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THE KISS GREW MORE heated as Eddie pulled Pauley on top of him — his arms wrapping around her waist and holding her against his body — it wasn't until one of Eddie's hands began to go under Pauley's skirt that she pulled away. "Fuck.." She mumbled, straddling him as Eddie sat up. "Was I going too far? Did I mess it up? I'm sorry." He rambled but Pauley shook her head as she placed her hands on his shoulders, "No, no, it's just — now I have something to confess and honestly I hope that you still like, see me the same way.. it's just... shit, Eddie I need you to have like the most open-mind when I explain this, okay?" Pauley explained and Eddie nodded, one of his hands messing with the hem of her skirt. "I have the most open-mind right now babe, just tell me." Eddie urged on and Pauley couldn't help but blush before she nodded.

"Okay, so — a long time ago, well not like a long time ago more like — ugh, when I was like a pre-teen I was different. I was still myself but I... I wasn't in the right body, I was a little kid — a boy whose name was Paul and who liked everything that no other little boy did — still with me?" Pauley asked and Eddie nodded, clearly intrigued by her words. "So, I began to grow out my hair and sort of just adapted into making myself look like a glam rockstar like Nikki Sixx 'cause I was scared that if I came out saying that I wasn't a boy then no one would like me. So, I just became as close as I could to my true self — well, until it got so bad that I felt like there was no other way and I just would have to like... that's a story for another time — anyways, what I'm getting at is that I am a girl but I was once a boy but like that wasn't truly me and I'm on like all the things that go into me being a girl and I understand if you're freaked out by this but I wasn't gonna wait until you reached under my skirt and didn't feel a... vagina — am I rambling now?" Pauley asked and Eddie gave her a soft smile, "Kind of."

Pauley quirked her brow, "So, are you okay with this?" She motioned to her body and Eddie nodded, "Honestly, I don't care about any of that — you're you, you're Pauley, you're the girl of my dreams and hopefully the girl I marry if we get out of this alive." Eddie reassured making Pauley laugh slightly before letting out a shaky breath, "You are now the second person I have told that to, first one being my brother — we aren't counting my parents as two and three — you're number two my brothers number one." Pauley stopped herself from saying anything else before she chuckled, "I am so happy right now." Eddie smiled at her, "Me too." He pulled her in for a kiss which he deepened before he felt Pauley's tongue against his lips — he parted his lips and her tongue entered his mouth before their tongues slid against one another. Eddie couldn't help but let out a moan at the feeling before he felt Pauley's hips grind against his own.

This was the furthest Pauley had ever gotten with anyone, girl or boy, but she was glad it was Eddie. "Fuck, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen — you're the, fuck, you're the best." Eddie mumbled out between wet, hot kisses before the sound of a car pulling up outside stopped them. Both of them looked at the door and heard voices and they definitely weren't Dustin, Robin's, Max's, or Steve's. The two quickly separated and Eddie slid his jacket and vest back on. Pauley looked around the boathouse and saw the Walkie-Talkie Dustin left for them to communicate — which Eddie used earlier when she was asleep, she went over to it and pressed the button on the side, "Hey Dustin, uh — where are you — kinda needing some help here." Was all she was able to say before Eddie pulled her away and both of them got in the boat. Both of them threw the tarp away and Eddie grabbed the oar before throwing the doors that led out into the lake open.

Eddie began to paddle with the oar as best as he could — as fast as he could — Pauley looked out at the house and saw the basketball team, including Chrissy's boyfriend. "Oh shit." She said making Eddie look and freeze for a moment before he let go of the oar — giving it to Pauley so that he could try to turn on the engine to the propeller to make the boat faster. "Come on. Come on. Come on." By this time — the captain of the basketball team and one of the team members got in the water and began swimming after them, getting close very fast. "Hey freak!" The captain yelled, "Hurry up Eddie!" Pauley exclaimed and Eddie nodded as he pulled the string faster, "I'm trying babe!" He yelled back. "Where do you think you're going?" The captain yelled. "Shit." Eddie sighed as he tried to still turn the engine on but nothing happened. "Come on you piece of shit! Come on!" Eddie yelled as the engine spluttered over and over again. Pauley held the oar like a bat as she watched the two guys swimming towards them.

