02| NO LUCK IN THE SEARCH

[ Chapter Two ]

❝We'll find him, Mom. I know we will.❞

[Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street]

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Joyce Byers was crumbling before her children's very eyes.

Jonathan was currently making breakfast, while Beth sat at the table with Joyce, looking over the wanted posters that they had made.

"Alright, breakfast is ready." Jonathan said, setting plates down in front of Joyce and Beth.

"No, be careful of the posters." Joyce pushed the posters out of the way before Jonathan could set a plate down on top of them.

"Yeah, okay, alright." Jonathan nodded, finishing setting down the plates.

"I can't eat." Joyce shook her head at the breakfast.

Beth and Jonathan shared a concerned look and Beth put her hand on her mom's, "Mom, we need you to eat."

Joyce sniffed but didn't touch her food and instead said, "Listen, the Xerox place opens in like thirty minutes."

"Yeah." Jonathan nodded.

"And I don't want you to go alone, so take Beth." Joyce continued.

"Mom, I told you, I've got it." Jonathan answered.

"We need to make what, 200, 300 copies?" Joyce asked, "How much is a copy? Ten cents?"

"Mom. Mom." Jonathan pleaded, "You can't get like this, okay?"

"No, I'm sorry." Joyce teared up.

"No, it's okay." Jonathan responded.

"We've got it, Mom." Beth smiled sadly at her mother.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Joyce immediately jumped up to answer it, revealing Jim Hopper.

"We've been waiting six hours." Joyce told him.

"I know. I came as soon as I could." Hopper answered, shutting the door.

"Six hours." Joyce repeated.

Jonathan and Beth got up and stood a little ways behind their mom.

"A little bit of trust here, all right?" Hopper answered and added, "We've been searching all night. Went all the way to Cartersville."

"And?" Joyce prompted.

"Nothing." Hopped said simply.

"God." Joyce turned around, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Flo says you got a phone call?" Hopper asked.

"Oh yeah." Joyce nodded, walking over to the phone.

Jonathan and Beth moved over to their mom, and Beth put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Hopper picked up the receiver and looked at it, "The storm barbequed this pretty good."

"The storm?" Jocelyn asked, not buying it.

"What else?" Hopper asked.

"You're saying that that's not weird?" Joyce asked, gesturing at the phone.

"No, it's weird." Hopper agreed.

"Can we trace who made the call?" Jonathan asked, "Contact the-"

"No, it doesn't work like that." Hopper argued, "Now, uh you sure it was Will?"

"Are you saying you don't believe us?" Beth interjected, standing up for her mom. She wasn't even sure herself, that it had been her little brother on the phone last night, but she wasn't goning to have her mom made fun of.

"I ask, because Flo said you just heard some breathing." Hopper glared at Beth.

"No. It was him. It was Will." Joyce argues, "And he was scared and then something-"

"It was probably just a prank call. Someone was trying to scare you." Hopper argued back.

"Who would do that?" Joyce asked, before Beth could say something else.

"It's all over the news. It brings out the crazies, you know. False leads, prank calls." Hopper explains.

"No, Hopper, it was not a prank. It was him." Joyce argues back.

"Joyce." Hopper said.

"Come on, how about a little trust here?" Joyce threw his words back at him, "What, you think I'm-I'm making this up?"

"I'm not saying that you're making it up." Hopper said, slowly, "All I'm saying is it's an emotional time for you."

"Well, no shit." Beth cursed.

"Do you think I don't know my own son's breathing?" Joyce cried, "Wouldn't you know your own daughter's?"

"Mom." Beth's eyes widened at that.

Hopper turned away from them and then asked, "Have you heard from Lonnie yet?"

"No." Joyce said.

"It's been long enough. I'm having him checked out." Hopper said, putting his hat on and heading for the door.

"Oh, come on!" Joyce cried, following him, "You're wasting your time."

"Mom. What if he did take Will?" Beth asked, once Hopper had shut the door.

Jonathan looked at his sister and mom before running after Hopper.

"He wouldn't." Joyce shook her head.

"Just let him check it out, and in the meantime, I'll go get these copied." Beth walked over to the kitchen table and picked up the missing posters that they had made.

She turned back to face her mom, "We'll find him, Mom. I know we will."

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Beth agreed to go to the Xerox shop with Jonathan in order to copy the posters, but she had to go to her chemistry class, in order to take her test, even though that was the last thing on her mind.

Jonathan dropped her off at school and Beth immediately sought out Nancy in order to go over their notes one last time.

"Nance." Beth called, waving her and Barb over.

"Hey, are you doing okay?" Barb asked her immediately.

"I mean as well as I can. Sorry, about bailing last night. I just want to get this chemistry test over with so I don't have to think about school." Beth responded, reaching in her bag to grab her notes.

"It's fine. You're going through a lot, Beth." Barb accepted her friend's apology.

The three walked down the hallway and let Barb quiz them on some questions, all of which, Nancy got correct.

"You know a lot more than me. I'm telling you, Nance, there's no way you're not going to get an A on this." Beth told her friend.

"See." Barb agreed, "Don't worry about it."

Suddenly someone snatched the cards out of Nancy and Barb's hands. Beth turned around to see Steve Harrington and his friends and she tried to stop herself from groaning.

"Hey." Barb glared at him.

"I think you've studied enough Nance." Steve said.

"Steve-" Nancy started.

"I'm telling you. You know, you've got this." Steve added, "Don't worry. Now, on to more important matters. My dad has left for a conference and my mom has gone with him, cause you know she doesn't trust him."

"Good call." Tommy broke in.

"So are you in?" Steve asked Nancy.

"In for what?" Nancy asked.

"No parents? Big house?" Carol asked.

"So, a party?" Nancy asked.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding." Carol teased.

"But it's a Tuesday." Nancy asked, confused.

Carol and Tommy laughed at her.

"Come on." Steve rolled his eyes at them and then reassured Nancy, "It'll be lowkey. It'll just be us. What do you say? Are you in or are you out?"

"Um-" Nancy started to answer, but Carol interrupted.

"Oh god, look." Carol nodded her head to the left.

"That's depressing." Steve added.

All of them turned to look to see Jonathan hanging up a poster on a bulletin board. A wave of nausea shot through Beth as she bit her lip and forced herself not to smack Carol and Steve in the face.

"Should we say something?" Nancy asked, remembering Beth was there.

"I don't think he speaks." Carol says, sniggering.

"How much do you want to bet he killed him?" Tommy adds.

"Shut up." Steve told him.

Beth couldn't help herself anymore and she whirled on Tommy, "You're an ass."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were the weirdo's sister." Tommy laughed, unfazed by Beth's comment.

Beth was furious, now, and she looked at Nancy before she smacked Tommy in the face. When Tommy clutched his nose in pain, Beth looked at Carol, "Don't say a word, unless, you want a bleeding face too."

She turned to Steve, "Oh, and your party, I think I'll pass. You know, since I'm such a weirdo."

All of them looked shocked at everything she said, but Steve looked especially shocked, and for some reason it made her feel good.

Beth looked at Nancy and Barb, "I'll see you guys later."

Beth gave her brother one last look before she went off to her chemistry test.

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Word Count: 1343

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed! Beth is really going to be someone who takes no one's shit.

(The gif at the top was made by me. Please do not steal it.)

What did you guys think? What about that last scene? 

I love you all and will see you soon for chapter 3!

POSTED ON:

10. 7. 20