March 15 th 1986 — 3:15pm
Kayla let out a gasp as she wrenched herself out of the Lover's Lake, her hands clutching onto the pebbles on the shore. She rolled onto her back, chest heaving from the exertion of swimming from the bottom of the lake. Her clothes were soaked through, growing cold from the wind whipping around her. She slowly pushed herself up, gaze falling on the calm water in front of her, which showed no sign of the hell beneath it. She reached down to pick up one of the pebbles she was still gripping in her palm, a shaky laugh leaving her lips. It was real.
She had made it.
She let out a yelp when she felt a hand suddenly touching her shoulder, twisting around to see a middle-aged man looming over her. His hand lingered on her for a moment too long, his eyes darting all over her body. He held both his hands up, shooting her a smile, one that didn't reach his eyes.
"Calm down, kid. You alright?" He questioned, as she nodded, not sure if she could speak.
This was a problem. She hadn't been expected anyone to see her making her 'escape'. How much had the man already seen? And what was he doing there in the first place?
"Kind of cold for a swim, huh?" He suggested, his eyes hungry.
"You on your own?" He asked, as Kayla gave him no response.
Instead, she tried to push herself to her feet, wanting to get as far away from the strange man as possible. She couldn't afford to waste any time. Once she was on her shaky legs, her knees began to buckle, as the man reached out to grab her, his slimy hand trailing over her back.
"Get off me" She muttered, trying to shove the man away, but he now had a strong grip on her shirt.
"Woah, woah. Now, that ain't very nice, is it?" He exclaimed, tugging her towards him, creating a rip in the top of her shirt.
"You're gonna' want to... what the fuck? " The man cried, jumping back in fright when he noticed something underneath her shirt.
Kayla pulled her shirt higher over her shoulder, covering the tiny roots the man had seen underneath the fabric. She felt as they slithered down her arm, cutting into her skin as they did so. Yet another thing no one was meant to see. The man stumbled back a step; eyes wide, as Kayla turned to him, tilting her head in a clinical manner. She knew what she was supposed to do if anyone got in her way. Before the stranger had time to react, Kayla had suddenly lunged forward, her hand going around his neck. The man watched in fear as Kayla's pupils suddenly grew, until they had completely covered the iris of her eye, turning a piercing black. Her hand trembled as she pulled back, taking a sharp intake of breath, a fine layer of sweat growing on her forehead. She soon steadied herself, as the man began stumbling backwards, looking seconds away from bolting.
" Stop " She announced, as the man's movements instantly stilled.
The man looked down to his legs, seeming confused as to why he had stopped moving. His brow furrowed as he tried to urge his limbs to move, but they wouldn't budge an inch. He was frozen to the spot.
" Raise your hand " Kayla exclaimed, watching as the man's arm shot up, without a second thought.
" Stand on one leg " Kayla went on.
A small smirk grew on her lips as the man hopped onto one leg, his arm still hanging in the air. His face was growing red, obviously trying to fight against what was happening to him.
"What are you doing out here?" Kayla questioned, as the man's lips quivered.
" Speak " She ordered, watching him let out a shaky breath.
"I...I take pictures...the kids...they come here and I...I take pictures..." He stuttered over his words, eyes widening as he realised what he had said.
Kayla lips turned up in a snarl, disgust running through her veins, as she realised what the man was. Her eyes flickered over to the lake for a moment, a dark thought growing in the back of her mind.
" Walk into the water " She announced, as the man's legs immediately began to carry him towards the lake.
She could hear how he whimpered as his feet became submerged in the water, carrying him further and further. She stood at the shore, her face expressionless until the man was almost fully submerged, only his neck up visible. She looked away as he dove deeper, the water now up to his chin, feeling something dripping down from her nose. She raised her hand to wipe it away, finding her palm was stained with blood.
" Stop! " She called out, hearing the man let out a sigh of relief.
" You...you stay there until the sun goes down...and then you go to the police and show them the pictures you took " Kayla announced, as her nose continued to drip with blood.
She turned around, her thoughts a mess, as she almost collided with a familiar face. The only face she was familiar with at this point. Kayla froze as her eyes connected with blue ones, a look of disbelief on her own face.
