Chapter Three: The Vanishing of Will Byers
(Steve Harrington x Female Reader)
In the future will include:
Billy Hargrove x reader, and probably Eddie Munson x reader, as well as Jonathan Byers x reader although those will be chapters. I have include them in the tags because of this.
(Not my gifs, credit goes to the creators)
The schedule for upcoming stories
Main Masterlist
Part One (Prologue (the start of the beginning)) Part Two (Chapter One: A fresh start) Part Three (Chapter Two: A bitchin phone call)
Requested by: No one
Requests: Open
Fandom: Stranger Things TV Series.
Request: N/A. This is part four to The girl who forgot, it is a (Y/n) version of the story I am writing on Ao3. It follows the first episode of season one. I would recommend reading it there if you want to as whilst I put (y/n/n) for 'your nickname' there is something more I want to do with her names, but like no pressure, so if that bit doesn't make sense, that is why. Also I go more into her character, her history, etc so that is why some things below aren't reader specific, more OC. I also don't know how much longer I will continue publishing each chapter into an '(y/n)' on tumblr, but for now looks as I am. :)
Warnings: Foul language, mentions of child abduction, just stranger things episode one stuff
Words: 10.8K
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, the scenarios, the reader, and the dialogue are mine excluding the dialogue/scenes from the tv show and other cannon materials.
This should only be found on my blog.
Author is always me on this blog @daydreams-magic01 .
A/N: Please do not copy or plagiarise this, or put it in your own book, etc. It should only be found here. Also, please mention if I should make a taglist and if you wanted to be added.
Thank you to everyone who read the previous chapters here and on Ao3, and thank you to those who commented, and left kudos/liked, that is what pushed me to write the second chapter. Thank you so much, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Thank you.
:)
Taglist: @aerissblog, and @smthgsmthgidk
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy ~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 6th, 1983
If there is one thing I wish more than anything (par the obvious everyone in my family is happy and healthy) is that Steve Harrington shits his pants at school.
Oh, what I would pay for that.
I know I should be over it, but I can feel him watching me across the halls, mocking me. Can he not just grow up and fuck off?
I rarely speak to him, but his presence is a constant reminder of – UGH.
I CAN’T EVEN SPEAK ABOUT IT.
FUCK YOU. FUCK YOU. FUCK YOU.
AND FUCK YOU STACEY I HEARD THAT COMMENT ABOUT MY SKIN.
Lots of love from your writer,
Miss (Y/n) E. C. Wheeler
Jesus Christ.
All her diary entries show is that she is a teenager, and like all teenagers found it unnecessary to make note of what is important. No matter how many times she reads it, it is just the same – no hidden clues or anything. Most entries are her ranting about school, or thirsting over actors, or contemplating suicide after an embarrassing moment. The only useful thing she has gotten is that she auditioned for ballet summer school in New York just before her accident, and that she has at least some sort of study schedule.
She’s learnt more in the last few weeks raw-dogging life. Since the accident, she has become very close with Jonathan, seemingly returning to some sort of routine, as last week he began driving her to school, and her friends from cheer and the basketball team are actually really nice, and not high school pricks. Being a prick is left to Steve and Tommy H. So far, she is closest to Chrissy, who phones her almost every night just to talk.
It’s cool.
Fun.
Nice.
“Hey, (Y/n).”
She jumps slightly and turns behind her. Currently she is laid on her front on her bed, pink button-up pyjamas on, her diary in front of her, and her science homework to her right (which she gave up on about a minute into doing it). Her bed is made up, though heavily crumpled by her body and constant fidgeting. Behind her bed on her wallpapered wall, is a window, and like the other one to her left of her bed, the heavy curtains are open, but the thinner white curtains are closed, Nancy has the same ones in her room.
She smiles at the young boy clad in an adorable white ‘Karate’ tee, with a grey one underneath (smart as it is November), and an adorable tan coat, and a white and blue cap with a red bill. He has his blue backpack on and is holding out a pizza box, with an adorable smile on his face.
“There’s a slice left if you want it,” he opens the lid, “sausage and pepperoni.”
“Thank you, Dustin,” she smiles, admittedly honoured she was asked first (pretending as if her door isn’t the first one), “but, I just brushed my teeth. Nance, though, might want it.”
“No problem, thanks, (Y/n).”
She smiles, but he doesn’t see it, already walking down the passage to Nancy’s room. She can hear her on the phone, she isn’t very quiet, and (Y/n) is nosey.
“Yeah… No, I don’t think. Yeah… he’s cute,” Nancy says, immediately piking her interest. Who could this guy be? Better not be Jonathan, that’s her best friend. “Barb, no, I don’t think so.” Well, clearly, she doesn’t like this boy that much. “Barb, you’re not –.”
(Y/n) doesn’t turn away from the open door as she listens to Dustin repeat the same question he asked her to her sister. He’s so adorable, with his adorable hair.
“Hold on.” Nancy says, and a moment later the door slams shut.
Little shit.
She’s on her feet before she knows it, and before she can register it, on reflex, she is in the corridor, padding on the soft carpet barefoot and leaning around the sighing Dustin to twist the doorknob open.
“Hey!” Nancy shouts, startled.
“Don’t be such a shit, say no thank you,” she points a finger accusatorily at her sister.
“Okay, holy shit,” Nancy holds up the phone in surrender from where she is lying on her stomach in her blue pyjamas. “Thank you, Dustin, but I’m not hungry.” She sarcastically smiles at the two, before flipping the bird at her sister.
“Say sorry.”
“UGH!” Nancy gets up, walking over, and taking the doorknob on the other side in her hand. “I’m sorry, there.”
The door slams in their faces.
(Y/n)’s fist curls as she bites her lip before she smiles sarcastically, flipping the bird at the closed door. She sighs, and turns, jumping slightly at the sight of Dustin. She forgot he was there. Her face flushes at her display, she didn’t mean to talk so brazenly to Nancy. She has to keep reminding herself every day that although she doesn’t know Nancy, Nancy does know her.
“Sorry.” She smiles bashfully at the boy who looks up at her with a dropped jaw.
“You’re awesome.”
Her face flushes darker. “I’m not but thank you.” She takes in his appearance, “you have the slice. Are you all heading home?”
“Yeah,” he sighs.
“Well, I’ll be down in a moment to wave you all goodbye.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy: Author is always me on this blog @daydreams-magic01 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
“It’s because she’s been dating that douchebag Steve Harrington,” Lucas says before (Y/n) opens the door to their open garage. She doesn’t register his words.
“Yeah, she’s turning into a real jerk. Unlike (Y/n), and I heard that –,” Dustin stops when he sees her, climbing onto his bike. “Hey.”
“They’ve both always been real jerks,” Mike says, before quickly glancing behind him, “hi.”
“Nuh-uh, she used to be cool. Like that time she dressed up as an elf for our Elder tree campaign.” Dustin finishes. That sounds like fun, and she isn’t surprised Nancy did that, she can be not annoying sometimes.
“Four years ago.”
“Just saying.”
