Halley's Comet

by hartstrxng

Summary:

Hawkins, Indiana wasn't a place where bad things happened. It was a quaint little town where everyone knew everyone; where secrets were an oddity, and the probability of them staying secret even rarer.

That's not to say there aren't the few exceptions. One of which being the giant, undercover, government operation experimenting on kids, and opening portals to other dimensions; the absurdity of the situation playing to its advantage.

The whole spiel would have stayed a secret too, had the program not let lose a monster from another world that took Halley Byer's younger brother. But, since it had, Halley would do anything to get him back. Even if she had to tear the whole things to shreds. Piece, by goddamn piece.

Season 1: complete
Season 2: complete
Season 3: in progress
Season 4: coming soon

*All Rights Reserved*
*Originally (and still) posted on Wattpad under the same name and user*

Chapter 1: Cast and Playlist

Notes:

I originally started this is 2020?? so I had no idea how important the kate bush song was gonna be, I just like it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/00S9JGN4Nnme9C7dKXcvpn 

 

 

-side a-

1.Running Up That Hill...Kate Bush

2. Call Me... Blondie

3. Gypsy...Fleetwood Mac

4. Boys Don't Cry...The Cure

5. Should I Stay or Should I Go... The Clash

6. I Love Rock 'N Roll...Joan Jett & The Black Hearts

7. Dancing with Tears in My Eyes... Ultravox

8. Girls Just Want to Have Fun...Cyndi Lauper

-side b-

1. We're Not Gonna Take It... Twisted Sister

2. I Fought the Law...The Clash

3. Pretty in Pink...The Psychedelic Furs

4. Hanging On The Telephone...Blondie

5. The Passenger...Siouxsie and the Banshees

6. Rebel Yell...Billy Idol

7. It's My Life...Talk Talk

8. The Victim...Pat Benatar

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2: closing time

Summary:

"𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒂𝒑 𝒎𝒆?"

The arcade wasn't Halley Byers first choice in jobs. It was a far bike ride from her house when she didn't have the car, and it was filled with creepy guys that constantly tried to flirt with her. But it did have it's perks. Sneaking coins to her younger brother and his friends being the best in her mind. And Keith, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with the girl, was more than happy to let her pick up as many shifts as she'd like.

Which was exactly why Halley was there now. Closing was both the best and worst time to work. Guys her age would constantly try to show off by showing her their high scores, telling her they have 'stamina'. Acting like they meant the game when she gave them a disgusted look, but she knew.

There's always the good side though: kicking them out.

"You know, as much as I'd love to see your new score on Pac man, it's time to close," She said sweetly, twirling a key ring around her finger. She was stuck trying to get Carl to leave. And it wasn't the first time he had proven to be difficult.

"C'mon doll, why don't you close up, and you and I play a few games?" His voice was low, and he thought he sounded seductive. In reality, he sounded like he was choking on his own tongue, which is something Halley yearned for.

After a pedophile like wink, Halley had had enough. "Carl? I still don't like you. Nor will I ever. Now please get out so I can go home," she deadpanned, watching as Carl's smile fell.

Whatever feelings he had towards her, if they ever existed, aside from physical, in the first place, disappeared. Carl's fists clenched behind his sides and his eyebrows twitched. If a sinkhole could open up and devour Halley now, she would welcome it openly.

"Whatever, you're a bitch anyway," he said. And usually, Halley would have taken offence to the word, but coming from a lanky twig like Carl? There were more acne scars on his face than words in his vocabulary.

She sighed, examining the chipping polish on her nails. "Have a nice night, Carl." The door slammed behind him. But Halley didn't really care today. Keith had left early for something family related, and Carl, as usual, was the last one in the arcade, which meant all Halley had to do was lock up and she was free from the All Hawkins' Rejects' hangout.

The night air was cold, and it nipped at Halley's cheeks as she tugged her worn leather jacket around her. Since Jonathan had taken the car for a school project before Halley's shift, she was stuck riding her bike to the grocery store, then home.

Still standing where she had last left it, was her old metallic blue bike. It was a little banged up, from when she had crashed, and ran into a few poles, and gotten flat tires, but that's neither here nor there. It was still something Halley held close in her heart, probably because of the many bike rides she had taken the boys on when they were younger.

For her own convenience, there was a small wicker basket attached to the front handle bars, specifically for times like this. Her mom was still working, and Jonathan was at home waiting for Will. Which meant it was up to her to pick up the few things they needed for the next few days.

Halley reached into her pocket, coming up with a worn piece of notebook paper. Unfolding it, she found the list of things that her mother had written before she left for work.

Eggs, bread, butter, crayons (don't tell Will)

Smiling at the last item, she folded the paper back up, and mounted her bike. The store was down a hill, and while it wasn't steep, it still pushed enough wind into Halley's face to make goosebumps crawl up her neck. She couldn't lie, the fresh air was a little freeing; it made her feel almost invincible, as the musky air filled her nose and soft chirp of crickets littered the atmosphere. She loved her mom and her brothers, absolutely, and nothing would ever change that, but it was nice to feel like she didn't have to worry about everything sometimes. When the sky was a shade after dusk, and she rode through abandoned streets, Halley didn't have to worry about money, or her deadbeat father, or any of the kids at school.

Fluorescent white lights drew Halley into the Hawkins' store like a moth to a flame. She knocked down the kickstand, and left her bike by a rack outside the door, then made her way inside.

Small shopping basket in hand, she mentally went over the list. The store was mostly empty, as it was nearing closing time, so Halley had no trouble getting to the eggs.

She placed a carton in the basket as carefully as she could. Butter should be nearby. Two sections over, she found it, choosing the discounted one that expired in a few days.

It was beginning to look like her trip to the store would be uneventful, but things just couldn't go her way. Instead, as she was making her way to the bakery to pick up a loaf of, hopefully, fresh bread, she spotted the one and only King Steve. The Hair Harrington. The dickbag that ran Hawkins High.

"Shit." She pretended to be interested in wine prices when she noticed his gaze shift towards her. Halley prayed he didn't recognize her.

No such luck. "Well, if it isn't Bitchy Byers." The smirk was evident in his voice, and Halley had the urge to drop everything and just leave. But they needed groceries, so she would have to endure whatever Steve would do.

"What do you want Harrington? I'm kinda busy here." She gestured to the basket in hand as she turned to face him. Unsurprisingly, he didn't seem to care.

"And you're shopping for alcohol?" his tone had a sharp lilt, like he had just caught her in the act of something. As if he believed she would actually attempt to buy the wine.

She scoffed, shifting the basket to her other hand. "Well, I need something to get me through this conversation." Steve seemed slightly taken aback by her response, but not enough to render him speechless. Halley wondered if anything was enough to do so.

"Damn, Byers, who pissed in your cereal?" He leaned on a half empty shelf, and Halley prayed it would collapse beneath him, to no avail.

She rolled her eyes, using her free hand's middle finger to push hair behind her ear. Steve laughed at the antics, but she wasn't trying to be funny. "Look, I have stuff to do, so get whatever half assed plan you have over with, okay?"

Halley looked around, wishing she could find a scapegoat, but there were no other customers in sight.

"Jesus, someone's strung up tight. Can't I say hi to a friend?" He held a tone of innocence but Halley could see mischief gleaming in his eyes. And she did not want to deal with his bullshit at the moment.

"We're not friends." She turned and began to walk off, but felt Steve's presence a few paces behind her. "God," she breathed out, "What do you want?" She picks up a loaf of bread, but puts it back when it's not soft enough for her liking.

Steve hands over another loaf. "I don't want anything," he said nonchalantly. Despite finding the bread suitable, Halley put it down, not wanting Steve to get the satisfaction of accepting his pick. Was it petty? Sure. Did she care? Not in the slightest.

"Then why are you still here?" Her tone held annoyance, but not anger. If anything she was relieved he hadn't tried to do anything dickish; she was sure he would have had his friends been there with him. She picked up another loaf of bread, decided it was good enough, and placed it on top of her eggs. Steve said nothing.

Crayons were the last thing on the list now, and Halley already knew Steve was going to follow her to the art aisle.

Halfway to the section she was looking for, she noticed The Clash softly playing overhead. Without realizing it, she bobbed her head along to the chorus, only to stop when she heard a snicker from Steve.

"Can I help you?" she snapped at him. Stopping completely in front of a shelf full of Cheerios. Steve only raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk evident on his lips. The bastard. "Seriously, is there a reason you're following me?"

"Is me following you around getting on your nerves?" his head tilted slightly, and he seemed genuinely curious.

"Alright, Harrington, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'd very much rather be left out of it." A silence settled between the two. Halley refused to move on until Steve acknowledged her. But she also knew that there was a limited time to get everything she needed and then check out. She let out a huff, waving her free hand out beside her, "you're insufferable I hope you know that."

Neither of them talked to each other as Halley finally reached the art supplies, picking up a sixty-four pack of Crayola. Will had been complaining about the little nubs of crayons he still had from last Christmas.

Halley could practically see the confused look gripping Steve's face, but she pretended not to as she turned around and headed back to the front of the store.

All but one of the checkout stands were open. A short woman with pale skin and stringy black hair leaned against the counter, reading one of the magazines on display. She barely looked up as Halley placed her things on the conveyor belt, dropping the basket in a stack next to a small cooler of drinks.

"This everything?" The girl said, scanning the items and placing them into a white plastic bag, not waiting for a reply. She looked up, eyes drifting to Steve who still stood nearby, then back to Halley, "it's four fifty." Halley pulled a five dollar bill from her pocket and slid it over. The girl handed her the bag along with two quarters and waved her off.

Halley tried not to take any offence, she was probably just tired, or had a long day. There was no need to make it worse.

She walked back out into the frigid night, a twist of a breeze whisking by and sending stray hairs into her face. Spluttering them out of her mouth, she glared up at no one in particular.

Just as it had seemed she had gotten rid of Steve, and as she had gotten situated on her bike, groceries safely in the basket, he spoke again.

"You need a ride?" She yelped at the sudden noise, thinking he was still in the store, and nearly fell off her bike.

"Holy shit!" Halley swore, turning to face Steve, with, yet again, another smirk crossing his lips. Her eyes scanned over him, waiting for something bad to happen.

His arms crossed over his chest and he seemed relaxed. Something Halley found strange, because this had been their first civil conversation since...She couldn't even remember when. "Well?" he said again, "It's getting dark, and it's pretty cold." He gestured around him, as if that would somehow prove to Halley that she should accept the offer.

"Alright, legitimate question here, Harrington, are you trying to kidnap me?" Her brow quirked. She couldn't think of any other reason Steve would be acting so nice.

To Halley's surprise, Steve laughed. It wasn't a harsh bark, but a real laugh, as if he truly thought she was joking. The laughing soon stopped when he noticed her unchanged expression. "Oh my god, no! Not at all. I mean, it's late and who knows what kind of freaks are out right now. Chivalry, right?"

Halley snorted, not meaning to, but hearing the king of her high school offer her a ride home because of 'chivalry'? After day after day of tormenting? It was a little weird. But she couldn't deny it was cold. And the street lights stopped halfway to her house, which meant there was a good chance she would be riding home in near darkness.

"God, I'm so gonna regret this," Halley muttered to herself. She ran her hand over her mouth, then steadied herself, "your car better have room for the bike."

Steve smiled, not at all taken aback by the hostility in Halley's voice. "No problem, Byers. Right this way." She followed him to a well kept BMW, her bike tightly grasped in case she needed to make a quick escape, though she doubted Steve had planned anything this thoroughly.

"You know, I'm serious," he started, taking the bike from Halley's hesitant grasp and gently placed it in his trunk, the plastic bag now gripped firmly at her side, "I'm not planning on kidnapping you."

"Yeah, well," she took a shuddering breath, trying not to let Steve know just how uneasy she was in the situation, "I'll believe it when I get home."

 

Halley's knees rested against the side of the door, while her eyes were straight ahead. Steve pretended not to notice the way she mouthed the lyrics to some Fleetwood Mac song. It wasn't exactly his style, but Halley had turned on the radio after she had had enough of the silence, and almost smiled when she heard the chorus.

"So, what other music do you like?" Steve asked when the song had ended, and Halley's face had gone back to an emotionless void. She glanced over to him, her eyes calculating. She still didn't trust him. Not after his long held reputation of being a shithead.

Steve softly drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, waiting for a response he wasn't sure would come. Yet, for unknown reasons, Halley spared him a smile. "Anything, really, as long as it drowns out the sound of your voice." She turned up the volume to a song by The Smiths.

Steve turned the dial back, the music coming out at a barely audible level. "Is there a reason you hate me?" He asked.

Halley wasted no time, shooting back, "Is there a reason you're a dick?" Her jaw was squared, and Steve figured he should have expected this. Halley had hated him and his friends ever since she overheard them talking about Jonathan Byers.

 

From Steve's experience, Halley had what it took to be popular. Her attitude could be shaped a little more, but she had the looks, and in Hawkins' High, that's what mattered most. The one thing he couldn't understand though, was why she would throw it all away. Instead of surrounding herself with the many people that had once wanted to be her friend, she left it all for middle schoolers and the occasional lunch with band geeks. The weirdest part to Steve, was that she knew people didn't like her, and she went out of her way to piss them off. Sure, those people had messed with her so called friends, but she was ruining any social expectations she had for herself.

"Are you high, Harrington?" Halley's voice broke Steve away from his wandering thoughts. "Is that why this is happening? You have a few too many cigs today?" A single eyebrow was raised, and a bored expression crossed over her face. Not that Steve would notice, but Halley was trying to mask the feeling of uncertainty woven in her chest. The idea that something would happen when she was stuck alone with Harrington was terrifying to her.

Steve chuckled, pushing his hair back before answering, "as surprising as it might be to you, I'm not."

Halley rolled her eyes, following the twists of the road from her window. "Sure." The neighborhoods became less organized as the car drove along. Only a few houses here and there.

Silence settled back around the two, and Steve realized that a single kind gesture wouldn't destroy the abrasive attitude Halley held towards him.

"Take a left up here. You can let me off on the path, you don't have to drive up," she said, eyes scanning over Steve as if she was waiting for him to argue. But instead he simply followed her directions, pulling over to the side of the road when he saw the old house.

Against Halley's wishes, though, Steve parked the car, and took it upon himself to help her get her down about half of the pathway before Halley stopped him.

"Thanks for not kidnapping me, Harrington," She said, taking hold of her bike. Steve smiled at this, almost sparing her a laugh. He turned to leave, but Halley caught his wrist, dropping it almost as instantly when he faced her again. Her façade broke for a moment, and a small half smile grew on her lips, "Seriously, thank you for the ride."

For a moment, Steve didn't know how to react, half of him thought he should poke fun, make a joke about her not relying on him, or tease her about something, but there was a glint of sincerity in her eyes, and the ideas left Steve's mind. "Yeah, yeah totally. No problem." This time, when he turned to leave, Halley didn't stop him.

Instead, she rolled her bike to the garage, let herself into the house, dropping the eggs and butter into the fridge, and allowed herself to finally fall into her bed, and sleep.

Chapter 3: where's will

Summary:

"𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒘𝒂𝒅."

Halley stood in front of a cracked mirror and looked over her reflection. There was a small scratch on her cheek from where her dog had pawed her for attention the other day. It wasn't deep, and she didn't blame Chester, who was only hyper because he had been cooped up in the house for the day.

Turning away from the mirror, she grabbed an old flannel stolen from Jonathan, and shrugged it over her short grey t-shirt and jeans as she walked out to the kitchen.

Jonathan stood over a pan, scrambling some of the eggs Halley had gotten last night.

"Morning," Halley said, stifling a yawn as she pushed herself onto the counter and leaned her head on an overhead cabinet. Jonathan handed her five broken egg shells, and she tossed them into the garbage beside her. "Alright, you won't believe what kind of shit happened to me last night," she said once she turned back to him.

Jonathan looked up in anticipation, "Finally give in and agree to a date with Carl?" He only laughed at the disgust that washed over Halley's face.

"Gross," she muttered, shaking her head, "But I ran into one of my most favorite people at the store, try to guess who it was. I bet you can't."

"Halley, you hate pretty much everyone," Jonathan deadpanned, barely looking up at her as he spoke. She grinned.

"My point exactly, Jon. Which is why it was such a pleasure running into The King Steve Harrington. God, I was ready to die right then and there," She said, her finger twirling around a baby hair falling near her ear.

Jonathan was about to respond, no doubt to ask if Steve had been seen with Nancy Wheeler, the girl he swore he didn't have a crush on, when Joyce turned the corner. An anxious look held on her face as she mumbled to herself. "Where the hell are they?" She pauses, looking to the older teens, "Jonathan, Halley?"

"Check the couch," Jonathan said, his head nodding in the direction of a worn sofa.

Joyce sighed, "I did!" still, she walked over and rummaged through cushions until, "Oh. Got them." She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm her nerves, "Okay, I'll see you guys tonight."

"Yeah, see you later," Jonathan said, facing her as she pressed her lips to Jonathan's forehead then Halley's, turning around and leaning down, before she realized her third child wasn't at the table.

"Where's Will?" She asked, turning back to the two. Halley shrugged.

"Oh, I haven't gotten him up yet," Jonathan replied, turning off the flames to the stove, "He's probably still asleep." Joyce gave him an exasperated look.

"You two are supposed to make sure he's up!" she said, a slight hint of irritation in her voice.

Jonathan gestured to the pan, "I'm making breakfast." Halley only gave a guilty smile, slipping down from the counter.

"Sorry, Mom, I'll get him," she said, catching Jonathan's eyes and shrugging. Usually Will was awake by now--he probably just had a long night with his friends.

As Halley turned the corner, she faintly heard her mother scold Jonathan, saying something along the lines of 'I've told you this a thousand times'. Halley cringed, she should have just woken up Will when she got up.

"Will, come on, Kiddo, you've got school!" She called, tapping lightly on the door. She stood in the hall for a moment, waiting for a groan, or some sort of form of recognition from his room, but nothing came. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and she knocked a little harder this time, still, no answer. "Will?" She called again, opening his door.

Will's room was fairly neat, a bed, some action figures splayed around his dresser, drawings both hung up on the wall and littering the floor beside crayons and colored pencils. But no Will.

Confused, Halley made her way back out to the kitchen. Jonathan had split eggs between three plates, and Joyce stood off to the side messing with a broken hinge on the cabinet. They both looked up as Halley approached them.

"Will came home last night, right?" Halley said, looking from Joyce to Jonathan. His face paled.

"He's not in his room?"

"Did he come home last night or not?" Joyce said suddenly, not liking the way he dodged the question.

Jonathan's hand went to the back of his neck, not meeting Joyce's eyes, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" She exclaimed, Halley, equally surprised by the response.

"No, I-I got home late, Eric asked me to cover his shift," he glanced up, watching as Joyce's calculating eyes turned stony.

"You were working?" she asked.

"I mean, Eric asked if I could cover, so I said yeah, I just thought... I figured we could use the extra cash."

Joyce ran a hand through her hair, muttering something beneath her breath, "Jonathan we've talked about this."

"I know, I know."

"You can't take shifts when I'm working and Halley has a closing shift," her voice dripped with disappointment, and Jonathan cringed, trying to hide it with disinterest.

"Mom it's not that big a deal, he was at the Wheeler's all day, I'm sure he just stayed over." He looked over to Halley, trying to make out what she was thinking, but she kept her expression neutral.

Joyce sighed, opening her mouth, and closing it again before finally speaking. "I can't believe you, I just... I can't believe you sometimes." she turned her back on the teens, and grabbed the phone, no doubt calling Karen Wheeler.

Halley took a step over to Jonathan, lowering her voice so Joyce wouldn't overhear, "you weren't really using the car to study, were you?" Jonathan bit the inside of his cheek. "Damnit J. I got stuck in a car with Harrington because of you." Halley was only half serious with her anger, more worried about Will at this point. She was really hoping that he was in fact, just at the Wheelers.

They heard Joyce hang the phone back up, fairly roughly, before she came back into view of the two teens. Halley raised her eyebrows in question, but Joyce shook her head. "I want you two to go to school, okay? I'm going to the police station," she said, her voice wavering for a moment.

Halley took a step forward, eyes flashing with determination, "Mom, I can't just sit through a Shakespeare lesson when I don't know if Will's okay."

Joyce sent her daughter a look, before replying, "I know you want to help, but right now the best thing is for you two to go to school. See if Will's at the junior high, but I don't need anything happening to either of you while I figure out what's going on. Okay?" Halley and Jonathan were silent, both thinking of logical ways to convince Joyce into letting them help. "Okay?" she said a little harder. The two nodded. "Good. Go get your stuff, I don't want you being late."

The car was silent as Jonathan drove to Hawkins high. Neither of them knew what to say.

"So," Jonathan finally overtook the suffocating emptiness, "Steve drove you home last night?" Halley noticed the way his hands gripped the steering wheel just a little tighter when he asked. She was sure he thought she would fight him about taking the job last night. Halley could feel the anxiety in the air though, and didn't want to make him feel any worse than he already did.

"Yeah. Don't worry though, Nancy wasn't with him." She poked his shoulder, causing him to give her a playful scowl, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"I don't know why I would worry about that," he said, trying to sound sure of himself. If anything he only gave himself, and his little crush, away more.

Halley rolled her eyes, laughing at his horrible attempt at denial. "You know, it was weird," she said, watching as Jonathan's eyes flicked over to her, then back to the road ahead, "he was surprisingly nice. At first, I thought it was a trap, or something, but he gave me a ride home out of what might actually have been the kindness of his own heart."

"That's assuming he has a heart," Jonathan deadpanned, smiling as Halley laughed beside him.

She kicked her feet up on the Ford's dashboard as her elbow hung out of the window. Usually, the car rides to school were relaxing, she and Jonathan would talk about upcoming tests, or teachers they disliked, and the few times Will joined them, they would talk about D&D or drawings he had done. The idea of her youngest brother made Halley's stomach churn.

She wanted to ask Jonathan if he thought Will was okay, but she didn't know if she wanted to hear the answer.

Up ahead, the high school peaked through a few tall trees. A large shadow cast over the parking lot, shielding Halley and Jonathan's eyes when they pulled in. Jonathan parked near the back of the lot. A few other cars were scattered around, but it was clear they were earlier than most people.

As Halley got out of the passenger side, a small gust of wind pushed against her, dusting her cheeks with a flush of cold. Besides the cool breezes, the weather was fairly nice. For a late November morning, at least. Though, Halley's idea of nice weather was anything above 40 degrees and partly sunny.

"See you back here after school?" Jonathan said, pocketing the keys in a worn, dark jacket. Halley nodded, then with a simple 'see you then', she began to make her way into the single floor building.

There wasn't too much foot traffic in the halls as Halley made her way through, stopping only briefly at her locker to grab her notebook she had forgotten to take home. Her locker was in good condition, in comparison to others. There were small scratches from keys and pencils on the outside, but no one had intentionally etched hearts with initials or curse words. Another plus was that it didn't mysteriously smell like molding ham.

"Bitchy Byers!" Tommy slammed the locker door shut. She jumped back at the suddenness, the loud noise taking her by surprise. Tommy leaned against the lockers, a cruel grin crossing his lips.

"Not my name, Dickwad," She replied sweetly, turning on her heel, and trying to get to her class. It's hard to leave though, when someone reaches out and grabs your wrist.

"Not so fast," Tommy said, his shoe impatiently tapping against the tiled floor, "I need your science homework, I didn't get a chance to do mine."

Halley scoffed, her eyebrows raised in surprise. It wasn't exactly uncommon for Tommy to ask to 'borrow' her notes or homework, but he wasn't usually so upfront about it. No beating around the bush today.

"You know, as much as I'd love to help you, I really don't want to." Tommy sucked in a breath through his teeth, and a soft hiss made its way to Halley's ears. It reminded her of the harsh wind that sometimes blew outside her window at night.

"Funny. Really funny. But I wasn't asking Byers." a condescending look crossed over his face, as if an expression alone could change her mind. Halley rolled her eyes, unclasping Tommy's bony fingers from her wrist, and briskly walked away, middle finger rose high in the air.

"Fine, slut, I'll just get it from the Wheeler girl," he called out to her. His words intending to sting, but apart from the few glances from passerby, they went unnoticed.

Halley felt slightly bad for Nancy. Since she had refused to hand over her homework to a grade A douche, the oldest Wheeler child would probably get roped into giving hers up. But that's on her, at least, in Halley's mind it was.

Halley's thoughts wandered as she made her way down the hall. Briefly flickering to her last year history class with Mrs. Click. The teacher was an okay lady. Not too uptight, but Halley would never want her again. Especially with the class she was stuck with. The only good part about those mornings was Robin Buckley. The two weren't necessarily friends, but they talked occasionally. Anything was better than conversations with anyone else in the class.

Talking with Tammy Thompson, who made heart eyes at any and all of the boys on the basketball team, Kira Timbertin and her constant backhanded compliments, and the man himself Steve Harrington, was a recipe for disaster.

That was something Halley and Robin had in common. A mutual disliking towards the king of school.

The sudden thought of the boy brought her back to last night. And what felt like the twentieth time that day alone, Halley began to wonder just what Steve's motives were.

Lost in conspiracies, she didn't notice the redheaded girl in front of her, until they ran into each other.

Textbooks scattered and notebooks flew open. The collision made Halley stumble back, just barely stopping a string of curse words and insults when she met the eyes of the girl.

"Shit, man, I'm sorry, uh..." she paused, grimacing after realizing she didn't know her name.

The redhead looked at her, pushing large, rounded glasses up her nose, and tucking away a small lock of hair from her face. "O-oh, it's Barb," her voice wavered as her eyes scanned over Halley, no doubt recognizing her from a notorious reputation.

Halley let out a loose smile, and ducked down to pick up a chemistry book Barb had dropped, "Well, Barb, I'm Halley." She stuck her hand out and Barb hastily balanced her belongings in her right hand while shaking Halley's with her left.

"Yeah, I know, er, I mean I've seen you around and..." She trailed off, muttering to herself under her breath. To her surprise though, a smile spread across Halley's face.

"Guess my reputation's still holding strong," a laugh bubbled through her words, ceasing any anxiety Barb was harboring about the older teen.

A silence fell over the two, and while Halley had no problem with it, Barb felt like there was a light shining directly on her, waiting for her to do something wrong. So she bent down and picked up a notebook Halley had missed.

She held it up, "Is this yours?"

Halley's eyes went down to her things piled in her arm, and she was surprised to see she hadn't realized her art book was missing. "God, I can't believe I almost forgot that. Thanks," she said, taking the worn leather notebook from Barb. It had been Halley's prized possession for a while, and while it was by no means a diary, it felt just as private as one.

"Oh, sure, no problem," Barb paused, adjusting her books, and slightly swaying side to side, "I should, uh, I should go before class starts." she pointed over her shoulder, as if a teacher would show up any minute and drag her away.

Halley nodded, "No worries, I'll see you around."

Barb was surprised by the encounter with the girl known for a nasty attitude. Not that she talked to many people, but she had overheard plenty of rumors about the eldest Byers child, none of which were exactly nice. Yet there she was, just having a regular conversation as if she thought Barb was an old friend.

Halley was just as stunned by the kindness from Barb. She knew that the redhead was good friends with Nancy Wheeler, and the two had never had a smooth relationship. Halley was genuinely surprised Nancy hadn't force fed Barb the many false rumors that floated around the school.

If she were anyone else, the rumors might have bothered her, but most of the things she heard about herself only made her seem like a badass. And Halley was perfectly alright with people thinking she was a force to be reckoned with.

Letting loose a large sigh, Halley began her way back down the hallway. This time, paying more attention, and making sure not to bump into unsuspecting people.

Chapter 4: excuse the children

Summary:

"𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔?"

The first class Halley had was math, and, not that she would ever admit it, half the time she slept through it. It was easy, considering she sat in the back of the class and Mr. Atkins was an old man who couldn't see past the second row. Despite her lack of attention toward the subject, she had yet to fail a test.

Today, however, was different. Halley sat wide awake in the back of the class, her leg bouncing rapidly, eyes flitting toward the door or phone with every slight movement or sound. Anything out of the ordinary forcing her thoughts to Will. She could sense something was off, and she was determined to find him.

 

Caroline Cae eyed Halley throughout the lesson, finding it odd that she had an abnormal amount of consciousness. The two girls had never been close, and only talked when one of them needed help with a problem during test prep, but Caroline could tell something was on Halley's mind.

Deciding the pre-calc packet Mr. Atkins handed out could wait, Caroline leaned over, resting her elbows on Halley's desk, and waited to be acknowledged.

"Can I help you?" Halley said, not harshly, but not exactly welcoming either. Her left eyebrow lifted slightly, giving her icy blue eyes a glint of interest, but Caroline could tell her mind was somewhere else.

A pencil tapped lightly against the desk, though Halley didn't realize she was doing it. The noise was almost melodic, like a song playing on repeat in the back of your head. The boy to her left shushed her, and she was forced to notice the shakiness in her hands. She flashed him the same look a deer would give a driver in the night.

Caroline quietly cleared her throat, bringing Halley's attention back to her. "You seem, off..." she finally said, watching as Halley's eyes wandered to the windows behind them. Eyes squinted, lips pursed, almost like she was coming up with a plan. "Uh, Halley? Are you okay?"

"Huh-- oh. You're still here. Wait, shit that sounded mean. I just meant, oh God, nevermind." Halley brought her hand up to her scrunched face, and used her middle finger and thumb to pinch at the skin on the bridge of her nose. "I-- sorry, what was the question?"

At this point, Caroline was genuinely worried, it wasn't like Halley to be so out of it. She was always so untouchable, at least to the lower classmen, Caroline knew that to the other juniors, Halley was just another burden hurting their reputation. She had looked up to the older girl though; last year, when Caroline had just begun her first year of high school, it had been Halley that stopped to ask her if she needed help. Proving that, despite her menacing exterior, she was a good person.

"I asked if you were okay. Cause, you just, uh... you seem upset," she said, her eyes focusing right above Halley's.

Halley's finger ran across a thin acne scar right below her hair line, giving an unconvincing smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just rather be anywhere other than here, right?" Something told Caroline that she was talking about more than just their boring math class.

Halley's foot rocked the desk, and Caroline watched a disregarded paper inch closer and closer to the edge with every shift.

"Are you sure?" she finally said, the silence between the two seeming to only have an effect on her. "I just mean, I don't know, like something's bothering you, and, I mean, I know we aren't really friends or anything, but you just-- I thought maybe if you needed to--"

"My brother didn't come home last night," Halley said, cutting Caroline off before she could trample over herself anymore than she already had. "It's stupid, and he's probably fine..." but I'm worried about him, Caroline could hear the words left unspoken.

"N-no, it's not stupid," She said quickly, eyes widening in attempt to show just how 'not stupid' she thought the feeling was. "Will, right? The one who hangs out with Wheeler's brother?" It wasn't really a necessary question, as the relation between Halley and Will Byers was well known, and had been since the very first time Halley had threatened a young bully. Nonetheless, Halley nodded. "I've seen him around, he's a tough kid, he'll be okay." This was a lie, Caroline knew that Will was a very... sensitive kid. And he wasn't exactly the fighter type. But now wasn't the time to bring that up.

Halley forced a smile, the forgotten page stopped just before it fell away. Caroline took this as a good sign. "You're probably right," she said, her voice less abrasive than usual, "Thanks."

Not known for breaking her typical attitude, Caroline took pride in being able to get a real response from Halley, and not one aimed to make her go away.

Despite what had been said, Halley's mind was still racing with every possible horrible thing that could have happened to Will, and how she could have prevented it if she had only gotten home sooner.

Deep down, she knew it wasn't her fault that Will hadn't shown up last night, and if anything were to happen to him, not that she had any reason to think something did, or would, it still wouldn't have been her fault. But that didn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach from plunging every time she thought up a new scenario. Even if it wasn't her fault he was gone, which technically he might not even be gone, if she had done something, maybe it could have been her fault that he was at school right now.

 

It was getting harder and harder to focus during classes for Halley. Her mind kept wandering back to her mother that morning, and how frantic she had been. What would she do if Will really was missing? And what about Jonathan? Halley knew her brother, and she knew that if Will was gone, or, god forbid, hurt, it would tear him up.

The day got progressively worse, and for a while, it seemed that the sad excuse for a conversation Halley had in Math was going to be the best part of her day. Each class brought more anxiety and uneasiness than the last, and it was enough to make Halley want to puke.

Physics was pretty terrible. Ms. Lanchester had decided to give her students a 'break' and allow them to take notes during the class instead of an intensive lesson complete with polaroids from a vacation with her mother that totally relates to simple harmonic motion.

No matter how hard Halley concentrated, or at least tried to, she just couldn't focus on the textbook in front of her. The words kept jumbling together in messy blurs, or her brain tricked her into seeing certain words, and she would spend precious time looking for sentences that didn't exist.

"Goddamn it," she muttered after convincing herself that she didn't just see her name on a page about energy. She massaged her forehead, her back aching to be moved from it's hunched position, but she worried it would pop and make a loud crack in the otherwise silent classroom.

She had wasted almost the entire period on one page, and had a total of seven and a half words written. She glanced over to the clock for what felt like the fiftieth time, there were only five minutes left.

Another of Steve's friends, Carol Perkins, glanced up from a few tables over, rolling her eyes at Halley's attempt to quietly clean up her workspace early.

Carol was a typical mean girl, and not in the way people made Halley out to be. Carol Perkins was a grade A bitch. And she would be the first to admit it. She was a mean girl, and saw nothing wrong with being such. Halley had found her fair share of younger girls upset in the bathroom because of comments the redhead had made. Though, Carol never approached Halley unless she had backup, so the worst that could happen during Physics would be a condescending glare and a hair flip. Somehow, Halley thought she could manage.

Her attempt to clean up early seemed to attract every other kid who was mentally finished with the class, causing Ms. Lanchester to give a half assed, "class is still going on," and go back to her photo album.

Halley placed a small bookmark on the page she was on, then shut the book. She would just have to finish the notes at home. Or I could copy Jon's. She thought to herself, finding that idea much more appealing than slaving over the boring text all night. She thanked whatever entity up there that Jonathan opted to take Chem next year and not his current one.

Ms. Lanchester looked up to her class again, each student had neatly cleaned up their work spaces, and a few had their textbooks open, only pretending to still be doing the assignment. "Just go ahead and leave then," she said absentmindedly, as if she truly couldn't care less about what they did.

Halley didn't have to be told twice, and was out of her seat as quick as about half of the class. The other's acted as if they were surprised, and gave fake attempts to put away their books. But Halley didn't know what happened to them, as she was out of the room before Carol could huff a cigarette stench of a breath at her.

The hallways were quiet, the only noise being the scuffs of shoes against the dull tile. The kids worried another teacher would appear from a classroom and yell at them for being out too early.

For Halley, study hall came after physics, and then lunch, which meant she had about two hours before she had another real class, and she already had an idea on what she wanted to do.

Hawkins High was right next to the middle school, and because there was no rule about staying on campus when you weren't in class, Halley decided that it was the perfect time to pay Will's friends a visit.

The bell rang as she opened her locker, the classroom to her left opened up, and let loose a small crowd of boisterous students. Only a few of them seemed to notice Halley, eyes bouncing in a once over before going back to whatever conversation they were in the middle of.

Halley tried not to pay attention to any lingering stares, and slammed the locker shut once she had put her things away. She tucked her personal notebook under her arm. There weren't many places she went without it.

A few others seemed to have the same idea as Halley, as there were a handful of people ambling around the parking lot. Though, she doubted they were going over to the middle school to look for their missing little brother.

She shook her head. He was fine. Halley didn't need to be thinking about the worst. Will was probably at the school right now, and had just taken off early without telling anyone.

She would walk through the doors, make her way down the halls of younger kids, and find the AV room, and Will would be there along with his friends. Probably.

Decorating the front of the school were large blue letters reading, "Hawkins Middle School' with a paw print representing their mascot, the cub.

There was always something about the building Halley preferred over the highschool, and she was reminded of this as she pushed through the front doors.

Old flyers and posters clung to the walls by small patches of painter's tape, a few rustling as kids passed by. Fluorescent light gleamed down harshly, though still in a strange form of nostalgia.

Halley didn't rush as she walked down the hall, making sure to glance into well lit classrooms, just in case Will was taking a test, or getting extra help. Even if it was out of character for him, Halley clung to the possibility of finding him safe and sound.

Before she could even get past the third classroom, a gruff voice called out to her.

"Halley?" She froze midstep, trying to come up with an excuse as to why she was in the school, as she turned around to face the chief of police, and a second officer she didn't recognize.

Messing with her fingers, Halley jumped when she accidentally cracked a knuckle. The officers were not amused.

"Hopper, long time no see." She bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to look anywhere but at the man in front of her.

"What are you doing here, Kid?" Hopper ran a hand through his hair, his voice sounding more tired than usual. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

Halley chewed at a cracked part in her lip, not registering any of the pain it caused her. "I've uh, I've got study hall," she finally said. Not at all enjoying the silence between herself and the police.

"Christ, I don't have time for you skipping right now," Hopper muttered, eyes momentarily glancing to the ceiling. Halley was ready to defend herself, and tell him that she wasn't technically skipping, but he cut her off before she got the chance. "Come with me. Probably better you're here anyway."

The sight was strange to say the least. The chief, an unnamed officer, and Halley Byers between the two being led down the hall like a teenage prisoner. To Halley, that's exactly what it felt like.

The chief led the others through the school, and stopped in front of the principals office. Principal Coleman was... a good guy. From what Halley remembered. He was a balding, white man with thin rimmed glasses that slid down his nose. But he didn't abuse his power so there was that.

Without knocking, Hopper barged into the office. Coleman gave an annoyed look, though he wasn't taken aback by the appearance.

He thrummed his finger over a well worn oak desk. "Well," he said with a chuckle, "this is a surprise."

Hopper wasn't amused. Halley, however, found the man's lack of emotion hilarious, only stifling her laughter when Officer Unnamed shot her glare. Though, as she was in a closer proximity now, she was able to read the small name tag pinned to the man's chest. 'L. Ponde'.

"I need to talk to a few of your students," Hopper said, skipping pleasantries and jumping straight to the point. Halley messed with a loose strand of hair, waiting for Hopper to tell her what her role was in all of this. "Preferably now," he said, interrupting the silence with his harsh words.

Seeming to sense the urgency in the situation, Coleman stood up and nodded, "oh, of course. Who are you looking for?"

Before answering, Hopper spared a glance toward Halley. The girl wasn't sure if it was to make sure she was still there, or to silently tell her to listen, not that she needed to be told.

"I need Micheal Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, and Lucas Sinclair." The obvious absence of her brother's name made Halley's stomach lurch.

Coleman nodded, scribbling something down on a notepad. "I'll get them now, please make yourselves at home until then." Hopper and Officer Ponde shared a glance and the latter of the men followed the principal out the door.

"So," Hopper said, pulling over a chair to face the couch Halley had taken, "wanna explain to me why you're not in school?"

Halley picked at the loose threads on the throw pillow in her lap. "I think it's kind of obvious, I mean, why aren't you at the station?" she shrugged, lips pursed. Her last intention was to be disrespectful to Hopper, as he had been there for her far more often than her actual father, but she was sick of not knowing what was going on. Especially considering, it was almost definitely about Will.

To her surprise, Hopper laughed. His moustache twitched with the action. "Fair enough, Kid," he said.

He drummed his hands against the plastic back of his chair, and let out a bored sigh. Halley was tempted to ask him about her mom, if the two of them had any luck in figuring out what was going on, but she was almost afraid of what the answer could be.

"Do you still have that intern job open?" she asked suddenly, surprising the both of them. A few months earlier, a little after Halley had taken her arcade job, Hopper had specifically requested her as the station's intern. At the time she had turned it down, figuring it would be rude to quit a job she had just started. But now? If she could work in the station, there was a better possibility of figuring out what happened to Will, or at least being able to hear some things first hand, without fear of her mother downplaying anything to save her nerves.

Hopper's brow furrowed, eyes scanning over Halley's face, as if there was a message written somewhere on her skin. "Are you interested?" he asked skeptically.

"Well I--I don't want to quit--" The door opened, revealing Coleman, Officer Ponde, and a quartet missing it's fourth.

"Halley?" Dustin was the first of the three to talk. She offered a meek wave, and Officer Ponde gestured for the boys to join her on the couch.