" Henry? How are you..." She trailed off, as she reached out to touch his face, only to find her fingers went straight through him.
She let out a sigh as she realised, he wasn't really there. Of course, he wasn't. She was back in Hawkins. Back...home. Somewhere Henry couldn't be.
He gave her a small smile, as if trying to reassure her, but she could tell there was something else behind his eyes. As his gaze flickered over to the man still submerged in the water, she quickly realised why that was. She wasn't using the...gift...she had been given as Henry would have wanted.
"Why haven't you killed him?" Henry questioned; his forehead wrinkled.
"I...I didn't want to overexert myself" Kayla mumbled, with a slight shrug.
"He's nothing, Kayla. Nothing more than an insect waiting to be crushed" Henry insisted, as she bit the inside of her cheek.
"Exactly. He doesn't matter. I'm just...I'm sticking to the plan. Your plan" Kayla explained, as his eyes narrowed for a moment.
"Very well. Make sure no one else see's you" Henry told her, as she nodded.
Her eyes widened as she watched his image disintegrate, as if he was blown away in the wind. He had never really been there. Only in her mind. With a shake of her head, she began her trek to Hawkins Police Station, rehearsing her speech in her mind over and over. She couldn't screw this up.
"So, let me get this straight? You have no idea when you've been for the last two and half years?" Chief Powell asked; the disbelief clear in his tone.
"Pretty much" Kayla murmured.
She had spent the last hour being questioned by Chief Powell and Officer Callahan, after being looked over by paramedics. They had stated apart from dehydration and being undernourished she was in surprisingly good health. Not that she had really let them take a good look at her. The state her body in could be a little hard to explain. After that, she had to see a shrink to decide whether she was mentally fit to speak to the cops. She must have passed with flying colors, as the Chief was pulling her into a questioning room soon after.
"So, you did run away?" Officer Callahan suggested, as she gave him an irritated look.
"No" She stated.
"Well, how do you know that if you don't remember what happened?" Officer Callahan pointed out.
"Do you have any more stupid questions you want to ask me or am I free to go?" Kayla exclaimed, making Callahan scoff.
"Hey, you can't speak to an Officer of the law like that!" Callahan insisted, earning a small shrug in return.
"Pretty sure I just did" Kayla muttered, under her breath.
"Chief, are you hearing this?" Callahan gaped, turning to his boss.
"Why don't you get the kid a drink or something?" Chief Powell said, rubbing at his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Oh, sure! Why don't I give her a foot rub at the same time?! Just like working at the motel again..." Callahan grumbled, pushing up from his seat, and sulking away.
"...I'm guessing a foot rubs off the table then?" Kayla snorted, a few seconds later.
Chief Powell huffed out a laugh, shaking his head a little. He clearly didn't buy her story of amnesia, but if there was no sign of a crime, what could he do?
"Believe it or not, we're just trying to help you, kid. You really don't know what happened to you?" Powell went on.
"I thought you might be able to fill me in. I mean, you must have looked for me, right?" Kayla suggested, already knowing the answer.
She still wanted to hear it from the man's lips, feeling a small amount of vindication at the guilt that flashed over his features.
"Miss Dixon, we all thought...the facts pointed to you having run away" Chief Powell admitted, not being able to meet her eyes.
"I went missing walking home from a party, what about that scream's runaway?" Kayla scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Your mother told us you had an argument the day before—" Chief Powell began, but she was quick to cut him off.
"I argued with my mother every fucking day. It doesn't change the fact that I went missing and no one even looked for me!" Kayla exclaimed, banging her fist down on the metal table.
She clenched her jaw as the lamp on the table flickered for a moment, causing her to try to calm her breathing. Henry said this could happen, that she would need to keep her emotions in check. It had been much easier when he was around to guide her.
"Well, for what it's worth...I'm sorry" Chief Powell mumbled, eyes downcast, as a thought crossed Kayla's mind.
"Have you...have you told my Mom?" Kayla inquired, watching as the man went still.
"She, uh...she was informed. She was in shock, I think..." Powell trailed off, his brow furrowed.
"She didn't care?" Kayla guessed, as the man's eyes snapped up to hers.
