"Excuse me." Mike cringed as he made his way through the party early that morning. He hadn't expected it to still be going on. "Mav!"

"Mikeeee!" she jumped off the couch in joy. "I'm so happy you're here!"

She hugged him tightly as he cringed. "I thought we were meeting at the bus station. The plane leaves in an hour."

"An hour?" she laughed, he smelt the alcohol on her lips. "It's still dark out!

"We have an early flight, remember?" he nodded. "Why-what have you been doing."

"Dancing! Feel." she put his hand on her racing heart. "You feel that!"

"Yeah we need to get you some water and get out of here right now." Mike pulled her with him. "Come on, El is not gonna want to see you like this."

"My little babe." Mav gushed as she took a solo cup, Mike took it from her hands and put it aside. "One more dance!"

"We'll dance in California." her wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her out of the door. "How many fingers are up?"

"Enough for me to want to bite em!" she tried to bite his fingers as Mike yanked his hand away, smacking her in the forehead.

"There's the lady!" Dustin grinned that morning as Carrie got off the bus. "With a special California glow!"

"Dustin." she smiled, holding her bag. "Have they left?"

"Two hours ago." he hugged her. "Mikes a dumb ass."

"Such a dumb ass." she hugged him tightly. "But, from now on, I don't wanna talk about him."

"Mike who?" Dustin shrugged. "I don't know a Mike. What kind of name is that?"

"Zero Mikes exist." Carrie agreed as Dustin took her bag. "So, what'd I miss in a year?"

"Well, a murder happened this morning." he nodded at her as they walked.

"I missed it here." Cassie smiled up into the Indiana morning sky.

"Mav." Mike shook his shoulder that she was asleep on, snorting slightly. "Mavis. Wake up, woman. We're about to land."

She slept harder, Mike rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Wake.Up."

He shook his shoulder, moving it as her head hit the cup holder. Mavis groaned as she laid still. "Owwwww."

"Owwww, you deserve it." Mike mocked her. "We're about to land, figured you wanted to do your thing."

"Gimme my mirror." she encouraged as Mike got it from her bag. Mavis pulled the mascara and lipstick from her pockets as she took the mirror, wiggling her eyebrows at herself. "Ouuu, hello, Mavis."

"My god." Mike cringed.

"You look a little rough today." she spoke to herself as she opened her mouth when putting the mascara on. "Now look as you, getting sexier by the minute."

"Please stop talking to yourself." Mike begged.

Mavis rubbed the lipstick on her bottom lip and spread it into the rest, "Hot damn, you are the nicest gem in all of California. I'd make out with you forever."

"Okay." Mike took the mirror from her. "I'm gonna kill myself."

"You love it." she shook her head at him as they got their bags, following the line out of the plane and into the air port. "How do I look?"

"Not hung over if that's what you're asking." he shook his head.

"But, do I still look like a super hot girlfriend?" she pulled a pose with her hands on her hips. "Super hot?"

"Oh, the hottest." he cringed. "Didn't your reflection tell you that already?"

"Nothing wrong with a second opinion." she shrugged.

"Mav! Mav!" El called out, standing up as she smiled.

"El!" Mavis dropped her bags, running toward her as she jumped over a child in a stroller. "Sorry!"

El met her in a tight hug as they spun in a circle, arms locked around each other. El inhaled. "I missed you so much."

"I literally missed you more." she held her tightly. "I told all my friends about you being two inches taller then me and your new hair."

"You like it?" El smiled as they pulled back.

"Love it." Mav corrected as she touched her bangs. "Very...Joyce."

"She's the one that did it." El smiled, looking at the pink parts in Mavs hair. "New?"

"Had to get prettied up for you." Mavis wiggled her shoulders in her direction as El giggled. "Sorry I can't kiss you here."

"Can kiss at home." El held her face, blowing an air kiss as Mavis did one back.

"Will!" Mavis smiled as she forcefully pulled him away from Mike and pulled him into a hug. "My favorite young man!"

"I missed you." Will melted into her arms as they hugged. "Threaten to shove your shoe up anyones ass lately?"

"Not yet." she pulled back. "Why? Have anyone on the list?"

