chapter three                  the photo incident
episode three                                 holly, jolly

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THE LAST THING THEODORE expects to see when he returns home is daniel grey sitting on his front porch. he immediately gets out of his car, grabbing daniel by his sleeve and pulling him aside. "are you crazy? my mom could've seen you." theodore hisses, frantically looking around for anyone really. everyone in this town knew the infamous daniel grey, white trash extraordinaire.

"chill out theodore. no one will see us. anyways i have a proposal for you." daniel straightens out theodore's clothes as he speaks. "the guy you won against last week? he wants a rematch, even offered me money to make it happen." at the mention of money theodore sighs, looking back at his house. a house too big for a single mother and her two boys.

"how much?"

"two hundred. i was thinking a hundred each, since i'm so kind."

theodore purses his lips, softly nodding. "yeah okay i'll do it. when?" daniel smiles, the smile that normally means trouble. "tomorrow, it'll be the last match to get everyone excited, your other matches will be rescheduled." honestly theodore is just glad it isn't today, even though he wasn't a lightweight it was never a good idea for him to fight when he had drank alcohol. he gets a bit, let's just say, over the top.

"i can do that, are the others okay with our fights being rescheduled?"

"they'll be fine, i'll just have them fight someone else. i'll see you tomorrow then partner." and with that daniel is gone, theodore watches as his figure turns smaller and smaller until he can't see him anymore. when theodore is sure that daniel is gone he goes inside of his home, everything is already off his mother probably already went to bed.

he goes up the stairs, going to dustin's room first to check on him. anxiety fills his heart when he doesn't see his little brother but it quickly leaves him when he remembers that he'd be with mike. with an almost heart attack to the side theodore goes to his own room, throwing all of his clothes into his own laundry basket and putting on his pyjamas.

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THEODORE PARKS IN FRONT OF the school, a small piece of toast in his mouth from home. it may not be the safest thing to eat while driving but a boy needs his breakfast. he sees tristan and grace walking towards the school, their hands are intertwined and they seem lost in their own little world. so as any friend would do theodore toots his horn to grab their attention, the two jump from shock and tristan immediately flips him the finger when he sees theodore's car.

"you asshole." grace grins when theodore starts to walk along side them, shoving him softly. "i love you too grace." theodore grins back. "how was the party?" tristan throws his arm around both theodore and grace's shoulders. "it wasn't even a party, it was just harrington and his two shadows, nancy, barbara and me. i wouldn't call that a party."

tristan and grace both grimace to them it sounded like a place in hell, no even worse. a boring place in hell. "barbara cut her hand open while trying to shotgun a beer. and yes grace before you ask i was a total gentleman and patched her up." grace nods and holds her hand up for a high five which theodore happily returned. "how was your date?"

"tristan here forgot his wallet so i had to pay for our dinner." grace starts but tristan intercepts immediately. "hey! i just payed you back like twenty minutes ago when i picked you up from your house." and with that they two start bickering again, theodore looking at the couple with a fond expression. he doesn't really mind thirdwheeling them, he's known them since kindergarten and sandbox love never dies.

the rest of the morning goes on fairly quickly but theodore can't help himself but the spare glances at nancy. she looks stressed, especially at lunch when almost all she did was look around the cafeteria and pick at her food. their gazes lock for a few seconds before both of them apparently think their food is much more interesting. maybe she's looking for barbara theodore thinks, after all he hasn't seen her at school all day. he didn't clean her wound that badly that she had to go to the hospital did he? he shakes those thoughts away, if that was so theodore himself would've been in the hospital more often.

theodore's suspicion of nancy looking for barbara is confirmed when nancy suddenly stands before him. theodore was goofing around with tristan while grace looked at them with a fond expression. "hey theo. did you maybe see barb leave after the party?" theodore hears nancy speak up, his attention immediately snapping to her. "no i left right after you went along with steve. why?"