The three leaving boys are all sat on their bikes, ready to leave, looking back at her expectantly. They look exactly the same as they did when she saw them at dinner, all in their adorable outfits. Michael wears his blue jumper, and Lucas his tan coat and blue shirt with the yellow collar, Will in a dark blue plaid shirt now covered by his jacket.
“You boys all call when you’re safe home, except you Lucas, I can see where you live.”
“You stalking me?” Lucas jokes, making her and Will laugh.
“Yes.”
“We’ll radio.” Dustin says, as if it’s obvious. Which, it admittedly is.
“Well, Will you ring, because you won’t be in range, and it’s dark, you don’t know who could be lurking out there.”
Dustin gasps, as Will nods, Lucas and Mike looking between the three of them. “You know what range is?”
“I’m not an imbecile.”
“He thinks you are,” Lucas laughs as he begins to pedal, ignoring whatever Dustin mutters at him before he leaves too, “later.”
“Byeee.” (Y/n) steps out, clad in a dressing gown, and trainers she is standing on her tiptoes in so she doesn’t bend the back. She continues to wave with her brother as she walks around Will who’s still on his bike, to stop in front of the back of the car.
“It was a seven.” Will says.
“Huh?” Mike says.
“The roll, it was a seven.” She glances from her peripheral to see him moving back and forth ever so slightly on his bike. “The Demogorgon it got me.” Then he grunts, beginning to pedal, “see you tomorrow. Bye, guys.”
Mike doesn’t say anything, watching him with her, his yellow and red sleeveless puffer jacket, and that dark backpack fading into the distance.
Then the garage light flickers above them. They both glance up.
“Huh,” she looks down to her brother, wiggling her brows, “I hope it’s not a monster, oooo.” She wiggles her fingers, walking like a zombie menacingly towards her little brother.
Michael rolls his eyes before flipping off the light switch, trying not to smile as (Y/n) laughs, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as the two head inside.
Michael heads down to the basement to clear up their mess, whilst she tucks away their shoes. It is a couple minutes later, after she has rifled through the bread to pick the best slice to munch on, that Mike shouts up that Dustin is home safely. That makes Lucas and Dustin.
She tries to tell herself everything is fine, but her brain is gnawing, and she has this awful feeling in her bones. So, when she does pick up the kitchen phone and dial the number, she waves in dismissal at her mom and her worried look.
The phone is picked up immediately, “hi, Jonathan, is Will home -?”
“Hello?! Hello?!”
Goosebumps. He sounds so scared, so urgent.
“Wi –.” Static. What the fuck? “Hello? Hello?” Just static. She has never had that before. She tries not to slam the phone back on the receiver, but her skin is cold, and her ears are thumping. She quickly picks up the phone again and redials. It dials, and dials, and dials until it gives a busy signal, and she sighs very loudly.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong.”
Her mother puts her hand on her shoulder, gently turning her around.
“It’s Will, he was meant to ring me, and he answered – he was scared. Now I can’t reach him.”
She looks up from the ground, and Karen is looking down at her, lips pursed as she pulls her into her arms. “There, there, sweetie. I’m sure Joyce just sent him to bed, or maybe Jonathan is pulling a prank. You know what boys are like.”
Not my boys, she wants to say. It’s an intrusive thought, one that groups the Byers boys, her own brother, Lucas and Dustin.
She can hear her father shuffling in the distance, still playing with the TV antenna before he calls out her name.
“It’s all right Ted.” Karen says, eyes falling to her cupid’s bow.
“Doesn’t sound like it.”
“Yeah, well -,” she sighs, cutting herself off before letting go of (Y/n) and walking over to get some kitchen roll.
“Her nose is bleeding,” Ted states, and (Y/n) turns sharply, brows raised in confusion. Her father is now stood underneath the entry way into the kitchen connected to the sitting room.
“Yes, Ted, we can see that,” exasperated, Karen tugs at the roll before turning to face her once more.
Nosebleed?
Confused she slowly raises her right hand, brushing beneath her nose before putting her hand in front of her. Blood.
She hasn’t had one in years, not since eighth grade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy ~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 7th, 1983
That night she dreams of monstrous men.
The following morning is hectic before breakfast. Nancy wears her skirt, which she has to try to tug off her until her mother declares, “Nancy, you know your sister doesn’t like it when people touch her things. Can you not wear something else?
So, now Nancy is wearing a grey wool skirt with diagonal stripes with her white tights and short black heels, buttoned pink cardigan, and dark brown blouse. (Y/n) in comparison wears a pale lavender long-sleeved shirt with a navy waistcoat on top, with dark blue jeans and her converse.
First day of the school week and everyone is dressed just as well; Ted in a white button-up shirt with a black tie, Karen in a blue and pale plaid shirt, Holly in a cute pink long-sleeved shirt, and Mike in a long-sleeved dark and pale blue striped polo with white and yellow stripes.
“That’s disgusting,” Nancy comments watching their brother who sits between them pour a large amount of syrup on his eggs, and at the same time the landline rings. (Y/n) has already poured her own small amount of syrup on her eggs and bacon, and everyone else is already eating their meal, their father also reading a newspaper.
Karen quickly gets up and answers it, Holly in her arms.
“You’re disgusting!” Mike retorts, making her laugh.
“Hello?” Karen says in the background. Mike pours syrup all over Nancy’s breakfast, making (Y/n) snort. “Oh, Joyce, hi.”
“What the hell, Mike?” Nancy drops her cutlery loudly.
“Quiet!” Karen quickly shouts, glancing behind her.
“Language.”
“Are you kidding?”
(Y/n) laughs again, and for a moment she swears the sun shines brighter through the window. She doesn’t hear the rest of the phone call, too busy laughing as their father tells the two of them off. Her laugh is cut short when Ted tells her off too. Is a girl no longer allowed to show her amusement?
The rest of breakfast is peaceful, although Mike is on edge when Karen explains that Joyce thought Will was missing until she realised he had left for school early. How could Mike not be on edge? No one likes the idea of a missing child, lest it spread to their own.
Jonathan doesn’t ring for another half an hour to tell her he can’t take her to school. (Y/n) wouldn’t mind if not for the fact that Ted had already left, Nancy and Mike too, and Karen was clearly busy with Holly. However, she knows she’s in the wrong to be irritated if it turns out that something is up with Will – which, surely there isn’t.
So, she made the executive decision to drive herself. Backpack strap over one shoulder, she grabs her keys and heads straight outside.
As it turns out she has her own car - no idea why she doesn’t drive it to school normally. Walking out the front door, she walks past the open garage to the side of the road. There it is! Her red 1974 Cherry Camaro that she saved a shit ton of money for, with her parents helping a bit.
Humming to herself she unlocks the car, swinging the key between her fingers. With a quick twist the driver’s seat opens, and she chucks her backpack onto the passenger seat.
(Y/n) is glad to find that the seat is in the perfect position, and she quickly turns the key into the ignition.
Why doesn’t she drive more often? This is easy.
‘HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU!’ Is what the radio and tape player in her car plays. It startles her, it blares, filling the street. With haste she twists the knob and turns it off.
“Holy shit,” she laughs to herself, sighing as she falls back against her seat.
She takes a moment to gather herself before tucking her hair behind her ear. She then huffs, placing her hands 10-2 on the wheel.
