Hope everyone is enjoying it. I know this story is over a year old and I'm finally coming back to finish it. Cheers to anyone who wants to leave feedback/follow/favourite. Thanks, everyone. Xx


Chapter Five

Josie didn't stay to finish her lunch. At that point, after humiliating herself thoroughly, the day and everyone in it could kindly fuck off as far as she was concerned. After tossing the contents of her tray into the nearest bin—the school's pizza tasted like ass anyway—Josie pocketed the small carton of chocolate milk, pushed open the cafeteria door, and bolted for her locker.

Locker number 313 was located near the basement, where the building was musty, and the toilets often backed up, flooding the floor. No one used the lockers in that hallway or ventured down that way. Most took to sharing a space with a friend on the first floor rather than wandering down the decrepit corridors into the underbelly of Hawkins High, or Hell as she liked to call it. Josie did, however, and didn't mind it—considering. If anything at all, being that far away from the obscenely boisterous sea of hormonal teenagers was nice. It meant she could collect her thoughts in relative peace.

Pulling up the latch, the metal door to the locker swung open, slamming against another. Josie yanked out a science textbook and reached behind loose papers, grasping a bottle that contained a clear liquid. Twisting the cap off and thrusting the book back into the darkened space, she took a long chug before closing the lid and placing the Vodka back in its hiding place, along with the milk in her pocket. Just then, her head began to throb with mind-numbing pain.

She pulled the locker door closer, peering into the small mirror attached inside. Carefully, her fingertips brushed under her nose, revealing crimson blood. Using the back of her hand, Josie wiped it away. That was the second time she'd suffered a nosebleed after that horrible pain in her head. What the hell was happening to her?

Something in the mirror caught her eye.

"Billy?"

Josie spun around as quickly as she could, hoping to catch a glimpse of him before he vanished, yet again. Billy had just disappeared into the toilets when Josie closed her locker and followed him. Much to her dismay, it wasn't Billy she saw when she cut the corner into the restroom—it was Max.

It was Max!

"I've got a bone to pick with you, Mayfield..." The venom in her voice slowly dissipated as her eyes grew wide with concern.

Placing a hand on Max's shoulder, the next few words spoken were laced with growing apprehension. "Please tell me you got punched, and that's why your nose is bleeding."

Max shrugged Josie off, wetting a paper towel and cleaning her nose before wading up the tissue and throwing it in the bin. She popped a handful of Tylenol, swung her head under the tap, and swallowed hard.

"Just a headache and a nosebleed, not the end of the world—I'm fine."

The elder girl's demeanour became rigid. Something was not right.

"Max, I need you to be honest with me..."

Josie brought the back of her hand to her mouth and then to her forehead attempting to distract herself. She was trying her best to save herself from having a complete meltdown in front of Max.

"Have you been... dreaming about Billy? Seeing him when he's not there or anything like that?"

Mayfield's features contorted in hazy disbelief as if someone were reading her thoughts. She opened her mouth to speak, and Josie was terrified at what she'd have to say; a muffled cry came from the toilet stall at the far end of the restroom, followed by heaving.

"Hey, you alright?" Max called out to the stranger in the stall.

A reply. "I'm fine."

Josie dropped to her haunches and tilted her head to view under the stalls. Pointing in that direction, she peered at Max and mouthed, 'That's Chrissy Cunningham' and 'What the hell is she doing down here?'.

"Do you ever care about the privacy of others?" Max chastised. "Honestly."

After shrugging her shoulders with a pout, the blonde stood back up. The truth was, she didn't. Josie never had and probably never would. It was a trait that was inherently her father's, one she took on herself, among the plethora of other not-so-desirable characteristics passed down to her by her old man.

"You sure?" Josie hollered back this time.

There was silence, followed by the flushing of the toilet.

"Just go away, please."

Max glanced at Josie, rolling her eyes and walking out the door. The older girl was about to follow suit when she noticed the lights began to flicker.

"Are you deaf? I said go away!" Chrissy shouted at Josie, annoyed and afraid.

Well, that made Josie jump.

"Bitch, I know you're not talking to me—"

Her heated words were cut off by Chrissy's terrified screams.

