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ISADORA KNEW THIS WASN'T HER BEST PLAN.

If she was being honest, this was a terrible idea to spy on Billy. Yet after spending a restless night tossing and turning, Isadora felt compelled to uncover what was going on with her boyfriend. She had figured he would probably be at the community pool today, like he always was, but as she arrived, she was greeted by an empty lifeguard chair. Panic fluttered in her chest as she made her way through the throngs of swimmers.

The sun beat down overhead, but ominous clouds began to gather, casting shadows across the pool area. As she weaved through groups of children splashing in the water, Isadora realised with dismay that Heather wasn't there either.

The sky grew darker, and a loud crash of thunder echoed, sending shivers down her spine. People started to clear out, packing their belongings and hastening toward the exits. Isadora hesitated, glancing around, her mind racing. Should she have invited Kendra or Hazel to come with her? But she knew they were both busy today, and besides, this was something she felt she had to do alone.

Ignoring the announcement over the loudspeaker asking everyone to leave, Isadora kept searching for Billy, her heart pounding. Each moment that passed felt like an eternity, and when she finally decided to give up, a stormy sense of defeat washed over her. Maybe it was time to go home before the rain started. Just as she turned toward her car, she spotted Max, Laura, and Eleven approaching, and her heart sank.

"Hi! What are you three doing here?" she asked, forcing a smile.

"We're looking for Billy," Laura replied, her brow furrowing with concern.

"Why?" Isadora's tone sharpened slightly, a mix of curiosity and apprehension swirling within her.

"Uh—" Laura looked at Max, who seemed equally at a loss for words.

"Anyway, that's why I was here. He's not here, and honestly, I have no idea where he is," Isadora said, her irritation creeping in.

"Has he been acting different?" Max asked, her gaze searching Isadora's face. It drifted to the splotchy bruises that marred Isadora's neck. Quickly, Isadora brought her hands up to cover the marks, a surge of embarrassment flushing her cheeks.

"Oh, uh, I mean, a little," Isadora admitted, biting her lip.

"Come on, I think you should come with us," Max urged. Without waiting for a response, she turned, leading the way through the pool area toward a sheltered corner where two lifeguards were lounging, engrossed in a magazine and laughing, oblivious to the storm brewing overhead.

"Excuse me," Max said, stepping forward.

"No one's allowed in the water for 30 minutes after the last strike," the male lifeguard declared, not bothering to look up. "And don't try to argue with me. If you want to get electrocuted, go climb a tree."

Isadora frowned at his flippant tone as Max shook her head in annoyance.

"Yeah, we don't care. We're not here to swim... or get electrocuted," Max retorted. Isadora felt a flicker of solidarity with Max as they both endured the lifeguard's nonchalant attitude.

Laura nudged Eleven, who was holding something tightly in her hands. "We found this," she announced, presenting the object to the lifeguards.

"Does this belong to anyone here?" Laura asked, her eyes wide with hope.

"Oh, yeah, that's Heather's. I'll get it back to her," the lifeguard said casually, waving it off.

"We could give it back to her," Eleven suggested, her eyes glimmering with determination. Isadora couldn't help but wonder what scheme the three girls were plotting.

"You could, but she bailed on me today," The male lifeguard interjected. "What is it? You girls want a reward or something?"

"No, we're just... good Samaritans," Max replied, a hint of a smirk on her lips.

Isadora watched as Eleven's attention fixated on a bulletin board nearby. Curious, she joined them and leaned in to see what had captured Eleven's focus.

"Heather," Max said softly, her voice filled with concern.

"Can you find her, Eleven?" Max pressed, her tone urging.

"No way!" the female lifeguard laughed from behind them, interrupting the moment. Isadora glanced back at the two lifeguards before returning her gaze to the younger girls, who were huddled around the bulletin board. Eleven grabbed the picture of Heather, determination etched on her face as she began walking away.

"Wait, how do you plan on finding her?" Isadora asked, bewildered.

"Come on," Laura insisted, leading the way. Isadora felt a mix of confusion and apprehension as she followed them into the bathrooms.

Inside, Laura turned to Isadora with a serious expression. "We need to turn on all the showers."

"What...? Why are we turning on all the showers? And why is El putting a blindfold on? What's going on?" Isadora asked, her voice rising in disbelief as she hesitantly began helping Laura and Max turn the showers on. The water cascaded down, creating a white noise that drowned out the storm outside.

No one answered her immediately, and Isadora looked at Max and Laura, exasperated. "Max, Laura, what on earth is going on?"

"We'll explain everything later, but not right now. Just help us finish this," Max urged.

Isadora nodded, still baffled, and continued helping them with the showers. Once they were finished, they gathered around Eleven, who was now using duct tape to create makeshift glasses over her eyes, a strange mix of determination and anxiety on her face.

"What do you see?" Laura asked, her voice low and urgent.

"What—why are you asking her what she sees?" Isadora interjected, feeling more bewildered by the second.

"Issi," Max said gently, her eyes meeting Isadora's.

"Okay, sorry. I'll be quiet," Isadora replied, her curiosity piqued despite her confusion.

"A door. A red door," Eleven stated, her brow furrowing in concentration. For a moment, silence enveloped them as she focused, then abruptly, she pushed the duct tape glasses off her face, panic creeping into her demeanour.

"El, what is it? What's wrong?" Isadora asked, her heart racing.

"What happened, El?" Max echoed, worry flooding her voice as she noticed Eleven's breathing becoming rapid.

Isadora's gaze darted between Eleven and the others, her anxiety growing as she spotted blood trickling from Eleven's nose. "Her nose is bleeding! Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Isadora demanded, her voice shaking.

