chapter three, picture perfect

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THERE were some days, like today, where Tommy didn't pick up the Baxter twins from their home and take them to school. On these days, Evelyn and Cynthia made the decision to drive to school themselves. Not that it was a great decision, they were both shitty drivers.

Cynthia almost hadn't noticed Nancy Wheeler walking up to her. The blond's head shoved in her locker as she fished out her books for class. "Cynthia!" The voice caused her to squeak in surprise, looking behind her to see the familiar face.

"Nancy! Hi!" She chimed happily, pulling a book to her chest. "What's up?"

If Nancy knew anything about Cynthia, it's that she was honest. Honest, sweet, and never made a peep about anything secret-related. So, Nancy knew that if she said something to the blond in front of her, the school wouldn't know about it by lunchtime.

Cynthia could sense the nerves rolling off of the Wheeler girl. It caused the blond to tilt her head in concern and confusion, waiting for a reply. "Was it weird when you and Tommy started going out?"

"Define weird,"

Nancy chewed on the inside of her cheek, "Like, everyone was staring at you," As Nancy looked around anxiously, Cynthia followed her gaze. Some people looked their way, sure, but it was hard to tell if they were looking cause of Cynthia or Nancy. "Steve said he didn't tell anyone about last night, but what about-"

"Oh, I didn't!" Cynthia held a hand to her chest. Her eyes widened as she shook her head quickly. "That kinda stuff is none of my business."

The brunette nodded, "I know, I'm just worried about Carol, I guess," And Tommy, Nancy wanted to say, but she didn't want to hurt Cynthia's feelings.

The Baxter nodded in understanding. "She won't spill. I promise, Eve will make sure of that," She explained as the warning bell rang. "Come on, you can walk me to class," Nancy seemed confused by the offer, but followed anyways. They had the same first period, it only made sense.

"Where's Tommy?" Nancy couldn't help but ask, noticing the lack of the teenage boy. Usually, wherever Cynthia was, Tommy, Steve, or Eve were sure to follow. And yet, Cynthia was all alone.

"He had practice today, and I think he was doing some extra stuff after," Cynthia explained. She was wearing her cheer uniform, like she always did for games. Her blond hair pulled back into a slick ponytail that bounced with every step. She was perfect, as always. Even Nancy could see that.

The two girls walked into class together, taking their usual spots. As Nancy sat in her chair, she couldn't help but notice the seat next to her was empty. Barb's spot. Nancy's eyes flickered to Cynthia, who had began flipping through her textbook. She then looked to Eve, who sat in front of her. "Hey, Eve, have you seen Barb?"

Evelyn Baxter turned in her seat to look at the Wheeler. She glanced at the empty desk, then back at Nancy. "Not today, no." She answered honestly. "Haven't seen her since last night." Cynthia turned in her seat, frowning at the absence of the redhead. She looked back at Nancy, and neither of them could quite settle the anxious feelings in their chests.

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Jonathan Byers was back at school, despite his inability to focus on anything school related. His brother was missing, his deadbeat dad didn't care, and his mom was going insane and talking to lights in the house. And now Cynthia Baxter was walking over to him in a cheer uniform.

Wait, Cynthia Baxter was walking over to him in a cheer uniform?

"Jonathan!" The blond chirped happily as she jogged up to him, ponytail swinging as she did. Jonathan felt like his eyes were about to fall out of his head as he looked at her. "Any updates on Will?"

She remembered his name. "No, not yet," He answered awkwardly, his hands shoving into his pockets awkwardly. The sadness brewed in his eyes, but he didn't know it. He didn't think anyone would notice anyways.

But she did.

She pushed her lips together sadly. "Maybe we should make more posters," Her eyes trailed to the corkboard, where the poster Jonathan and his mom made was pinned. "I can help?"

"No, no, it's-"

"I want to help!" Jonathan blinked at her. He watched the hopeful gleam in her eye as she walked toward the poster and slowly took the tacks into her left hand. In her right, was the poster. She tilted her head as she looked at it, then back at him. "Come on," She ushered him along. Jonathan had no other choice but to follow.

They ended up in the school newspaper room. There were no other classmates, which wasn't much of a surprise. Cynthia hopped down the steps and to where they usually set up the layout for their articles. Jonathan watched as she placed the tacks on a table, grabbing scissors, pens, and papers.

She worked in silence. Writing down things they had put on the missing posters. Jonathan watched as she wrote in a way that was much neater than his and his mom's handwriting. She stuck her tongue out slightly, scribbling away. She asked questions now and again, like what was he specifically wearing the day he went missing, or where his bike was found. Jonathan answered, short and blunt. She then started laying out the papers on to the light, moving around pieces of paper like a puzzle as she tried to think.

"We could do this," She gestured. Jonathan studied it, nodding. "Or this," She switched some papers around, moving bits of information around the page.

Jonathan nodded, "That's way better," He finalized.

Cynthia whipped her head around, smiling. "I agree." She hummed, now turning back to the puzzle of papers and words. "I can ask someone from the newspaper to get this made, get some copies. They'd be ready right after school." She explained as her fingers trailed across the papers.

"You didn't have to do this," Jonathan hummed, watching her fiddle with her hands.

"I know, but I wanted to," She said softly, turning to smile up at him. She placed her hand down on the table, letting out a quiet yelp as she shot her hand to her chest.

