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ISADORA STILL HADN'T SHOWN UP BY THE NEXT MORNING, AND THE WORRY WAS PALPABLE AMONG HER FRIENDS.

Steve had been the first to act, arriving at her house bright and early. He knocked on the front door, his heart racing with each echoing thud against the wood. When no answer came, he made his way around the side of the house, peering through windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. The curtains were drawn tight, blocking any sign of life. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, he finally found an unlocked door at the back. Cautiously, he pushed it open, stepping inside her house. The silence enveloped him like a thick fog, and as he looked around, he was met with an unsettling sight—her home was completely empty. Frustration bubbled within him; he felt a knot of dread tightening in his stomach. With no other choice, he left and drove to Kendra's house to pick her up, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Hi," Kendra greeted him as she climbed into the car, her smile faltering when she saw the worry etched on Steve's face. "Isa wasn't home?"

"No," Steve said, trying to keep his voice steady, but the tremor betrayed him. "And I'm really worried about her." Kendra's expression shifted to one of concern as she fell silent, staring at her hands in her lap. Memories flooded back to her—Isadora's last disappearance, which had coincided with the tragedy of Christmas in 1983, when her world had shattered after her mother's death.

"The last time she disappeared was right after her mum died—"

"I know," Steve interjected, his voice low. "That was right after the lab accident. She vanished for days." Kendra nodded slowly, her eyes focused on the passing scenery, lost in thought. It had been a terrifying time, one that left an indelible mark on all of them. No one had known where Isadora had gone until Ellie Hopper found her, and even then, Ellie had offered no explanation for her absence.

As they pulled into the school parking lot, Steve parked and they stepped out, tension hanging in the air. They entered the school together, the usual chatter and laughter echoing around them, but it felt wrong without Isadora's voice joining in. Spotting Hazel near her locker, they made their way over.

"Hey, Isadora isn't with you?" Hazel asked, her brow furrowing as she looked at them.

Kendra and Steve exchanged worried glances before shaking their heads, the truth weighing heavily on them.

"No, she wasn't at home this morning," Steve said, trying to mask his rising anxiety.

"Has Billy shown up yet? He might know where Isadora is hiding," Kendra suggested, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No, I haven't seen him," Hazel replied, her worry deepening.

"Do you really think Billy could know where she is?" Steve asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

"It's possible, but after what happened at the dance, I'm not so sure," Kendra said, biting her lip as they made their way to homeroom, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on them. Isadora's absence was felt acutely; it was so unlike her to skip school. When homeroom ended and lunchtime arrived, anxiety transformed into dread.

"Still no sign of her?" Steve asked as he joined the girls at their usual table, the empty seat where Isadora sat starkly obvious. The absence felt like a gaping hole.

"No, and no one has heard from her. I'm really starting to worry," Kendra admitted, her voice shaking slightly.

"I think we need to involve my dad," Hazel suggested, determination flickering in her eyes.

"You don't think—"

"Don't think like that, Steve. She'll be fine. She has to be," Kendra tried to reassure her friends, but even she felt the uncertainty gnawing at her resolve. She looked down at her lunch, pushing it away as her thoughts spiralled back to the last time Isadora had vanished, shortly after the devastating news about her mother's accident. The memory was painful, a sharp reminder of their helplessness. It had taken days for Ellie to find her, and even then, Ellie had kept her secrets guarded closely. Kendra had a bad feeling that Isadora would remain hidden until she was ready to confront her demons, and she feared the toll that waiting would take.

"Where did she go after her mum died?" Steve asked, his voice breaking through her thoughts.

Kendra shook her head, feeling defeated. "The only one who ever knew was Ellie, and she never told anyone else where Isadora went. You know she would probably never speak to us again if she ever found out we knew the truth about what really happened to her mum."

"She's not going to find out, Ken. I'm going to call my dad and let him know what's going on. He might have more luck finding Isa," Hazel said, her tone firm. Kendra and Steve nodded in agreement, feeling a flicker of hope as Hazel stood up and left the cafeteria to make the call.

"Hello?" Hopper answered when Hazel reached him.

"Hi, Dad," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked, a hint of concern creeping into his tone.

"We're on lunch right now. We need your help, Dad."

"What's going on, Hazel?" His voice was now more serious.

"Isadora hasn't shown up to school today, and she wasn't at home this morning. No one has seen her or heard from her since she left the dance last night, and we're really worried about her. She just disappeared," Hazel explained, her urgency spilling over.

"Alright, I'll look for her, but try not to worry, Hazel. She could be staying with family and might have just taken a day off," Hopper said, attempting to provide reassurance.

