𓆩♡𓆪

   BROOKE STANDS AT THE edge of her walkway. The brown, wooden door a few steps ahead of her feels like the door to hell. The memory of being kicked out always replays once she gets to this point. Flowers that were once only kept alive by Brooke's hands are now dead alongside the cement. She glances at the driveway. Shawn's car isn't here, only Kathleen's. A small sigh of relief leaves her mouth as she slowly gets closer to the door. The spare key in her pocket twists in the lock and then she's met with the familiar, borderline comforting, scent of cigarettes.

   The floor creaks beneath her. "Mom?" She calls out but there's no response, only the creak of a dining room chair around the corner. Brooke's face has been in a permanent scowl since she left Steve's. She hates how easily other people's words affect her sometimes. She hates how her brain convinces her Mr. Harrington's words might be right.

   "Mom, I might sleep here tonight—Grandma?" Brooke stops dead in her tracks at the sight of her mom's mother, Grandma Harriet. Also known as one of the biggest bitches Brooke and Danny have encountered in their family. White long hair makes her blue eyes stand out like a ghost. Such prominent veins that Brooke hopes one papercut would just end it all for the woman. Such light features yet the woman reminds Brooke of a crow. Dragging on death.

  "Oh, at least one of you is home," The old hag scoffs, "Where's Danny?"

   Not even a hi or hello, typical, Brooke thinks. "More than likely out with his friends," Brooke answers, looking around for Kathleen. Grandma Harriet nods and sips from her coffee. Black coffee, just how she likes it. Just like the horrid woman's soul.

Brooke sometimes lacks empathy for her mom after everything but sympathy, she feels that for the woman because the bitch standing in front of her made Kathleen the horrible woman she is today. Not all by herself, Kathleen had fuckups along the way.

   The horrible things her grandma used to tell Kathleen will always make Brooke resent her grandmother. Whore. A toy for men. Basically anything that Harriet could think that sounded like a slut, she called Kathleen that.

   "Where's my mom?" Brooke asks. Harriet nods at the sliding glass door, "Outside smoking like an ass. She caused such an uproar over my question."

   The way her grandma is acting so casual makes Brooke uneasy. Her eyes try to find her mom in the backyard but there's no one there. She turns back, "What question?"

   "I asked her if I can adopt Danny," She says so casually, like the words don't just rock Brooke's world. If she could lunge at her grandma and choke her out, she would. Brooke's fists shake with anger, "Adopt—Danny? What the hell?"

  "Your parents have never been fit to be parents. Look how you turned out. No job. Apparently not going to college. You disappear for days—with Danny. You're not his mother," Harriet sits back down and Brooke imagines taking the old woman's head and smashing it into the wooden table. She's right about one thing, Kathleen and Shawn aren't meant to be parents.

   But, there are those stupid words again. The ones that deem Brooke as a piece of shit because of the shitty cards she's been dealt. It's beginning to get harder and harder to brush it off when everything last year feels like her fault. Thankfully, she has no respect for the woman in front of her.

  "Harriet," Her grandma raises her eyebrows at the use of her name, Brooke continues, "You're not adopting anyone. You know I know how you abused my mom, right? You walk around with a stick up your ass—"

  Harriet pushes out the chair roughly, coffee splattering all over the table, "This is what I mean! I can't believe she raised you like this!"

  "Like what?!" Brooke shouts.

  "Like such a fuck up!" Harriet shouts. Brooke's eyes flash with anger. Her fists become unclenched and right as she's about to punch her own grandma in the face, Kathleen runs in. She had seen the screaming match and got back inside just in time. 

   Kathleen jumps right in front of Brooke, "Mom, get out of my house!"

  "I helped pay for this house!"

  "Get the fuck out! You're not adopting Danny, you're not doing shit to Danny and leave Brooke the fuck alone," Kathleen curses at Harriet. The old woman physically steps back at her daughter's words. Brooke stands behind her mom, even more stunned at her mom defending her not in a public area. Harriet grips the mug so hard that Brooke is ready for it to shatter.

   "You were never meant to be a mother. Both your kids will end up like you."

  Brooke steps in front of Kathleen, "Talk any more shit and I will take a bat to your new car. Don't you dare try to take Danny from me. You're old, there's a lot of shit I can do to you that people won't bat an eye to if you die. Understand me?" Brooke stares down her grandma. Old age has made her back curve like the Hunchback. Harriet glares to hide the fear of her granddaughter.