Oh.
Goosebumps.
Her head is cold.
She is scared.
Why?
Apparently, she’s a great driver. Plus, Ted has been taking it on drives so that the battery won’t die.
She’ll do a test run down the street; it’s just like riding a bike.
On instinct she can feel her hand raising to get ready to drive but unfortunately the door is thrown open, and a hand reaches over to turn off the ignition and steal the key.
No!
She turns to her mother, smiling bashfully, but her mother is anything but impressed.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
“Driving, it’s only been a few weeks.”
Karen is frowning, arms crossed and brow furrowed. It makes her gulp. “Not exactly.”
It gets darker as clouds cast over, and for a moment there’s a cool breeze.
“I can drive, I remember gas, breaking, blinkers, etcetera.” She smiles at Karen, “plus, muscle memory?”
“Get out of the car, (Y/n).”
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
Karen sighs, crossed arms tightening before they completely loosen, dropping to her sides. (Y/n) glances to the other side of the car, she can see the kitchen door is closed-to. She wonders what Holly is doing, probably with her toys.
She wishes she was playing with Holly’s toys.
“You are my daughter; you’re meant to be a bother.” Karen pauses. “And where is your coat?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy: Author is always me on this blog @daydreams-magic01 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Shit, shit, shit,” (Y/n) mumbles, speed walking to the doors, quickly sparing another wave behind her to Karen and Holly in the car. She has a couple minutes until the bell, but she really needs the toilet and is running very behind schedule.
When she gets inside, she quickly waves to her friends, speeds past her locker and pushes open the door to the girl’s bathroom. She tugs to undo the buttons of her brown coat with her free hand not clutching anything.
That is when she is brutally scarred for life.
There Steve Harrington clad in a light blue stripey long-sleeved polo, with his hair parted like the first time they met, has her beautiful, wonderful sister against the wall. Clearly, they were kissing moments before and were murmuring to each other just now.
Fucking hell, Steve Harrington is punching way above his weight.
Secondly, this is disgusting.
Thirdly, this is Steve Harrington! He is yet to earn her forgiveness, and this is not the way how. Her sister deserves better than The Douchebag Hair.
“Oh my god,” she raises her hands in surrender as she begins to walk backwards, “I am so, so sorry. I didn’t see anything I swear!”
When the fuck did this happen? Why is she only just hearing about this now?
The two are yet to step apart, looking at her with wide eyes. Nancy is paler than usual, but Steve is more composed, looking more annoyed at the interruption than anything, jaw tight.
“(Y/n), wait -,” Nancy starts, but (Y/n) is out of the bathroom before she can finish. There’s a tight feeling at the back of her head, and her shoulders are tense without meaning to be. She doesn’t stop speed walking, now clutching her binder to her chest.
By the time Nancy steps outside the bathroom, (Y/n) is out of her line of sight, tucked away in homeroom.
(Y/n) quickly starts a conversation with Brenda before she even has a chance to think, slumping down in her seat. Thank you, Brenda, lovely, pretty, Brenda.
When Steve comes inside, he doesn’t even look at her, not even pausing in the doorway. Why would he pause in the doorway? (Y/n) is turned away, facing Brenda and the window to the field outside, but she can hear, and she hears nothing; just Steve loudly greeting his friends, and doing a bro handshake hug thing with Tommy before throwing himself in his seat, his gym bag landing on his desk.
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The end of the school day is a huge relief. She manages to convince the others to not eat lunch in the cafeteria, instead a picnic table out at the far back of the school, in the woods. They all have fun, some of the boys giving the girls their jackets to sit on the leaves when they couldn’t fit on a bench.
She successfully avoids Nancy and doesn’t even have to worry about Steve as he doesn’t acknowledge her.
For once, in this case, it is a relief he is a douche.
She lingers in the toilets after school, for about twenty minutes before heading straight to the phones out back. Reaching them, she crouches down as she slugs off her backpack before opening it and rummaging.
After about half a minute, she finds it, the tiny scrap of paper with Jonathan’s number on. She hums ‘Under Pressure’ to herself as she fastens up her backpack. She stands up, and shuffles forward with it between her feet as she pulls out some quarters from her right back pocket before dialling the number.
It barely rings before Mrs Byers picks it up, “Lonnie? Will?”
“No, I’m sorry, Mrs Byers, it’s just me.”
There’s a loud sigh, “oh, (Y/n), we’re trying to keep this line open in case someone rings.”
“I know, I heard about the search party and was wondering if you checked in any basement or crawl space last night, maybe the woods, because Will was home when I spoke to –. “
“Wait, wait, wait,” she can imagine Mrs Byers shaking her head, running a hand through her hair, “you spoke to Will. When?”
(Y/n)’s tongue darts out to wet her lips, “last night. I rang and he answered immediately, but then we were cut out, with… static? I don’t know, it was weird –.”
“Wait, what? What did he say?”
“’Hello?’ But urgently, he – he, uh –”
She hesitates but there isn’t time for a pause as Mrs Byers jumps right on it, “but what, (Y/n)? But, what?”
She gulps and quickly glances around her. It feels almost like a secret, or perhaps more of a sin, a fear, “he sounded scared, Mrs Byers,” she whispers. “He didn’t even get to hear me respond.”
This time there is a pause, then a shaky inhale. “Scared?” Her voice cracks, and (Y/n) can’t bear to imagine her trying not to cry. She can hear Jonathan speak in the distance, but she can’t understand what he says.
“Yes.”
“Okay, uh, thank you, (Y/n). What time was this?”
“8:42 pm. I remember because I was watching the clock when I was waiting for the call to go through the second time.”
“Yeah, uh, the phone wasn’t on the receiver this morning… thanks, I’ll let Hopper know.”
“Okay, I wanted to check on Jona -,” Mrs Byers hangs up on her, “-than.” (Y/n) sighs and clenches her eyes shut.
Was this her fault?
She should have fought harder. Checked on Will.
No. It’s not, right? She wasn’t there, so how could she know? Plus, the other week Mike didn’t put the phone on the receiver properly and no one realised for several hours when (Y/n) realised Chrissy hadn’t called.
How is she meant to feel about this? She doesn’t know.
She needs to help find Will.
Her eyes open as she groans, clutching her stomach with her right hand. Great.
She quickly puts the phone on the receiver before picking up her bag and slinging it over her left shoulder. She sighs loudly as she turns around. Karen has been waiting an unfair amount of time.
Great, she is now also selfish.
(Y/n) goes to gaze up to the heavens but instead her eyes catch someone watching her. Tommy is mumbling something to him as they wait, no doubt, for Carol. Steve nods along to him, saying some words here and there but his eyes don’t break from hers.
How did she not notice them? They are literally behind the open doors outside, leaning against the wall.
Why are they even out back?
She nods to herself, tightening her grasp on her strap before walking over, “have a good evening, guys.”
Tommy only stops for a moment, but quickly spares her a glance, looking her up and down, “you too, Wheeler,” before resuming his conversation.