Max exchanged a look with Laura, and after a moment of hesitation, she spoke up. "Uh, well, Eleven has powers, and she's using them to help us find Heather."

Isadora stared at Max, struggling to grasp this revelation. Powers? How was that even possible? She had never believed in the supernatural, and a part of her wondered if she should pinch herself to see if she was dreaming.

"P-Powers? What the hell are you talking about? And how is this supposed to help us find Heather? What does any of this have to do with Billy?" Isadora questioned, feeling overwhelmed by the bizarre situation.

"By finding Heather, we might find Billy," Laura explained, her tone steady but urgent.

"Why would Heather and Billy be together?" Isadora asked, her concern mounting.

"We'll explain everything later, but right now we have to focus," Max insisted, turning her attention back to Eleven. "Could Heather be at her home? We haven't checked there yet."

"Maybe we should check Heather's house," Isadora suggested, realising that Max probably wouldn't tell her any more right now.

"Isadora's right. Heather's house might be our best bet at finding Billy," Laura nodded in agreement, her eyes lighting up with determination.

"Are you coming with us, Issi?" Max asked, her tone inviting.

"Yes, I want to know what's going on, and besides, I need to talk to Billy," Isadora replied, a newfound determination setting in.

"What will you do if he's at Heather's house?" Max inquired, her expression softening slightly.

Isadora shrugged, unsure of how to answer. A part of her hoped he wouldn't be there; the situation made no sense to her, but she couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that something was off.

"I don't know, Max, but we need to go," Isadora said firmly. Max, Laura, and Eleven nodded, and the girls hurried to grab their bikes. Isadora felt a swell of relief that she had brought her bike today instead of walking to the pool as she had originally planned.

As they rode toward Heather's house, the rain poured down in sheets, drenching Isadora while her companions remained mostly protected by their raincoats. The downpour mixed with the adrenaline surging through her veins, heightening her senses.

When they finally arrived at the house, Isadora looked at the weather-beaten structure, anxiety bubbling beneath the surface. Max turned to Eleven, a look of determination in her eyes.

"Is this it?" Max asked, her voice laced with urgency.

Eleven nodded, her face set with resolve, and the four girls dropped their bikes on the wet grass before making their way to the door. Isadora's heart raced as she raised her hand to knock, but before she could make contact, Laura stopped her.

"Wait, we can't just—" she began, but Eleven had already used her powers to blast the door open, sending it swinging wide.

"Alright, I guess we're breaking into the Holloway house then," Isadora groaned, feeling a mix of dread and determination as she followed the three younger girls inside.

The moment they entered, Isadora could hear music playing softly in the background, a stark contrast to the chaos of the storm outside. They stepped into the hallway, where the air was thick with the scent of home—baked cookies and something sweet that lingered just beneath the surface. As they moved cautiously forward, they came to a stop in front of a framed picture on the wall—a young family smiling brightly, clearly proud and happy. Isadora guessed it was Heather with her parents.

"This is her house," Max said quietly.

"What?" Isadora echoed, her mind still racing to catch up with the events unfolding around her.

"Heather's house," Max confirmed, her voice steady.

Suddenly, laughter filled the house, and Isadora gestured for the girls to follow her into the living room. There, they stumbled upon Billy sitting at the dining table, eating dinner with Heather's parents. A feeling of unease settled in Isadora's stomach as she took in the scene.

"He's so funny," Heather's mother laughed, her eyes sparkling as she exchanged words with Billy.

"Max," Billy said, glancing up as the girls stepped into the room.

Max, Laura, and Eleven stood there, dripping wet, while Isadora felt as if she was standing in a dream, frozen in place. Billy's gaze flickered over her, but it was devoid of recognition or warmth, and that hurt more than she wanted to admit.

"We didn't mean to barge in. We tried to knock, but maybe you didn't hear us over the storm," Max said, her voice faltering slightly.

"Who is this dripping all over my living room?" Heather's father asked, irritation creeping into his tone.

"Sorry. Janet, Tom, this is my sister, Maxine," Billy introduced, and Isadora's heart sank further. He referred to Max as his sister, and it sent alarm bells ringing in her mind. In all the time she had known him, Billy had never once referred to Max that way.

"What?" Isadora whispered, disbelief washing over her.

"What on earth are you doing here? Is something wrong?" Billy asked, stepping closer, concern flickering across his face, but then his attention shifted to Eleven, completely ignoring Isadora's presence.

"Where is she?" Eleven asked, her voice trembling with urgency.

"I'm sorry, where is who?" Billy replied, feigning ignorance.

"Your manager at the pool said you didn't come in today, so we got worried," Max explained, desperation creeping into her voice.

"Heather wasn't feeling well, so we thought we'd take the day off to nurse her back to health," Billy said casually, but Isadora felt her heart clench with anger and betrayal.

"Oh, isn't that just fantastic? My boyfriend is here nursing some random girl back to health," she snapped, her voice rising in frustration as she locked eyes with Billy, demanding a reaction. For a brief moment, she saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes before he turned back to Heather.

"But you're feeling just fine now, aren't you, Heather?" he asked, feigning casualness.

"I'm feeling so much better! Do you girls want a cookie? They're fresh out of the oven," Heather chirped, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Screw you and your cookies. Let's go; we're clearly wasting our time here," Isadora spat, feeling the heat of betrayal engulf her. She turned sharply, storming out of the house.

As the rain pounded down around her, Isadora couldn't help but glance back at the Holloway house, her mind racing with questions. Why was Billy acting so strange? What was he hiding? With each pedal stroke away from the house, she felt the storm inside her rise, an electric mix of anger and confusion surging within. She needed answers, and she wasn't going to rest until she got them.

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Is took the cookies personally 😭

Enjoy! Xo

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