"Rocky! Get up!" Max shook him quickly, the sound of police cars ringing in his ears as he jumped awake.

"Are they here for me?" his eyes went wide as she took his wrist, pulling him out the trailer to meet her Mom on the porch. Across the street, three police cars pulled up and surrounded the door.

"Looks like that Munson boy is up to no good again." Max's mom spoke as she crossed her arms.

"Trouble across the street?" Rocky asked as he tried to get a look.

"Nothing but." she agreed as Max walked down the steps, Rocky went with her. "You see anything?"

"The doors open." Max walked closer, Rocky followed. "I think."

"There's a bag." Rocky confirmed. "Thinks it's a-"

"Hey." both their shoulders were grabbed and spun around. "You can't be out here. Get back inside."

"What's going on?" Rocky looked back.

"Back inside." he was ordered. He took Max's wrist, pulling her with him as they headed back to her trailer.

"Who's this Munson boy?" Rocky asked Max as they hurried inside.

"He's leader of Hellfire." she answered. "Dustin and Lucas know him. "Come on."

"Chrissy Cunningham?" Dustin asked as he paced the room. "You're sure it was Chrissy?"

"Yes, she was in her cheerleader outfit." Max confirmed. "It was the same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie."

"I don't know how many cheerleaders there are with major bangs. But, she was a cheerleader with major bangs." Rocky confirmed alongside Max.

"Did you tell all this to the cops?" Dustin sighed in their direction.

"You think we talked to cops before we talked to you?" Rocky gave him an odd look. "Who do you think I am?"

"Well, I don't know, Rocky. It's been a year." Dustin sassed him.

"Rocky and I can't be the only ones who saw them together." Max added as she looked back at a pacing Dustin. "I mean, they stood out."

"Like a high school clique movie." Rocky nodded as he leaned forward on his hands.

"Eddie the freak with Chrissy the cheerleader?" Dustin paced faster when he spoke.

"That's exactly what I mean." Rocky threw his hands up.

"You know, his names not in the news yet or anything, but I guarantee you Eddie is suspect one now." Max spoke as she followed Dustin's every move.

"That's crazy!" Dustin stared defensively. "Eddie didn't do this. No way. No way!"

"Well we can't rule it out!" Max defended her statement.

"Yes, we can!" Dustin defended him.

"Dustin, he brings her into his trailer and now she's likely dead inside?" Rocky asked with a questionable look. "No one else was home."

"You don't know him like I do!" Dustin rose his voice at the two again. "When we got to high school, Lucas made all his sports friends. Rocky wasn't here to keep people away. Mike and me? I mean, no one was nice to us. No one except Eddie."

"Okay. Well, they said the same shit about Ted Bundy." Max suggested as Dustin gave her the most wildest of looks. "But then he's murdering woman on the weekends."

"By leading them into his car." Rocky pointed out. "The trailer park might be like Eddie's car."

"So you're saying Eddie's like Ted Bundy?" Dustin rolled his eyes at the pair.

"No, tha-i'm not saying- i'm not saying that we can't presume anything, okay?" Max shut him down quickly. "But it doesn't look good for Eddie."

"It looks like, really, really bad." Rocky nodded.

"Thank you, Rocky." Dustin nodded his head. "Where'd you even come from?"

"I hoped on a ferry." he nodded in his direction. He nudged Max. "Tell him what happened last night."

Dustin sighed. "Oh hell. What happened last night? Wait, why haven't you told the cops this?"

"I don't- I don't know." Max crossed her arms with a clear of her throat.

"You don't know?" Dustin asked in disbelief.

"Because there's more to the story." Rocky sat down next to him. "Something happened last night."

"So you've said." the curly haired boy nodded. "So, what was it?"

"After we saw Eddie and Chrissy go in the trailer, something else happened." Max swallowed as she sat down next. "Rocky and I were talking in my room, and we heard the tv start to act up. When we went in there, the lights started blinking like crazy. Like, every single one. Then, Eddie screamed."

"When I looked outside, he got into his van and speed off." Rocky went along with Max's story.