"This is about Will, isn't it?" Mike said, once he was seated in between Dustin and Lucas. Hopper and Officer Ponde exchanged a look, before nodding. "Is he okay?" he pressed, though, this time, he was met with no response.

"Why is she here?" Lucas spoke up, gesturing to the older girl, straddling the armrest of the couch, since the boys had taken up most of the space on the cushions.

"Damn. Good to see you too, I guess," she forced out a laugh, playfully sticking her tongue out at the boy.

Hopper cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to him. "Alright, so, yeah, this is about Will. He didn't go home last night and his family is trying to find him. Which is where you come in. Mrs. Byers said the three of you were with him last night, and that your mother," he paused, pointing at Mike, "said he went home. So something obviously happened between the time he left and this morning. Any ideas?"

The room erupted into the three boys trying to talk over each other. Halley was just as confused as the adults, still, she tried to make out what Dustin was saying, as he was the closest to her.

Words just jumbled together, and it felt like a radio stuck between stations.

"Okay, okay, okay," Hopper said, his hand waving in front of him as if it would help swat away the noise. "One at a time, alright?" The younger boys looked at each other, waiting for someone to speak. Hopper took matters into his own hands, and pointed toward Mike, "You. you said he takes what?"

Mike took a moment to answer, seeming to be surprised Hopper had called him out. "Mirkwood."

Hopper raised an eyebrow, "Mirkwood?" he didn't sound convinced.

Mike nodded, eyes slightly widening, "yeah."

Turning to Officer Ponde, "Have you ever heard of Mirkwood?" Hopper asked, his gaze shifting over the children quickly.

"I have not," Officer Ponde said, adjusting his glasses, "it sounds made up to me."

Lucas sighed, bringing Halley's attention away from the grown men. "No, it's from Lord of the Rings--"

Dustin was quick to correct him, "Well, The Hobbit." Halley had spent enough time babysitting the boys to know where this would go.

Lucas's arms uncrossed, one held out as he turned toward Dustin in a way only describable as 'are you serious right now?', as he said, "it doesn't matter!"

Mike seeming to also know exactly what direction this was headed pled silently for Dustin to just keep his mouth shut. Of course, though, he didn't.

"He asked!"

Mike shook his head as Lucas mimicked his defense in a higher pitch, "he asked!"

Both boys leaned over Mike, beginning to argue as Mike and Halley tried to push them away from each other. Mike giving feeble attempts to silence them with tiny 'shut up!'s

Hopper had had enough.

"Hey, hey, hey, what'd I just say? One. At a damn. Time!" his patience was wearing thin, and Halley could see it. She put a hand down on Dustin's shoulder, gently warning him to shut the hell up. Hopper pointed at Mike again, repeating the instruction from earlier, "You."

"Mirkwood, it's a real road, just the name that's made up." Mike said, trying to explain. Hopper looked lost, and turned to Halley, hoping for something useful.

"It's where Cornwallis and Kerley meet," she supplied.

Hopper nodded, leaning over to Officer Ponde while muttering, "Yeah, alright, I think I know that one."

"We can show you--if you want," Mike said, hope dripping in his voice.

Hoppers forehead creased and eyebrows pinched. "I said. I know it." he said harshly.

Mike sat forward in his seat, "we can help look for him!" he exclaimed, a chorus of agreements coming from the other two boys. Not that she would admit it, but Halley agreed with them. If Will was anywhere nearby in one of the party's many secret hideouts, the boys would be the ones to find him.

"No." Hopper's tone made all four kids jump. Dustin was ready to argue, but Hopper waved him off before he could start. "No. After school you are all going home. Immediately." He looked over the boys' unamused faces, and continued, "that means no biking around looking for your friend, no investigating, no nonsense. This isn't some Lord of the Rings book."

"The Hobbit.

"Shut up!" Lucus fired at Dustin, giving him an incredulous look. The two started leaning over Mike again, getting ready for a sad excuse of a brawl, but Halley was quick to pull Dustin back.

"Guys, stop it," Mike said, pushing Lucas off of him, leading  the boys into yet another argument.

Halley leaned over Dustin, using his shoulders to stabilize her, "would you shit heads shut up for just two minutes?" she said not unkindly.

"Right, okay," Hopper said, slightly louder than necessary. He was clearly trying to wrap the boys back into the situation at hand. "Do I make myself clear?" insults were muttered under Dustin's breath, and Halley gave him a shrug. "Do. I make. Myself. Clear?" Hopper said again, this time much more aggressive.

"Yes, sir," The boys said in unison, though Halley had major doubts on if they would truly listen to instructions.

 

Chapter 5: grilled cheese

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒔,"

Halley waited for Jonathan at their car after school. She laid splayed on the hood, a cigarette, from the pack she had swiped from her mother, dangled closely to her mouth. The girl was transfixed with the small smoke shapes spiraling around her.

Will always hated when she smoked. Because of that, she tried to do it as little as possible. But it was soothing when her nerves were shot, and she needed some sort of anchor after her shit day.

"Thought you gave these up." someone took her cigarette before she could inhale another breath of false emotional control.

Halley groaned, stretching her arms above her head before sitting up. Jonathan stood to her right, arms crossed, and shoed something into the ground. Halley had a sneaking suspicion on what that 'something' was.

"So did I," she said matter-of-factly, jumping off the car. "Today seemed like a 'throw away my progress' kind of day."

The two got into the car, Halley taking the keys. She turned on the radio before beginning to pull out of the parking lot.

"Your English teacher saw me when I passed her class and asked me where you were," Jonathan said, picking up the notebook Halley had put on the floor by his feet. He skimmed the pages, looking at each collage. He stopped at one she had made a few weeks ago, a couple polaroids cut and stuck to the top of the page for reference, and a butterfly created with pictures she had cut out from the myriad of old magazines taken from their mom's work.

"I skipped last period," Halley said, looking over and watching Jonathan's reaction to her art.

Technically, she hadn't planned to ditch, but fear and anxiety crept down her spine whenever she came up with a new theory on Will, and by the end of the day she was ready to combust.

"I talked to Hopper," She said, stopping as she let a car come out of the grocery store lot, "during study hall." She let off the brake a little too quickly and the two teens lurched forward before Halley got the car back under control. They didn't acknowledge the mistake.

Jonathan put down the art book, and turned to look at his sister. "Really? Did he come into the library or something?"

"Uh, more like 'something'," She replied, forcing a laugh as she turned into Mirkwood, smiling slightly as she remembered Hopper's lost face as the boys tried to explain it to him. She kept her eyes out, as if Will would simply be riding alongside the road on his bike. "I went over to the middle school to see if Will was there. He wasn't, by the way, but that's not the main point. Hopper saw me and brought me along to where he questioned the boys."

Jonathan looked intrigued, "He talked to the kids?" he asked.

"Kind of, I think he got most of the information he needed from Mom, and even if he didn't, Dustin and Lucas fought more than helped, so..." Halley said, slowing down as they got closer to their turn, "He just asked about the street Will takes home from Mike's, and then told the kids to not go out looking for him." Halley shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips, "cause, you know, Mike was ready to play the hero."

Jonathan nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face, "sounds like something he would do. Does Hopper really think they'll listen to him though?" Will always told them how often Mike made sacrifices during campaigns, so there was no telling what he would do in a real world situation.

 

Joyce stood on the front porch letting out a visible sigh when her two oldest pulled into the driveway. In a different time, the two would tease her about how skittish she was being, but not now. Joyce wrapped her arms around them before they asked for any updates.

"Mom, hey," Jonathan choked out. Halley relished the comfortable hold for a moment before breaking away.

"Hopper said you talked to him today?" There was an innocent, almost worried, look on her face, with eyebrows slightly raised and lips gently pursed.

Mind wandering to a conversation about her ex husband, Lonnie, Joyce faked a smile to her kids and said, "Nothing helpful."

Not believing her mother at all, Halley nodded, while kicking at the dry dirt beneath her foot. A beetle scurried away from the unintentional attack.

Each of the three wanted to say something to break the sudden blanket of silence that had fallen over them, but nothing seemed to fit the criteria for the current time.

If Will was there he would make them laugh. He always could. He could always put a smile on his family's faces, and there was an obvious hole where he should have been.

Halley had had enough of forced normality. She took a deep breath before speaking, "What do we do?"

Despite the confident front she put out, Halley was still a kid, and things like this didn't happen to her, not to her family, not to Will. How was she supposed to figure out what to do? The teen was scared, but she could tell her mother and brother were also terrified, so she felt the need to pretend to be brave. For them.

"Hopper's out with a few of his men, searching around, i think that's what we should do." Joyce's voice was strained, and she picked her words very carefully, as if anything specific and she would break the tension and the three would fall apart right there on the front porch. "Halley, why don't you stay back? Jonathan and I can check out the woods behind the house."

"But--"

"I want to make sure someone's home if he turns up. I don't want the house to be empty. Please, Halley." She saw the way her mother shook with worry, how her hair was messy from running her hands through it all day. Now wasn't the time to fight with her.

Halley bit her lip, gulping, to make sure her voice would come out steady. "Yeah, sure. Of course." A ghostly smile crossed Joyce's face, and she engulfed her daughter again, squeezing her shoulders tightly.

The door creaked as Halley stepped inside, watching from the window as Jonathan and Joyce began to trek into the woods. Despite knowing that it was a good idea for her to be home, in case Will did show up, she still felt useless.

Wandering pointlessly around the small house and thinking about anything but the problem at hand was how she spent her time. She ran her hand over a slight discoloration in the wall; it was from years ago when Will was a toddler and had drawn with crayon all over the new paint job. Their father had been furious, but Joyce hadn't yelled at Will. She rarely yelled at any of her kids.

Halley groaned. The entire time she was alone in the house, she couldn't stop memories from flooding through her. And one just kept coming back in flashes, like someone was flipping through channels in her head, until she found herself in Will's room...

 

Will had been acting strangely all week; he was obviously quieter and much more reserved than usual. Mike was sick with the flu, so the boys hadn't had any campaigns recently either. Whenever anyone asked him about it, Will always told them he was fine. That he was tired, or he had homework.

It was a rainy Thursday afternoon that Halley finally decided Will couldn't just lie his way out of his feelings anymore. She was the only one home at the time, since Jonathan and Joyce were both at their jobs, and Halley had yet to be hired.

Both siblings had ridden their bikes to and from school that day, because Jonathan had his monthly staff meeting right after school, and needed the car. Usually the two enjoyed riding together; they would leisurely make their way down the street, pointing out interesting looking birds and strange plants, or talking about what had happened that day, but Will had barely uttered a word to Halley.

The first straw had been when Will rejected an offered trip to the arcade, with Dustin and Lucas, and some of Halley's spare quarters.

She had asked as they neared the driveway, and he had simply politely declined, dropped his bike in front of the garage, then quickly made his way inside. To say Halley was confused would be an understatement.

She had put both their bikes away, having a feeling that Will wasn't going to want to go out later that day. Her fingers had tingled for the warm familiarity of a lit cigarette, but that was a habit she would break.

Inside, Will wasn't at the kitchen table like he normally was. There were no colored pencils, stray papers or textbooks, only a stray cup from breakfast. This was the last straw. She could overlook a bad mood one day, wanting to stay home, shit like that was typical kid behavior. But breaking a habit he had kept for years; working at the table as Halley made them a grilled cheese, which they each took half of, then talked about their day? This was not something she would just let slide.

Will's door was shut when she finally figured out what she wanted to say, and made her way down the hall. The Clash was playing softly and Halley thought she could hear him humming along.

Halfway through their secret knock, there came a tired, almost annoyed, "come in". And Halley did just that.

The old cassette player sat on his bedside table, the volume turned down low. Will was on his bed, his head hanging off the side with his eyes closed, brown hair almost reaching the floor.

"Hey Kiddo," she started, sitting crisscrossed on the floor beside him. Will made no move of acknowledgement, but she continued nonetheless, "wanna tell me what's wrong?" Her eyes were soft and understanding, but they also told the younger boy that he wasn't going to be able to lie his way out of whatever was going on.

Of course, though, that didn't stop him from trying. "I don't know what you're talking about. Everything's fine." he was focused on the ceiling, trying his hardest not to make eye contact.

"Something tells me that's not true," she said thoughtfully, stretching out her legs in front of her, and leaning against the bed. "C'mon Will, what's up with you? Did something happen with the others?" He looked up at this, his head turning to the right so the two were looking eye to eye. He looked upset.

"Nothing happened with The Party," he said finally, pushing himself off the bed and arching his back so he ended up sliding into Halley instead of the thinly carpeted floor. The older teen laughed slightly, ruffling his hair as he righted himself next to her.

Halley slung her arm around him, squeezing his shoulder, it was much clearer then, that whatever was going on wasn't due to just a bad mood.

"Do you think I'm gay?" Will had said, his voice fast paced and almost inaudible. It took Halley a moment to process what he had said. But once she did, her eyebrows furrowed and tongue gently tsked against the roof of her mouth.

"I don't know, are you?" her arm stayed around him, but he was back on focusing on anything else again.

A Halloween picture from the year before closely watched them. The boys were in costumes they had created for their--at the time--latest campaign.

"What? I-- no. no, I was just asking if you thought--"

Halley cut him of, "I wouldn't care, you know," she glanced at the picture, "if you were."

"I'm not." he said again, this time a little more forceful, but not aggressive.

"Okay." she shrugged, and leaned a bit farther back on to the bed. She said nothing, and she watched Will slowly grow more and more uncomfortable in the silence. It was a trick she had learned from her AP Psychology teacher the year before. Asking questions gives them a chance to spit out a rehearsed script. But no one prepares for silence. The quiet eats up at them, letting them know that they can't get out of the situation, and then sit there trying to find out how to escape until they realize they can't, and then--

"I think you're the only one that thinks that way." Halley tilted her head down, a thoughtful expression covering her face; her eyebrow scrunched a bit in a way that mutely said, 'oh?'

Will took a deep breath, and turned away from the other girl. "James and Troy started back up again. Um, they kept calling me a fairy and, a queer," he messed with the cuffs on his sleeves. Halley's blood boiled. This wasn't the first time she had heard about Troy and James, but it was the first she heard of them going directly after Will. Directly after her brother.

"It's stupid," he said, glancing up to Halley to see how she was reacting, "I'm just over reacting."

Halley put her hands on both her shoulders then, looking right into his brown doe eyes. "What did they say Will?" her gaze was soft, and compassionate, anything else and Will, not unlike a real doe, would be scared off.

"That I'm gay for all my friends and a freak thats gonna burn in hell, along with the usual shit we get from those guys," he forced a laugh. "Seriously, Halles, I'm overreacting, it's fine really, I- I don't know I shouldn't be this hung up over it, I mean, Mike isn't." The last part was just above a whisper, and things began to fall into place for Halley.

"Will, you're not overreacting, okay? And I don't care what anyone tells you about it, what Troy and James are saying-- they're trying to hurt you, and that's not your fault," she paused, pushing hair out of her face, and exhaling sharply through her nose. "You know, I can tell you to just not listen to them, but that's the shittiest advice I could give. Honestly, you and I both know that those two are little dicks and ignoring them will only encourage them to go farther."

"That's kinda a terrible pep talk," Will said, a small smile beginning to show.

"Shut up, I wasn't done." she scrunched her nose at him and shoved his shoulder lightly. "Look, I'm not saying to not be affected by whatever they say, because that's dumb. Sure, it would be nice to just go on with your life and not think about what they might say, but it's not that easy. So let yourself feel what you're feeling right now. And don't tell yourself you're overreacting. Don't try and convince yourself that you don't have a right to feel, because if you do I'll be the one bullying you," she poked his chest, "Just don't let these dumbasses stop you from living your life. And!" she said suddenly, "if you need someone to talk to these kids, come to me because I don't want Jonathan getting beat up by preteens." Will laughed at this, it was hallowed, and a bit sad, but it was a laugh nonetheless.

"Thanks, Halles."

Halley opened her eyes, relatively upset to find herself alone in Will's room. Sitting on the bed with the blankets carefully pulled up to the pillow, she realized just how empty the house felt. Sure, she had been home alone before, but it felt different. It felt colder. She hated it.

Standing up with shaky legs, Halley tried to tell herself that everything would be ok. That Jonathan and her mom would come home with Will trailing behind them. But there was no reason Halley could think of for why he wouldn't have come home. And no matter how loud she screamed it in her mind, she knew she wouldn't believe it.

There was a loud slam, and Halley heard Jonathan trying to calm down their mother. The woman's voice panicked, yet angry.

"Mom you said the chief-"

"Hopper doesn't know Lonnie like I do," she cut him off.

Halley emerged into the living room just in time to see Joyce rounding the corner into the kitchen, where she began to forcefully dial a phone number.

"Thought she said Hopper didn't say anything useful," Halley mumbled, plopping down on the couch next to Jonathan. He looked at her and shrugged.

Running a hand through his hair he said, "On the way back she said something about the chief mentioning Dad. Apparently when kids go missing they're usually with a parent or something, he pointed to over where Joyce was arguing with someone, "she's trying to call him right now."

Jonathan reached into his backpack set against the couch. He pulled out a stack of papers and set them on the coffee table in front of the two of them.

"I started working on these during Study Hall, figured we could hang them up around town." They were missing person flyers, There were two spots left empty for pictures of Will. A small description of what he looked like and what he was last seen wearing was scrawled under them in Jonathan's slanted handwriting.

Joyce's feet thrummed against the floor in a panicky pace, and Halley could smell her mother's cigarette smoke from where she sat. The older woman was angry. And both teens could hear it. She was muttering, which turned to a normal tone, which turned to shouting. Which, inevitably, turned to her slamming the phone down and huffing the word 'bitch' under her breath.

Jonathan took a shaky breath, putting down the papers in front of him. "Mom, you have to be calm."

"I am calm!" she shouted back, and the sound of buttons being pushed was already filling the house again. "Lonnie, some teenager just hung up on me," Jonathan and Halley shared a look, "Will is missing. I don't know where he is. I just-- I need you to call me back, please this one time. I just-- Ugh!" she shouted, slamming the phone back, hitting the receiver repeatedly, "Damn it! Damn it!"

Halley's attention was drawn away from her mother's hounding on her ex father, to the sudden sound outside. Though, it looked like her brother noticed it first. "Mom?" He said, interrupting the attack on the phone.

Joyce's head popped out from around the corner, eyebrows stitched into a frown Halley assumed would be there for a while. "What?"

Pointing at their partially open window, Jonathan only muttered a word.

"Police."

Chapter 6: dracula fan club

Summary:

"𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆,"

The pleasantries were skipped, when asked to come in. No offer of coffee, and not even an awkward attempt at small talk. Hopper sat at their dining table, his two cohorts standing beside him, while Joyce's hand steadied her while facing them. Back to where she had originally begun the horror of the day, Halley was sitting on the counter, with Jonathan beside her.

"It was just lying there?" Joyce croaked, looking directly at Hopper, he nodded.

Twiddling her fingers in her sweat stricken hands, Halley spoke, drawing the attention to her, "Did you, uh, did it have any... blood on it?" She cringed at the word, and refused to look up from the little white line in her fingernail. She held her breath, waiting for the worst to come.

"No, no blood," Hopper said calmly. She let out her breath and nodded. Good. That was good.

After the knowledge of such, the sudden 'oh no' was replaced to a face much similar to the one Joyce wore when dialing Lonnie's number. After cursing an alleged teen for hanging up on her. "If you found the bike out there, then why are you here?"

The man next to Hopper, Calhoun, Halley recognized, put out his hand in a 'calm down' manner. Joyce looked about ready to hit him. "The kid had a key to the house right?" he asked, ignoring the death glare. Joyce nodded. "So maybe he came home."

There was a scoff, and Halley and Jonathan braced themselves if the need for them to restrain their mother from attacking the officer became necessary. "You think I didn't check my own house?"

Calhoun shook his head, "no that's not what I'm saying..." he trailed off, and the three remaining Byers, and the three officers, were left in a challenging silence, until Joyce finally relented, leading Hopper down the hallway and to the backdoor. Calhoun followed shortly after, leaving the teens with Phil.

"I know you're trying to help, but we've already looked everywhere," Halley said, pulling the sleeves of her shirt over her hands. "Will isn't here."

The sound of the back door opening creaked through the kitchen, and the pitter patter of Chester's paws came shortly there after. His tail stuck behind his legs as he whined. Halley frowned, and slid off the counter, kneeling down to her dog's height. He had never acted like that before.

Phil seemed interested in this. "His behavior is out of the ordinary?" he asked Jonathan, as Halley scratched behind Chester's ears, cooing little compliments in a high pitched voice as she did so.

"Yeah, kind of, I guess. He probably just saw a big animal or something, we live by woods, maybe there was a coyote." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself far more than anyone else.

"Hey Phil?" Halley said, the small knob to the cabinet they kept pots and pans digging into her back, "I know my mom talked to Hopper this morning, but, uh, do you have any idea what's happening?" Her hopes were low, if Hopper hadn't said anything when she was at the middle school, he was either clueless, or deliberately keeping something from her. And if it was the latter, there was no way she'd be able to crack Phil in the short amount of time before the other three adults came back.

Her hope diminished completely when Phil shrugged, giving her a sympathetic smile. "I know about the same as you do right now. The biggest lead we have right now is your dad, but that's just because of how early on we are with the case." He quickly added the last bit, no doubt after noticing the fearful glance the siblings cast at each other. "Honestly. Hawkins is a small town, big things rarely happen here, and when news breaks everyone is going to be turning everything over to find your brother, okay? We're going to find him, and when we do, he's gonna be okay."

The words, despite their good intentions, only made Halley worry more. Phil was right; big things never happened in Hawkins, it was a small town, with small disturbances, not missing kids.

"Yeah," Halley said finally, forcing herself to nod, "I guess you have to help Hopper and Calhoun ransack my house now." her voice was bland, humor far drier than it usually was. Phil didn't seem to pick up on it, instead, he stood up from his spot at their dining table-- the spot Will would sit at, when he was home for dinner-- and gave a pitiful smile, before turning to head out to their backyard with the others.

For a moment, the only noise was the inconsistent whine from Chester, but after so long Jonathan cleared his throat, and slumped down to the ground next to Halley. "You okay?" He asked.

"Not really," she said, "Something about this doesn't sit right with me. More so than expected, I guess."

Why would Will just leave his bike in the woods; if he was running away he'd want to be able to go as fast as possible. But he wouldn't want to run away. At least not without saying something to Halley or Jonathan, and definitely not without saying something to Mike.

"Mike," Halley said aloud, her mind whirling in conspiracies. She didn't get a chance to talk to only Mike, not even to only the kids earlier. And if anyone would have secret information on where Will would run away, it would be them. She looked up to Jonathan, suddenly feeling hopeful, "What if something happened, right? And, and Will wanted to leave or something, I mean, a few months ago he talked about some stupid punks at school, but," her face scrunched up as she spoke trampling over herself as she continued to try in vain to find a reasonable explanation as to why her youngest brother was missing. "Maybe Will said something to Mike, or-or maybe this is some prank, okay? And Will's hanging out somewhere and--"

"Halles," Jonathan said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You gotta calm down." She didn't realize it until he said anything, but she was shaking, her hands seemed to flinch with every breath she took, and her eyes were hot.

He was right. She nodded, quickly, balling her hands into fists and furiously swiping at her eyes. "Sorry, sorry." She hugged her legs to her chest. "What I was trying to say," she started again, slower this time, "is that maybe something happened at school, or, i don't know, maybe with some kids and Will thought he needed to be away for a few days, you know? Like in those movies. Maybe his friends know about it?" She could practically hear Jonathan's voice in the silence, telling her what she already knew; that that wasn't what happened.

"If he ran away, why did he leave his bike behind?"

"Maybe he was trying to fake the disappearance?"

"Halley," Jonathan's voice was quiet, almost pleading. They both knew that it was wishful thinking. Will wouldn't have left without telling one of them. He wouldn't have been able to hide anything either, so if something had pushed him to run away, one of them would have noticed it over the past few days, or weeks.

She ran her tongue over her cracked lips. "I know." Halley pushed herself to face her brother, he looked just as she felt. "I'm really fucking scared right now," she whispered, mustering enough energy for a half-assed laugh. Jonathan nodded.

It was stupid, but she felt bad telling him, like she should pretend to be okay, and confident that they would find Willl, but she couldn't. Maybe it was selfish, but she wanted to tell someone. She wanted someone to tell her that it was okay, and that everything was fine. It wouldn't happen, they all knew that it wasn't fine, and it was so far from okay, it might have been funny, but the idea of consolidation, even scripted and forced, was something she craved.

Alas, that's not what was going to happen. Her mom was somewhere with the officers and Jonathan needed the comfort far more than Halley did, in her opinion.

"Do you remember that one time," she began, waiting for Jonathan to stop looking at the discoloration in the tiled floor, and instead look at her, he did. "Will was about ten, and he had Mike over. Mom was working late, so it was you and me looking after them."

He was smiling now, a very thin and ghostly smile, but one nonetheless. "It was around Halloween," he continued, "and there was some horror movie on TV that Will didn't want to watch at all a few days before, but as soon as Mike suggested it he was all for it."

Two days ago, Will screeched in terror at the thought of watching Dracula, but now? After Mike seemed even vaguely interested? Will was all for it.

Their mother had talked about it the other day, suggesting it to Halley and Jonathan, since there was another addition to the series coming out soon. The topic seemed interesting enough to the kids. Joyce had said that it was her dad's favorite horror movie, and that they would watch it every Halloween.

There was only one TV in the house, and since Will had been dead set against watching the vampire movie, no one in the Byer's household had seen the movie after Joyce brought it up.

That changed the Saturday Mike was invited over, and Joyce had to stay late at the convenient store.

The two younger boys were in front of the TV, trying to find something to watch, while Halley and Jonathan made a pot of Kraft mac and cheese. They could hear the boys blabbering about anything and everything. It made Halley happy to know that her brother had a friend like that. She herself hadn't talked to many people in her elementary school life, and despite being a year above Jonathan, he was hands down her best friend. That didn't mean there weren't other's she had hung out with, but given where she was now, in seventh grade, it didn't really matter, first through fifth grade was behind her, and it seemed everyone else too. Popularity was suddenly a thing that people cared about, and they would drop anyone they needed to to reach it.

Mike didn't seem like the person to do something like that. And Halley appreciated it. He and her brother were inseparable, and she knew that there was no way that would change because of some stupid idea of glamour when they got older.

Will had said something about watching a movie then, and they argued over Scooby Doo specials they both had seen countless times. Will was flipping through their VHS tapes with Mike looking over their shoulder.

From the kitchen, Halley heard Mike's young, squeaky voice go, "what's that?" and there was the sound of Will sliding a tape out of their small pile.

"Oh this? I guess it's one of my mom's movies, she said she used to watch it when she was a kid." Halley had been surprised at this. Other than a select few, her mom's movies were boring, they were all about kissing in the rain, and all the jokes her mom laughed at she never understood.

Still stirring the mac and cheese, she called out, "you guys find something to watch?" a few seconds past and the two of them stood in the entrance to the kitchen, Will holding out a tape with a very familiar cover.

"Will said your mom likes it," Mike supplied pointing at the black and white depiction of Dracula. Halley looked from Jonathan to Will, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Mike said he thought it might be cool. Jonathan can you help us set up the player?" the older kids shared a glance. Mike. Either of them would lay down their life for the other, so Will deciding to watch some movie that the idea of had shook him to the core, just because Mike thought it might be interesting, made perfect sense. Mike would do the same thing if the situation was reversed.

And so Jonathan helped the kids get the movie ready, while Halley finished up dinner.

The four of them crowded around their small TV as the opening music began . Halley was into it, she obviously preferred the other horror movies she had seen, mostly because they were in color, but Dracula wasn't bad.

Joyce came home around half way through the movie and the younger boys jumped as they heard the noise. It was nearing ten thirty, and while Will and Mike could have stayed up far longer, (they were ten after all, and very mature for their age, they said), they had to head into Will's room to get some sleep once the movie had ended.

Jonathan was laughing slightly, pushing a hand through his hair. "You were the one who found him, right? Sunday night?" He asked.

She could still remember that night, "Yeah, I went to get water, or something, and he was sitting in the kitchen, holding a clove of garlic." he had looked up at her, nearly screaming until he realized it was only Halley. "I think he spent the next week in my room because he was so sure that a vampire was going to get him if he was alone."

If he was there to hear them retell the story, Will would have been mortified, and said something about how that wasn't how it went down, even though it was, and how he wasn't scared about a vampire taking him, even though he was.

Halley's lips pulled into a somewhat smile as she saw Jonathan's face. He was still freaked out, obviously, but it was also obvious he was calmer than both of them were before.

For a fleeting moment, things felt just a little less overwhelming, and Halley felt like she could breathe, as in, actually breathe, for the first time that day.

At least until Hopper came rushing back in with Phil, Calhoun, and Joyce following shortly after, talking in a rushed tone about getting a search party out there, now.

"Mom?" Jonathan asked, hurriedly pushing himself off the ground. "Did you find something? Is everything okay?" His gaze shifted from Joyce to the officers. Neither of which were offering any explanation.

The air around them was thick, and Halley could tell they had figured something out, or at least gotten an idea. Though, from the way everyone was acting, she didn't think it was good.

Ignoring Jonathan completely, Hopper turned to his backup, "You need to go back to the station and tell Flo to get the others out here as soon as possible. I want a search party assembled in no more than thirty minutes, we're searching every inch of those woods, even if it takes all night."

Phil and Calhoun nodded, and quickly made their way out of the front door. Halley could already hear the engine of their car start when Hopper started to speak again.

"Get all your flashlights, and dress warm," He told Halley and Jonathan, a grim look passed over his face, and he and Joyce seemed to have a silent agreement.

The sun was already fairly low in the sky, and crickets had begun to chirp to the darkening sky. The measly four flashlights the two teens had managed to find around their house wasn't very promising. Halley only hoped anyone that came out would have one of their own.

She hoped people would come out in the first place, but the idea that they wouldn't was too invasive, and she knew that if she let the thought take up any more space than it already was, she'd be screwed.

"I was thinking," Halley spoke, watching Jonathan dump out an old backpack he had taken camping when their father insisted on a father son trip over ten years ago. A tiny, handheld flashlight fell out. Five.

He turned to look at her, pocketing his find. "Yeah?"

"I want to go over to the Wheelers. Talk to Mike, you know? I know Karen said he wasn't over there this morning, and I'm sure she wouldn't lie, but I just, I wanna talk one on one with the kid, without the chief of police breathing down our necks." she cracked her knuckles, waiting for her brother to shoot down her idea.

Instead, he nodded, "That's probably a good idea, I mean, even if Mike doesn't know anything, you've always been his favorite, and like you said before, he's gonna want to do something stupid." Halley looked out the window, trying to avoid eye contact without being suspicious. It wasn't that she was going to encourage Mike to go out and look for Will, or do anything that would put him in danger, but... she didn't exactly plan on stopping him. She'd go with him, of course, she wasn't about to let anyone else disappear, but if Will was hiding out somewhere, Mike would know exactly where to look.

To Halley's surprise, when she proposed the idea to her mom, she agreed. Sure, she had left out the part about possibly going out to search with the kid, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Overall, she chalked her mom's agreeability up to the anxiety she was currently feeling, and the abundance of people showing up at her house. They all figured people would come to help look for Will, but the amount was far greater than they had expected. And that was good. Good, but overwhelming.

"Change before you go over there, Honey, it's cold. And wear bright colors, so if anything happens I can find you." Her eyes flashed with worry, and she bit her lip to stop from saying anything else. Usually Halley would tease her about things like this, the irrational fear she had, but now-- now it didn't seem so irrational.

To get to her room, she had to push past at least six different people loitering in their hallway, waiting for Hopper, or any other officer to give them orders.

Glad to find her room untouched and empty, Halley closed the door behind her, and let herself regroup. She took a few deep breaths, watching in the mirror and she frustratedly pulled the hairband from her hair, fingering through the knots as a calming technique.

"Alright," she whispered to herself. She needed to get to the Wheelers before Mike did something alone. She ran through her plan in her head as she grabbed an old neon yellow rain jacket that had once been her mothers. It was going to be difficult getting to Mike, Halley knew Karen, and while her husband was borderline neglectful, she wouldn't just let Mike leave with Will missing.

There was a door to their basement. That was usually where the kids hung out, from what she remembered from what Will would tell her, and from when she would babysit. If she was lucky, Mike would be down there.

She pocketed one of the smaller flashlights, and slipped on old, worn out shoes that would no doubt be ruined later, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment.

Jonathan was waiting outside her door when she emerged from her room. "Hey," he said, the worried gaze that had been flickering on and off his face all day was back, "Hopper left about ten minutes ago. He let me know the route they're taking so I'll catch up later, I wanted to--" he paused, pursing his lips, "Just be careful okay? It's getting kind of dark and it looks like it's gonna rain."

It was a bittersweet moment, the two had always been close, as they were less than a year apart, but it was different in that moment. It wasn't the typical joking matter of 'don't get hit on by creepy guys in the arcade'. Instead it was a pleading look of 'don't leave us too'.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna take the car, stop a few houses over so Karen doesn't see me, and then proceed to kidnap her kid," Jonathan didn't laugh, "I know," she said before he had the chance to, "I'm just gonna talk to him, you and I both know I'll be damned if I let anything else happen to these kids." She pulled him into a hug, taking a deep breath. "We're gonna find him," She said, though it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

Chapter 7: that wasn't will

Summary:

"𝑰'𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑫𝒊𝒑𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕."

The car ride to the Wheeler's was silent. Usually, when Halley had the car to herself, she would blast the radio, singing along loudly to her favorite songs. But not this time. This time, she sat rigid in her seat and stared straight ahead with her hands gripping the steering wheel deathly tight.

Every noise she considered out of the ordinary, she would slam her foot on the break and whip her head around, expecting to find some sort of clue as to where Will was, or someone who knew.

By the time she had gotten to her destination, she had found nothing that could possibly help her. And the drive had been about twenty minutes longer than it should have. The sky was lit only by the moon, and rain had begun to drizzle down, with no signs of stopping. Halley cursed.

She parked in front of the Wallece's house, leaving enough room for them to get in or out of the driveway. The older couple she knew, for a fact, was at her house, or at this point in the woods behind it, looking for Will, and their kids were both grown; either in college, or at their own house. There would be no one in the family to question why she was there.

Only a few blocks down, was the Wheelers'. Halley pulled her hood over her head, as she stepped into the brisk November air, and began walking.

Almost immediately after she started, she stepped in a puddle, drenching the entirety of her left foot. "Shit." Her voice was cold, though it was obvious she didn't care too much about her now soaked shoe.

She reached the house diagonal from Mike's just as another car pulled up. Halley dived behind a few black trash bags, she wished her mother hadn't insisted on easily seen clothes.

"Don't be Karen, don't be Karen, oh my God. Please don't be Goddamn Karen," she whispered to herself, her fingernails pushing harshly into the palms of her hands.

To her surprise, it wasn't Karen in the car. It wasn't a Wheeler at all. Instead it was Steve Harrington. Not exactly the last person she expected, but definitely not on her list.

Halley stood up quietly, letting out a sigh of relief. He was here to see Nancy, and if he ratted Halley out, she would rat him out. Hopefully, that meant they both would pretend they simply hadn't seen each other, if Steve had even seen her. And at the moment, it looked like she was in the clear.

A few feet over from where Steve was beginning to... was he trying to climb their house?

Halley frowned at the idea, he wasn't exactly stealthy.

She shook the thought from her head, it didn't matter what Steve was doing, she could care less about his and Nancy's hook up plans. "Oh, god gross," she cringed. Quickly wanting that thought far, far away from her mind. It seemed her wish was granted.

Mike, Lucas, and Dustin were all crowded around the door to the basement. It looked like they were about to get on their bikes.

"Shit, shit, shit," Halley said, they couldn't leave, not yet. So she took off running. "Mike!" she called out, trying to keep her voice low. Smaller puddles splashed as she tore across the road.

Seeming to hear her, Steve stumbled on his climb to Nancy's window, alerting the other boys. Their attention whipped to him, then followed his gaze to her. Mike's eyes widened, and he tried to tell the other boys to go, before Halley could hold them back, but she quickly took hold of his handlebar, turning the bike to face her.

"Halley, we have to go out there, you can't stop--"

"I'm coming with you, Dipshit. Where's Nancy's old bike?" Her eyes were wild, breath hitching as she tried to steady her heartbeat. Mike didn't say a word, he was clearly taken aback from her sudden appearance. He dropped his bike, then disappeared around the corner of the house.

Seconds later he emerged with a rusty, old, purple bike. "Dad keeps trying to throw it out, but Mom keeps stopping him. It's in bad shape but..." he shrugged, offering it to the teen. Halley took it, handing Mike back his own bike, and looking to the three preteens in front of her.

"So, we all know we're going against the Chief's direct order for us to not do exactly this. That means we need to be quiet, and inconspicuous; if we're caught, Hopper and your parents will all have my ass."

She mounted the bike, the boys following suit. The night was deathly quiet, and it looked like Steve successfully got into Nancy's window for a late night... whatever they were doing.

Taking one last look to the boys, "I think I know where we should look first." she didn't mention Will's found bike. "Stay close, and if you see, or hear something, or even think you do, let me know.

A small nod passed through the group, and they came to an agreement. Once Halley had begun pedaling, the three boys followed right behind her. Everyone's eyes wandered around them; waited for something to pop out of a bush, or someone's back yard.

It didn't take long to get out of Mike's neighborhood, even on a bike. They were nearing the turn to Dustin's house, but Halley knew they needed a different route. If Ms. Henderson saw them, they were royally screwed.

Right before the turn, Halley swerved into an abandoned yard at the corner of the street. Her wheels squelched through the grass, and as she rode through a ditch she was splattered with mud, but she knew it would be worth it because just a few yards away there should be...

"Guys!" she hissed, gripping tightly at her breaks and turning to face the boys, almost getting run over by them in the process. The three looked up to her, expectantly.

Nothing better happen to these kids, she thought, feeling a hint of regret. Maybe she should have tried to have kept them inside, she could have very easily just tried to talk to them. But a part of her knew that talking wouldn't work. These boys would have come out with or without her.

"Halley?" Lucas said, "are we going in?" he gestured toward the large gate, in the entrance to the woods, surrounded by thick trees and shrubs, it would be easy to get into, but they would have to leave their bikes.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think this is where we should start."

They leaned the bikes against a nearby tree, out of view if anyone came down the path, not that anyone would.

Halley hopped the gate first, then proceeded to offer any help as the others got over. They refused, of course, but she expected them to.

It started to rain hard, then. Thick droplets sticking to her face, despite the hood she had pulled up over her head. The flashlight she had wasn't extremely helpful, but she had to admit it was better than nothing.

Wind blew harshly the farther they got into the woods, and thunder was crackling. Halley only hoped lightning wouldn't strike the tree next to them. An owl screeched in the distance, and Lucas stepped on a branch, causing Dustin to flinch, jumping around to make sure they weren't being followed.

"Oh man, It's raining pretty hard," he held out his hand, watching intently as raindrops splat against his palm, "maybe, uh, maybe we should go back." Halley bit her lip. She wanted to find her brother but she wasn't about to force the boys into something they didn't want to do, or something they were scared to do.

Mike seemed to have different ideas. He pulled a walkie talkie from his backpack and tossed it back to Dustin. "No splitting up, or anything stupid, but stay on channel six while we're out here, just in case." He didn't acknowledge anything Dustin had said.

Without a second of hesitation, Mike and Lucas continued through the woods, and Halley was stuck between choosing to follow the two boys ahead, or making sure Dustin didn't get lost.

In the end the decision was made for her. A loud crack of thunder and Dustin was running up to his friends, "Hey! Guys, wait up! Wait up!" Halley would have laughed had they been in a different situation, instead she began jogging after him.

They walked without conversation. Halley didn't know if it was better, or worse then the boy's constant banter; at least then she wouldn't just be hearing noises from imaginary monsters. The only human noise coming from their heavy breaths, and intermittent shouts for Will.

Despite her thinking it not possible, the rain was coming down even harder than before, feeling more like ice, than water. Each of them were soaked to the bone, their clothes merely second skin that had no effect on warmth.