Jonathan's eyes were wide. "You okay?" His eyes flickered to the table, seeing the tacks from before.

"Just pricked my hand, I'm okay," The blond hummed.

"Can I see it?"

Her eyes flickered up to his. His genuine soft eyes searched her crystal ones. She nodded, her eyes now on his hands. He slowly grasped her wrist, his skin warm. He pulled her hands away from her chest, looking down. Surely enough, on her palm below her thumb was a small trickle of blood. Cynthia stared up at him, watching his expression. Did he seem worried? Grossed out, maybe? Maybe he didn't like blood.

"Is it that bad?"

Jonathan chuckled. For the first time in days, the smallest smile fell on his face. He clicked his tongue, raising a brow. He shrugged his shoulders lazily as he spoke. "I don't know, might have to amputate it," He mumbled sarcastically.

Cynthia played along. Her eyes grew wide as her mouth fell agape, "My thumb?" She asked.

"Your hand,"

Cynthia let out a gasp, a smile etching onto her features. "Well, doc, what do you say," She leaned over, her other hand grasping the scissors, "These or a letter opener?" Now the two began to laugh loudly, Cynthia leaning into him slightly as he still held her wrist.

Jonathan shook his head, "Let's just get you a bandaid, okay?" He hummed. Cynthia nodded, the two of them approaching the desk where usually a teacher sat in the room to supervise the news team. "Surely these weirdos have one, right?" He said as he began to open drawers. He sat in the desk chair and leaned on to the desk.

"They're not weirdos!" Cynthia defended, still holding her hand to her chest. "They write the school paper,"

"Come on, most people on the news team are total weirdos," Jonathan pointed out as he opened another drawer. "I am a weirdo, I can see them a mile away."

Cynthia's soft eyes studied Jonathan for a long moment. "I don't think you're weird." She commented.

Lord, help me now, Jonathan thought.

He looked back at her, his eyes widened only slightly. She smiled softly, and he could've sworn his heart was about to explode. Yep, explode and burst into a thousand pieces. The rest of him might follow suit, he didn't know. He held a bandaid between his fingers, standing up straight. He grabbed a tissue from the desk, and Cynthia held out her hand.

He was gentle. He cradled her hand in his fingertips as he softly wiped away the blood. She was silent, watching. He pulled open the bandaid, pressing it onto her palm. His thumb brushed over it, barely grazing her skin.

"All fixed, no amputation necessary," Jonathan finished, his hands falling to his sides. He tossed the tissue and bandaid wrapper into the garbage, his eyes on her again.

"Thank you, Jonathan," She hummed softly. Jonathan pursed his lips, nodding.

In the cafeteria, Eve had her usual spot next to Carol at the lunch table. "No, I swear. Look at this." The Perkins girl put her foot on the table, revealing a spot on the back of her foot. "It's totally frostbite,"

Tommy ate as he spoke. "It's a heated pool." He informed the redhead. Nancy Wheeler gave a small hello as she took the spot next to Steve Harrington. Eve looked up, giving the brunette a gentle smile.

"Well, if it's not frostbite, then what is it?" Carol asked the Hagan with a glare.

Steve scoffed, "I don't care what it is; it's disgusting!" He said with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Get it off the table, we're eating here," Tommy slowly moved his spoon toward the mark on Carol's foot, causing the girl to smack his hand in disgust.

Nancy looked over, "Hey, Tommy. When you left, did you see Barb?" She asked as she leaned over slightly.

"What?"

"Barbara. She's not here today."

Tommy rose a brow as he held a spoonful of mashed potatoes in front of him. "I seriously have no idea who you're talking about." He said before he and Carol began to laugh. Eve rolled her eyes, knowing this was the real Tommy. The asshole Tommy. The Tommy Cynthia never saw.

"Come on, don't be an ass, man," Steve followed, looking across the table. "Did you see her leave last night or not?"

Carol rolled her eyes, looking over at Eve. The blond shrugged, agreeing with the Harrington. Tommy shook his head at his friend. "No. She was gone when we left."

"Probably couldn't stand listening to all that moaning." Carol hummed as she began to make an imitation of Nancy. "Oh, Steve!"

Eve scrunched her face in disgust as Tommy and Carol began to loudly moan, Tommy even making weird thrusting movements in his chair as he slapped the table. Nancy sunk into her chair, hating every minute of it. Steve turned to his girlfriend, "Listen, I'm sure she's fine. She's probably just," Steve shrugged as he spoke, "She's probably just skipping, or something."

"Yeah." Nancy nodded as she looked down at her food. Eve frowned, seeing the anxious and worried expression on Nancy's face.

"We can call Barb's parents," Eve suggested, catching Nancy's attention. "After school, we can use that payphone and call them, if you know their number." She reasoned as she put her head in her hand.

Nancy gave a polite smile. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," She hummed softly. She stared at Eve, who had an unreadable look on her face.

"Holy shit," Carol hissed, leaning forward in her chair to look at the cafeteria doors. "Look who Cynthia is talking to," Everyone at the table leaned to get a better look.

Jonathan Byers and Cynthia Baxter were in the hallway, walking side by side. "Why weren't you at lunch?" He asked her, looking at the blond in curiosity.

Cynthia shrugged. "I've been looking for Nancy's friend, Barb. She wasn't in first period and I was hoping she was just late." She explained. Her shoulder slouched. "But I guess she's not here."