"Nothing that weird or anything. I mean...Eddie always drives like a maniac, and the power goes off at my place all the time. It's a piece of shit. But...This morning, I started to think back, and... I don't know. The look on his face. He was scared, Dustin. Really scared. Maybe he was scared because you know, he-he just killed someone, or... maybe because- I don't-"

"Like something else was there." Rocky helped Max out.

"Like something else killed her." Dustin turned to meet his eye.

"But that's impossible." Max seemed like she was trying to convince herself rather then anyone else. "Right?"

"I don't know." Dustin admitted. "It should be."

"A lot of things should be impossible." Rocky tilted his head knowingly as he looked to Max.

"There's only one person that actually knows what happened." Dustin said knowingly as he took Rockys lead and looked at Max.

"Eddie."

"Have you talk to anyone else?" Dustin asked as the trio got up quickly.

"No. We can't find Lucas, or Nancy, Rockys here, and Mikes in-" Max started.

"California. Shit, shit, shit." Dustin panicked.

"Dusty, where are you going?" Dustin's mom called as the trio went toward the door.

"To see a friend!" he called back.

"You heard the news. It's not safe." she panicked in his direction.

"Don't worry, Ms.Henderson." Rocky held up his muscles. "Say hello to Laugh and Love."

"Rocky." Max scolded him, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the house with her and Dustin.

"Hey, Steve." Dustin ran into the video game store.

"Are you kidding me?" Rocky and Steve asked on sync at the sight of each other. "Why's he here?"

"Stop copying me." Rocky glared at him.

"How many phones do you have?" Dustin looked as him hopefully.

"Someone was murdered." Steve spoke as the tv played.

"We were across the street." Rocky motioned between him and Max.

"What?" Robin gapped.

"How many phones do you have?" Dustin repeated himself.

"Two. Why?" Steve looked back at Robin.

"Technically three, if you count Keith's." Robin added in.

"Three works." Max looked to Dustin as he pulled his backpack off, shoving it off the side.

"My pile!" Robin gapped as Dustin's bag hit it.

"No, no, no! My tapes!" Steve huffed as Dustin knocked them over in the process of jumping over the counter. Rocky opened the opening for Max, following her after. "What are you doing, man?"

"Shh." Rocky put his finger to his lips. "Let him focus on setting up base of operations."

"Base of operations?" Robin asked with wide eyes.

"Get off." Steve demanded Dustin.

"I need it." he rolled his eyes, typing away.

"Ah, look, Max." Rocky held up a tape of Carrie. "I didn't know you were in a movie."

"Rocky." she took it and hit him with it.

"Use it for what?" Steve asked Dustin quickly.

"Looking up Eddie's friends phone numbers." Dustin waved him off.

"Oh, Eddie. Your new best friend you think is cooler because he plays your nerdy games?" Steve asked with a bitter tone.

"Are you jealous of a high schooler when you're living adult hood?" Rocky rolled his eyes. "Lame."

"Seriously, you guys, maybe on a Monday you can play around in here like toddlers, but it's Saturday." Robin ranted as she got the DVD's stacked up again. "It's our busiest day."

"Robin, I empathize, but this cannot wait till Monday." Dustin shook his head, leaning in closer to the screen as Rocky and Max did the same.

"What? Cause calling all of Eddie's friends is an emergency?" Robin asked in disbelief as she waved her arms around.

"Correct!" Dustin yelled.

"Want me to strangle him or you want to?" Steve faced Robin with a hum.

"We can take turns." She suggested with a smile.

"Can one of you fill them in while I do this?" Dustin asked Rocky and Max in annoyance.

"We can take turns." Rocky mocked Robins earlier statement, making her laugh.

"Fill us in on what?" Robin rose her eyebrows.

Max sighed.

"I'm going to shoot myself!" Rocky yelled as he hit his head on the desk. "They don't know where he is either!"

"No luck here either." Dustin huffed.

"I might have a lead!" Max turned around quickly.

"Seriously?" Dustin's eyes widened.

"Maxamine!" Rocky cheered as he held his hands above his head. "Spill."

"Apparently, Eddie gets drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there." the redhead went on with a questionable look.

"That sounds promising." Robin pointed out. "Where does this Reefer Rick live?"

"See, that's the thing. No one knows." Max shook her head.