"Just come on you piece of shit!" Eddie said emphatically before he gave up, "Goddamn it!" He exclaimed before he looked at Pauley, "It's not gonna turn on." The panic and annoyance was evident on her face but there were more pressing matters at the moment — like Eddie getting put in prison. That's when Eddie grabbed the oar and began swinging it back and forth at the two males in the water, "Hey, stay back! Stay back! Stay back!" He yelled. The captain of the basketball team suddenly stopped and looked at his teammate — now realizing he wasn't moving, "Hey Patrick. Patrick! Patrick." He swam towards him, "Patrick. Hey Patrick!" That's when his teammate — Patrick — went up into the air and just hovered there. Eddie and Pauley watched in fear as the teens bones were snapped, just like what happened to Chrissy. Eddie stepped back at the sight, but he couldn't find his footing resulting in him falling out of the boat — Pauley yelping as she was pulled in with him. Both of them fell close to the bottom of the lake and Pauley felt herself freaking out more and more.

Running out of air, Pauley began swimming up to the surface and her vision began to blur. It wasn't until she felt Eddie's hand grab her arm that she came to. Both of them got to the surface where they now saw that Patrick wasn't there, Pauley was holding onto Eddie for dear life as she breathing heavily. "Can you swim?" He asked quietly and she nodded before he looked at her, "Okay, let's go — we gotta get out of here before Mr. Popular over there realizes that we're still here." Eddie explained before he placed a kiss on her lips, "Let's go."

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By the time both of them stopped swimming — it was now morning. Pauley was exhausted, as was Eddie, but he was kind enough to give her a piggy back ride for most of the walk where they would soon find civilization. "What's your favorite song?" Eddie asked suddenly and Pauley furrowed her brows in thought — she placed her chin on his shoulder as she was still on his back, "Hmm, I would say Rhiannon." Eddie nodded, "Fleetwood Mac, right?" He asked and Pauley nodded, "Mhm." Eddie licked his lips before he cleared his throat, "Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her?" He sang quietly enough for only her to hear, "Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and who will be her lover?" He continued before he slightly raised his voice, "All your life you've never seen, woman taken by the wind. Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win?"

"She is like a cat in the dark and then she is to darkness. She rules her life like a fine skylark and when the sky is starless." He sang and Pauley couldn't help but close her eyes as she listened — feeling the vibrations from his voice against her. "All your life you've never seen, woman taken by the wind. Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win? Will you ever win?" Eddie continued, "Rhiannon... Rhiannon.. Rhiannon... Rhiannon.." Pauley sang along before the two heard voices coming from behind some trees along with what sounded like construction equipment. Eddie let Pauley down before he looked at her, "Wait here." He whispered before he snuck past the trees and into the construction sight there. Peeking over a rock, he saw a Walkie-Talkie — since the one Dustin had gave them got soaked he grabbed it before quickly going back to Pauley.

She looked at him with a questioning look as she interlocked their arms, "What'd you grab?" She asked a very proud Eddie and he gave her a grin, "Ta-da." He said as he showed her the Walkie-Talkie — "Now, let me work my magic and we'll be back in touch with Dustin in no time."

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Eddie did indeed work his magic — on both the Walkie-Talkie and Pauley. Sitting next to Eddie, Pauley watched as he pressed the button on the side and spoke, "Dustin, can you hear me? Wheeler?" He asked and after some static, "Eddie, holy shit, are both of you okay?" It was Dustin. Pauley couldn't help the excited squeal that came out of her mouth before she kissed Eddie's cheek. "Pauley's okay and — well, I'm as good as I can possibly be." Eddie replied and Dustin soon spoke with another question, "Where are you guys?" Eddie looked up slightly before speaking, "Skull Rock. Do you know it?" Dustin answered, "Uh, yeah. That's near Cornwallis and Garrett, yeah — I know where that is." Eddie and Pauley looked at each other with a smile, "Hold tight. We're coming, we're coming."

