard from Jonathan?" Brooke asks, turning into the classroom. "No, I was hoping you did. He would've told us if they found Will so," Paisley sits down, nervously rocking her leg. Brooke picks at her cuticles. How is she supposed to focus on anything now?

  The party was a simple distraction, a good distraction but now she feels guilty for not being there for Joyce or Jonathan.

    A couple of periods go by with still no sign of Jonathan Byers. The Hawkins High lunchroom is buzzing with annoying teenagers. Brooke's sneakers squeak against the tile. She can hear Carol moaning Steve's name as she gets closer to her own table. "Brooke! There's Jonathan!" Paisley shakes the girl.

    Brooke whips her head in every direction. "There, dumbass!" The girls catch him staring at someone that isn't them but they don't care. "Jonathan!" Brooke yells, running across the tile floor and hoping she doesn't slip on noodles. "Johnny!" Brooke jumps on Jonathan's back.

   "God—Jesus, Brooke!" Jonathan shoves her off. It wasn't a playful tone, he's clearly annoyed with the girl. Brooke pouts as Paisley gives Jonathan a tight hug. "We miss you," She says. Jonathan just pats her back, no hug. Both girls are hurt but understand why he's acting the way he is. All Brooke wanted to do was at least make him smile.

    Jonathan stares at his lifelong friends. He almost feels betrayed that they went to Steve's house rather than checking up on him or just something but he can't be too surprised. Where drinks are, Brooke follows.

   "So, any updates?" Brooke whispers. Jonathan shakes his head, "My mom is losing it. I went to see Lonnie—"

  "See, I told you," Brooke pushes Paisley. "Anyway, he, uh, he was no help. Listen, I gotta get these photos done. Don't follow me," Jonathan points at the girls. He quickly leaves them. The two girls stand with their arms to their sides, worried for Jonathan Byers and his rush to get away from them.

    NOW THAT BROOKE KNOWS Jonathan is in school, she's of course gonna go home with him. The guilt has been consuming her all day. Her pointer finger even started bleeding during English she picked at it so much.

   "Did something else happen? Are you annoyed with me?" Brooke catches up to him as they reach the parking lot. Jonathan has just been walking ahead of her the whole time, no words. "I just wanna go home," He mutters, "What the hell?" Jonathan momentarily stops before speeding up towards his parked car. Brooke looks up from her bleeding cuticles and sees The King and his Jester's sitting on her best friend's car. Jonathan gets there before she does. The laughing dies down as both of them approach the vehicle.

    "Hey, man," Steve says. "What's going on?" Jonathan asks. Brooke crosses her arms, staring down the four of them. There's a pit in her stomach telling her whatever the fuck is going on isn't good. I mean, they've trapped her and Jonathan. "Nicole here is, uh, telling us about your work," Steve tells him. Jonathan nervously plays with his bag strap. "We've heard great things," Carol and Tommy sarcastically say.

   "Okay, what the fuck is going on?" Brooke curses. Steve looks right at her, "We just wanna take a look. As....connoisseurs of art." Brooke scoffs, "Do you even know what that word properly means or are you just using it with your bad context clues? Fuck off, Harrington."

    Jonathan grabs Brooke's shoulder and sighs, "I don't know what you're talking about." He tries to move around the group, moving Brooke towards the car in the process. Brooke's body hits the car slightly as Tommy pushes Jonathan, taking his bag. "Please, give me my bag," Jonathan nicely asks but Tommy tosses it to Steve.

    Brooke is fucking livid. She knows they're a group of assholes but she never expected this. She pushes past Nicole and steps in front of Steve, "Give me the bag then." Brooke looks up at him and he just smiles down at her, not a genuine smile of course, one that pisses Brooke off more. "Well, he must have something to hide," Steve turns, opening the bag on the trunk.

   Brooke hears the zipper of the bag and shoves Steve into the car in front of him. Steve groans, "Brooke, calm down. Jonathan isn't the sweet kid you think he is." His tone only aggravates her more. "Yeah, I mean, he hangs out with you. How sweet can he be?" Carol says. Brooke turns around, ready to yell in her face when someone grabs her by the waist, lifting her off the ground. "Anyone ever tell you how fucking ugly you are, Carol? Fucking rats ass face!" Brooke is just spewing insults, not caring if they make sense or not.