They were screaming out now, trying to be heard over the rugged wind and harsh rain.

"Will? Will!" Mike's voice was getting coarse, and Halley had tried to tell him to try and save it, but he wouldn't listen.

Lucas's voice cracked as he yelled out, "Byers!" Teeth chattering in the process.

"I've got your 'X-Men' one-thirty-four!" Dustin called out sadly, shivering as he looked around, waiting for Will to pop out and accept the comic. There was nothing but silence.

Halley didn't shout, she worried that if she started yelling, she wouldn't stop until her voice was gone, and she was on the cold, wet ground, with tear tracks on her cheeks. That's why she held one of the flashlights, whirling it whenever there was even the slightest sound.

They continued to march through the shrubs and thunder continued to crack above them wildly.

"Guys," Dustin said, "I really think we should turn back--"

"Seriously Dustin, if you want to be a baby, just go home already!" Lucas said, cutting him off. Halley reached out, trying to get in between the boys before they could seriously start arguing.

"I'm just being realistic, Lucas--"

"No, you're being a sissy--"

"Guys!" Halley said, "Stop it. This is exactly why Hopper didn't want you to come out here," she looked from each shivering boy to the other. Dustin had a point. "You get so caught up in stupid arguements that if something happened right next to you, you wouldn't even notice."

Dustin and Lucas looked at their shoes, then around them, anywhere except their best friend's older sister.

After a short pause, with silence as they all stood there, Dustin spoke up, starting off in a quiet, nearly scared voice. "You ever think Will went missing because," he stopped, and looked at Halley, she was listening intently, "you know, he ran into someone bad? And now we're going to the place where he was last seen, and we don't even have weapons or anything."

Mike held out his hand before Halley could say anything, "Dustin, shut up." she scoffed. Getting ready to defend the curly haired boy.

He raised his own hands in defense, staring at Mike, "I'm just sayin', does that seem smart to you?"

This time it wasn't Mike to chastise him. "Stop talking," Halley said, taking a step forward, angling herself in front of the boys. There was something out there.

Mike looked up at her, trying to confirm the same thing she was thinking. She gave a small nod. Slowly, they turned around. Mike's hand shaking violently as he held a flashlight.

"Holy fuck." Halley stared incredulously at what they had found.

There, standing in the forest, dressed in an oversized t-shirt, soaking and shivering, was a girl.

Chapter 8: the new girl

Summary:

"𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒄𝒉 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆."

Wrapped in Halley's jacket, the girl from the forest sat rigidly in the Wheelers' basement.

"Is there a number we can call?" Mike asked, voice cracking slightly. He looked to Halley, the closest thing to an adult in the room. She wanted to tell him that she knew what to do; that finding a random girl looking right out of Will's comic books was totally normal. But they would all know it was a lie.

Dustin and Lucas, about as subtle as the thunder outside, leaned in closer, examining the girl.

"Where's your hair?" Dustin was first to speak, reaching out to touch the buzzcut, but then deciding against it, "do you have cancer?"

Before she could answer, Lucas pushed in front of him, "Did you run away?" He asked, eyes wandering around the room until they landed on a paper mache sword from a past campaign.

"Are you in some kind of trouble? We could-"

"Is that blood?" Lucas said suddenly, cutting Mike off, and pointing a small, dried line of blood coming from the girl's nose.

Mike pushed him away, "Stop it! You're freaking her out."

"She's freaking me out!"

Halley, who fingers craved the stiff hold of a cigarette, put her hand on Mike's shoulder. "Yelling at each other isn't going to help anything, okay?" she took a deep breath, "We need to just stay calm."

Dustin, seeming to completely disregard what had just been said, piped in with a, "I bet she's deaf." He leaned down and clapped in her face. She jumped back in surprise. "Not deaf."

The scoff from Halley was ignored.

"Alright! That's enough, okay? She's just scared and cold." Mike had stepped in front of the girl with his back toward her, glaring harshly at the other boys.

With hesitation, he slowly took a step away from the girl, and over to a basket of folded laundry sitting atop the washing machine. He brought back sweatpants and a hoodie, handing them to the girl.

Behind him, Lucas and Dustin were both looking at Halley, waiting for some sort of responsible idea to come from her. She had nothing.

"Uh, here," Mike said, smiling awkwardly, "these are clean."

The girl examined the clothes; her fingers running slowly over the material. She looked at Mike, her head quirked slightly to the side. He offered a small nod, and she started to pull up her shirt.

"No, no, no!" Mike and Lucas called, while Dustin flung his hands to his eyes, muttering a mantra of 'oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,'. Halley quickly clasped the girls hands in her own, and stopped her.

"Over there?" Mike gulped, pointing to the other side of the basement, "That's, that's the bathroom. Privacy. Get it?" he was still in fight or flight mode, and it was obvious he wasn't going to fight.

Halley helped the girl to her feet, and helped her over to the bathroom, Mike following closely behind her.

As he was about to close the door, the girl's hand shot out and stopped it. Eyes wild; scared. Mike flinched.

"You don't want it closed?" he asked, subconsciously taking a step closer to Halley.

The girl's eyes softened. "No." her voice was quiet, and it sounded like she had screamed her throat raw. Though, it looked like Halley was the only one who noticed.

Elated, Mike smiled. "Oh. so you can speak," he bit his lip, then reached out again, slowly pulling the door, the girl watched him intently, "how 'bout we keep the door..." he left a small gap between the door and the frame, "just like this? Better?"

"Yes."

 

"This is mental," Dustin said. They stood in a small semi circle, trying to figure out what the hell they were supposed to do.

"At least she can talk," Mike said. Halley, who was close by, with her arm resting on his shoulder, nodded. The girl didn't say much, but at least they knew she could understand them.

Lucas scoffed, "She said 'no' and 'yes'." he crossed his arms, looking to Dustin to back him up, "you're three year old sister can say more, Mike."

Halley frowned. "Maybe she never learned to speak? It's not unheard of. She could have missed a critical period, but she understands to a point. It's like she's stuck in the telegraphic speech stage," she said, more to herself. The boys looked at her like she had started speaking Russian. "The telegraphic period, it's a stage for toddlers, usually, when they talk kind of like a telegram, you know, like, 'no food', 'more time', all that."

"Dude, she tried to get naked, like, right there, did you miss that?" Dustin said, "I think she's got more problems than her speech ability."

"Yeah, there's something seriously wrong with her," Lucas said, glaring at Halley and Mike, "Like, wrong in the head." he made a swirling motion with his finger.

"She just went..." Dustin mimed the girl's action from before; pretending to throw a shirt off over his head. "That's weird, right?" He looked to Halley for confirmation, and she couldn't deny it was a little strange.

Crossing his arms, Lucas spoke matter of factly, "I bet she escaped from Pennhurst." Halley rolled her eyes. Sure, it was too much of a stretch to assume she hadn't learned to speak, but Pennhurst was totally within reason.

"From where?" Mike asked, confusion lining his face.

"The nuthouse in Kerley County." Lucas looked back to the nearly shut bathroom door.

"You got a lot of family there?" Dustin laughed, nudging his shoulder. Halley suppressed her laughter, trying to act mature.

"Bite me." Lucas shot back. "But seriously, think about it. That would explain the shaved head, and why she's so crazy.

"And why she went like..." Dustin yanked an imaginary shirt again.

The other boy gave a solemn nod. "She's an escapee at this point. She's probably a psycho, could be insane. She could try and kill us."

Dustin gasped, his eyes wide, "Like Micheal Meyers!"

"Exactly! We should have never brought her here!" The attention was back on Halley and Mike. the latter of the two hold a scowl on his pursed lips.

"So what, we should have just left her out there in the storm?" Mike asked, the thunder that crackled only proving his point. Lucas didn't seem to think so, and instead nodded vigorously in response.

"We went out to find Will. Not another problem." At the mention of her brother, everyone's eyes went to Halley. She fought to keep her expression neutral.

Gravitating to the stairs Dustin said, "I think we should tell your mom," glancing over his shoulder, as if Karen would appear at the mere mention.

"I second that," Lucas agreed, looking at Halley. If she agreed then there was no way Mike would say no. She was older, she knew what she was doing.

She had no fucking clue what she was doing.

"Who's crazy now?" Mike said, a huff of a laugh coming from him. Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"And how is that crazy?"

"We weren't supposed to be out tonight, remember?" shit. He was right. And if they got in trouble, Halley would get in trouble by default, because she was the adult in the situation. Okay, maybe not the 'adult' per se, but she should have tried to stop them. "And if we tell my mom, then she tells your mom, and your mom and—"

"Our houses become Alcatraz," Lucas finishes, visibly deflating.

"Right. So here's the plan." Mike said, looking over at Halley, who was just as interested in what idea Mike had been able to scrounge up in the past five minutes. "She'll stay here tonight and-"

"You're letting a girl—"

"Dustin! Just listen," Mike said, shushing him, "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 Pennhurst 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."

Dustin and Lucas looked at each other, then shifted their gaze to Halley. It was clear they didn't agree. Though, considering their other options, Mike's plan seemed to be the best idea.

She grabbed her coat from the couch, and dug her keys out from one of the pockets. "Here," she said, dropping them into Lucas's hand. "I'm parked in front of the Wallece's house. Figure out how to fit your bikes in the car. I'm not letting you two ride home in the dark tonight." When they didn't move, she spoke again, "I'm serious. I'll be out in a minute." They still didn't say anything, but Dustin nodded, and they made their way out of the basement.

The girl was coming out of the bathroom slowly, head down low and not making any eye contact.

Halley put a hand on Mike's shoulder. "You sure about this, Kiddo?" she said. He shook her off, nodding, and took an old sleeping bag balled up near the couch.

Figuring there was no way to talk Mike out of harboring a potentially dangerous girl, Halley thought it would be best to try and talk to her.

The girl sat on the couch, cocking her head as she watched Mike unfold the sleeping bag, and put it beneath a table. He proceeded to grab blankets and pillows from around the room, and build a little fort— the kind she used to help Will make when he was younger.

As Mike worked, Halley said next to the girl, who turned to her, with terrified eyes. Halley pursed her lips. Something told her that the girl wasn't crazy, or, at the least, not from Pennhurst.

"Hi," Halley said softly, giving the girl a smile, which was suspiciously returned. "Do you have a name, Sweetie?" she seemed confused by the question, and glanced down at her arm, pulling at the sleeve of Mike's sweater.

The younger boy finished with the girl's fort, and kneeled in front of her, a quizzical look on his face. "Woah, is that real?" he asked. And Halley followed his gaze to three numbers on her arm in neat, black ink: 011. The girl hesitated, nearly pulling away. "Oh! Uh, sorry, it's just— I've never seen a kid with a real tattoo before, what's it mean? Eleven?"

The girl nodded at that, pointing to herself.

"Eleven? Is that your name?" Halley asked, gently reaching out to her arm. The girl slowly allows her to pull up the sleeve and exam the numbers. She slightly rubbed, trying to see if they would come off. Not a smudge.

"Eleven. Okay." Mike said. "Well, um, my name's Mike, short for Micheal. Uh, maybe we could call you El? Short for Eleven?"

"Yes." she said quietly, "El." Before Mike could say anything else, El turned, and pointed at the older teen. "You?"

Her eyes widened, surprised by the sudden callout "Halley," she responded, pointing to herself. "I'm Halley. I'm gonna help you, okay?" She stood up, turning to Mike with her lip stuck between her teeth. "I'm gonna get Dustin and Lucas home, keep an eye on her.

He watched El crawl into the fort, deciding she was done with the conversation.

"And, Mike?" Halley said, pulling him into a hug, and resting her chin on the top of his head, "don't do anything stupid." 

 

Chapter 9: police in the house again

Summary:

"𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏."

"Jesus, Halley, you look like you got hit by a bus," Jonathan said, picking a leaf from her hair.

"Got pretty shitty sleep." She stifled a yawn, and plopped down besides her mom at the table. Last night had been exceptionally eventful, and she hadn't been able to fall asleep until well after four—only to wake up two hours later. Her head was pounding, and she couldn't get rid of the strange feeling in her stomach whenever she thought of El. Should she tell her mom about it? Jonathan?

No.

They had enough to worry about right now. Hell, she had enough to worry about right now. Besides, she didn't even know who the kid was yet. She just needed to keep calm; she could go back over to the Wheeler's before school, and ask Mike what happened when he enlisted his mother's help. And then—

"Alright, Mom. Breakfast is ready," Jonathan said, breaking Halley from her thoughts. He bought over three plates; two in his left hand. Handing one to Halley, he tried to put another one down in front of their mom but she quickly rejected it.

"No, no, Jonathan, careful of the poster," she said, scrambling to find a suitably safe place for the paper. She was high strung, and both teens could see it. The last time Joyce had acted like that was when Lonnie finally left.

Jonathan pursed his lips, stopping himself from saying anything that might put her off even more. "Yeah, okay, sorry." He handed her the plate, making sure the fork didn't fall.

Food was the last thing on her mind at the moment, but Halley didn't want to give Jonathan anything else to worry about, so she forced more than a few bites of eggs back. They were practically tasteless, save for the bitter residue it left in her mouth.

A fork was set down harder than it needed to be, making Jonathan and Halley look up. Joyce's hands were shaking. "I can't eat," she said simply, pushing the plate forward.

"Mom..." Halley trailed off, biting her tongue. She made a fist under the table, slowly curling and uncurling her fingers. She didn't want to get into a fight with her mom this early in the morning. Both of them were already too anxious, and she didn't need to add to that.

Joyce ran her sleeve against her nose, letting loose a shaky breath. "Listen, listen. The Xerox place opens in like, 30 minutes." Jonathan nodded, "And I don't want you to go alone."

"Mom, I got it." Jonathan's leg was shaking beneath the table. The water in each of their cups jumped with every movement.

Choosing to ignore what he had said, Joyce continued, "Halley's going to go with you." The two teenagers shared a look. Well, there went her chances of checking up on Mike. They only nodded. "Good, good," she muttered. "We need to make, what, two hundred, three hundred copies?" she stood up suddenly, pushing the table forward with the force. Patting her pockets, her lips mouthed inaudible curses. "How much is a copy?" she was digging through the kitchen drawers now, pulling out anything that wasn't her wallet, and throwing it to the floor.

"Okay. Mom, Mom?" Jonathan was worried, his flickering to Halley's before standing up himself, and trying to calm Joyce down. He moved to close the drawer. But Joyce pulled out a small leather clutch before he could, letting loose a thrilled cry. She dumped the contents on the counter. A ten dollar bill and a few stray nickels.

"If we— ten cents, and I could—"

"Mom, Mom! Y-You can't get like this, okay?" Their mother's anxiety was contagious, and Halley could already see it wearing off on Jonathan, who's voice cracked half way through trying to speak. At the sound, Joyce stopped, turned to him, and ran her hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said softly, looking from Jonathan, to Halley, and to the empty seat at the table. She took another shuddering breath.

Jonathan shook his head, "I- it's okay, it's fine." there was a long pause of silence as each person waited for the other to say something. Anything.

Before it could happen, a loud, hollow knock came from the door. It was no different than any other knock, but something about it made Halley's skin crawl. She was expecting bad news, and she didn't know if she could handle it.

Joyce excused herself from the teens, nearly tripping over one of the kitchen chairs as she rushed to the door.

Before Halley could follow, Jonathan grabbed hold of her wrist. "What happened last night?" he asked in a hushed voice, looking over her shoulder at where their mother was berating the chief, "I had to cover for you when we got home; told Mom you went to talk to Dustin and Lucas, too. Hopper was ready to get a search party out for you."

There was a second Halley considered telling him the truth.

"I got caught up talking to Mike. He didn't know anything, but he was worried, you know, so we talked a little, just about stuff." she picked at her already ragid nails. "When I got home you were asleep and Mom was on the couch. She was kind of out of it, I don't know how much coffee she had." The conversation between Joyce and the Chief was getting louder. "She mentioned something about the phone, before I went to bed?"

Jonathan pursed his lips. "Yeah, uh, that's why the police are here. Come on." he led her over to the adults, where Hopper held their phone examining it.

"Storm barbequed this pretty good," he noted, putting it back on the receiver.

The storm? Halley couldn't understand how the storm could do that. Sure, the rain had been pretty strong, but they had had worse storms in Hawkins, hell, they'd had lightning strikes in their backyard, and nothing had ever shown up fried like that.

Joyce seemed to have the same disbelief, because she raised an eyebrow at Hopper, a tired, pleading eyebrow, and said "the storm?" her voice was defeated, and Hally hated hearing her mom like that.

"Well yeah, what else?" Hopper said, pulling loosely at the phone's coils.

"I mean, that's weird, right? That doesn't just happen." Halley jumped in, bringing Hopper's attention toward her. She regretted it once she saw the look he gave her. She was not off the hook for being gone for so long last night.

"It's definitely weird." She couldn't tell if he was talking about the phone. Halley looked anywhere beside the police, as she took a step back, falling in line beside Jonathan.

Joyce was pinching the bridge of her nose, her face scrunched up in a way that reminded Halley of when her deadbeat father would pick fights. "Can we, like, trace the call? Maybe contact—"

"That's not how it works," Hopper said slowly, he caught Officer Calhoun's gaze, and Halley wondered what they weren't telling them. He cleared his throat, "So, uh, you're sure it was Will? 'Cause Flo just said you heard breathing..."

Perking up at the name of her missing son, Joyce was now heavily alert. "No," she said, "It was him. It was Will. And, and he was scared." Halley's heart flipped; everything within her wanted to believe that Will was missing on his own accord, that they had done something wrong, and Will was just acting like a moody preteen.

Hopper sighed, running his hand over the small amount of stubble on his chin, his next words were calculated, spoken as if one wrong move and Joyce would blow up, which, in hindsight, was a smart move. "It was probably just a prank call— It was someone trying to scare you."

The idea of someone trying to prank her mom by sounding like her little brother, while probably a likely possibility, didn't sound right. It would be in character for some of the dicks in Hawkins, but she wanted to believe that no one was that fucked up.

"Who would do something like that?" Joyce asked, voice shaking. Halley couldn't tell if it was because of her anger with Hopper's disbelief, or fear, more likely than not, it was both.

Standing beside her, Jonathan was quieter than usual, taking in the conversation between the adults. Arms crossed against his chest, and a terrifying, artificially, somber expression on his face. There was something going on in his head.

"Well, this has been on TV, you know? It can bring out the crazies. Prank calls, false leads," Calhoun was nodding beside him, and Halley just wished Hopper would hear her mother out. Shouldn't the police be focused on the chance that it was Will? Even if that chance was slim?

Joyce's reply was equal parts strong, and close to breaking down, "it wasn't a prank, Hopper. It was him." He gave her a pitying look, but she was not about to put up with that. Her jaw squared. "You think I'm making this up?"

"That's not what I'm Joyce," he sighed, adjusting his hat, "all I'm saying is that this is an emotional time for you—"

"And you think I wouldn't know my own son's breathing?" she challenged, her voice rising, "Wouldn't you know your daughter?"

"Mom!" Halley said, surprised at the mention of Sara. She had never met the younger girl; Hopper had lived a fair amount of his adult years in New York—before the divorce, that is. The only reason the Byers children knew of the chief's kid was because of Joyce, who had, supposedly, been good friends with Hopper in her childhood, and was the first person he went to after her life fell apart. Everyone knew it was a sore subject.

Hopper chose to ignore her comment, scratching his chin and simply asking, "You, uh, you hear from Lonnie yet?" Joyce shook her head. "Fine. Okay, it's been long enough, I'm going to check him out." He motioned for Calhoun to follow him out.

"You're wasting your time! I've told you!" Joyce called after him, and while her attention was diverted, Jonathan grabbed Halley's arm and pulled her after the police.

The two teens sneaked out without their mother noticing, slipping through their front door right before it closed.

"Hopper! Hey, Hopper!" Jonathan's pace picked up to a jog when he noticed the men about to leave. He grabbed the car door before it could slam shut. Hopper stepped out. "Let us go." He looked from Jonathan to Halley, an eyebrow raised. "To Lonnie's. You know if Will's there it means he ran away."

"And if he sees the cops," Halley adds, catching on to what was going on, "He'll think he's in trouble. He'll hide." She looked at Jonathan, "He's good at hiding."

The older man spared a look over his shoulder. "Look," He said, clasping a hand on Halley's shoulder. "We're good at finding. That's our job. You two need to stay here with your mom, she needs you."

 

Chapter 10: daddy issues

Summary:

"𝑭𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

Jonathan and Halley stood by the bulletin board at the front of their school. There were posters advertising new clubs, a party at Tina's, tutoring; overall, a wide diversity of information. One of Will's many missing flyers was the newest addition.

"So," Halley started, handing Jonathan a thumbtack, "What was that thing about the phone?" She was holding the stack of flyers as he posted them on the board, messing with the corner of the paper on top.

He stepped back, making sure their flyer was even, "Mom thought she heard Will on the phone last night, but Hopper was probably right. I mean, if he called us, why would he just breathe?" He took another paper and tacked it to the opposite end of the board.

"Maybe he thought we could track the call. Maybe he was in trouble and—"

"Hey," Halley was cut off by an annoyingly familiar voice.

The two turned to find the forever put together Nancy Wheeler. She spared a smile to the eldest Byers, it was shut down with a once over and a scowl. "I'll meet you by the car, Jon." she said, turning on her heel with an audible squeak and walking back out to the parking lot.

Nearly running into someone as she pushed through the door, Halley continued to her car. She needed a cigarette. Fuck, she needed the whole pack.

"Halley?" the almost collision called out. She kept walking, but the thump of someone running over to her pounded in the back of her head. "Hey, Halley!" Caroline was beside her in a matter of seconds, her auburn hair pulled up out her face, and bulky glasses sitting on her nose. It was strange seeing her out of Math.

Still, Halley had to admit, if it was anyone calling out to her in the school parking lot, she was glad it was Caroline.

"Oh, hey," she said, watching the younger girl catch her breath. "What's up?" She didn't really want to talk, but Caroline wasn't the worst, and she was actually nice the day before, when Halley was getting screwy with nerves.

"I, uh, just," Caroline stuttered, laughing slightly at herself as her cheeks burned pink, "I saw the news last night, and," she paused, and scratched the back of her neck, "look, I work the night shifts weekdays at the library, if you ever want to talk, or just, I don't know, need a friend, or something. Stop by, okay?"

Halley took a moment to process the words. She smiled. "Yeah, okay. Thanks, Caroline, that—that actually means a lot." They stood for a moment in an almost friendly silence.

Caroline looked down at a small blue banded watch, slightly too tight on her wrist. "I better get going before the bell rings," she looks behind her, waiting for the ring, as if the mere title could summon it, "I guess you aren't gonna be in Math today, huh?" It was less of a question, and more a general statement, but that didn't stop Halley from nodding.

"Yeah, my brother and I are gonna drive around, see if we can find Will. So, uh, if Atkins asks where I am, could you just tell him I'm sick or something?" If Atkins told the office she was missing without a proper excuse, they would surely call her mom, who would then call Hopper. And Hopper would round up a couple officers and track her and Jonathan down before they even crossed the town line. But, if Caroline was able to spread the news of Halley's 'sickness', none of her other teachers would question where she was. No call home, and most importantly, no Hopper.

The bell rang in an eerily normal way. Caroline put a hand on Halley's shoulder for a fraction of a moment. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. Good luck today," she said seriously, before turning on her heel and jogging to catch up with the other students that had yet to get inside.

Only a few seconds passed before the crowd dispersed, and Halley was able to spot Jonathan pushing through the front doors, a small grin on his lips, though she could tell he was trying to hide it.

"Hey," he said as he reached her, pulling their car keys from his pocket and unlocking the door. "I saw you through the front windows, who was that girl?" he asked, letting himself into the driver's seat.

Halley practically fell into the passenger's side, sighing as she rested her head against the window. "Caroline. She's this sophomore in my Math class." her fingers drummed against the dashboard. "What did Wheeler want?" she picked at her nails.

Turning out of the school's lot, Jonathan didn't look up from the road. "Just checking in, offering condolences, all that."

God, Halley thought, the two talked for not even three minutes and he's fucking glowing. It was stupid of her to think like that though. At least at the expense of Jonathan it was. Sure, she would believe Nancy was a heartless bitch as much as she wanted, but she should at least let her brother think she was the perfect little angel she used to be when they were kids; and if that meant let him be happy with the amount of attention any decent person would give to someone they saw on the street, then so be it.

She was being conceited, she knew it. But Nancy brought it out in her.

She took a deep breath in. "You know where you're going?" They made a sharp turn, nearly hitting another car. A horn blared, but neither teen looked back.

"Pretty much, I memorized the street names when Mom was talking to Hopper. Talern road northwest, a shitty house with an overgrown lawn." he scoffed, rolling his eyes, "You know, I really planned on never seeing him again."

Halley let out a hollow laugh. The feeling was shared between all four of the Byers still in Hawkins. She wouldn't be surprised if Lonnie didn't want to see them either. It's not as if everything ended civilly. It was anything but civil.

Sometimes, when it was especially quiet at night, she could still hear the screaming. Slamming doors, and curse words echoing off their bare walls— Lonnie hated portraying Will's work around the house, thinking that art was too gay for his sons.

Too gay. The sheer thought of it brought up memories of years upon years of accusations of being queer, just because Will didn't like every girl he met, or when Jonathan couldn't shoot a bunny. God, he nearly lost his shit when Halley was eight and said she wanted to marry Joan Jett.

He used to blame Joyce and her parenting style; said her cigarettes fucked with her thought process. That was bullshit, because back then, she only smoked when she thought Halley, Jonathan, and Will weren't around. Unlike Lonnie, however, who was caught drunk more often than not. When she was younger, Halley thought her father's breath stunk of whiskey because of a special toothpaste, not because of the alcohol he consumed religiously.

Would his breath still reek the same? Or would he have moved on to cheap scotch, maybe the canned beers found at a discount because the six pack box was busted?

Jonathan's mind seemed to be centered around the same premise. His eyes were slightly glossy, and Halley could tell by the way he white knuckled the steering wheel, glaring at the road ahead, he wasn't picturing happy memories.

"You doing okay, Jon?" She asked, sitting up straight. His grip relaxed, and his eyes wandered to her for a moment. He shrugged.

Gesturing to the radio, something Halley hadn't even noticed he had turned on, he offered an explanation. "I showed Will this song. It was a week before Dad moved out, he and Mom were screaming at each other in the kitchen, and I was just trying to drown out the noise..." he trailed off, his shoulders noticeably slumped.

For a moment, the two were silent, listening as Should I Stay or Should I Go finished its course through their car speakers. It was a surreal feeling, hearing the Clash cushioning yet another ride. Though, usually they would play on their way to school, the band being one of the two eldest Byers' favorites.

Jonathan turned the volume lower than necessary as the song came to end. His lips twitched as he fought with what words he wanted to say. Halley stared out the window, trying not to rush him.

"If I ask you a question," he starts off slowly, his voice a little shaky, "would you give me an honest answer?"

Slightly confused, Halley nodded, her attention now fully on her brother. "Uh, sure?" she said. Raising an eyebrow as the car made a messy turn into a crowded street.

Jonathan took a deep breath, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel before continuing. "Do you think," he stopped, clearing his throat, "Do you think that if I hadn't taken that shift Will would be okay right now?" he messed with the lock on his door, like he was trying to pretend he didn't just admit he felt Will disappearing was his fault.

Halley pursed her lips; her fingers curled with the desire to take his hand. Instead they balled into a loose fist, and limply fell to her side. She wanted to tell him not to think like that, and that there was a good chance of this exact situation happening even if he didn't take over for Eric, but she couldn't deny the similar thoughts she had had.

"Jonathan," she said quietly. Understandably, his eyes stayed on the road, but her gaze didn't leave him. "It's—It's not on you, okay? This is some weird ass shit we're dealing with. It's not normal in Hawkins, and it sure as hell isn't normal with Will."

He nodded, letting out a lackluster 'hm'. She knew it didn't mean anything to him. The sentiment was there, sure, but the measly words weren't going to change his mind. She didn't blame him though. It's not as though they changed her mind the night before.

~

"A shit show. Guess I shouldn't have expected anything better from Dear Old Dad, though, huh?" Halley sighed, looking at the house in front of her, there were two cars parked in front of a garage in dire need of a paint job— the cars and the garage. The grass was excessively long, and worst of all, it had the everlasting, souldrenching, familiar feeling of her father. "Let's get this over with."

Jonathan was the first person to make contact. The two teens crossed through the barely seen pathway to the porch. He peered through a nearby screen window, it sounded like there was a TV on. "Hello?"

Every second that passed, Halley grew more and more impatient. The idea of actually seeing Lonnie after years was unnerving, especially because she didn't even actually want to see him.

Knocking slightly more aggressively than necessary on the door, Jonathan muttered curses under her breath. Strange, considering out of the two of them it was usually her who threw around 'foul language'.

A woman probably no more than five or six years older than Halley opened the door, clad in a tank top and booty shorts. A cigarette nestled loosely behind her ear; something that no doubt made her dirty blonde hair smell as lovely as it looked.

"Can I help you?" she said finally, after giving each of them a malicious once over.

Jonathan nodded. "Yeah. Lonnie around?"

"Uh, yeah he's out back. What are you—" Halley didn't wait for her to finish, and pushed past her. The woman tried to stop her, but she was thin as a twig and Halley had no trouble ducking away.

"Relax. We just want to look around," Halley said, slipping into the kitchen, and beginning to open all the cabinets. Jonathan, taking a different path, quickly made his way down a hallway, already shouting Will's name.

While her brother was quick, Halley was meticulous. If Will was there, or had been there, she was going to find out.

At least that had been her plan until she heard a thud from where Jonathan had disappeared to. Followed by Jonathan telling someone to get off, then grunting, and finally a laugh. She inched her way around the corner, not yet revealing herself.

Fucking hell.

"Would someone please explain what the hell is going on?" The girl from before shrilled. The question was directed at the person directly opposite Jonathan. Lonnie. His eyes fell on her before back to whoever the woman was.

He gestured between the three of them, alerting the others of her presence. "Jonathan, Halley, Cynthia. Cynthia, my oldests." He opened his arms toward the farthest girl. "Come 'ere."

Halley pushed away the extended arm, "Don't."

~

"Look at this beaut, should have seen her when I got her. Took me a year, but she's almost done." Halley heard Lonnie talking to Jonathan about some rusty piece of junk car. She rolled her eyes. Unsurprisingly, he was taken as ever with his oldest son.

Lonnie didn't necessarily like his kids, and Halley would go as far to say he was worse than Ted Wheeler. But it was no doubt Jonathan was his favorite. Halley was a girl— the one time she did pick up a gun to go hunting, she was scolded, and told to go help make dinner— and Will was, in their father's words, too gay.

If ever asked, her brother would deny it venimently, but he was the closest kid their father ever came to loving.

She brought her attention back to the situation at hand as Jonathan opened the trunk of the car poking around at whatever was inside. Slightly interested, Halley took a few steps toward them. A scowl quickly flickered over Lonnie's face, and she couldn't tell if it was because of her, or Jonathan's intense searching.

"You wanna look up my ass too? I told you the same thing I told the cops." He looked to Halley, as if she was going to take him up on the offer, "he's not here, and he never was."

The two siblings shared a look before Jonathan let out a sigh, "then why didn't you just call Mom back?" Internally, Halley answered the question with what she believed was an obvious answer, because he's a dickbag. But figured that saying such aloud might not go too well, as she stood on his property.

"I don't know, I just," Lonnie ran a hand over his mouth, looking like he wished he hadn't said anything, "I assumed she just forgot where he was." Halley squared her jaw, before he continued, "You know, he was lost or something. That boy was never good at taking care of himself."

"That's cause he's a goddamn kid!" Halley seethed, her face pinched in anger as her hands clutched at the leather jacket around her.

Greying eyebrows jumped at the outburst, and Lonnie turned to glare at her. "He's practically a teenager. He should know better than to run off."

A cruel laughter rippled through the girl, "Yeah, well, looks like he learned from the best." Lonnie's eyes flashed and he took a step forward, though Halley only rolled her shoulders, threatening him to do something. Jonathan's hand was on her arm, trying to pull her out of the argument, but she wrenched away from him.

"Really? You really think that I had a choice in that matter? That your mother wasn't the one that kicked me out?" his voice was getting lower, controlled, but malicious, she knew exactly what it meant, and she knew she should have stopped.

She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. "Oh, yeah. Poor you. Guess Mom got sick of some sick alcoholic fuckup that got drunk every night and hit his fucking kids, I can't imagine-"

She heard the sound before she felt contact, a loud clap, like the cheering at the last Hawkins' high football game. Except there was no cheering after this. Her head whipped to the side from the force, and she lost balance, stumbling into Jonathan.

Unfortunately, Halley was never one to back down. She pushed herself off her brother and glared daggers at the man who was supposed to be her father.

"You're your mother's fucking daughter, aren't you?" they were inches away, close enough that Lonnie had to physically look down to look her in the eyes. Halley's nose twitched with every breath she took.

She swiped violently at her eyes, hating the sting that threatened to give Lonnie exactly what he wanted. "Of course I am." Her voice was surprisingly level, "You left. You left, and got with some fucking girl like two years older than your daughter. But maybe you forgot you had one," she pushed his shoulder harshly, taking him off guard and making him step back, "You've always been a shitty father and that's all you'll ever be. Fuck you. Fucking fuck you."

She shoulder checked him as she walked away, passing through Cynthia's boyfriend's house, and wiping tears from her eyes.

 

Chapter 11: mike's a persuasive shit

Summary:

"𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒕, 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒉, 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑰'𝒎 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚."

Jonathan had left about an hour ago. He had gone to look around the town again, searching through the forests around the area— it took him forever to convince Joyce to let him go.

Halley, on the other hand, was in her room, ferociously snipping at magazines her mother had given her about a week ago. Her notebook sat open to a half completed collage of a girl. Her face was taken from ripped portions of articles, fresh white letters mixing with those old and yellowing, and her hair was depicted with the myriad of flowers from an extensive home gardening section of Hawkin's newspaper.

Her plan for the night included exactly what she was doing, and maybe ice cream, if there was any in the freezer. She was pissed off at Lonnie, still scared shitless about what was going on with Will, and the memory of the girl from the woods, Eleven, kept popping up in her head.

Gently, she brought her hand up to her right cheek, prodding lightly, and cringing when her finger made contact. She had looked in the mirror and seen the angry red mark shining bright across her face when she and Jonathan had gotten back. Had it been any other time, Joyce would not have believed Halley's half-assed story of getting in a fight with someone at school.

Speaking of her mother, Joyce had been sitting at the couch for what Halley assumed was all day. The phone had supposedly rung once, but paired with the phone call, was, again, supposedly, something trying to get out of the walls. Halley hadn't heard of sleep deprivation affecting a person so quickly before, but there was no other explanation.

A ring came from the living room, jolting Halley out of the false sense of security coming from her magazines. She was up in seconds, making a beeline to the phone, but Joyce had gotten there first.

"Will?" her voice cracked desperately. The teen could pinpoint the exact moment the caller identified themselves as anyone other than her brother. It killed her to see her mother deflate so quickly. "Uh-huh, sure, just give me a second." she held the speaker against her hand, and turned to Halley, "it's for you." she handed over the phone, and proceeded to sit right back down on the couch, the same spot she had been when Halley had gotten home.

Halley held the phone up to her ear, leaning against the wall. "Hello?" she asked, she wasn't expecting anyone, and it was way too late for any telemarketer.

"Halley!" Mike's voice rang out, crackling slightly from the shitty connection the Byers's house had. "I really need your help on—" someone cut him off on the other end, and she couldn't make out the obvious argument. "Jesus, okay," he finally said, "I- We need some help— on homework. Can you come over?"

"You called me at," she looked at the clock above her mother, "ten thirty to ask for homework help, can't you ask your mom, maybe Nancy?" she looked over her shoulder and shrugged at the questioning look Joyce was giving her.

"No, no, we need help, on homework."

"And I can help you tomorrow, during the day," she said back, imitating the same voice he had used. There was a loud groan on the other end.

"This is really important, it's uh, it's about the essay, with the forest, that I started last night and--oh my god, Halley, I don't know how to explain this, just, you gotta get over here. Please?"

She squeezed the bridge of her nose. Something told her Mike's initial plan from the night before had not gone as expected. "Shit, yeah, fine. I'm on my way." she hung up before he could respond, running her hand over her mouth as she turned to face her mom. "Mike has a really important English essay due tomorrow, apparently, so uh, he asked if I could give him some last minute help."

Joyce nodded, not looking completely in the conversation. "Don't stay out too late, Honey, be back no later than midnight, okay?" She said, standing from her spot on the couch, and putting a hand on Halley's shoulder.

The younger girl smiled. "Yeah, don't worry Mom, I will." She wanted to tell her to get some rest once Jonathan got home, but she knew the words would fall on deaf ears.

Speaking of her brother, he had taken the car, which left Halley to ride her bike over to the Wheelers. She wasn't mad, but it was definitely an inconvenience, especially because she knew her mom wouldn't be too keen on her riding around the same parts Will had been when he went missing. Though, with Joyce's attention now fully back to the phone, Halley figured there was a solid chance she could get her bike out of the garage without alerting her mother about it.

~

Seeing as there were already two other bikes thrown in the driveway of the Wheeler's house, Halley figured there was no need to sneak around.

She pushed down her kickstand, leaning her bike beside Mrs. Wheeler's station wagon before taking a look at the house in front of her. It was now or never.

Ted answered the door, an expressionless look on his face, as he looked over the girl in front of him, then behind her, as if waiting for a troop of girl scouts to pop out and try to sell him cookies at a quarter 'till eleven.

"Nancy's not here," he said, beginning to close the door.

Halley quickly slid her foot in the door frame, giving an awkward smile at the annoyed huff she was given. "I'm uh, I'm here to see Mike actually. He wanted some help with homework." Ted's eyes were cold and seemingly empty. "Can I— can I come in please? It shouldn't take very long Mr. Wheeler." She gave him her best suck-up smile, which did the trick.

"The boys are in the basement, you remember where it is." he turned his back no doubt heading back to his lay-Z boy chair. Halley fought the urge to roll her eyes as she let herself inside, shutting the door behind her.

Unlike the past times she had been at the Wheeler's house, save the most recent when they brought back the girl, it was oddly quiet. And that was her first clue that whatever was going on, was definitely not about homework. Okay, so she knew it wasn't about homework already, but the near silence only solidified her theory.

Making her way down the stairs, she only heard hushed voices when she paused outside the basement door. Half of her wanted to burst in, and scare the shit out of the boys, but the shaken up tone of Mike's voice kept replying in her head, and she decided against it.

"Mike?" she called, knocking lightly, "I'm here." The voices inside completely stopped, and for a moment, she wondered if Mike had called her over just to not let her in on whatever was going on.

Fortunately, though, the door opened. It was Dustin and he was preoccupied with whatever conversation had started back up between Lucas and Mike. "Jesus, Halley, what took you so long?" he finally looked at her, his eyes opening wide as he cried out, "holy shit! What happened to your face?"

For a split second, she didn't know what he was talking about. The red mark staining her cheek for the time being had been lost to her consciousness as she rode over, Mr. Wheeler's lack of attention helped a lot with it.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter." she untucked her hair from her ear, trying to at least draw less attention to the mark. "My brother took the car, I got stuck biking over here." She looked around. No one was bleeding, so that was a good sign. "Why'd you call me over?"

This seemed to get Dustin's mind off her face, as he lit up in excitement. "Eleven has super powers," he whispered, grabbing her wrist to drag her over to the other.

Coming over, Halley had suspected the situation had something to do with the girl, but this was definitely not what she was thinking.

"She's still here? Mike, what happened to your plan?" She gave him what she hoped was a stern look. "Your mom knows though, right? Like, we aren't totally going behind her back?"

Lucas gave a huff, leaning back on his pace on the couch, "I told you we shouldn't tell her."

"I'll take that as a no, then." she had to keep her cool, they obviously trusted her, and they wanted her help, otherwise Mike wouldn't have called. She had to stay calm. "Okay, why do you think she has superpowers?"

Mike's eyes narrowed. "You won't tell my mom? Or anyone else? Not even Jonathan." Despite her instincts telling to not fucking agree, because why was he talking like everything was life or death, Halley nodded. The three boys all let out a collective sigh. "Good," Mike finally said. "So we don't think she has superpowers, we definitely know she does. I've seen it. So has Dustin as Lucas. But... we do think she might know something about Will."