By nature, Josie was not a runner. That is to say, she didn't run from trouble. Josie was well known for standing her ground, but when the lights flickered violently, coupled with the toilet stall door shaking, Josie bolted for the exit. Just like the previous night at Hellfire, she found the door to be barred shut. They were both trapped.

Josie's head felt filled to the brim with concrete and lead—Chrissy's repeated screams of 'go away' shooting into the back of her skull like an ice pick. She ran back to Chrissy.

"Chrissy, open the door! Come on, Chrissy!"

She tried to steady the rattling frame but decided to drop to her knees and peer under the door.

"Chrissy open the fucking door!"

'Josie... He's here.'

That voice belonged to Billy. He sounded afraid.

A darker, more foreboding voice followed Billy's, menacing and evil.

"You can't run, Chrissy ."

Chrissy screamed again, scooting to the far corner of the stall and putting her hands to her ears.

And just like that, everything stopped.

The lights were back on, the stalls were still, and Josie looked up at Chrissy from the floor—feeling and looking like an idiot.

"What? What—how—how did... Did you do that?" The cheerleading captain could barely form a sentence. Her voice shaking in trepidation.

Josie's hand slapped the tiled floor. "Nope, and I'm not going to talk about it like this."

She started to stand up but quickly tucked her head under the door once more. "You're not crazy. I saw it, too."

Now Josie stood up and waited for Cunningham.

She could hear the click of the stall lock, the door opening slowly to reveal a terrified Chrissy—looking like absolute shit.

For a time, the two blondes stood silent, each waiting for the other to speak first. A sigh escaped Josie's lips and got the ball rolling.

"I think I'm going crazy," Chrissy stammered, wrapping her petite arms around her torso. "It just keeps getting worse."

Josie was chewing on the corner of her bottom lip, and her brow furrowed in frustrated dismay.

"I know the feeling… When did it start?"

Painted and undoubtedly tired, Chrissy's eyelids held a pale blue hue as they closed tightly.

Cunningham swallowed hard. "Like, a week or so ago. What—what is happening to me?"

"I don't know," Josie spoke honestly. "All I can tell you is you're not crazy. I've been seeing things, too."

Chrissy's eyes opened then, searching the other girl's in a desperate attempt to understand how she could look so calm given the circumstances. "Can I ask something?"

Josie shrugged.

"I was told by someone that smoking…you know…"

Josie motioned for Chrissy to continue her sentence, her features unreadable.

"Pot," She whispered the word as if God himself might be listening in. "Helps calm your nerves and could…you know—help me."

"So you're assuming I'm a pothead—that it?" The sarcasm was so thick in Josie's voice that you could have cut it with a knife.

Chrissy's face grew red, and she dropped her head downwards.

"No—I mean, I just figured you'd know. After all, it's your boyfriend who sells it, isn't it?"

Goddamn it. Fucking rumours. Did everyone at the school think Josie was with Eddie now? She was about to berate the cheerleader for her assumptions but thought better of it, given her already shaken-up condition.

"It can help—yeah. I'm not so sure it will do anything for us, but generally speaking… anyway, are you looking to buy some?"

A short nod was all the response she got.

"Then yeah." Josie scratched the side of her head, sucking in a breath and walking towards the exit. "Yeah, Eddie will hook you up… Look after yourself, Chrissy."

Panic rose in Cunningham's gut. She ran after Josie.

"Wait! Please—please wait. You said you've been seeing… things …as well, right?"

Josie nodded, pushing her way out into the hall.

"Could you come with me? To meet Eddie, I mean… I don't want to be alone right now." She looked like she was going to break down and cry any minute.

Knowing that feeling all too well, the taller blonde sighed, stopping at her locker. Josie glanced over at Chrissy, who was wringing her hands in a desperate attempt to remain calm.

"You're supposed to be meeting him? When?" Opening up the locker, Josie grabbed the bottle of Vodka.

She took a deep drink from it, feeling the burn coat her throat before dropping into her empty stomach. Replacing the cap, Josie handed it to Chrissy, who didn't touch it but looked at it like an alien object.

"Well, now, I guess? I was told after lunch…it's after lunch right?"

Josie unscrewed the lid and motioned for Chrissy to take a drink. She did and coughed profusely, handing it back to its owner.