Jonathan swallowed awkwardly, thinking about last night. "Oh, makes sense," The two of them came to a stop, and he looked at her hand again. He reached for her palm, bringing it up between their bodies. His thumb tapped the bandaid, his eyes still focused on her face. "Make sure to replace it when you get home, or something." He told her. They hadn't noticed the eyes on them, not yet.

"Sure thing, Doc," Cynthia hummed, smiling up at him as if he was the only thing she saw. Maybe, Jonathan thought, maybe he was. For just this singular moment, he was all Cynthia saw.

But now he had seen it. Tommy Hagan, Steve Harrington, Carol Perkins, Evelyn Baxter, and Nancy Wheeler. The entire table stared the pair down in confusion. Tommy's eyes danced in jealousy and anger, his overprotective nature swooping in quickly. Jonathan knew he had about thirty seconds before Tommy had him on the ground.

The Byers boy looked at her. "I'll see you later, okay? Thanks again for the posters." Jonathan was already walking away before Cynthia could reply to him properly.

She seemed confused but smiled anyways. "See you!" She hummed happily. Cynthia turned her body completely, squeaking in surprise when she nearly walked right into her boyfriend's chest. "Tommy! Hey!" Her eyes lit up in excitement as she looked up at him. His arm wrapped around her protectively as he looked over her shoulder, staring down Jonathan's fleeing figure.

"Hey, Cynnie, what were you doing talking to Byers?" He asked. His tone was soft, as it always was when talking to her. But it wasn't because he was soft or gentle, Tommy was anything but. He just didn't want her to realize it yet.

Oblivious, Cynthia shrugged, "I'm going to make some more missing posters for his brother, but then I poked myself with a tack so he got me a bandaid." " She explained casually, fiddling with Tommy's shirt. "I wanna help, you know? It sucks that he's missing," She meant it. She was sure she had seen Will Byers a handful of times in her life, and she knew if Eve went missing she'd go crazy. She could only imagine what Will's family was going through.

Tommy pulled Cynthia closer, "Yeah, of course," He answered, steering her to the cafeteria, "Just keep me around next time you talk to him, alright?"

"Why?" Cynthia frowned in confusion as she squished past a classmate.

"Just don't want you to be alone, sweetheart," Tommy informed her as he lead her to sit down next to him. Cynthia smiled happily at the rest of the table. They all shared hellos and continued their lunch as normal.

Except for Eve, who kept her arms crossed as she looked over at Tommy, hating the controlling nature he had. And Nancy, who fiddled with her food as she continued to worry about Barb.

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Evelyn raised a brow as she stood at the door to the newspaper room. She held the door open, waiting for Cynthia to be finished talking to a boy named Fred. School was finally over, and the girls spent the last ten minutes getting the stack of Missing Posters Cynthia had Fred make.

"Thank you, again!" Cynthia beamed as she brought the pile of papers to her chest. Fred muttered no problem or you owe me, but Cynthia didn't really answer as she turned to the stairs.

"You ready?" Eve raised an impatient brow. She was wearing jeans, a red t-shirt, and a denim jacket. Cynthia nodded, sliding out of the door.

The moments it was just the two sisters were probably Evelyn's favorite moments. There was no Tommy or Steve dictating Cynthia's every move, even if they didn't outright say that's what they were doing. There were no comments from Tommy that would fly over Cynthia's head and make Eve's blood boil. No, in these moments, Cynthia was undeniably herself and not even thinking about impressing Tommy or making him happy.

The two walked down the halls. "And then Chrissy told me that Jason told her that Vicki Carmichael and Patrick McKinney were caught kissing behind the bleachers," Cynthia explained as she waved a hand around. Eve listened, only slightly interested in the latest Hawkins drama. "Which is fine, except now Tina is mad at Vicki!" She rambled off.

"Right, because aren't Patrick and Tina dating?" Eve questioned, "Wait, isn't Vicki dating Chance?"

"No, Chance and Vicki kissed at Tina's Halloween party," Cynthia corrected. "Chance is trying to get with Amy," Eve shook her head, having a hard time trying to keep up.

Eve looked at the posters in Cynthia's hands. "So, what, are you giving all of those to Byers?" She hummed.

Cynthia looked at the stack. "No, only half," She answered, rounding a corner so they were near the exit. "I'll take the other half and put them around town after the game," She explained to her sister. Eve nodded, and the two walked out of the school.

They stumbled right into Nancy, who had just turned away from the phone booth. Eve raised a brow, catching the brunette's arms before she fell. "Hey, Wheeler! You alright?" She asked with an awkward laugh.

Nancy shook her head. "I think," She stuttered as she spoke. "I think something's wrong with Barb."

"Did you find her?" Nancy shook her head at Eve's question. "Then how do you know something's wrong?"

"She never went home last night."

The statement sent shivers down both Eve and Cynthia's spines. They looked at each other, and Cynthia tightened her arms around the stack of papers. They hadn't seen Barb when they left. Cynthia had gone out to look for her, so they knew she wasn't there. But if Barb never went back to her house, and she didn't show up to school, where was she?

Eve cleared her throat. "Maybe there's something back at Steve's," She suggested finally, causing the two other girls to look at her. She shifted on her feet, the pavement scratching at her converse. "We can go look after the game, and just see if she at least made it out of his house," Nancy and Cynthia shared looks, knowing that Eve had a point. If they last saw her at Steve's, it made sense to go check there first.