"Except Eddie." Rocky leaned back on the counter.

"He's more of a...a legend then someone that people actually know." Max tried to explain in the easiest way.

"What about a last name?" Dustin suggested.

"Reefer Rick isn't his first and last name?" Rocky frowned his eyebrows.

"You think someone named their child Reefer?" Dustin looked in disbelief.

"Her name is Maxine." Rocky tossed his hand in Max's direction.

"Bet the cops know the last name." Steve spoke up to get their attention.

"What?" Max scoffed.

"Cops." he repeated. "I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Meaning he's in the system."

"Rick, Rocky." the Byers boy pointed out. "Our names will be close. We can say we need my record and go from there."

"You have a record?" Robin rose her eyebrows.

"Got caught one time." he held up his index finger. "Just the once."

"Really, Steve? The cops is your suggestion?" Dustin asked in disbelief.

"I mean, I just think at this point they should probably be filled in on what we know, what's going on." he explained honestly with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You just want him to go to jail because you want to be Dustin's only adult friend." Rocky rolled his eyes. "We don't actually know if Eddie is guilty yet."

"Whoa." Steve waved him off. "I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit. I just, you know, just don't think we can rule it out."

"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve." Max gave him a dumbfounded look.

"And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent less time trying to find a girlfriend and more time trying to find Eddie." Dustin snapped at him.

"Sooner or later the girls are gonna get uncomfortable and tell all their friends, then you'll have no customers except middle aged men that just want to watch shitty films with terrible acting." Rocky glared at him. "Seriously, it's getting pathetic watching you flirt with every single girl that walks in here."

"Well somebody has to attend to the customers." Steve defended himself.

"Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin spoke up as Rocky and Max shared an eyeroll.

"Hey, not fair. Okay?" he pointed a finger at her. "I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike. We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming for these people."

"Yeah, it can be." Robin smiled as she leaned off the counter, circling the computer.

"What are you doing?" Max asked, leaning in closer as Rocky looked over her shoulder.

"Maybe we don't need a last name." she said in return, hitting enter. "Twelve Ricks already have accounts here."

"Lot of Ricks." Max pointed out.

"Common name." Rocky agreed with her.

"So, let's narrow it down." Robin hit a few more buttons. "Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo. What are the chances our drug dealer has a family?"

"Not one's that let teenage boys with D&D obsessions sleep on their couches." Rocky gave a small snort in return.

"Rick Conroy. Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the Stone." Robin read the next Rick, they all disagreed. "Okay. Rick Joiner. Mask, Footloose, and Grease."

"Drug dealer by day, theater nerd by night?" Rocky suggested as Max cracked a grin.

"Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon and Splash." Robin read as she laughed. "Definitely not."

"Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie. Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams. Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke."

"Bingo." Dustin laughed.

"Thank you, Cheech & Chong." Rocky blew a kiss to the computer screen.

"Lipton?" Max gave a questionable look.

"Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland Road." Robin read with a closer look to the screen.

"That's out by Lovers Lake." Dustin nodded.

"Middle of nowhere." Max grinned, looking at Rocky.

"Perfect place to hide." Robin agreed. Rocky pulled Max with him as they ran out of the store.

"Eddie!" Dustin beat on the window.

"I can punch through the glass." Rocky suggested, holding his fist up.

Max caught it. "Let's not."

"Reefer Rick!" Dustin banged on the door.

"Don't scream that." Steve scolded him. "He's not there."

"He could just be really high." Dustin shook his head.

"I can see something." Rocky leaned against the glass, he flew back into Steve's arms. "A foot!"

"A foot?" Steve panicked.

"That's a shoe." Dustin shook his head. Rocky took a breath, clutching his heart. "Nice going, tough guy."

"Hey, guys?" Max called out to the group as she shined her light. They all followed to see her staring at a shed.

"Creeps." Rocky took her free hand as they walked closer. "I'll go first."

"Yea, you go first." Dustin agreed. Rocky pushed he door open with a weary look.

"Hello?" Robin called from behind Dustin. "Is anyone home?"

"I have a gun!" Rocky threatened.

"Why would you say that?" Max scolded him in disbelief.

"To scare him if he has a gun." Rocky whispered back over his shoulder.