   "Take a breather, tiger," Paisley whispers to her. The arms that are lifting her off the ground are of course Paisley's. She should've at least expected that. Paisley puts some distance between Brooke and the others but she still tries to fight her way past her. She can see Steve looking at something. Then, Nancy walks up to them, confused as to why they're all huddled around the car.

   "Nancy," Brooke yells, marching right past a distracted Paisley, "Nancy, do you know what's happening?"

   "No. What's going on?" She asks with a nervous chuckle. "Here's the starring lady," Tommy comments. Brooke looks over her shoulder at him and Steve, finally realizing he's holding photos in his hands. "This creep was spying on us last night," Carol says.

    Paisley and Brooke snap their necks towards Jonathan who cannot look at his friends. Brooke is extremely confused. Why would Jonathan spy on them? "He was probably gonna save this one for later," Carol keeps her eyes on Jonathan as she hands Nancy the black and white photo.

    Brooke's jaw drops. She's completely stunned at what she sees. Jonathan took a picture of Nancy shirtless last night. It couldn't have been that long after she had left. Her and Paisley make eye contact. A nervous swallow from both girls as they look back at the photo.

    Brooke is—annoyed? Disgusted? She has no idea. Neither one of them expected this from him of all people. Steve clicks his tongue, "See, you can tell that he knows it's wrong, but....man, that's the thing about perverts. It's hardwired into 'em," Steve dusts off Jonathan's shoulder, "You know, they just can't help themselves." Steve starts to rip the rest of the photos.

  Brooke still has no idea which party to be mad at but hearing Tommy's laugh makes her send daggers into the man. Steve throws the ripped up pieces into Jonathan's face, "We just have to take away his toy."

   Brooke keeps glancing between a violated Nancy and a nervous Jonathan. What the hell does she do? "Steve..." Nancy whispers. "No, please, not the camera," Jonathan pleads. That's when Paisley moves from her spot and towards Steve, Brooke as well. Jonathan tries to stop him from touching the camera but Tommy blocks him with a hand to his chest.

   Paisley swats the arm away, "Don't fuckin' touch him."

   "Slora, he could be taking pics of you and Brooke here. This whole time, all these years!" Paisley's jaw clenches. She has no idea why Jonathan would want these photos, well, she does, she just doesn't wanna believe her own brain. "No, no, wait, wait....Tommy, Tommy. It's okay," Steve calmly says.

    Brooke's head is spinning as she stares at the camera in Steve's hand. The one the three of them have taken many photos on from just goofing around or genuinely wanting a good photo.

    Steve steps forward, "Here you go, man." Jonathan doesn't move for a second. He looks towards Brooke who just slightly shrugs. He puts his hands out for the camera but, Steve drops it right before Jonathan can reach it. The camera falls into the parking lot, the lense shattering around them. A wire completely breaks loose in Brooke's mind as Tommy laughs. Steve tries to walk away, saying something about the game but the sound of a fist colliding with someone's jaw stops him.

    Brooke had punched Tommy square in the jaw. He stumbles back from impact. "Shit!" Tommy curses.

   "Are you insane? Jonathan was the one taking disgusting photos of your friend—" As much as Brooke knows Carol is right, she still punches her right in the nose. She stumbles back right into her boyfriend. Paisley and Nancy stand with their jaws dropped, having no idea what'll happen next.

    Carol looks up at a panting Brooke. Her chest moving up and down rapidly. Carol doesn't even have to say another word when Brooke just decides she needs to get punched again, so, that's what she does. Her fist collided with Carol's jaw this time and the girl falls right on her ass.

    All Brooke can hear is the shattering of the glass and Carol's stupid comments.

   She can't hear Nancy and Paisley yelling at her to stop and she sure as hell can't hear Steve running up behind her.

   Brooke stands above her, a leg on either side of the trembling girl. Her foot lifts up but before she can make impact, she's picked up again but this time from under her arms like a whiny toddler. Steve knows this is a bad idea, that it might cost him getting punched but he cannot stand Brooke's temper. She's just always been this fucking mad.

    "Let go of me!" He places her down and immediately backs up more than arm distance away from her. Paisley runs in front of her incase she decides to just start a full brawl. Brooke can see Jonathan gathering the pieces of his photos on the ground. Steve backs up from the two girls, "Control your dog, Paisley." If Paisley wasn't trying to tame Brooke, she would've punched Steve in the face herself.

   The group of kids walk away, two injured and definitely crying to the nurse.

    "You okay? Can I walk away from you?" Paisley is half joking as she grabs Brooke by the shoulders. "I'm fine," Brooke stretches out her fingers, the pain finally hitting her hand.