"It's a lot to take in. Maybe she needs time" Chief Powell suggested, as she nodded, biting the inside of her cheek.
Her mother was probably too drunk to even understand what the cops were saying. But a part of her had hoped...
It had been almost three years, had her mother really not missed her at all?
She shivered when she felt a hand clasping her shoulder, the coldness from their fingers going straight through her jumper. She didn't have to turn to know who it was.
" It's as I told you, Kayla. Your mother doesn't care. None of them do. They didn't even look for you " Henry explained, his words echoing through her mind.
Kayla had to bite her lip as she felt tears beginning to well in her eyes, desperately trying to blink them away. Her eyes flickered to her side, finding no sign of Henry, reminding herself he was still just in her mind. She knew he was right. She was nothing to the people of Hawkins.
"You alright, kid?" Chief Powell questioned, noticing the way she had zoned out.
"What happens—" Kayla was cut off, as she heard shouting outside the door, realising the voice sounded familiar.
Very familiar.
"Ah, hell. When we went to tell your mom you were back, a boy overheard at the trailer park. You know this Munson kid?" Chief Powell asked, watching as her mouth went slack.
Before she could answer, they heard banging on the metal door, and then a second later it was being thrown open. Kayla's eyes widened as none other than Eddie Munson came stumbling through, looking like all the air had been knocked out of his lungs the second their eyes met. Kayla instantly stood from her chair, feeling relief flood her veins as Eddie took a step forward. He was suddenly lunging forward, jumping over the metal table in a classic Eddie way, and colliding with her. His arms wrapped around her in an instant, clutching onto her for dear life. She could hear the way his breath trembled as he pulled back, eyes searching over her face as if he couldn't believe she was actually there.
"You're...you're back. You're really back..." Eddie exclaimed, reaching up to cup her face with his hands.
"Didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you, Munson?" Kayla grinned, as his eyes softened.
He was pulling her back into a tight hug a moment later, holding her so close he lifted her off the floor, leaving her feet dangling in the air. Kayla returned the hug this time, clutching onto his shoulders, as she dropped her chin into the crook of his neck. He was so warm. So safe. It felt like nothing could ever hurt her again.
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again" Kayla sobbed, as a tear ran down her cheek, staining his jacket.
"I'm not letting you go again. Not ever. You're not gonna' be able to take a piss without me right next to you" Eddie insisted, as she huffed out a laugh, pulling away from the hug.
"Where'd you go?" Eddie asked, in a soft tone.
"...I...I don't know" Kayla replied, forcing the lie from her lips.
Eddie couldn't know the truth. She needed to protect him, and this was the only way. He'd understand eventually. He had to.
After a few more questions, Chief Powell dropped them off at the trailer park, after Kayla had promised to go home. She walked to the door of her mother's trailer, with Eddie trailing close behind. She pushed herself onto her tiptoes to grab the spare key that was still hidden inside the broken light on the porch, glad to see some things hadn't changed. She had no idea how her mother would react to her miraculous reappearance.
"Want me to come with you?" Eddie suggested, as she shook her head.
"You and her don't exactly get on, remember? Besides, I've got this" Kayla insisted, trying to give him a reassuring smile.
Her expression fell as soon as she turned away, putting the key into the lock and reluctantly opening the door. Her heart hammered in her chest as she walked into her childhood home, finding little had changed. The trailer was still a mess, mold growing all over the ceiling, but she still felt strangely nostalgic. She had missed it. She had missed everything—
"Get out" A voice announced, as she twisted around, eyes adjusting to the dim lighting in the trailer.
Her mouth went slack as her mother came out of the shadows, a bottle in her hand, held out in front of her like a weapon. Her mother wore an expression she had never seen before. She looked scared.
"Mom, it's me. It's Kayla—" She began, but her mother was quick to cut her off.
"My daughter died in 1983" Her mother snapped, angrily.
As she took a closer look at her mother, she could see the years hadn't been kind to her. The bags under her eyes were almost black, her face sunken in, skin an unpleasant yellow color. She could smell the alcohol on her breath from across the room.
"No. I just...I was lost. I got so lost, mom. But I'm back now. We can...we can start over" Kayla stated, as the older woman all but snarled at her.