“Thanks, you too,” Steve mumbles very badly and she doesn’t catch what he says, but it is the right number of syllables, so it is most likely that is what he said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy: Author is always me on this blog @daydreams-magic01 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
“We should be out there right now. We should be helping look for him.” Michael speaks up that evening at dinner. It is now dark outside, and the Wheelers are all gathered around their dinner table, feeding themselves whilst Karen spends most of her time leaning over next to her to Holly in the highchair. As it is dinner they’re at the dining table, not the kitchen table, and (Y/n) sits at what is technically the head of the table between Ted and Mike.
“We’ve been over this, Mike, the Chief says – “
“– I don’t care what the Chief said.”
“Michael.” Karen is now facing her son, her husband wiping his mouth.
“We have to do something. Will can be in danger.” Mike speaks so urgently, so earnestly.
“He’s right,” (Y/n) cuts in, and her brother quickly turns to her with a relieved smile.
“More reason to stay put,” Karen quickly inputs, leaving no time between them speaking.
“Mom!” Mike says at the same time (Y/n) shouts out her first name, but Karen puts her hand down.
“End of discussion.” Karen looks at each of them, excluding Holly, but Nancy doesn’t care, and Ted is mid-sip of his drink. Michael and (Y/n) are quick to look away. The two lean their foreheads on their hand in sync.
“So… me and Barbara are gonna study tonight.” (Y/n) scoffs, and Nancy makes quick work to turn and glare at her, before looking back to Karen. “That’s cool, right?”
“No, not cool,” Karen quickly says, and (Y/n) has to bite of a smirk. She can’t help it. That is what you get for not telling your big sister big important things like boys.
“What? Why not?” Nancy isn’t used to being told no.
This is amazing.
“Why do you think?” Karen begins to also speak with her hands, “am I speaking Chinese in this house? Until we know Will is okay, no one leaves.”
“This is such bullshit.” Nancy drops her fork.
“Language.” (Ted Wheeler’s favourite word).
“So, we’re under house arrest? Just because Mike’s friend got lost on the way home from -”
Michael begins to talk over Nancy just as (Y/n)’s eyes widen and she has to turn away to the closed blinds behind her brother and sister. “Wait, this is Will’s fault?”
“Nancy take that back.” Karen gives her a chance.
“No!”
“You’re just pissed off ‘cause you want to hang out with Steve.” Mike says, no hesitation, and (Y/n) can’t help but begin to laugh, ignoring the look Nancy gives Mike then her.
Mike seems to realise his mistake as he awkwardly looks away, eyes wide as he turns to their parents. (Y/n) leans against her fist, biting down on it, as her shoulders shake. This is glorious.
“Steve?” Ted speaks again with a very obvious side eye, just as Karen speaks.
“Who’s Steve?”
“Not Steven Harrington? He’s been here far too much; do we need to set a place at the table?”
“Her new boyfriend.” Oh, apparently no mistake was made, Mike is just dishing out strikes. In all fairness, Nancy deserves it, poor Will. Mike was egging on their parents with his wide eyes before.
“You are such a douchebag, Mike!”
“Language!” Ted raises his voice.
Nancy groans loudly before pushing herself up off her seat, heading straight upstairs, ignoring their mother as she says, “Nancy come back. Come back!”
(Y/n)’s now longer laughing, her brows raising as high as they can go. The audacity. Where is the fear?
Karen sighs, looking down to her youngest, her toddler who is somehow clearly easier to deal with than her detective son, independent daughter, and her other amnesiac daughter who tried to steal her own car. “It’s okay, Holly. Here, have some juice, okay?” She leans towards her, gently taking care of her.
Ted takes another mouthful of food before speaking, “you see, Michael? You see what happens?”
“What happens when what?” Michael shouts as Holly chugs down her mug, looking at him as if she understands what is going on, “I’m the only one acting normal here! I’m the only one that cares about Will!”
“What am I, invisible?” (Y/n) sticks out her hands at her side, shrugging her shoulders.
“That is really unfair, son,” Ted explains, “We care.” He pops some food in his mouth. Mike is dumfounded and drops his hands. He then pushes himself up off the table and leaves.
Where the hell is everyone going?
“Mike!” Karen says, before sighing alongside Holly, Mike running up the stairs.
Well (Y/n)’s still hungry, but now she has to leave in solidarity. For fucks sake.
“Let him go.”
Karen turns to her husband, “I hope you’re enjoying your chicken, Ted.” (Y/n) pauses, lowering her fork from where she was about to take her last bite, and ironically Holly is munching on chicken alongside the two of them.
Karen gets up, and seeing her shot, (Y/n) awkwardly stands and almost bows, thanking her parents before running upstairs as her mom lifts Holly.
“What did I do?” Karen ignores Ted, heading for the living room. “Hey! What’d I do?”
(Y/n) does feel bad for him, how is he meant to do better next time if no one tells him what he did that was wrong?
The last thing she hears before shutting her door is Ted dropping his fork with a clatter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jonathan needs her. That is what she tells herself as she tugs on her yellow raincoat she snuck upstairs. It’s going to rain tonight, and she isn’t taking any risks. As her car keys have been confiscated, she is going to cycle to Jonathan’s, offer her counsel and then find Will.
It will be cold, so she has a thick jumper on, and an umbrella and flashlight tucked into her now emptied backpack. Gosh she needs a snack, but she couldn’t sneak one up. At least she managed to tuck her wellies by the garage door.
(Y/n) exhales, standing tall with her hands on her hips. All ready.
The moment of satisfaction and readiness to venture is short lived however, as there is a loud shuffling outside her window followed by a loud groan and a quick rhythm of taps on the window.
She slowly turns.
Steve grins at her, giving a quick wave before struggling to push himself further up the roof.
She can only watch, jaw slack. What on Earth is he doing here?
He taps rhythmically on the window again before pointing at the bedroom.
Can he go away?
She glances behind her to her shut bedroom door, following his finger.
Oh! Nancy.
Right. Yes. That makes sense.
For a moment she hesitates, a quick smirk at the idea of leaving him outside. It drops as soon as it appears, but Steve seems to notice as his smile widens and he nods to the side, gesturing to be let in. (Y/n) sighs, reaching for the edge of her right sleeve with her fingers as she walks over.
She sighs again at his expecting, arrogant look as if he knew he’d be getting in. She reaches over with both hands, opening the window, kneeling on her makeshift window seat, “Steve? What are you doing here? Didn’t Nancy ring you to tell you she’s not allowed to leave?”
No point explaining why, or that none of them can leave, Steve wouldn’t care.
He looks up to her, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, “I figured we’d just study here.” He’s dressed just as earlier today but now clad in a jacket.
(Y/n) laughs, “no. no. No way! Nancy won’t want that, and my parents won’t either.”
“Oh, come on,” Steve starts, before leaning up, putting his hands into her bedroom on either side of her window, forcing her to step back off her seat. All right, let yourself in, by all means. She watches with a raised brow as he pulls himself up. “Come on, I can’t - have her failing - just bear with me - uh,” he mumbles as he kneels onto the windowsill before stumbling inside, stepping on her lovely ottoman she likes to use as a window seat with his dirty shoes, making her frown.
Dirty.
Great, now she can’t touch that until it that cushion gets washed.
