"THIS IS ALL MY FAULT." CARLA PACED BACK AND FORTH.

"If I didn't need a ride home, Will wouldn't have been left alone for so long, and he'd probably be here right now." Carla exclaimed, putting her face into her hands out of stress, and guilt. This was all her fucking fault. Why didn't she just call Nancy? Why didn't she just drive a damn car?

Jonathan shook his head, "No, this is all on me. I shouldn't have taken that shift when I knew Mom was working late." His face was filled with guilt and worry as he spoke, "Will was waiting, depending, on me to be home, and I-I wasn't."

The boy slammed his fist on the table out of disappointment in himself and closed his eyes for a few moments. The noise called Carla to slightly flinch and look up at him, frowning when she saw how distraught he was.

Never in their friendship had Carla seen Jonathan so worried, so distraught, so angry at himself. Jonathan didn't show strong emotions like this in front of her often.

She was used to a happy, funny Jonathan, not a sad, guilty of himself Jonathan, and she didn't know how to react other than showing that she'd stay here with him. That she would stay and make sure Will was found.

Carla came up to him, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace, to which he accepted, wrapping his arms around her too. He needed this.

The minute that she heard the news, Carla had rushed over to the Byers home. School suddenly became a second priority to her, Will and his family pushing past to number one. All she currently cared about was the little Byers boy, who was missing.

She almost cringed at the word. Missing. It sounded so real.

Will was only twelve—there wasn't much he could do to defend himself against whatever was out there. He was a sensitive boy, who didn't talk to people he wasn't comfortable with. He didn't start fights, and certainly wouldn't last if someone or something was to attack him.

To Carla, Will Byers was like a brother, and she was willing to do whatever she could to help Jonathan and Joyce find him.

Speaking on Joyce, the eldest Byers was one to worry, but never had the Wheeler seen her this worked up. Mrs. Byers had been full of distress the moment she couldn't find her boy in his bed, and was quick to start calling around for answers. To her demise, she was met with no, sorry we haven't seen him's and have you tried calling Sue instead?'s rather than the actual whereabouts, which put even more worry on to her shoulders.

With no information, Joyce took her case to the police office instead with the hopes that maybe with the help of someone more professional, Will would be found.

An idea suddenly popped into Carla's mind, and she pulled away from her friend's arms. "Hey, what about the boys? They would have been the last to see him, right?" She walked over to grab her bag from the kitchen table, tossing it over her shoulder. "They were probably out of the house before your mom called—they'd have no clue he's missing."

"It's worth a shot," Jonathan shrugged, "A long shot, but we could take it." He tossed his car keys to the brunette girl, who caught them with ease and headed for the Byers' car, "Take my car."

While Carla didn't like driving all that much, she'd do it for an important cause—like possibly getting answers about the Byers boy. So, with that in mind, she started up the engine and headed towards Hawkins High. The drive was short, Carla was slightly speeding, and she quickly parked the car and hopped out, eyes scanning a little away's to try and find three familiar boys.

It wasn't too difficult, and the moment she spotted the three, she began running over towards Hawkins Middle to speak.

Dustin Henderson, one of the three, saw her incoming figure and allowed a smile to grow on his face, "Carla! Hey!"

Approaching them, Carla allowed the curly haired boy to give her a small hug. "Hey, Dustin."

"Hi, Carla." Lucas Sinclair also gave a small wave, but also gave in and allowed a small embrace.

Carla smiled, "Hello, Baby Boy."

Lucas gave an eye roll at the infamous nickname, which he'd been given by the girl after she became his babysitter. He hated it, but knew it wasn't going to go away for a long-time.

Mike ended the greetings with a small sneer, "What are you doing here?" He was usually annoyed when his friends spoke about Carla, or just with her in general—a usual brother move—but deep down, he had a soft spot for his elder sister. If he was about to cry, he'd go to her. If he needed someone to talk too, it'd be her.

"Have you boys seen Will at all?" Carla asks, trying not to sound too worried. The last thing she wanted to do was alert the boys that their friend was missing when they were still unsure whether that was actually true. "I have something important to tell him."

Lucas replied, "I haven't seen him since we left the campaign last night. He went with Dustin, I went the other way."

With that, Carla looked at the Henderson boy, who gave a shrug. "He raced ahead of me. I just assumed he went home."

Mike, instead of actually answering the question, sent her a small look, "If it's so important, why can't you just tell us?"

The Wheeler girl laughed her cover story off, "It's not that important. I can wait till later to tell him, it's fine."