  "Are you threatening me?" Harriet asks. "No, no. Promising. Get out!" Brooke points right at the door. Harriet grabs her bag with a huff and storms outside. Tires screech as she reverses.

   An immediate headache starts when Brooke's shoulders drop. "Hey, I'm sorry—"

  "Don't wanna hear it," Brooke cuts her mom off. She spins on her heel to leave when the sounds of a clock chiming catches her attention. The sound strikes a small amount of fear into her heart. She looks around, walking around the house to see if she simply missed a new grandfather clock. Nothing. Everything is the same.

  As soon as the clock chimed, the sound was gone and Brooke felt like she was sucked back into reality.

   "Brooke?" Her mom calls out. Now Brooke feels really uneasy. Chills run up and down her body as she turns to her mom with a frown, "I'm gonna go. Don't let Danny back here in case your nightmare of a mother shows up again." Kathleen doesn't say anything else, she just watches Brooke leave again.

   Out of the corner of her eye Brooke can see a burgundy car racing down her block. As it gets closer Brooke can tell it's Steve's BMW. She blinks and runs her hands over her face. Is he on break? Is he really spending his break apologizing to her?

  The car stops right at the curb, tires screeching and then Robin rolls down the window.

   "Get in!" Robin shouts. Brooke leans in and stares at the full car. Paisley, Stella, Dustin and Max in the back while Steve and Robin are in the front. "Why and where?" Brooke asks, her eyes lingering on Steve.

   "Chrissy Cunningham was killed. Stella was there and they're accusing Eddie of it. How do you not know?" Dustin asks, leaning between the two seats. Brooke looks right at Paisley. "It's true," Paisley says with a shrug. Brooke's eyes fall to the ground. Chrissy is dead? Where's Jason? She has to assume he knows. She coughs, "Okay, um, there's no room in this car—"

  "Robin, sit in the back," Steve tells her. Not much of an asshole now, huh, Brooke? The blonde frowns, "There's no room!"

  "Sit on Paisley's lap or something. Brooke gets the passenger. It's like an unspoken rule," Steve rolls his eyes at his best friend. Paisley mildly freaks out, "Why my lap?"

   "Oh my God, just go!" Steve yells and Robin gets out. The girls stare at each other before Paisley just makes space for the blonde to sit in her lap. Their cheeks flare up red. Paisley's hands snake around Robin's waist as some sort of seatbelt.

   Brooke finally gets in, arms crossed at her boyfriend, "Where are we going?"

   "Do you know Reefer Rick?" Steve asks, pulling away from the curb rather fast. The sky has started to melt from blue to orange as he speeds down the road. Brooke is familiar with Reefer Rick. She's never met the man but she knows Eddie gets his drugs from him.

  "Yeah, why?" She answers. "We think Eddie is staying there. Max got a lead," Stella says, her tone with less attitude than usual. Brooke glances at Max, "From who?"

  "Friend of a friend of a friend of someone I don't know," Max says. "Okay, and how was she killed?" Brooke asks, looking around at each of them. Stella suddenly turns white, her eyes wide with fear.

     "If we find Eddie, have him tell you," Paisley looks at Stella, "I don't think Machado can explain it anymore." Brooke nods, confused but just slumps down in her seat.

   THE HOME OF REEFER Rick is in front of Lover's Lake, an area Steve and Brooke frequented this summer. Picnics by the rock and make out sessions in the probably diseased water.

   Dustin rings the doorbell multiple times but no one comes to the door. "Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here," Steve says, quick to give up. Truth is, he couldn't care less about clearing Eddie's name. He's only here because of the kids and Brooke. Dustin knocks on the door though, ignoring Steve.

  "Eddie! It's Dustin!"

  "And Stella!" The two shout.

  "Can we not shout at a dealer's house?" Paisley whispers through gritted teeth. "Look, we just wanna talk, okay?" Dustin tries. Brooke steps forwards, flashlight shining into the window. She wasn't that worried before, she had hoped Eddie skipped states at this point but now she knows he's not smart enough to do that.

Brooke and Eddie have known each other since Brooke was in the ninth grade. Eddie was in tenth grade, as he should've been, even though he's 19 and now in the same grade as Brooke. They've never been too close, Eddie has weed amongst other things which is useful to Brooke but they've always trusted each other. Brooke's avid partying has made them more familiar with each other and somewhat closer. Brooke cares about the boy a lot—kinda like the distant sibling you know would kill someone for you.

