CHAPTER THREE
WALKS HOME

Numerous hours later, Kimmy wondered out her middle school building with a feeling of dread in her stomach. Although this wasn't entirely unusual, often this feeling of unease appeared whenever the idea of returning home seeped in and plagued her mind.

Surprisingly, the feeling didn't seem to wear her down as heavily as she often found it. Instead it was replaced by a feeling of... anxiousness? She wasn't sure, she didn't know exactly how to explain it.

But the feeling which remained stuck in the pits of her stomach since that very lunch puzzled Kimmy to such degree. Safe to say it was a feeling she didn't like.

It wasn't like she liked him in a crush way, and she really didn't. Which was why she wasn't sure why it effected her so much that he had been so nice to her after Sunday.

Perhaps it was because she wasn't used to it.

She didn't really get anytime to dwell on the fact, because the boy she had been in a deep internal debate about, caught her eye. Causing her to do a double take as she furrowed her brows.

She couldn't see his face, but he was sat on the edge of the sidewalk with his backpack tucked under his right arm while frantically checking the black digital watch which sat on his left wrist in a repetitive manner.

He was constantly shaking his head, and Kimmy didn't even have to see his face to know he had a look mixed of panic and annoyance. Most likely the same expression which had washed across his face during their conversation reguarding the school lunches.

Kimmy stood like that for a few more moments, just watching him curiously for longer than she cared to admit.

That was until she came to her senses and snapped out of it, rolling her shoulders back in a poor attempt to push back the nerves that were suddenly drowning and bluring her mind before they got too much for her and she backed out of talking to the boy sat on the side walk.

Slowly but surely, she made her way over. Clutching the straps to her school bag to prevent unnecessary fiddling with her hands.

Hesitantly, she gently shook his shoulder to catch his attention. Which looking back, wasn't the brightest idea, seeing as it resulted in him flinching violently and snapping his head around to face her.

"Sorry," she mumbled unsurely, looking to him with her face flooded with the same guilt which was a match to the surge of misplaced guilt in her chest.

She watched as Aaron's face morphed from that of irritation to that of panic. Quickly rising from his seat on the ground, nearly losing his balance at the speed he had stood, his bag now left disregarded on the floor.

"Kimberley-" he begun sounding quite taken aback, as if the wind had been knocked out of him, before cutting himself off as he scrunched his face up. "Right, Kimmy - sorry."

Kimmy smiled at the boy to try put him at ease seeing how easily he became flustered, but it was halfhearted and didn't appear to help the boy at all. In fact, Kimmy actually feared that he now appeared more nervous then before.

"What are you still doing here?" She asked, it only just hitting her that he was there alone - without his friends, who neither of them seemed capable of leaving each others sides. "Where are your friends?"

"At their houses, just like I should be." Aaron replied briskly, his lips now pulling into a frown. "If my brother ever remembered to pick me up."

Kimmy's brows furrowed and her smile slipped as she listened to him ramble on, following his figure as he bent down to pick up his backpack and sling it over his shoulder.

"But no," he emphasised dramatically with an eyeroll. "He's got himself a new girlfriend so she's more important. I mean- I'm only his brother! I know for a fact her friends have cars and drive her about so it's not like she'd be left stranded if he didn't drive her home - unlike me!"

Kimmy held back a smile as he continuitied to ramble on about his brother. She was sure he was over sharing, but it looked as if he had no plans of stopping.

"Well that's it now," he added dramatically yet again, with a shake of his head as he scratched the back of his neck. "I swear- he doesn't care? Wait 'til I call mom, I bet he'll care then."

Call mom?

Kimmy didn't want to press on the matter of his parents or where they were. Seeing as, first of all; it was none of her business. And second of all; she was in no position to interrogate him on his parental issues.

Apparently, Aaron noticed just then that he had been going on for quite a while and he snapped his mouth closed. A silence filling the air between them for a brief moment before yet again, Aaron broke it. Unlike Kimmy, feeling the need to fill any silence between the two.

"Uh- are you waiting for someone to pick you up too?" He asked quietly and somewhat awkwardly, placing his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

No, she hadn't been. Embarrassingly so, she had gotten a little distracted with the small collection of bushes filled with flowers which were lined just outside of the school.

She'd taken her time choosing her favourites, plucking three from the ground so she could take them home to put in her room.

"No," she replied quickly, on reflection - maybe too quickly. But she was eager to put the topic at rest before parents could be mentioned. "I'm walking home-"

"Thank god." Aaron blurted, letting out a sigh of relief as his shoulders dropped. Kimmy's brows furrowed. "We can walk together, I hate walking home by myself - but, I always end up walking myself anyway. Because all my friends live at the opposite end of town."

Kimmy nodded, a slight look of confusion pulling on her features as she went along with what he was saying.

Soon enough, the pair began walking down the street side by side. As always, an awkward silence flooding the space between them. Aaron was back to fiddling with his watch, biting the inside of his cheek as he kept his eyes trained to the sidewalk beneath them.

Kimmy was watching Aaron. Face filled with uncertainty as she thought of what she could say, eventually allowing the question to slip past her lips which had become an abrupt worry in her mind.

"What will you do if Steve shows up at the school to get you and you're not there?" Kimmy dared to ask, a tone of concern to her voice. "Won't he be angry with you?"