"Yeah, okay," Nancy whispered, clutching her bag tightly. She looked between the sisters, raising a brow. "Where are you guys going?"

Cynthia beamed. "I'm meeting Jonathan to give him some posters," The blond chirped as she bounced on her shoes. "And then we're going to meet up with Tommy and them to go to the game," Nancy nodded softly, simply walking alongside the two girls to the parking lot.

Things weren't exactly going to plan for Jonathan Byers.

He had walked up to his car, stopping in confusion when he saw Steve Harrington, Tommy Hagan, Carol Perkins, and a redhead girl named Nicole all sitting on and around his car. "Hey, man," Steve hummed as he slid off the trunk, his hands on his hips. Tommy stepped forward, an unreadable expression on both of their faces.

"What's going on?" Jonathan asked, looking at the group of four and his car.

"Nicole here was, uh, telling us about your work," Steve answered, nodding to the girl on his right.

Carol nodded, leaning into Nicole. "We've heard great things,"

Tommy stood up straight, "Yeah, sounds cool." There was nothing sweet in his tone. It was all sour.

"And we'd just love to take a look." Steve hummed as he wrapped his hand around his other arm. "You know, as connoisseurs of art."

Jonathan exhaled through his nose as he looked between them. "I don't know what you're talking about," He huffed before attempting to push past Carol and Nicole. It was a mistake, on his part, as Tommy had grabbed the base of his bag and yanked it from Jonathan's arm.

"Oh, no?" Steve hummed, unphased by Tommy's harsh act.

"Please, give me my bag,"

Tommy laughed as he tossed the bag in the Harrington's direction. Steve frowned. "Oh, man, he is trembling. He must really have something to hide." Steve said as he placed the bag on the trunk. He and Tommy turned to it, pulling it open.

This wasn't going to be good.

Steve leaned back, humming as he looked down at the photos Jonathan had decided to print in the school's dark room. He recognized the photos almost immediately. It was the entire group from the night before. Everyone at Steve's house, having a fun time. Photos of Tommy nearly tossing Cynthia into the pool, or Nancy chugging a beer, or Carol and Eve smoking together. Then, there were photos of Nancy. When she was in his room, right as she took off her top. Yeah, Jonathan had taken a photo of that.

"Let me see," Tommy snatched part of the stack, looking through them. His eyes followed Cynthia's figure in every photo. There were photos from when they climbed out of the pool, and with Cynthia's dress, she was unintentionally the most revealing. Of course, there were photos from that moment, including when Steve had tugged down the back of her dress. There were photos of Cynthia outside, alone. When she had gone out and looked for Barb. That, perhaps, had pissed Tommy off the most. There were the few moments Cynthia had been completely alone and vulnerable outside of Steve's house and outside of Tommy's watch, and there was someone watching her. "Dude,"

Carol had taken some of the photos, looking at them and back up at Jonathan. "Yeah, this isn't creepy at all," She stated sarcastically.

"I was looking for my brother,"

"No," Steve cut in. He gestured to the photo Carol was looking at. It was all of them in the pool, Tommy spinning Cynthia around in his arms as Nancy swam after Steve, and Eve and Carol were splashing all of them. "No, this is called stalking."

Tommy spoke up, the photos in his hands. He was fuming. Photos of his girlfriend (and his friends, but more importantly his girlfriend) were taken when she wasn't aware when she was vulnerable, and Jonathan had been watching her. The entire night. "I finally see why you were so keen on Cynthia helping you out today," He commented, glaring the Byers down. "She's too sweet for her own damn good,"

"It wasn't like that."

"The hell it wasn't." Tommy stood up straight, about to take a stride when Steve stuck an arm out, pushing him back into the car. Carol had taken most of the photos now, except for the few Tommy held that contained just Cynthia or when Cynthia got out of the pool.

Nancy Wheeler had her arms linked with Cynthia Baxter. They were walking up to them, and Cynthia's smile was as wide as always. Eve was at Nancy's side, studying the obvious tension at the moment. None of her friends would ever interact with Jonathan, and Eve knew that. There was something wrong, and they just didn't know what.

Cynthia pulled away from Nancy. "Tommy!" She gasped excitedly, brushing past Jonathan and walking right up to her boyfriend. His expression softened but only for a moment, his free arm wrapping around her as she hugged him tightly. She pulled away, holding her posters. She turned around, her eyes landing on the Byers. "Oh, I got the posters made, here," As she took a step forward, Tommy grabbed her shoulder and pulled her right back, making her stumble into him and Steve.

"No, Cyn, don't give him any of those," Tommy said softly, his eyes only on Jonathan. If looks could kill, Jonathan would be screwed.

Nancy and Eve still stood next to each other, "What's going on?" Nancy asked nervously.

"This creep was spying on us last night." Said Carol, chewing her gum. Eve felt her stomach drop as she looked at the stack of papers the others had. Cynthia frowned in confusion, her eyes landing on Jonathan. Carol pulled one out, handing it to Nancy. "He was probably gonna save this one for later." Nancy looked down, seeing the photo. It was her in Steve's window, pulling off her top. Cynthia turned her head, realizing Tommy was holding some prints. She reached for them, but Tommy pulled away.