"You're not her. You're not!" Her mother snapped.
"Please. Just hear me out" Kayla insisted, taking a step forward.
"Get out. Get the fuck out of here! " Her mother cried, suddenly throwing the bottle in her direction, narrowly missing her face.
The bottle smashed against the wall, making Kayla flinch, as she scrunched her eyes shut. It was just like Henry said. He was right about everything.
"...Did you even look for me, mom? Did you even think about me?" Kayla asked, in a shaky voice.
Her mother's forehead wrinkled at Kayla's words, shaking her head a little as she began to sink back into the shadows. The door to the trailer was being ripped open a moment later, as Eddie came racing through, instantly seeing the broken glass over the floor.
"Shit, are you okay?" He questioned, voice full of concern, his eyes checking her over for injuries.
"Let's go... there's nothing here for me anymore " Kayla mumbled, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her head, as she stumbled towards the door.
They walked to Eddie's trailer in a tense silence, neither knowing what to say. She had to focus, she couldn't afford to get distracted. But that was exactly what happened the minute she entered Eddie's trailer, the nostalgia hitting her straight away. Eddie was quick to try tidying the kitchen counter up, food wrappers spilling onto the floor, next to piles of beer cans.
"Your Uncle's still hoarding then?" Kayla murmured, gesturing to the dozens of mugs and caps on the walls.
"He swears all this stuff is gonna' be worth money in ten years' time" Eddie shrugged, as a smile broke out on her face when she spotted a particular mug on the wall.
"I remember this. Fourth grade. You spent days making it" Kayla grinned, holding onto the chipped mug.
"Yeah, then I passed it to you and you dropped it, klutz" Eddie teased.
"I still think it gives it character" Kayla shrugged, placing it back in the place on the wall.
"You want something to eat? I've got some leftover pizza..." Eddie trailed off, as he pulled the pizza box out of the fridge, watching as Kayla all but lunged at the pizza.
In a matter of seconds, she was shoveling a slice into her mouth, seeming to be practically inhaling the food. Eddie watched with wide eyes as she had demolished the pizza in a few short minutes, clearly starving. She wiped at her mouth sheepishly, a little embarrassed.
"I haven't had pizza since 1983" She shrugged.
"Well, if you liked that you're gonna' love the new Coca Cola" Eddie exclaimed, as he began rummaging around the fridge for a can.
Kayla's eyes flickered over to a pile of papers on the kitchen table, surprised to find her own face staring back at her. She reached out to pull the papers closer, seeing they were missing person posters. And recent ones at that, stating that she would have been eighteen years old now. God, what month was it?
"Guess I won't need to put those up anymore, huh?" Eddie mumbled, coming to sit next to her at the table.
"You made all these?" Kayla frowned, seeing there must have been more than a hundred.
"I put new ones up every month or so. Gives me something to do, you know" Eddie shrugged, with downcast eyes, as Kayla noticed something else on the poster.
"Where the hell have you been keeping $10,000?" Kayla scoffed, noticing the mention of reward money.
"I figured I'll cross that bridge when I come to it" Eddie stated, with a small smile, as Kayla continued reading off the poster.
"Brown hair, blue eyes...5'3...pretty? You, uh...wrote that I was pretty on my missing poster?" Kayla exclaimed, a grin spreading over her lips.
"Must be a mistake" Eddie dismissed, with a shrug.
"A mistake that you wrote about a hundred times?" Kayla teased, nudging him with her elbow.
"I meant annoying. Yeah, really annoying" Eddie replied, making her giggle.
Eddie's head snapped up when they heard footsteps approaching from outside, the color suddenly draining from his face. Kayla watched in confusion as he rushed to the front door, cursing under his breath.
"What's wrong?" She questioned.
"I may have forgotten to tell my uncle you're alive—" Eddie began, as the door to the trailer swung open.
Wayne Munson came to an immediate halt when he noticed Kayla sitting at his kitchen table, his jaw dropping open. His eyes grew so wide, Kayla was sure they were seconds from popping out of his skull. Whatever reaction they were expecting, it certainly wasn't for the forty-year-old man to let out a high-pitched scream and run away a second later, wailing about zombies. Eddie and Kayla turned to look at each other, bursting out laughing a second later. She had definitely missed the Munsons'.