"She doesn't have any family in town, Dad," Hazel insisted softly.

"Alright, I'll do what I can," he promised. After thanking him, Hazel hung up the phone and made her way back to the cafeteria, her heart racing with fear and frustration. As she walked through the bustling lunchroom, she overheard whispers about the previous night's dance, and her heart sank further.

Passing a group of girls, she caught snippets of conversation about Isadora and Billy.

"She called him a fucking asshole, but from what I've heard, she was the one being the asshole," one girl remarked, her tone dripping with disdain.

"What makes you say that?" another girl asked, intrigued.

"Apparently, she only slept with Billy because she thought it would make her more popular. Pathetic, really," the first girl replied.

"Why did she think that would make more people like her? Most don't like Isadora Jones," a third girl chimed in.

Hazel felt her cheeks flush with anger as she realised the impact of their words. Shaking her head, she quickly walked over to sit down with Kendra and Steve, who were deep in conversation.

"I can't believe what I just overheard. Have you heard what everyone's saying about Isadora?" Hazel said, frustration bubbling over.

"Yeah, it's the talk of the school. Everyone heard what happened at the dance last night," Kendra replied, glancing over at the girls who were still gossiping.

"Let me guess—they're all talking about how pathetic they think Isadora is," Hazel said, her voice laced with disbelief.

"Yeah, they've been saying that Isadora was just using Billy to boost her popularity. Everyone thinks she only slept with him to gain more friends, but we know that's not true. Honestly, I believe Isadora was genuinely falling for Billy, and I'm not convinced he did anything wrong. I'm not sure what went down, but it sounded like Amanda was trying to come between them," Steve said softly.

"Since when are you on Billy's side?" Hazel raised an eyebrow, surprised by Steve's stance.

"I'm not taking sides, but it sounded like Isadora didn't even give him a chance to explain. We know Amanda has always bullied Isadora and tried to keep her away from Billy. Maybe she did the same last night," Steve argued, crossing his arms.

"If Isadora were here, she'd probably make some smart-ass comment about when you got so clever," Hazel joked, attempting to lighten the mood as best she could.

"Funny, but you're right," Steve nodded, a faint smile breaking through.

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out who started the rumours that have been spreading around the school," Kendra rolled her eyes, glaring over at Amanda, who seemed to revel in the chaos.

"I don't understand how Isadora is the bad one in this. Are they only saying negative things about her?" Hazel asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

"No one's really mentioned how much of an asshole Billy was for making that bet in the first place or for hurting Isadora the way he did," Kendra scoffed.

"Wait, so Billy made a bet that he could sleep with Isadora, broke her heart, and yet somehow she's the asshole? That doesn't make any sense," Hazel argued, exasperation rising in her voice.

"Yeah, well, everyone only hears what they want to. Most people are believing the rumours that were spread," Kendra said, her tone bitter.

"How do we even know he made that bet and that Amanda isn't lying about it too? You didn't see the look on his face; he was hurt when Isadora called it off before leaving the dance," Steve pointed out.

"Has Billy shown his face at school yet?" Hazel asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"No, he hasn't," Kendra replied with a shrug. Steve looked down at his plate, pushing the food around absently. A part of him was surprised Isadora had been so quick to believe what Amanda said, especially knowing how much Amanda disliked her and hated the fact that Billy had shown interest in the blonde. He couldn't help but wonder if Isadora had been in the wrong this time.

Around them, the conversations continued, whispers of Isadora and Billy echoing through the cafeteria. Hazel frowned as she listened, her heart aching for her friend.

"I wish they would stop talking about her. Everyone is making Isadora out to be the bad guy, and she's not," Hazel said, her voice filled with conviction.

"We know that, but they're going to believe what they want to believe," Kendra sighed, shaking her head. Hazel nodded as the group finished lunch, the tension lingering in the air as they left the cafeteria and headed to their last classes for the day.

Throughout the afternoon, Kendra tried to focus on her studies, but her mind drifted back to Isadora. It was becoming unbearable; she was worried for her friend. The day dragged on, and the gossip and rumours continued to spread like wildfire throughout the school. By the time the final bell rang, the rumours had spiralled out of control, but the trio ignored them as they headed to Hazel's house together.

When they arrived, they found Hopper waiting for them in the living room, concern etched on his face.

"Hi, Dad," Hazel greeted as they entered, feeling a mix of hope and anxiety. "Did you have any luck finding Isadora?"

"I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find her. Is there somewhere she might go? Anyone she might stay with?" Hopper asked, looking at the group with urgency.

