After looking around for Steve's crew for almost an hour, she finds him sitting on the hood of his car with a bloodied face looking upset in the parking lot of a convenience store. "You seem to be doing some major rethinking." Her voice catches his attention instantly, giving him a small sense of comfort. "Yeah, kind of got in over my head." She laughs loudly while walking over, "Understatement of the year, Harrington."

Her jean-clad legs lean against the car as the two teens are side by side. "That whole thing really meant nothing, Steve. She does care for you." He sighs, frustrated, then looks at her, "I'm not mad that she might not like me anymore. That's fine, it'll sting, but I'll get over it. I'm mad that she just tried to ignore me and not tell me what was happening. Tommy might have also gotten into my head." She nods with a small smile. "Yeah, people like Tommy tend to help make things worse."

He sighs as Tommy and Carol walk out of the convenience store. "Well, look who it is," Tommy says with a smirk that makes her cringe. "Shove it, Tommy." She quips, "You owe me $1.20." He says to Steve. "Don't worry; he'll need more than Aspirin when we're done with him." She rolls her eyes before holding the cold soda can to Steve's swollen face. "Yeah, if the creep ever gets out," Carol says, but Laurie ignores her. The couple continues to say stupid shit until Steve finally snaps, "Carol, for once in your life, shut your damn mouth!"

"What?" She asks, surprised as Laurie smirks, "Hey, what's your problem, man?" Tommy's words are defensive, making the girl happier that Steve finally sees the light. "You're both assholes. That's my problem." He slides off his car, which leaves her holding the soda as he gets in Tommy's face. "Are you serious right now, man?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. You shouldn't have done that." He says, pushing Tommy. "Done what?" Laurie gets off the car while Tommy and Steve argue, "You know what." She stands away from the group as this isn't her current fight. "You mean to call her out for what she really is? Oh, that's funny because I don't remember you asking me to stop." The boys are in each other's faces, and she's on the edge of wondering if she should try and break them up.

"I should've put that spray paint right down your throat." He threatens, and it sparks a warm feeling in her. She bites her lip, looking at him in amazement. "What the hell, Steve?" Carol questions and ruins the moment that Laurie was having in her head. "You know, neither of you cared about her. You never even liked her because she's not miserable like you two. She actually cares about people." His voice rises just a little.

"The slut with a heart of gold." Carol gasps when Laurie slaps her across the face, "Shit like that will get you hurt, red. Keep your slut-shaming to yourself." She warns the girl. "Hey, keep you bitch in check, Harrington! I don't know what's gotten into you, man." Tommy yells, pushing Steve against his car.

Steve pushes him back, "Get out of my face." Tommy grabs him by his jacket and pushes him against the car again. "Or what? You gonna fight me now, too? Huh? You gonna fight me now, too? Because you couldn't take Jonathan Byers, I wouldn't recommend that." Steve gets released and opens his door, "Come on, Laurie." He looks over to the girl, and she walks over to the car's passenger side.

He quickly pulls out and drives away as Tommy keeps yelling at them. The car is silent as the two stay quiet, "That was a good slap, back there." Steve says, breaking the tension. She smiles softly, "Thanks, my hand kind of hurts. We should get you taken care of. Head to my place." He nods and goes down the road that leads to her house, a route he knows all too well.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Steve winces as Laurie wipes the alcohol-soaked rag on his face. "Quit struggling. It's only going to make it worse." She scolds. The two are in her bathroom. He is sitting on the toilet, and she's leaning over him to ensure his wound is fully clean. "Well, it stings." He complains, and she huffs, "Of course, it stings! You were stupid and got in a fight. This is your consequence." He stays quiet while she continues to clean him up, "Try not to make too many facial expressions for the next few days; the cuts have started to heal already, which is good." It doesn't take her too much longer to finish cleaning him up. Her hands are cool against his still hot face as she places bandages on the cuts.