"I have so much planned for us." El pulled Mavis into her side. "You've gonna love all of it. Especially the burritos. The best burritos ever."

"Hey, Mav. Mike." Jonathan greeted the pair.

"My main man!" Mavis held her hand out to do a high five and fist bump with him.

"Hey. How you doing?" Mike grinned at him.

"That's a rad shirt man." the long haired boy by Jonathan's side spoke up toward Mike. "Ocean Pacific?"

"Oh, hey, guys. This is, uh, my friend Argyle." Jonathan introduced him before things got too awkward.

Argyle pulled Mike into his arms. Mavis snorted loudly as Mike shot her a look, El leaned her head against hers and laughs as well. "Oh, no, no, no. No, it's a shitty knockoff. Yeah. But don't sweat it. I'll get you the good threads out here."

Mike looked offended. Argyle nodded. "I heard a lot about your sister."

"Chrissy Cunningham?" Dustin asked after Max showed up. Carrie listened to the bizarre story as she made her bed on Dustin's floor. "You're sure it was Chrissy?"

"Yes, she was in her cheerleader outfit." Max confirmed with a nod. "It was the same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie."

"This is the girl that died?" Carrie spoke up.

"Did you tell all this to the cops?" Dustin sighed in their direction. "Yeah, Car, the one that died."

" I can't be the only ones who saw them together." Max said confidently as Carrie rolled her eyes when Dustin started to pace again. "I mean, they stood out."

"Eddie the freak with Chrissy the cheerleader?" Dustin asked in disbelief.

"Sounds like El and Mav." Carrie confirmed as she sat on Dustin's bed.

"You know, his names not in the news yet or anything, but I guarantee you Eddie is suspect one now." Max broke the news toward Dustin.

"That's crazy!" Dustin stared defensively. "Eddie didn't do this. No way. No way! Tell her, Carrie!"

"Who's Eddie?" she frowned her eyebrows.

"I told you about him on the phone." he huffed in her direction. "You don't remember?"

"Your troupe leader?" Carrie nodded.

"Tro- Club!" he yelled at her.

"Club leader." Carrie held her hands up in surrender.

"Well we can't rule it out!" Max defended her previous statement.

"Yes, we can!" Dustin rolled his eyes.

"100%?" Carrie tilted her head at him.

"You don't know him like I do!" Dustin got defensive. "When we got to high school, Lucas made all his sports friends. Mike and me? I mean, no one was nice to us. No one except Eddie."

"Dustin." Carrie sighed as she shut her eyes. "The name."

"Sorry, Car. Sorry." he shook his head. "Assdouch and me? I mean, no one was nice to us. No one excerpt Eddie."

"Okay. Well, they said the same shit about Ted Bundy."Max wasn't moved by his speech. "But then he's murdering woman on the weekends."

"So you're saying Eddie's like Ted Bundy?" Dustin seemed like he wanted to laugh.

"No, tha-i'm not saying- i'm not saying that we can't presume anything, okay?" Max stumbled over her words. "But it doesn't look good for Eddie."

"When I came back from the upside down they suspected I was a murdering runaway." Carrie crossed her legs with a nod. "Look how that turned out. Not a murder and not a run away.

"See." Dustin held his hand to her. "Wait, why haven't you told the cops this?"

"I don't- I don't know." Max crossed cleared her throat as she locked her hands under her arms.

"You don't know?" Dustin gave a dumb time.

"I'm getting a vibe like something else might have happened?" Carrie suggested with a questionable look. "I've gotten into spiritual things lately, I'm good at sensing."

"After I saw Eddie and Chrissy go in the trailer, something else happened." Max sat down with the pair. "The TV started acting up. When I tried to get it to work again, the lights started blinking like crazy. Like, every single one. Then, Eddie screamed, ran into his van and sped off."

"What are you sensing now?" Dustin looked at Carrie.

"Like we need to sage all of Hawkins." she took a deep breath.

"Nothing that weird or anything. I mean...Eddie always drives like a maniac, and the power goes off at my place all the time. It's a piece of shit. But...This morning, I started to think back, and... I don't know. The look on his face. He was scared, Dustin. Really scared. Maybe he was scared because you know, he-he just killed someone, or... maybe because- I don't-"

"Like something else killed her." Dustin cut her off.