"Not that we know of. As far as we know, Isadora doesn't have any family in Hawkins, and the last time she disappeared like this was after the lab accident in 1983. No one heard from her for days, and she never told anyone where she went. The only person who might know is Ellie," Kendra explained, her voice heavy with worry.

"I don't know where she is. I heard the rumours going around school today, so I went to the place where I found her last time, but she wasn't there," Ellie said, walking into the room, her expression grim.

"You knew where she went last time? What lab accident are you talking about?" Hopper asked, turning his attention to Ellie and then back to the group.

"The lab accident that resulted in the death of her mum. We all know they said it was a freak accident, but that was a cover-up for what really happened to her Mum and we keep calling it a lab accident, but it wasn't, but Isadora would never forgive any of us if she learnt the truth about what happened. We can't explain any of it to Isadora; she doesn't know about it, and we all think it's safer if she believes it was just an accident," Hazel said, her voice trembling slightly.

"I found her and brought her home last time, but Hazel's right. It's for the best that Isadora doesn't know the truth about what happened," Ellie nodded in agreement, her gaze serious.

"Where did Isadora go after her mum died?" Hopper pressed.

"I... I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone, and she's not there anyway," Ellie said, her voice hesitant.

"And we don't know where else she would go. We just know she disappeared for days, but she has to be somewhere, right? I mean, she wouldn't leave Hawkins, would she?" Kendra asked, desperation creeping into her tone.

"She might. She's lost enough here as it is," Hazel said quietly, her heart heavy with doubt.

"But where would she go? She already told us she wouldn't go back to California because it held too many memories for her, and I doubt she would just leave Hawkins without saying goodbye to us," Kendra said, pacing back and forth in Hazel's living room, anxiety fuelling her movements. The group had been so focused on Isadora's disappearance that none of them had really stopped to consider the fact that Billy hadn't shown up to school either.

"You know, there's one possibility we haven't considered yet: maybe it's possible that Billy knows where she is," Steve finally suggested, breaking the silence.

"Why would Billy know where she is?" Hazel asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

"It's possible she told him about her secret hiding places," Steve shrugged, trying to remain logical.

"She hasn't even told us, and we're her best friends. Why would she tell Billy?" Hazel shot back, frustration evident in her voice.

"No, we're not going to Billy for help. He has hurt Isadora enough!" Kendra snapped, her anger flaring.

"It may be the only way to find Is," Steve insisted, trying to remain calm.

"Okay, none of this is really helping right now. We need to split up and search for Isadora. Steve, I want you and Ellie to check out by Lover's Lake. Hazel, you and Kendra check out the school again. I will check downtown," Hopper directed, determination filling his tone. The group nodded and broke apart into teams, setting out into the fading light of the day, but as they searched, hope began to dwindle.

"I'm getting really worried. We've searched almost all of Hawkins and haven't found any sign of her," Kendra said, her voice shaking as they reconvened after an hour of searching.

"There are a few places we haven't checked yet," Steve pointed out, trying to keep morale up.

"I know, but I don't think Isadora would go to any of those places, and I am sure she definitely wouldn't go anywhere near Hawkins Lab," Kendra replied firmly, frustration simmering within her as they walked back into Hopper's cabin.

When they arrived, Steve, Ellie, Hazel, and Kendra relayed their thoughts about the possibility of Isadora going to the lab.

"It certainly can't hurt to check there, but I don't want any of you lot going anywhere near that lab," Hopper cautioned, his voice grave. The group nodded, agreeing to stay away from Hawkins Lab while Hopper went to investigate. He soon returned, shaking his head, and their hearts sank.

By nightfall, there was still no sign of Isadora. The friends' worry deepened, each minute stretching painfully long. They gathered in Hazel's living room, eyes searching each other's faces for comfort.

"Maybe we should try to get more people involved," Kendra suggested hesitantly, breaking the heavy silence.

"Like who? The school? They'll just end up gossiping more," Hazel replied, feeling defeated.

"Anyone who knows Isadora well enough. Maybe they'll have a lead we missed," Steve proposed, his brows furrowed in thought.

"Yeah, but we don't even know if she's in Hawkins or somewhere else," Kendra countered, shaking her head.

As the night stretched on, their fears grew. Each time the phone rang, hope would swell in their chests only to deflate when it wasn't news of Isadora. All they could do was hope and pray that she was safe, wherever she was, and that she would come home soon.

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Poor Is 🥺

Also I did change this chapter so Steve would be the one to question if it was possible Billy did nothing wrong this time (because he didn't, not really). 

Enjoy! Xo

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