He says something, but she is too busy staring down at her lovely ruined padded storage box. There’s no dirt on it, but she can visualise the little vibrating germs.
“Hey,” Steve says gently, stepping back into her line of vision from where he was next to her. She looks to him, and he’s frowning, biting his lip, and for a moment his eyes glaze over before he blinks, looking back down at her. “I got you something,” he calmy says, a contrast to his fumbling moments before, as he rummages through his dark blue jacket pockets.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.”
He pauses for a moment, eyes looking right down into her own. His tongue darts out to wet his lip, and he goes to say something before hesitating. He shakes his head, looking down at the floor, and continues his fiddling now in his jeans. “Ha!” He shouts out, pulling out deep-brown packaging with very large block white letters, and white edges at either side. A Hershey bar.
She can’t help but grin, looking down at the bar than up to him, “that’s so kind.” Gosh, she is so hungry. She hasn’t brushed her teeth yet (was going to before she left) so she can eat it. Wooh!
He leans back ever so slightly, eyes wide, but he doesn’t say anything, just watches her.
Wait, Nancy left dinner too.
“You should keep it or give it to Nancy.”
“Uh…” he shakes his head, straightening his posture, “no, I, uh, got it for you. Nancy mentioned you were hungry.”
“Huh?” She tilts her head to the side, looking up at him expectantly.
“On the phone.”
“Ohhh.” (Y/n) laughs, fixing her posture. “That’s so nice of you. What did you get Nancy?” How did her sister know she was hungry?
In all fairness she has been huffing and mumbling swear words under her breath as she dotted around the house the past half an hour gathering supplies.
Steve’s eyes widen comically, jaw slacking ever so slightly, and he looks up, past her. For a moment he doesn’t speak, and it takes (Y/n) an embarrassing ten seconds to realise he forgot to get her sister something. “Oh,” she whispers herself, looking away from him and back down to the open window in front of her. She decides not to say anything about the fact that her sister deserves to be wooed and worshiped even if she is a bitch. Instead, she steps back over to the window, and slams it shut, and locks it. She winces at the sound, she’s always been strong handed, and was expecting it to be heavier than it is. She draws both sets of curtains to a close.
When she turns around, Steve is already looking at her, “maybe it is best if I do give it to Nancy. She didn’t say she was hungry.”
She can’t help but laugh, not surprised. From what every around school says, he is a douchebag, and she has seen that herself, experienced it – although she did see that nicer side of him the first time they met.
A fluke.
Gosh, he is so confusing. There is clearly so much to him – so why be a prick?
“Unless she doesn’t like Hershey’s?” His tone completely changes, even gentler than he was talking to her before. Nervous.
“I think she likes it, I wouldn’t know.” She wishes she did know. “I can ask Mike?”
Steve’s brows furrow and he looks up from the floor, down at her, “your brother? Didn’t he just leave?”
Her reassuring smile falls. “What?” At the back of her mind, she has a thought that she should have said ‘pardon’. She pushes up both sets of curtains instead of apart and presses her forehead against the window. She can’t see anything.
“Just as I climbed up.” Steve laughs nervously, “looked like he was on a mission or something.”
(Y/n) glares at the darkness and the sparse streetlights outside before pushing herself off the window, stepping backwards and turns to face Steve. “I’m not doing this again.”
Steve’s brows furrow even more, watching as she walks past him to grab her backpack, slinging it over her left shoulder. She doesn’t see his face as she pulls open the door, a little bit too aggressively.
She doesn’t care for being quiet, she must save her brother from whoever took Will. She knows he’s probably lost – well no she doesn’t know that - people think that - but she knows Will was safe at home. The thought only makes her angrier.
Her footsteps thud, and Steve follows her, whispering for her to be quiet.
Shut up, Steve.
She doesn’t say that though.
She walks down the corridor and quickly knocks. She opens the door before Nancy can reply, and her music fills the passage.
“Hey!” Nancy turns, startled, flashcards in hand at her desk. “What the hell?”
“Have sex, and I’ll tell everyone he knocked you up.”
“The fuck?” Nancy pauses, then looks her sister up and down, “going somewhere?”
(Y/n) smiles sarcastically before stepping aside, quickly turning to face Steve as she waves into the room exaggeratedly, bowing. “King Steve.” Her sister seems to forget her existence, and any worries about her getting lost as soon as Steve steps into the room.
“No, no, no. No way!” Nancy starts, and (Y/n) doesn’t hear the rest as she bids them both goodbye and quickly makes her way downstairs. She is lucky that Karen, Ted and Holly are in their own rooms as she makes her way out to the garage.
She’s annoyed to find the door unlocked.
Michael. Little shit.
Where is the need for security?
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy: Author is always me on this blog @daydreams-magic01 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Y/n) is a speedy cyclist with a very well taken care of bike. Her bike has a lovely brown leather seat, and pink covered handlebars. For a moment she enjoys cycling, until the heavens release their fury.
She is very lucky that her brother explained the previous week about the nicknamed ‘Mirkwood’ and which actual road it is, otherwise, she would have no idea where to look for him. Her brother is lucky too because it lessens her anger ever so slightly.
Dustin and Lucas are also lucky that she manages to catch a last-minute glance of Dustin standing next to their bikes before rushing after Lucas and Mike, from her perch at the top of the slope.
Great, she should have known where one dipshit is the others follow.
A minute later, she enters where they did, standing up down her bike alongside theirs’ on the ground. She only takes a moment to shrug off her bag to grab her flashlight before she follows in their direction. At this point she can’t see their lights, but she can certainly hear them. The rain batters her face, the wind blowing it at her despite her coat covering her head and hair.
BOOM!
Great, now there’s thunder.
“Will!” Mike pauses. “Will!”
“William!”
“I got your X-Men one thirty-four!” There’s another pause. The rain is very loud, the twigs and leaves beneath them too, but she can just about capture what Dustin says, “guys, I really think we should turn back!”
(Y/n) raises an arm in front of her brow, trying to see better as she turns to her left, shining her flashlight in the direction of their voices.
She can hear Lucas and Dustin shouting in the distance and now flickering lights between the trees still far off. She can’t lose them.
So, she does what anyone does, and with her raincoat soaked, slightly loose wellies on (as she isn’t wearing the right socks), she begins to walk much faster. It quickly turns into a jog.
She should shout out, but the rain is hard and being blown straight into her open mouth, so she keeps it close as her speed increases.
The lights are closer, and in the distance, there is the growl of thunder across the sky once more.
“Do you ever think that Will went missing because he ran into something bad and we’re –”
“OOF!” She doesn’t hear the rest of what Dustin says as the edge of her boot catches on a rock, causing her to stumble forward. Her other foot trips over her, causing her to fall forward. “Shit!”
Her hands catch her before her face hits the ground, but she lands rather uncomfortably, the top of her backpack hitting the back of her head. One hand has landed right on a twig with an upright branch, digging into her palm with an awful sting, and the other is bent awkwardly onto her flashlight and the ground, causing a searing pain in her wrist. Why didn’t she just let go?