After an hour of insisting to Wayne that Kayla hadn't somehow risen from the dead, he had agreed that she could stay for as long as she wanted. Wayne had almost been somewhat of a father figure to her, and after the initial shock wore off, he seemed overjoyed to have her back. Eddie was setting up his room, insisting that he would be sleeping on the floor while she took the bed. She pointed out she was more than happy to sleep on the couch, but he wouldn't hear of it. He wanted his eyes on her all times. And that was going to be a problem.
"You look thin" Wayne stated, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"The paramedics said I was undernourished" Kayla shrugged, taking a sip of her coke.
"Well, after a few of my Munson meals, you'll be back to normal in no time" Wayne told her.
"You still drown everything in cheese?" Kayla grinned.
"How else is food supposed to be eaten?" Wayne shrugged, making her laugh.
"...Eddie, uh...he didn't take it well. Losing you. I thought he was gonna'..." Eddie trailed off, running a hand over his face.
"You don't need to tell me what happened. I get it. But I just need to know one thing...that you're gonna' stay. He's not gonna' cope if you leave again" Wayne explained, watching as Kayla's face fell.
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise" Kayla replied, as he gave her a small smile.
"It's good to have you back, kid" He exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder, before stumbling towards his own room.
After finishing her drink, she walked towards Eddie's bedroom, finding him already lying on the floor, a blanket pulled up to his waist. She had already changed into one of his Metallica shirts, which stopped around her knees, and went to sit on the bed, her legs dangling off the edge.
"You okay?" Eddie asked, as he leant back against his pillow he had dragged onto the floor.
"I'm not the one insisting on sleeping on the floor like an idiot" Kayla retorted, nudging him with her toes.
"I think giving you my bed is the least I can do" Eddie scoffed, looking away from her.
"What does that mean?" She frowned.
"...I fucked up, didn't I? That night. You came after me. If you had just stayed that stupid party—" Eddie began, but she was quick to cut him off.
"Don't do that" Kayla mumbled, shaking her head.
"Why not? If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have gone missing. It's...it's my fault " He muttered, in a pained tone.
"I was the one who went wandering off into the woods on my own. It was just...the wrong place, at the wrong time. It had nothing to do with you, Ed. So don't you dare blame yourself" Kayla insisted, but he still didn't seem convinced.
"I still shouldn't have left you" He sighed, tensely.
"Then we both would have ended up..." Kayla trailed off, biting her lip.
"What?" Eddie questioned, wondering what she was going to say.
"I'm just...I'm glad you weren't there. You're like one of the only people I actually like in this dumb town" Kayla pointed out.
"And here I just thought you hung around with me cause' of my awesome taste in music" Eddie retorted, making her huff.
"Oh, that's debatable" Kayla giggled, pulling her legs up so she could lean back in the bed.
"Also...what's with the handcuffs?" Kayla asked, in a teasing tone, gesturing over to the cuffs hanging off his wardrobe.
"Well, you never know when they might come in handy " Eddie grinned, as she let out a groan.
"Ugh, you did not just say that!" She exclaimed, throwing one of her pillows at him.
"You asked!" Eddie insisted, laughing to himself.
"Seriously, what am I going to catch sleeping on this mattress?" Kayla complained
"Oh yeah, I've got some sweet memories involving that pillow—" Eddie started, hearing an indignant gasp from the bed.
" Ew! " Kayla cried, throwing the pillow she had been laying on straight into Eddie's face.
Eddie was quickly falling into a fit of laughter, clutching at his stomach, his cheeks beginning to hurt from smiling so much. As he rubbed a tear from his eye, he could hear Kayla still giggling from the bed.
"Jesus, I haven't laughed like that in...a long time" Eddie huffed, the smile slowly fading from his lips.
He knew how long it had been. They both did.
"Kay?" He exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah?" She mumbled, sleepily.
"I...I'm really glad you're back" Eddie admitted, in a nervous tone.
"I missed you too" Kayla replied, softly.