Aaron tilted his face to meet her gaze then, a look of confusion flooding his features. However, Kimmy noticed he was still fiddling with the watch on his wrist despite not even looking at it.

"He'll be pissed." Aaron shrugged carelessly, much to Kimmy's confusion. "But I doubt he'll show anyway."

She'd almost felt panicked for him. Almost, until she realised Aaron wasn't scared of his brother. She'd gathered that the siblings didn't have the best relationship in the world, but she was glad that was as far as it went. The pair didn't get on, nothing more, nothing less.

It took a bit of weight off her shoulders, a weight she wasn't entirely sure the reasons for being there in the first place.

"Right," she nodded. Before dropping the thought all together.

She went to say something else - but Aaron asked another question, taking the conversation in an entire different direction.

"We're friends right?" Was his question, it was such forward Kimmy was almost taken aback. That was until she realised the nerves tangeled within his voice and face.

He looked like he was scared shitless.

Kimmy almost found it humouring that he would ever be scared of her. She doubted anyone would ever be scared of her. Never mind the fact he had just asked for confirmation on the twos friendship.

"Yeah," Kimmy murmered, already not liking the fearful look on his face, especially when directed in her direction.

"Okay, good," he let out sounding just about breathless, a small smile pulling on his lips as he scratched the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly. "Guess what happened today, it was crazy."

"What?" Kimmy frowned, unsure of how he could seem so happy about something while his friend remained missing.

She quickly brushed it off.

"Chief Hopper came to question me today!" Aaron blurted, biting his lip to refrain the toothy smile which had been threatening to take over his face.

That was the most excited Kimmy had ever heard Aaron. Had the police interrogated her, she'd have been terrified.

"Why the hell would they want to question you?" Kimmy retorted, sounding appalled.

"It wasn't about me, about Will." Aaron reassured, sounding as if it should have been obvious. "Well, technically I wasn't the only one, the party was there as well. I mean, I'm not even supposed to be telling you this."

Kimmy didn't know what to say, he was back rambling again. Though, she was sure he couldn't help it, she noticed he tended to do ramble a lot. Nerves most likely.

The Chief gave us all these rules to follow," he went on, words continuously blurting past his lips. "We're not allowed to go looking for him apparently, what bullshit! He's our friend what are we supposed to do? Do nothing?"

Kimmy really didn't know what to say now, especially in response to hearing that Aaron - presumably the same as his friends - genuinely believed his friend to still be alive. More specifically, that they could find him all on their own.

"Wait, so you are going out to look for him?" Kimmy's brows were furrowed as she asked the question, almost sure she had miss interpreted what he had meant. "Even after the police told you not to?"

"Yeah," Aaron answered, no sound of doubt or hesitation in his voice. "We're going to look for him tonight."

"Yeah..." Kimmy trailed off, dragging her navy eyes from his dark green ones, instead choosing to face the ground of the sidewalk. "Right."

"Aaron!" A voice which Kimmy did not recognise called out for the boy stood next to her, sounding fairly pissed off.

Causing both the twelve year olds to flinch violently.

"Aaron!" The voice called again, Kimmy could see the boy who was practically hanging out of his car window as he slowly pulled up next to them. "Aaron, get in the car!"

Steve Harrington, Kimmy recalled - Aaron's older brother.

Aaron halted his steps just as Kimmy had done and the pair looked up at him, both wearing drastic different expressions on their faces. While Kimmy looked a mix of taken aback and confused, Aaron appeared to have an almost matching look mixed of anger and annoyance.

"No!" Aaron retorted just as loudly as his brother had been. "I waited twenty minutes for you! How have you only got here now? The highschool is literally a minute drive away."

"I had to take Nancy home first." Steve grumbled in response, sounding anything but impressed with his brothers reluctance to get in his car. "Stop acting like an asshole and get in the car."

Aaron scoffed loudly and rolled his eyes at that response, folding his arms over his chest.

"No, I'm walking with my friend - I can't just ditch her." Aaron replied yet again, hoping to talk some sense into his brother. Kimmy went to interject herself quietly into the siblings conversation, insisting to Aaron that she was fine walking herself but he was back talking before she could.

"I hope you don't have plans for this weekend, Steve." Aaron called with a slight smirk playing on his lips that was barely visable. "Because the second I get home I'm calling mom and I bet her and dad will be pissed at you when they realise this is the seventh time this semester that you've forgot to pick me up!"

"Shut up!" Steve called almost instantly. "Get in the car, Aaron!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Go, Aaron," Kimmy insisted just above a whisper pushing his back gently as she plastered a smile on her face in hope to convince him. "My house isn't far anyway."

Aaron hesitated for a short few seconds before he did as she suggested and began walking across the street towards his brothers car.

"See you around," he mumbled with a small wave a sheepish half-smile.

Kimmy waved in return, smiling before turning and continuing her walk home. The quiet voices of the siblings behind her talking between themselves.

Kimmy returned home around five minutes later, the yelling heard from the kitchen unfortunately leading her to predict what she may be in for once her parents heard the slamming of the front door.

And she had been right, she always was. Kimmy was in for yet another tear filled, sorrow filled night a result of the hands of her parents.

...

Short chapter but things pick up in the next chapter!!!!

TYSM for all the reads I appreciate it sm!! Hope everyone is having a great day more updates to come soon!!!!!

Votes and comments are very appreciated! I try to reply to all the comments lol

-AJ :)