"she hasn't been here all day and i'm worried, i just called her parents and they said she wasn't home either." theodore frowns as nancy talks, even if he didn't know barbara all that well he knows that this isn't something she would do. "last time i saw her was in steve's house when you went with steve. do you want me help you look for her?"

tristian covers up a 'whipped' in a cough and both theodore and grace's immediate reaction is slapping him on his stomach. tristan responds with sticking his tongue out at the both of them. "could you? that'd be helpful. maybe tonight?"

theodore's face goes white at the mention of tonight. "oh i- i can't tonight sorry." nancy frowns, immediately sensing that's something's off. "why?" she asks, stepping closer. "i have something i gotta do. yeah it's- uhm- very important. very important." normally theodore is pretty good at lying, but nancy makes him nervous. lying to the girl you have a crush on isn't the same as lying to your mother to help her out. or at least that's how theodore feels.

no one looks convinced, especially not nancy. she gives him a stern look and theodore almost cracks. "i can't because tristan needs my help studying. right tristan?" theodore goes to look at his friend who seems preoccupied with annoying his girlfriend. "huh? yeah- yeah we're studying together."

"you two are horrible liars." nancy crossed her arms. "just tell me, i won't rat you out of anything. don't you trust me?" now theodore feels bad, he sighs sparing a glance at his friends who simply shrug. "you know daniel grey?"

"yeah. like everyone knows him, he's bad news."

theodore simply stares at nancy, waiting for her to connect the pieces. when she does theodore almost bursts out laughing at her shocked expression if it wasn't for her getting into his face. again, she makes him nervous. "you work for daniel grey?" she hisses. "well i don't work for him but i fight in his fighting rink. that's what i'm doing tonight."

nancy moves back, crossing her arms as she stares at theodore as he smooths down his clothing. "i can't believe you. why would you fight for him are you insane?"

"nance. you've seen my house, my single mom can't pay for it so i'm helping. it's not like i really have a choice after dad left."

nancy sighs, giving theodore a glare before walking away. "you're taking me with you or i'm telling your mother!" she screams at him and theodore's eyes widen, scrambling to catch up to her. "i'll see you two tonight i have to make sure she doesn't come with." grace and tristan nod, watching as their friend runs to catch up with nancy.

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"NANCY PLEASE JUST LISTEN you being there wouldn't be a good idea, what if someone saw you and told your parents hm?" theodore sees nancy roll her eyes. "why hasn't anyone told on you then?"

"because daniel threatened that if they did they'd be six feet under." the pair stop walking, nancy looking at him with a wide eyed expression. "i'm kidding! kinda. sorta. he didn't explicitly say they'd be six feet under but he said they'd be in big trouble." nancy mutters "you're an idiot." under her breath and hits theodore on his arm before continuing to walk.

before theodore can retort the two spot jonathan together with steve and his crew. theodore can already feel that this is going to end badly. nancy and theodore walk up to them all, theodore immediately going to stand beside jonathan. the two boys look at each other, jonathan has a look on his face almost as if he were sorry.

"what's going on?" nancy asks, eyes darting between her boyfriend and her friends. "here's the starring lady." tommy grins, amusement clear in his eyes. "what?" nancy's voice is soft, confused about what's happening.

"this creep was spying on us last night." carol starts, theodore frowns looking over at jonathan but his friend doesn't care look him in the eyes. "he was probably gonna save this one for later." she finishes, holding out a photograph for nancy to grab. theodore walks to stand behind nancy's eyes darting over the picture when she takes it.

he cannot believe what he sees, he looks over at jonathan eyes pleading him to explain himself but he stays silent, simply looking anywhere but nancy and theodore alike. "see, you can tell that he knows it was wrong, but, man that's the thing about perverts." steve walks up to jonathan, normally theodore would immediately stand between the two but he's in shock, in disbelief even. "it's hardwired into them. you know, they just can't help themselves." steve rips apart a photo right in front of jonathan. "so. we just have to take away his toy." steve throws the ripped up picture up into jonathan's face before he walks back to the backpack.

"steve." nancy mumbles, watching him take out the camera, theodore gifted him that camera. he remembers it as if it was yesterday. theodore had just won his first match and his first real paycheck, he had no idea what to do with the money so he strolled alone along the stores until the camera caught his eye. he immediately thought about jonathan and just bought it for him.

