It turned out that she wouldn't be needed as a stand-in for Eddie after all. Mike and Dustin had found a sub alright, and Sarah couldn't help but like the girl. As she walked into the room, the flag she wore as a cape settled around her. Mike and Dustin let her take center stage with no argument as she stared down the club members.

Eddie stared with his fingers twined together. "Absolutely not."

"You asked for a sub. We delivered," said Dustin as he pointed to the girl

"This is Hellfire club. Not babysitting club."

The girl took a step forward and tightened her hold on her books. "I'm 11, you long-haired freak." She snapped.

Sarah stared in awe, wishing she had a bag of popcorn. She just knew that the next few minutes would be very entertaining.

Eddie shared looks with the older club members. "My, my, the child speaks," he said, pushing up from the throne.

Gareth and Jeff chuckled as Eddie stood towering over the small girl with a smirk on his face. "So, what's your name, child?"

"Erica Sinclair." She said, tipping her head back to glare.

Eddie smirked as he looked around the room. Sarah could see the girl impressed him when she didn't cower away. "So this is Sinclair's infamous sister."

Sarah settled down in her chair and bit back a laugh when Erica turned to Dustin and Mike with the roll of her eyes and said, "He's sharp." Jeff and Gareth didn't bother hiding their laughter which earned them a glare from Eddie, which made them shut up.

Eddie leaned down, a few inches away from Erica's face. "What's your class and level?" He paused and then said Level one dwarf?"

Laughter filled the air. Sarah watched as Mike gulped, and Dustin shook his head lightly.

"My name is lady Applejack," Erica paused, letting the laughter grow quiet. "And I'm a chaotic good half-elf rogue, level 14."

The room froze in shock as jaws dropped open as they all stared at the 11-year-old with wide eyes.

"I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way and stab them in the back with my poison-soaked kukuri," she stepped closer, almost nose to nose with Eddie. "And I will smile as I watch them die a slow, agonizing death." She smirked, enjoying the shocked look on the taller boy's face. "So, we gonna do this, or we gonna keep chitchatting like this is your mommy's book club?"

A loud whistle and clapping broke the silence in the room. Sarah stood from her chair and sent the girl a wide smile. "Bravo."

Eddie held out a hand. His face broke out into a wide happy smile. "Welcome to hellfire."

Erica let out a breath before taking the offered hand and giving it a shake.

Sarah pushed Eddie towards his seat before turning to Erica. "You did wonderfully. Don't worry about him being mad. He's nothing but a big softy at heart."

Erica stared for a moment before her lips twitched.

"He loves giving the newcomers a hard time."

"So he gets his jolly's off by making people sweat," asked Erica with a raised eyebrow.

Sarah laughed, nodding her head. "Yeah, he's been like that as long as I've known him."

Dustin, Mike, and Eddie watched the two girls closely, noticing how Erica relaxed around the older girl. Sarah seemed to glow as they sat down next to each other, and Dustin and Mike shared a look of shock. For as long as they've known her, Erica never talked to anyone other than her mother with respect. And to see her being friendly like she seemed to be with Sarah was an eye opener.

Eddie knew the look in Sarah's eyes; he's seen it before, which made his heart twist. Sarah had that same look a year ago when she met a small child who had just joined the hospital. The hospital staff had set up a small room for Sarah when more kids joined her reading group.

The girl was wrapped in bandages when her nurse rolled her into the room. Almost all her family members had died in the fire caused by her dad, who fell asleep holding a lit cigarette. She and her older brother had been the only survivors; both had burns.

He remembered her coming to his trailer in tears a few days after he stopped visiting the hospital. He held her as she broke down after telling him the girl was leaving. She had grown close to the girl and had begged her dad to adopt the girl and her brother. But sadly, a very distant family was located and was willing to care for the two kids.

Shaking his memories away, he called for the group's attention and waited as they settled before he began telling his campaign story.

Almost an hour later, Sarah was on the edge of her seat as Eddie's voice lowered as he leaned his body forward to cast his face into shadows. "The hooded cultists chant, hail Lord Vecna."

"Hail Lord Vecna." He said, voice almost a whisper. "They turn to you, remove their hoods. You recognize most of them from Makbar." He suddenly stands, making her and a few others jump.

"But there is one you do not recognize, his skin shriveled, desiccated."

Eddie walked behind his throne. "And something else," he pauses, leaning his body over the chair back. "He is not only missing his left arm." He moves his left arm out from behind his back and slaps his hand over his eye when he yells, "but his left eye."

The whole group jumped and yelled over each other as Eddie dropped his body back in his chair. His face was full of smugness. "Kas killed him," someone cried out.

"Kas killed him," Dustin yelled, his tone full of disbelief.

"So it was thought, my friends. So it was thought." Eddie looked around the table. "You're tired. You are injured. Do you flee Vecna and his cultists? Or do you stand your ground and fight?"

"I say we fight." Said Gareth.

"To the death," nodded Dustin.

Soon one by one, the group nodded and began chanting "To the death! To the death" over and over

Not being a player, Sarah sat back and watched for the next thirty minutes as Eddie threw everything he could at the players. She watched as each player battled monster after monster as their friends cheered when someone won or booed as players were knockout from the game.

Jeff's shoulders slumped as his character died.

Eddie cackled.

"Time-out! Time-out!" Yelled Dustin as he pushed his chair back.