For a moment she puts her weight on her right hand and arm, hissing slightly as the branch digs further in, all so she can get off the flashlight with her other one. She quickly switches her balance, palm now on autumn leaves, wrist still finicky but not as sharp. “Ow,” she whispers to herself, pushing herself up to sit on her knees as looks down at her hand. It’s dark, but she can feel the scrape. She quickly grabs her flashlight, and brings her hand close to her face, shining down on it. The light floods her vision making her groan as she blinks rapidly to regain her sight.
It's just a little scrape, only deep enough to draw some blood. Nothing too serious.
BOOM!
Thunder again. Closer.
She drops her hands, and listens. The voice of her brother and his friends have stopped, no crunching of leaves beneath their footsteps.
Shitting hell!
Grumbling to herself, she stands up, rubbing her sore hand against the side of her coat to try and ease the annoying sting.
She goes to take a step but stops.
There’s a new sound.
A strange sound. Like the moaning of wood. A direct opposite of the sound of settling wood you can get with floorboards.
Slowly she turns around, shining her flashlight behind her.
Nothing.
Huh.
BOOM!
The sound of God’s fist startles her embarrassingly so as she lets out a scream. She quickly turns back around, facing the direction she last heard her brother.
She only makes it a single step just as her skin begins to prickle.
SNAP!
She gasps, turning around, hands shaking as she moves her flashlight side to side. It came from right behind her, where she just heard the wood sound.
SNAP!
She gulps, “hello?” Thankfully, her voice isn’t shaky. “Will? Is that you?”
She takes a step forward, the front edge of the sole of the wellie digging into the rock that had tripped her.
She shines her flashlight to her right just as there is another thunderous boom and a sharp, bright light floods directly in front of her.
She would have missed it if not for nature’s will.
She screeches, and stumbles backwards, managing to steady herself before she falls over.
Darkness again.
She quickly moves her flashlight to shine where she saw it.
It’s so dark, so very dark, darker than how she imagines the twilight zone of the deep sea, but the light illuminates the figure. The rain is harsh, she can’t see exact details, but it is tall. Terrifyingly tall. It’s too long. Taller than any man she had seen before, even on television. His arms are long and thin falling far past his thighs, and his fingers or nails - whatever they are - are just as creepy in length.
She screeches, stumbling backwards as her legs shake. If she walked closer, she could get a better look but hell no. She catches herself before she can fall, and her eyes slowly travel up its body right to its face.
Its face.
What the –
There isn’t one. She swears. It’s like a blank canvas.
Could hallucinations be a side effect of her injury?
She can’t move, no matter how much she wants to. Maybe this is like awake sleep paralysis?
Gulping she gathers as much will as she can and clenches her eyes shut, counting to five in her mind before opening them.
Nothing.
She sighs loudly, shoulders sagging in relief.
Except in her chest, she’s still scared, and the hair on her arms is still poised.
Is it better he isn’t real or better that he is?
She straightens her posture and freezes in her place, flashlight hanging limp. On one hand her head injury is even worse, life threatening, as hallucinations are never a good sign; but on the other, Will was taken by this freak. This man.
“(Y/n)?!” A hand touches her back, and she screams, turning sharply, pointing the flashlight behind her as she stumbles backwards before falling straight on her bum. “What the hell?”
“Jesus Christ!”
“You’re blinding me!”
Her chest is heaving, and it takes her a moment to realise that it is Mike, Dustin and Lucas who just spoke to her, all looking down at her as if she is a madwoman, arms shrouding their faces.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, not being heard over the rain, as she lowers her torch.
She groans, raising an arm as the three point their flashlights at her on the floor.
“You okay?”
Michael isn’t as kind as Lucas because he immediately starts the accusations, “are you following me?”
“Seriously?!”
“Come on. Please don’t tell Mrs Wheeler.”
(Y/n) groans before leaning on her injured hand and pushing herself up off the leaves. The three don’t step back, instead their lights follow her face as she stands up. “Excuse me?!”
The rain is loud, but not as loud as her indignation as the three of them quickly drop their lights, saying something she can’t’ catch and can only presume is apologies.
BOOM!
“What do you three think you are doing, searching for Will in a rainstorm!” She takes in their appearances as much as she can, and only finds herself getting angrier, “seriously, Michael, no raincoat?” Her brother is the only one not wearing one. He doesn’t even have a hood on his coat!
“It wasn’t raining when I left!”
“Did you not hear the warnings all day, dipshit?!”
“Oh, shit! She’s mad!” Dustin says to Lucas, shouting so he can hear him, not realising the other two can. She and her brother give him a matching look before turning back to each other.
“I am mad, Dustin,” she turns from her brother to look at the other two, and through the rain she can still see them gulping. “Thank you for noticing. My idiot brother and two of his equally idiotic best friends decided to go looking for their friend in the woods, in the middle of the night. IN WEATHER THEY CAN’T EVEN SEE IN!” Now she’s going to get ill from giving her brother her coat – although she prefers it to be her than him. She doesn’t mean to shout for anything other than the weather, but she does anyway. The three look down to the ground, their lights falling to shine on their shoes.
She sighs.
Well now she feels bad.
“I’m sorry,” she says, stepping closer to them so they can hear better. “I just don’t want you guys to go missing too. It’s dangerous.”
The three don’t say anything, but through her continuing quick blinks to fight of the rain she can see them look up to her.
There’s a pregnant pause.
“Did you see something?” Lucas asks.
“What?” She raises her voice as the rain gets even heavier to the point they all need to start shouting again despite her having closed the distance.
“You screamed!”
“And you said it was dangerous!” Dustin finishes his best friend.
“Yeah, that’s how we found you! You looked scared!” Mike adds, taking a step closer to his sister. The other two quickly do the same.
BOOM!
Her tongue darts out to wet her lip despite them already being soaking as she tries to come out with something. Instead, her jaw goes slack, “ummmmm.”
“What?!” Lucas says, gazing at her curiously, the three simply thinking they missed something she said.
“I thou- I just think!” She gulps, ignoring the pain of the battering rain on her face as she tilts her head, “I think we should go home and continue in the morning!”
She can see their shoulders sagging and can slightly hear their groans.
There’s a distant SNAP.
“Did you hear that?!” Mike says.
(Y/n) shines her flashlight around them, full 360 degrees.
“No!” Lucas says, turning to Dustin with a shrug.
“Is it a monster?!”
“No! Uh – just shut up, Dustin.”
“What?” Lucas asks as Mike puts his arms in front of his friends either side of him.
“Did you guys hear that?”
“The snap?” (Y/n) says, shinning the flashlight about them.
“No, after that, like –.”
SNAP!
It’s to her left. She doesn’t hesitate to step in front of Mike, pushing the three of them behind her as they all turn towards the noise.
The man is real!
“You guys run; I’ll take him!”
“What?!” The three all shout, almost at the same time. She begins to walk forward, glancing behind her to the three of them, “JUST RUN!”
BOOM!
(Y/n) begins to run, shining her flashlight directly in front of her but she only makes it several feet before she sees a little bald girl in nothing but a yellow t-shirt.
They both gasp, the little girl raising her right arm and hand just as (Y/n) tries to stop her momentum towards the girl by walking sideways.
She does miss the girl but falls straight on her side with a loud groan, dropping her torch. Ouch.