"no, please, not the camera." jonathan tries to get to steve but tommy stops him in his tracks. "dude. don't." theodore starts but steve hushes him and tells, more like orders in theodore's mind, tommy to stop. "here you go, man." steve holds out the camera and just when theodore starts to think that maybe he's not that much of an asshole he lets it fall right before jonathan can grab it. there goes his 230 dollars.

theodore and jonathan both stare at the broken pieces of one of their favourite memories, theodore doesn't even notice that steve and his friends move to go away. instead he stays standing still, his temper flaring up as he sees jonathan scramble for the broken parts.

he does notice however nancy leaning down, grabbing another picture. it's dark, theodore can barely figure out who or what it's supposed to be but it seems important to nancy. "hey nance!" steve calls out. "come on." nancy looks back to steve and grabs as much of that picture as she can get before she moves to go away.

theodore sees her glance at jonathan one last time before she stands up. "you coming theo?" she softly holds onto his arm and he wants to go with her, he does, but he can't. for himself he has to talk to jonathan first. "no i'm- i'm staying here. i'll see you tomorrow."

"tonight. don't think i forgot."

"you don't even know how to get there."

"you'll pick me up then."

theodore takes a deep breath and glances at nancy. she looks determined, stubborn. "fine. i'll be at yours around eight." nancy smiles triumphantly and walks towards steve. then it's just theodore and jonathan.

"what was that about?" jonathan breaks the silence between the two, hands still busy trying not to let the torn up pictures fly in the wind. "she found out about me fighting in the rink. she wants to come with, probably to ask around for barbara."

jonathan hums nodding, then silence falls on them again. "aren't you going to ask about the pictures?" jonathan asks, finally looking into theodore's eyes. "you were busy." is theodore's excuse. deep down he is only a man, deep down some sick part of him wants to forget that this happened, forget this probably permanent stain on their friendship. but he can't. he won't.

jonathan stands up, the pictures and broken up camera now in his beaten up backpack. "i'm not busy now."

"well. why did you?" theodore finally asks. "i was out looking for will. then i found them all, so carefree as if nothing had happened. as if will isn't missing." jonathan's voice goes softer and softer as he speaks. the mention of will hurts them both. "so you take pictures of them, of nancy?"

"i wasn't thinking right and it was a mistake. i shouldn't have taken them but i can't take it back now theodore." jonathan sounds defeated, shameful even. "you can't." theodore agrees. "but you can apologise. it's actually the least you can do."

"i will! i will. if she even would want to talk to me, i know i wouldn't." jonathan mutters the last part of his sentence and theodore's hearts stings even when he tells himself it shouldn't be.

"maybe you can tonight. normally you come to all my fights, nancy's coming too as you've heard." theodore offers but he's quickly shot down. "i can't. with my mom and will gone, what if they find him and i'm not home to know. my mom wouldn't know where i'd be-" theodore stops jonathan in the middle of his explanation. "it's okay. i get it. just. when you get the chance, apologise to her."

jonathan nods and with that theodore is gone, walking towards his own car. when he's in it he presses his forehead against his steering wheel. today is stressful, he can't wait to chill with his younger brother at home he thinks as he drives home.

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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN DUSTIN is with mike again?!" theodore's voice booms out in the house. "sweetheart, he's just with his friends he'll be fine." claudia waves him off, going back to watching tv as she cuddles with mews. theodore rolls his eyes and goes to stand in front of the tv, blocking it from his mother. "mom, don't you think he should be home more often. especially with will gone."

"i told you. he'll be fine, stop worrying about him so much he's twelve."

"so is will mom and he got taken too."

"will was alone, dustin as lucas and mike."

theodore sighs. he knows he can't change his mother's view on this and it annoys him to no end. "fine." he grits out and goes to his room, his backpack landing somewhere on his floor when he throws it off his shoulder. he'll have to repack that with the stuff for his fight later but now he wants to relax.

well, he wants to try and be as relaxed as he can be with all that happened and is happening right now. he lays down on his bed staring the ceiling when suddenly his brain starts working overtime. he was the last person to have seen both will and barbara, they were also seen with him before they were taken. will whenever dustin wanted him to come play outside with them and barbara mostly when nancy wanted him around.

then his mind goes back to a couple of weeks before. he had won another match but his opponent was furious that he had lost against someone half his age. he had told him that he'd come for him one day. to him it couldn't have been a coincidence, but then again why would he take people around him? why wouldn't he take dustin or tristan, grace, jonathan those were the people he truly cared about and was seen with the most.

maybe will and barbara were just a warning, that'd he'd come for his family next. but wouldn't a man like that leave a message at least? that he'd know it was him? theodore shakes the thoughts away. it was just coincidence, just coincidence he repeats over and over in his head.

it is all just a coincidence. nothing more.

