Margaret's POV;

I woke up with a thumping headache, and heartache. After I'd left Eddies trailer I ran back here, too afraid to do anything, hoping this was all a nightmare.

The police sirens that awoke me told me otherwise.

Dogs barking, sirens, men yelling.

I pulled myself up and ran out the caravan in my pyjama bottoms and top to look over at the trailer, police cars swarming it.

I noticed Max staring across the way at the trailer too. Sure I hadn't known her all that well but Dustin had introduced us when he took me on his monster hunting mission. Not that I seen any monsters myself, only found my gramps e-

No.

This is not the time.

I watched as police men charged up to the poor girl, I ran over shivering as I did to stop them.

"Hey, back off, she's only a kid" I shouted over from behind. Both officers turning to face me as well as grabbing Max's attention.

"What are you her guardian?" One of them pitifully laughed at me, mocking my attempt to stick up for Max. Yes you should never lie to the police and yes I'm fully aware of that, but, desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Yea, I'm her cousin" I spoke oddly confidently for what I was doing and who I was speaking to. Max gave me a questioning look which I ignored, "come on, you need to get ready for school" I held my hand out for her to take as if she were a five year old.

She looked at my hand, then the officers, choosing the lesser of the two awkward situations and taking my hand. Well when I say taking my hand that word is a bit too strong for what she had done. She placed hers on top of mine and looked very humiliated.

I clasped my hand around hers and pulled her toward my trailer.

"What are you doing?" She whisper yelled as we got further away from the cops.

"I don't know" I whispered back feeling her squirming, "saving your ass" I looked back at her, causing her to stop, "you looked incredibly suspicious stood there you know".

She quickly ran up the two steps and into my caravan.

"Who's caravan is this?" She spoke as she spun in a slow circle taking all of my belongings in, and the room, "wait, is this yours? Why are you-"

"Enough okay, is this what you're wearing?" I put my hand out fanning it over her outfit of choice, her nightshirt.

She looked down and shrugged, "well no" she looked back up to me a look that was very unlike her. She looked terrified.

"I'll give you something, it might be a little big but-" I turned to walk toward my room, "it'll do".

"And then what?" She yelled after me.

"And then we find Dustin" I couldn't believe I was saying it, I knew he'd know what to do, he'd mentioned all these stories, told me what happened at the mall and I didn't believe him.

But now?

I grabbed a blue baggy top and some jeans from my wardrobe and threw them backward to Max.

She gave me a weird look after seeing the top.

"What? Comfort is everything" I shrugged, "you can change in my room and I'll change out here okay?" I gave her an oddly soft smile. She nodded back to me swapping places.

I'd changed into black tighter jeans and a baggier yet slightly cropped red top.

My mind moved swiftly back to Chrissy. The sight of her friends limbs snapping, the fear she felt when she'd seen her but, what bugged her the most was the fact that all she wanted to do was run into Eddies arms for safety and he had left her.

"Hey, I know this sounds weird but I need my Walkman and bag, I-" Max's voice became apparent from behind me, I turned to her looking rather concerned, "are you okay?".

There was that god awful question.

Boy had she been asked that question one too many times by Ms Kelley.

"Yes, I'll let you grab them on the way passed" I smiled to the girl who looked at me suspiciously, "you'll also need shoes".

Dustins door flew open in anticipation and there he stood, looking at us, entirely puzzled, "Max" he pointed to her, "and Margaret?" His tone was questioning when he pointed to me.

"We need your help" his hand slid from the door as he stood aside to let us in. I knew my voice sounded shaky as soon as I spoke.

We sat in his room, which was too messy for my liking and he stood in front of us.

"Who was it?" He pushed for an answer to which Max shrugged.

"Chrissy"

"I'm sorry what?"
"What?" They both spoke at once.

"It was Chrissy Cunningham" my voice cracked, "it was my Chrissy" I mumbled to myself.

"Why was Chrissy Cunningham in Eddie Munson's trailer?" Max stood up now too, that I did not have an answer to, I never got to ask before Eddie pulled a disappearing act on me.

So I shrugged.

"Eddie the freak with Chrissy the cheerleader?" Dustin seemed absolutely baffled. I was too, perhaps now was not the time to tell them I was with him too.

"Exactly" Max heaved, "I can guarantee you Eddie is suspect number one right now" I was ready to stand up and defend him but he didn't deserve my defence. Not one bit.

"That's crazy! Eddie did not do this" Dustin jumped in instead.

"Well we can't rule it out!" Max yelled back.

I let out a very obnoxious sigh, "yes we can" I couldn't believe the words came out of my mouth, both looking at me oddly, I'd be doing the same all things considered, "trust me, it wasn't Eddie" was I actually putting myself in the firing line for that douche?