Pain floods her left arm as it throbs for a moment.
“(Y/N)!” The three shout out in sync before the sound of snapping twigs and crumbling leaves begins and gets closer.
What the hell is this girl in the woods for?
Groaning, she pushes herself up with her other hand onto her knees, grabbing her flashlight before standing up, shining it towards the girl.
There the boys are, shining the flashlight directly on that little girl. The girl looks nervously between the boys and her, chest heaving, shivering, fists now clenched at her sides.
Holy shit.
It takes a moment for the four of them, terrified, seem to regain their ability to move.
“Oh my god, she’s bald.”
“I think the more pressing issue here is that she’s clearly lost in the woods, Dustin!” Lucas says, looking at his best friend exasperated. “Like what the hell is she even doing out here!”
“Holy shit, are you okay?” Mike says, taking a step forward.
The girl steps backwards.
“Hey, hey,” (Y/n) says loud enough for her to hear as she lowers her torch, walking around her to where the boys are as she raises her hands in surrender. “What’s your name?”
The girl doesn’t say anything, just watches them, eyes glancing nervously between the four.
“Are you lost?”
The girl pauses, before nodding slowly.
“Okay, do you want to come with us until we ring your –”
“Have you seen a boy called Will?” Mike says gently, still loud enough.
The girl furrows her brows as (Y/n) looks over at her brother with a brow raised before turning back to the girl, “excuse my brother! Do you want to come with us?! Where’s it’s warm?”
The girl doesn’t respond, there is a very pregnant pause as she seems to think.
(Y/n) continues, “we’ll get you some clean clothes, warm clothes!”
Cautiously, the girl nods, and (Y/n) smiles at her. She shrugs off her backpack; it drops to the floor with a loud thunk. She begins to pull off her coat.
“Wait! Here!” Mike shouts with a smile, shrugging off his own backpack, before tugging his coat off over the flashlight.
“Hey!” (Y/n) shouts, making the girl jump. She quickly turns to this poor baby, apologising, before turning to her brother. “Put your coat back on.”
“But -”
“Put your coat BACK ON!” The two look at each other, (Y/n) staring deep into her brother’s soul before he finally sighs, shrugging his coat back down his arms, grabbing his backpack off the ground with a loud huff.
“Fine!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~Please do not copy ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The strange girl is sat down, pressed against the back of the couch, still wet (although (Y/n) did sneak a towel underneath before she sat down), clad in (Y/n)’s raincoat. The girl doesn’t look away from the four of them.
Mike stands in front of the girl, Dustin on his left, Lucas on his right whilst (Y/n) grabs more towels for the boys, “All right, take your coats and first layer off, we’ll put them on the radiators, and dry of with these.” She leans over the shoulder of each boy, giving them a towel. Mike has already taken off his coat, clad in his semi-dry blue hoodie. The three boys turn around to face her, each displaying mild annoyance, the girl follows their gaze.
The basement is as organised a mess as usual, DND stuff piled on a small table, an overthrow folded over the back of the couch.
Dustin, and Lucas are yet to take their coats of but upon a wave of their hand they grumble to themselves and shrug off only their coat.
“I am not getting undressed in front of a stranger.” Lucas points a finger to the side, looking down at the girl.
“Seriously?” Mike sighs, turning to him, “we’re literally wearing t-shirts and undershirts. It’s not like you’re going to be naked.”
“Not me, unlike you two I only got this t-shirt and an undershirt! And - I know that, but you’ve seemed to have forgotten, ‘stranger danger’.”
“You scared of a little girl, Lucas?”
“Shut up, Dustin. Seriously.”
(Y/n) lets them argue as she pulls off her own jumper, slinging them over a radiator. She grabs a towel and quickly leans over, rubbing her scalp and hair aggressively. She can’t hear what they’re saying until she stops, stretching her back when a grown as she fixes her posture.
“I think if we don’t do it, she’ll kill us,” Dustin says through clenched teeth. (Y/n) tries not to laugh. What is a little girl going to do to the four of them?
When she turns to make a joke, she finds they’re already looking at her. The boys smile innocently before quickly beginning to do as she said.
“You boys will need showers. You can have them here or at home, depending how long you are staying.” She looks over at the girl, “are we getting Karen? I can go get her?” She smiles, walking over to them.
“Woah, woah, woah.”
“Let’s hold on a minute.”
“Let’s talk to her first,” Mike says, same time as his friends raise their own issues. The four of them are absolutely soaking, and Lucas and Dustin make quick work of hanging their coats and first layers over the radiators and a plugged-in heater before returning to their positions.
(Y/n) tries not to think about how a plugged-in heater with jumper thrown over it can cause a house fire as she walks over to stand on the other side of Lucas.
The four look down to the scared girl.
Thunder rumbles in the distance.
“Is there a number we can call, for your parents?”
Great question, Mike.
“Where’s your hair?” Mike and (Y/n) to look at the speaking Dustin, “do you have cancer?”
“Did you run away?” Lucas asks.
“Are you in some sort of trouble?” Mike gently inquires.
“Is that blood?” Lucas’ inquisition makes (Y/n)’s eyes widen as she leans closer, getting a better look. Holy shit.
“You’ve been to Benny’s burgers?” The girl’s eyes widen in recognition, but she doesn’t say anything, perhaps due to the sudden movement of Mike whacking Lucas’s hand that was reaching for the girl.
“Stop it! You’re freaking her out!”
“She’s freaking me out!” Lucas says, hands out saying what-are-you-talking-about.
The other four turn to Dustin as he says, “I bet she’s deaf.” He doesn’t hesitate before leaning forward to slap one palm down onto the other, startling the poor girl and Lucas. Dustin shrugs, “Not deaf.”
“Seriously?” (Y/n) says, holding out her arms in a similar gesture to Lucas, at the same time her brother speaks.
“All right, that’s enough,” he talks with his hands, “all right? She’s just scared and cold.”
The room lights up the same time thunder roars outside. Dustin and Lucas don’t take their eyes off this stranger whereas (Y/n) watches as Mike turns around and walks over to the folded-up laundry basket on top of the dryer. Lucas, (Y/n) and Dustin turn to look at each other, before glancing back to the girl who jumps at another roll of thunder, eyes clenching shut momentarily.
What should she do? What should (Y/n) do? What is she meant to do?
Ahhhh.
“Here,” Mike reappears, a folded jumper and tracksuit bottom in a pile, “these are clean. Okay?” He holds out the clothes with one hand, and the clothes droop.
The girl reaches forward, gently taking them. The jumper is on top, and she runs her thumbs over the sides as she holds it over her lap.
Huh.
The girl then places the fabric against her cheek for a second, and once satisfied places it next to her, peeling off the coat.
None of them expect what happens next. The girl stands up, right in front of Mike and crosses her arms, reaching for the edge of the t-shirt to pull it over her head. The four of them jump, immediately exclaiming in protest. The other three immediately turn away.
“No, no, no, no.” Mike repeats, placing his hands on top of hers before she can reveal any skin above her knees.
“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.”
“Woah! Woah! Woah!” Their eyes are clenched shut, Lucas throwing his arms behind him as if it will shield him from being scarred whilst Dustin throws his arms up in surrender, both keeping their eyes clenched.
