𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑭𝑰𝑽𝑬

❛ Wow, such heartfelt words. ❜

❦

Steve gawks at his girlfriend in confusion.

They're both stood down the alley beside the gym block while the football team train.

"So, wait as sec. I don't understand." He licks his lips, "You and Malia, the girl you hated a few days ago, both went back to my house?"

"Yes. Me and Malia went back to your house. . . to look for Barb." She stares at him with pleading eyes.

He digs his hands into his pockets, "Yeah, okay, but why didn't you just talk to me? That's crazy." He rolls his jaw, "Let me guess, Malia made you do it. She enjoys breaking the law."

Nancy shakes her head, "We barely broke the law, Steve!" She sighs, "Plus, I don't know, I— I was scared."

He purses his lips, "You seriously think you saw a guy in a mask just hanging out in my yard?"

"I don't think it was a mask." She says.

"But. . . he had no face?" The corners of his lips turn up slightly, making it obvious he doesn't believe a single word she's saying.

"I— I don't know!" She takes a deep breath, "I just— I have a terrible feeling about this, so does Malia."

"So does Malia?" He laughs, "What are you two like best friends now?"

She furrows her eyebrows, "No. And why would it matter if we were. She's your best friend, Steve. You're basically joined at the hip." She stares at the ground, "Barb is missing, Steve! Me and Malia being friends should be the least of your worries."

His gaze wanders away from her face and leans against the wall behind him, "Oh, this is bad. This is so bad."

"What?" She asks, her head tilted.

"The cops," He states, "They're gonna want to talk to all of us now. Tommy, Carol, everybody who was at the party."

"Steven, there was barely anyone at that party." Malia's angry voice rings down the alley, causing both of their heads to whip towards her in surprise when she walks closer, "Why is that what your worrying about?"

His eyes go wide, shocked that she hasn't caught onto why he's freaking out, "My parents are gonna murder me, Mal!"

"Are you serious right now?" Nancy scoffs, crossing her arms.

Steve points at her, "You don't understand. My dad's a grade-A asshole."

Malia refrains from sending a harsh punch to his jaw and instead rolls her eyes, throwing her hands into the air, "Have you been listening to anything Nancy fucking told you, Steve?"

Nancy nods, "Barb is missing! And you're worried about your dad?"

Steve shakes his head, "Okay, just. . . when you talk to the cops, just. . . don't mention the beers. It's just gonna get us both in trouble and Barbara's got nothing to do with it, okay?"

"I can't believe you." Nancy gasps, and starts to walk away, shaking her head, "I can not believe you."

"Nancy, wai—" He begins but stops himself when she disappears around the corner.

Malia glares at him when he looks over at her for some sort of help. His eyebrows furrow in confusion at the utter disappointment painted across her face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Steve?" Surprisingly, her tone is hushed, revealing she is actually hurt by his obliviousness to the situation.

"What are you talking about, Malia?" He asks.

Just like Nancy, she too begins to trudge away, angrily shoving her hands into her pockets but this time he grips her arm, pulling her to a stop.

"Please, just talk to me." He whispers.

She laughs in his face, yanking her arm out of his grip, "Nancy tried to, but you didn't listen all you thought about was yourself and how you're gonna get murdered by your parents. You don't give a shit about the fact your girlfriend's best friend, is missing." She scoffs, starting to leave again, "Fuck you, Harrington."

Steve watches in astonishment as Malia whirls around the corner, in the exact same manner as Nancy.

❦

Malia has her arms crossed on her school desk and her head on top while the teacher witters on at the front of the class.

Just as her eyelids start to flutter shut, the doors is pulled open, revealing a women, her eyes immediately landing on Malia.

"Malia Garcia?" She calls.

With a groan, Malia slips out of her slip, grabbing her single pen off the desk and pushing it into her back pocket before following the lady down the school corridor's and into the empty cafeteria.

Mrs Wheeler and Nancy walk past, just leaving, and the daughter sends a small smile.

For some unknown reason, Malia half expected her own mother to be sat at the table, but she's quickly proved wrong. So, quietly, she places herself down in a seat opposite two familiar police officers and she brings a leg up to her chest.

"Malia, didn't expect to see you so soon." Calvin Powell smiles.

She hums, "At least I didn't break a law this time."

Powell nods, "We hope not." He glances down at the clipboard on the table below him, "So, I presume you know why you're here."

"Barb." She states.

"Yes," He sighs, "Did you speak to her at all at the party?"

She bites her lips, "Yeah. I mean, I probably spoke to her more than I spoke to anyone else."

"Even more than Steve?" He tilts his head in confusion, "You two are usually joined at the hip."

"As everyone keeps saying." She mutters, "But, no. Steve was with his friends, so Barb and I decided to chat."