Eddie reached up to turn off the lamp on his drawers, only the dim moonlight illuminating the room. He kept his eyes on the door for the next half an hour, knowing he wouldn't be able to get to sleep that night. How could he when he still didn't know what had happened to his best friend? His eyes flickered up as he heard shuffling coming from his bed, finding Kayla had fallen asleep, rolling onto her stomach. Her arm hung off the bed, fingertips almost touching the floor, right by Eddie's arm. Cautiously, he began to reach up to touch her hand, his heart beating fast in his chest. Kayla didn't stir as he took her hand in his own, his fingers wrapped tightly around the back of her hand. He couldn't stop the smile that spread over his lips, feeling a strange sense of calm fall over him. He allowed his eyes to flutter shut for the first time that night, still gripping onto her hand, not prepared to let go yet.
Eddie woke with a start the next morning, eyes shooting open in a panic. He clutched at his chest, feeling how his heart beat madly under his palm, remembering the nightmare he had awoken from far too well. It was the same one he had every night. About Kayla. Shaking his head, he pushed himself into a sitting position, reaching out to wake her up. His brow furrowed when he couldn't feel her in the bed, his blood running cold when he realised, she wasn't there. He was on his feet in a split second, eyes darting around his room for any sign of her. God, had it all been a dream?
"No, no, no..." He murmured, racing out of his room, a desperate expression on his face.
Relief hit him like a ton of bricks when he spotted Kayla in the kitchen, about to call out to her when he realised, she was speaking to...someone? His frown deepened as he peeked out from behind the wall, finding there was no one else in the trailer.
"No. No! I told you already—I know! Just give me some time..." Kayla trailed off, when she finally noticed Eddie staring at her with wide eyes.
"Morning" Eddie exclaimed, taking a few steps towards her.
"Hey, I was just, uh...talking to myself..." Kayla stuttered.
" Riiiiight. That something you do a lot of now?" Eddie questioned, clearly freaking out.
"Says the guy would sing to himself like every night when he was in sixth grade" Kayla scoffed, raising an eyebrow.
"...Touché. What are you doing up so early anyways?" Eddie inquired, as Kayla grabbed a plate.
"I cooked you breakfast" She replied, as Eddie gave her a look of horror.
"An edible breakfast?" He tried to clarify, knowing cooking wasn't her strength.
"Well..." She trailed off, turning around to offer him the eggs on toast she had created.
Eddie looked down to see the toast was burnt to a crisp, and hard as rock. As for the eggs, he could still see the egg shell mixed in with the runny substance on the bread. Still, he picked up one of the toast slices, and braced himself.
"It probably tastes better than it looks" Eddie suggested, taking a tiny bite of the food.
Kayla watched with hopeful eyes as he chewed for a few seconds, before turning a grey color and spitting it out, wiping at his tongue desperately. It looked like some things certainly hadn't changed.
"...Yep, I was wrong" Eddie choked out, making her laugh.
"You're a brave man, Eddie Munson" Kayla giggled, patting him on the shoulder, as she came to sit next to him.
"You think Wayne will drive me into town later?" Kayla inquired, a moment later.
"Why? You got a hot date?" Eddie murmured, making her roll her eyes.
"I need to enroll back into school" Kayla shrugged, confusing him.
"You just got back, I don't think anyone's expecting you to jump right back into the education system" Eddie huffed.
"I missed out on like two years, Ed. If I want to have any hope of graduating before I'm twenty, better start now" Kayla insisted.
"I suppose it would mean we'd actually be in the same year, even if it's only for a couple months" Eddie exclaimed, making Kayla frown.
"Wait...you're still in high school?!" She gaped.
"Don't look at me with those judgy eyes, Dixon. What I lack in smarts, I make up for in my looks" Eddie grinned.
"Bullshit. You're always be smart, what happened?" Kayla pushed, as Eddie let out a long sigh.
"...What do you think?" Eddie retorted, in a sad tone.
" Oh " Kayla mumbled, realising where things must have gone wrong for him.
"After you went missing, school didn't really seem to matter anymore. Nothing did" Eddie confessed, his jaw clenched.
Kayla opened her mouth to reply, but the words died on her lips. What could she say? It was too late to change anything now.