Steve wraps his arms around her hips and pulls her against him. He lays his head against her stomach, which catches her by surprise. "I've been such a shitty friend lately." He mumbles against her shirt, which brings a weird vibration to her body, and she laughs. "You've been distracted. It's okay." She runs a comforting hand through his hair. He visibly relaxes as she plays with his hair, and it brings back memories of when they were younger.

"Come on; you need to have some relaxation time." They walk into her room; she sits on her bed and opens her legs just enough for him to sit between them and rest his head on her lap. She uses her nails to give him a small head massage and plays with his hair.

It's a moment of peace. Two friends being there for each other as if the past week hasn't happened. "I wish I didn't believe Tommy. Nancy has every right to hate me." He mumbles just loud enough for her to hear. She looks down at him with a mixed expression as she thinks about the whole situation.

"Yeah, that was really shitty. I understand where you were coming from. If I were with a guy and...well, actually, I would have talked to him first. But, see, that's the thing with you boys," She moves her head to be in his direct eyesight, "not enough eye contact." They both chuckle as she moves her head back.

Steve gets off the floor and sits beside her on the bed. "Well, when you don't know where your girlfriend is, you can't communicate." He defends, making her roll her eyes. "Excuses, excuses." She jokes, looking at him with a small smile. He leans his head on her shoulder and releases a small sigh, "I've been wondering lately if being with Nancy is the right choice."

She looks down at him, confused. "I mean, we don't have much in common. She's been kind of just a distraction."

"You do remember that's my best friend, right?" She says, chuckling. They lock eyes again, but there is a more meaningful emotion behind it this time. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" He questions, and she laughs. "Are you on some loopy drug I don't know about?" She teases as the walkie-talkie that Dustin gave her goes off.

"Laurie! Laurie! Can you hear me?" Nancy's voice is muffled because of the signal but clear enough for her to hear. She quickly grabs the device and pulls the antenna out, "Yeah, what's up?" She looks over at Steve nervously as Nancy sounds panicked. "Jonathan and I are with the kids, and we're coming to get you. It's an emergency. Bring your daggers and whatever else you can find."

"What's going on?" No answer, only static. "Shit." She curses under her breath before bringing the device back with her to the bed. "You should probably just go. I don't want Nancy to get worried you found out about our secret."

"So something is going on?" She sighs as she caresses his cheek, "Nothing for you to worry about, Steve, promise." She gives him a soft smile before going and putting her dagger holder on again. "Then why do you have daggers, and where the hell did you get daggers?" Steve walks over to her, flailing his arms around like he does when he gets nervous.

"Harrington!" Her voice echoes through the room, and it catches his attention immediately. "You have nothing to worry about. The worst thing you can do right now is trying to get in the way. So stay here, and hang out with Mews. I'll be back before you know it, and you can make up with Nancy." Laurie heads for the door, and he grabs her wrist, "Maybe I don't want to make up with Nancy."

"You're talking crazy. You need to think and relax. You've had a long day" She pats his unhurt cheek in a comforting manner before she heads outside as Jonathan's car pulls into the driveway. She opens the back door and then slides in before Jonathan heads off. "Long time no see, kiddos." She jokes with a big smile when she sees all the kids in the car.

Nancy explains the mission as they head for the school. "So, El is gonna go look for Barb and Will in her mind?" She asks, ensuring she is on the same page as everyone else. "Yes, Laurie, it's not that hard to understand." Dustin quips from the back and then squeals when she hits him in the back of the head. "I was making sure, Dustin. I wasn't here for the briefing. God, you are such a smartass sometimes." She folded her arms across her chest as Nancy and Jonathan shared a look. "He gets it, honestly." Her jaw drops, "That is so not true!"

Once they arrive at the school, they all kick into gear. Jonathan goes to help Hopper, Mike, and Nancy head to the field house for water hoses, and Laurie goes with Dustin and Lucas to set up the pool.

