Stranger Things: Rebuilding
Chapter 19 of my Stranger Things story, enjoy.
Reviews
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks and well, not really, when you think of the life she's had, she's not had the same experiences as others.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
JaynetheFawn: Yes indeed it is and no, remember he's seeing Jessica at 8, the note calls for El to be there at 8:30. So...;)
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Stranger Things or its characters.
A New Obstacle
Making her way home, El was still smiling, the note was still foremost in her mind. She couldn't help but wonder, hope even, that things would turn out just as she was wanting them to. For once she could see a chance for her to take control of her life and finally have something that she wanted finally happen.
'I just have to wait until tomorrow, half-eight...so I'd best leave here about eight.' She reflected. 'It'll be tricky, but I should be able to work my way across town, get to the college and slip inside without the guard seeing me, I'll distract him if I have to, then I can get to Eric's dorm.'
She had found out what Eric's dorm room number was, it was included on the note, she hadn't noticed it at first but another read of the note showed it on the back. She held onto her hope, finally the mystery and confusion regarding her feelings might finally be resolved. She entered the cabin and found Hopper was home, seated on the sofa and looking rather worn down.
"Hopper?" She said quietly, concerned.
He started and then relaxed on seeing her. "Oh, El, you're home...How was school?"
She smiled. "It was alright, everything went okay, nothing going wrong, no issues."
"Good, good...So, what exactly what this all about?" He suddenly asked.
El was confused, until she saw what Hopper was holding out to her.
She bit her lip, feeling her face heat up as she realized, he was holding the envelope that the note came in.
"Um, I, it...was a note that was sent to me." She explained, not wanting to lie. "I must have forgot to throw that away."
Hopper nodded slowly. "A note huh...do I need to be worried?"
El hesitated at that, realizing that she was backed into a corner, how could she explain this. Especially knowing how protective of her Hopper was.
"El?"
She bit her lip and pulled the note from her pocket.
"It's…" She sighed. "This is it. It's from Eric."
Hopper took the note and read it, his eyes widening as he did so. El knew right away that meant trouble. She also knew she had to try and head things off before it was too late.
"Please, I just-"
"El, you cannot be serious." Hopper burst out. "You can't go out there, not at that time, not alone-"
"But. I can't just leave this, please." She pleaded.
Hopper stood up. "No, think about it for a minute, just think about it. You can't just go walking out there, especially so late at night. You've got that crazy idiot boy with a gun after you and you want to put yourself out there as a target?"
El bit her lip, knowing what he meant.
"I promise, I'll be careful, I still have the watch you gave me. Troy won't be a problem." She tried to reason with him. "I just want to talk with Eric anyway, this is my best chance."
"That's something else, you think I'm happy with you going to some college boy's dorm either?" Hopper countered.
El couldn't help but blush at that, understanding the implication.
She shook her head, embarrassed.
"I swear, it's nothing anything like that, I just want to talk-"
"No El, it's not safe." Hopper insisted. "I'm not just talking about that punk. People have been disappearing."
El continued to protest until she realized what he said. "But I already said...wait, disappearing?"
"Hikers. We've had two disappear from Hawkins in the last few days. We think it's connected to other disappearances in nearby towns." Hopper explained.
El's heart sank at that, unable to believe what she was hearing, she couldn't help but feel bad for the people who disappeared, their families. But she also knew exactly why Hopper had brought it up.
"So you see…" Hop continued. "I can't let you go out there, for your own sake. Please…"
She groaned, but nodded. "Yes."
She normally would argue things like this, but she didn't feel up to it now. Not now she felt so deflated. So, dejectedly, she made her way to her room, closing the door and sitting on the bed.
'I can't believe it, how can it just be so...how can it just end like that…' She thought in dismay. 'I can't...I can't let it be over.'
She bit her lip, she hated herself for thinking it, but she made up her mind. She knew right away what she had to do.
XXXXX
Troy knew he was fucked, Shane's glare said it all without him having to even open his mouth.
"Shane, I swear I-"
Shane grabbed him, slaming him up against the wall. "You what!?"
He swallowed, anxiously glancing over at the other gang members, the ones that were left after James' betrayal. None of them even raised an eyebrow, they weren't gonna help him. In fact they shared Shane's pissed off expression, directed at him.
"You were supposed to have that girl dead by now...When I given an ultimatum it means you get a fucking move on and don't wait till the last possible day." Shane snarled darkly.
Troy swallowed nervously. "I've tried man, I swear. But she barely goes out anymore and when she is, she's with someone, usually one of her friends-"
"And, you think that matters?"
Troy gaped, surely Shane understood, if he tried anything during those previous days, it would have ended only one way for him. But Shane seemed to read his mind and revealed exactly what he thought.
"You think it matters if you get arrested, it doesn't. We have to be able to say that Justin was avenged, which means we have to kill that girl. That's it." Shane explained. "It doesn't matter what happens to you in the process, don't you get it. You just fucking kill her, or by Monday, you're fucking dead!"
Troy swallowed and nodded, finally let go by Shane. He grimaced as finally it was clear to him, no matter what happened now. He was well and truly fucked.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.