  Just because he's a dumbass drug dealer doesn't mean he doesn't have a heart.

   Brooke steps down and off the porch, Paisley following behind. "You okay? Steve told me you guys got into an argument," Paisley asks. Flashlights light up the dark property. "Did he tell you what his dad said?" Brooke asks, looking for any sign of life on the land. Paisley frowns, "Yeah, you know that's not true, Brooke. You're grieving."

   "No one died when I was 14 and I took a hammer to Tommy's bike. No one died when I was 15 and sat in the station because I stole alcohol. Paisley, I am bad. Like, I knew that but too many people in one day told me," Brooke continues to walk.

  The girl has always been grieving though. Brooke Martel has been grieving the loss of her childhood since she realized how shitty her life will be at the ripe age of 5. Of course it might not be as bad as the gut wrenching feeling of the loss of Hopper and Casey but she's grieved a father before. A lack of a good father is grieving what could have been all the time.

   "Who else told you that?" Paisley asks, tone clearly annoyed at whoever else talked shit. Brooke shrugs and directs her flashlight onto a shed. The building isn't too far from them but it does make whatever conversation they were just having leave Brooke's head. The possibility of Eddie being in there makes her anxiety die down a bit. "Yo, assholes, what about this shed?" Brooke shouts and they all run to look at it.

   A singular door is lit up under a dim light and the one window shows no light within the building but it's still worth a shot. Stella doesn't even bother saying anything, she just runs down to it and swings the door open.

  "What an idiot," Brooke huffs and follows after the girl. Pure darkness hits them all in the face. Their flashlights only do so much. Lights bounce off the different yard supplies around them. "Hello? Is anyone home?" Robin calls out. The floor creaks with every step the group makes. Brooke separates from the group. Her eyes scan over everything around her. Darkness mixed with the occasional noise that would give her a slight heart attack. Her flashlight and eyes are looking over her shoulder when she bumps into someone.

   Brooke immediately recognizes the cologne. The pine scent mixed with cinnamon that Steve always uses hits her right in the face, literally. Her face had collided with Steve. "Oh, you okay?" Steve softly asks. Brooke looks up at his eyes through the dark and steps back, "Fine." Her tone is dry and she shuffles away from Steve before he can say anymore.

   "This place is a mess," Paisley says. "Smells like mold," Stella gags. Brooke notices Steve turn his light off. Confused, she stares at him and what he does next. He takes an oar and starts hitting the covered up boat in the middle of the shed. "What are you doing?" Dustin shouts. Steve continues to smack the boat, "He might be in here!"

  "Steve, just take the tarp off!" Paisley shouts. "You're so brave, you take the tarp off!" Steve retorts. As entertained as Brooke is, she still stops Steve. Her hand hesitates to wrap around his wrist and yank it back. "You gonna oar him to death?" Brooke whispers, hoping her joking tone eases the tension. Steve's eyes fall to the hand, "I'm not gonna kill him," He rolls his eyes. "I don't think you could with an oar," Dustin scoffs and Brooke chuckles.

   On the other side of the shed, Max has called over the three other girls. Wrappers from food are all over the table. "Someone was here," Max says. "Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran," Robin suggests. Stella's heart hasn't left her stomach in 24 hours. Her eyes line with tears at the empty wrappers, "I should've gone with him."

  "Eddie wouldn't have let you no matter what and you know that, Stella," Paisley tries her best to comfort the girl. "Stella, don't you worry. Steve will get him with his oar!" Dustin teases. Steve had resumed smacking the tarp, "I know you think you're being funny, Henderson but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight—"

   Steve is cut off by a figure emerging from the tarp and pinning him to the wall. Steve pleads for the person to wait but there's a broken bottle pointed right at Steve's neck. The denim jacket makes Brooke's eyes widen. "Eddie! Eddie, stop!" Brooke yells in the midst of all the chaos. Dustin and Stella both go to stop Eddie but Robin grabs them both back, scared of what a fearful Eddie Munson could do.

   "Eddie. Eddie. It's me. It's Dustin. And Stella," Dustin pants, hand on his heart. Brooke understands Eddie's fear but the broken bottle grazing her boyfriend's neck is making her want to take the oar to Eddie's head until he's calmed down. "That's Steve! You know Steve!" Stella shouts, Robin's hand still gripping the brunette's windbreaker like a child on a leash. Brooke pushes her way through the group, "Steve won't hurt you. And as long as you don't hurt him, I won't kill you, Eds."