"What did you two talk about?" Phil Callahan speaks up.

Malia licks her lips, tapping her finger across the knee closest to her chest, "Uh, just about our friendships and how we were both surprised we hadn't spoken before then."

"So that party was the first time you'd ever spoken to Barbara?" Powell asks.

She nods, "I'd seen her around, but never had any reason to really speak to her. As your probably aware, Nancy and I have never really gotten along, so I wasn't interested in speaking to her best friend."

"But you did that night," Callahan tilts his head, "Why?"

"Because she obviously didn't want to be there," Malia shrugs, "I wanted to distract her, I guess. Tommy and Carol can always be a bit. . . overwhelming." She speaks through gritted teeth, wishing she could say more on her hatred for the pair.

Powell steals another look at the clipboards before speaking again, "Now, as you've said, you and Nancy don't get along, but you both went back, together, and saw a bear?"

"She wanted to look for Barb." Malia swallows, "And as seen as Barb had been so nice to me, I wanted to help. And, I didn't really see what the thing was, but it scared Nancy so I got shaken as well." She leans forward, lowering her leg, "Calvin, look, you have to check around Steve's house, and at her car for fingerprints or—"

"Malia, Malia." Powell holds his hand out, cutting her short, "We checked around his house. There's absolutely nothing there."

Callahan hums, "No sign of a bear, or person. And no car."

Those words cause her eyebrows to furrow, "What? No car? But—"

"Yes, no car, Malia." He sighs, "We figure Barbara came back last night and then she took off, went somewhere else."

Malia glares over at him, "You have a real thing for cutting people short, huh, Callahan?" She snaps.

"Malia." Calvin Powell warns, "Look, as seen as you and Barb weren't close, I think we've got everything we need from you."

She pushes up off her table and into a standing position before trudging towards the door. She turns at the last moment, smirking and sending them a wave, "See you two around."

Powell rolls his eyes, waving his hand at her for her to leave.

"Ouch, Calvin." She hisses, gripping her heart.

"Malia, out!" He shouts as if he were her dad, not even bothering to look up from his clipboard.

Malia laughs, throwing her head back and pulling the doors open and sending a nod towards the woman before trudging back to class.

❦

At the sound of her telephone ringing, Malia throws off her headphones and stops her cassette player before slamming her hand against the phone, bringing it to her eye with a groan, pissed that whoever was on the other side ruined her relaxing time.

"Hello?" She grumbles.

"Malia." Nancy breathes, "I found something."

Malia sits up immediately, grabbing the stand and bringing it onto her bed so she's able to move without pulling the wire, "What did you find?"

"A photo."

"Oh," Malia clicks her tongue, "There's a lot of photo's around, Na—"

"I photo of Barb, Malia!" She hisses, obviously hearing the disappointment in the girl's tone, "I must have picked it up by accident from Jonathan."

"If it's a just a photo of Barb, how does that help us, like, at all?" Malia mumbles.

"She's sat on the diver board, like you said." She hesitates, "But— but, there's, I don't know what it is, but—"

Malia rolls her eyes, "Gosh, Wheeler, spit it out."

"There's something behind her."

"Like what exactly?"

"A figure, of sorts. A really tall figure." She takes a deep breath, "It's too dark to see it fully, but I'm pretty sure it's staring directly at her."

"Wait, what?" Malia pinch's star bridge of her nose, taking in the words, "So, it's a person?"

"It doesn't look like one," Nancy tells her.

Malia bites her lips, "We have to speak to Jonathan. Maybe he saw something."

A quiet clatter causes her head to whip towards her window as a tiny rock hits the glass, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut in annoyance.

"Nancy, I'll speak to you tomorrow." She grumbles, "I have someone to deal with." She hangs up the phone and places the whole receiver back on her bedside table.

Then, she drops off her bed and stands at her window, staring through the night at Steve Harrington on her lawn, his arms waving in the air.

She throws open the window and leans down on the sill, not allowing him enter, "You're girlfriend's house is that way," She points down the street, "Go speak to her. She's slightly more forgiving than me." Malia raises again and moves her hands to her window, ready to shut it.

"No, no! Malia, stop! Don't shut it!" He shouts, shaking his head rapidly and when he finally notices her pause, he begins, "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

"Wow, such heartfelt words." She spits sarcastically.

He groans, running both hands through his long hair, "Please, M. Just, for once, stop being angry and let me in!"

"Give me one good reason."

"I'm your best friend!" He sends her a toothy smirk, which quickly drops when she slams the window shut and replies with a middle finger through the glass before sliding her blind shut, "Fuck." He kicks the dirt below him.

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okay but you lot got four chapters today