Dustin rolls it into the middle of the floor while Lucas walks in front of him and Laurie behind. "Damn, this thing is heavy." She rolls her eyes and then helps them untie the rope around it. "It's upside down, Luc." She says while she and he unfold the pool. "How does this even work?" Dustin complains as the sides keep falling in on themselves.

"Pull it back, pull it back." Lucas says, "I am." Dustin quips, and on three, the group tries to open it entirely, but the sides fall again. "Shit." Laurie puts a comforting hand on Dustin's shoulder as she tries to think of something. "Okay, Dustin holds this side up, and Lucas holds that side up." She instructs. The boys listen as she runs over to grab the ring that goes around it, and they finally get it to stand up.

The three cheer and high-fives as Mike and Nancy walk in. Nancy connects the hoses, and they fill up the pool. Lucas checks the temp with a thermometer, "Colder!" He calls out to Nancy. "Warmer!" She giggles while kneeling next to Dustin. "Right there."

Hopper and Jonathan bring in the crazy amount of salt needed for the sensory deprivation tank. After testing its buoyancy, Dustin puts an egg in the water, but it sinks. So, they add more salt. After the next round of salt, he tests it again, and it's perfect.

Mike sets the walkie-talkie up, and Joyce walks in with El. Once she takes off her socks and watch, she puts on the makeshift blackout goggles. With the help of Joyce and Hopper, she makes her way to the middle of the pool and then floats. Dustin moves closer to Laurie, and the girl wraps a comforting arm around his shoulder as the lights start to licker.

She notices Lucas looking nervous and pulls him to his side as well. They watch closely and wait for anything. Time seems to tick by slowly as the group stays completely silent; a pin could drop; it's so quiet.

"Barbra?" El's voice strains out. Nancy and Laurie sit up when they hear their friend's name. El starts to breathe heavily, and Laurie starts to get nervous about the fate of her friend as the electricity pulsates. "What's going on?" Nancy questions looking around, "I don't know." Mike answers, keeping an eye on his sister. "Is Barb okay? Is she okay?" Nancy's voice is full of worry, and Laurie's eyes fill with tears. "Gone. Gone." El repeats. Her heart drops, and she holds back a sob as tears run down her cheeks. "Laurie," Dustin whispers, wrapping his sister in a tight hug. Lucas does the same as she cries into her brother's shoulder.

"Will?" El asks after Joyce comforts her. This catches everyone's attention. He can't be dead, not with Barb already gone. She couldn't handle that. She holds the boys close as she waits for El to say more about Will.

"Hurry." Is heard over the walkie talkie and it's a breath of relief. He's alive! El comes out of her state shaken up, but Joyce is there to hold her. After helping her out of the pool, the boys wrap her up in a towel while Nancy and Laurie hold each other while waiting for the adults outside. "She's gone. She's really gone." Nancy cries into Laurie's shoulder. Both girls mourn the loss of their friend in that small moment.

Their moment is broken when Jonathan walks back in, alone. He slides down the wall and sits on the other side of Nancy. For a minute, it's quiet, and they're trying to think of a plan. "We have to go back to the station," Nancy says with her gaze to the floor. "What?" Jonathan questions, "Your mom and Hopper are just walking in there like bait. That thing is still in there." Nancy's voice is a mix of disgust and sadness, "And we can't just sit here and let it get them, too. We can't" Jonathan nods his head while Laurie grabs her hand.

They've lost a friend, it was always the three of them, and now it's just two. They won't let it get down to one, not if they can do anything about it. "I'm in. It must pay for what it's done to Barb and what it's tried to do to Will." Laurie's voice is the complete opposite of Nancy's. Rage and anger are the only tones prevailing when she speaks. "I wanna finish what we started. I want to kill it." Laurie and Nancy look at Jonathan, determined, and he knows he has no other choice. He doesn't want another option.

Escaping through the back without the kids knowing. Jonathan drives them to the station, and they sneak in successfully. Then, grabbing their stuff from Hopper's office, the three quickly sneak out without alerting any of the officers.

Tonight is the end of the madness.