"Is everything okay?" Dustin raised a brow, "Is something wrong with Will?"

Carla was finally letting some of her anxiety get to her and exclaimed, "Wrong? Why would anything be wrong? He's fine! Everything is fine!"

Carla had never been good at lying, and all the boys knew this. She could almost sense them peeking through her white-lies. Not only was she bad at it, but Carla hated lying to them, especially Mike. The first rule of being a part of the Party was 'friend's don't lie' and she was breaking it right.....but was she really? Will was fine, and there was no reason to worry them. Right?

"Okay...." Mike trailed off, looking at his sister, "Uh, we've gotta meet with Mr. Clarke, so if you see Will, tell him we'll be there."

"Sounds good." Carla sighed, watching as all three boys grabbed their bikes and rolled them up to the bike rack in front of the middle school. She then ran back over to her own school, people oddly looking at the sprinting girl, searching the halls for her twin sister—the only other person who would have any information on Will.

Spotting the girl fixing her bag over her shoulder as she exited the bathroom, Carla stopped in front of her. "Nance, do you have a second?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it, Car?" Nancy looked up at her sister, waiting for her question. Except, before Carla could start asking about Will, her eyes caught Steve Harrington sneaking—or at least trying to sneak—from the girls restroom. The same bathroom that Nancy had just been exiting.

She blew a breath from her lips, trying to ignore the thought of Steve kissing her sister. Of Steve being with her sister.

Think about Will. "Uh, have you seen Will at all since he left our house last night?"

"No, I haven't." Nancy frowns, noticing the way her sister bit her lip at the reply, "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, everything is fine." Carla's eyes trailed back to the Harrington boy who was leaning against the lockers across from the two Wheeler girls, clearly waiting for whatever conversation that was happening to finish. "Besides, it seems your a little busy at the moment."

Looking between her sister and her boyfriend, Nancy let out a groan, "Carla, come on—"

Carla didn't stay to listen to her sister, and instead walked away from her—not like she had anything more to say. Not when she knew that her sister had just finished making out with her ex.

It made her sick to think that after breaking up with Carla, Steve thought he could just move on to someone like her sister. It was a dick move on both Nancy and his part—like he was trying to get at her for something. You might not have been good enough, but your twin sister is.

But, it was too late to change whatever they had going on, and now Carla was just worried for her sister. Steve didn't take many of his flings too seriously and the last thing she wanted to happen was to see her sister get heartbroken the same way she was—though by the looks of it, she seemed to be on pretty good terms with the Harrington boy.

And, no matter Carla's opinions on the matter, she wasn't about to ruin it for Nancy. If her sister really cared for the Harrington, she wouldn't be the one to force them apart—she'd let Steve do the honors. Carla was over Steve, and she'd learn to get over her grudge and respect their relationship.

"Carla!" Nancy called from behind her sister, having followed her out, "Where are you going?"

Staying silent, the other Wheeler continued to head back to Jonathan's car, where she'd return to the Byers with no information on Will—which she hated.

But, the thing she hated even more happened to be right next to her. Tommy H. and Carol.

"Look, it's Carlie." Tommy laughs, making Carol cackle a high pitched noise that was supposedly laughter as well, though Carla found nothing he said funny. The way he sneered her name usually managed to get on her nerves, including today.

The two of them were another reason as to why Carla was worried for her sister when it came to dating Steve. Tommy and Carol were a part of Steve's crowd, and Nancy was far from what Steve's crowd was considered. If it weren't for Steve's interest in her, Tommy nor Carol would ever bother speaking to Nance, let alone treating her like a real human—Carla would know. The couple barely ever spoke to her until she became truly serious with their friend.

And now, after their breakup, Tommy was still on her case, messing around with her for the fun of it.

"What do you want, Tommy?" Carla leaned against Jonathan's car, staring at the freckled boy for whatever answer he was willing to give.

Tommy gave a smirk, shrugging, "Nothing. I just didn't know the freak would actually let you drive that thing. I mean, is he really that psycho?" Looking down at the wheels of her car, he added, "I'm also surprised you haven't run over a little middle schooler yet. I don't see any blood on the wheels."

"Funny." the Wheeler girl sent an unimpressed look.

Before the Hagan boy could make another remark, Steve Harrington in all of his glory came to his side, "Hey, Tommy, stop."

"Why? I was having so much fun." the boy looked at his friend with a stupid smirk plastered on his face.

Steve also held an unimpressed look on his face as he looked at Tommy, "You're being a dick, that's why." He slightly glanced at Carla, "Just leave her alone."