"That first year...all I did was shout at cops and put up missing posters. And no one would fucking listen. No one would help... oh, shit ..." Eddie trailed off, his eyes suddenly going wide.
"What?" Kayla asked.
"There was one other person who didn't think you'd run away" Eddie sighed, with a shake of his head.
"Are you sure we're talking about the same Steve Harrington?" Kayla inquired, as they walked up the drive to his house.
"I'm serious. Every summer we'd go around the next town over and put your poster up on every wall we could find" Eddie insisted.
"I'm surprised he'd even remember me after all this time" Kayla admitted, as Eddie shrugged.
"I hate to say it but turns out King Steve...not actually as big a douchebag as I thought" Eddie went on, as they walked up Steve's front porch.
"What, are you and him like friends now or something?" Kayla scoffed, as Eddie rung the doorbell.
"Nah. But we do have a mutual friend" Eddie grinned, confusing her further.
Before she could push him for any more information, the large front door to the Harrington's house opened, revealing none other than Steve. Kayla's mouth went slack as he stared back at her with his big brown eyes, his hair having somehow grown more voluminous over the years. He had grown an inch or two over the years, and from the way the shirt he was wearing clung to his biceps, he had put on some muscle too. God, he looked good. Like really good.
"Hey" She exclaimed, giving him a small smile, realising he still hadn't moved.
"Steve?" Eddie frowned, waving a hand in front of the boy's face.
Kayla's jaw dropped open as Steve's eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head, and he flopped to the floor with a loud thump. Eddie couldn't help but snort at the dramatic reaction, as Kayla rushed to his side, grabbing onto his shoulder.
"Steve? Hey, Steve!" Kayla insisted, shaking his shoulder, as his eyes slowly fluttered open, the look of shock back on his face.
"Are you dead?" Steve murmured.
"No" Kayla told him.
"...Am I dead?" Steve frowned, making her laugh.
"I'm gonna' say no" She stated, with a small smile.
"Oh God, I've finally lost it, haven't I?" Steve groaned, as Eddie approached them, holding his hand out for the other boy to take.
"Was always gonna' happen one day" Eddie grinned, as he helped haul Steve up.
"Wait, you see her too?" Steve exclaimed, eyes darting between the pair.
"I'm not a ghost, Steve" She huffed, as he reached out to poke her cheek with his finger.
" Okaaaay , what's going on?" Steve mumbled.
"Steve, c'mon! You said you'd play..." A voice called out, trailing off as he walked towards the door to see the three.
"Hey, Henderson" Eddie nodded towards the teenage boy.
"Who's this?" Dustin frowned, approaching them, clearly confused.
"This is Kayla. Kayla, Henderson. Henderson, Kayla" Eddie introduced them, watching as the boy's eyes went as wide as golf balls.
"As in Kayla, Kayla? That girl you liked that went missing?" Dustin gaped, as Eddie slapped his shoulder roughly.
"Girl, I knew. Girl, I knew that went missing" Eddie insisted, giving Dustin a murderous look.
All of a sudden, a flock of kids were descending on them, crowding Kayla from all angles. She hadn't been around so many people in a long time, her fight or flight response going into overdrive. She was just debating to leave when she caught one of the kid's eyes, her heart stopping for a moment. It was the last person in the world she had been hoping to see. Someone who could definitely ruin her entire plan. Someone who knew too much.
"Kayla?" Will Byers exclaimed, a clear look of recognition in his eyes, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
Oh, fuck.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I really appreciate all the reviews I've had, it really helps to motivate me to keep writing. I vote we all pretend volume 2 didn't happen, haha. Please leave a review:)
BreanaGRodriguez: Aw, thank you so much! This review was so nice to read, I hope the new chapter lives up to your expectations:)
Polaristhey: Thank you for the review, Eddie definitely seems to be winning at the moment. More will be revealed about Kayla's time in the Upsode Down soon!
twentyeightwalkers: I love the friends to lovers trope too! Lots of twists and turns to come in this story, thanks for reviewing:)
Angryfanfic: Thanks for the review, hope you like the update!
Emmalue: Aw, thank you! I hope you like the new chapter:)
Ylva Lemming: Thank you for reviewing:) We'll have to wait and see but Eddie definitely looks like he's winning at the moment.