March 22nd, 1986

The wind whipped through her hair as she drove as fast as she could, eager to get home and tell everyone the news. The sun started to go down, evening had started to roll in. There was no one other than Lorraine on the road. She held a cigarette in between her fingers, leaning her hand on the window frame. She pulled her sunglasses up, to keep the hair from flying around her eyes, singing to the Fleetwood Mac song that was blaring out of the car stereo.

They had accepted the five chapters, and the idea that Lorraine had pitched to them. They were so excited, they wanted her to return in a few weeks with another few chapters. Lorraine couldn't believe that finally, after so many years, she was getting the break that she needed.

Maybe it was her destiny to crawl back to Hawkins and just let herself be so she could realize what she wanted, what she loved, what was dearest to her. She smirked and blushed as she thought about what motivated her to start the story, to feel like she really wasn't a piece of shit or that she really was meant to just exist in that trailer house. Eddie.

Pulling into the road that led to the trailer park, her stomach dropped. There was an officer standing right outside of his patrol car, and as Lorraine got closer to the car, so did the officer.

She began to roll down the window, her brows furrowed together in confusion and worry. What the hell is going on?

"Morning," Said the officer, as he leaned down to look at Lorriane closely. "Sorry, m'am, you can't come through."

"What do you mean I can't? I live here," She said, sternly, feeling the anger reach through her throat, threatening to scream and act out.

"A body has been found." He said softly, looking around as if he shouldn't have told her that one detail.

Lorraine's knuckles loosened on the steering wheel, her legs went weak, her heart skipped a beat before starting to race once more. Was it Dad? Did something happen? Is Eddie okay? Was he the body?.

"You have to let me through, I live here damn it!", she finally said, almost shouting at the poor officer. He asked for her license and registration as confirmation, Lorraine complied and gave him everything or anything that would let her get into the trailer park as fast as she could. Once the officer confirmed what she was saying was true, he nodded and gestured for her to drive into the trailer park.

For a moment she hesitated, not knowing what she would find once she finally got there, worried that it could be anyone that she knew, someone she loved, someone that if she lost, would send her down a spiral.

Without knowing, she actually had driven slowly down the dirt road, trying not to hit the other neighbors and officers as she eventually got to her trailer. Her heart beat faster, as she saw yellow tape surrounding Eddie's trailer, officers frantically walking and running from one way to another. Off to the side of the trailer was a white sheet, covering what looked like someone's body.

She hadn't parked in her usual spot as she got out of the car, not even closing it behind her, walking towards the trailer. Her eyes fixated on the white sheet, so many faces of people she knew racing her mind, hoping that at least it wasn't the few that she actually cared about. Without realizing, she had started running towards the trailer, before an officer stopped her in her tracks, reaching out his arm to her chest to stop her.

"No!" She screamed at him, trying to move forward, the officer not allowing her to continue. "Who is it?!"

"I'm sorry, m'am, we can't say." He said again, Lorraine struggled to leave his grip, tears starting to form in her eyes as the only thing she could think of was Eddie's face covered with a white sheet.

"Leave her be," A southern accent echoed behind the two, stern but warm and comfortable. "She deserves to know."

Lorraine turned around, her mouth agape, "Uncle Wayne…" she whispered, finally releasing from the officer's grip to run to him and embrace him. Although he seemed a bit surprised, he returned the hug, patting Lorraine's head softly.

"It's not him.." He whispered to Lorraine in a soft coo. "They think he did it."

She shot her head up, a massive relief lifting off her shoulders. He's okay, she thought. That's the most important thing right now. That is, until she registered the last sentence. He did it?

"Wh- What do you mean they…?" She struggled to whisper out of her lips, taking a step back as she ran her hand through her hair.

"They think Eddie killed Chrissy Cunningham." He said sternly, taking Lorraine by the shoulder and guiding her to the picnic table close by.

He took out a cigarette and lit it in his mouth, propping himself onto the picnic table. He sucked on the cigarette like it was the only thing that was anchoring him to that place at the moment. Lorraine sat beside him, in silence, until he was ready to speak.

"He talks a shit ton about you," He said, sweetly, looking over to her for a moment. Lorraine pulled the sleeves of her jean jacket with her fingers, gingerly, trying to hide the slight embarrassment.

"I've never seen him happier." He stated once more, smiling, like he was thinking of something other than what was happening now. He chuckled softly, "I thought I'd never see you two actually get together."

"Honestly," Lorraine began, "I never thought it would happen."

"Ah, but I knew it. Even before Eddie did. The day your family moved in and you forced him to be your friend. I knew it." He smiled, taking another drag from the cigarette.

She didn't respond, thinking back to when she moved in, all those nights spent together, exploring houses that weren't theirs, sharing music…

"Why do they think he did it?" She blurted out.

"Of course, he's a Munson." He snarled. "The boy wouldn't hurt a fly, but he is the outcast afterall."