The group followed him to a corner, where they began arguing in low voices.

Sarah leaned over to Eddie as she watched Erica glare at the kid next to her. "Do you think they'll call it quits?"

Eddie didn't reply but frowned as the group voices grew louder until they shouted at each other. Fearing a fight might break out, he moved to stand up but paused when Erica turned to face Gareth with a snarl on her young face.

"Delusional? How about not cowards?" Erica shouted at Gareth.

Eddie knew what it was like to be a coward, and he knew that everyone in the room did too. He caught sight of the closed fist Gareth was hiding behind his back. So he knew that Gareth was reaching a point in his anger that he might say or do something wrong enough to the younger girl that it would set Sarah off.

"Hey!" He yelled, getting the group's attention. "Whilst I respect the passion, you'd be wise to take Gareth the Great's concern to heart." He paused, catching Erica's eyes. "There is no shame in running. Don't try to be heroes. Not today, 'Kay?"

Dustin looked at Eddie in disbelief. "One second." He turned back to the group.

Sarah had also caught sight of Gareth's fist, so she leaned close to Eddie with an eyebrow raised. "I thought you said he was getting help for his anger issues?"

Eddie rubbed the back of his neck. "So did I."

Eddie had prayed that she missed Gareth's displeasure at the girl, but it had been in vain. There were very few things that he knew Sarah wouldn't tolerate. He was lucky enough never to be placed on her shit list before now, but he couldn't say the same about the rest of his club members. And Gareth became number one on her list if the look in her eye meant anything.

Most of the time, she was a happy-go-lucky kind of person. She wasn't like the other people at the church or in town. Her father taught her to treat everyone with kindness and stand up for those who were not able. That's what made him respect her father so much. He had raised her to be a good person full of love.

Dustin turned and glared at Eddie, who smirked back at him. "Let's kill the son of a bitch." He held out his hand, and Mike slammed a die into it.

He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves as he closes his hand around the small object. He sent the die rolling across the table with two quick shakes as the others held their breaths.

Eddie stood up and tilted his head down to see the number. A smirk took over his face as his eyes looked up. "That's a miss!"

"No! Shit! Shit!"

Erica stepped forward, taking the die into her hands. The group stood behind her, each with a different emotion on their faces as she sent it flying. The air grew thick with tension as it hit the table and rolled down over the map coming to a stop at the Propped DM screen in front of Eddie.

Sarah smiled and gave the girl a thumbs up, letting her know she had won.

"Crit hit!" Erica shouted.

Sarah watched with a big smile as the boys started shouting, and one even cried as they hugged each other. She could swear that she had seen one twirling his shirt over his head as he whooped and hollered In joy. Then she had to laugh as they sang their version of we are the champion with a few words missing.

Erica ignored the boys behind her and stared smugly at Eddie, who bowed and gave her a wink. "That's why we play."

The group helped Eddie and Sarah clean up a few minutes later and get the room back into shape. They filed out into the hallway, still high on their victory, chatting and joking, ignoring the gym doors opening. The hellfire group didn't notice that three basketball players watched them as the crowd followed them and the rest of the team out. The dark skin basketball player stares hurt that not only did his friends play without him, but they invited his younger sister to play. The blonde-haired boy's eyes filled with hate. But the last and tallest of the stared with a gleam in his eyes as he watched Eddie throw his arms older girl's shoulders as she threw her head back, laughing at what he said.

Eddie led Sarah back to his van, only pausing long enough to halt her from getting in. When she turned to face him, she noticed his guilty look. Worry crept into her eyes as he shifted from one foot to the other, not saying anything.

"What's wrong?"

"Um…you remember," he paused and cleared his throat. "Well, yeah, of course, you remember. You were there. Well, anyway…" his voice broke off when another person stepped up to the van.

Sarah turned and saw it was Chrissy, still in her cheerleader uniform, watching them with a smile.

"She needs something from my place...I had made plans with her before you even asked to stay. Not that I am not saying you can't, but I promised she could get a lift. " Eddie said, stumbling over his words.

A knot grew in her throat. Rather than continuing to listen, she turned and pulled the van sliding door open and crawled in. She ignored his shocked look and pulled the door shut hard enough to rock the van. She knew she was acting like a brat, but he should have told her and not waited all this time. Yes, she would have been a little hurt and jealous that he was spending time with Chrissy, but it was as if the girl was blinding him to all the red lights flashing over his head.

"She doesn't know, does she," asked Chrissy in a low voice.

"Know what? The drugs? Yes and no. Just not about what you're looking to try. But don't worry, I told you earlier that she won't say anything. She will be mad at me for a while, but she'll keep it a secret."

Chrissy shook her head. "I'm not talking about the drugs; she doesn't know that you are in love with her."

"Shhh," yelped Eddie.

Chrissy's eyes widened when his body twitched as he stumbled closer to her while holding a finger to his lips. "Shhh."

Chrissy nodded.

He opened the passenger door for her, and once she was seated, he leaned in. "I haven't told her, so please keep it a secret. I don't even know if I'll ever tell her."

Chrissy nodded as he shut the door and rushed to the driver's side.

Once settled in the driver's seat, Eddie smiled over his shoulder toward the fuming girl sitting behind him. she did not return his smile, so he faced forward and turned the key, bringing it to life. The radio snapped on with a quick flick of his wrist as he backed out and followed the other vehicles out of the school parking lot.