"Whatever you say." the Hagan boy replied, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's waist as he walked away. At his side, Carol let out a small mutter to which Tommy laughed—probably something about Carla.

Steve walked forward, clearly wanting to say something to Carla, but she put a hand in front of her to keep a little distance between the Harrington boy and herself. Last time they were this close, an argument started.

"Look. If you're just doing this because I'm Nancy's sister, or because you want to be forgiven from last year, forget it and try again later." Carla states, wanting to get this conversation over with. "I don't need you saving my ass from Tommy."

Steve contradicted her words, "I don't want to be forgiven or whatever, I'm just trying to, uh, restart things, if you will." He continued, "You're my girlfriend's sister. I don't want it to be really awkward between us all the time."

"I'd like to rephrase that. I'm your ex. Your new girlfriend is my sister." Carla replied, giving him a look. "If you didn't want shit to be awkward, maybe you should have thought of that one beforehand."

"I-"

Carla continued to speak, cutting him off, "If you wanted to restart things between us—" she gestured between the two of them, "—you should have apologized before you and Nancy got together, because now, it just looks like your apologizing to apologize."

Steve ran a hand through his neatly done hair. Carla used to love his hair—didn't everyone? It had been hers to run her fingers through, not Nancy's.

"I'm sorry about what happened to us last year, okay?" Steve apologizes anyway, ignoring her previous words. "We both made some mistakes, and we were both too young to realize we didn't really love each other."

Ouch. That was definitely a hit at Carla's past actions of freezing up at the word. Then again, who freezes up when someone admits they love you? Who freezes when someone asks if you love them back?

It wasn't exactly Carla's fault. Her parents didn't love each other. She'd never heard the word love around her house and she'd never really had the person to express it too. The word felt so alien coming from her mouth, as did the feeling. So, when her boyfriend admitted to loving her.....she just froze. She didn't know how to say it back.

But, maybe if she had just forced the words out.....

Steve broke her thoughts when he continued, "I just....I want a second chance at things. As friends."

Ignoring his words, Carla put her hand on Jonathan's car door, "I really have to go—"

Almost pressuring her to say yes, Steve asks yet again, "So, do I get another chance?"

Opening her car door, Carla replies, "Maybe if you don't treat my sister horribly, maybe just maybe, I could make an attempt." She slams her door, "Now, I really have to go."

Steve gave a nod, and a small, awkward, wave before running back into the school. Thankful that he'd finally left, the Wheeler girl drove back to the Byers' house. As she drove, Steve's face kept popping back into her head, unable to leave. His hair, his smile, everything about him staying right there, in the front of her mind.

Little did she know, as Steve entered Hawkins High again, Carla still stayed at the front of his mind too. Her laugh, the way she used to blush whenever he complimented her, everything about her.

Maybe their feelings hadn't disappeared, after all. But...they were both too blind to see it, and both were too stubborn to admit it.

But, whatever feelings that were resurfacing disappeared the moment Carla entered the Byers household. She could hear cursing coming from somewhere deeper in the house, and was quick to run to Jonathan's room to see what was happening.

His room was a mess when she entered it. Clothes were tossed all over his floor, drawers pulled from his dresser, magazines ripped and torn, mix-tapes smashed. There were marks on his wall from where he'd punched it out of rage. In simple words, Jonathan was blaming himself hard. Too hard.

The boy himself was hunched over on his bed, tear stains on his shirt and jeans. His knuckles were bruised from hitting things. He looked terrible.

The brunette girl took a seat next to him on the bed, and he immediately laid his head on her shoulder and began to cry. "It's my fault, Carla."

"It's okay, he's okay. We're gonna find him," Carla whispered, reassuring herself and Jonathan.

"We're gonna bring him home."

mara's misc!

good morning.....it's literally the ass-crack of dawn for me aka 5am.

 this isn't monday, (i fucked up my days of the week, someone take me back to school), but it's kinda easier to update now then worry about it tomorrow when i am in florida and relaxing on a beach or smth

again, it was so fun re-writing this chapter, especially the convo between steve and carla. they've really come a long way since season one.

also, with this re-write, i do want to write more about how steve went from carla to her sister. little old me didn't see a problem with that, and now i do see how awkward that would be....and i wanna add to it since its really ignored in the og.

i also also added a little bit more about carla and not being able to say ily for funsies. steve hitting her where it hurts.

its actually so goofy seeing how steve and carla used to be.

hope you enjoyed! see you back with chapter three <3