Scrunching her nose in silent judgment, Josie took another long swig. Replacing the cap again, she didn't return it to her locker this time. Instead, she tucked it under her arm and motioned for Cunningham to follow her.

"Alright, I'll take you to see him."

Walking to a drug deal with Chrissy 'The Queen of Hawkins High' Cunningham was the most surreal thing that could have happened that day...well, aside from the freaky shit that happened in the toilets. It wasn't computing with Josie, who was already out of her element. Because despite what the population at large thought of her, she'd never bought drugs from Eddie. Hell, he never even offered. She knew where the meeting place was, however, because that's where she would go and drink and have a cigarette or two when she needed to get away.

As they walked, every so often on that little journey to the woods, Josie would turn her attention to Chrissy, who would look warily back at her. The quietness between them made for awkwardness—which Josie hated. It was becoming too much. Thankfully, Chrissy was the one to break the silence.

"You used to date Billy Hargrove, right?"

Scratch that—silence would have been preferred.

"Uh," Josie coughed, taking another drink from the bottle. "Yeah, 'used to' being the keywords there."

Chrissy looked mortified when she realised and remembered what happened to Billy. "Oh, God…I'm so sorry, I wasn't even thinking."

She looked genuinely remorseful. That was touching.

Another sip. "No, it's okay. We were well over before the fire."

They were past the football field now. The ground was mushy from all the rain. Not much further.

"I was just wondering… how does someone like you… well," Chrissy was looking for the words to use that would cause the least offence. "I mean someone like Billy who was…"

Josie glared. "You mean, how did someone like Billy the asshole Hargrove—Mr. Popular beer-guzzling beefcake end up with a nobody like me?"

Nearing the end of their journey, Josie laughed dryly.

"I mean…yeah?"

The taller girl shrugged, calling out a warning to watch where they stepped in the underbrush before she answered.

"It was a dare… Billy was running his mouth to his friends that he could get with any girl in high school he wanted. So his friends dared him to try and get with me. He won the bet," Josie extended her hand to Chrissy, helping her hop over a fallen log. "But I ran him round in circles before that happened. I guess somewhere along the way, we just fell for each other."

Chrissy giggled, pulling her jacket closer around herself.

"Are you and Jason good?"

It was the only thing Josie could think to ask. Girl talk was always a difficult thing for Josie. It never felt natural, and she always had to pretend to care. She felt like Chrissy knew that too, what with the look she gave her.

The reply was a quiet yeah.

Having reached the clearing with the table in view, Josie stomped on the bench seat and sat on the tabletop. Observing her surroundings, Josie quietly found herself back at the old cabin and missing her dad and Jane terribly. She took another sip of Vodka. After all, that is what she always came to this spot to do: drink the pain away.

Her mind was venturing through the sordid memories of the few years past. Collecting every laugh, argument, and tear-filled experience she had shared with her family. A spruce pine reminded Josie of the first Christmas her father and Josie shared with Jane. How she'd never forget cleaning that rundown shit hole of a cabin, putting her young life on hold to nurture and love her new sister…

"J–Josie? Can you hear me?" Chrissy was standing in front of her.

Fuck she must have spaced out. "Hm? Oh–shit yeah, sorry. I'm here now, what's up?"

"I said, is he as bad as everyone says? You know… into all that devil worship and stuff."

Did she mean Eddie? Josie started laughing.

"Who, Eddie? Nah… Eddie's a big dork with a bigger mouth. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Adorable guy."

Chrissy was wringing her hands again, a pained smile on her pretty face. "That's good. You must be happy to be with him then, huh?"

Josie was going to explain she was not with Eddie, but something had caught Chrissy's attention and pulled her towards a tree.

Trying to call her name was useless, so Josie stood up from the table and hopped down, running over to the cheerleader.

"Please tell me you see it." Chrissy's eyes brimmed with tears.

Josie looked over at the tree. There was nothing there.

"What? What am I supposed to be seeing? Chrissy? Chrissy!"

"A clock… A broken clock. Oh God, not again!" She started crying, backing up to run. That's when she bumped into Eddie and screamed with terror when they made contact.

Munson steadied her, glancing between her and Josie. "It's alright…I didn't mean to scare you. Are you good?"

When she didn't answer, he asked Josie. "Is she good?"