"You don't need to see it, darling,"

Cynthia scowled, "Give me the photos, Tommy," She demanded. Her voice was far more stern than usual. She snatched the photos from his grip, looking down at them in confusion. Eve had moved in front of Carol, looking down at the stack the Perkins had. As Cynthia looked at the photos, her stomach began to swarm uncomfortably and her skin felt hot from anxiety. On the one hand, Jonathan didn't hurt her, no, but the photos only proved he had been watching them for a long time that night, and it proved that if he wanted to take those three minutes Cynthia was out there alone to hurt her, he could've. That freaked her out, a lot.

She looked back up, her eyes sad as she watched the Byers boy. Jonathan avoided both everyones' gazes, staring at the pavement. He was ashamed. Steve clicked his tongue, "See, you can tell that he knows it was wrong, but," Steve rolled up the paper in his hands, sighing. He walked toward Jonathan, staring him down. Cynthia leaned into Tommy more, her hands fumbling with his jacket. Tommy held the other photos in his hands, glaring the Byers down. Eve and Carol stared at him. "Man, that's the thing about perverts, it's hardwired into 'em. You know, they just can't help themselves." Steve brushed his hand on Jonathan's jacket, his expression indeterminate. Jonathan watched as Steve tore up the photo in his hands. Carol took some, tearing them up as she looked over at Cynthia. "So, we'll just have to take away his toy."

"Steve," Nancy whispered. Cynthia looked over at the bag to her side, frowning in confusion.

"No, please, not the camera." Begged Jonathan. Tommy pulled away from his girlfriend, shoving Jonathan back.

Steve pulled the camera out, waving an arm. "Tommy," He held off the Hagan from making any movements. Cynthia's eyes were wide as she saw the anger that both boys clearly had. She fumbled with her sleeves, feeling sick. "It's okay." The camera was in Steve's hands. Nancy had her arms crossed as she watched. Steve held out his arm, the camera in his palm. "Here you go, Man."

Don't do it, Eve thought as she watched the camera in between the two figures. But she knew Jonathan wouldn't listen. He reached for the camera, and just as he did the camera slipped from Steve's fingertips. Cynthia jumped slightly, her eyes widening as it shattered and clanked on the parking lot. Tommy laughed, looking up at Jonathan's clearly distressed and embarrassed look.

"Come on, the game's about to start," Steve said, but it was evident in his voice he was fuming. It was taking everything in him not to start any more problems. He walked past, pushing between Nancy and Eve. Eve pushed her hair over her shoulder, looking at the ripped photos that Carol tossed to the ground. Tommy leaned into Jonathan's face, smiling wickedly.

"Boo."

Carol and Nicole began walking. Cynthia stared at the ripped photographs, the shattered camera, and the Byers. She was so confused. She was so hurt. She didn't move for a moment, letting it sink in. Nancy kneeled down, picking up a photo. Eve sunk to her level, seeing the photo of Barb sitting at Steve's pool. It sent shivers down their spines.

"Hey, Nance!" Steve's voice caused the brunette to look back.

Eve tensed up, grabbing some of the photos from the ground. "Come on, let's go." She muttered as she looked up at Jonathan. He guiltily looked between them.

Tommy turned around, "Cynthia, let's go!" He called out, waving his girlfriend along. Cynthia clenched her jaw, looking over at Jonathan again. He was avoiding her gaze. She took a few steps forward, her arm sticking out. He looked up slowly, seeing half of the stack of posters she made in front of him. Jonathan didn't want to take it, he didn't want to make a movement. But Cynthia's sad eyes stared at him as she waited. She had done this for him, and he might as well take them. So he did. He slowly lifted his hand, taking the stack from her fingertips and studying them in his grip.

Cynthia didn't say anything else. She walked away from him, fighting back the stinging feeling in her throat. She let Tommy wrap his arm around her, pulling her into his frame just as he always did. But this time didn't feel the same. Not like it should.

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Nancy Wheeler was standing in the hallway, fumbling with her bag. Steve sat on the floor next to her, and across from Carol had her head in Eve's lap as she spoke. "So, I told Mr. Mundy," Carol hummed as twirled a finger in her hair. Tommy was a few feet away. Cynthia was already gone and getting ready for the game with the rest of the cheer team. "The solution of ten plus Y equals blow me," She hummed. Eve began to laugh, rolling her eyes.

"Bull, if you did that, you'd be in detention right now." Steve countered.

"Saturday."

"I bet Mr. Mundy's still a virgin." Tommy blurted. Nancy felt Steve's hand graze her knee, causing her to look down at him for a moment.

Carol scoffed, "Oh, he's so a virgin!" She shouted as she played with her hair. Nancy looked back down the hall. She couldn't stop thinking about Barb. Eve seemed to be in a similar situation, leaning back as she looked repeatedly in the Wheeler's direction.

"Maybe you should blow him, Carol. Help your grades a bit."

Finally, Nancy sighed as she stood up from the locker, walking towards the exit. Steve watched in confusion, "Whoa, Nance, where you going?" He asked her. He was sitting on the floor, his jacket to his side.

Spinning around, Nancy stammered. Eve looked around the group, sliding away from Carol "Oh, my god, I totally forgot!" She gasped. Everyone looked at the blond. "We agreed to help her mom with something tonight. She'll kill us." Nancy visibly relaxed, wanting to desperately thank the blond.

"Well, what do you mean? The game's about to start." Steve countered as he stood up, walking in his girlfriend's direction.