(Y/n) on reflex covers her eyes with her hands, stumbling backwards, “shit. Sorry.”
“You see over there,” Mike tries not to stammer but his shoulders give it away as he points to the basement toilet, “that’s the bathroom.” He turns back to her, keeping one hand hovering over her wrist. The other three glance over as Mike continues, “privacy. Get it?”
The girl looks between them before picking up the pile and walking over to the bathroom. Mike goes to follow but (Y/n) gently puts up a hand, “she might find it more comforting if it’s a girl.”
He stops and nods, glancing at the ground.
(Y/n) walks over as the girl looks around the lit-up bathroom. She goes to shut the door, but the girl grabs the side with her hand before she can shut it fully, making her jump.
“You don’t want it closed?”
The girl fidgets, thinking, before speaking, “no.”
“Oh, so you can speak.” Mike states from right behind his sister, making her jump.
“Jesus, Mike.” (Y/n) whispers between her clenched teeth, quickly glancing at her brother before smiling back at the girl.
“Okay, um,” she slowly closes the door to, the girl not removing her hand from the side, “how about we keep the door like this?”
“Is that better?”
“Yes.” Her voice is so quiet yet firm. For someone who looks like a female bald Will she’s quite unlike him. (Y/n) has a feeling the girl wouldn’t hesitate to take them all on at once if needed, whereas Will is gentler, more likely to negotiate.
The brother and sister return to the two boys, and Mike quickly fills them in in case they didn’t hear it themselves.
“This is mental,” Dustin states, still yet to take off his hat.
“At least she can talk,” says her brother.
“She said ‘no’ and ‘yes’. Your three-year-old sister says more.” Lucas says, the four of them looking at each other.
“She tried to get naked.”
“There’s something seriously wrong with her,” Lucas starts, pointing to the side of his head, “like wrong in the head.” Well, that’s not nice.
“Lucas, you have no idea what her home life is like,” (Y/n) says firmly, giving him a look.
“She just went like,” Dustin attempts to mirror her when she tried to undress herself earlier (without touching his own shirt) but instead knocks off his hat. Dustin glances down at it as Lucas speaks, before fixing his coat.
“I bet she escaped from Pennhurst.”
“From where?” Mike asks, fed up. The look she and her brother gives Lucas is almost the same.
“The nuthouse in Kerley County.”
Dustin smirks, “you got a lot of family there?”
“Bite me.” She and Mike both sigh, rolling their eyes before Lucas continues, “seriously though, think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she’s so crazy,” he gestures to his hair.
“Why she went like…” Dustin repeats his mimicking, not knocking anything off this time.
“She’s an escapee is the point. She’s probably a psycho.” If that were true, they would have certainly heard about it by now.
Dustin’s eyes widen as he turns to his friend, “like Michael Myers.”
“Exactly! We should have never brought her here.”
(Y/n) sighs, shaking her head with a smile, “I appreciate the imagination, it is a good theory.” Lucas nods proudly. “Except for the fact she’s like eleven.”
“Doesn’t mean she can’t be a psycho!” Lucas gestures with his hands.
“Do you know how many days – weeks – it would take to walk from there at her height?” Maybe not weeks, but still. “Wouldn’t we have heard about an escapee day ago, if that were the case?”
Lucas pauses, glancing to the side as he thinks.
“So, you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?” Mike accuses.
“Yes!” He doesn’t even hesitate. “We went to find out Will, not another problem.”
“I think we should tell your mom,” Dustin says.
“I second that.”
“I third that,” (Y/n) quickly adds.
Mike looks at them all as if they’re stupid, “who’s crazy now?”
“How is that crazy,” she and Lucas say in sync, tensing their shoulders as they pull a face.
“’Cause we weren’t supposed to be out tonight, remember?”
“So?”
“So, if I tell my mom and she tells your mom and your mom…” he nods at each of them.
“Oh, man.”
“Our house becomes Alcatraz.” Startling comparison, but okay, Lucas.
“Exactly.”
“Well, I’ll say I found her.”
Mike can’t seem but help laugh, looking at his sister, “be realistic, you’re already in deep shit because you tried to drive to school, remember?”
“You what?” Lucas says, he and Dustin looking at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. She glances to the side, smiling nervously.
“See! Now, imagine their reaction when they find out their amnesiac daughter snuck out and got lost in the wood trying to find Will and instead bringing home some random girl -”
“She does look a little like a bald female version of Will,” (Y/n) mumbles, crossing her arms as she refuses to look her brother in the eye as he continues on.
“- You will be grounded – for life!” Mike inhales. “We’ll never find Will.” Dustin looks at Lucas and her, mimicking the new girl once again, searching in their eyes. Mike barely pauses before continuing. “All right, here’s the plan. She sleeps here tonight.”
“You’re letting a girl –,” Dustin tries to say at the same time (Y/n) speaks.
“Now, wait a minute –”
“Just listen!” Mike looks from Dustin back to Lucas, “in the morning, she sneaks around my house, goes to the front door and rings my doorbell. My mom will answer and know exactly what to do. She’ll send her back to Penhurst or wherever she comes from. We’ll be totally in the clear. And tomorrow night we go back out, and this time, we find Will.”
The boys consider it, much to the alarm of (Y/n), “now wait a minute. This is someone’s baby, we can’t keep her parents worried any longer just because we don’t want to get in trouble!” She takes a deep breath, “secondly, who said you were allowed back in the woods?!”
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(Y/n) ends up escorting Lucas and Dustin to the back door, now both in semi-dry coats. Meanwhile, Mike settles the girl into the fort. (Y/n) mentions how she wishes she could drive them home, but the joke doesn’t land as the two nervously say ‘no thank you’. She waves, watching as they cycle away, telling the two to make sure they radio Mike.
She makes sure to lock the door. Before she can head back down into the basement Mike steps into the doorway. He gives her a look, and she steps back, he shuts the door behind him.
“I don’t know how I feel about this Mike.”
Mike sighs, gazing at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at her, “you got a better idea?”
Her jaw drops and she leans back, “all right, holy shit.”
Mike shrugs before walking past her, heading over to the stairs, and right up them. (Y/n) watches her brother, brows raised.
She has to remind herself that his best friend is missing, she can’t imagine how that feels, and annoyingly he is right about the situation.
Jonathan!
She needs to check on Jonathan.
She needs to tell him what she saw. The faceless man.
They need to come up with a plan to find him. Well, first make sure he’s real. It felt real.
Anyway, back to the plan. They need to hunt this man down, starting with any nearby circuses.
She thinks over her plan as she walks over to the other room where they keep the address book. She grabs the address book before returning to the kitchen phone and dialling the number.
Immediately, there is a fast busy signal.
“Oh, for fucks sake,” (Y/n) groans, putting the phone back on the receiver with a thunk. Seriously?!
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A/N: I am sorry it took me almost a month, I was ill. I also want to apologise, I know it is set in America, but English isn't my first language, and we learnt standard English, so I am sorry if I mess up the terminology despite double checking. I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will follow episode two.
Also, I am rewriting most of the last episode.
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