   Eddie keeps the bottle at Steve's neck but looks over his shoulder at Stella and then the others. Steve is whimpering, the bottle scarily close to causing harm. "Yeah, right, Steve?" Dustin says firmly. Steve chokes out a quiet, "Right. Yeah."

   "Steve, drop the oar, please," Stella pleads, locking eyes with Steve. It drops from his hand and Brooke moves even closer than Dustin and Stella are but it results in Eddie shoving the bottle even closer to Steve's neck. Eddie can't even trust Brooke, the person he's known the longest here. Everyone is the enemy to him right now. Everyone gasps, freaking out even more.

   "He's cool! He's cool!" Dustin tries. It's taking everything in Brooke not to push Eddie away but she doesn't want to risk an injury to Steve. "I'm cool, man. I'm cool," Steve groans.

   "What are you doing here?" Eddie finally speaks, words laced with tears. "We're looking for you," Dustin says softly. "We're here to help," Robin adds. "Let us help you, Eddie, please," Paisley pleads with her friend. The boy is still stiff though, bottle to Steve's neck.

   "Eds," Brooke dares to step in Eddie's direct eyesight, "Stella was there. These are your friends. Stella—she's our friend," Brooke hesitates but continues, "I'm your friend. The only person you don't really know is Max Mayfield." The redhead gives Eddie a slow wave.

   "Eddie. We're on your side," Dustin tries to get Eddie to understand, "I swear on my mother!" Eddie's body shakes and he looks back at Steve. "Right, guys?"

   They all agree in unison that they swear on their mother's and Dustin's mother—who is a very lovely lady so Brooke is hoping Eddie believes the group. Eddie is glaring at Steve, seething with fear and anger. Brooke stares at the edge of the bottle eerily closer to Steve's skin. Brooke takes a deep breath, tired of Eddie not trusting them. If Eddie wants to kill or harm someone—let it be her.

  Brooke kicks out Eddie's leg and he stumbles back, dropping the bottle. It shatters around Steve who finally takes a deep breath, holding his neck as he takes a seat. Everyone gasps, calling out Brooke's name. She ignores them and pins Eddie to the wall of the shed. Eddie is taller than Brooke but the knee between his legs and the elbow in his stomach prevents him from doing much.

  "Brooke, let him go!" Stella yells. "Eddie, I'm gonna walk away. You're gonna tell us what happened," Brooke says with an almost motherly tone.

  "Stella didn't tell you?" He pants. Brooke shakes her head, "She told them. All I know is that you're accused of the murder of Hawkins superstar," Brooke slowly moves away from Eddie and points at a bucket, "Sit!" Eddie almost gulps but listens to his friend.

   Everyone lets out sighs of relief when Eddie takes a seat, no weapon in hand. Stella runs towards Eddie while Brooke runs to Steve. Her boyfriend's hand is still on his neck while Robin and Paisley check on him.

   Brooke bends down, beyond relieved that no harm was done, "You okay?" She smiles up at him. Red marks have already started to form on Steve's neck. Despite the argument earlier, neither one of them will act like the other doesn't care. It's not how they work, that's how their parents work and they refuse to end up like them.

   "Thank you," Steve chokes out. Brooke smiles, butterflies swirling at the simple words. She rests a hand on Steve's face before getting up. "Eddie, just talk to them. They're gonna believe you," Stella moves sweaty strands from the boy's face like a wounded child. "We just want to talk," Dustin crouches down in front of him. Eddie is shaking like a leaf, staring at one place in the shed to stay calm and process how he got to this point.

    Robin leaves Steve's side, "We know what happened but....you need to tell someone. You can't keep that in," The blonde softly says. Eddie's head dips down and he sniffles, "You don't believe us. Stop—stop bullshitting. You won't believe me."

   Stella's jaw clenches, Eddie not believing her slightly hurts her. She wishes she could've just told him how Casey died and maybe after this she can, she just hates that he's involved now. That for some sick reason everyone she seems to care about ends up in danger or dead.

    Max shrugs, "Try us."

   Eddie takes a deep breath and runs his hands through his hair. Brooke braces herself for the information she's about to hear. How many times can the Upside Down completely fuck up her life until it's satisfied?

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despise this chapter but i have sm hw n stomach pains :( i'm sorry yall