The blonde shrugged her shoulders and slumped back over to the table. Taking a seat, she stole another swig. The buzz was starting to take effect. Her mind began to wander again… this time on what Chrissy had said. How she also felt like she was going crazy.

What were the chances that someone else was experiencing strange shit happening? Someone, that was, who hadn't been at Starcourt that night? Someone who had no relation to the Upside Down and knew nothing about what was happening in Hawkins? Next to zero would be the probability, wouldn't it? Maybe not. After all, Chrissy had said nearly the same damn thing Josie had, just a night before, and it wasn't like Chrissy was crazy–Josie had seen the lights flickering, and the doors rattling. Then there was Max.

Mayfield's aloof attitude wasn't what bothered Josie–Max had always been that way: quiet and reserved, hard to open up to people. No, it had been the nosebleed and a headache that got Josie's mind reeling. Both of them had experienced these things mere minutes before the restroom fiasco. That wasn't a coincidence. A gut instinct told her that much. So, what in the hell was going on? What was happening to them?

"Josie! Hey!" Eddie clapped his hands in front of her face.

Jumping in startlement, she blinked. Both Eddie and Chrissy were staring at her with varied expressions.

"Sorry–what?"

Chrissy took in a deep, laboured breath. "Eddie says he has stronger stuff at his place. I was just wondering if you'd be over there tonight… I'd just… feel more comfortable if you were there–not that I don't trust you," She looked worried that she might have insulted Eddie.

The shrug of his shoulders put her fears to rest.

"I'd just…"

"Yeah, okay," Josie murmured. "I'll be there. I got to pick up my shoes and jacket anyway."

A breathy sigh of relief escaped Chrissy's lungs as an appreciative smile crawled across her lips. "Thanks, Josie. You're a good person, I can tell."

She stared over at Eddie. "After the game, right?"

"Yes, ma'am, after the game. We can all ride in my van if that makes it easy."

Josie scoffed, rolling her eyes in his direction before turning to Chrissy.

"If you get in a car with him," she was pointing a finger at Munson now. "Wear a helmet and save a few hail Marys for the road."

Cunningham laughed loudly, watching Eddie sneer at Josie before chuckling himself. "You guys are so cute. I can see why everyone is talking about you both."

Eddie was looking at his shoes, fumbling with his fingers and stealing coy glances in Josie's direction. On the contrary, Josie's face was burning again and when she tried to look him in the eyes, her blushing only deepened.

The quietness that ensued was enough for Chrissy to wrap up the situation. She said her thanks and even attempted to hug Josie, which was made awkward by Josie's rigidness to the unwanted show of affection. When that was over, she slowly slipped away back toward the school. That left the other two completely alone.

What are the chances of this: being alone with her again? Eddie asked himself. Don't fucking blow it.

"So… You're coming to Hellfire tonight, right? Like, you're going to show up?"

A shrug of her shoulders matched the bob of her head.

"I'm not even in the campaign. I know I've been slacking lately, I just… Shit's been crazy." She necked the bottle this time. Probably only a few swigs left.

"Are you drunk?" He asked incredulously.

"Not nearly enough, if you ask me."

Another wonderful trait she inherited was an affinity for drinking away her troubles.

Eddie propped his elbows on the table, intertwining his fingers and resting them beneath his chin. The look on his face was puzzled and worrisome. He thought he might know what was troubling her.

"I told Mike and Dustin to leave you alone about last night. Also, I have denied you were ever at my place… I saw how badly it was getting to you–at the lunch table, I mean."

Josie blinked, squinting over at Munson. "It wasn't getting to you?"

"Me?" His hands dropped from under his chin, fingers now tapping the surface of the table, quietly. "I've been accused of far more harrowing things than having been in the throes of passion with you, Josie Hopper."

The very thought of it makes her skin tingle. Sex. When was the last time? She couldn't remember. Looking at Eddie's ringed hand drum away on the table in all her drunkenness, she begins to imagine what it might feel like to have his hand gently caress the sensitive spot on her neck…breathe in her ear…kiss her throat… Eddie had been saying something, but she hadn't heard him.

Instead, she interjected, "Would you?"

A seriousness washes over his features. "Would I what?"

"Would you consider having sex with me, 'harrowing'?"

His eyes became the size of saucers, lips pursed tightly together. What the fuck did Josie just ask him?