"I'm sorry," Nancy muttered as Eve grabbed her wrist. Steve and his friends watched as the blond snickered. Eve tugged Nancy down the hall, pushing open the door and letting her through.

Steve sighed in thought. "What the hell's wrong with her?" He asked as he looked back at Tommy and Carol.

"Maybe she freaked out when you went all psycho on the psycho." Tommy joked, clasping his hands together.

"Oh, give me a break."

"What'd you expect, dating Miss Perfect?" Carol asked bitterly, blowing a bubble with her gum.

Nancy wasn't the only one confusing her boyfriend. When the game started, and the cheerleaders came running out, Tommy instantly noticed the absence of his blond girlfriend. Chrissy Cunningham had taken her place front and center, smiling wide as they performed their routine.

Tommy stepped down the bleachers, waving the strawberry blond over. "Chrissy, where's Cyn?"

"She got sick, and couldn't do the routine tonight," Chrissy answered easily, smiling. Tommy frowned. Cynthia wasn't sick before, why would she be now?

She wasn't sick at all.

Jonathan Byers was just driving out of the Hawkins High School parking lot. He played music loudly through his radio, tapping the wheel anxiously. He almost didn't notice when a blond in a cheer uniform jumped out in front of his car.

He stomped on his brakes, slinging forwards in his seat as the girl placed her palms on the hood of his car. He looked at her in confusion and slight annoyance. Jonathan turned down his music and fumbled with the car door, sliding out with little grace. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"Not a good idea." Jonathan turned around, looking at the school. "Tommy H. already wants to kill me." He commented. Cynthia frowned at the statement.

"I want to help find Will,"

Jonathan scoffed, "Cynthia, it's fine. I gotta go," He moves to slide into his car, and jumps when Cynthia slams her palm on the hood of his car.

Cynthia glared at him with wide frustrated eyes. She didn't know what she was doing. "Then let me get you a new camera." She blurted suddenly. Jonathan stared at her incredulously. "What you did was wrong but that kind of camera is expensive, let me-"

"No, Cyn, it's fine," Jonathan said through gritted teeth. "Just get back inside, I'm sure Tommy is freaking out." He waved her off, just trying to get out of there before Tommy or someone else sees them talking.

The blond shook her head. "I'm coming with you." She stated.

"No, you're not."

"Why not?"

"Cause I want to live to see tomorrow!"

Cynthia rolled her eyes, pressing her hands further into the hood of the car. "Then don't tell Tommy," She said simply. The words surprised her more than they surprised Jonathan. She'd never considered lying to anyone before, especially Tommy. She blinked, thinking over what she said. Was she sure this was a good idea? No. But was she going through with it anyways? Yes. "I know where we can get a good deal, okay? Just, please, let me do this one thing."

Jonathan stared at her for a long moment. He wondered if she was serious, or if this was some sick joke. But this was Cynthia Baxter, she didn't do sick jokes. He let out a loud annoyed sigh as he sunk his shoulders. "Get in." A smile etched onto the blond's face as she skipped around the side of the car, flinging open the passenger side and landing in the seat. Jonathan sat in his seat, slamming the door. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He muttered under his breath.

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"This is her car?"

Eve clambered out of the driver's side, watching Nancy practically run up to Barbara Holland's car, exactly where they left it last night. Nancy leaned to the window, her lips parting slightly as she noticed her sweater from yesterday still in the passenger seat. Eve walked closer, grazing the hood of the car. Nancy looked around worriedly, hoping to see her friend come stumbling out of the woods, or something.

"Barb?" Nancy called out, looking around the street. It was empty, other than the two of them. Nancy whipped her head around to Eve, her eyes wide. "You saw that photo Jonathan had, right?"

Eve nodded, "Yeah, Barb at the pool," She mumbled, looking in the direction of Steve's house. "You want to go check it out?" She asked with raised brows. Nancy pressed her lips together tightly, nodding. Eve adjusted her bag, shrugging. "Yeah, okay. Come on,"

Nancy scrambled to follow the blond. "How are we going to get in? Steve locks up the gate." She informed her newest companion. Eve jogged down the street, her tattered converse hitting the pavement harshly. Her hair, just an inch or two past her shoulders, flew through the wind.

"You underestimate me, Wheeler," Eve hummed, putting a hand on her chest. The brunette raised an intrigued brow, moving a bit faster to keep up with Evelyn.

When they got to the Harrington House, it felt different when it was empty. It felt colder, less welcoming. Nancy began to wonder if it was ever welcoming at all. Eve walked around the house, whistling a tune as she walked right up to the back gate, tossing her backpack over the top. Nancy's eyes widened. "Breaking and entering?"

"We're not entering," Eve reminded as she jumped. Her hands wrapped around the top of Steve's gate, which was much taller than them both. She wiggled her legs as her converse latched onto a piece of wood. Nancy watched as the blond hauled herself up, before jumping over. "Shit!"

Nancy's eyes went wide. "Eve, are you okay?" She called out. There was a moment of silence, and Nancy began to feel anxious. She wondered if Eve had fallen and broken something, or maybe hit her head. All of her worries rushed through her head but quickly stopped at the faint clicking sound.

Slowly, the gate opened, and soon Nancy saw Eve standing on the other side with a cocky grin. "I got skill," She chirped, moving to let Nancy step inside. Nancy tried to ignore the blush creeping up her neck when she saw Eve's smirk, shoving it down as she began to focus on the situation at hand.