   "Guys, I didn't intend for those photos—I was trying to find Will—"

     "Through the window of Steve's house? Taking weird pics of Nancy?" Brooke is fed up and still confused. She has known Jonathan practically her whole life, the same with Nancy, she has no idea what to do. "Just—save it. I don't know what to tell you," Brooke storms past Jonathan who continues to call out for her.

   Brooke sighs knowing she's gonna either wander around aimlessly or walk home with no ride from Jonathan now.

    THE DARKNESS HITS EARLY thanks to it being November. Her fist throbs. Brooke's sneakers kick up the dirt around her. The dark forest next to her gives her the creeps. She regrets never bringing her Walkman to school, it would be really useful right now.

   Brooke continues her walk down the long road. She might as well go home. She can't go to the Byers and she's not going back to Hopper's.

    Multiple sirens behind her make her stop in her tracks. She can see two cop cars and an ambulance. Brooke hates that her mind goes immediately to Will but there's a part of her that knows it has to do with him.

  Nothing else ever happens in Hawkins.

   The vehicles whizz past her. "Fuck it," Brooke curses before running after them. Of course, they're much faster than her but she keeps her eyes on them, eventually finding herself at the quarry surrounded by more emergency vehicles.

    She hides behind a fire truck. Her palms are so sweaty as she peaks around it. Brooke hears bikes come down the trail behind her and her eyes widen at the sight of her brother and friends—and some random kid. The kids hesitate when they spot Brooke. The new kid hides behind Mike but Brooke doesn't have time to question them. She looks back towards the water and nearly breaks down right there.

  There Will is, soaked and dead. His red vest he went missing with still on his body. "That's not Will. It can't be," Mike whispers. Brooke's heart breaks at the kid's denial as they take the body out of the water. She feels someone grab her hand and she looks down to see Danny with tears. Brooke wipes her own tears before pulling him into a hug, trying to shield him. He's seen too much already.

   "It's Will. It's really Will," Lucas says. Brooke can't believe it. She feels like it's all some fucked up joke. The other kids walk away but Danny still sobs into his sister's shirt. "Mike..." She hears the new kid whisper and then Mike flies off the handle, saying something about how this girl apparently said Will was alive.

   "What is wrong with you?" Mike repeats. Brooke can't take the yelling. She has no idea who this girl is and how or why she would know if Will is alive but she doesn't deserve to be yelled at. "Mike," Brooke's voice cracks, "Now is not the time." He ignores her and his other friends who ask where he's going as he goes off on his bike. Danny even manages to call out through his sobs. Brooke just lost her basically her brother, all the kids around her did.

     BROOKE DECIDED SHE SHOULD probably drive the bike home with Danny on the pegs. She made sure each kid got home with a hug before getting to their own. Somehow, even more dread erupts in both Martel kids when they see their dad's car in the driveway. Brooke parks the bike on the side of the garage. "Sneak in through my window. I'll deal with dad."

   "Brooke—"

   "Danny, I understand but please listen to me. I will be up there real quick," Brooke wipes the tears off her brother's face with the pads of her thumbs. Danny nods and does the routine to climb to the second floor window. Brooke sighs, knowing this is about to be hell.

    She walks through the front door, both her parents sit on the couch, legs crossed. "Where the hell have you been? Where is Danny? Why the hell are you crying?" Her dad throws questions at her. "Paisley's. Upstairs. Leave him alone. Something happened," Brooke quickly answers. The lump in her throat only got bigger with each word.

  "Brooke, what happened?" Kathleen softly asks. Brooke looks between her parents who both seem to realize something is seriously wrong if Brooke is sobbing in front of them.

   Brooke doesn't want to say it because then that'll make it real. It's stupid, she knows but her hand flies to her mouth as more tears fall. "Brooke," Her mom moves some hair from her face, "Is it Will?" Brooke doesn't need to say anything more. Her head falls into her mom's shoulder. For once, her own mom is here for her and she's gonna take every second that she can. Shawn sighs, running a hand through his hair.  Brooke wants him to go check on Danny but—he grabs a pack of cigarettes and walks right out the door.

   There goes the comfort she needed from her mom. Brooke backs up from her mom, "Go check on Danny." Kathleen nods and leaves Brooke. The sight of Will limp and wet doesn't leave her head as she falls to the carpet floor, head falling into the couch cushion next to her.