 

Chapter 12: light up my life

Summary:

"𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍? 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆."

The boys had filled her in last night, with the demogorgon, and the upside down. She wasn't totally sure if it was actually the demogorgon, or a creature they just decided to call that, either way, it wasn't the time to ask.

Briefly, she was able to speak to El, though, for the most part the girl was curled up in her fort, eating whatever food Mike had snuck down. That's not to say she didn't demonstrate her superpowers by nearly scaring the shit out of Halley when she made a pencil levetate with her fucking mind.

Needless to say, she didn't get very much sleep that night. Okay, so she did not get even a little sleep, but she had a strong feeling that she blacked out for about twenty minutes between four and five in the morning, so there was that.

Around six, maybe six thirty, she wasn't really sure, she heard a voice coming from across the hall. Will's room.

Out of the bed almost immediately, Halley struggled to pull a pair of pants on as she hopped toward the door. She pulled at the waist band the same time she opened the door, nearly running into Jonathan.

They looked at each other, clearly thinking the same thing. Now that there wasn't a door, or in her brother's case, a wall, it was clear that it wasn't Will's voice.

Joyce was talking aloud again, and they couldn't totally make out what she was saying, but Halley had a hunch it had something to do with her youngest brother.

Giving the door a soft knock before pushing it open, the kids were in a stupor for a good ten seconds. Halley rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, maybe she had actually fallen asleep and was currently dreaming. No. She pulled her hands away from her face, and there was her mom. Still surrounded by every lamp they had ever owned. All of them plugged in and shined way too bright for whatever time it was.

"Mom?" Jonathan was the first to speak, pushing hair from his eyes, sparing a glance to Halley, probably to make sure she was seeing the same thing. "What is this?"

Joyce was quick to look up, her eyes widening as she saw her eldest. A frantic look overtook her and she reached out, "Jonathan, Halley, come here, come here." She gestured to the empty space beside her on Will's bed.

Taking a step into the room, Halley was able to see the full effect of her mother's redecoration.

"What's—" she cut herself off as she nearly tripped over a power cord. Steadying herself she kept the same, what she hoped was, level tone, "What's going on?"

"It's Will," Joyce said quickly, checking the lamps as if they would affirm it. "He's, he's trying to talk to me."

Jonathan turned to Halley, who had taken a seat beside their mother. Her thoughts spun as she listened to the others.

"He's... trying to talk to you?" Jonathan crossed his arms.

"Yes. Through...through the lights." Joyce stammered. Opening his mouth to no doubt try to convince her Will wasn't talking through the lights, Joyce held up her hand. "I know, I, I know that it sounds crazy, but watch," she turned her attention to the lamp directly in front of her, and Halley looked on intently, "Will? Your brother and sister are here. Can you show them what you showed me, Baby? Please?"

Halley flinched as the lights flickered. "Holy shit."

"Did you see that?" Joyce said excitedly, looking from one child to the other. "You saw that, right? He's trying to talk to us!"

There was a horrible moment of silence, the only sound being Jonathan's long sigh, before he finally said, "It's the electricity mom, it's just— it's acting up." Joyce shook her head, but before she could speak: "It's just the same thing that fried the phone."

"No! It's not the electricity, Jonathan," Joyce said, struggling to keep her voice stable. "Something is going on here. Yesterday the wall—"

He cut her off, "What? What about the wall, Mom?"

The look she gave him was utterly lost. Halley watched as her mother fought to find the words until she finally gave up, weakly replying with, "I don't know, I just, I don't know." She pushed her hair from her face with a shaky hand. "I just know that Will is here. He's trying to talk to me."

Jonathan scowled at Halley, clearly waiting for her to jump in on his side and continue to interrogate their mom who was obviously under a lot of stress.

"Maybe I just need more lamps." She stood up, looking around already, as if she would find some miscellaneous lightbulb not yet lit up.

Without hesitating, Jonathan took hold of her hand, slowly guiding her backward to where she had been sitting on the bed. "No. No more lamps, Mom. You need to stop this. He's just lost, okay? People are looking for him. This isn't helping." Maybe his word choice wasn't the best, but his tone was soft and it seemed to get Joyce to slow down for a moment.

"Okay," she said quietly. Halley could see her eyes welling up and she wished everything was okay.

"Mom, can you do something for me? Can you take a little break, get some rest? I promise if the phone rings you'll wake up in time to get it." That was a lie, but it didn't stop Halley from putting her hand on her mother's shoulder, giving her the most reassuring smile she could muster.

"I- Okay, I will, I promise, I just... Let me sit here for a little, I just need to sit here for a little." The two teenagers' eyes met and they came to a silent agreement.

Adjusting his weight from side to side, Jonathan spoke, "Okay. I'll start breakfast then." Halley gave him a little nod in order to gently wave him away, he got the message, quietly closing the door behind him.

Joyce looked at her oldest daughter, and Halley surprised them both as she reached forward, and took hold of one of the lamps.

"Will? Are you there?" her grip tightening on the neck of the fixture when nothing happened. "Will? Will, come on, answer me," her own eyes were starting to feel hot and she didn't notice Joyce's hand on her shoulder until she was pushing the lamp out of Halley's hands, and pulling the younger girl closer.

"We're gonna find him, Baby," Joyce whispered against the top of her head, "we're gonna find him."

 

Chapter 13: scatterbrained shit

Summary:

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕, 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒐𝒏?"

Halley tried to go to class. She really, really did. But halfway into math she felt like she was going to throw up, so she told Atkins she wasn't feeling well, and booked it out of the room. Caroline had tried to stop her, but it was like her body was on autopilot.

She had the keys today, so once she was out of the school, she made a beeline to her car, throwing open the door and getting in. Her hands shook as she put the key into ignition, and she had no idea where she was going, but she knew she needed to get away from the school. It was confining, and too normal with everything going on.

Without so much as a thought as she drove throughout Hawkins, definitely at a speed that would have gotten her pulled over had it not been in the middle of a week day when no one was out, she found herself pulling into the police station.

Fingers tingling, she locked the car as she got out, looking around and waiting for someone to yell at her for being out of school. No one did.

The door wasn't nearly as heavy as she thought it would be, and it nearly crashed into the wall beside it. Flo looked up from her secretary desk. Letting the person she was on the phone with know that she would have to call them back.

"Hey, Honey, what's up?" Flo asked, looking Halley up and down. She knew she was definitely a sight to see, dark circles sitting deep beneath her eyes, and a slightly less red than the day before handprint on her cheek.

Her body shook with nerves as she rocked back and forth on her heels. Had she been anyone else, Flo definitely would have ordered a drug test.

"I, um, is Hopper here?" She asked, stumbling over her words as she tried to look behind the front desk. She saw Ponde, the officer that had been at the middle school, but no one else.

Flo shook her head, "No, Hon, I'm sorry, he left about twenty minutes ago, is everything okay?"

Was everything okay? God, the question made Halley want to laugh. Everything was definitely not okay, and she was one hundred percent sure Flo knew that. Everything was so fucking not okay, but that wasn't why she was here. She needed to get it over with before she lost the balls and backed out.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, it's good. Just, tell Hopper I want the intern job," she said, pausing before adding on, "yeah, I want the job." She let out a breath and nodded. This was what she wanted.

Without waiting for Flo, Halley turned on her heel and marched right back out of the building. Her mind was going a million different directions at the moment, but every single trail all led back to one destination: finding Will.

~

Back at the school now, Halley was growing more and more familiar with the hood of her car. Once again, she splayed out and looking at the sky above her, searching the clouds for shapes, and watching as the shapes blended with the smoke from her cigarette when she squinted her eyes.

The air was cold, and there was a breeze that kept sweeping her hair into her face. The idea of going back to class was long gone, and even if it wasn't school had let out twelve minutes ago. Exactly twelve minutes, she counted. Jonathan was taking way too fucking long.

A large slam came from someone hitting the top of her car and she flinched violently, nearly dropping her cigarette.

"Hey Bitchy Byers, what's up?" God. Steve Harrington. And with her luck he had his stupid croonies with him. She sat up, only finding herself right, as Tommy, Carol, and some red head girl, Nicole something.

"The hell do you want, Harrington?" she said, blowing out a puff of smoke. "Kinda busy right now." This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now. And there was no way they didn't know that.

Tommy and Carol leaned against the trunk, each giving her sickly smiles. She groaned.

"Fuck this," she grumbled, slipping off the hood and flicking the butt of her cig at the group. She had waited for Jonathan long enough, it wouldn't kill him to wait for her as she gave Steve time to leave her the fuck alone.

Had she been thinking clearly, maybe she would have figured Harrington wouldn't have just been loitering by her car for no good reason, but shitty sleep and shot nerves weren't helping her logic. Her day had been all over the place since the morning, and it wasn't about to start making sense now.

Part of Halley wanted to walk over to the middle school, something she'd do when Will was there. Going over to ask how school was and talking with the boys as she waited for Jonathan to get out of the school's darkroom. Usually Will would ride his bike with the rest of his friends, but there were the odd times he would drive home with Halley and Jonathan.

She could imagine their conversations. Almost always about their campaigns. But, maybe Will would be talking about a new drawing he'd done. God knows his friends were more supportive of that than his father.

Cars passed her as she walked through the parking lot. She could recognize nearly all of the faces as they drove away. Hawkin's was small. Small enough that she knew they recognized her as well. And small enough for them to know exactly what was going on with her family.

She stepped over a parking bumper and into the neatly mowed grass. It was shady, which would have been nice, had the November air not been so cold already. Halley chose to ignore the cold though. Afterall, it was better than being anywhere near Steve.

Noticing someone familiar, she waved, a thin smile almost showing on her lips.

Robin Buckley said something to the boy beside her, Arthur, Halley thought his name was; she had seen him carrying a trumpet down the D wing hallway a few times. He nodded, flashing her a smile that looked a little more than friendly, hiked his backpack up, and strutted off. Halley had never seen such a prime example of why people called them the band geeks.

"Hey," Robin said, adjusting the collar of her shirt, her expression was unfaltering, and it was almost surreal. The past two days had been nonstop anxiety, but it felt as though Halley was just getting out of English and she and Robin were talking about their newly assigned essay. "Haven't seen you in a while, you missed Joanna's oral report on how totally adorbs Romeo and Juliet's relationship is." she rolled her eyes, imitating Joanna's superficially sugary voice.

"Doesn't sound like she finished the book," Halley laughed, fiddling with the hem of her shirt, "then again, I don't think she's finished an assigned reading since middle school."

Robin gave a snort of agreement. Picking at chipping red nail polish. "I heard about what happened. That sucks, I'm really sorry." And then the sense of normality was ripped away again. If Robin noticed the shift in Halley's smile, she didn't acknowledge it.

"Yeah, it's been kinda tough, but we're doing what we can." She finally replied, rubbing her arms as she suddenly felt cold. The air between them was different now; they weren't joking about kids in their English class anymore. "So, uh, you and Arthur?" She tried to joke, anything to light. Robin was confused. "Oh come on, he was totally flirting with you!" Halley laughed, gesturing to where the two had just been talking.

Nose scrunching up, Robin let out an undignified, "oh, gross!" cringing at the thought.

"Guess the feelings aren't reciprocated?"

"Absolutely not. I've seen him empty his spit valve onto the tiled floor. Disgusting." Halley didn't know what a spit valve was, but in Robin's defense, it did sound pretty gross. "I've got a tutoring gig in like ten minutes, so I should get going, but it was good to see you. Maybe try coming to English a few times a week, at least?" she raised an eyebrow, nudging the other girl's shoulder.

Halley laughed, hoping it didn't sound as hollow as it felt. "Maybe. No promises though," she ran a hand through her knotted hair, "good luck with the tutoring."

Giving a mocking salute with two fingers, Robin called out, "See you, Byers!" Before merging with the rest of the small crowd still milling around the bike rack near the school's entrance.

It was time to go back. To see if Jonathan had finally finished whatever he was working on, there was a large part of Halley that wanted to stay away from her car as long as she possibly could. The mere idea of dealing with Steve was not something she wanted to waste time on. Her brain had been scattered throughout the day, and she most definitely did not need yet another variable to add to the fucked up experiment in her head.

Nonetheless, she turned and made her way to where she had spent over half her day. She was itching to grab another cigarette from her pocket, but if Jonathan found her with one again... she wasn't going to worry him again. Not over something so stupid.

As it turns out, it wasn't Jonathan who would be worried.

She was still a good few feet away from her brother and their car, and she couldn't make out whatever conversation was going on, but she was able to make out Jonathan lurching for his camera as Steve dropped it to the ground. He missed. She could hear the crunch of glass and irreparable damage from where she stood.

For a moment, she was stunned, standing here and watching as Jonathan hopelessly picked at fragments of the camera and what looked like ripped up photos.

Nancy Wheeler brought her out of her stupor. Watching as the girl bent down beside her brother and picked something up, without saying a word to him. Bitch. It was her fucking boyfriend that had just done that. Halley was ready to fulfill the lie she had told her mother about a fight at school, but Harrington called out to Nancy before she got the chance.

Alone now, Jonathan looked beyond defeated. A look Halley had only seen on her mother. Her heart pounded, and she yearned to chase after the dicks she had left alone at her car. God, she should have known something like this would happen. This was definitely her fault.

Getting closer, as she finally made her way, slowly, to her brother, Halley was able to assess the damage. The shattered glass was in as terrible shape as it had sounded only seconds before. Tiny, glittery pieces shimmered in the sunlight, a beautifully cruel last piece of art created by the camera.

He flinched when she put a hand on his shoulder, nearly jumping into the car before he realized who it was. "Hey." she didn't ask what happened. Half of her didn't want to know, but the other half craved for context. She fought that half down. "We should probably get home, you know, before Mom starts to worry." saying she didn't know what to say was an understatement. She could tell by the blush on Jonathan's cheeks that Steve or Nancy had said something to work him up, and Halley knew enough about her brother to know that there was no way he was going to open up at that moment.

Jonathan mumbled an almost mute response, taking a deep breath and prying himself away from the corpse of his camera. 

 

Chapter 14: get out of my house

Summary:

"𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆, 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕..."

Halley skipped her shift at the arcade. It wasn't exactly a surprise to anyone, and she'd told Jonathan to stop by and tell Keith on his way to the gas station, but there was still something so odd about being home on one of her typical work days.

So there she stood, in front of her house starring the mildewing gutters, the clouds already swallowing the sun on the winter's evening, and listening to the creek of their old bench swing.

There had been days when she, Jonathan, and Will would sit on it and look out into the trees across the road—when they were younger, Halley had believed that they really touched the sky—the three would sit on the swing, eating discounted popsicles, their hands sticky with sugar and food dye, and watch the trees, or make shapes out of clouds.

She wanted that innocence back. God, she'd do anything for it back. She wanted to sit on the stupid little swing, eating some stupid cherry flavored ice stick, with her little brother and watch the stupid sky.

Stomaching somersaulting, Halley decided to go inside before she puked. The memories were piling up and making her head spin. She needed to get inside.

The door was already open ajar and she could hear Chester padding around, and mumbling.

"Mom?" Halley called out, dropping her back from her shoulder and next to the door. The house reeked of smoke, and for a short moment, she was worried the lamps for that morning had started a fire. But fear of a fire was drenched with a new fear for her mother. Strands of old, and maybe even new, christmas lights were strung up through the house; hanging like vines from the ceiling.

But that idea was scrapped from her mind as she heard her mother in the other room. Following her voice, Halley found Joyce kneeling in front of the cabinet next to their couch, talking to a bundle of christmas lights with a cigarette dangling from her fingers.

"...blink once for yes, and twice for no. Can you do that for me, Sweetie, can you-" she was cut off by the lights flickering once. Halley nearly collapsed next to her mother, who flinched next to the younger girl's sudden appearance.

"Will?" she asked, almost silently, her mouth suddenly dry. She held her breath, praying to every single god she had learned about in history class.

The lights flickered once.

She rocked forward, almost falling into the lights, her body wracked with relief, Will was there, Will was talking to them. She grabbed onto Joyce's arm to steady herself, her hands shaking with every breath.

Joyce's voice was the verbal equivalent of Halley's nerves, quaking like a monkey on drugs. "Good, good. Baby I need to know..." she paused, clasping her hand on Halley's and squeezing, her eyes watered, "are you alive?"

One flicker. Halley nearly laughed. He was okay. He was alive. He was alive, and they were going to find him and he was going to be okay.

Joyce didn't seem to have the same idea, almost as soon as the lights switched, she was asking another question, "are you safe?"

Two flickers. the giddy feeling in her stomach turned sour.

Hands shaking almost as much as Halley's now, Joyce clutched the lights closer to herself. "I need to know where you are, Honey. Where..." she lost her words, biting her lip as she tried to steady herself. Halley picked up where she had left off.

"Where are you? Can you," she grabbed the lights, picturing it was her kid brother's hand, "can you tell us where you are? Please kiddo. I just need to know where you are. Just tell me where you are. Please Will. I can't..." her voice fell flat as she caught her mother's eyes. They were thinking the same thing. These weren't yes or no questions, Will couldn't answer them in a flicker or two.

"There's—" Joyce took a shaky breath, looking at the lights, then her only daughter, "there's paint in the shed." The air was stiff around them, and as Halley stood, she worried her legs would snap like led.

Stumbling through the house as if she was on autopilot, she came to the side door in the kitchen, almost tripping over Chester as they both pushed to get out.

The sky was a ominous grey, furthering the horrific squeeze of Halley's stomach as she came to the old shed.

Her fingers tingled as she pushed open the door. Joyce had told her Hopper's speculation: That Will had tried to fight something off right where she stood. The idea of her brother all alone, trying to defend himself against whatever was out there. The idea only pushed her forward, fueling her desire to rip the shed apart piece by piece to find the goddamn paint.

Face contorting as she picked up an old rifle, she remembered the first time she had picked up the weapon, almost immediately being berated by her so-called father.

No more than eleven years old, she tried to join one of the big 'manly' hunting trips Lonnie had been wanting to take Jonathan on for forever. Looking back, the disinterest in his voice was more than noticeable, and it was painfully obvious how much he wanted his only daughter to leave him alone.

Of course, preteen Halley wasn't about to take no for an answer, and proceeded to hang off her father's arm hoping for only a pinch of attention her brothers received what seemed to be so unconditionally.

Early morning with the sun still rising, she had bounded up behind Jonathan, looking expectantly at Lonnie. He ignored her. She asked about coming along; talking about how she would be quieter than humanly possible. He ignored her still. She picked up the rifle— said something about wanting him to teach her how to use it— she didn't remember exactly. But she did remember the force he used to snatch the gun back, sending her stumbling forward, and the glare he sent down to her.

The words he spoke still echoed in her head whenever she was around the rifle. "A girl isn't fit for a gun. Go back inside and help your mother with tonight's dinner before you hurt someone."

Sure, it was one of the more tame things he had said to her, but she was old enough at the time to understand that he was pushing her away. The lack of interest to spend any time at all with her, hurt more than the physical pain that came in random eruptions throughout her early life.

She put the gun back down. There were far more important things to focus on than her shitty childhood.

Sitting behind a bucket filled with child sized gardening tools were two, probably expired, cans of black paint. Halley tucked one under her arm and grabbed the other, along with a rusted paintbrush.

The shed door slammed behind her, sending moths fluttering from their holes in the wood. She swatted away the ones that ambushed her face, hearing the soft flap of their wings when they got too close.

A sickening moment went by when she wished it was someone else. That instead of her going through the fear of losing her brother, it was Nancy. It was a fucked up thought. She knew it was. And she also knew it wasn't only her fighting off anxiety; that if it really were Mike that had disappeared, she would still be facing the ache of a lost brother.

Did that make her a bad person? She wondered what Lonnie's precious homo-hating God would think about her wishing something so terrible on someone else.

"Mom's waiting," she whispered to herself, finally. She needed to get back, to work out the plan and bring back her brother--not spend anymore time thinking about her deadbeat father.

Chester whined at the door once he saw her approaching, and shot inside almost as soon as she turned the handle. Halley sighed, if all else was falling apart, at least her dog was oblivious, acting like it was any other day.

Despite the copious amount of lamps and random decorations filling their house with light, Halley could still sense the difference as the sun almost completely disappeared behind her. Their kitchen, which at the moment was unoccupied and ransacked for spare lights, had a spooky feeling as cruel blue rays filled in through the window behind the sink. She used to love this time of day, it was always so peaceful, but, like everything else going on, it felt wrong.

"Halley? Honey, did you find the paint?" Her mother's voice was less shaky than before, but there was still the lilt of anxiety, she wondered if it would be a permanent addition to the women.

Pulling away from the kitchen, Halley tried to focus her mind on the topic at hand. There was no time for her to get sidetracked.

Joyce was standing on their couch in front of three newly organized lines of lights. Instead of the mess they had been before, they hung somewhat neatly over the beat up sofa.

Grasped in her hand was an old flathead screwdriver, which she used to open the paint as soon as Halley gave the cans to her.

The pop of the lid was loud in comparison to the near silence between them.

Joyce dipped the paintbrush in the black liquid and began carefully writing out the alphabet. A single tear rolled down from the bottom curve of the 'B'; Joyce smudged it away with her palm.

Shifting her weight from foot to foot, Halley watched silently. What was there for her to do? She wracked her brain, feeling stupid just standing there, but Joyce was fully capable of writing the alphabet on their wall. So she stayed behind her mother like a guard dog; nothing was going to stop them from getting to Will now.

~

Letters sitting chaotically neat beneath strung Christmas lights, Joyce took a step back, beside Halley, to admire her work.

"You think this will work?" Halley asked, looking carefully at her mom. Joyce took her hand and squeezed gently. A wordless gesture that comforted her more than anything else.

"Alright." Joyce whispered to herself, taking a deep breath and facing the wall. "Okay, Baby, talk to me. Talk to us, where are you?" Her voice was quaking again, Halley cringed at the sound.

A red light blinked.

"'R'," Halley said, lips pulling up in a smile, "Good job, Kiddo, that's really good." The lights started blinking faster, going from one letter to another. "'I'... 'G'... 'H'... 'T' ... 'H'... 'E'... 'R'... 'E'." They stopped, and Halley breathed out, "Right here."

Joyce shook her head, clearly thinking the same thing as her daughter. "Right here? What does that mean? Will, I-I don't understand, what do I do?" she turned to Halley, "What does he mean, what do we do?" her hands were shaking, she knew just as much as her mother did. "Will, Baby," without waiting for a response she turned back to the lights, "How do I find you, what do we do?"

Heart pounding, Halley waited for a response. Anything. Anything at all.

'R'. 'U'. 'N'.

The two looked at eachother, and a millisecond of silence went by until they heard the rustling and ripping of wall paper behind them. Halley turned around to see a figure coming out of their wall.

A long arm reached out, stretching the wall and tearing out with monstrous claws.

She went rigid watching in horror as a slimy almost human like beast tore it's way into their home. The lights were going insane flashing like sirens, but all she could focus on was the grey body that looked about twice her size.

It looked at her. Holy fuck, it looked at her. She didn't know what it was, a large head with petals curling in. she didn't want to know what it looked like when those petals opened up.

Still stuck in her stupor, it took a harsh yank from Joyce for Halley to pick herself out of her head, and booked the fuck out of the house. She careened around the corner, and took out the front door, arm still held tightly in Joyce's hand.

They didn't stop running until the end of the driveway, where Halley's knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Her whole body shook and she clenched her eyes shut, refusing to even peak at where that thing had been.

Joyce, hand still grasped around Halley's arm, gently tugged her back up. Wrapping her arms around the girl tightly. Halley heaved a single dry sob, clutching to her mom like a little kid and burying her head into the familiar comfort of Joyce's shoulder. Her mother took her by the shoulder and looked her in the eyes, she looked as scared as Halley felt. They couldn't stop.

They ran. 

 

Chapter 15: she's a runner

Summary:

"𝑯𝒆𝒚, 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆."

Notes:

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that's been leaving Kudos and Comments, it's been so amazing to see people react to this story and I LOVE getting to interact with you :)

Jonathan had found them. Almost ran them over actually, but he stopped in time.

The time between the car ride, from wherever Joyce and she had been found back to the house, was extremely hazy. But Halley remembered Jonathan taking one look at her and engulfing her in a hug that could rival the one she had given him when Lonnie left.

They got in the car then, and he drove them home.

He had to force her to go back into the house.

It felt almost surreal, like: maybe if she was able to shut her eyes and tell herself it was fake enough times she'd believe it, but it didn't matter. When she opened her eyes she still saw the lights. The alphabet dripping on the wall. She could feel the fear she had felt when the thing had erupted from the faded paint job.

Jonathan made her sit down.

"Halles, it's okay." He handed her a cup of coffee. Despite how bad of an idea caffeine sounded, she insisted. Letting the hot steam hit her nose and make her eyes water brought her back down, back to where she was. She took a deep breath.

"Thanks," her voice was dry. She mentally scolded herself. She needed to pull herself together. It was her responsibility to look after things when Mom got worked up and she was fucking it up. "Jon I-"

There was a harsh knock at the door, making her jump as she clamped her mouth shut. The teens shared a look before slowly standing from their place on the couch.

Hopper stood at the door with Powell right behind him. His hat was clutched to his heart. "Can we come in?"

~

Rejecting the offer for coffee, the cops made an extreme effort to get the three Byers to sit down. Hopper finally herded them into the kitchen chairs. Halley was sure her heart was visible with each pound it gave.

"Joyce," Hopped started off, placing his hat on the table. "We got a call a little earlier tonight," he licked his lips, and glanced back at Powell, "It was about Will." Joyce jolted forward, only for Jonathan to grab her hand. Halley noticed the clear contrast of hope and utter loss on their faces. She was going to puke.

"Well, where is he? Did you find him?" her mom was frantic. Eyes wide like a mad woman.

Powell let out a sigh, and that was all Halley needed to hear. She felt her heart drop to her feet as she was thrust away from the situation. She suddenly had five tons of pressure on her.

"He was in the Quarry," a pause, "Joyce, he drowned—he's gone—" a screeching noise stopped the chief from continuing. Halley didn't realize it was her until she found herself standing, and pushing away from the table. Hopper reached out to her, but she flinched away harshly.

"I-I, I need to go. I gotta..." her ears rung. Jonathan and her mom were looking at her. Hopper was looking at her. Powell was looking at her. "I can't, I'm sorry," and she pushed away, slamming the door open and taking off for the second time that night.

~

She didn't know where she was going. It was only seven thirty when Jonathan had found them in the woods, that meant it was maybe eight.

There was no way she would go see Mike or Lucas or Dustin. Not at that point. She couldn't.

Feeling in her legs was gone. Well, the feeling of her everything was gone, really. It was like she wasn't in her body anymore, just controlling it.

Halley didn't usually run. If she had to go anywhere she would take her bike or the car, but she couldn't bring herself to stop or think about what she was doing. All she could do was go. Go, go, go. Maybe if she ran far enough she would find that Will was fine. That he was okay, and never missing.

She ran faster.

Faster than she thought she could. Partly to get as far away from that house as she could, and partly because every rustle or wind or shake of leaves made her think she was being followed. Maybe she would run herself to exhaustion; she could just keep going until her legs gave out under her and refused to work anymore.

That sounded nice. Just keep going. Keep going and going.

The town snuck up on her. She didn't realize she was back in the heart of Hawkins until the street lamps shined down on her. She could feel her heart again, but at that point she wished she couldn't. It was racing fast. Way too fast, and she didn't know if it was because of what Hopper had said or from running, but either way she didn't like it.

Feet continuing to carry her forward, she realized that there apparently had been a destination in mind. Subconsciously, but there nonetheless.

Hawkin's library stood tall in front of her. Finally stopped, she regained her senses, and everything felt bad. Her legs ached, her arms were covered in goosebumps and her face burned from the cold night air.

Aware of what kind of mess she must have looked like, Halley pushed into the building, coming face to face with exactly who she was hoping to find.

"Hey, Caroline." her voice was raspy. But for a fleeting moment, she didn't look up.

"Hey, I picked up your homework yesterday, Atkins told me... Woah. Are you okay?" Caroline dropped the book she was holding onto the counter with a thump, alerting the librarian behind her of a new distraction.

"Miss Cae!" the older woman whispered loudly, but Caroline quickly turned around and said something the librarian seemed to appreciate, because she waved her off, and went back to catologging.

The younger girl stared at the supposedly unbreakable Halley Byers, before pushing out of the small gate separating the back of the counter from everyone else.

"Come on, follow me," she said, tenderly taking Halley's wrist and leading her toward a door that read 'Staff Only', in bold black letters. Halley didn't fight it. "Doris and I are the only one's here tonight, so it's fine." She gestured to an old leather couch sat against a wall.

Not even a second after the two had sat down, Halley collapsed into tears. Her body shook with the fear and utter despair she wouldn't dare show to her family during the last few days. And without a moment's hesitation Caroline pulled her into a hug. Warm, and comforting, and non-judgemental. Caroline expected nothing from her. No fake front to brave a storm or fake smile to brave her father.

Time slowed around them, and for the first time since Will went missing, Halley felt like she didn't need to play the put-together. She leaned into Caroline's embrace, relishing the comfort.

The air around her, for once, wasn't filled with static tension. Her heart was slowly coming back to a regular pace, something she hadn't experienced since she had first spoken to Will with the lights earlier. The soft, constant beat of Caroline's own pulse helped her more than she could even explain.

Truthfully, she was willing to stay exactly where she was for hours, soaking in the serenity that seeped from Caroline, and letting herself feel everything she had kept piled up behind a cracked dam.

In her head she could hear her father's voice: "Gay." her hopes vanished.

She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry."

Caroline shook her head. "No, no, don't apologize." she squeezed Halley's shoulder, offering a small smile. Her eyes were waiting for an explanation, for anything to let her in on what was going on. Halley didn't even know where to start "Do you, uh, do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

Biting her lip, Halley stared at the girl in front of her for a moment, she couldn't tell her about that thing in the wall. She wouldn't believe it, hell, Halley barely believed it and she was there. And how would she explain that she talked to her missing brother through Christmas lights?

"They, uh," she stopped, pushing hair out of her face and pulling at the threading of the couch. "The police found Will." the room had gone silent, matching her barely audible voice. She readjusted herself, her nails digging into her forearms in a futile attempt to keep herself grounded. "He dr— he drowned."

Her chin wavered with the words, images rushing through her mind of every possible sequence that led up to the end. To her brother in the quarry. Dead.

"Halley, I'm so sorry." Caroline's voice was almost a lullaby, having wondrous effects on the older girl's shot nerves.

Fiddling with her fingers, Halley looked at the room around her. She thought of all the times she and Will had walked around the top of the Quarry, or ridden their bikes past it during detours on their way home.

"I should have looked for him," she croaked, staring at her shaking hands. "I shouldn't have gone to school that day, if I had just looked for him..." maybe if she hadn't fought with him that very morning.

Caroline shook her head. "No. No, this isn't your fault." she leaned her knees against Halley's, "You can't blame yourself for this. It'll tear you apart and only hurt you even more."

She was right. Brewing over the idea that she could have changed the outcome would eat her alive. Halley knew it. But there was no denying that the incessant voice coming from the back of her head.

An emptiness overtook her as she waited for Caroline to say something. She was unable to form the words she thought; unable to put unconscious ideas into comprehensible sentences. The silence was killing her though. A blank void around them allowed a suffocating blanket of dread to drape around her neck. Without the distraction of noise, Halley was forced to come to terms with what she had heard. For the first time she was sitting with the news, undistracted.

Desperate breaths fell short with every heave as she felt her lungs close up. Her entire body shook with every sob tearing out of her throat. For a split second, she thought she was going to die, too. That she would die right there in the library staff room, choking on her own tears, because she couldn't get any goddamn air into her system.

Her shoulders were gently taken, as her own hands scratched horrified at her throat. Eyes darting around, trying in vain to find something that would help her breathe. Everything ached. A dull echoing throb that made her shiver. She was really going to die.

"Look at me." Caroline's voice was level but the wild fear in her eyes would be noticeable from miles away. "Halley, just look at me." she took shaking hands away from the angry red skin on her neck. "It's going to be okay. Take a deep breath." she made a show of sucking in more air than she needed.

Obviously, the gesture was supposed to help her calm down, to soothe her nerves, but it felt like a slight. Why was Caroline able to breathe so easily as she had to sit on an unfamiliar couch, suffocating from an invisible threat.

"I-I can't." she croaked. Her fingers itched to be released. She wanted to curl up, and bring her knees high up to her chin, she was too open. Too available. Caroline didn't seem to understand though, because no matter how much effort was put into taking her hands back, her grip stayed tight. She placed them on top of her chest, just to the left of the library name tag she wore, and took long breaths.

Fighting her own body, Halley gave a dry, heaving, sob. The minimal amount of air she was able to suck in stinging her throat like acid.

After a moment, Caroline finally let go of her hands, and Halley pulled her legs up to her chest, and rested her face on her knees. She could breathe again, thank God, but the horrendous feeling wouldn't leave her chest. Like someone wrapped a plastic bag around her heart and was slowly squeezing it. Her fingers tingled with adrenaline.

"He can't be gone," she said pathetically, not bothering to lift her head. She couldn't wrap her head around it. There was no way she had spoken to him. He had warned her about that thing in the wall. But Hopper wouldn't lie, and he wouldn't have told them unless he knew it was Will. "What am I supposed to do now?" she whispered.

Caroline was quiet at first. And Halley felt a hand fall on her shoulder, she turned her head, looking up at the younger girl. "Well, right now?" she said, "You should let me drive you home." a ghost of a smile pinched just slightly at her lips. "Your mom's probably really worried, and we're going to want to get out of her before Doris starts reading her erotica books." she laughed at the gentle jolt that went through Halley at her words.

Taking a shuddering breath, still getting used to being able to actually do such a thing again, Halley nodded. She should get home. And her mom was definitely going nuts with anxiety. "Thank you." she said softly, slowly unfolding herself off the couch.

"I told you before: whenever you need to talk, I'm here."

 

Chapter 16: coffins interrupted

Summary:

"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔."

Halley had slept in Jonathan's room last night. Or, more so stayed in his room. Neither of them were able to fall asleep, but they'd both be damned to be alone after the news.

With her lack of sleep she could understand why she would, at first, be a little hasty to believe that the body in the morgue was her youngest brother. However, even if she hadn't been awake for over a day straight, she knew it in her bones that she would be able to differentiate her brother from anything else. And even though Jonathan nearly hurled when they uncovered the body that was supposed to be Will, she felt nothing.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. It was Will. but it wasn't her brother. No doubt in her mind.

The door closed as Jonathan tripped over himself to get out, but Halley remained still. Staring at an almost exact replica of her baby brother.

"He has a birthmark on his arm. Can I see that?" Joyce asked, bringing Halley out of her thoughts, the coroner lifted up 'Will's' arm, and there was the mark, it was off.

The two noticed it at the same time; the crescent scars directly centered beneath the real mark, weren't there. The one's that Will had been self-conscious about ever since he got them, when Lonnie grabbed him so hard his nails dug into a barely seven year old boy's skin.

Halley ran her hand over her mouth, it wasn't him. Whatever that thing in front of them was, wasn't her brother.

Her pulse was starting to act up again, if that wasn't Will, and Halley had never been more sure about anything in her life, then where was her brother?

Joyce took her hand and pulled them back into the waiting room, seeming to think the same thing. Her jaw was clenched, and when she looked at Halley, waiting for her to say something, she only nodded, which fueled Joyce even more.

The coroner followed them, calling for them to stop. "Ma'am! You need to sign!" They burst into the waiting room, finding Jonathan and Hopper.

Joyce let go of Halley and whirled around on the man, her eyes filled with anger. "I don't.... I don't know what you think that thing in there is, but it is not my son."

"Joyce, now—"

"No!" Halley was quick to cut the chief off, this time not worrying about the possible disrespect.

"Halles." Jonathan was next, to try to convince them they were wrong. But they weren't and they both knew that.

This time, it was Halley's turn to snatch her mom's hand and take the lead, shoving out of the morgue and back into fresh air. She was shaking slightly. "That's not him. That is not Will."

~

Joyce stood protectively close to Halley as they walked down the sidewalk. Jonathan drove on the road beside them.

"Will you two please just get in?"

"Jonathan, I, I-I need to think, okay? You just go on home." She let go of Halley, pulling her jacket tighter around her.

However, her brother wasn't one to back down, especially not at a time like this. He continued to drive alongside the walkway, "Please just get in, come on Halley." She waved him off. Picking up her pace to catch up with Joyce as she started through a crosswalk.

Halley was vaguely aware of Jonathan parking the car and running after them.

"Mom! Stop." he said, taking her shoulder, she shrugged him off, her eyebrows furrowing. They were both angry at each other now, and Halley knew this was going in a bad direction.

Joyce put her hands up, "Just go home Jonathan."

"No," he leaned in closer, trying to grant them at least a little privacy in the busy street; he looked to Halley, and she could tell he wanted her on his side, but she couldn't do it this time. He turned back to Joyce. "This is not an okay time for you to shut down."

She was taken aback, "what?" but Halley already knew where this was going. He was a lot like them in that aspect; emotional. He was easy to read, signs easy to tell.

"We have to deal with this Mom," he said, "we have to deal with the funeral."

Even Halley scoffed at that, though it was Joyce who pushed back, "The funeral? For...for who? That thing back there?" she shook her head, squaring her jaw.

It was his turn to laugh, a sharp one breath, where he had to look away for a moment before he could answer. "So let me get this straight. Will— That's not his body, because he's in the lights, right?" his voice was low, "And there's a monster in the wall? Do you even hear yourself?" Halley flinched at the harsh tone. But he didn't even seem to notice.

"I know it sounds crazy!" Joyce said, throwing her hands up between them, "I sound crazy!" she admitted, but Halley wouldn't agree. She knew what she saw the night before.

Clenching his teeth, Jonathan nodded, only allowing himself a single word, "yeah."

"You think I don't know that? It is crazy! But I heard him, Jonathan. He talked to me! Will is... is calling to me! And he's out there, and he's alone, and he's scared, and I... I don't care if anyone believes me! I am not gonna stop looking for him until I find him and bring him home. I am going to bring him home!" Joyce said, her voice equally stern and absolutely devastated.

She started walking off. And Halley was left in the middle looking between her mother, the only other person who truly understood that there was some serious bullshit going on, and her brother, who had been by her side since forever.

"Yeah, well, while you're talking to the lights, the rest of us are having a funeral for Will! I'm not letting him sit in that freezer another day!" Jonathan shouted after her.

Halley noticed the tears in his eyes, and the one that had not so subtly fallen down his cheek.

She stayed with her brother.

~

"You should cut her some slack."

"Did you even hear her?" Jonathan whispered, as the funeral home director brought them over to another casket.

"It's made of soft wood with a crepe interior. Uh, now, I... I don't know what your budget is, but over here, we... we have copper and bronze." the man said continuing on.

Despite how intriguing casket shopping was, Halley couldn't help but notice the flash of someone new in the corner of her eyes, she looked over, and quickly nudged Jonathan. Standing quietly to the side, was Nancy Wheeler.

"Uh, Excuse me Sir, could you just give us a minute, please?" The man, despite looking confused, nodded.

Without letting them get to her, Nancy already disappeared around the corner. Only to be found sitting on a bench, seeming to be waiting anxiously for them.

"Hey," she said, giving an awkward wave. "Sorry, your mom said you'd be here. Can we talk?"

So they sat. and Nancy pulled a picture from her pocket, and showed it to them. Jonathan, who was far more advanced with such things, squinted down at it.

"What's this," Nancy finally said, pointing to a figure lurking behind Barbra, who sat on a low diving board.

Jonathan bit his lip and tilted the picture in the light, "It looks like it could be some kind of perspective distortion, but I wasn't using the wide angle. I don't know. It's weird."

Kicking her feet against the ground Nancy asked, "You didn't see anyone else out there that night?"

This was news to Halley. "Wait, you took that picture?" she asked, bringing the other two's attention to her. Instead of the usual resentment Nancy held toward her, there was more embarrassment. Halley let out a breath, "uh, nevermind. Just, keep going."

Jonathan nodded, also seeming to be uncomfortable by the question. "No. And she was only there for a second, then gone I, uh, I thought she bolted."