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NANCY STARES OUT OF HER WINDOW it is already five over eight, theodore should be here by now she thinks. her thoughts are disrupted by theodore's car pulling up right outside her house. she sits up both excitement and dread filling her body. excitement for actually going to one of daniel grey's infamous fighting rinks. dread for the possible knowledge of what had happened to barb. if anyone could know anything it should be daniel, he knows almost everything that goed on in this town. good for business he says.

nancy watches as theodore gets out of his car, seemingly going to her front door but she frantically knocks on her window to get his attention. it does get his attention, right after she scared ten years off his life. theodore stares up at her, arms in a shrugging motion as if to ask what he should do. nancy motions to their garage, and when she clearly sees on his face that he doesn't understand she just holds up her pointer finger to tell him to wait.

he does wait, looking around the neighbourhood before he hears nancy softly call his name. he immediately panics, she's standing on top of her garage. he runs over to her. "are you crazy?! why aren't you just going out the front door." he hisses watching as nancy sits down on her garage roof, trying to find the best way to get off it. "my mom wouldn't let me especially after the party."

okay theodore will give her that, it's not like theodore himself hasn't snuck out before. most of those cases, just like nancy, were for his fights. theodore watches as nancy struggle, opting to holding out his arms for her to jump in. "jump i'll catch you."

nancy looks at him skeptically. "nance, i fight for a living i can carry you. it'll be fine i won't let you get hurt." he tries to comfort her, he isn't the best at it but it somehow works. nancy nods and prepares herself to push herself away from the ledge. "you're okay. you can do it." theodore encourages her, once again it helps and within seconds she's in his arms.

the two stare at each other for a few seconds before theodore sets nancy down gently to the ground. they both clear their throats. "well shall we go?" theodore is the first to break the silence. "what? oh yeah. let's go." nancy nods and the two walk towards theodore's car, he opens the door for her tossing his backpack onto the backseats before stepping aside and letting her sit down.

"what's in there?" nancy asks when theodore is seated im the drivers seat, he looks over at her while he puts his seatbelt on and she nods over to his backpack. "put your seatbelt on and i'll tell you." theodore smiles. nancy rolls her eyes but does as he says. "well?"

"hand wrappings, my own boxing gloves, first aid kit, snacks, some money. you know, basic highschooler stuff." theodore starts the car, driving off as he talks to nancy, sometimes glancing at her but mostly focusing on the road.

nancy looks around the car, it's as clean as she can expect except for a few candy wrappers dustin probably had fall out his hand. she plays a little with the little cabinet in front of her, she notices theodore glancing at her but he doesn't say anything so she decides to open it. it's just pictures, some small like they were taken by a polaroid camera, others the same size as jonathan's pictures.

nancy grabs some of the smaller ones, she smiles at what she sees. a picture of a littler dustin a cute smile on his face. a picture of theodore's friends tristan and grace looking oh so lovingly to each other. then a picture of someone she hasn't seen around theodore in a while. clay davids, from what nancy knows he and his family had moved away last year.

"do you still talk with clay?" nancy looks over at theodore, he almost looks startled at the question. "oh uhm- not really. when he just left yeah but, we both got busy and calls became less and less. you know how it goes." he says sharply, as if he doesn't want to talk about it. nancy frowns at him but drops the topic.

it isn't long before theodore stops the car, nancy looks around it's one of the many abandoned buildings around hawkins. of course it'd be in one of these. theodore opens up nancy's door for her to step out, then he grabs his backpack and starts guiding her through the building. "okay i'm going to prepare for my fight. if anyone bothers you tell them you're with kickass, tristan and grace are probably somewhere at the bar." he sees nancy frown at that. "they work there, also you shotgunned a beer don't be so judge-y lady." he jokingly pokes her in her side, she laughs.

"just stay safe around here okay?" nancy nods. "i should be telling you that, i've been here dozens of times." theodore puts his hands on nancy's shoulders guiding her to the bar where he drops her off to his friends ( babysitters if you ask nancy ). he gives them both a smile before he vanishes into the crowd, going to prepare for his fight.

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authors note.
didn't wanna make the chapter too long for my own liking so it stops here sorry <///3