"But that's impossible." Max tried to force a laugh. "Right?"

"I don't know." Dustin admitted. "It should be. Car, have you felt anything? I know you are spiritual now, but psychically, can you feel anything like you did the other times?"

"Nothing excerpt the usual Hawkins chills." she shook her head back at him.

"There's only one person that actually knows what happened." Dustin took his eyes off her and looked to Max.

"Eddie." she nodded.

"Have you talk to anyone else?" Dustin asked as he pulled Carrie up and out the door.

"No. We can't find Lucas, or Nancy, and Mike and Mav are in-" Max started.

"Name!" Carrie sighed loudly.

"California. Shit, shit, shit." Dustin panicked.

"Dusty, where are you going?" Dustin's mom stopped them from leaving.

"To see a friend!" he answered while throwing Carrie her shoes she took off at the door.

"You heard the news. It's not safe." she gave a begging tone in their direct.

"Which is why we'll be extra careful!" he called before following the pair of girls.

"Look at all these colors!" Mavis cheered as she spun in a circle when they entered the skate ring. "Holy shit, I love this place!"

"I knew you would." El smiled.

"Do you guys come here often?" Mike looked around, clearly amazed but not as vocal as Mav was.

"Yes."

"No."

"Will does not." El backed her story up quickly. "But, I come to parties here."

"Parties?" Mavis turned to look at her. "You're going to parties?"

"So many." El smiled. "With all my friends. Friends like Angela."

"Angela?" Will and Mav asked on sync.

"Is she...here?" Mavis looked around, clearing her throat. "I'd like to...meet her."

"Oh, no. It's just us." El smiled as she linked their arms as they got their skates. "Mike, you need socks."

"Oh, shit." he looked down at his bare feet.

"They sale them at the counter." Will nodded as he pointed from where they just came from.

"Wanna share a milkshake?" Mav suggested to El with a little grin. "Chocolate or strawberry?"

"Chocolate." El smiled. "I have money."

"So do I, I got it." she stood up, touching the side of her face before walking off.

"How are you so good at this!" El called out as Mavis laughed, spinning on her skates. "I didn't even know you liked skating!"

"I worked there before I got the diner job!" she called back, skating around El as she followed her with a smile. "Are you impressed?"

"Very." she smiled, grasping her hand and pulling her in closer. "You'll have to teach me."

"We do have all week." Mav smiled, leaning against her some just to be mistaken as El holding her balance. The two took a sip of their shared milkshake.

"Milkshakes? Yum!" a voice rung, skating in their direction. Mav gave an unease look when a pretty blonde skates up next to them, three others behind her. "Who is this?"

El cleared her throat. "Angela, this is Mav. My g...my friend."

While it was good she said it, it didn't mean it didn't hurt to hear it. Mav gave a minor smile at Angela. "So, you're Angela. Hey. She talks about her friends all the time."

She was pretty and seemed sweet, Mavis couldn't help but feel insecure or like the more she was gone, the more El might start to grow a liking to her.

"Friends?" Angela laughed.

"Yes, just friends." Mavis spoke a little more bitterly, but El didn't seem to mind in the moment.

"Well, come skate with us, friend." Angela took El's hands with a smile.

"I wanted to f-" El started.

"I'll hold that." the boy took her milkshake, Angela pulled El off. Mavis frowned as El looked back at her, pulled to skate with the others.

"What happened?" Mike leaned over the side.

"I'm like, way better then that girl, right?" Mav asked as she looked to Mike.

"Totally." Mike nodded. "Who even is that?"

"I don't know, but El said they-" she began, being cut off.

"This next song is dedicated to Jane." the man over the DJ speaker spoke up as the spotlight was put on El. "The local snitch."

Wipe Out began to play over the speakers as all the kids started to circle her, calling her names. Mav's face fell. "What the hell is this?"

"El has been lying." Will came to their side.

"Bullshit." Mike mocked.

Mav didn't stick around, skating toward the DJ booth. "Turn it off, you asshole!"

"No can do." he waved her off. Mav glared, reaching across to grab his collar and forcefully hit his head on the DJ booth. The music did stop after that.

