TEN: BIG BROTHER

That morning, Veronica, who had spent the night, was sitting with Heather on the couch, chatting and eating homemade pancakes courtesy of Misses Jacobs. They were chatting about something mundane and unimportant when the phone rang.

"Hello?" said a familiar-sounding female voice.

"Nancy?" Heather asked as she picked up the phone. Daniel was chatting with their mom in the kitchen and Veronica was by her side on the couch, suddenly disinterested in whatever they had been talking about before the phone rang.

"Heather? Is Veronica there? She usually is," Nancy Wheeler asked through the phone, sounding rushed and worried. Despite the shakiness, she seemed to be trying to cover it up with a perky tone. It wasn't working.

Heather mumbled a confirmation before handing the phone to Veronica who eagerly grabbed it out of her hand, "Hello?"

"Um, You read 1984 last year, right? The George Orwell novel?" Nancy questioned, causing Veronica to furrow her brow and look over at Heather in confusion.

"...Yeah, why?"

"Well, I just remembered I borrowed your Big Brother's copy, can we meet at the park and I can give it back?" Okay, Veronica was completely lost and she did not like the emphasis on the words Big Brother.

"I don't have a—" she made the connection. "Yeah, I'll see you there. I'll bring Heather. See you."

Hanging up the phone, she looked over at Heather, "I think the phone call was being monitored. She asked us to meet her at the park. You're coming with me because I'm a little scared."

"Understandably, I'll grab my keys," the dark-haired girl nodded, getting up from the couch and grabbing her keys, backpack and coat. "Mom, Ver and I are going out for a few minutes, meeting up with Nancy for something. We'll probably just head to school right after."

Her mother looked suspicious as did her younger brother who was staring at her with a confused expression on his face. "Since when do you hang out with my boyfriend's sister?"

Heather's eyes widened. Did he realize what he just said? He noticed her expression and laughed, it was weird. Her brother was not usually this relaxed. "She knows, you're fine. But really, since when do you hang out with her?"

"Since always, little bro," Heather sighed, relaxing visibly once her brother reassured her. Her mother's warm smile confirmed what he said, so that made her feel a million times better. It seemed she didn't need to worry about her brother as much anymore. He used to tell her everything, but they hadn't had a night on the roof in forever. She missed him even though he was sitting right in front of her.

"All right, I'm off today so I'll be able to take Daniel. Looks like luck's on your side, today," the woman sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. Since the incident last year, their mother had been taking less overtime and actually staying home and working from the house some days. It was refreshing.

"Anyway!" Veronica exclaimed, practically pushing her best friend for years, "See ya later Daniel, Misses Jacobs!"

"You've known me for almost a decade, call me Cheryl!" the woman called out just as the front door closed, shaking her head.

As soon as they were out of the brisk morning air and in Heather's car, Veronica spoke. "She mentioned 1984. Then she put emphasis on Big Brother, ya know the all-knowing, all-seeing figure—"

"I think I read two pages of 1984. That shit was boring," Heather noted, earning a sigh from Veronica.

"Well, he represents the government that sees and hears everything the people are doing. I think she was trying to tell me that we're being watched. I think it might have something to do with the people who covered up Will's disappearance, but that might be a stretch. Also, shit, Daniel and Mike are serious enough that he came out to your mom? Fucking nice."

"Holy fuck, I'm only seventeen I don't need this shit," Heather sighed. "And yeah, I didn't even know about that. I'm so out of the loop lately. Now's not the time for family issues. What else did she say?"

"She said she remembered she borrowed my big brother's copy and to meet at the park to give it back," Veronica explained as they drove.

Heather furrowed her brow, keeping her eyes on the road. "You don't have a brother?"

"I know, that's when I made the connection," she clarified further, "Which is why we had to leave right away. I think I don't know, I think she might be in danger."

"And she called you?"

The girl shrugged, "I do still keep that switchblade in my bra, so..."

Despite the urgency and seriousness, Heather laughed, "You're fucking amazing, Ver. I still have my swiss army knife in my boot."