Unsurprisingly, the backyard was empty. The pool had some leaves in it that Steve would eventually need to clean out, and the plants in the garden looked like they'd been dead longer than they'd been alive. The faded yellow pool chairs reminded Nancy of the night before. They reminded her of when she had pressured Barb into trying to shotgun a beer, which had led to her cutting her hand, which had ultimately led to them splitting two ways later that night.

Eve walked past the chairs, her eyes on the woods behind Steve's house. Jonathan Byers had been lurking last night, and the thought of that both creeped her out and made her blood boil. What kind of weirdo watches people and takes photos of them? It freaked her out and it made her want to slam his camera to the ground again.

"Barb?" Nancy's voice broke Eve's thoughts, the two of them looking around. This was where Barb was last seen. This is where she was when Nancy and Steve were in his room and everyone else was downstairs. And yet, nobody knew where she went. "Barb?"

A rustle in the distance caused both girls to stop. They were on opposite ends of the pool, looking in the direction of the woods on Nancy's left. Nancy's eyes flickered to the blond. Eve shrugged as if saying I don't know what that was. Nancy turned completely, heading in the direction of the sound.

Eve rushed after her, "Haven't you heard what not to do in a horror movie?" She hissed quietly, the two of them beginning to step into the woods. Leaves crunched under their feet and sticks snapped. "Don't go to the strange sounds!"

"Barb?" Nancy called out again, her hand holding onto her bag for dear life.

Eve sighed, looking around the woods. "Barb, it's Eve and Nance! Come on!" She called out, her hands falling to her sides. The two girls looked in two different directions, trying to find any sign of Nancy's best friend.

Nancy felt a sinking feeling. She felt like the air was being pushed out of her lungs and like unfamiliar eyes were on her. Her knuckles began to turn white, and her breath became shallow. There was a low rustle in the distance, catching her attention. "Barb?" She called out again, this time her voice wavering in worry and in fear.

Something behind her made a noise. Eve and Nancy saw it for a fleeting moment. Something large and something inhuman. Nancy stumbled back in surprise, hitting Eve's body and the two of them fell into the leaves. Eve grabbed the brunette, keeping her from falling onto a rock nearby. The Wheeler scrambled to her feet, pulling up Eve as they began to run like hell. Nancy's hand kept itself firmly in Eve's, running for the opened gate and right to Eve's car down the road.

They didn't know what it was, but they didn't care. Something happened to Barbara Holland last night and they had to do something about it.

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Jonathan Byers felt out of his element.

Well, okay, he felt in his element because he was surrounded by cameras, but he felt out of his element because Cynthia Baxter was trying to get him to pick the most expensive cameras in the store.

"Come on! You're the genius here, not me," Cynthia nudged as she fumbled with a large camera in her hands. She held it up, pretending to snap a photo of Jonathan as she smiled. "What about this one?"

Jonathan shook his head, "That's for videos," He informed her. Her mouth parted into an 'o' shape, and she blushed as she set it down. He looked up at one camera in particular, which was similar to the one he had, but newer and better quality.

Cynthia followed his gaze, her eyes brightening as she reached up. "This one seems nice," She commented, holding it out for Jonathan to take. His eyes were wide, seemingly unsure as he reached for the camera. She watched him observe it in his hands. His fingers trailed over buttons that she didn't understand, his hand grazing the lens.  It was nice, and they both knew it. "Is this what you want?"

Hell yeah, it was. Jonathan looked up at her, back to the camera, and back to the girl. He shook his head slightly. "It's an amazing camera, but it's-"

"Jonathan." Her voice caused him to tense up, freezing his movements as he watched the blond stare back at him. She raised a brow at him. "Do you want this?"

The camera suddenly felt heavy in his hands. He clenched his jaw as he looked down at it again. He stuttered over his words. "Well, yeah-"

Without any other words, Cynthia snatched the camera from his hands. Jonathan's eyes were wide as he stuttered to do something, say something, but it was too late. Cynthia had already hopped to the counter with a smile. His eyes practically popped out of her head when she pulled out a wad of cash from her backpack. Where did she get that kind of money?

When Cynthia came back to him, her hands filled with the camera and film. She beamed happily, her ponytail swinging. Jonathan was quiet as she led him out of the store. "I don't really know much about cameras, but I hope you like it," She hummed warmly, hopping off the sidewalk to the parking lot, and walking to the passenger door.

"You didn't have to do that," Jonathan blurted. He was sitting in his seat, looking at the blond with wide confused eyes. "I don't deserve it."

Cynthia looked at him for a long moment. She shook her head. "Maybe not," Her hands fell into her lap, her pinky finger messing with the hem of her skirt. "But a couple of photos isn't worth losing your camera," She reasoned.

Jonathan shook his head in disagreement. "I never even told you why I took them." He countered. He didn't get it. If anyone deserved to be mean to him, it was Cynthia Baxter. And yet she was being nothing but nice to him.

Her eyes were filled with innocence. The sweet as candy glance and the pink tint of her cheeks. She stared at him. She studied his uneasy tension and the way he shifted under her gaze. "So then tell me," She hummed softly. Jonathan's eyes met hers. "Why did you take them?"

He felt like he was going to throw up with guilt and nerves. Jonathan felt his mouth run dry as he really tried to explain. He didn't know how to. What could he say to justify what he did? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The best he could do was explain how he got there when he took the photos, and why he printed them. After all of that, all he could do was hope Cynthia Baxter would forgive him and hope she didn't think he was a total freak.