"The cops think that she ran away. But they don't know Barb. And I went back to Steve's... and I thought I... saw something. Some... weird man or... I don't know what it was," she watched Halley's face contort, "I'm sorry. I... I shouldn't have come here today. I'm—I'm so sorry." she stood up, but, before she could run off, Halley took her wrist.

"Wait, uh, what did he look like?" she asked, not knowing if she wanted the answer or not. "The man?" she clarified.

Nancy stalled, looking between the siblings, like she was hiding something. "I-I don't know. It was weird, like he didn't..."

"Didn't have a face?" Halley breathed out. Feeling her skin go cold. Nancy, looking extremely shocked that she had guessed such a thing, and only nodded.

~

Jonathan and Nancy had gone to the darkroom in the highschool to improve one of the photos Jonathan had taken, Halley didn't totally understand it, but she did know that middle school was still in session, which meant there was a good chance she'd be able to find Mike, Dustin, and Lucas. Because she had a suspicion that Eleven may be a little more involved than she was initially letting on.

Halley looked down at her watch, they were going to meet up back up at the front doors of Hawkins' High at 1:30 and it was 1:20 at the time. She didn't need a lot of time, but she would admit, only ten minutes would be cutting it close

She walked through the halls of the middle school with what she hoped was an aura of purpose. She knew exactly where the boys would be.

The AV room had a peeling sticker marking it as such, and by the sounds of young voices inside, Halley was going to guess she was right.

Without knocking she opened the door, finding three surprised tween boys, and a girl in a blonde wig.

She closed the door behind her, eyeing over each of the boys. Looks like she was right about a lot of things, Eleven was most definitely in on whatever was going on, and it was clear the boys knew that Will was not dead.

"Halley." the young girl said, pointing at her. She nodded, giving her a small smile, which continued to wash off when she turned to the boys.

Looking at Mike first, her demeanor quickly changed. "You've got shit to explain, Wheeler, and you've only got seven minutes."

It wasn't Mike who spoke up first, instead it was Lucas. "Look, we should have told you as soon as we found out, but it was... a lot, and we didn't want the bad men coming after us."

Pinching her nose with both index fingers, she nodded. She hated it, but Lucas absolutely had her soft spot. "It's okay. And you'll explain the 'bad men' later," she said, turning her gaze to all three boys, "but tell me what's going on before I get back to Jonathan and Nancy."

"You're hanging out with Mike's sister? I thought you hated her," Dustin said looking from Halley to Mike.

Halley shook her head, "Now's really not the—"

"Mom?" Halley whirled around, finding Eleven holding onto the receptor with a small dribble of blood dripping ever so slightly out of her nose.

"No way." Lucas whispered, pushing to get closer.

Halley's mouth went dry. "Will?"

"Will? Hello can you hear us?" Mike said, shouting into the receptor. There was no response. The younger boy looked up at Halley, who was still shocked at the sound of her brother's voice.

"Hello? Mom?" it was crackly and a shitty connection but it was her brother. One hundred percent.

Lucas turned to Mike, "why can't he hear us?" But no one had the answer.

There was a low, heinous growl, and Halley instinctively reached her arms out in front of the boys.

"Mom. Mom it's coming." there was her brother. And he was terrified. Halley only wished that their mother was able to talk to him, that she was able to give him even a little bit of comfort wherever he was. "It's like home. But it's so dark... It's so dark, and empty. And it's cold. Mom? Mom!" Halley bit her lip so hard tears sprang to her eyes. The receptor's fuse blew, sending a flurry of sparks shooting out. Halley quickly pulled Eleven out of the danger zone. She nearly collapsed in her arms.

"Dustin get the extinguisher, make sure there's no flames." she pointed at the large red object sitting atop an old shelf, Dustin nodded and doused the receptor. Halley turned her attention back to Eleven, "El, hey Kiddo, you okay?"

Mike grabbed her arm before she could say anything else, "you can't tell anyone about Eleven. Remember you promised that night when we told you. You—you have to keep it a secret." Normally, she would have had to have disagreed. But she had never seen Mike look so serious (and scared) in his life. She nodded.

The alarm blared around them, and Halley cursed. Of course. Of fucking course. Mike quickly took Eleven's hand and motioned the others to follow them.

"You be safe, you little shitheads," Halley said, trying to keep her voice in check. They nodded, then took off toward the field.

Taking off in the other direction, Halley swore to beat the shit out of whoever tried to fake her little brother's death. 

 

Chapter 17: post up, dad

Summary:

"𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕, 𝑲𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒐."

Jonathan had dropped Nancy off at her house before driving himself and Halley home.

Oddly enough, after every shitty thing each girl had said to, or about the other, there seemed to be a slim piece of what they had years ago when they were still friends. Nancy had even spared her a small smile before walking up to her porch.

It was definitely appreciated with everything going on.

Pulling into their own driveway felt wrong. Not because of tensions between her brother and mom, but because of an unexpected addition to the path.

"Is that...?" she trailed off; Jonathan was sure to understand. And he did, the car was off in a second and he was outside looking both angry and extremely confused.

Running a hand through his hair, for a moment Halley worried he would punch the car. It looked like he was holding himself back, but instead he turned to face her, his voice far lower than only a minute ago, "Why is he here?"

Unfortunately, Halley was just as unaware of the reason for Lonnie's appearance. "I don't want that son of a bitch alone with Mom," she said, and Jonathan nodded solemnly. No matter the argument from earlier, Lonnie was a greater evil.

The two teens pulled open the door to find their mother and ex husband sitting on the couch. At the sight of the man, Halley subconsciously brought her hand to the harsh mark on her cheek. Jonathan took a step in front of her.

"Hey, kids." Lonnie looked at them, not at all seeming to notice the uncomfortable air between them.

"What's going on?" Quick to skip the pleasantries, Jonathan looked from Lonnie to their mom. The sight was so strangely familiar, yet at the same time something that felt so wrong.

Joyce looked up, quirking her head just slightly at the anger laced on her kids' faces. "Your dad's gonna stay tonight," Jonathan and Halley shared a glance, "On the, on the couch," she clarified. And while that made it better, neither of them were happy about having him in their house.

He was up now. Trying to act fatherly. Clasping Halley's shoulder, he ignored the way she cringed, "I'm here as long as you need me, okay? How are you holding up?" She shoved his hand away, refusing to speak to him.

"What happened?" she turned her attention to Jonathan's voice, he was facing the wall now, or at least where the wall used to be. A giant hole let a crisp breeze in, explaining the extra blanket Joyce was wrapped up in.

"Don't worry about that," Lonnie cut in, trying to bring his attention back to him. But Halley wasn't having it.

"Mom, did that thing come back, again?" The mere idea of it—crawling into her house and staring right at her, made her skin crawl. She didn't want to imagine it coming back for her mom.

Lonnie was angry, and everyone could tell by the strong way he said, "Halley, that's enough." She flinched.

Stepping up again, it was Jonathan to make the first move. "Can I talk to you?" he looked at Halley and Joyce, "Alone?" Lonnie's eyes narrowed, but he still followed his oldest son into his room.

Quickly, Halley took Lonnie's place on the couch, pulling a spare blanket over her shoulders as she was hit by brisk wind through the wall's unpermitted, unpredicted, new window. "Did you see it again, Mom?" She said quietly, slightly worried Lonnie would overhear and get angry.

Joyce looked at her, wearily at first, then back at the wall. "Halley, Baby, I know it sounds crazy, but I know what I saw."

"I know, Mom, I know. I was there last night when that thing... you aren't making it up." she wanted to say more, to tell her that she saw it, that it was burned into her brain and that there was no way it was just a hallucination, but she couldn't get her mouth to move.

Pushing hair behind her daughter's ear, Joyce nodded. "I saw him today. He was there, where that thing was yesterday. He talked to me, Halley, something... something was coming for him."

She nodded, taking in everything. That meant what she had heard in the AV room with the boys earlier was real. "We're gonna find him, and we're gonna bring him home."

~

"Chester, no! Drop!" Will yelled chasing after the mutt. Despite being a total sweetheart, he constantly forgot that he was a lot bigger than almost all the animals that scampered through their yard.

Joyce was inside working on dinner, Jonathan was working on homework in his room, with his stereo turned up so loud it could be heard from the yard, and Halley was helping Will chase after the dog with a small rabbit hanging out of his mouth screaming to all holy hell.

The sun was beating down on them, and both kids were already sweating hard, but Will was determined to save the bunny, and Halley would be damned if she didn't help.

"Chess!" she called, slowing down as she tried to regain her breath, "you want a treat?" This got his attention. Chester pretty much careened toward her, dropping the bunny and panted up at her. Of course that was what got him to drop. "Alright, Buddy, go see Mom, go on, go get a treat," she pointed to the house, and he went bounding off, tail wagging and fur flew around in the summer breeze.

Will was already by the animal crouching down worriedly and looking at it. "Halley, why won't it run away? I've never been able to get this close to one."

Pushing hair out of her face, Halley kneeled down, and took a seat next to the bunny. It's eyes were wide and it's body rocked back and forth in a frenzy. She gently picked it up, examining it's body to make sure Chester hadn't done any damage.

Aside from tufts of fur missing from where the dog had picked it up, the bunny looked okay. It curled in her hand, still quivering.

With her free hand, Halley gestured down beside her, and Will was quick to listen, leaning in close. "The bunny looks good, I think it's just scared." he frowned at her, picking at the grass next to him.

"It?" he asked almost offendedly. "She deserves a name." Halley knew well enough not to fight him on the gender.

She stroked the bunny's head with her pinky and she turned to her ten year old brother. The kid had a bigger heart than anyone she knew, and she loved him for it. "Okay, what's her name?" She was fifteen, going to be sixteen soon, and while most kids her age where over playing with their younger siblings, Halley couldn't image not hanging out with Will.

He thought for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows, "Her name is Pepper. Like Pepper Potts from the comics."

"Sounds good. What do you think Pepper?" she pet the bunny's back softly, trying to comfort her.

"Is Pepper going to be okay?" Will said, wringing his fingers.

"Totally," Halley replied without a moment's hesitation, which seemed to calm Will's nerves. She watched as he fought with himself about something, his hands coming up but then going back down to pick at grass or twiddle his thumbs. "Here, give me your hands." she waited expectantly as he slowly raised them to her, she nudged pepper into them and he looked up at her with wide eyes.

Cradling the animal close to his chest he smiled at the older girl. "She's so soft!" His smile was huge and she couldn't help but laugh. "Halley?" he said suddenly, taking his eyes off Pepper, she raised an eyebrow at him, not able to contain her own smile, "Thanks."

There was no need to elaborate, the anniversary of Lonnie's walk out was that day, and it left everyone feeling off.

"Don't worry about it, Kiddo." she carefully scooped Pepper from his hands, "No matter what kind of shit you go through, there's always gonna be someone that'll help." Pepper shook her head and hesitantly looked up at Halley. The girl put the bunny on the grass and nudged it gently with her finger.

Pepper took off hopping, and disappeared into the forest.

Jonathan pulled Halley away from the open casket. Obviously, she knew that wasn't her brother, but it still hurt to see something that looked so much like him, lying lifeless and cold.

She tried to shake the feeling as she met up with Nancy.

The three of them sat against an old fence a fair distance away from the rest of everyone at the funeral, and Jonathan pulled an old paper out of his pocket; unfolding it to reveal a small map of Hawkins.

Church bells tolled as the two girls watched Jonathan's fingers dance around the page. "This is where we know, for sure, it's been. So that's," He gestured to a neighborhood looking area.

"Steve's house," Nancy supplied.

"Right. And here," he pointed to the woods surrounding their house, "is where they found Will's bike...And this is our house." He looked at Halley as he dropped his finger on the final destination.

Wind swished by, and Nancy had to push long strands of curly hair from her face. "It's all so close," she said.

Halley agreed, nodding slowly. "There's not even a mile in distance between it all." Her eyes flitted across the paper again, glancing at each pitstop Jonathan had already pointed out.

"Exactly," he said, "it's not travelling far."

Both girls looked at him wide eyed. They clearly assumed he meant the same thing, and were equally as surprised by it.

"You want to go out there?" Nancy was the first to talk, and Halley could tell it was hard for her to keep her voice down. Her eyes were wide and she sat up straighter.

Sucking in his cheeks, Jonathan gave a lackluster shake of his head, "We might not find anything..."

"I found something. And Halley definitely saw something," Nancy paused, looking over and the girl in question nodded, "besides, what are we even going to do if we find it?"

"We kill it."

~

"Oh my God."

"What are you doing?"

"Just give me a second," Jonathan said annoyed. Nancy and Halley both stood outside Lonnie's now broken-in car as Jonathan picked the lock on the glove compartment. Halley rolled her eyes, fairly sure how the situation would play out.

A second later, he popped open the compartment, grabbed Lonnie's gun and a box of ammo, and quietly shut the door.

Nancy turned to Halley, her eyes wide, "Is he serious?" she whisper-shouted. The older girl only shrugged.

"What are we supposed to do? Take another photo? Yell at it?"

"This is a terrible idea."

Jonathan turned to his sister, who was in no rush to defend his plan, "yeah, well, it's the best we've got." Halley glanced toward the other girl, both of them sharing a knowing, almost suspicious look, but Jonathan was quick to catch on, "What? You can tell someone, but they aren't going to believe you. You know that."

"Mom would," Halley said quietly, glancing over to where her mother was talking to other couples, Lonnie standing at her side acting as though she hadn't kicked him out years ago. Nancy nodded solemnly beside her.

"She's been through enough. Especially with him being here," Jonathan said, shaking his head.

"She deserves to know." Biting her lip, Nancy glanced between the two Byers.

"Yeah. And I'll tell her— when this thing is dead." Jonathan was quiet for a moment, before nodding, then turning to hide his stolen weapon in the car he and Halley had driven.

She was about to follow him, berate him and ask him what he was going to do with a gun—he was a shit shot and he knew it—but Nancy grabbed her wrist as she was stepping away.

"Hey, uh," she started, huffing out a small breath as she forced a uncomfortable smile, "Can we talk for a second?" Halley glanced down at her hand, and she let go, crossing her arms in front of her as she clutched to her large, black coat. She was dressed nicely, for the funeral held by a family she had some not-so-great history with.

Looking over her shoulder, she found Jonathan just closing the passenger side of their car, and getting pulled into a conversation with Mrs. Sinclair. She sighed, "What's up?"

Nancy pursed her lips, having trouble making eye contact as she looked around. It took her a second to speak, and when she did it was not what Halley expected: "I want to apologize." she scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. With the tone of Nancy's voice she had been readying herself for somes sort of scolding from the younger teen. Or maybe some secret plan to get her mom involved, but not that.

She laughed a little, most out of shock, and part of it, not that she would ever admit to it, was defensive. "What?" she wasn't letting her guard down. Not yet.

Nancy finally looked into her eyes, and, to Halley's surprise, there was sincerity. "I'm sorry. Really. Summer of '79, you told me about your parents in confidence and I never should have told Carol about it." she wrung her hands, looking down to the ground. "And... I should have stuck up for you when I knew what she was doing."

"Oh." She looked up at the unsteadiness of the older girl's voice. Halley stood unsure what to say. For literal years, she had painted Nancy Wheeler as a heartless bitch who sold her out for popularity when they were thirteen, and, maybe at the time, she was, but now that they were older, she didn't seem so bad. "I, uh, thanks."

"No, I should have apologized a long time ago, I just..." she drifted off.

Halley cracked a smile, "Just didn't expect us to be fighting a monster together?"

She opened herself, hands going up to push hair that wasn't there out of her face. "I mean, definitely that," she laughed, slightly, "But, uh, when Barb and I went to that party... She was driving us down there, and we were talking, and she said she had ran into you, like, literally ran into you, but you were really nice about it," Nancy's voice was strained at the mention of the newest addition to Hawkins's missing kids, "She told me that she thought I was wrong about you... and," she paused looking up at the sky, and Halley worried for a moment that she was going to cry, "And I think she was right. Or, I guess, in the least, I was wrong," she said, laughing slightly as she faced the girl again. "I just hope we're okay."

"I can't tell if I'm supposed to say something really meaningful and heartfelt now, or if I need to wait for another dead brother, monster hunting situation," she was relieved when Nancy laughed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I really missed you Nance."

Nancy smiled, looking as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I guess this means I should tell Mike to stop slightly moving things in your room every week."

"Oh my God, I knew it!"

 

Chapter 18: excuse me, what

Summary:

"𝑭𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕."

"Shit." Jonathan missed, yet another, one of the cans lined up about twenty feet away from the two siblings. Halley stood a couple steps away from him, holding a gun of her own. An old carving knife sat sheathed at her feet, just in case.

The knife she had snatched from the shed, long forgotten and a little rusted, but the gun had been a little harder to get. It was of the few things her mom had kept from when she and Lonnie had been married, even though she didn't know the first thing about shooting one. It was kept for home security, though none of the kids were supposed to know about it. Halley had only stumbled upon it when Joyce was sick about three years prior, and she had been taking care of her.

Halley had snuck into her mother's room while she was preoccupied in the living room, yelling at Lonnie. It was just like when she was younger. Except this time she picked up on what the argument was, and it was nearly impossible for her not to also jump in. That son of a bitch really only came back to Hawkins to try and get money from his youngest son's supposed death.

Still, she didn't want either of them to know what was being planned, so she kept herself together, tiptoed into her Mom's closet, and grabbed the gun hidden in an old shoebox. In the same box was the ammo, still in its case. She tucked both things into her coat, after checking the safety lock was on, and ducked outside to Jonathan.

It was looking like they weren't going to need two of them though, because her brother would end up shooting one of them before the monster.

"You're supposed to shoot the cans, right?" Nancy said, walk up dressed in a warm looking caramel colored coat.

Jonathan turned at her voice, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Oh, uh, no, actually. You see those spaces between the cans? I'm aiming for those." He gestured toward the space the last bullet had flown through, as he emptied the shells. "You ever shot a gun before?" he asked her, once she was now face to face with them; Halley and abandoned her gun for the time being.

Nancy scoffed, "Have you met my parents?" Halley thought about Ted wielding a pistol. The image couldn't even form.

"Yeah," Jonathan chuckled, "I haven't shot one since I was ten. My dad took me out hunting on my birthday; made me shoot a rabbit." Halley remembered that day vividly. She had puked after seeing the corpse, and after making sure she was alright, her mother had told her to take Will away before he choked on his tears.

"A rabbit?" Nancy asked, eyebrows furrowing as she tilted her head just slightly.

"Yeah, I guess he thought it would make me more of a man, or something. I cried for a week." Jonathan said, loading more ammo into the gun.

"Jesus."

"What? I'm a fan of Thumper," He said defensively, cracking a smile.

Nancy shook her head, "I meant your dad." She spared a glance over to Halley. Nancy really only knew the surface of Lonnie Byers, her supply of information being cut off years ago.

"Yeah." Jonathan sighed bitterly, "I guess he and my mother loved each other at some point, but," he paused, cocking the gun, "I don't think I was ever around for that part." Nancy, without hesitation, took the weapon, and held it at arm's length. "Just, uh, point and shoot," Jonathan said, momentarily losing his train of thought.

Though, Nancy didn't take his advice, at least, not at first. Instead she felt the weight of the object in her hand as she spoke, "I don't think my parents ever loved each other."

It shocked Halley to hear those words again. She remembered Nancy had told her the same fear back when they had their first sleepover. Mike had Will and Lucas over for his eighth birthday, and Karen had allowed Nancy to invite someone over too. It was said in passing, just a thought during a three am talk. Halley had no idea she had been stuck thinking about that for so long.

"They must've married for some reason," Jonathan said, watching as she shifted her legs into a better stance.

She shrugged, "My mom was young; my dad was older, but he had a cushy job, money, and came from a good family. So they bought a nice house at the end of the cul-de-sac and started their nuclear family," she scoffed at the thought of it. Halley watched her lips attempt to curl into a sneer. She hadn't seen Nancy like this before. Imperfect.

"Fuck that," Halley said.

"Yeah," She said quietly, "Fuck that." The gun released, and a can went down.

~

Trees engulfed the teens as the three of them ventured deeper into the forest. Halley was a few steps behind, focusing on the area around them. She wasn't about to let them be snuck up on, by anything.

She tuned out the conversation in front of her, rather listening to the snapping of twigs every few seconds and the incessant tweet of blue jays and robins.

As time went on, it was harder to not think about what they were getting themselves into. Halley really didn't want to face that thing that broke into her house, but she was also sure as hell not going to let it get away. That didn't stop the fear from creeping through her veins, though.

No matter what kind of electric pulse seemed to be rushing through her, she kept her mind on Will. He was out there, and alive. If he could survive that creature, then she would be able to fight it off. She would be able to get him back. Safely.

"That is such bullshit!" Nancy cried. Halley's attention snapped up to the two in front of her. She had planned on sticking back and letting them make up most of the conversation, Jonathan had been falling for her for as long as she could remember, but it looked like he just blew it.

He said something then, but it was quiet, and Halley couldn't make out what it was. By Nancy's stance, she could tell it wasn't an apology.

"I am not trying to be someone else. Just because I'm dating Steve and you don't like him..." her hands were on her hips, and Halley desperately wished she had paid more attention. Because, damn, this sounded interesting.

Jonathan stopped, his arms defensively crossing his chest. "You know what? Forget it. I just thought it was a good picture." a picture? They were arguing about a picture?

For a moment, they were silent; even started moving again, and Halley was just about to say something, when Nancy beat her to it.

"He's actually a good guy." Halley rolled her eyes. Steve was anything but. He acted on a front. Did what he wanted, when he wanted. Nancy was no doubt a pawn in one of his many popularity induced games. "Yesterday, with the camera... he's not like that at all. He was just being protective."

Jonathan scoffed, "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

This seemed to set Nancy off. She squared her jaw, and her nose just barely twitched. "Oh, and I guess what you did was okay?"

"No, I... I never said that." Jesus what did he do? It was too late to ask, and Halley defintily wasn't about to jump into whatever the fuck was going on, but her curiousity was an explosion within her.

"He had every right to be pissed," she continued, her hands where on her hips now, and for the first time she looked back at Halley, as if she too needed to be convinced. She stood there, unaware of how she was supposed to respond.

"Okay, alright. Does that mean I have to like him?" Jonathan said, pulling the attention away from Halley, where she mouthed 'what the hell' to her feet.

It took a second, but Nancy finally gave a weak 'no'.

"Look, don't take it personally. I don't like most people. Steve's in the vast majority." Jonathan pushed hair out of his face, once again, looking to Halley for back up. However, she was still fighting to not be utterly lost.

Looking away for a second, Halley thought Nancy was going to let it go. That maybe they would just keep going, pretend nothing happened, and kill the monster. She was wrong.

"You know, I was actually starting to think that you were okay." Jonathan's weight shifted as the words hit him. Nancy was looking straight at him, her gaze strangely intimidating.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice just as challenging as hers. Halley wondered if they would ever make it out of the woods.

"Yeah." Nancy said, scoffing as she looked away, only to bring her eyes right back to him, "Yeah, I was thinking: 'Jonathan Byers, maybe he's not the pretentious creep everyone says he is'." ouch. Halley quickly looked down at her shoes, no way was going to let one of them even try to bring her into this.

A bird hopped across the trail a few feet away from them, and she wished she could follow it. The birds were probably not fighting about shit she had no clue about, and even if they were, maybe they'd give her a little background info.

"Well I was just starting to think you were okay." Jonathan shot back. Halley wanted it to be over.

"Oh." This was getting out of hand. If they weren't killed by the monster, Jonathan and Nancy might kill each other.

"I was thinking: 'Nancy Wheeler, she's not just another suburban girl who thinks she's rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does... until that phase passes, and they marry some boring, one-time jock who now works sales, and they live out a perfect, boring, little life at the end of a cul-de-sac. Exactly like their parents, who they thought were so depressing," he scoffed, "but, hey, at least now they get it."

Halley blinked. What the fuck?

This was in no way what she assumed was going to happen when the three of them decided to hunt this thing. Honestly it was probably one of the last things that she thought would happen.

Jonathan had started walking again, and while the air was obviously still hostile and uncomfortable, Nancy followed. Halley had no choice but to do the same.

 

Chapter 19: irregular roadkill

Summary:

"𝑺𝒉𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒑,"

It was dark. Not the kind during the summer, where you could see the different dark blues and blacks painting the sky with a sense of familiarity and home, but the kind that held the horrors little kids would hide from under blankets. The trees jutted up more jaggedly than they seemed to in the day time, each branch looking like a possible murder weapon.

A high pitched whine came from in front of them. Too far away to see, but loud enough for them to know it was relatively close. The way the trees condensed and cast large shadows only fed into Halley's bad feeling.

She and Nancy both turned to each other, stopping in their tracks at the sound.

"What, are you tired?" Jonathan asked, sounding pretty tired himself. The argument from earlier had been overshadowed by the two teasing Halley about her quick reaction to a family of raccoons scuttling around in shrubs. In her defense, they're glowing eyes made them look ferocious.

Halley shook her head, "Shut up," she whispered. The wind was blowing, but the sounds of leaves were too harsh to be because of a breeze.

"What?" he asked, trying to follow the two girls' gaze.

"We heard something," Nancy said, taking a few steps forward, and another whine sounded out. A cry for help. Halley cringed. Though, it seemed Jonathan heard it this time, because, he quickly turned, his flashlight bobbing.

Despite her gut telling her to go home and forget about everything, Halley was the first to step toward the noise, hoping the other two couldn't hear the way her teeth chattered in fear.

Jonathan took to the middle, shining a path in front of them and the girls took watch on either side, making sure nothing was following them. The cries were getting louder. Each beam from their flashlights shook with a fear none of them spoke of.

While looking through a canopy at a passing bat, Halley jumped at the sound of Nancy gasping. "Oh, God."

In front of them was a fallen deer, blood matting it's fur around the neck. Its limbs were sprawled out beneath it, and it only cried again when they got closer. Nancy crouched down, reaching her hand out, but then deciding against touching the animal. It didn't even move it's head.

"It's been hit by a car," Halley muttered, catching Nancy's eyes as she looked up at her.

"We can't just leave it," she finally said, looking down at the deer, then back to the Byers. Looking away, Halley nodded. She knew the deer was in pain, and that they weren't equipped to help it, even if it could be helped--but the idea of doing... that. Even if it was in the deer's best interest.

She couldn't help but wonder what Will would have named it.

Nancy reached in her pocket weighing the gun in her hand before looking down at the deer. She stood up, her lip quivering, until Jonathan gently took the weapon. "I'll do it."

"But you said-"

"I'm not ten anymore," he said sympathetically. And despite the way Nancy wanted to argue, Halley could tell she was relieved.

For a moment they stood there. Jonathan readied himself while Nancy turned herself away from the scene. Halley was thinking words of comfort to the deer, aware that it couldn't read her mind, let alone understand her, but still trying to give it one last sense of love.

The gun cocked, and Halley's thoughts played 'I'm sorry' like a mantra.

Her senses were going haywire, cheeks burning with mortification, and empathy as she looked into the large doe eyes. Her hands shook; she wasn't even holding the gun.

"Okay," Jonathan whispered, lowering the weapon toward the animal, "three, two—"

Something grabbed the deer and pulled it into the bushes with an inhuman strength.

The three jumped back. Gasping at the now empty spot in front of them. Halley clutched her jacket near her heart. Her body was covered in goosebumps and she felt the hair stand up on her arms.

"What was that?" she whispered, her voice cracking as she looked to both teens beside her. They didn't know either, obviously, but she wished to God that they did.

She heard Jonathan gulp, and one by one, still panting from the scare, they began to follow the small trail of blood left behind.

It was sick. Small droplets of red sitting like rain on leaves. At least, in some cases. In others, it was smeared chaos, like a child's finger painted wall. Halley made her best effort not to step in any of it.

Before that day, she had never smelled something so strong. At first she had assumed it was the red goo spilling from the deer, but she realized that that wasn't what blood smelled like. It was a stronger aroma, something fierce, it attacked her nose, feeling like it singed the inside of her.

Out of nowhere, though, the trail stopped. The blood: gone. No trickling off, no hole in the ground, just a thick smear of maroon on the ground.

"Where did it go?" Nancy whispered. She took a step forward, trying to see if the blood started up farther away, but it had completely disappeared.

They all looked at each other, back to the splatters, then up again. In silence, they all came to an agreement.

Jonathan took off east, his flashlight easily the most steady out of the three.

Nancy went north, her hand went instinctively to her pocket before she began moving. The gun she had tucked away, despite only shooting it once earlier, was now a security object.

And Halley went west. keeping her head high as she searched around her. Owls were out, and they were loud, flapping their wings and hunting for mice, but that was all she could hear.

Continuing into the woods, she wondered if maybe, it would have been a better idea to stick together. Her skin crawled as she felt as if eyes watched her every step.

"Jesus," she said to herself, looking around, it was just trees. Nothing unlike the forest outside her house. She should be used to it, to the darkness and strange sounds. She thought she was.

A twig snapped. She heard breathing.

Halley whirled around, flashlight unsteady, despite both hands white knuckling it. There was a figure ahead of her, too far away to be distinguished by the small amount of light she had, but close enough to tell it wasn't Nancy or her brother. It was taller, with longer arms, and talons no human should have.

It was the thing she had seen in her house.

She reached to the sheath she had attached to the belt loop on her pants, and grabbed the carving knife. Except, as soon as she looked up, the creature was gone.

Slowly, she did a three-sixty, surveying her surroundings, and bracing herself for something to show up right beside or behind her. It didn't.

That was impossible though. Where had it gone?

Alright, considering everything else, maybe it wasn't impossible. But it was still weird. Way too weird to just forget about, so she took a deep breath, and set towards where she had seen the shadowy beast.

Trying her hardest not to step on any dry leaves or branches, Halley found herself around the place she saw the thing. It was hard to decide where exactly that had been, because all of the trees looked exactly the same, and it wasn't like there were too many familiar oddities.

"Halley?" She jumped at the voice, flashing her light in the direction it came from. Nancy was a few trees over, crouching by what looked like a hollowed out hole. Looks like Halley got the wrong tree.

"Hey," she said, kneeling down beside the other girl. For a hollowed tree it looked way too deep. "Did you see anything?" she asked, checking around them to make sure nothing was coming. Nancy shook her head. "I thought I did. This big shadow, it just disappeared though." She continued. "I wonder..." she was talking aloud at this point, and without waiting for Nancy to say anything, she stuck her hand out, reaching into the hole in the tree.

Unlike her expectations, she did not meet the end of the tree. Instead, her arm kept going in, and in, until she finally stopped at her elbow, pulling herself out, and she met Nancy's confused gaze. Once back in the small light they had, Halley was able to see that her arm was covered in slimy, clear goo. It was runny, sort of like the consistency of the phlegm that grew on her coffee when she forgot to wash out her cup.

"I think it's in there," She said, her voice low, but sure. That thing had to have gone somewhere, and this would, unfortunately, make the most sense.

They looked around for a moment, Nancy even called out for Jonathan, but there was no response. He was too far away to hear them. Two was good, though. There was someone to watch your back. It would work. It would have to.

Sharing a look with Halley, Nancy was the first to stick her head in, not waiting for the other girl to stop her, and pushed the rest of her body into what had once been a normal tree. In no less than a few seconds, Nancy was entirely gone. With one last look around for her brother, Halley followed her in.

The first thing she noticed was how cold it was. It looked almost the same as the forest they had just been in. Same trees and sky, but it was so, so different. It was empty.

This was what Will had been talking about when she had overheard him in the AV room. This was where he was. But that also meant this was where the creature was too.

However, it looked like Halley was the only one looking around, Nancy's eyes were glued straight forward, and she snagged Halley's hand pointing to the scene in front of them.

Nancy's pulse alone was enough to send Halley's anxiety through the roof, so the monster eating the deer they had seen only minutes before didn't exactly help her panic.

It was okay. Whatever they had come through was only a step or two behind them, all they had to do was slowly backtrack and they would be—

Nancy stepped on a branch at the same moment Halley tripped over what looked like the carcass of a small animal.

The monster roared, as it spun to face them. It's grey head opened to reveal row after row of sharp, pointed teeth on each of its petals. This was what was in her house. This was what she had faced before. She had gotten away the first time but now she wasn't so sure.

To make matters worse?

Nancy screamed.

Chapter 20: oh my god, oh my god

Summary:

"𝑯𝒆𝒚, 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓,"

hey were running now, forgoing the weird gooey tree, in attempts to save their asses from the monster.

Nancy dove behind a boulder, pulled Halley down beside her. Breathing heavily, they looked at each other. Both pairs of eyes were filled with fear. For now, they had lost the monster— the demogorgon? Was the thing Mike had told her about? Fuck, it wasn't time to think about what the thing was. What she needed to do was get out.

"Okay," Halley breathed, leaning in closer so she didn't have to speak as loud. "We find Jonathan, right? But we have to split up. It can't chase us both at the same time."

"And if there's two of them?" Nancy asked, her nails digging into Halley's arm.

She shrugged, wishing there was a better answer. "Then you pray to your choice of god and hope they'll listen." Nancy's expression was grim, and she nodded, steadying herself as she stood up, jutting her finger in the direction she would take. Halley nodded.

They ran.

Halley couldn't hear much, only the thud of each step she took, and Nancy's shouting. She was vaguely aware of her own yells; screaming out her brother's name.

Unaware if it was a trick of wherever the fuck they were, or actually happening, Jonathan's voice rang out. "Halley? Nancy? Where are you?" For a moment, Halley let herself pause, leaning against a giant tree. She swiped at the fearful tears in her eyes, and steadied herself. Jonathan heard them. That was good. That meant they would be able to figure something out, find each other and get the hell away.

Nancy was still yelling, and she could hear faint replies, the kind that broke through consciousness into dreams right before you woke up. God, what Halley would give to wake up and find it was all a dream.

It wasn't, though. And she knew it. So took one last breath, and took off in the direction where Jonathan's voice seemed to be coming from. She had been lucky so far, no sign of the monster, but she could only hope Nancy had the same good fortune.

"Nancy! Halley! Hello?" Halley nearly screamed as a hand appeared from a tree beside her. Jonathan. Seconds away from throwing herself back to her brother, she stopped, hearing a ground rumbling growing and the sound of someone running. Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Halley, thinking with nothing but the adrenalin poisoning her veins, shed her coat and left it at the tree. "Stay there Jon," she said, and took off before he could say anything.

Nancy was only a few paces in front of the creature, and it was only getting closer. With legs over half her body, Halley was surprised it hadn't caught up before.

"Hey, motherfucker!" She shouted, she reached for her gun, only to realize it was back by the tree. The monster was too close to Nancy, though, and there was no turning back. She picked up a fair amount of rocks and began hurling them at the beast.

She just needed to keep calm and wait for it to get closer, and she'd slash it with her knife. Her hand was itching to grab it, but she wasn't willing to let anything happen. She'd be absolutely ready when she took it. No way was the creature going to swat it away from her and proceed to kill her. She'd seen way too many movies to know that.

"Nancy! My coat... by Jon!" her breath was coming in far too heavily to force out full sentences but she seemed to understand. Halley let her guard down for a moment to watch the younger girl take off in the direction of her brother. That was a big fucking mistake.

She screamed as a large claw reached out and raked across her shoulder and toward her chest, she stumbled, but even if she hadn't there was no way she would be able to escape. It was too close.

The beast was larger up close. Towering over Halley, who was petrified, stuck in a vulnerable position on her back, as her shirt slowly turned darker.

It advanced toward her. With knees backwards than a humans it still had a horribly fast pace.

Large claws were on her shoulders, talons piercing through her skin as it's giant mouth opened up. She struggled, thrashing herself around to try and get away from the monster, but it was too strong, it was too big, and too strong and it was going to kill her. She was going to die here. Alone with this beast, without finding her brother. The thought seized her, and she went still for a moment.

A moment was enough, a large tube, (a tongue? Another arm?) came shooting out of the center of the creature's head. The muscly red beneath the teeth pulsing as it did so, like a beating heart.

A fucking vein.

It forced the vein down her throat. Was it taking her blood? Her life? was this how it killed? Had it done the same to the deer?

She screamed around it, the talons were off her shoulders now, and she could move her arms freely, but it had too much of a hold on her for her to escape. It throbbed, the red vein carried from the heart of the monster to her.

To her. Not from. It wasn't taking anything from her. It was giving. Forcing. It wasn't her throat anymore. It was different, she knew what something getting stuck in your throat felt like, and this wasn't it, this was deeper. She felt it in her chest. In her heart. There were tendrils she sensed feeling through nooks in her body she didn't know existed. Had it gone through her lungs? Her own veins?

Her heart jumped. And her eyes bulged. Her lungs were filling with fluid. Was this pneumonia? She was choking, clawing, instead of at the monster, but at her own throat. Air. She needed air.

It stopped. She could breathe.

She could faintly hear Nancy's voice calling her. And Jonathan. It sounded like gunshots went off, but the monster was too invested to care. Maybe it just wasn't affected. She thought about Will as she slowly closed her eyes.

Will.

Oh fuck no. No way in hell was she going to die before she found him. She could do this, she got Nancy away from this thing, she could get herself away from it. She could do it, and she could get Will back.

The monster was no longer forcing her down. Did it think she had given up? Hadn't she? She was about to, at the least.

But she didn't. And it didn't matter what she almost did. What mattered was what she was going to do.

Reaching down, slowly, to her knife, the sheith still intact, and the weapons still secure. She grabbed it, gripping the leather around the hilt with as much of her strength as she could muster, and threw her hand toward the vein connecting the two. The monster wailed in pain as the knife lodged itself about half way through before losing momentum.

Halley yanked the weapon back, and used the thing's disorientation to roll over, ignore the way her shoulder cried in protest, and fucking booking it to where Nancy was shouting her name. The younger girl was already tucking her gun away in her jacket when she took hold of Halley's hand and pulled her back to the tree. They tumbled through, the monster's roar's of anguish still echoing around them, but when they turned around, there was no hole in the tree.

She collapsed into her brother's arms, relishing the warmth not only coming from him but the air around them. She was alright.

"Shit, Halles, you're bleeding," Jonathan said, holding her at arm's length and staring at the tears in her shirt, then shedding his coat to press against her shoulder.

Nancy sat beside her, not caring about the muddy floor as she leaned into the others. Her eyes watered, small tears threatening to spill. Halley slung her good arm around her, and hugged tightly. After a few moments, she couldn't tell if it was more to comfort Nancy or herself, but either way it was working.

Suddenly, Halley pushed away, coughing furiously into her hands and her body shook with the movement. She crawled away from the other two, feeling too closed in, and proceeded to spit black goo onto the forest floor. Thankfully, it was dark enough for it to pass off as blood in the dirt to Nancy and Jonathan. But she knew it wasn't.

Looking down at her hands, she noticed large splotches of dark phlegm. She turned back around. Jonathan was clutching Nancy tightly. She was curled into his chest with her shoulder jumping up and down with each shaky breath.

Halley wiped her hands on the grass, "We should get going."

 

Chapter 21: gun? no, umbrella

Summary:

"𝑺𝒉𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒑, 𝑰'𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒔."

Breathe in. Out.

In. And out.

Brittle fingers scraped against the Wheeler's bathroom counter. Halley stared at herself in the fogged mirror, her eyes traveling to the reflection of her shoulder. She had washed away most of the dried blood under the warm water in the shower and was thankful to find that she was only stuck with a surface wound. It still hurt like a bitch though.

Almost like a burn, the skin around each of the four slices was a bright, inflamed red. Making her want to scream whenever she touched it, which was exceptionally hard as she held wads of toilet paper to the blood that seeped out. She needed to cover it up before it got infected.

Under the porcelain sink there was an old first aid kit, the medication inside no doubt well past expiration, but that didn't matter. What did was the large roll of gauze.

Still in the plastic wrap, she could tell that the gauze, and probably the entire kit, had never been used. Halley dropped the bloody paper into the toilet and grabbed the medical tape. What a fun little arts and craft project.

Taping the bandages together wasn't as hard as it may seem. She had laid one of the larger hand towels on the ground and made it her workspace. Length wise, she didn't have to worry, but she did need to tape together a few pieces width wise in order to cover the worst parts.