"I'm sorry, did you just stick up for Eddie Munson?" Dustins usual sarcasm flowing from the source.

"Yes"

"Okay and how would you know?" Max sat down by me.

"Because Eddie was with me last night after D&D" here we go. Dustin walked straight to me, giving me the the disgusted look, "god, no, nothing like you're thinking, we- he, needed help after a fight I ju-"

"Eddie got in a fight?!" Dustin yelled in utter disbelief.

"Look forget all the little things and let's move back to my dead best friend Dustin" my words were cold, darkly sarcastic, "sorry," I spoke as soon as I watched his face fall, "I walked Eddie back to his trailer and we found her, I went to call the cops and he ran". I looked down, defeated.

"Holy shit, I'm- I'm sorry Margaret" Max sounded strangely sincere.

"I have a spare bike for you Margaret and I know exactly who to go to" Dustin turned to his door, "Steve".

Dustin had wondered off to find something while Max and I stayed in his room, he wouldn't tell us exactly why he stormed out the room but he had done.

"Uh- just so you know I'm really sorry you had to see that" Max's sincerity, as awkward as it was, was appropriated as a sad looking smile fell over my lips, "I can't even imagine what that would've been like" she scooted slightly closer to me on the edge of the bed.

"Her limbs just snapped like- like twigs, She looked like she was in some trance" my voice was overly shaky and wary, images of what I'd seen last night flashing through my mind, "Eddie tried- he tried to wake her up but" I put my head down because I knew if I continued on I'd be right back in that situation again, crying non stop.

"Where even is Eddie?" Max surely hadn't to know why he'd ran, she hardly knew him, "he was just gone when you got back?".

"Yip, ran off and left me to deal with it" I shook my head.

Max lifted the arm that was closest to me and put it around my back pulling me toward her for a hug. A hug I hadn't expected to need and not from Maxine, although I did need it. I had just watched my best friend die and now I had no one else. My best friend and my gramps were dead and gone.

I embraced the girl beside me too, "I'm not usually like this I swear" I laughed as a single tear ran down my red cheeks.

Dustin and Max had dropped their bikes and ran into the store I'd assume Steve worked at, I placed my bike down, attempting not to break anything or throw it the way the pair of them had and walked through the doors after them.

"How many phones do you have?"

"Somebody was murdered-" Steve looked up towards me as he spoke noticing that I'd stopped behind the two younger kids, "why are you with Margaret Sawyer?" Dustin let out a frustrated grunt, "do you- do you still babysit him?" His question now intended to me.

"Well not reall-" I tried to answer him but I was quickly cut off by Dustin.

"How many phones do you have?!" His tone the most demanding id ever heard it, surprising me and Steve and Robin slightly.

"Two"

"Three if you count Keith's in the back" Robin spoke up toward Dustin before turning to me, "hi Margaret".

I gave her a smile before Dustin piped mumbled something and threw his bag over the counter. Steve of course started freaking out whist Robin began picking up the tapes he'd kicked over. Max and I giving each other a look of slight concern before she pulled me around behind the counter.

I tried my best to help Robin pick up the tapes while the other three bickered back and forth, Robin making a comment about how it was a Saturday not that I'd really listened.

"So, how've you been since, yesterday?" I questioned what I was saying as I said it. It felt like more than a day since I'd seen Robin but it had in fact only been that short space of time.

"Bored" she muttered looking round to me as I put the last pile of tapes on the counter, "I suppose today will no longer be boring" she turned taking a glimpse of Dustin in, "god knows what he's got planned".

Dustin had made us all take turns phoning people and searching on the computer while Steve took shop floor, I'd walked around to grab the phone Max had just finished with when I heard Steve mutter what I believed to be, 'see you later alligator' as a girl exited the store.

I let out a short giggle when he walked back in turning to face the 4 of us, "real smooth, anymore tremendous lines?" I couldn't help myself but to laugh at the poor guy.

He hung his head down letting out a sigh before walking up toward the counter to face me, "you're funny" he flashed a sarcastic smile, "but seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?" He'd placed his elbows down leaning on them to sigh.

I knew what was wrong with him. Sure I hardly knew the guy, but I did know about Nancy. I knew more than I'd have liked to because of Tommy, unfortunately for me, it still made me shiver, last night.

"Nancy" I spoke quickly as I started to dial up the number Dustin had told me to dial.

"What about Nancy?" Steve looked genuinely clueless, bless him.

I stifled out a soft laugh, "boys really are clueless" I shook my head until I noticed the glare I'd been given, "you're in love with Nancy".

I'd very briefly gone to the toilet at the back of the shop, on my return Max was standing at the door, grabbing my hand and pulling me out to the front as she spoke, "come on we have a lead" she tugged me away with her, I didn't know if I wanted to see him, to find him again, "by lovers lake".