"I was really looking for Will," He croaked out finally. Cynthia listened, her face was unreadable. "I heard a scream, so I came running and, well, there you were,"

Cynthia screeched as Tommy lifted her in the air. Eve, Nancy, and Barb looked over from their conversation. Tommy swung her between the ground and the pool. She clung to his neck for dear life, screaming every time he threatened to drop her in the water.  "Tommy! Don't!" Cynthia pleaded in between screams and laughs.

"I guess I just, started observing?" Jonathan shrugged as he tried to word it the best he could. "Like how Nancy was acting cool around Steve to impress him and his friends. Or how Eve was glaring at Tommy when you weren't looking. Or the way you acted when Tommy was near you. I don't know," He rambled. Cynthia listened, her eyes watching as he moved his hands. "I don't know why I took any photos, I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have taken the photos of Nancy in the window, god that was so dumb. And I shouldn't have stayed there when you were out there, alone. That was totally weird and-"

"Did you see Barb leave?"

Jonathan looked up from his words, staring at the blond in confusion. "What?" He looked at her expression, still unmoving and unreadable.

Cynthia licked her lips, "Barb left before I went out there. Did you see her?" She asked again. She stared at him as she still let what he said sink in.

"No," He answered finally. "I was messing with my camera and when I looked back up she was gone," Jonathan watched her shoulders slouch slightly. He wanted to ask her why she was asking, but he didn't. "I'm really sorry about the photos."

Cynthia looked up, shrugging. "Maybe next time, instead of taking them when I'm not looking," Cynthia slowly held out the film for the camera she bought him. "Just ask me to smile?"

Jonathan felt his cheeks turn pink. He hid the smile on his face as he reached for the film, his fingers grazing her palm. She sucked in a quiet breath, looking up at Jonathan in curiosity. She watched as he fumbled with the film in his fingers, and she raised a brow. He hadn't expected her to say that. At all.

"Do you want me to take you back to the school? I'm sure Tommy is freaking out," Jonathan suggested, realizing he had practically stolen Tommy Hagan's girlfriend from the game.

Cynthia shook her head. "I don't really want to be around them right now," She confessed. Jonathan seemed shocked by this revelation but said nothing. She turned in her seat slightly. Her leg hiked up on the chair as she faced him. "Do you think I'm stupid?" She blurted suddenly.

Jonathan's eyes went wide. "What? No!" Did he say something? Did he do something? "Why would I think that?"

The blond shrugged her shoulders as she looked towards the windshield. She watched people walking by. People she knew, people she didn't. People who had no idea what was going on in her pretty little head. "Sometimes I think Tommy thinks I'm stupid." She deadpanned, her fingers tracing her skirt anxiously. "That I can't exist outside of him, you know? That I'll simply fall apart." She looked over slowly, her eyes dancing over his features. Jonathan Byers, a boy she's noticed but never said a word to until recently.

"Tommy's an asshole," Jonathan blurted out. Cynthia's eyes widened slowly. He inhaled slowly, "When I took your photos, I gathered that."

"What else did you gather?"

That he's not good enough for you, Jonathan wanted to say. That you deserve someone who basks in your light, not shrinks it. But he didn't say that. No, instead, Jonathan smiled softly and shook his head. "I'll tell you another time. Let's get you home, yeah?"

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Eve was holding Nancy's hand the entire time.

They were in the Wheeler house the entire afternoon as it faded into night. The blond avoided her parent's glances as they talked to Barb's parents. She spoke when Nancy couldn't, her thumb running over the brunette's knuckles.

"Where's your sister?" Jim Baxter blurted, noticing that for once his daughters weren't attached to the hip.

Eve looked up in confusion. "She was at the game with Tommy," She told him.

Izzy's eyes widened slightly. "Eve, Tommy called and said Cynthia left the game. She was sick." She informed her daughter. Nancy and Eve shared confused looks, knowing they left Cynthia with the others earlier in the day.

Cynthia was in Jonathan Byers's car. They were heading to his house so Cynthia could call Eve and so she could help him with the posters. Jonathan watched her as she hummed to the radio. Her fingers lapped around her hair tie and pulled her hair free. Blond spilled over her shoulders as she shook her head quickly. Jonathan admired her. The way she was glowing even in the darkness of his car, the way she beamed as soon as she heard a song she knew. The way she slipped her hand out the window and let her fingers dance in the air. All of it, seemingly, was admirable.

Jonathan looked back at the road, frowning as a running figure came toward his car. "What the-" He cut himself off as he stomped on the break. Cynthia frowned in confusion.

"Who is that?" She asked as the lady in front of them let out a screech.

Cynthia watched Jonathan climb out of his car quickly. "Mom?" He asked in confusion. Cynthia's eyes were wide. She grabbed the handle and yanked the door open. "Mom, what happened?" Joyce was gasping and crying as she wrapped her arms around her son. Cynthia held onto her door as she stood, looking at the crying woman and Jonathan. Her blond hair was pushed back in the wind, and she looked down the road in confusion.

Her body turned to the road behind her. She watched as familiar blue and red lights came speeding down the road. Her eyes were wide as her heart sank. She felt sick all of the sudden. She whipped her head in Jonathan's direction, both of them sharing looks of fear and realization.

Will Byers was dead.