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Andrew was worried — and honestly, if the police didn't do anything about Pauley, he would do it himself. It wasn't until he was in the car or Ms. Henderson that he knew there was more than the problem of Pauley missing. He was in Ms. Henderson's car in the first place because not only was Pauley missing, but her son, Dustin, too. Andrew knew they were in the same club so this had to lead him someplace that would give him answers — he just had to believe that Pauley was okay, hopefully more than okay.

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Pauley was definitely more than okay.

The feeling of Eddie's lips on her neck made her mouth open — a moan spilling out as her hands grabbed onto his shoulders. "Shouldn't be too loud, who knows who'll hear those pretty moans of yours." Eddie teased and before Pauley could respond — his lips were on hers once again. There was nothing else to do — especially when you were stuck in a place with your crush hopefully turned girlfriend. Eddie wrapped his arms around Pauley and pulled her onto his lap and the realization of both of them still being damp caused Pauley to take off her vest — the straps to her tank top fell down her shoulders but before they could go any further — "Um, oops...?" Dustin and the others — now joined with Nancy Wheeler and Lucas Sinclair — had walked in on the two making out.

Pauley and Eddie quickly pulled apart from each other and a red blush was on both of their faces. "I'm just gonna pretend I didn't see that and ask what happened." Dustin said and everyone agreed with him. Pauley sighed, "Well, when we both got to the shore, we realized the walkie was busted so we just kept walking and that's how we ended up here." She explained and Dustin looked between them, "Do you guys know what time this was? The attack?" Eddie nodded as he took off his watch, "Yeah, no, I.. I know exactly what time it was. The walkie wasn't the only thing that got soaked." He tossed the watch to Dustin, "9:27, same time our flashlights went kablooey." Eddie looked at them with furrows brows, "Which means what exactly?" Dustin looked at him, "That, that surge of energy was Vecna attacking Patrick." He explained.

"Well, we're one step in the clear. We know how Vecna attacks and where he attacks from." Robin said and Max nodded, "So now we need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down and drive a stake through his heart." Nancy looked at her, "If he has a heart." Steve furrowed his brows — now confused — "A stake? Is he like a vamp? Is he a vampire?" Max rolls her eyes, "It was a metaphor." Nancy speaks again, "A bullet should work, right?" Pauley stands up, "I say we just chop his head off." Dustin speaks while he paces back and forth, "All of the above, but we can't do any of that 'till we find a way into the Upside Down. We need El to get her powers back. Everything was way easier — we had this girl, she had superpowers." Dustin said to Eddie and Pauley and they nodded their heads, "Superpowers, yeah, you mentioned her." Eddie confirmed before he looked at Steve — Dustin going back to pacing. "Hey, uh, Henderson's not cursed is he?" He asked him and Steve looked at the teen.

"Cursed? No, no he's fine — mental? Absolutely." Suddenly, Dustin yelled, "Boom! Bada.. bada... boom. I was right, Skull Rock was north." He says to Steve. "Seriously? You're serious?" He asks Dustin and he nods, humming in response. Steve points at the large rocks, "This is Skull Rock, okay?" Dustin nodded. "You're totally one hundred percent wrong right now." Steve crossed his arms as Dustin spoke, "Yes... and no." Steve couldn't help but groan, "Oh my god." Dustin didn't pay him any mind as he began to explain his reasoning, "This worked correctly when we left the Wheelers', correct when we got in the car on curly... but, it started to slip the further east we went. Now it's way off. When I was leading us here, I wasn't wrong — the compass was." Steve quirked his brow, "So, you're using faulty equipment? You're still wrong."

Dustin shook his head with a smile, "Except it isn't faulty." He looked at Lucas who stood next to Max. "Lucas, remember what can affect a compass?" Lucas answered instantly, "An electromagnetic field." Dustin nodded, "Yep." Steve shook his head, "I'm sorry, I must've missed that class." Dustin looked at him, "In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field — the needle will deflect towards that power. So, either there's some super big magnet over here or... there's a gate."

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