Not necessarily hospital grade, it would have to do. A large rectangle of gauze clothed her wound, with an uneven line of tape around the edges.

Halley put everything not currently attached to her, back in the kit and slid it under the sink. No way would anyone suspect it had even been looked at.

Nancy had given her a pajama set, a pair of pale grey polyester pants and a matching shirt. Frankly, Halley would have accepted Karen's old clothes, as long as it meant getting out of the goo-ridden outfit.

Looking at warped, fog version of herself in the mirror, she took another shuddering breath. The shirt covered the makeshift bandage, but she knew it was there. She knew what had caused it. At least she wouldn't be caught up thinking about the mark on her cheek.

She laughed at the thought. An empty, humorless laugh. Letting herself slide down the wall behind her, she pulled her knees up to her chest. Her face felt numb. Her lips were dry. Clenching her fists around the towel at her feet as scenes from that place flashed across her eyes.

The monster chasing them.

On top of her.

Its horrendous roar.

And the claws.

It's claws swiping out and...

"Fuck!" she flinched as Nancy knocked on the door once before opening it, sticking her head in just a little bit with her eyes shut.

"Halley?" she peaked one eye open, and, once she noticed the older girl was dressed, proceeded to open the other. "Sorry to barge in, I didn't hear the water for a while," she offered her a hand, "You doing okay?" she scratched her arm with an awkward laugh. Both knew how stupid the question was. Neither of them was even close to okay with what had just happened. That didn't stop her from lying, though, and nodding her head.

Halley accepted Nancy's help and stood face to face with her. "I'm fine. Just thinking." the steam on the mirror was dissipating, and she was slowly able to watch her actual reflection stare back at her. To put it nicely, she looked terrible. However, unlike Nancy, she was free of the stench and material from the other world. "You, uh, you probably wanna get that goop off," she said, gesturing to the slime still clinging to her brown hair.

Nodding, Nancy gave her a small smile. "There's usually Tylenol on the little stool next to my dad's chair. Everyone's asleep so you don't have to worry about seeing my parents."

Tylenol sounded nice. And a cigarette sounded great. But she doubted she would be able to get away with smoking one without Karen waking up to the smoke, and that would lead to a whole other problem. Not to mention she left her pack at her house.

Pain killers were her best bet, though. A smoke would calm her down, but what she really needed was for the claw marks to settle, and not be so agonizingly red.

"Sounds good. Thanks, Nance." the use of the old nickname was a surprise for both of them, Halley hadn't even realized what she had said, until she saw the slight twitch of a smile from Nancy. "Shut up, I'm gonna go take your drugs," she said, feeling the horrible pit in her stomach loosen up.

She was halfway down the hall when Nancy whisper-shouted at her to take two tablets.

Halley grinned. Even if the impending doom and fear of a giant monster crept through her mind, it was nice to be able to talk to Nancy. No matter how much she convinced herself she hated the oldest Wheeler, there was always a part of her that wanted to fix everything they'd smashed.

Their house was still set up the same way, and just as she had been told, there was a little white bottle of meds next to Ted's Lay-Z Boy. She dry swallowed two, and thought about a third, but decided against it. Doubting one pill over the recommended amount would give her liver failure, or whatever too many Tylenols did to your body, she still didn't feel like testing fate.

She was just about to head back to Nancy's room, maybe talk to Jonathan about what the hell they were supposed to do now, when she heard a soft thud come from the basement.

Typically, a noise coming from down there would be typical, it could be anything, a raccoon, the house settling, the heater, the possibilities went on. But Halley's heart clenched, her mind automatically going to the worst possible outcome: the monster had followed them home, and now it was going to finish what it started.

Should she wake Jonathan? No. No, because if she did and the monster got them both, their mother would lose all three kids, and she wasn't about to even make that an option tonight. At least, not again.

Grabbing an umbrella previously held in a woven wooden basket, she braced herself to face the faceless monster.

Slowly opening the first door, she let out a shallow breath. So far so good. She grabbed the railing and lowered herself down the stairway. About halfway down, she noticed the dim light glowing from under the second, and final, door. The only barrier between her and the basement.

Except, at her house, when the creature had burst through her wall, all of the lights were going crazy—flickering on and off in chaos. Was it possible that this wasn't the monster? Maybe it hadn't followed them home?

Her grip on the umbrella didn't loosen.

Carefully, she reached out malfunctioning fingers, shaking with the possibility of what might be waiting for her on the other side. She turned the handle. Followed closely by a thrum of footsteps. Footsteps far too quiet to be one of the eight foot tall monsters from the woods.

"Hello?" she whispered, closing the door behind her. Was it Eleven? She had every reason to believe she was still being hidden in the fort Mike had made a few days ago.

She surveyed the room around here, nothing seemed out of place, at least compared to the last time she was there. The only noise at that point was the water running from Nancy's shower upstairs.

A mop of messy hair hesitantly came up from behind the sofa near the middle of the room.

"Halley?" Mike said, standing up completely and staring at the girl, "what are you doing here?" he kept his distance, not moving from behind the couch, but even from where she was standing, Halley could see the tear tracks. "And why do you have an umbrella?" she looked down at the momentarily forgotten makeshift weapon, and let it drop from her grip, flexing her fingers.

"Nancy said I could spend the night. I uh, I didn't want to stay at my house after the funeral, I just thought I heard something." Good, she needed to keep Mike thinking that she had no idea of anything supernatural going on. Besides Eleven. There was no way in hell she would give Mike any ideas about going after the monster or looking for the cold parallel word.

Mike nodded, not meeting her eyes. "Oh, yeah." he said quietly.

Making sure the water was still running, and that Nancy wouldn't notice her absence, she took a seat on the couch, looking expectantly at Mike until he sat next to her. He stared at his sock clad feet until she spoke.

"El around?" he looked up at that, biting his lip and glancing over at the empty fort, it looked like it had fallen in on itself. He shook his head. "Something happen?"

She was met with a shrug, "We, uh, I kind of got in a fight with Lucas, we were outside and she just kind of, ran off." it was painfully obvious how much he was neglecting to tell her by the way his voice cut off before he could say something else.

"That sucks, Kid." she said, her nose wrinkling as she spoke. "You and Lucas are close. I'm sure you'll make up." She knew that he was occupied more with worrying about what El had gotten herself into, and she understood completely. The idea of the young girl walking around town without basic understanding of social or legal rules scared her. Halley was positive there was something that the boys hadn't told her, and obviously she was still completely blind to what 'the bad men' meant, but she knew it wasn't the time to start asking questions. Besides, she was far too caught up in her own mess to start trying to fix another. 

Fidgeting his hands, Mike changed the subject, "So, I guess you and Nancy are friends again?" He glanced at the door to the rest of the house, as if he was expecting just her name would summon his sister down to them.

"Yeah, uh, I talked to her after Jon and I were picking out the—picking out the coffin," she stumbled over the last few words, still uncomfortable with the idea of her 'brother' buried six feet under.

"Oh." his voice came out hollow, but nodding slightly, and going back to staring at his feet.

The two sat beside each other for a moment. Expressions passed through each face like a conversation on mute. Halley worried about Mike. That wasn't necessarily new; she worried about a lot of things, but she worried especially about Mike. Being one of Will's oldest friends, he really had become like a brother to her, and she didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Hey, Halley?" He said, looking up at her. She waited for him to go on. "You think El's gonna be okay, right?" He was looking at the fort again, and she could see the slight indent where he was biting his cheek.

Horrible scenarios raced through her head of what could happen with El loose in the town. Nothing good came to mind. Disaster after disaster.

"Yeah, of course. She's gonna be fine."

 

Chapter 22: slumber party

Summary:

"𝑾𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒕,"

Halley had managed to get back to Nancy's room without waking anyone up or before Nancy finished her shower. She understood the desire to scrub every inch of skin after being in that other word, trying to not only to wash away the grime, but the feeling itself.

Jonathan had been setting up a sleeping bag when she came in, Nancy's closet was still open, and there was an empty space where he must have retrieved it from.

It didn't matter though, because seconds after he got comfortable, and the silence had settled over them, Nancy's sheets had rustled, and she was sitting up. "Can you just come up here?" she had asked, gesturing to the empty space beside her. Halley motioned for him to take it.

While the two took Nancy's bed, Halley sat on a bench below her window, staring straight out and waiting for something to happen, some sort of movement, glowing eyes, another strange portal, anything.

Needless to say, she didn't sleep.

Instead, she rested her head against the window, and tried to keep her eyes open. The sun had come up, and she was still leaning against the cool glass. Nancy had woken up a bit ago, she had heard her, but hadn't said anything. The other girl had grabbed something from her desk and went back to sit in bed. Halley had little to no capability of making morning conversation while she waited for Jonathan to wake up— considering the all nighter she had just pulled added on to the shitty amount of sleep she had gotten the past few nights, it was a wonder she wasn't falling out like a narcoleptic.

Soon enough, there was a groan, and the sound of someone kicking a blanket off of them. Halley pushed herself off the window and caught Nancy's eyes, she offered a smile which was tiredly returned.

"Oh... hey." Jonathan looked between the two girls. He sat up slightly behind Nancy, and pushed his hair out of his face. Halley nodded hello to him, lugging herself off the bench and on the bed with the others. "Couldn't sleep?"

Nancy shrugged, looking down at a notebook. "Everytime I close my eyes, I just..." she paused, looking over Halley's shoulder and into the horizon. Her volume dropped as she picked up again, "keep seeing that... thing." She turned her attention to Halley, her eyes screaming urgence, "wherever we were, that place," she looked to Jonathan to make sure he was listening. He was. "I think it lives there. It was feeding there—on that deer, and that means if," she bit her lip and Halley could tell where she was going, "if Will and Barbra are there..."

"No." Halley said, her voice strained, and more forceful than she intended. "No," she repeated, softer this time. "My mom said she talked to Will. And if he's alive, there's a chance Barbara is too."

"But that means she's trapped there, in that place." She stopped, thinking over her words as her eyes traveled to Jonathan's to Halley's and back again. "We have to find it again." Her voice was barely above a whisper but both teens heard her loud and clear.

"You want to go back out there?" Jonathan looked ready to fight her on it, something Halley never thought she'd see.

Nancy shook her head though. "No, and maybe we don't have to," she flipped a page on the notebook she was writing in earlier, a page filled with chicken scratch opposite her usual dainty handwriting. "When we saw it, it was feeding on that deer..."

"Meaning it's a predator," Halley said, beginning to catch on.

She nodded, "Right. And it seems like it hunts at night, like a, uh, a lion, or a coyote," she pointed at something she had written down, "except it doesn't hunt in pacts like them. It's always alone, like... like a bear. And at Steve's, Barb cut herself, and then last night the deer..."

"It was bleeding too," Jonathan said slowly, looking between the two girls. Nancy nodded.

She pulled a textbook out from under the notebook, from the bright blue cover, Halley could tell it was biology. "One sec," Nancy said, flipping open to a previously marked page, "so sharks can detect blood in one part per million. That's one drop of blood in a million, and they can smell it from a quarter mile away." she traced her finger under the words, looking up expectantly.

"So you're saying it can detect blood?" Jonathan asked, tilting his head to get a better look at the book.

Shrugging, Nancy gave a sort of scowl, "it's a theory so—"

"We could test it," Halley said suddenly, bringing the attention to her.

Jonathan wasn't convinced, eyes flickering between the girls, "and if it works?"

"At least then we'll know it's coming," Nancy said, catching Halley's eyes. a small nod passed between the two of them. Even if it was a 'theory' Halley had no doubt Nancy was right, and it was clear the feelings were reciprocated.

The reality of what was said hung in the air for a moment, before it was replaced by the door knob rattling. Loudly. Halley went rigid as Nancy and Jonathan grabbed at each other.

"Honey, are you up?" Karen called through the door. The three sighed, all jumping to the worst possible conclusion at the sudden noise.

Nancy put a finger to her lips before calling back. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm just getting dressed." She made a face at the lie, but Halley gave her a thumbs up. Mundane enough to not raise any eyebrows, which was exactly what they needed.

There was a sigh from the other side of the door. "I, uh, I made some blueberry pancakes." it was spoken as a question, like an extension of an olive branch for a discrepancy of which Halley did not know. She didn't comment on it.

"I'll be down in a second."

They were silent. All of them held their breath until they heard the receding footsteps, waiting for them to be totally gone before they started talking again.

Letting go of Nancy, Jonathan cracked a smile. "Your mom doesn't knock." 

 

Chapter 23: fight club

Summary:

"𝑭𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒖𝒑, 𝑱𝒐𝒏!"

Shopping for deadly weapons with her brother and Nancy Wheeler wasn't exactly how Halley expected her day to go.

She also didn't expect to run into Caroline and her father while trying to get into the army surplus store. The two were coming out of the pizza joint across the street, carrying two large boxes and a two-liter bottle of Coca Cola.

Halley waved Jonathan and Nancy on and she caught Caroline's eyes. The latter was, needless to say, very confused.

Sparing a smile, Halley caught up with her and offered a hand; she was hesitantly given the coke bottle. Mr. Cae paid no mind to her and only continued his way to his car.

"So," Caroline finally said, looking over her shoulder to Nancy and Jonathan—they were caught in conversation, "Is that Wheeler?" it was more a judgemental comment than a question, "you guys are... friends now, or something?"

Mr. Cae opened the backseat for them, and the girls placed their respective items on the bench. "Or something," Halley said, giving a bit of a shaking laughter. Friends were complicated. It necessitated a mutual agreement, and for all Halley knew, Nancy was only looking to be civil for the time being. That's not to say she wouldn't jump at the chance of rekindling what connection they had, and keeping the flame alive this time.

"Oh." She picked at her nail. "I gotta go, Halley. My mom's waiting for us," she gestured over to her dad, and gave a forced smile. "I'll see you around."

She stood there as Caroline climbed into the passenger seat, and began talking to her dad, only looking over her shoulder a few times as they drove away.

Halley had to keep herself focused. Nancy and Jonathan were waiting for her, and she couldn't dwell on the strange interaction with Caroline at the moment, so she turned, took a deep breath and made her way to where the two were waiting by the door of the shop.

It was empty inside. Aside from the cashier and the seemingly miscellaneously placed items. They split up to tackle it all.

Each with their own isle it was like a treasure hunt that none of them particularly wanted to be on. Halley noticed strange plastic turkeys, dusty from lack of attention. She sidestepped them, and grabbed an old wooden baseball bat. The only one she could see sitting behind one of the birds.

It wasn't that they were all looking for separate items, actually, more the exact opposite. Each of the trio was trying to find the best weapon of defense against a giant ass demon monster. If some of their finds overlapped? Only more protection on their side.

The isles were stout, and Halley could easily see over them, giving her a perfect view of her brother picking up their main event. The canister of fuel along with an ample supply of lighters.

Her own basket wasn't too different. She had a shit ton of boxes of nails, some more carving knives, and sturdy ass rope. Not to mention her newest addition: the bat. She scanned the racks around her again, making sure she hadn't missed anything that could potentially save her life, and met up with Jonathan and Nancy at the end cap.

The two stood, staring at a gnarly looking bear trap. They all had the same idea.

It wasn't like they expected the cashier not to wonder what the three teenagers were doing with excess amounts of life threatening hunting weapons, but Halley was definitely not ready for the accusatory glare she received from the middle aged man.

"And, uh, I'll have four boxes of .38s," Jonathan said, giving a lopsided, awkward smile, after Nancy had finished piling the traps, metal stakes, nails, and other weapons onto the counter. If anything, Halley thought, that only made them look even more suspicious.

He turned his back, and the sober looks on the teens' faces fell for a moment, looking at everything in front of them. This was not how their day should be going. They should be at home studying for tests or fucking around stealing their parents alcohol, not using an arcade paycheck to pay for killing supplies.

"What are you kids doing with all o' this?" the cashier asked, turning back toward them and dropping a quartet of boxed ammo among their other things.

Halley froze. Of course he would ask such a question, why hadn't she prepared for it? This should have been one of the first things they sorted out, a backstory, a reason, some sort of excuse.

"Monster hunting," Nancy said, keeping her cool as she looked from Jonathan to Halley, "We're going to kill a demon in my friends' backyard."

The man raised his eyebrows, glancing at their haul and shrugging, "huh." He rang up the items.

Jonathan carried the bulk of the load in a medium sized cardboard box, Nancy covered their share of plastic bags, and Halley took over the propane tank.

The air was uneasily warm when they reached their car. Jonathan struggled with the box to find the keys and pop their trunk. Despite the dire situation they were in, things weren't terrible at the moment.

A shared smile splayed across all of their faces as Halley finally spoke. "Monster hunting?" It was incredible that it had worked. Nancy glowed as she tried to stay modest.

"You know, last week," Nancy began as Jonathan managed the trunk, the two spared her their attention, "I was shopping for a new top I thought Steve might like." Halley wanted to roll her eyes, but it seemed like Nancy was going somewhere with this so she kept her expression neutral. She loaded the bags into the car as she went on. "It took me and Barb all weekend. It seemed like life or death, you know? And... and now—" she stopped for a second and looked up from the car.

"You're shopping for bear traps with the Byers." Jonathan finished, giving a hint of laughter as he shut the trunk.

Nancy's eyes fell a little, "yeah."

"What's weirder? Me, or the bear trap?" Jonathan smiled, nudging her.

"You. definitely you." she said without missing a beat. Halley wanted desperately to make fun of her brother's attempt at flirting, but she wouldn't point it out in front of the target. She'd just have to wait until they got home.

Taking a step back, she took a second to watch her brother and Nancy. They were happy, both of them chuckling, and Halley just wished it was in a more low stakes circumstance.

A car horn honked, turning all their attention toward a red barracuda. Reed Bartman, a jackass in Halley's year in school yelled out, "Hey Nance! Can't wait to see your movie!" He drove away, accompanied by his dickwad friends, before any of them could react.

"What the fuck was that?" Halley asked, standing on her toes to watch the car turn a corner.

Nancy took a step forward, "I don't know," she muttered, her eyebrows furrowing, eyes scanning the ground as if the answer would appear in the pavement. She turned on her heel suddenly, a shudder going through her as she started forward.

"What?" Jonathan tried asking, but she only kept going with a determination Halley didn't understand. "Hey! Where are you going?" he yelled out, she started across the street, gaining speed.

Halley didn't bother waiting, she took off immediately after Nancy.

She was flat out running when Halley finally reached her, and she could hear the slight squeaks Nancy made, trying to hold back tears. Halley still wasn't totally sure what was going on, but it was obviously something bad.

Jonathan was a few paces behind them, yelling for them to slow down. But when they finally did, Halley wished they hadn't. Nancy stood shell shocked in front of the movie theater. Apparently they were playing 'All the Right Moves', starring 'Nancy the Slut Wheeler'.

"Jesus fuck," Halley swore, reaching out and taking hold of Nancy's arm. Jonathan had caught up to them, and both siblings could now see the glistening tears in Nancy's eyes. "Nance, hey," Halley said, but she wasn't paying attention. Her mind was clearly whirling every other way, her eyes flitting from one corner to the next, everyone was looking at her.

Carried by the wind was the hyena-like laugh of none other than Tommy H. himself, coming from around the building. Halley, still attached to Nancy's arm, was rushed alongside as the younger girl stormed over to the sound.

"Tommy, you write like a three year old." Carol, Nicole, Tommy and Steve stood in the alley behind the theater, as Tommy sprayed the wall a dark red.

"Shut up."

Nancy stopped. The four hadn't seen the two girls yet, and their conversation continued.

"I didn't know you could spell," Nicole laughed. She was standing back with Carol, both looking on at whatever Tommy was writing.

Halley couldn't make out the rest of what they were saying, the blood rushing in her ears was too loud. Nancy's face twitched before she stomped forward, suddenly gaining confidence that had most definitely not been there before. Her fists were clenched tightly, and she had drifted away from Halley's side, not that that kept the older girl from being directly behind her as they approached the group.

"Aw, hey there, Princess," Carol spoke in a sickly sweet voice, smirking at Nancy's enraged expression. She didn't acknowledge it.

Staying behind in case she needed to pull Nancy back, Halley watched as she marched right up to Steve; her lips pulled tight to keep them from quivering, and her eyes seconds from spilling tears. "Uh-oh! She looks upset," Tommy mocked.

Steve turns to look at her, sparing a single glance to Halley, before going back to a heartless and empty stare with Nancy.

It's quiet for a moment, his cronies were waiting, watching, and Halley was wondering why the fuck it was taking Jonathan so long to catch up to them. Carol and Nicole both wore a smug look, like it was them who had just caught Nancy in an act, and Tommy looked beyond proud of himself. After all, what would Nancy do? Retaliate?

"Oh, shit!" Halley gasped, watching as Nancy reached up and slapped him. The others were, rightfully, taken aback. They were still for a moment, no one totally sure how to react; fights weren't uncommon in Hawkins but a Wheeler being part of them was.

Nancy, on the other hand, was not deterred at all. "What is wrong with you?" she challenged, her jaw squared.

Unfortunately, Steve was quick to recover. "What's wrong with me?" he scoffed, "What's wrong with you?" he paused, the height difference between the two glaringly clear at the moment. "I was worried about you. I can't believe I was worried about you."

"What are you talking about?" Nancy had taken a step back, allowing a slight space between them.

"I wouldn't lie if I were you." Carol smiled. Stepping into the conversation as if it was all her business. Her voice kicked Halley into action, and she stepped up beside Nancy, staring the others down. That didn't stop Carol though, "you don't want to be known as the lying slut, now do you?" Halley was about ready to deck her.

Footsteps sounded behind them, and thank God Jonathan finally got a clue and found them.

"Speak of the devil." Tommy pushed off the wall he was leaning on, revealing the messy, dripping words, 'Byers is a Perv' with an fucking smily face. He jumped down from the old milk crates he was on. "Hi."

And then it clicked.

"You came by last night." Nancy said, her attention going back to Steve. She was exasperated now, and less offensive.

"Ding, ding, ding," Carol sang, snaking her way under Tommy's arm, "Does she get a prize?" Tommy laughed, smoke sneaking out from around the cigarette in his lips.

Nancy spoke before Carol could say anything else, "Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that."

When Steve answered, he wasn't looking at Nancy, instead directly over her. Halley was almost positive the stone cold glare was for her brother. "What, you just let him into your room to... study?" there was a double meaning for that, of which Halley did not know, but it seemed to hit Nancy hard. Her stance faltered.

"Or," Tommy piped up, "for another pervy photo session?" he and Carol cackled. Once again, Halley was in the dark.

"We were just—"

"You were just what?" Steve said lowly, effectively cutting Nancy off. "Finish that sentence." He stepped forward, closing the bridge she had created only a minute ago. "Finish the sentence."

Nancy was completely still, and in her defense, so was Halley. Steve had a threatening stance and she had no idea what this maniac was going to do. The only movement was coming from the puffs of sharp breaths from the younger girl.

Steve scoffed, looking aside for a moment, and shaking his head. "Go to hell, Nancy."

"Come on, let's just leave," Jonathan spoke, grabbing Nancy's wrist and beginning to pull her away. Halley, still shocked by it all, only nodded, turning to follow.

Except Steve whipped around at the sound of the other boy's voice. "You know what, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed." He ran a hand through his hair, eyes flitting over to glare at Halley for a split second before going back to their initial target. "I always took you for a queer, but I guess you're just a little screw up like your father," he pushed him forward as Jonathan tried to leave.

Halley saw red.

"Fuck you, Steve," she spat, spinning on her heel to face him, but he wasn't done.

"Oh, yeah," he paused, running a hand over his mouth, "yeah, yeah, that house is full of screw ups." He licked his lips, now turning his full attention to Halley, "You know, I can't believe it didn't happen sooner."

"Halley, leave it," Nancy tried to say, but he just kept going.

His tone turned joking as he looked over his shoulder at his friends, "I mean, the Byers is a family of fuckups." Back to Halley, "I'm not even surprised about what happened to your brother."

Her face contorted, she could vaguely hear Nancy shout, "Shut up, Steve." but it echoed through her head, like she was miles away.

"Sorry I have to be the one to tell you," he said, almost sincerely to Nancy, seeming to gain emmese joy from the fury growing on the siblings' faces. "But their family is a disgrace to the entire—"

Nancy was quick enough to snatch Halley's arm before she could charge, but Jonathan was quicker. Shutting Steve up with a swift punch to the face.

"Fuck him up, Jon!" Halley yelled, fighting against Nancy's grip on her. Steve regained his balance a little too soon for Halley's liking, as he tackled her brother onto the hood of Tommy's car. Nancy cried out at them, but there's no stopping it now.

Jonathan fought back. After years of bouncing back from Lonnie, a little shove from Steve wasn't going to take him down.

"Stop it, Steve!" she shouted, letting go of Halley and stepping forward, she thought against it quickly, as the two almost rolled her down. "Knock it off you guys!"

"Kick his ass, man." Tommy was clapping, acting like a wrestling coach as he shouted encouragement to Steve.

Carol broke away from Nicole, not getting close enough to be hit by the boys, but enough to bring eyes toward her. "Get off of him, seriously!" She whined. Her arms crossed, and she looked as if the situation was more a nuisance than anything else. But, as neither boy listened to her, she gained a bit more urgency in her voice. "Get off! Stop!"

Nancy stood off to the side, hands on her head and she freaked out.

"Get in there, he's gonna hurt himself," Nicole said, pushing Tommy towards the fight.

"Call your fucking brother off, Halley!" Carol demanded, stepping up to the blonde.

"And why would I do that?" she said back, leaning forward so that the two were inches away from each other. Carol was a bitch, but she was a coward.

Before she could respond, Tommy was between the fight. Facing Steve and pushing him away. "Hey. Hey! Get out of here." Steve said, pushing back, "get out of here, get out of here!" he said, shoving and effectively getting him out of the way.

Carol and Halley still stood nose to nose, the latter breathing heavily as she tried to force herself not to grab a handful of the red hair in front of her and just fucking yank.

"Jonathan, stop! You're going to hurt him." Nancy's voice was the only thing bringing her away from Carol, and as soon as she turned around, she watched a hard throw knock Steve off his feet. He followed the older boy down. "Jonathan!"

Sirens were ringing, they were getting closer and Tommy called out the obvious: "Cops."

"Guys! Jonathan, get off him!" Nancy said desperately. After a moment, she looked to Halley with pleading eyes. It was impossible to say no, and she really didn't want to get busted, so Halley stepped forward.

She grabbed Jonathan's hand before he could land another punch to Steve's face, "Jon, come on," she paused, glaring daggers at Steve, "he's had enough."

"Yeah, man," Steve coughed, meeting Halley's eyes, "listen to the bitch."

She dropped Jonathan's wrist. A snarl forming on her lips. "Nevermind."

"No! Halley!" Nancy said, sending a look to the other girl, Halley did not care. "Jonathan, stop! Seriously!"

A police car pulled up behind him, and Tommy panicked. "Cops, come on!" he glanced at the car and the fight, "Carol, just go," he said quickly shoving the two girls away from the cops and jumping in between Steve and Jonathan again.

"Kids! Alright, stop it!" Callahan and Powell both dropped down to pull Jonathan off of Steve, and at the chance, Tommy grabbed Steve's arm and booked it down the alley. Callahan took after him as Powell pushed Jonathan against the police car, and handcuffed him.

Nancy was breathing heavily, her hands shaking as she covered her face with them, only peaking out to watch Jonathan.

Halley was far more calm in the situation. "Hey, Powell."

 

Chapter 24: troy walsh slander

Summary:

"𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒐𝒏'𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒌,"

They were brought back to the police station. Jonathan was handcuffed to one of the empty desks, and Nancy sat beside him, holding ice she had gotten from Flo up to his cheek. Halley stood off to the side, watching as Callahan filed paperwork. Her adrenaline had worn off and now she just felt shitty.

The door burst open. "Hey." oh shit. Halley recognized that voice. "Jonathan, Halley?" Joyce stopped in front of her son, checking his face, tilting his cheek, "Jesus, what happened?

"I'm fine." he went unnoticed.

"Why is he wearing handcuffs?" Joyce demanded, first from Callahan, then looked over to Halley.

Callahan, like the dick he was, said simply, "Your boy assaulted a police officer, that's why."

"Bullshit! He barely touched you!" Halley cried, however, she also went unnoticed.

"Take them off." Joyce demanded, her face getting the stoney look it got when Halley was younger and Lonnie had done something stupid.

Callahan shook his head, sending a small glare over to Halley. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

However, Joyce was never really one to listen to authority. "Take them off!" she shouted. Halley couldn't help but smile.

"You heard her. Take 'em off." Hopper stood behind her like a protective shadow. Callahan sighed.

Powell, appearing from the front, had a grave look on his face, a much different dynamic than the frantic and frankly, a bit aggressive, everyone already in the room had. "Chief. I get everyone here is emotional, but I've got something you need to see."

The three officers left before Jonathan could be set free.

To say Joyce was furious would be an understatement. She was silent for a generous amount of time, just glaring at her kids, until she heard a chime from a clock in another room, which seemed to set her off. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Mom, I get you're mad, seriously, but—" Jonathan cleared his throat, cutting Halley off before she explained herself. He shook his head. It was stupid, why would they keep it from Joyce when she already knew about the demogorgon, she had seen it. More than once. It wasn't fair.

Nancy spoke up, before the siblings could get into an argument. "It's my fault, Mrs. Byers. Jonathan was... protecting me from someone I thought was a friend."

"I'm sure he was." Callahan. Those bastards really didn't take their sweet time. They were gone for maybe three minutes; five, if the awkward silence was as long as it felt.

Hopper dropped their cardboard box of things on the desk. As the officers glowered down at the teens, Joyce was quick to savage through it, "What is this?"

"Why don't you ask your kids?" Hopped looked down at Jonathan with his hands still cuffed, "it was in their car."

"What-"

"Why are you going through my car?" Jonathan said, his voice coming out sharper than Halley had ever remembered hearing. She decided it was not the time to point out that it was 'their' car.

Resting his hands on the desk, Hopper leaned forward, getting to slightly above eye level, as he voice became lower, "is that really the question you should be asking right now?" Silence. "I want to see you in my office."

Callahan and Powell were left in the dark as the chief led the Byers and Nancy into his office, shutting the door, and sitting atop his desk.

Halley, who had been in the room far more often than the others, both for illegal and legal reasons, was far more comfortable in the situation. She was the first to sit down, directly across Hopper and holding his threatening eye. Obviously, he was convinced the teens were in the wrong here, and while he did have a fair enough point, Halley wasn't going to back down.

"You wanna explain what was going on back there, Halley?" He asked, his head nodding outside, despite being nowhere near the movie theater.

"I mean, Harrington's a dick, we already knew that." she replied. Hopper's eyes narrowed.

"That boy hit you?" he asked, his voice grave as he gestured to her cheek. Her hand subconsciously went to bruise, still branding her face.

"No."

He let it go, thankfully. Hopper's main focus was what he had found in their car, their offense of public disturbance going unmentioned for the moment.

"I, uh, I think this might explain some things." Nancy pulled the picture of the monster from her pocket. The one she and Jonathan had gone to the darkroom at school to print out, and handed it to Joyce. "That's— it's the thing that took Barb and Will. We were going to kill it." Halley was only a little offended by how her brother didn't try to stop Nancy from talking about the demogorgon.

Continuing, Jonathan said, "It's like a shark with blood."

A dark air filled over the room with the woman's shuddering breath, and Nancy's brief explanation of the night the three ventured into the woods, and, mistakenly, into the Upside Down. Joyce handed it over to Hopper. Halley bit her nails as she watched Hopper take it all in. "You say blood attracts this thing?"

Halley's face scrunched in less than a useful answer as Nancy said, "Kind of, it's just a theory." Her eyes stayed low, refusing to meet anyone else's.

Hopper sighed, rubbing his face, and shaking his head. It was a shared feeling between everyone in the room. "Wheeler. I didn't call your parents. And I'm not going to, but I'm serious when I say I better not see this shit again." Nancy nodded sincerely. "Good. Now get the receipt for all that hunting crap before Callahan tries to write you three up for theft."

Jonathan took the keys from his pocket and offered them to Nancy, she accepted, still staring at the two siblings, it was obvious they were in for hell. Halley nodded her on, they were doomed, but no use screwing her over too.

She walked out.

There was a lull as the confrontation shifted from a group interrogation. From the silent conversation that went on between Hopper and her Mom, she assumed there was a reason that Joyce only took Jonathan out into the hall.

Cracking her knuckles, Halley waited for Hopper to say something. It was obviously coming, the tension in the room was undeniable, but there were a few things he could bring up.

"You went out alone?" He finally said, standing up and beginning to pace the room.

"It was stupid, I know. But, I just..." She shook her head, words failing as she tried to put together, with even just a little amount of sense, what she had been thinking. "The body at the funeral wasn't Will's. You've gotta know that."

He watched as she picked at her thumbnail for a moment. Halley wasn't usually one to get unnerved so quickly. "Look, I can tell you right now your mom is pissed that you and your brother went out there, and I can't blame her. But I'm not mad." He ran his hand over his mouth. "If you do it again, you're gonna be in some deep shit, though, and not just with that demented monster thing." She cracked a smile, but, by the stiff air, she could tell he wasn't done yet.

"My mom tell you about Lonnie?" she said, pursing her lips. She had an itching suspicion that whatever else he had to say had to do with the jackass she unfortunately shared DNA with.

"A little bit. Found out you and your brother went down to his place before he came back up here." His eyes wandered to her cheek, and he raised an eyebrow. "Your mom know he did that?"

Halley stood, her thumbs tucked into the pockets of her jeans, and she made herself stand uncomfortably normal. "No. And she's not gonna know. She had enough to worry about, and he already left. Besides, it's not like we see him that often."

"Kid, you don't deserve that. And I'll kick his fucking ass if he ever lays a hand on you again; lock him up then throw away the key." Hopper stood in front of her for a moment, his arms seeming to fight his mind on what they wanted to do; he ended up giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

The now comfortable silence was interrupted by shouting coming from the lobby. Halley could just barely make out Callahan's voice trying to calm a woman down.

Hopper, a step out of the door, turned back to her. "You coming?"

"Really?"

"If you're going to work here you might as well see the kind of shit we deal with daily." he held the door for her.

From the corner of her eye, she could see her mom tightly hugging Jonathan, who looked absolutely exhausted. She didn't stop to explain as Hopper's pace only quickened when they heard the woman say, "I want to speak to the chief."

Around the same desk Jonathan had just been handcuffed to, stood a very familiar face. Troy Walsh, along with a frantic looking Mrs. Walsh stood with their backs turned. Callahan was trying desperately to get her to calm down, while Powell looked ready to clock out.

"What is your name, deputy?" Mrs. Walsh asked condescendingly.

Callahan laughed nervously, "Okay, well, I'm an officer, okay?"

"Name and badge numbers, now. Both of you." She was demanding, and Halley could finally understand why Troy was a little bastard, he had a great role model.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hopper spoke loudly, easily overshadowing Mrs. Walsh's shrill voice. Powell and Callahan looked up instantly, seeming overjoyed to have someone else be able to deal with the lunatic.

Powell was ready to speak, but the woman cut her off. "These men are humiliating my son!" she cried, turning around to face Hopper and putting an arm around Troy's shoulders.

"No, no, no, okay? That's not true," Callahan said, putting his hands up, he seemed to feel the same way about Mrs. Walsh, as Halley felt about Troy. And by that, he felt that the woman was the physical embodiment of an unnecessary nuisance.

Jumping in, before the two adults could begin another argument, Powell said simply: "Chief, there was some sort of fight-"

"A psychotic child broke his arm!" Mrs. Walsh wailed, cutting off the officer and making Halley wish she had stayed in Hopper's office.

"A little girl, Chief," Callahan put his hand just above his waist to prove his point, "a little one." a breath hitched in Halley's thoat. There was no way...

Mrs. Walsh's eyes grew stony. "That tone!" she cried, "did you hear that tone?" in another circumstance it would be a little funny to see Callahan be reprimanded like a twelve year old for their tone. But something was off.

"Honestly! I'm just trying to state a fact," Callahan waved his hands about, and Powell stepped back to keep himself from being hit.

Hopper, clearly with other things on his mind, shook his head. "I don't have time for this!" he finally said, "Just get a statement." Mrs. Walsh turned around and Hopper mouthed 'get her out'. Halley spared a small smile, but there was a crater in her chest stopping her from anything more.

The officers nodded, and as Hopper turned his pack, Powell began, "so what did this girl look like?" he asked, seeming to believe the situation as much as Callahan.

"She had no hair. And she was bleeding from her nose." Troy, nursing his arm, didn't notice the horrified look on Halley's face. "Like a freak."

If his mother hadn't been there, Halley would have broken his other arm.

"What'd you just say?" Hopper had turned around, an almost nervous look on his face.

Troy, with undeserved conviction, "I said she was a freak!" His mother said nothing. Only proving Halley's initial idea about role models, but that wasn't what she was focusing on right now.

"No, no, about her hair," Hopper said. Halley was staring at him. Did he know Eleven? She hadn't told him, Mike had made sure to make her promise not to. That being said, she highly doubted any of the boys telling him either.

Less conviction this time, with shoulders scrunched to his chin, "Her head's shaved. Doesn't even look like a girl." He looked down at his shoes, "and..."

Both Hopper and Halley inched forward, "and, what?" the chief said gravely. Troy looked at Mrs. Walsh, who nodded solemnly.

"She can..." he stopped looking at the officers again, "do things."

"What kind of things?" Halley interrupted, there was a small, tiny little sliver of hope that it wasn't Eleven, that Mike had somehow kept her away from danger, or at least such a revealing situation.

Troy didn't meet her eye, he recognized her, by the look of his expression from her voice, but he answered nonetheless, "Like...make you fly."

Motherfucking hell.

"Was she alone?" Hopper asked, disregarding the clear disbelief on his officers' faces.

He shook his head. Halley didn't know if it was better or worse that she wasn't. "She always hangs out with those losers."

"Losers?" Hopper asked, not catching on. Halley rolled her eyes. He was smart, he'd put together the whole Lonnie thing, knew how to solve plenty of crimes but, Jesus, this man could be really dumb.

"My brother's friends."

 

Chapter 25: ew, the government

Summary:

"𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚?"

As if the day couldn't get any worse, it turned out that the Wheeler residence was in the process of being dissected by the FBI—or some shit. Thus, leading to a fun, pretty vague explanation on why said FBI would be at the house, followed by an even vaguer explanation on why Halley knew such information.

"I have to go home."

Hopper, who stood staring at the house through spy-grade binoculars, only shook his head. "No way."

"But... My mom and dad are still there." She tried to push forward but the chief was absolutely not having it. He took hold of her shoulder, keeping her from continuing and gave a sympathetic, yet hard glare.

"They'll be fine." It was a no-nonsense tone, and Halley, who had experience enough of Hopper's fatherly 'fuck no's knew that any arguement Nancy had would fall flat. However, that didn't stop her from struggling.

Nancy had a walk of determination; she got all of three steps before Hopper took her arm. "Hey, hey, hey." Nancy tried to yank out of his hold, "Hey, no. No way. Listen to me." That was probably the last thing she wanted to do, but it didn't stop Hopper from leaning down to meet her eyes, "Listen. The last thing in the world we need, is for them to know you're mixed up in all of this."

"Mike is over there." there was barely a pause before Nancy cut in, her eyes staring wildly at the suites ransacking her house. Halley was leaning over the open car door now, searching for the girl behind all of this.

Acknowledging the obvious fear, Hopper gave a slight head shake, trying to calm Nancy down. "They haven't found him. Not yet." he pointed to the sky; a giant helicopter was ominously low. Scouring the ground for three boys and a girl with a shaved head.

What they would do when they found their targets. was something none of the five wanted to find out.

"Get back in the car." Hopper nudged Halley and then guided Nancy into the backseat before dropping back into the driver's seat. Putting his arm around the passenger seat, Hopper turned to look at the three teens tightly packed together. Joyce followed his lead, her demeanor far less composed. "We need to find them before they do." His eyes locked on Nancy, "Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

"N-no, I don't." She was pressed against the back of the seat.

"I need you to think."

Nancy, hands shaking in her lap, shook her head. "I don't know, we haven't talked a lot. I mean lately—"

Without waiting for her to finish, Joyce spoke up, Hopper obviously unaware of how to ask questions without interrogating in a suspenseful situation, "is there any place that he might have gone? Somewhere that your parents don't know about?"