Lorraine's brow furrowed once more, trying to piece together everything she was seeing and what could have happened.

"I found her this morning," He continued. "She was.. Her eyes…" He trailed off, shaking his head as he finished the cigarette and threw it.

"I don't know where he is, but they're looking for him." He finally said, rubbing his hands together as he looked out to the trailer riddled with officers.

"I'll find him." Lorraine said, angrily, sternly. "I'll find him and I'll make sure they don't blame him for this."

She hopped off the picnic table, turning to Eddie's uncle once more. His eyes were full of sadness and worry, and she could only imagine that her expression was the same.

"I promise."

She drove furiously through the streets of Hawkins, not knowing exactly where she was going. Frustrated, she thought of the places where he could be. Dustin, maybe, but he would be in school. Lorraine thought how ridiculous that would be, dragging a kid into all of this, and quickly discarded the idea.

The night when they had their first, giant fight, came to mind. Maybe he was hiding in skull rock, even if it is a bit on the nose for someone to hide from a murder case. She laughed at herself, she knew Eddie would think that it was ironic if someone committed murder and hid at skull rock.

She pursed her lips as she pressed down on the pedal, accelerating. What was Chrissy doing at Eddie's trailer? What the hell happened that made Uncle Wayne almost look like he'd seen a ghost? Where was Eddie? Was he okay?

She reached the forest that led to lover's lake, parking on the side of the road she sat in the car for a moment. She wasn't sure why she was hesitating to leave the car, she was scared if he would find him covered in blood, if she would find him in the same fate as Chrissy. Lorraine shook her head violently, trying to push away the thoughts. She did however strongly feel that he would be scared, not knowing what to do, shaking. He was never really one to confront things head on, at least not usually.

Almost leaping out of the car, she slammed the door and began walking towards the lake, pushing branches and garbage out of her way. Determined to at least reach somewhere she could start looking.

Once she reached the shore of the lake, she sighed deeply. Her heart racing, her breath caught in her throat, she began to cry quietly.

"Where are you Eddie?" She mumbled between her tears.

Like a sign from above she heard voices echo over the lake, barely audible. It sounded like a few people were calling out to someone, or something, looking for them. Scanned the shoreline further away from her. They kept calling out, a name that she couldn't really hear. Slowly, she caught the light of some flashlights beside a house near the lake.

"Eddie!"

She immediately started to run towards the car once more, getting in and starting the engine. Lorraine knew that voice, it was Dustin, looking for the same metalhead they both cared for so house must have been only a few minutes away but to Lorraine, it was hours before she got there.

Scrambling out of the car, she looked around the house, it seemed quiet, like no one was there. Maybe she had imagined it? Maybe she was already at the point of pur insanity that she made the entire thing up in her head?

"Stop, Eddie! No!"

She whipped her head towards a boat house near the lake, just beside the house. It was Dustin, screaming again. But why?

Lorraine didn't hesitate to run towards the boat house, grabbing ahold of the door and swinging it open. She saw Eddie holding Steve by the collar of his jacket, a broken beer bottle just barely touching his neck.

Eddie quickly looked at the door, as did the others, all jumping as Lorraine stood there like a ghost. She was relieved, to find him alive, but she quickly grew worried as she saw the terror in his eyes. Robin was behind Dustin, gripping a flashlight tightly as she looked at Eddie, to Lorraine and back to the beer bottle threatening Steve.

"Eddie," Dustin continued, Eddie turning to look over at him. "We're on your side."

Eddie gripped the bottle tighter around his hand. Lorraine was too in shock to move. His eyes darted. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they waited for what felt like an eternity for Eddie to finally release Steve of his grip, turning slowly towards Lorraine.

She felt like leaping to him and hugging him, holding him closely, protecting him. But she couldn't. The look in his eyes was that of someone who wasn't there, that was lost, that had seen something so terrifying that even the touch of someone would make him break.

Eddie leaned against the wooden wall of the shack, sliding down slowly as he crouched, looking onto the floor below. Dustin slowly got closer, crouching down to his level.

"Eddie…" He said calmly, trying to grab the broken bottle from his hand, but Eddie flinched "We just want to talk…"

"Okay, it's okay." He said, pulling his hands away.

Lorraine finally got the courage to get close, crouching down to Eddie. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he immediately reacted, looking up to her with the eyes of a kid who didn't know where he was.

"Eddie, we're here for you." She whispered, her eyes welling up in tears. She tried her best not to let it show, but she knew that the others had noticed her shaking voice.

"We wanna know what happened." Robin said, coming closer.

"You won't believe me." He trembled, looking at Robin before shooting his stare at Lorraine. He let one hand leave the grip, taking it with the hand that Lorraine placed on his shoulder. He squeezed it tightly, like he was falling off the edge of a cliff.

"Try us." Said the red head holding the flashlight up.