I See You (Please See Me): Chapter 6

A Stranger Things Fanfic

“How do you feel about a hike, Dustin?” Eddie asked, glancing at his watch and wishing he had paid attention to what time the sun set lately.

Dustin cocked his head. “A hike? I mean, I can do it, but shouldn’t we stay here?”

“Do you wanna sleep here?” Dustin peeked into the cranny under the rock and grimaced. Eddie folded his arms. “Didn’t think so. We need a place to sleep where the cops won’t be looking for us. I happen to know just the place.”

“Okay.” Dustin scrambled up and grabbed his backpack. “I’ll let Steve know where we’re going so they can find us there tomorrow.”

“You do that. Tell him it’s Reefer Rick’s place.”

Dustin didn’t seem to recognize the name. Neither did Harrington when he finally answered the walkie-talkie.

“One of my suppliers,” Eddie explained after giving the address. “Got busted a while ago, so the place is empty. No one will look for us there.”

Oh, he could just hear Harrington’s disapproval. No doubt he would show up at the house in an hour or so to take Dustin home, like a disapproving father breaking up a high-school party.

“Okay,” Harrington said, the restraint in his voice tangible. “Okay. Robin and Nancy are going to bring you guys more food, so I’ll let them know you’re moving.”

“Great, thanks!” Dustin said. “Over and out.”

“No, wait, Dustin!”

He paused with his hand over the antenna. “Yeah?”

“I’ve got some news too. It’s not good. We broke into Ms. Kelley’s files and found out that Fred was seeing her too. We know who the next victim will be.”

“But that’s good,” Dustin insisted. “We can help them!”

“It’s Max.”

Eddie stopped walking. No, no, no. That wasn’t happening. Sure he didn’t know her well, but it had been hard enough seeing a stranger like–like that. And Mayfield–

“You there?” Harrington’s static-y voice cut back into his thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Dustin said quietly. “But–but it’s okay. We know music is the cure, so she’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. Lucas is getting his Walkman for her to use. Nancy’s insisting on everyone staying at her place tonight, so we’ll be able to keep an eye on her.”

Dustin laughed. “Don’t let her hear you say that.”

“I’m not stupid. Oh, and tell Munson his hunch was right. Creel apparently claimed that a demon haunted his house, killed his family, and cursed him. Nance and Robin are planning to go talk to him tomorrow.” The ommission clearly made him bitter.

“Ouch,” Dustin muttered.

“Hmm,” Steve grumbled. “Anyway, be careful on your way, okay?”

“We will. Take care of Max.”

“I will.”

“Good. Over and out.”

Eddie waited for him to put the walkie-talkie back and get his backpack situated, then led him on.

“So, how exactly did you become friends with Harrington?” Eddie asked casually, as though he hadn’t been avoiding asking the question for months in fear of seeming . . . jealous? Clingy? Whatever.

“He gave me some relationship advice while we hunted a Demodog together when none of my friends were answering.”

He was afraid to ask what a Demodog was. He already knew too much about this stuff. “Relationship advice, huh?”

“Yeah.” Dustin narrowed his eyes. “But I’m not allowed to share it with anyone else.” Eddie rolled his eyes. As though he wanted relationship advice from “King Steve”.

When they arrived at Reefer Rick’s, tired and out of breath, the containers of cereal, noodles, and jerky made it clear that Robin and Wheeler had already come and gone.

After grabbing a handful of jerky, Dustin ran into the bedroom. “I call the bed!”

Uh, yeah, not happening, but Eddie was too hungry to argue at the moment. He ate cereal straight out of the box until Dustin made a face at him. “Really, man?” the kid asked.

Eddie glared until Dustin left him alone. When the hungry ache in his stomach finally settled, they started on about the bed, Dustin insisting that he had called it, so it was his. Eddie had to remind him that he was taller, older, and the only adult present before Dustin finally conceded, although he insisted he wasn’t sleeping on the couch because they shouldn’t be alone.

Eddie wasn’t going to admit that he didn’t want to be alone either, but he helped Dustin drag the couch cushions into the bedroom and cover them with some blankets. Exhausted, they both fell onto their respective sleeping spots as soon as Dustin’s was made up.

Without discussing it, they left the lamp on, but closed the curtains. Dustin was quiet for a long time, and Eddie asssumed he had fallen asleep, though he doubted he would manage to sleep for several more hours at least.

“Do you think Max will be okay?” So the kid wasn’t asleep.

Eddie rubbed his hand over his eyes. “She’ll be fine,” he said as though he hadn’t pictured her and Chrissy lying on the ground, limbs bent at terrible angles, eyes gone, every time he closed his eyes. “Your friends are there with her, and they’re going to have her listening to music until she wants to scream.”

Dustin’s back was to him, but he could see the blankets tighten over him. “I know.”

“She’ll be fine. Both of them will.” The last part slipped out on its own, but Dustin didn’t comment.

“My mom’s probably worried.”

Eddie’s stomach twisted at the thought of Wayne getting home from work and being stopped by cops telling him his nephew was wanted for murder. “Yeah.” He sighed. “Can’t worry about that now. You need sleep.”

Dustin didn’t say anything else, and soon his breathing fell into an easy rhythm.

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