Nancy was stuttering over her words, but before a comprehensible sentence could make its way out, Jonathan said, "I might."

The car went silent, and both adults waited with bated breath for him to continue.

"I mean, I don't know where he is, but I think I know how to ask."

Driving way over the speed limit, Hopper literally spun the car into the Byers' driveway. A horrendous squeak of tires tearing through the otherwise silent air.

Each person bolted from the car from their respective doors, and Halley jumped out behind Nancy.

In a rare occurrence, it was in their luck that Joyce had forgotten to lock the door, and the five proceeded to barge in without having to wrestle with keys.

Aside from Nancy, who had to be dragged away from the mess of Christmas lights by Halley, no one paid attention to the chaos of their living room. Nor the shitty wood plank over the axxed area of the wall.

Ignoring the 'no trespassing' sign on Will's door, the group dashed in to try and find his Walkie talkie. Jonathan was quick to go to his desk, but Halley, who had wandered in on countless conversations, and even joined in on some, knew exactly where to look. She army-crawled under Will's bed, and let out a triumphant laugh as she spotted the rectangular block.

"I got it!" she called, pushing the walkie over to Jonathan's feet, and scooting back out from under the bed, managing to only hit her head once.

Back on her feet, she saw her brother showing Nancy how to talk into the transceiver. Her voice came out shaking and worried, but clear: "Mike? Are you there? Mike?" a pause. Nothing. "Mike, it's me, Nancy," she tried again, her eyes traveling across the room, hoping someone would explain to her why she wasn't getting an answer.

They were fine. They had to be.

"Mike, are you there?" She tried again. Silence. Nancy's eyebrows started to pinch together and she was getting desperate, "Answer!" Jonathan put a hand on her shoulder, she took a deep breath, and in a calmer voice, continued. "We need you to answer." She hesitantly sat down on Will's bed, and Halley took the spot beside her. "This is an emergency, Mike." her lip trembled, "Mike, do you copy?" Halley took her hand, "Do you copy?" Biting her lip, she tried one more time, "Please, Mike, you have to answer, we have to know you're there, please."

Nothing.

Halley let go of Nancy's hand and took the Walkie. Mike was being a little dick right now, in danger or not, Nancy was freaking out and he couldn't give her even a little hint as to whether or not he was okay? Alive?

"It's Halley." She said, starting to pace, "I know you're there, Mike, I swear to God I'm not above fighting a child." her fingers tingled. "Look, we're with the chief. I told him about El, and he's going to help, he's going to keep her safe. But you need to answer." she wiped her free hand on her pants, "are you there? Do you copy? Over."

The five waited, staring at the walkie as electrified tension danced through the air with enough sparks to kill.

Nothing.

Fuck.

Halley put the transceiver on Will's dresser, giving an apologetic look, when there was a sign of life. A quick crackle of static, and then:

"Yeah, I copy." Halley snatched the walkie talkie up again, her hands grasping it so tightly her knuckles turned white. "It's Mike. I'm here." a pause, "We're here."

El. She was okay. They were okay. And Halley was going to make sure it stayed that way.

~

It wasn't that she was surprised that the boys were hiding out in a junkyard, Halley just didn't expect an old school bus to be their base. After hearing about some of their strategic moves during campaigns, it was a little lackluster.

However, she wasn't there to critique their survival methods. Technically, she wasn't supposed to be there at all, but she had worn Hopper down. Joyce stayed back home with Jonathan and Nancy to man the walkie, and Halley, who had far more experience with a gun than her mother, something she would probably have to explain later, would act as backup. Last resort backup. Very big emphasis on last resort.

There was, what Halley assumed, an agent on the brink of breaking into the bus. He was dressed in a dark blue suit and douchebag sunglasses. Obviously, he thought he looked cool, badass, even, like all the girls would swoon, but Halley could easily imagine this jackass at a bar alone at 7 pm trying to cheat on his wife with girls way too young for him.

The second guy didn't look as dickish, but there was no doubt he was a shitty person. A tan work suit with a mustache he could not pull off.

Hopper had Halley trail behind him as the two worked their way to the agents. Glasses had his hand jammed between the bus and it's door, and was pushing open, Mustache was standing guard— really terribly.

Didn't even see Hopper sneak up and smash the hilt of his gun against the top of Glasses' head. He went down quick. Halley was quick to follow suit and before Mustache could get a word in, she punched him in the throat.

He went down quick, hands at his neck as he desperately gasped for air. Halley pushed him aside and followed Hopper into the bus.

Hiding behind uprooted seats, they found Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and El.

After a moment of silence as each party stared incredulously at each other: "Alright." Hopper said, breathing heavily, "let's go." The kids were still and unresponsive. "Let's go!" He said again, this time the four were scrambling to follow behind him.

They didn't speak again until they were all in the police car. Halley's mind wandering to the two agents passed out in front of the bus.

"You've got one helluva punch, Kid," Hopper said. He didn't take his eyes off the road, and neither did she, but Halley did notice the small hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

Chapter 26: i'd prefer a shower

Summary:

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍."

It was dark by the time they got back. Aside from Hopper's comment earlier, the ride was completely silent. The chief wasn't going to start questioning until Joyce was there and Halley had no idea where to even start.

The kids clambered out of the car once Hopper had pulled into the driveway, and just as Halley was shutting the door, Nancy was bolting from the porch, where Jonathan and Joyce still stood, and practically tackled Mike in a hug. He stood there, and even with his back turned to her, Halley knew he was completely unsure how to react.

Nancy took his shoulders and stared at him, "I was so worried about you."

"Yeah. uh... me too," Mike said. Glancing around. Halley had taken the other two boys under her arms as she hadn't had a chance to really appreciate them being somewhat safe yet. Eleven, who was weary of the people around her, stood more off to the side, and watched how they interacted.

Looking past Mike, and at the girl she had never seen before, Nancy gave Eleven a calculated look. "Is that my dress?"

Reading the room, Halley let go of Dustin and Lucas and stepped forward, effectively taking away the attention from El. "We should get inside, it's cold and we don't need anyone seeing us if they drive by."

Joyce nodded, seeming to break out from a trance she had gone into after seeing the boys. Halley expected it was due to the lack of Will.

Noticing an unsure look etched across Eleven's face, Halley gently took her hand and led her toward the door. "Come on."

Halley and El were the last in the house, closing the door behind them, they followed the others into the living room, where the kids had taken a seat on the couch and Hopper and Joyce stared down at them.

Grabbing a blanket off the top of a chair and wrapping it over El's shoulders, Halley spoke up. "Alright. So obviously this is bad." El nodded with her small hands curled tightly around the soft fabric. "I've already explained the little bit of this," she gestured to the boys, "at least what I know. But what the hell were you guys doing out there. You said yourself that 'bad men' were coming and I don't see any man worse than the fu-" she stopped herself from cursing, not that her mother would care too much given the situation. "Why were you so far away in the middle of nowhere?"

"We were looking for Will." Dustin was quiet, and didn't look up from the ground, but it was loud enough for the five uninvolved in what had happened to hear.

Halley shook her head. "Try again. You and I both know we heard him on your radio thing."

"He's telling the truth, Halley." Mike was more confident than Dustin, and his eyes begged her to believe him. "Really." He stood up and grabbed a piece of paper from their kitchen table. No one said anything as he continued to draw a crude stick figure and what Halley assumed was a bug on opposite sides of a crooked line.

"Mike-" Nancy said, but he waved her off.

"No, no, look," he held up the paper from the group, "So, we're the acrobat," he pointed to the person, "Will, and Barbara, and that monster are the flea. And this," he gestured to the side of the paper separated from the person, "is the upside down. That's where Will is. Mr. Clarke said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space."

"Mr. Clarke? Like your science teacher? He's in on this?" Halley asked, wondering how many other people they would have to track down.

Lucas shook his head. "No, uh, we just asked him under a hypothetical."

"Oh. Great. They asked him under a hypothetical."

"Anyway," Mike cut back in, "it's like a gate. And we traced it back to Hawkin's lab."

"With our compasses," Dusin said.

The boys were the only ones who seemed to understand that part. Halley and Jonathan looked at eachother, usually when one of the boys said something Will would be able to translate for them, but...

Dustin, picking up on the total confusion, continued, "Okay, so the gate had a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the direction of the compass needles."

For the first time since the car ride, Hopper spoke, "is this gate underground?" he had taken a seat in a green chair by the window, and his face wore an expression that Halley couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Yes." El said.

"Near a large water tank?" Hopper was looking at her now, leaning forward in the chair.

"Yes."

"How... how do you know all that?" Dustin asked, looking between them.

Wind blew from outside, rocking old branches against their window. Hopper didn't answer the question. But he didn't have to. "He's seen it," Mike said.

Attention was turned as Joyce cleared her throat, "is there, uh, is there any way you could... that you could reach Will? That you could talk to him?"

Eleven nodded, an almost calm look on her face.

"And my friend Barbara," Nancy said quickly, "can you find her too?" the younger girl nodded again. And for the first time there was a glimmer of actual hope on Nancy's face.

Within the next two minutes, El gave one worded commands for the objects she needed. The young girl sat at the Byers's kitchen table, her eyes closed with Will's walkie and a picture of Barbara on a diving board in front of her. Everyone else was crowded around her, waiting on bated breath for a sliver of proof of something working.

Static played softly from a radio, and they could see El's eyes darting beneath her eyelids.

The overhead light flickered, and Halley moved closer to her mom, grabbing Joyce's arm— just in case. But nothing happened. The flickering ceased, and El opened her eyes. She was...disappointed, it seemed.

With quivering lips, El whispered out, "I'm sorry."

Joyce, with her death hold on Halley's hand, stumbled over herself as she tried to form words. "What-what do you mean? What was, what happened?"

"I can't find them," El said quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes. Joyce was up— walking away without a word and Jonathan was going after her.

Halley sighed. It wasn't El's fault. She was still a kid after all, and they couldn't just treat her like a weapon or a tool. She wiped her hand over her mouth, and stood up.

"Come on, Kiddo, it's okay." She helped El out of the chair and led her toward their bathroom to give her just a little bit of privacy.

For the most part, it was quiet. Halley could still hear a slight buzz of talking through the door, but El didn't seem to notice. The latter was standing in front of the mirror, the faucet running cold water, and she stared in the mirror.

Halley sat on the rim of the bathtub, trying to convince El that it was okay. From the reflection, she could see tears slip out from gloomy brown eyes.

The two were quiet for a moment, giving the situation enough time to really settle in.

"God," a pause, followed by a sharp and hollow laugh: "I need a cigarette."

El looked at her, her eyebrows pinching. "Halley? What is 'cig-a-rette'?"

Halley sighed, shaking her head. "It's... it's something that makes you feel like you're somewhere else. Like it tricks your mind into thinking you're in another place when your body's still right here." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's not good, Kiddo."

El cupped water into her hands and splashed it over her face. Rubbing slightly harder than necessary on her skin. She shut off the water, and turned to face Halley, her eyes wandered to the tub, "Idea."

She left the room before Halley could respond.

Trying to catch up and ask her what 'idea' was supposed to mean, Halley nearly fell over from some sort of unwelcomed dizziness. For a split second her head spun wildly with an ache unlike any she'd had before.

"Fuck," she muttered, crouching down against the tub wall for a moment. It felt like her eyes were buzzing, even behind her clenched lids, and a distant rush of water ran through her head. It reminded her of the quarry, from the nights when she couldn't sleep and wandered down to the cliffside.

She bolted upright as an image cleared and she saw Mike jump over the edge.

Jesus, she needed more sleep.

Halley thought about what she'd seen as she finally got up. It was strange, definitely, but explainable: she was tired as shit, and everyone in the town thought her brother drowned from falling into the Quarry. It was probably just her subconscious fucking with her. Unappreciated, but at least she had a logical explanation.

Just as she rejoined the rest of the others in her dining room, Halley caught what El had meant by: 'idea'.

"The Bath." The room stared at her. "I can find them."

 

Chapter 27: interdimensional fieldtrip

Summary:

"𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆."

Notes:

hey guys, sorry for talking so long to update I had the ACT and was swamped trying to study for it, (ended up spending like six hours in some random hotel lol)

The words 'why are you keeping this curiosity door closed' weren't exactly what Halley thought would help them get her brother's science teacher to help them build a sensory deprivation tank, but it worked a hell of a lot better than anything she would have come up with.

Which, of course, led to why they were all in the parking lot of Hawkins Middle school at about eleven on a Saturday night.

Everyone split up, trying in vain to gather supplies and set up the tank as fast as possible. Jonathan and Hopper were handling the 1500 pounds of salt they needed, Mike and Nancy were grabbing hoses from the shed down by the fields, Joyce and El were figuring out the rest of the supplies needed to Eleven's psychosis trip to the other dimension, and Dustin, Lucas and Halley were currently fighting with a pool.

"Goddamn it!" Dustin yelled as the unaccompanied side fell down again. No matter where the three seemed to hold, there was always one area that had just enough give for it to collapse.

Halley dropped her side too, rubbing her mouth, "It's fine. Okay, the walls can't fall in when the waters in it, so we just need to fill the pool, right? Mike and Nancy should be back soon."

And they actually were back soon. As if Dustin's complaining had summoned them, only a few moments later the Wheelers walked through the gym doors with a wheelbarrow full of hoses.

"That's the pool?" Nancy asked as Halley met her halfway to where they had set it down.

The blonde waved the question away. "Don't ask." She shook her head, taking one end of a hose Mike was carrying and following Nancy to the faucet, and instructing him to put the other end in the pool. It was his turn to deal with his very pessimistic friends and their view on the kiddie pool.

Turns out the 'wheelbarrow of hoses' was actually just one long as shit hose, which Nancy connected to the one in Halley's hand before it ran out of slack.

"So," She said as the brunette spun the final hose into place, "is this better or worse than monster hunting?" she kept her voice down, not wanting the boys to hear and get any ideas.

For a moment, the only sound was that of the water rushing over to the pool.

"Probably equally as bad." Nancy kept her right-hand hovering over each diverter valve, waiting for the boys to direct her to the right temperature. "I really hope Barb's okay," she said quietly, then quickly adding as she looked up, "and Will, too, obviously."

Glancing over her shoulder to the boys, who were paying absolutely no attention to them, Halley nodded. "I know. We're gonna get to them. El's gonna find 'em."

"I really hope you're right."

"Colder!" Lucas called out, and Nancy spun the blue valve to the left. "Warmer!" she twisted the blue to the right slightly, while giving the red valve a small turn. "Okay! Stop! Right there!" she stumbled back, keeping her hands behind her and kept away from the valves.

The girls stayed almost completely still until Lucas gave them the go ahead to turn the water off. Halley reached down and helped Nancy up, once the valves were shut tight.

Jonathan and Hopper were already dumping bags of 'de-icing salt' into the pool. And Dusin was testing the buoyancy with eggs that had been snatched at some point along the way. An egg sunk, and Jonathan sighed, opening more bags and dumping in more salt.

Dustin, with slightly shaky hands, lowered the egg into the water, letting go, and giving a yell of excitement as it floated. "Yes!"

As El stripped off her socks and a black watch one of the boys must have given her, Mike set his walkie to an unused channel, releasing static throughout the gym. Joyce handed her science goggles taped completely over with duct tape, and El waited no time putting them on.

Halley and Joyce helped her into the pool. The only sound throughout the entire gym was the small steps El took until she reached the middle of the pool. She sat down, patting down the skirt of the dress that ballooned around her, and slowly laid back, letting the water lift her up.

Almost immediately, the electricity began to surge, and the few lights that were on sparked until they went out. Halley scooted closer to Hopper and her mom.

She hated how porcelain El looked. Like a single shake of the pool and the waves would capsize her.

Except, it wasn't a shake that was affecting her. El had begun to heave in sharp breaths, a frown etched on tightly drawn lips. The lights had begun to flicker again.

"What's going on?" Nancy said, more as a thought than a genuine question. She was huddled close to Jonathan as they waited for something to happen.

Mike was staring worriedly at El, "I- I don't know."

Recognizing the look on Nancy's face, she only hoped Jonathan did too; it was nearly identical to the one their mom would get when—

"Is Barb okay?" No answer. "Is she okay?" Nancy cried out, edging closer to the edge of the pool. Jonathan shifted, looking ready to stop her if she decided to try something. But there was no time to even try.

"Gone, gone." it started off a whisper, but it grew. "Gone. Gone." she was crying, Halley could hear it in her voice. She was scared. "Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone, gone, gone," El was shrieking, sobs wracking her body as she fought against the water around her. Hopper and Joyce had taken either hand, and the latter was trying to calm her down.

Halley scrambled to get over it, nearly tripping over Lucas in the process.

"Hey, hey, El. It's okay." she said, mirroring the terrified expression on Joyce's face. "Don't be afraid, we won't let anything happen to you." She caught her mom's eye, and Joyce gestured down, guiding Halley's hand to where her own had been gently squeezing the girl's shoulders. "It's Halley," she said shakily, "Nothing's gonna get you El, I'm right here." her sporadic breathing was evening out, "That's right. Right here."

"Castle Byers." Halley nearly jumped at El's voice. She looked over to Jonathan who stared right back at her. Halley blinked back tears. Will would be okay, it'd be alright. Just like she'd told El.

It was quiet again. Everyone was staring at El and waiting for any kind of information. Nancy's face was pulled in shock, and Halley didn't know when the reality of Barb would hit her. However, as selfish, and bitchy as it sounded, at that moment she really didn't care. She didn't care about anything but one thing.

"Will."

Joyce gasped, literally knocked back as she reached to Hopper to steady her. Halley let out a choked noise, leaning closer to El, and thinking of any sort of encouragement she could. She had no idea that actually talking would affect El's abilities, and there was no way in hell she would risk it.

Locking eyes with her brother, Halley barely recognized her mother's voice as she said she was coming for Will. Asking El to tell him.

The static that Halley had almost entirely blocked out at that point, crackled to life again, and a cracked, single word came ringing out. "Hurry." Will. He was okay. Alright, maybe not okay, but he was alive. He was alive and they were going to get him.

"Tell him to stay where- where he is, okay? We're coming, we're coming Baby, I promise," Joyce was leaning over Halley now, forgetting her words went through a second party.

Something happened. A jolt went through El and the crackled static was once again replaced, this time by her voice, whimpers and cries of fear, she was thrashing again. This time until she burst up, ripping off the glasses in terror and backing up into the wall of the pool.

Halley, completely stunned by the occurrences, didn't fight back when Joyce took her spot and murmured about how well El had done, wrapping her arms around her. Halley had the vague sense of actually moving out of the way. She wasn't totally sure.

She didn't really know how she ended up behind her mom, shell shocked, and leaning against Hopper. She knew one thing though. One tiny thing that she couldn't explain even in the smallest amounts.

In the split second before El had ripped off her glasses and taken herself out of the buffer area between dimensions, Halley had seen them. A flicker, but it was real. Darkness, utter black, with a shack of dilapidated materials. And a boy.

She had seen Will.

 

Chapter 28: return of the dickbag

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒕."

"This fort; where is it?" Halley stood with Jonathan and Joyce as Hopper questioned them about what El had seen, and where he would find it in their dimension.

Joyce, surprisingly, was far more lucid than her children at that point. "It's in the woods behind our house."

"He used to go there to hide." Halley wasn't looking at the others, instead focusing on the boys over on the bleachers; they had wrapped El up in a towel and were talking now. All of them looked completely exhausted. Her attention was pulled back when she heard Hopper's shoes start to stomp away.

With only a second of hesitation, the three Byers took after him.

Hopper pushed out into the parking lot, but Joyce was hot on his heels. Reaching out to stop him before he could get into his car.

"Hey, get back inside," he said, pointing back at the door that had shut only a second before. The cold nipped at Halley's cheeks, but she stayed quiet. She and Jonathan stood waiting for Joyce to tell them what to do. "Look, if something happens to me— I don't make it back—"

"Then I'll go!" Joyce shouted, cutting him off. "You stay, are you kidding me? He's my son, Hop. My son." She was up in his face, and for a moment Halley was ready to jump in and stop them before things got physical. But she had to remind herself that it was Hopper, and that he would never do that. "I'm going!"

She turned back around, taking Halley's shoulder in her right hand and Jonathan's in her left, speaking in a much softer tone, "Listen, I need you to stay here-"

"What? No-"

"And watch over the kids." she gave a pleading look.

"No, Mom I can help-"

"Please, Jonathan." that was the end. With the look in her mom's eyes, Halley knew that there was no arguing about this. Joyce wrapped her arms around her kids and squeezed as if she would never see them again. Halley tried not to think that that was a possibility. Hopper yelled for her to hurry up. "I'm gonna find him." she looked at each of them in their eyes. "I'm gonna find him."

Hopper took off just as Joyce slammed the car door.

"Wow." Halley's legs were shaking, but she couldn't figure out if it was because of the cold or because of what had just happened. "Wait, Jon-" he was going back inside, his back turned, and with no desire to be left alone outside in the dark, she followed him.

That's when they found Nancy. Sitting up against the wall with her knees pulled to her chin. They must have passed her when chasing after Hopper. Jonathan slid down beside her.

"We have to go back to the station," she said, after waiting in an electrifying silence. The two looked at her, not exactly disagreeing but confused to all hell. "Your mom and the chief are going to go in. They'll sit there like bait, she paused, tears still threatening to spill, "That thing is still in there. We can't just sit here and let it get them too."

Jonathan nodded, briefly looking up to Halley. "You wanna try it out?" his voice came out hoarse, and the uncertainty that echoed through the room made Halley's stomach churn.

"I want to finish what we started." Nancy's chin quivered, "I want to kill it."

Halley waited back for a moment, as the two got up, sticking her head through the door to check on the kids, before they took off. She wanted to tell them where they were going, that they weren't just ditching them, but she wouldn't risk them following them.

"We found the pudding. Dustin's celebrating by stuffing as much as he can into his backpack." She heard Lucas shout from the gym office, where shit was always stashed.

Halley gave a hollow laugh. They would be okay.

~

As Halley expected, it was almost too easy to grab their stolen supplies from the station. Calhoun was the only one working, so they could see, and he was fucking around with cards. They were in and out in less than five minutes— with more than was taken, thanks to Nancy and her ability to steal a fire extinguisher.

It worked in their favor that Hopper had taken off with Joyce and Calhoun was the only one on duty, because had a cop more competent been working, the three surely would have been pulled over for speeding.

Whatever, though. It didn't matter. They got inside with the supplies, and began the setup.

Jonathan nailed a bear trap into the carpet of their hallway while Nancy dumped the gallon of gasoline around the same area. Halley worked on their weapons, loading their guns and hammering thick ass nails into a baseball bat.

The three set yoyo strings around the house, small traps to distract the monster from the larger ones. Hopefully.

When they were done, and had pretty much made the entire place a death trap, they sat around each other on the couch. There was only one thing left to do.

Nancy held the knife, Jonathan held the bandage, and Halley held out her hand. "You sure you want to go first?"

"It's fine, Nance. I'm ready." she reached out further. Nancy nodded, and the blonde felt the tip of the blade on her palm. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the sting.

It was dull at first, but it became hot as it drew on. Halley knew it was only an inch or two long, but it felt like she was being cut open. She hissed as Jonathan wrapped the bandage around her hand.

"I'm sorry," Nancy said, not looking her in the eye. Halley shook her head. It wasn't personal.

Nancy went next, Jonathan taking the knife, and, as gently as he could, cut her hand. She bit her lip hard, but made no noise. The blood was dripping from the cut, but before it could fall from her skin, Halley gingerly wrapped her hand. It was her turn with the knife.

Biting her lip, she held the knife like it was a foreign object. It was stupid, worried about some stupid blade when she had made a nail bat and loaded ammo into guns only minutes earlier.

She wanted to close her eyes, but that was almost one of the worst ideas she could get when doing something like this, so she forced herself to focus as she slit the skin on her brother's palm. He winced and fought against himself to wipe the blood away.

A crackling noise came from outside, and Halley checked over her shoulder, sure that there would be a monster ready to attack.

"What was that?" Nancy whispered, her hands working the bandage around Jonathan's.

He shook his head. "Just the wind." Nancy wasn't convinced. And to be completely honest, Halley wasn't either. "Seriously, it was probably nothing, my mom said that the lights speak when the monster comes."

"Speak?" Nancy asked with her eyebrows raised. She looked to Halley for confirmation.

"Blink," she said. "It's like an alarm." Halley thought back to the first time she had experienced the lights--how the monster had come out of the wall and nearly attacked her and her mom. And now they were, quite literally, asking it to come into her house. "Believe me, you'll know when it's coming."

Nancy seemed to be content with the answer as she let it hang in the air, her attention went back to Jonathan's hand, and she continued to wrap the gauze bandage around it. "Is that too tight?" she asked, once she had finished.

"No, no, it's fine." Jonathan was a stuttering mess, as to be expected. Catching his eye from over Nancy's shoulder, she mimed a gag, which effectIvely earned her a hard glare. However, her taunting didn't stop her from noticing the way Nancy's hands lingered on her brother's, and the way she slightly edged closer to him. She felt like a hopeless third wheel at the moment, and no matter how much she would tease Jonathan about it, she was exceptionally happy about it.

With a considerable amount of uncertainty, Jonathan breathed out, "Nancy-"

A banging at the door made all three of the teens gasped, jumping apart from each other, and cutting Jonathan off before he could even truly begin. Halley cursed whatever moron had such absolute batshit timing.

Staring at the door as if it would explode any moment, no one made any attempt to move. The trio were all critically aware of the breath they were holding.

"Jonathan?" no way.

No fucking way.

Steve?

"Jonathan! Are you there man?" he was banging on the door, far more aggressively than necessary but Halley had worse things to worry about than her door. "it's... It's Steve. I just wanna talk." The banging continued.

Halley rolled her eyes. "we need to get rid of him," she whispered, glaring at the door, "that thing is gonna be here any moment and he'll fuck it up." Jonathan nodded, and they both looked to Nancy. She was the only one he would listen to. Probably.

"Me?" she whisper-shouted, eyes wide.

Halley held up her gun, jokingly, of course, and said, "I could do it."

Nancy wasn't exactly amused. "No." She shook her head, already standing up, "Just give me a minute. I'll get him to leave." She took the gun from Halley's hand and set it on the coffee table before making her way to the door.

A moment passed where she readied herself, taking a deep breath, and Halley watched a façade conjure up and spill over her, she honestly looked threatening.

Without waiting for Steve to even recognize her: "Listen to me—"

"Hey, Nancy, what—" the two fought for dominance in the conversation, and from where Halley was watching, Nancy was one hundred percent winning.

Keeping the door only slightly open, Nancy refused to let him finish. "You need to leave." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure none of the lights were changing and turned back to Steve.

"I'm not here to start anything, okay?" he sounded genuine, but he was genuinely a pain in Halley's ass, so she didn't believe him

Already beginning to inch the door shut, Nancy shook her head. "I don't care about that. You need to leave." She was definitive.

"No, no, no, I messed up, okay? I messed...I messed up," he was stammering, and Steve was not one to be caught so out of character. He might actually be serious, but it was not the time for redemption. "Okay?" Nancy was silent, and Steve took that as a sign to keep going. "Really. Please... I just want to make things right." Halley couldn't see his face, and at that point she didn't know if she wanted to. This didn't sound like the Steve she knew, "Okay? Please. Please..." a pause. It was uncomfortable and even from her spot on the couch, away from the conservation entirely, Halley knew there was a change. "What happened to your hand?"

Alright. That was enough. Close enough for comfort, thank you very much. Halley was standing, fingers itching to grab the gun from the table, but she didn't, there was no reason to. Not yet, at least.

"Is that blood?" Nancy's hand moved in an odd way, and Halley assumed Steve had taken it, observing the mediocre bandage wrapped around the knife wound.

"Nothing," Nancy says quickly, taking her hand back, "it was an accident."

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled, "what's going on?" he was getting more demanding, falling back into the picture of Steve Harrington Halley had in her brain. Nancy replied with a quick and simple 'nothing' but it was obvious that Steve wasn't taking it, "wait a sec. Did he do this to you?"

"Nance?" Halley said, stepping into view, "everything okay?"

"Nancy, let me in," Steve was pushing through while Nancy pushed against his chest, a mantra of no's slipping through her lips with no avail. Halley wished she had grabbed the gun.

If he even attempted to attack Jonathan again, Halley would take him on herself.

Not even a few steps into the house, Steve stopped in his track's eyes widening as he saw their coffee table of various weapons. "What is... what are..."

Halley took his shoulder forcefully, "You need to get out."

For once in his life, Steve was nearly speechless. He carefully turned to face Halley with wide, terrified eyes, "what is all of—"

But Jonathan, who caught Halley glancing at her now blood soaked bandage, didn't let him finish. He grabbed a fist of Steve's shirt and stared him straight in the eye, "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, you need to get out of here."

"what's that smell?" He asked, pushing Jonathan back with not nearly as much force as he had had earlier that day. Glancing down at the wet carpet he put pieces together "is that gasoline?" Jonathan was still trying to wrestle him out, while Nancy and Halley seemed to have the same idea. The former's gun cocking only a second before the latter.

The room went silent.

"Steve. Get out." Nancy was far more level headed than Halley felt, and she was almost thankful that the younger girl had been the one to speak. Steve looked down two gun barrels pointed straight toward him. It was probably a first for him. "You need to get the hell out of here. Or else."

Jonathan almost immediately stepped back, neither girl had ever trained with guns beside the odd run in the forest after a malicious monster, but he knew that they both had a keen eye and an even better shot.

"What?" Steve shouted, practically jumping back "what the hell is going on?"

Nancy's shaky finger was on the trigger, and for a moment Halley was worried she was actually going to shoot him. "You have five seconds to get out."

Hands in the air, the supposed target spoke with a shaky voice. "What is- is this some kind of joke? Stop. Put the guns down." He stared at Halley, who, unrelated to Steve's plea, lowered her weapon.

"I'm doing this for you," she said, her entire hand shaking now.

"Nancy-" Halley said, stepping toward her. She wasn't listening, still staring at Steve. The lights blinked. It was Steve's turn to sing the chorus of no's as Nancy slowly began to count down from five. The lights flickered again. "Nancy!" Halley cried out, finally getting her attention. "the lights."

An almost wonderous look crossed her face as she experienced the symphony of light, until her face fell as she realized what it meant.

"It's here."

"What?" Steve asked, "what- what's here?" He was utterly confused by the lights, and for the first time Halley could even imagine, he sounded scared—not of losing a reputation, but actual fear of what was to come.

Jonathan dashed to the coffee table, nabbing the nail-bat and standing back-to-back with Halley and Nancy. The three ignored Steve's obvious questions on why they had a nail-bat and continued to survey the area for the monster. "Where is it?" Halley whispered, expecting the similar wall-bending to occur as it had with her mother.

"Where is what?" Steve shouted, watching the three slowly turn in circles. "Hello? Would someone please explain what the hell is going-

He was once again cut off. Though this time by the horrific, distinct clattering of a monster falling through the Byer's ceiling.

 

Chapter 29: do you knock?

Summary:

"𝑳𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉."

Notes:

pov I update twice to make up for how long it took me before, also I'm literally inundated with college stuff omg. anyway pls comment because they always make my day :)

"Fuck, fuck, oh, holy shit," Halley cursed. Her heart was beating in pace with the sporadic shots from Nancy's gun.

Jonathan was the first to make a responsible move. "No!" he shouted, pulling Nancy back by her waist. "Go, go, run!" He led the girl down the hallway, locking eyes with Halley for a split second and conveying in that short period of time that she really, really needed to move her ass.

"Goddamnit, come on Harrington!" she snatched his wrist and dragged him behind her as she followed behind her brother. "Jump!" She instructed as they neared the bear trap and wires.

Steve was stumbling; trying to keep up with Halley's terrified pace, once again screaming his mantra of 'oh my god's. Jonathan was holding the door to her room open, ushering them to run faster. "Come on!" he shouted, his eyes darting from them to where he was expecting the monster to appear. When they were finally across the barrier, he slammed the door shut with such force Halley would have berated him had they been in another situation.

"Jesus," Steve said, still staring at the door. "Jesus! What the hell was that?" He was shut down by both Nancy and Jonathan shouting at him to shut up. He complied.

The three, aware of their impending doom, stood in front of Steve, Nancy and Halley holding their respective guns, and Jonathan with his nail bat in one hand and a lighter in the other.

Heaving in breaths, the teens stared at the door, waiting for it to burst open, and begin their battle. The lights continued to flicker, and their nerves only grew more shot. Five seconds went by.

Ten.

Twenty.

"What's it doing?" Nancy whispered, gun still raised, but her tremors started to settle.

"I don't know," Halley said, her own hands still suffering from the rush of adrenaline she had gotten.

A little yellow yoyo, their final alert when the monster was near, hung motionless. When it passed the wire, the yoyo would swing violently, nearly as violently as Halley's body wracked with dry heaves.

"Do you hear anything?" Nancy asked, still waiting for the door to burst open.

Jonathan was the first to speak this time, he clicked the lighter shut as he shook his head. "No." He took a step forward—slowly, keeping his distance as he reached out for the door. The monster surely wasn't smart enough to trick them.

The group—even Steve—was silent as they got the door all the way open. The bear trap was still intact, untouched. The monster had just... disappeared.

But how?

Jonathan wasn't so sure, his bat was still raised as he inched down the hallway, taking a generous step over the trap in the process. The others wordlessly followed him. Halley's hands were jittering so much she doubted she would even be able to hit a target, but she kept her gun raised.

They were in the living room now, taking cautious, calculated pathways through and around the debri all around the floor. Still nothing. No monster. No monster.

Halley let out a breath, it was gone.

The three's attention was brought to the newest, and the unwelcomed, addition to their team. Steve was standing a significant distance away from them, hands on his head, nearly missing the gnash near his eye that Jonathan had given him, muttering: "this is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy," he looked up at them, meeting Halley's eyes, "this is crazy! This is fucking crazy!" she had no words of wisdom for him, though it's not like she would have had a chance to give them, because careened around the corner and grabbed the Byers's new phone.

Nancy snatched it from his grasp and threw it away from him. Halley let it slide, because they were all, clearly, in a very emotional, and unnamable state.

"What are you- What are you doing? Are you insane?" Steve cried, for a moment it looked like he was going to dive right after the phone. But Nancy didn't give him the chance.

"It's going to come back," she said gravely. "So you need to leave." Steve was taken aback, and in his defense, so was Halley. Nancy's voice was strong and sturdy, far more than it should be given what they had just experienced. "Right now."

There were more words uttered, at least Halley thought there were. Her hearing went out as a mind numbing headache pounded through her brain, sending her stumbling backwards into their drywall-covered couch. Her forehead throbbed as she tried to massage it. It was a pain unmatched to any other she had ever had, and for a second, she thought she was legitimately going to die.

"It's coming." Will. That was Will's voice, Halley couldn't manage to pry her eyes open to look for him, still overcome by a wave of white, blinding pain, "It's coming!" he sounded desperate, and his voice reverberated through her ears. "You need to run, get out of there!"

Someone was shaking her shoulders. Her eyes slowly opened, the once unmanageable headache now subsiding into nothingness. "Halles? Halles! You alright?" it was Jonathan. He was pulling her up, putting the gun back in her hand, but not letting go of her shoulder.

She thought about telling him about what she had just heard, had Will actually been talking to her? How had Jonathan not heard him? He was screaming. Was it a hallucination?

"I'm fine. Sorry." She brushed his hand away, steadying her hands and adjusting her grip on the weapon. "Let's kill this son of a bitch."

Nancy was back, standing beside Jonathan now. "Steve's gone." She wasted no time in re-cocking her gun, showing almost no emotion toward the idea of kicking her boyfriend out. Though, Halley wasn't totally sure he was still her boyfriend.

Before she could dwell longer on that thought, the lights fluttered, and then pulsated faster than before. If Will really had talked to her, he was right.

"Where is it?" Nancy muttered, ready to shoot at the first sign on movement.

"Come on," Halley said, staring at where the ceiling had given way only minutes before, "come on you motherfucker, where are you?"

They circled around each other again, backs facing the others as they angled around the room. Where was it? The lights were going crazy, it was definitely here. But where?

Jonathan was cursing at it, yelling for it to show itself, and, as much as Halley didn't want to admit it to herself, she was silently screaming for it to do the opposite.

With one last shaky breath, the lights went out entirely. The trio continued, to slowly step around in circles, weapons raised high, until Nancy gasped, letting out a bloodcurdling "Jonathan!"

Halley whirled around at the name of her brother, just in time to see the giant monster hovering above him as he fell back onto the ground. Fuck.

It was leaning down, its petal shaped mouth open wide, and revealing all its shark-sharp teeth. Halley could see the drool spill out of its mouth and waterboard her brother. "Jon!" she shouted. She had to do something, she wouldn't lose him too. She couldn't.

The shot blasted from her gun before she realized she pulled the trigger, and they just kept coming. Halley could vaguely make out Nancy struggling with her own gun. The bullet casings were stuck, and it wouldn't shoot. It was up to Halley, until Nancy could get it working again.

The monster turned to her, after the third shot, and she didn't know if she was happy that it was away from Jonathan, or terrified that it was now advancing on her. "Shit," she muttered, continuing her shots. They weren't doing anything, aside from making it angry.

And then she was out of bullets.

"No, God, fuck, no, no." she hit the hilt of the gun against the wall, hoping that it would somehow work. Still empty. No bullets, no monster, and now a monster about to kill her. Again. She winced, shutting her eyes tightly, and waiting for impact.

Except, it never came. Halley opened her eyes to see Steve Harrington back in her house, with her brother's nail bat, beating the living shit out of the monster.

She would have to give it to him. He was good with a bat. He swung with precision and jumped out of the way of the monster's own sweeps just in the nick of time. It was almost graceful.

Steve was able to hurd the monster back, each swing sending the creature a step toward the right direction until an echoing crack signified the moment they'd been waiting for.

"It's in the trap," Jonathan said, her voice cracking, "He's stuck."

"Halley, now!" Nancy yelled, just as the girl in question had regained her composure. She nabbed the lighter from their coffee table, and set the trail of gasoline on fire, igniting the house in the bright flames of a dangerous orange.

The monster screamed. A horrible gut wrenching sound straight from Halley's nightmares.

Jonathan had ducked back around the corner and grabbed a fire extinguisher, shouting for the others to get back as he let loose a long spray of the chemicals. Halley was only vaguely aware of the body she stumbled into, but was far too caught up in the sight in front of her to care.

Stopping the stream from the extinguisher, the room went dark again, plunging the teens into pitch blackness. There was no sign of struggle, no noise at all.

Slowly, the lights came back on. The teens coughed through the haze of the chemicals still floating through the air.

"Where did it go?" Nancy whispered, staring at the now empty hallway.

"No. It has to be dead." Jonathan took a step forward, looking at the sizzling goo on the bear trap. "It has to be."

The room was completely silent.

"Are you holding my hand?"

The four looked down at Halley's hands, and sure enough Steve's was clasped, almost white knuckled, around it.

He gave an almost humorous scoff, "I'm scared as shit right now, so yeah, I'm holding your hand."

Aside from the deep rooted hatred for the shaggy haired bitch, Halley didn't say anything else. Not that she would ever tell him, but she was scared too. Far more scared than she had ever been before.

"Halley," Jonathan breathed, "look." a single red bulb lit up, then a blue one, down the line, then a green, a yellow, another blue, leading out the door.

Will.

 

Chapter 30: welcome home

Summary:

"𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒉, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒄."

The room was an agonizing white. And Quiet. God, it was so fucking quiet. Halley hated it. The wait. The silence. The fear that he wouldn't wake up.

She was sandwiched between her mom and brother, each of them with too much tension, too much stress: explosion on impact.

Small was a word people often used to describe Will. He was, afterall. A scrawny kid, meek as all hell. Halley had never seen him that way until that moment. Hooked up to medical machines, an oxygen tube taped to his nose. Brown hair stamped on her forehead like a pressed flower.

Her body was numb. It was like she was experiencing everything through different eyes; looking in on something she wasn't welcome. To be completely honest: she didn't want to be there.

Obviously she wanted to be around for Will, but the entire environment made her itch. She wanted out. She wanted all of them out.

Machines buzzed and beeped around them. Joyce jolted at every manicured noise. The rhythm of it all, like a song Halley wanted to turn off.