"Wipe out!" the boy that had their milkshakes called, tossing it on El as she slipped on her skates and hit the ground. Mavis looked to Angela as she laughed, everyone began to crowd around, and she lost sight of El.

"El!" Mavis called out as she skated around the group of teens to get sight of her girlfriend. "El!"

She looked outside of the rink, thinking she missed her coming out. Only, her eyes focused on Angela and her friends. They were laughing like they were having the time of their lives. She skates off, taking her skates off to avoid slipping for what she was gonna do. "Angela!"

When she blonde turned, Mavis punching her in the face. Before she could recover, she threw her body at her so they'd hit the ground. She hid her again. "Don't ever mess with her again, you bitch!"

Mavis was shocked Angela managed to get one good hit in, right in her mouth. She stood up, grabbing one of the opened cubby lockers and pulling it back to hit Angela in the head with it.

"Angela!" El's voice made her back off, turned around. Angela looked up from already on the ground, getting a skate right to the face.

"I might have a lead!" Max dropped the phone quickly.

"Seriously?" Dustin's looked back. Carrie hurried up to hang up her phone.

"Apparently, Eddie gets drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there." she explained with a faint questionable look.

"That sounds promising." Robin pointed out. "Where does this Reefer Rick live?"

"See, that's the thing. No one knows." Max explained with a wince.

"Maybe he lives off the grid. Very in touch with nature." Carrie nodded with a smile.

"I like that idea." Dustin agreed with her.

"He's more of a...a legend then someone that people actually know." Max went on with a nod of her head.

"What about a last name?" Dustin rose his eyebrows.

"Bet the cops know the last name." Steve spoke up with his back turned.

"What?" Max scoffed.

"Cops." he repeated. "I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Meaning he's in the system."

"You suggested cops is our answer to a possible monster in Hawkins?" Carrie gave him a dumb look.

"Literally!" Dustin agreed.

"I mean, I just think at this point they should probably be filled in on what we know, what's going on." he stated his reasoning with a nod.

"You think he's a murder?" Dustin rolled his eyes.

"Whoa." Steve shook her head. "I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit. I just, you know, just don't think we can rule it out."

"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve." Max explained like you would to a child.

"And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent less time trying to find a girlfriend and more time trying to find Eddie." Dustin rose his eyebrows in his direction.

"What he said." Carrie hummed with a point of her finger.

"Well somebody has to attend to the customers." Steve defended his actions.

"Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin rose her brows.

"Hey, not fair. Okay?" he shook his at her. "I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike. We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming for these people."

"Yeah, it can be." Robins face lit up.

"I'm sensing an idea." Carrie's eyes widened, leaning down next to her.

"What are you doing?" Max looked at the computer screen Robin was typing on.

"Maybe we don't need a last name." she explained while hitting enter, Dustin leaned in closer as Carrie watched. "Twelve Ricks already have accounts here."

"Lot of Ricks." Max stated the obvious.

"So, let's narrow it down." Robin typed a few more seconds. "Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo. What are the chances our drug dealer has a family?"

"That sweet." Carrie smiled.

"Exactly why he's not our guy." Dustin patted her back.

"Rick Conroy. Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the Stone." Robin went down the line. "Okay. Rick Joiner. Mask, Footloose, and Grease."

"Love Footloose." Carrie grinned as they all disagreed.

"Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon and Splash." Robin read as she laughed. "Definitely not."

"Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie. Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams. Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke." Robin hid a laugh.

"I'm sensing he likes Cheech & Chong." Carrie nodded her head.

"Bingo." Dustin laughed. "Are you sensing this is our guy, Car?"

"I'm sensing heavily this is our guy." she nodded in confirmation, looking at him with a smile.

"Lipton?" Max looked closer to the screen.

"Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland Road." Robin smiled, proud of herself.

"That's out by Lovers Lake." Dustin confirmed.

"Middle of nowhere." Max looked over.

"Think we got our guy." Carrie grabbed her bag.

"Perfect place to hide." Robin agreed, they all stood to hurry out of the store.

•

kylie speaks

do you guys like that carrie
has her own storyline this
season? it takes a little bit
longest to write the chapters
but if you guys don't like it or
find it boring let me know