"What a dump." Steve looked around, taking an oar from the wall and hitting the tarp.

"What are you doing?" Dustin gapped at him as Rocky pushed Max behind him.

"He might be in here." Steve said in return as he poked at it again.

"So take the tarp off." Dustin whispered in disbelief.

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off." Steve argued with him, going back to hitting a few times.

"Hey." Max smacked Rockys hand. "Look over here."

He turned, following her to look down at the empty food wrappers. "Someone was here."

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran." Robin looked toward the pair.

"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar." Dustin mocked as he looked on the other side of the tarp.

"Ah, I know you think you're being funny, Henderson. But considering everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight-"

Eddie shot up from the tarp as Rocky screamed, guarding Max. "I don't have a gun! I don't have a gun!"

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Steve yelled over and over as Eddie pinned him to the wall with a knife to his throat. Rocky ran forward, clasping over his wrist to yank the knife away from Steve, cutting his hand, and tackle him at the same time.

"Rocky, Eddie! No!" Dustin yelled. Rocky was elbowed in the face as they hit the floor, grasping Eddie's wrist that had the knife as he kept it away from him. "Eddie! Eddie! Stop! Stop!"

Rocky kneed him in the balls, flipping them over and yanking his knife away. Max reached down and pulled Rocky back. Dustin guarded the group. "It's me! It's Dustin. This is Rocky and Steve. They aren't gonna hurt you. Even more. Rocky, why don't you apologize?"

"He tried to kill Steve!" Rocky defended himself.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie stared.

"We're looking for you." Dustin reassured him calmly as Max held Rockys forearm.

"We're here to help." Robin added.

"Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band. Rocky went to school with you last year, I don't know if you two know each other." Dustin motioned back to the older teens.

"We do now." Rocky mumbled.

"This is my friend Max." Dustin introduced the redhead next. "The one who never wants to play D&D. Eddie. We're on your side. I swear on my mother! Right, guys?"

"Swear!" Rocky agreed.

"We swear." Max nodded.

"On Dustin's mother." Robin hummed with a nod.

"Yeah, Dustin's mother." Steve agreed, still recovering from the knife to his throat.

Eddie leaned against the wall as Dustin approached him. Rocky looked at the cut on his hand. Dustin kneeled infront of Eddie. "We just want to talk."

"We want to know what happened." Robin kneeled with Eddie and Dustin. Max used the knife Rocky took from Eddie to cut a piece of her jacket off, tying it around Rockys cut.

Eddie sniffled as he looked their way. "You won't believe me."

"People probably wouldn't believe what we say either." Rocky held the pocket knife back out to him, a sign of trust. "So, two negatives make a position, right?"

"Try us." Max agreed.

"Her body just, like, lifted up into the air. And, uh, then she just hung there, in the air. And her bones, ugh, n-n-n- her bones started to snap. Her eyes, man, it was like there was something, like, inside her head pulling. I-I didn't know what to do so I...I ran away. I left her there. You all think i'm crazy, right?"

"No. We don't think you're crazy at all." Dustin reassured him.

"Don't bullshit me, man. I know how this sounds!" Eddie shouted at him.

"We're not bullshitting you." Max shook her head.

"We believe you." Robin agreed.

Eddie breathed out. Dustin shook his head. "Look, what i'm about to tell you might be a little...difficult to take. You know how people say Hawkins is cursed? They're not way off. There's another world. A world hidden beneath hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours."

"Like ghost and shit?" Eddie shook his head.

"Almost." Rocky nodded.

"There are some things worst then ghost." Max met his eye.

"There monsters from this other world, we thought they were gone, but they've come back before." Dustin explained slowly. "That's why we needed to find you."

"If they're back again, we need to know." Max helped explain.

"That night, did you see anything?" Robin nodded.

"Dark particles, maybe?" Max suggested.

"Like a shadow." Rocky simplified it.

Eddie shook his head. Dustin went on. "It would almost look like dust, swirling dust."

"No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh...or touch." Eddie looked down, like he was trying to recover just from thinking about it. "You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she..she was in a trance or something."

"Or under a spell."

"A curse."

"Vecna's curse."

•

kylie speaks

rocky in his element