Laurie spent the next morning helping her mom look for Mews. Somehow, the damn fat cat got lost, and no one knew where she was. Her mom is shaking Mews' favorite toy as she looks around in the bushes, but it's no good. The cat isn't there. Waving to Lucas as he rides by, she sighs before heading inside because she has to finish getting ready for work.

"Mom, I gotta finish getting ready for work. Dustin will keep helping you look for her." Claudia nods as she runs into the house and to her room as Dustin talks to someone on the phone.

After putting on a light amount of makeup, she looks in the mirror before brushing out her hair and making it look right. She grabs her coat and then walks out of her room as she checks the time to see that she has a few minutes until her shift starts. As she leaves her room, she hears the door shut, and her mom walks to her car. "Where is she going? Did someone find Mews?" She asks, grabbing her shoes by the door.

"No, but someone said they saw her by Loch Nora, so she's going to go check it out." He explains as she ties her shoe. "Okay, do you need anything before I go? I'm just a phone call away." She says as she messes with the curls sticking out of his hat. "I'm okay, sis. Really." His smile is reassuring as she pulls him into a hug. "Okay, I love you, and don't be afraid to call if anything happens." She then kisses his cheek before heading out.

She doesn't notice how his face changes when she turns her back. He hates lying to her and his mom about Mews. He hates that he didn't listen to his friends about Dart because now the poor cat paid for it by becoming monster chow.

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The revving of an engine and rock music blaring pulls Laurie's attention to the door as she sees Billy arrive with Max. The redhead flips off her stepbrother as he speeds off, and Laurie feels a little disappointed; usually, he comes in and talks to her before he leaves.

"Hey, Max!" She greets the girl with a bright smile as she walks in, "Everything okay?" She wonders, noticing how pissed the girl looks. "Just Billy being an asshole again," Max says with a look in her eyes that breaks her heart. "You're always good to hang out here as long as you want while I'm working. I'll drive you home if you ever need me to." She pops out her pinky, and Max quickly intertwines them. "Go have fun, MadMax." She winks to the younger girl before turning to grab the cleaning supplies.

She goes around to the empty machines and cleans them with some surfaces before she comes up to the machine Max has been working her way through. "Why is this out of order?" She wonders, then notices that she hasn't seen Max in a while.

Quickly running to the counter, she throws the cleaning supplies behind it as she hops in front of Keith. "Do you know where Max is? She was here a while ago, and the machine she always plays is out of order, and I can't find her. Did she leave or-"

"Lucas and her are in the back. I don't know what they're doing, but you should check on them." He says, looking her up and down. She cringes to herself while quickly walking away to the back. The door opens as Max walks out, and Lucas follows close behind. "Hey, kiddos. What's going on?" She asks, following behind them.

"I told Max about everything that happened last year," Lucas says, looking up at the girl. "Laurie's in on this too?" Max asks, surprised, "I thought you guys agreed to keep her out of this stuff. She doesn't need to be dragged into this." Laurie says, scolding the boy. "Wait, is this all true?" Laurie and Lucas look over to Max. "So you believe it when she tells you?" His voice raises as he looks at her in shock. "Yeah, why would she lie to me? She's not super involved with your party."

Grabbing both of their hands, Laurie takes them to a more secluded spot to talk. "Max, you don't need to get involved. I hate that Lucas and the kids are involved, but that's how it went. This is dangerous and something that will change your perspective on everything around you. Please don't think it's all fun and games because it's not. There is a real chance of people not coming out of this if something goes wrong. Do you understand?" The two girls locked eyes and their bond was sealed at that moment. Laurie was Max's protector, and Max would follow Laurie to the ends of the earth.

Max goes to say something, but it's interrupted as Billy's car pulls into the parking lot. The three head to the entrance, and Max starts to head out, but Lucas grabs her hand, "Don't follow me out, okay?" She pulls her hand from his and walks out as Lucas calls, "Do you believe me?" She doesn't answer as Laurie wraps her arm around his shoulder.

Max gets into the car, but Billy walks out. "Stay here." She tells Lucas before walking out to meet Billy. "Are you free tonight?" He asks, pulling down his sunglasses to look at her better. Her hazel eyes met his blue, "Yeah, I get off at 6. Why? Wanna take me on a date?" She asks with a slight smirk as he chuckles. "Yeah, I do. Do you want me to pick you up here?" She shakes her head quickly, "My place. Pick me up at 8?" He nods with a small smile as he slides his sunglasses back on.

"I'll see you then, darling." He kisses her on the cheek before walking back to his car. She walks back into the Arcade with a smile as Lucas looks at her, confused, "I thought you were in love with Steve." She quickly covers his mouth as her eyes widen.

"Look, it's complicated with Steve. He and Nancy just broke up, and yeah, he might like me but Billy asked me out. I said yes because he's also a pretty good guy so far. It's nothing too serious, Lu. Don't worry." She assures him as she wraps an arm around his shoulder, and they walk back to the main area of the Arcade.

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"Hey, Laurie. I need you to close tonight." Keith says, walking up to the counter. "I can't tonight. I have plans." She says while wiping down the prize counter, and he scoffs. "Well, cancel your plans because you're closing tonight." she huffs before turning to look at him.

"I cover for you more than anyone else in this Arcade. I never say no to it because that gives me more money, and most of the time, I don't have anything going on. Tonight though, I do. So either find someone else to close or do your damn job." She crosses her arms as he looks her up and down again. "I'd be willing to ask someone else." She says a silent thank you before he continues to speak, "If you show me something good in the back."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard-" He doesn't get to finish his sentence as her hand flies across his cheek, and the Arcade gasps when the sound resonates in the building. "Fuck you, creep. I'm done ignoring all your creepy stares and borderline sexist comments because I need this job. Well, you know what, fuck it! I'm done! I quit, and I better not hear of you harassing someone else, or I will chop your dick off." She walks out of the Arcade with a smile as a wave of relief rushes through her.

Looking at her watch, it's five o'clock, and the sun has already set. The sky turns dark, so she decides to go home and start getting ready for her date. Maybe today will be a better day than she thought.

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Pulling into the driveway, Laurie looks at the cars, confused. Why is Steve's BMW here?

Getting out of her car, she walks around the house until she finds Steve with Dustin at the entrance of the storm shelter with his nail-spiked bat. "Steve, what are you doing here?" She asks, walking over to the boys with a small smile as she pulls her coat closer to herself. "Why do you have your bat?" Standing next to him, he gulps before looking over to Dustin, who is frantically shaking his head. "Is something wrong?" Her brows draw together in confusion as she looks between the boys in front of her.

"Steve's helping me look for Mews," Dustin says quickly, but she doesn't buy it. "Why would he need the bat, and why are you looking in the storm shelter? She can't open that thing, and mom keeps it closed." Steve hits his bat against the shelter doors, and she jumps.

"All right, listen, kid," Steve says, moving to shine his flashlight in Dustin's face. "I swear, if this is some sort of Halloween prank," He pauses to make the words sink in.

"You're dead."

"It's not."

"Alright?"

"It's not a prank. Get it out of my face." Dustin's voice turns soft as Laurie watches the interaction with a small smile before realizing how confused she is. "Can someone please explain to me what's going on? Do I need to go grab my daggers?"

Dustin sighs as he looks at Steve. The older boy nods, and Dustin looks at his sister, "Promise not to hate me?"

"I could never hate you-"

"Dart ate Mews."

"He fucking what?!"