"Aren't we quite the pair?" Veronica said with a giggle. The light mood dropped as soon as they pulled up to the park. Heather went to get out of the car, but Veronica grabbed her arm and stopped her. She closed the car door and the brunette pressed the lock button, pointing towards Jonathan and Nancy on the bench. "Notice how everyone here seems to be looking at them? Two random kids on a bench, no one would pay attention, but look. These people are totally suspicious."

Sure enough, there was an older man looking at a newspaper and talking to himself. An elderly gentlemen feeding birds with his eyes trained on the pair. A mom staring straight at them.

"This is fucking weird," Heather spoke in an awed voice, "This, this doesn't settle well with me."

"I'm gonna get out, just to see what happens," Veronica decided, unlocking just her car door. "Stay here."

"No, what the fuck—" Heather started to say but Veronica slammed the door on her. That didn't stop the other as she got out right after her. "No one tells me to stay, you know that."

Ignoring her friend, Veronica put on one of the fakest smiles in the universe and waved to Nancy. The people who were watching Nancy and Jonathan all simultaneously turned back to whatever they were doing. The two girls shared a knowing look before walking over.

"Hey, Nance, hey bowl cut," Veronica greeted, trying her best to sound as normal as possible. "I hear you have a book of mine?" Then, switching to a whisper, she asked, "What the fuck is going on? Are you in danger?"

"I didn't want to drag you into this, but I didn't know who else to call," Nancy explained. Jonathan looked annoyed that the other girls were there, but neither of them cared. "Just if something happens to us, follow us. I needed someone I trust and I... I trust you. Here, I brought this to give to you just in case they were monitoring that phone call."

Nancy handed the girl a book, 1984. Taking it, Veronica sighed, "What the fuck have you gotten yourself into now, Wheeler? I'm skipping school to watch you two dumbasses get kidnapped by the government."

"What's this about, anyway?"

"Barb... Barb didn't run away. We're trying to prove that, we have a voice recorder and everything," she continued, her eyes shifting around onto the different faces. "Follow us, but promise not to go in, if they tales us there, okay?"

"Take you where?" Heather asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hawkins Lab," Jonathan explained in a whisper, they're the ones covering all of this up, Barb, my brother, everything. You two are gonna go back to your car, act like you're leaving and then Nancy and I are going to try to leave and see what happens, okay?"

"You two are so fucking stupid," Heather groaned right as Veronica agreed to the plan. "Ugh, Veronica don't be stupid, we're going home."

Biting her lip, obviously in thought, Nancy finally said, "I'll put in a good word for you with Steve... Once we're on speaking terms."

Heather, who was half turned around, stopped and faced the sitting girl again, "You think bribing me with a boy is gonna work?" When Nancy starts looking unsure, the girl sighed, "Because you're damn right it will. We'll follow you and if your ass dies, I'm bringing you back from the dead to tell Steve about me."

"I wouldn't blame you," Nancy said with a joyless smile, "All right, you two go back to Heather's car and just like go idle or something until we go somewhere."

Heather and Veronica nodded, made it look like they were saying goodbye and turned to walk to the car. Veronica turned around one last time, being met with Nancy's sad and worried eyes. It broke her heart knowing the girl was doing this to herself to get justice for her best friend. Then again, Veronica would do the same for Heather.

They got into the car, locking the doors and turning it on. Heather sighed, gazing out at the park, "This is fucked up."

"Definitely," Veronica agreed as they watched Nancy and Jonathan get up.

She noticed a bald man start to follow them, her heart stopped. They got inside Jonathan's car, Veronica and Heather's eyes following their every move, but they didn't go anywhere. It looked like they couldn't. More people stepped closer to the car. Veronica also noticed one person staring at Heather's car which made her want to puke. Someone knocked on the window of Jonathan's car. More people surrounded it. A woman stood behind it so they couldn't back up. The two teens got out and into a man's truck. Veronica was two seconds away from blowing chunks.

The truck began to drive away, so Heather waited a moment before starting to follow. "Let's do this."

( note! )

not much daniel, i know!! but now that him and mike are happy and in love im exploring Veronica and Heather's story lines a bit more so yay to that!