Jonathan was falling asleep beside her. He would never admit it, but she could see the way his eyes begged the rest of his body to let them fall. She had half a mind to tell him to rest. But the other half knew he would never listen. The same way she hadn't when their mother had told her the same thing.

So caught up in thought, Halley almost missed the twitch of Will's nose, and the slow opening of his eyes. Joyce's face sprung with emotion, a smile so wide it hurt Halley's cheeks, spread wide across the older woman's lips.

"Hey," she said. Her voice barely above a whisper as she reached forward toward him. Halley could barely force her lips to move, let alone utter a word. "Hi sweetheart."

The sheer desperation was both heartwarming and breaking.

Will's cracked lips wavered, slowly parted as he spoke in a cracked voice. "Where... where am I?"

Still with her bright smile, Joyce turned to Jonathan and Halley with tears in her eyes for a moment. The teens were at Will's side, holding his hand.

"Home." Halley breathed. "You're home now, kiddo."

"You're safe." Jonathan added, and Halley turned to see a tear drop from his eye. She squeezed his hand.

Will took a breathe, his eyes squinting slightly. "Halley? Jonathan?" he whispered. He looked worried; as if the mention of their names would whisk them away like an unspoken mirage. But they stayed right there. Right. There.

"Yeah, Buddy, it's us," Jonathan sighed, his breath catching for a second before continuing, "we missed you," Halley nodded, feeling her tears start to fall, "we really missed you."

A moment passed, and Will's eyes fell down to the matching bandages on Halley and Jonathan's hands. "Are you okay?" he asked, trying to lean forward.

Putting her hand up, Halley nodded. "This? Just a little accident, it's all good." she nudged his shoulder gently, "you're worried about us?" she teased, laughing slightly.

With Will still occupied with Halley and Joyce, Jonathan leaned over, bringing a small box into view. "We, uh, we brought you some stuff," he looked at the things in his hand, "so you don't get bored." he grabbed a small rectangle out first. "So, I made you a new mixtape. There's some stuff on there I think you really might like." Will smiled, something Halley hadn't realized how much she missed until she saw it again.

"Your friends are outside," Joyce said quietly, her fingers still brushing through Will's tangled hair. He smiled, trying to push himself up, but Joyce was quick to stop him. "Oh no, you stay here, Halley'll bring them in."

The girl in question nodded; not exactly happy to be leaving Will, but knowing he would be safe with their mom. "Yeah, just give me a sec'." she patted his leg, before getting up. Her legs were filled with the static of pins and needles from being in the hospital chair so long, but she pretended not to notice.

Everyone was in the waiting room. Dustin and Lucas were asleep on each other, while everyone else was in a strange slump. Halley met Steve's eyes through the windows before she even went through the door. He looked bad, aside from the damage Jonathan had caused, his eyes were sunken, and the air of superiority he carried with him everywhere, was nowhere to be found.

He smiled at her, a small curl of quivering lips, but it was a wrecking ball through a wall that had built up between them. A truce.

The door was almost silent as she pushed it open, but Mike's head whipped toward her with eyes wide in anticipation. She nodded, her own gaze flickering down to the two sleeping boys, of whom Mike quickly shook awake.

"Guys, guys," Mike said, rigorously shoving at his friends, "he's up, Will's up. Come on." Within seconds the words had processed, and the two jumped from their seats and tore after Mike as he ran past Halley.

Nancy stopped her before she could follow them. She let the door close, giving them an ounce of privacy from the others.

"Are you doing okay?" she asked, putting her hand on Halley's shoulder. "And I mean honestly."

With a shuddering breath, Halley shrugged. And it was the truth. She didn't know. With everything that had happened, there was no way she could put a finger on what she was feeling, let along if she was okay.

"It's a lot, you know?" she finally said, not meeting Nancy's eyes. Even without looking at her, Halley could tell that she was nodding. "I'm glad he's back..." she wanted to say something about Barb; apologize, maybe, but how would she even start?

"Yeah. Me too." Nancy said, wrapping her arms around the older girl. She knew. And Halley wasn't sure who the hug was more for. But she relished it nonetheless.

Wiping at her eyes, Halley broke away, sparing a glance through the window again. "I might have to take back what I said before," she said, turning back to Nancy, the ghost of a grin beginning to stretch her lips. "Steve may not be your worst choice."

Nancy laughed. Not loudly or outrageously, but after the shitshow of a day they had just had, Halley felt it thunder around her.

"I'm glad I have your approval." Nancy shoves at her shoulder. "You should get back there, before Mike figures out a way to break your brother out."

She nodded. A smile threatening her lips. Nancy was right. Mike would try to get Will out as soon as possible. "I better go stop him from sneaking out the window, then." She started walking, but realizing Nancy was still waiting by the door, she turned around. "Aren't you coming?" Taken aback by the offer she didn't respond for a moment, then, with a small smile on her lips she nodded.

The two set off down the hall; the boys' voices were bouncing off each wall and it was almost too easy to find the right hospital room.

They were talking about El. But in past tense. Halley wasn't able to pick up everything the boys were saying; their mouths were moving a mile a minute and her brain was fried from the day she had had. Something had happened when she, Jonathan, and Nancy had gone back to her house. Something bad.

El was gone.

Chapter 31: these dreams suck

Summary:

"𝑵𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒇 𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚."

One Month Later

The December air was nipping at the passerby, but Halley was tucked away safely in the Wheeler household.

Jonathan had dropped her and Will off before going over to the store for some last minute Christmas shopping. He claimed it wasn't for gifts, like he usually did, but Halley knew that like every other year, he procrastinated to the very last minute. They were very similar in that way.

Will was down in the basement with Lucas, Dustin and Mike. Just like they had done for years before. There was something so extraordinary in the total mundanity of it all.

Though, unlike previous times, Halley wasn't there for the boys. Instead of hanging out behind the scenes of their campaigns and doing whatever she could to annoy them, she sat upstairs, hopelessly third wheeling Nancy and Steve. She wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

The couple was sitting on the couch, snuggling together under a blanket while Halley sat across from them on Ted's recliner; it was one of the rare times the man wasn't occupying it.

"No, Halles, you don't understand," Nancy huffed, "I completely bombed this test."

"Bullshit, the lowest grade you've ever gotten was like a B+, and that was when you were out sick for over a month with pneumonia." Halley rolled her eyes, looking to Steve for support, he nodded.

Nancy shoved at her boyfriend, mocking betrayal, "It was a B-."

"My point exactly." Halley crossed her arms over her chest, trying to stop herself from laughing. This was what she had missed. Normality, obviously, but Nancy. After nearly seven years without her, Halley had almost forgotten just how much she needed Nancy in her life. It was a change—a good one—not having her brothers as her only friends.

A cry of excitement came from the basement, interrupting the teens' conversation.

"Did they win?" Nancy laughed, looking at Halley. The girl in question shrugged. She knew a little bit about dungeons and dragons—from what Will had tried to teach her, but she had no idea how to 'win' the game.

Another eruption of cheers came the same time as the doorbell rang. After waiting a beat, and noticing that Nancy was making no move to get up, Halley stood. "No, no, you stay here, I'll get it," she teased, earning a kick from the girl as she walked by.

Opening the door, Halley found Jonathan just about to ring the bell again. "Hey." she gestured inside as she yelled over to Nancy who it was. "Will's downstairs with the boys. I'll meet you outside?" she said. He nodded already making his way to the basement stairs.

Just as Halley was about to open the driver's side of the car, Steve called out her name, and came chasing out after her.

"Oh, shit, sorry," he said, taking a step back before she could turn around and smack into him. "Karen wanted Nancy for something, and I figured it was a good time to give you something."

Halley quirked her eyebrow, watching as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small rectangle-ish shape covered in snowman wrapping paper.

"I, uh, I kinda suck at wrapping stuff," he shrugged, a lopsided grin playing on his lips. She smiled back, accepting the gift. It was light— and familiar.

"Is this a tape?" she asked, picking at the paper.

Steve's nose scrunched in response, his hand going to the back of his neck. "Yeah, I picked out things I thought you would like. I don't know." he laughed awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact. "I wanted to say sorry. For the whole..." he struggled for words,biting his lip as he tried to come up with something.

"The whole beating up my brother and calling my family fuck ups?" she supplied. Though, her tone wasn't harsh.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm uh, sorry about that." he said, finally looking up. Halley was smiling looking down at the tape in her hand, then back at Steve. Was what he did a fucking lowblow and exceptionally dickish? Yes. Absolutely, even. But he was offering an olive branch. Sure, it didn't make up for everything he and his parade of morons had done throughout their school years, but it was a start. And she was just as willing to bury the feud.

She shoved his arm, "didn't take you for a softie, Harrington," she teased, but then, in a more serious voice: "thank you. It means a lot."

Nerves seeming to be behind him, he gave a laugh, "yeah, well, I didn't take you for a lot of things."

The door opened behind them, and Will trotted down the stairs with Jonathan in tow. They were talking about the campaign, and Jonathan always did understand their game more than Halley.

"I'll see you around, Byers." Steve said, giving Jonathan a friendly nod before stepping past him and back into Nancy's house. Halley brushed her thumb over the poorly wrapped gift: an excessive amount of wrinkles in the paper, and never ending pieces of tape. There was a part of her that wanted to preserve the effort put into it.

She slipped it into the inside pocket of her jacket, it was the largest and, therefore, the safest.

Halley slid into the back seat, surrendering the front to Will. Still, she sat hung over the space between her brothers, seatbelt forgotten as they drove through the roads they knew by heart.

"Can I open it?" Will asked, and Halley finally noticed a neatly wrapped box. It was covered in wishes of Noel and bright red and green designs, not to mention the precise edges that screamed Nancy Wheeler.

Jonathan smiled, "yeah, sure." and the paper was off nearly the moment he said yes.

"Woah." Will said, glancing down at the box in his hand, "pretty cool." He turned the box so Jonathan could see it.

He chuckled, and Halley watched him glance back. "Yeah." He adjusted his hands on the steering wheel, trying to hide a smile as he kept driving, "yeah, pretty cool."

Halley could feel her own smile spreading, and despite the multiple jokes she could use to tease her brother about the new, shiny camera now sitting in their car, she kept her mouth shut. It was about time he got to be happy.

It was nearly morning. Bright pink and orange shades were beginning to paint the sky, and Halley was wandering around in the woods.

There was no particular reason, not consciously. She had a strong feeling in her stomach urging her to continue. It was a ruthless game of hot and cold, and her legs weren't about to let her lose.

Rushing water clued her in pretty quick to where she was. Now, even though she knew Will didn't actually drown, and that the whole thing had only been a ploy by Dr. Brenner and the rest of his government cronies, the sight still made Halley's heart lurch.

The same weird flash of what felt like memories kept pushing its way into her mind. The same thing she had seen and felt with El.

When she looked up, she found herself standing near the edge of the quarry. But the scenery was changing. The sun's pastel colors were darkening, dark neon streaks of light peppered the sky in a way that made Halley nauseous.

There was a voice around the corner. She was still hidden by a fair share of large pine trees, but a few feet in front of her, she knew, there would be a clearing, leading to the edge of the quarry.

Halley inched forward, peeking out from behind an especially large trunk. It was Mike.

"El? El!" he was shouting, aimlessly wandering around the clearing. "Eleven!" there was a desperation in his voice that Halley hadn't heard from anyone other than her mother.

A rustling came from bushes, and for a moment, Halley thought it was only a deer. Though, it looked like Mike's hopes spiked. "El!" he cried running forward, only to stop in his tracks when met with an older man with nearly white hair and a suit. When he reached Mike, he seemed to grow taller and taller, until he was towering over the middle schooler.

"You're never going to find her, Micheal." His voice boomed around them. "Experiment Eleven belongs to me." Mike was backing up, trying to keep a distance between himself and the man who was slowly stepping forwarding. Working directly against Mike's attempts. "Do you really think you can do this?"

"St-stay away," Mike said, holding out his hands. Halley was kickstarted into action as she noticed just how close he was getting to the cliff.

She revealed herself, stepping into the clearing and shouting out to him. "Mike!" he turned to her, and as his attention broke from the man in the suit, he wavered into nothingness, like he was nothing but a mirage.

"Halley? How are you— what are you doing here?" he said, his defense building up more.

She had no idea what he was talking about. The real question should be what he was doing out here. "I wasn't about to let him run you into the quarry. No one would be able to save you this time." the last words were unintentional, she didn't know she was going to say them until she did.

The falling figure. The yelling. And Eleven.

"No cliff diving today." her words were breathless, as images of Mike walking off the edge ran through her mind. Dustin was to the side, and Troy. It was all so real, but how could it be? It couldn't be.

"What the—" his eyes were wide and wild, and next words calculated but terrified, "how did you know I jumped off that cliff?"

She felt her stomach drop. The images were coming in faster: Mike was falling, and falling and falling, until— Eleven was behind Troy, her arm out, and blood dripping from her nose, Mike stalled, glitched in mid air.

He was back on the ground, back with Dustin. Eleven's attention was toward Troy now, her arm out, and an angry expression on her face.

A loud, deafening crack.

Halley bolted up in her bed. Gasping for breath and grasping at the air around her. She was shivering, covered in a thin layer of sweat. Her stomach churned.

"Fuck," she muttered, kicking off what little blanket was left over her, and rolling herself up. As soon as he pushed herself up, feet on the ground, her head spun. She lurched for the door, her body operating on autopilot.

She stumbled down the hallways, and her hand swatted at the lightswitch when she finally reached the bathroom. Inching the door closed with the most stealth she had the entire time, so as not to wake the others.

White-knuckiling the sink, Halley tried to get herself under control. "Keep quiet," she whispered to herself. She didn't want to disturb anyone. Will was having a hard enough time sleeping as it was, and he didn't need Halley fucking it up.

But the feeling wasn't going away. She was going to be sick.

She was sick, she realized too late. She retched into the sink before she could drop down to the toilet, feeling bile rise in her throat. She hadn't eaten much dinner, thank God. But the stomach acid that stood in place of food stung.

She winced, glancing down at the off yellow goo in her sink. Except, it wasn't all that sickly color. There was a mass of something. It was dark, with black and brown spots. Did she throw up mold?

This couldn't be dealt with that right now, her mind was already going a mile a minute and she didn't need mold poisoning to top it all off. She turned on the faucet to wash everything down. But there was something off, something strange.

Halley could have sworn she saw the mass move.

 

 

 

𝙴𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙾𝚗𝚎

Chapter 32: season 2 cast and playlist

Notes:

Sorry about the delay everyone I was visiting relatives for a little over two weeks and I had no time to update :(

𝒦𝒶𝓉𝒽𝓇𝓎𝓃  𝒩𝑒𝓌𝓉𝑜𝓃  𝒶𝓈  𝐻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎  𝐵𝓎𝑒𝓇𝓈

"𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚎?"

𝒜𝓂𝑒𝓁𝒾𝒶  𝒢𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔  𝒶𝓈  𝒞𝒶𝓇𝑜𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒  𝒞𝒶𝑒

"𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚝, 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚜,"

𝒥𝑜𝑒  𝒦𝑒𝑒𝓇𝓎  𝒶𝓈  𝒮𝓉𝑒𝓋𝑒  𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓉𝑜𝓃

"𝙽𝚘  𝚠𝚊𝚢  𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎  𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐  𝚖𝚢  𝚌𝚊𝚛,"

𝒩𝒶𝓉𝒶𝓁𝒾𝒶  𝒟𝓎𝑒𝓇  𝒶𝓈  𝒩𝒶𝓃𝒸𝓎  𝒲𝒽𝑒𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓇

"𝙸  𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎."

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝓁𝒾𝑒  𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑜𝓃  𝒶𝓈  𝒥𝑜𝓃𝒶𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃  𝐵𝓎𝑒𝓇𝓈

"𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚑,  𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝,  𝚞𝚑,  𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝  𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕  𝙼𝚘𝚖,"

𝒟𝒶𝒸𝓇𝑒  𝑀𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑔𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓇𝓎  𝒶𝓈  𝐵𝒾𝓁𝓁𝓎  𝐻𝒶𝓇𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓋𝑒

"𝙸𝚝'𝚜  𝚖𝚢  𝚓𝚘𝚋  𝚝𝚘  𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎  𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎  𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝  𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝  𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗."

𝒩𝑜𝒶𝒽 𝒮𝒸𝒽𝓃𝒶𝓅𝓅  𝒶𝓈  𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁  𝐵𝓎𝑒𝓇𝓈

"𝙸𝚝'𝚜  𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢,  𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐  𝚋𝚊𝚍'𝚜  𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐  𝚝𝚘  𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗."

𝐹𝒾𝓃𝓃  𝒲𝑜𝓁𝒻𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹  𝒶𝓈  𝑀𝒾𝓀𝑒  𝒲𝒽𝑒𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓇

"𝚈𝚘𝚞  𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠?"

𝒞𝒶𝓁𝑒𝒷  𝑀𝒸𝐿𝒶𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓁𝒾𝓃  𝒾𝓈  𝐿𝓊𝒸𝒶𝓈  𝒮𝒾𝓃𝒸𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓇

"𝙸  𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍  𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛  𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙."

𝒢𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓃  𝑀𝒶𝓉𝒶𝓇𝒶𝓏𝓏𝑜  𝒾𝓈  𝒟𝓊𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓃  𝐻𝑒𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃

"𝙾𝚞𝚝  𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑  𝚒𝚝,  𝚆𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗!"

𝑀𝒾𝓁𝓁𝓎  𝐵𝑜𝒷𝒷𝓎  𝐵𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓃  𝒶𝓈  𝐸𝓁

"𝙸...  𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍  𝚢𝚘𝚞."

𝒮𝒶𝒹𝒾𝑒  𝒮𝒾𝓃𝓀  𝒶𝓈  𝑀𝒶𝓍  𝑀𝒶𝓎𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓁𝒹

"𝙳𝚘𝚗'𝚝  𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕  𝚖𝚎  𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎  𝚒𝚗  𝚘𝚗  𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜,"

 

 

 

-side a-

1.Voices Carry...'Til Tuesday

2.Bigmouth Strikes Again...The Smiths

3.Owner of a Lonely Heart...Yes

4.Age of Consent...New Order

5.Message in A Bottle...The Police

6.London Calling...The Clash

7. Invincible...Pat Benatar

8.Bad Reputation...Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

-side b-

1.(Don't Fear) The Reaper...Blue Oyster Cult

2.Kool Thing...Sonic Youth

3. What Difference Does It Make...The Smiths

4.99 Red Balloons...Nena

5.Barracuda...Heart

6.Don't Pay the Ferriman...Chris de Burgh

7.Rock You Like a Hurricane...Scorpions

8.I Love Playin' with Fire...The Runaways

 

 

Chapter 33: a strange surprise

Summary:

"𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓,"

Down to a single paycheck a month, Halley's life was going just great.

She spent most of her weekends surrounded by pre-teen boys and Keith, just barely making minimum wage, at $3.50 an hour. The rest of her 'free' time was wasted away filing useless papers and enduring humiliation from Calhoun when Hopper wasn't around.

The internship that had been talked up so much, had turned out to be a bust. It wasn't as if she'd expected to be out busting robberies, or underage drinking—probably for the best, because she was one of the top contributors for the latter—but she'd thought there would be more than reports about raccoon break ins at the corner shop.

Either way, she had decided that the arcade was a far better fit. Especially because she was actually paid to be there. She would have about twenty dollars after her shift, and that was twenty dollars more than any day at the police station.

As usual, the place was pretty packed. It was a Sunday night, late enough after dinner, but not too late that kids needed to be home. So it was no surprise when Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas showed up.

The four crowded around one of their latest obsessions, Dragon's Lair. Halley watched as she wiped Cola off Miss Pacman. Dustin was abusing the buttons trying desperately to slay the dragon, but for what was maybe the fifth time that day, he was fried to a crisp before he could get a hit in with his sword.

"No! No! No!" he cried, slamming his hand down on the game. "I hate this overpriced bullshit!" The screen flashed its 'game over' sequence, and Dustin looked about ready to take that personally.

Lucas stepped in, casually leaning on the side of the machine and smiling to himself, "you're not nimble enough," he said, "but you'll get there one day." He paused, pointing at Dustin, "but until then," he gestured back to the game, "Princess Daphne is still mine."

Halley tucked the spray bottle she was using back into her utility belt. It wasn't the dress code, but she had found it was much better to have it, just in case. She let out a harsh chuckle, alerting the boys to her. "Princess Daphne is a bunch of underdressed pixels."

Lucas scoffed, but Dustin waved him off, "whatever, at least I'm still top on DigDug and Centipede."

"You sure about that?" Keith stood holding a bag of cheese puffs. One of his many nonchalant looks taking hold on his face. He was supposed to be cleaning the bathrooms. No doubt he would push that job on to Halley later.

Dustin sombered, his attention no longer anywhere near Dragon's Lair. "Sure about what?" Keith popped a cheese puff in his mouth. But that was enough of an answer for him. "You're kidding." He pushed the others aside as he rushed to the other game, "no, no, no."

The others followed closely behind him as he elbowed other paying customers out of the way, they glared at Halley, in particular.

Stopping in front of Digdug, Dustin nearly toppled the game over. "751,300," he read out from the screen.

"That's impossible," Mike said, looking from the screen to Halley. "How the hell did someone do that?"

Dustin wasn't interested in anything Mike had to say, though. He whipped around to Keith, "Who's Madmax?" he demanded, pointing to the name on the leaderboard.

"Better than you," Keith said simply, making Halley scoff.

"Is it you?" Will chimed in, as Dustin flipped him off.

It was Keith's turn to laugh, "You know I despise Digdug.

"Then who is it?" Lucas asked, just as saddened to see his second place drop to third.

Dustin crossed his arms, "Yeah, spill it Keith."

Neglecting to grab another cheese puff, he rolled his eyes. "You want information, I need something in return." As if it was obvious. His lips grew a sinister smile, and he went back to his snack.

Halley already knew where this was going. Dustin looked expectantly over at Mike, who was quick to respond. "No. No way. You're not getting a date with her."

"Mike, come on, just get him the date," Lucas said, gesturing to Keith.

Thank God the other boy was stubborn, Nancy would never forgive her if Halley let a barter for her go down. "I'm not prostituting my sister!"

"But it's for a good cause!"

Dustin jumped in, shaking his head. "No. You know what? Don't get him the date. He's gonna spread his nasty ass rash to your whole family."

The smile on Keith's face fell. "Acne isn't a rash, and it isn't contagious, you prepubescent wastoid."

"Oh, yeah I'm the wastoid. What do you even make, like 2.50 an hour?" Dustin said, pointing at the older boy.

Halley rolled her eyes, stepping in front of her manager. "Come on Dustin. Leave Keith to his puffs, you can find out about Madmax later."

Clearly, that was not the right thing to say. Dustin turned. "Do you know?" he questioned, sticking his finger out at her. She shrugged. "You do! Come on, out with it, Woman!" she swatted his finger away.

"Sorry, I can't remember," She lied, putting her hands up in defense.

"Bullshit!"

She shrugged, putting a hand on Dustin's shoulder. "Guess you'll just have to win the title back."

Begrudgingly, he put in two quarters, and made a show to Halley of taking the joystick. She ruffled his hair, to which he shouted and flipped her off.

Leaving the boys, Halley went back to cleaning up trash left by kids old enough to know that they were making her life hell.

She bent down to pick up a snickers wrapper, trying hard to ignore the everpresent ache in the back of her head. It had been haunting her since last year, when they had gotten Will back from the Upside Down. It wasn't consistent, but it showed up far too often. And it was usually accompanied by unwanted memories.

Standing back up, she was met with the unpleasant emptiness of the beginning of an episode.

At least, that's what she called them. She hadn't dared to tell anyone else what she had been experiencing. After all, Nancy and Jonathan were the only ones who knew she had actually been in the Upside Down, and even they didn't know the whole story.

Her headache was picking up, and her vision was going spotty. It was happening again.

Shutting her eyes tightly she grabbed hold of one of the nearby games to steady herself.

That was how they all started; an unbearable pounding in her head, building up more and more until it felt like someone was fighting their way out of her skull. Until they ended abruptly, leaving her with nothing. That was the worst part.

Opening her eyes, she tried to prepare herself for what she knew would come. Still, the sight of an empty arcade, covered in dark colored vines made her blood run cold. She could see her breath, just barely, in the dimly lit world.

She tried to calm her nerves, giving a few deep breaths. It would end. It always did—eventually. She just had to remind herself that. No matter how she felt, or what the world around her looked like, it would end. She would be back in the real arcade, where the boys fought for their top scores, and Keith uselessly wandered around. And she would be safe.

Wind was blowing around her hair, and she stepped out of her thoughts to find the door open. She was smart enough to know not to look for signs of life. After being stuck reliving the Upside Down, she knew that there was no point. That meant that no one opened the door, which also meant it was probably some sort of sign.

From her experience, she had found that more often than not, things that were out of place, typically made for a sort of clue. Like a scavenger hunt that she didn't sign up for. Worst of all, she had no idea where they were pointing her.

Still, she cautiously made her way to the open door. The outside was almost synonymous to the inside. Overgrown, dark, and the last place Halley wanted to be. However, the street lights seemed to be on, which was new. They didn't illuminate the night like she would have preferred, but the light blue hue was better than nothing.

That wasn't the only thing out of place. Standing a few steps in front of her was another person. And not just anyone.

"Will?" she asked, her voice shaking. She had never seen any life when she was there, not even animals.

He turned around, seeming to be just as surprised as her.

"Halley?" he said, taking the smallest step toward her. "What are you-how did you get here?"

As she was about to answer, a crash came from the sky. Lightning flashed through the sky, and both pairs of eyes were brought to the forming figure on the horizon.

"Will! Are you okay?" Mike's voice yanked them both from their trance.

The boy in question whipped around right away, but Halley kept her attention toward the sky, as if she would catch some sort of debris from the Upside Down.

Turned back to where they were both looking before, Will scanned the sky once more before answering. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just..." he trailed off, looking at Halley, "needed some air."

Mike nodded, but it was obvious he didn't totally believe it. "Well, okay. Come on, you're up on Digdug. Let's get that top score back." he slung his arm around Will's shoulder and gave Halley a slightly quizzical look. She waved them off.

Once the boys were back inside, she slumped down on the curb. Pulling out the walkman from her belt. She unwound the headphones coiled around it and put them over her ears.

She pressed play on Steve's tape.

Chapter 34: new kid on the block

Summary:

"𝑶𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝑮𝒐𝒅, 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘!"

Sitting in the passenger side, Halley blew smoke out the window as Jonathan turned into the parking lot for Hawkins High. They had dropped Will off at the middle school only moments prior, and as soon as he had gotten out of the car, Halley had whipped out a cigarette. Jonathan had stopped trying to get her to quit at that point.

The two got out of the old car, but neither made any move to go into the building. Halley had her Walkman attached to the waist of her jeans, and her headphones sitting around her neck, waiting for the appropriate time to turn on the hodgepodge of songs she had been gifted last Christmas.

"Are you going to the station after school?" Jonathan asked. He had come around to her side of the car, leaning on the backdoor.

She nodded, refraining herself from rolling her eyes. "Yeah. Gonna spend four hours bringing coffee to jackasses that barely acknowledge my existence."

"I thought Hopper had you working on a report?"

She snorted, "A report on a broken shop window. Not even vandalism, just a branch after last week's windstorm. And I finished that last Thursday." She had expected so much more. She was worth so much more. After all, she had played a big role in finding her brother last year. But all she was being used for were faux crimes and snack runs.

"Oh," Jonathan said, not bothering to try and lift her spirits. She had tried to stay optimistic, but that positivity had dwindled months ago.

Halley shrugged, taking another drag from her cigarette. "It's whatever. I just have to survive the rest of the school year, then I can go back to making actual money over the summer."

Their conversation was cut short by a revving engine. The two turned to find a pristine, blue Camero screeching through the parking lot. It was going way too fast for a school zone, but that didn't seem to even pass through the driver's mind.

It was about the third time Halley had seen the car, the other two when it had dropped off and picked up from the arcade over the weekend. Still, she admired the way it shined in the vague light the sun was giving off.

"Shit, that's a nice car," she muttered. It was blasting Scorpions' Rock You Like A Hurricane, a song that was on the tape her hands were currently wrapped around. She had never really liked the band until she listened to Steve's gift, and she had a sneaking suspicion, it was a bit of a throwaway attempt to figure out her taste. Nonetheless, it had left a bug in her ear, and more often than not she had been humming the melody to herself.

A familiar redhead slammed the passenger door closed as she got out. Almost immediately dropping a skateboard and taking off to middle school. Now for the interesting part; Halley had met the girl a few times at the arcade, but this would be the first time she ever saw who was behind the wheel.

The music shut off, but the reminisce still filled the air. The driver's side produced a tall, denim clad, blond with hair to rival Steve's. It was painfully obvious that he was aware of the attention, as his calculated steps kept out of direct eye contact with every girl ogling over him. Halley couldn't blame them. He was hot. Like, really hot.

"You still with me, Halle?" Jonathan laughed, shoving her shoulder. She averted her gaze back to her brother, pushing his hand away.

"Shut up." she shouldered her backpack, and gestured to the school. "We're gonna be late."

The two split up when they got in the building; Jonathan left to meet up with Nancy, and Halley caught up with Caroline, who was just finishing the combination for her locker.

"Hey, Carrie," Halley said, leaning against the locker beside the ginger. The two had become closer after the events of last year. Sure, Caroline didn't know about the Upside Down, or Eleven, or why her brother really disappeared, but she was still there for Halley when her life was going downhill. And that was more than she could say for a considerable amount of others.

Caroline shut her locker, scrunching her nose at the unmistakable stench of cigarette smoke from Halley. "Jesus, You smell like one of my dad's poker games." her eyebrows scrunched, noticing the back remains of the ash on Halley's fingers. "More headaches?"

"Yeah, but it's fine. I just need more sleep." She was getting good at lying—or Caroline was getting tired of fighting with her—because instead of the usual importance of sleep speech Caroline would usually give her, the topic was promptly changed.

"Did you see the new guy?" she asked, starting off to their first period. The two shared it again, but unlike math, as it was last year, they were stuck starting their day off with AP Bio.

Halley nodded, following after her, "Oh my God, I know! I didn't expect someone like that to come here."

"If you call him hot—" Caroline warned, wagging her finger at Halley. "I mean he's so obviously some conceited dick who wants everyone at the school to fall at his feet. It's written all over his face."

Rolling her eyes, Halley nudged Caroline's shoulder with her own, "yeah, but he's a conceited dick who's hot." Unamused, the younger girl scoffed. "Oh, relax. I'm just joking." She paused for a moment, thinking back to the mysterious new boy, "you know, I think I had that same haircut when my hair was shorter."

"It probably looked a lot better on you," Caroline said, turning the corner to cut through the cafeteria.

Tina was standing at the corner handing out small orange papers to each person that passed. As the two got closer, the girl smiled. "Byers! Wanna actually come to a party?" She handed them each a piece of paper. It was aggressively neon, complete with a poorly drawn ghost and bottle, 'come and get sheet faced'.

They were out of earshot when both Tina's invitation and the paper's words registered, but that didn't stop her from turning to Caroline with a wide smile. "We should go."

"What?" Caroline asked, shocked. Halley was never one to willingly go to parties.

"Yeah, it could be fun. Besides, I have to go to one halloween party before I graduate, right?" Her once 'Bitchy Byers' alias was not as widely used as it once was. After word got out that Steve and Nancy were friends with her, she gained some credit at school. It wasn't like Tommy and Carol were suddenly her biggest fans, but there was a significant change in the way people saw her. Sure, Tina still didn't like her, Halley was sure of this after the way she was forced to do all the work for their English project last week, but it was a big difference than her first two and half years at Hawkins High.

Caroline looked at her skeptically, it was most definitely a change of character for Halley to actually want to go to something like that, with all the people she hated from school, but she was right, it might be fun. "I guess. I mean, how bad could it be?"

"That's the spirit!" Halley cried, smiling as she opened the door to Mr. Baron's room.

Mr. Baron was older fashioned. His room was divided by long black tables that sat each pair of lab partners—partners determined by your last name. That was where Halley and Caroline had lucked out: Byers and Cae; they were destined to be partnered for nearly any and all group projects. However Baron was strict, and reminded Halley of her father more often than not. He was a no-nonsense kind of man, and was absolutely one hundred percent against PDA. There were multiple rumors about the many detentions Carol and Tommy had received from their regular Bio class with him.

"Miss Byers, you know my rules. Headphones away." He pointed at the object in question, still sitting around her neck.

"Right. Sorry, Mr. Baron." she coiled the wire around her tape and tucked it into her jacket pocket.

Caroline and Halley took their seats, speaking quietly until the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the undoubtedly slowest hour of the day.

Chapter 35: why are you here

Summary:

"𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒎 𝑰 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈?"

Notes:

pov you want to comment jkjk.... unless???

As expected, Halley spent her time at the station running errands that weren't necessary. There was no need for her to go to the store because Calhoun likes cubed sugar and not refined—especially because she ended up paying with her own money because the measly dollar he had given her only covered half the expense.

She knew the only reason Calhoun was being such a bastard was because Hopper was out investigating some pumpkin patch scandal, meaning there was no one to stop the other police officer from showing Halley just how much he disliked her. Frankly, she believed it was childish for a grown man to have such a vendetta against a teenager, but she would have to give it to him: she didn't exactly make his life easy. Every time he had brought her in for underage drinking, or attempted robbery— the latter only because her brothers needed to eat, Hopper always let her off the hook.

Still, that didn't give him the right to treat her like a maid. She didn't want to sound self absorbed, but she wholeheartedly believed that she deserved to be out on the field with Hopper more than anyone else in the office. Was that egocentric? Probably. But, she had witnessed first hand things that the men at the station couldn't even imagine, especially Calhoun. That had to account for something.

It was around 6:30 when Flo relieved her from mountains of paperwork. Most of it noise complaints from the richer parts in Hawkins; older couples complaining about high school parties. They were all the same, and all very boring.

Halley had almost bolted when Flo said she could go. She said goodbye to Powell before taking off, the singular deputy who wasn't a total douchebag to her.

Thankfully, she had the car. She slid into the driver's seat, her backpack still sitting in the back seat from where she had left it after school. Will had been picked up by their mother for a doctor's appointment at the Lab, and while she had dropped Jonathan off at home, she hadn't had a chance to actually go inside.

She shed her jacket, throwing it onto the passenger seat and grabbing her keychains; she had finally gotten around to making a copy of the car key, and started up the engine. One of Jonathan's old tapes was still in the player, and The Talking Heads began to fill the silence of the car.

Driving her usual route home, she passed the arcade. It was a weekday, so it had closed earlier than usual; most kids were at home doing homework at this time, and it wasn't worth the cost of electricity to keep the place open for two or three kids. But what was odd was the figure sitting on the curb outside of the building.

All the lights were off, and it was very clear the building itself was closed. Was this another drunk? That had happened before, a few times, but only ever on the weekend, usually after a particularly hard rager at Tommy's house, or so she'd heard.

With a split second decision, she pulled into the parking lot, it was going to be a cold night. Also, she didn't want the place broken into, because no doubt she would be the one to write the police report for it, and then clean up the mess on Saturday— Keith was useless with a hammer. Or any tools, really.

Except, when Halley pulled up to the curb, there was no drunk. Instead, there was a preteen, red haired girl. And she looked pissed.

She had startled at the car, seeming to think Halley was someone else, but after blinking past the bright headlights, she visibly deflated at finding who it really was.

Halley rolled down the window, very surprised to find a completely sober trespasser. Though, it didn't seem like she was trespassing on purpose. "Hey, Max, right?" She kept a stoic look, but nodded. "What are you still doing here?"

"My shit step brother was supposed to pick me up." she crossed her arms, and despite trying to hide it, Halley could see her shivering. From the few conversations the two had had, she knew that Max came from California, and that meant she was definitely not used to their cold autumn nights yet.

Unlocking the car, Halley reached over to throw her jacket in the back. Max watched her skeptically. "Come on, lemme give you a ride home." There was no way she would let Max just sit out here in the dark waiting for someone who may or may not show up. She wasn't letting anyone else go missing.

The younger girl thought about it, weighing her options before she gave in, marching over to the other side of the car and plopping down beside Halley.

"So," Halley started, pulling out onto the road, "where am I driving?" Jonathan's tape was still playing softly, psycho killer reverberating quietly through the speakers.

"Cherry Lane." Max didn't look up. Instead, she stayed focused on the window beside her, watching the trees pass by. Her lips were pressed into a fine line, and her fingers tapped against the center console.

They pulled to a stop at a red light. "You okay?" Max turned to face her, she was fiddling with a worn friendship bracelet.

"I'm fine," she said. There was little room for conversation, and Max was being exceptionally cold. Strange, because the two had been friendly during Halley's shifts at the arcade.

Taking a left, Halley refused to give up. "Hargrove is your brother, right?" it was stupid to ask because everyone saw Max get out of Billy's Camero that morning, but she was determined to break the ice that formed between them.

"Step brother." She leaned back, looking up at the ceiling of the car. Halley waited for more. "He was supposed to pick me up at 6, said if I was late he was leaving." She tucked her hair behind her ear, taking a deep breath, "I figured I'd get like a two minute buffer, but apparently not." She blew the air back out through her teeth, and something told Halley that this wasn't the first time she was faced with a situation like this.

"He just left you there?" Halley asked, surprised. Leaving a girl Max's age to walk home alone in the dark wasn't something that happened often—even before Will's disappearance.

Max shrugged, "his dad would have eventually realized I wasn't there, and made him come get me. By that time I'd probably be halfway home, except I don't remember how to get home from the arcade, so here we are."

Speeding up down a straight shot, Halley scrunched her nose. "That's a dick move on his part."

"Yeah, well, that's his defining trait." she picked at the skin around her nails. "Sorry about crashing your drive home," she said finally, her eyes finding any place to look but Halley.

They turned into Cherry Lane, and Halley glanced over. "Don't worry about it. I intern at the police station every day after school, it's about three blocks away from the arcade. If you ever need a ride home, I've got you covered."

She pulled to a stop in front of a two story house with a blue Camero parked out front. "Thanks. I, uh, guess I'll see you around," Max said, giving Halley a small smile as she slipped out the car. Right as she was starting up the driveway, the front door slammed open, revealing Billy Hargrove. His keys dangled from his fingers and he had a dangerous look in his eyes.

There was some sort of argument between the two— Billy was waving his hands around while Max ran her hand through her hair, said something, then stomped inside. Halley watched from her car, making sure Max got inside safely. She spared Billy a wave, despite the dagger filled glare he sent her.

The wave was not returned.

Chapter 36: the freak show trio

Summary:

"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌."

There was a second car in the driveway when Halley finally got home. Bob Newby. He was some guy her mother had been seeing for a while. Not bad. Halley didn't completely have an opinion on the man, she had rarely talked to him one on one, and when she did, he seemed bland. But Joyce had just said he's worried about her and her brothers liking him.

For the most part it didn't really matter to Halley. It wasn't Lonnie, and that was good enough for her. If that meant Bob stayed for movie night every once and a while, so what?

"Hi, Sweetie!" Joyce's voice rang out as soon Halley opened the door. Hearing the popcorn on the stove, she winced; last time her mom had tried to make popcorn she had burned it to all holy hell. The house smelled for a good two days afterwards.

She kept out of sight of the camera Bob was holding. "Hey, Mom," she said, dropping her bag at the kitchen table. "I'm gonna find Jonathan and Will." She wasn't totally sure if Joyce had heard her as the woman was back to talking with Bob. It didn't bother Halley though. If her mom was happy, so was she.

It was almost a given that her brothers were in Will's room. It was tradition that Jonathan would pick a few movies and Halley and Will would argue over which one to watch.

Like she expected, she could already hear voices from her younger brother's room. She knocked once, before opening the door.

"Hey," she said, closing the door behind her. She noticed the solemn looks on both boys' faces. "What's up?"

Will was the first to talk, his voice coming out harsher than Halley had heard it in a long time. "Do you think there's something wrong with me?" she flinched at the question, not understanding where it had come from.

"What? No." she said, definitively. "Why? Did someone say something? I'll kick their ass, I swear to God."

He went back to coloring something on his sketchpad. Jonathan tried to mouth something to her, but Halley was always shit at lipreading.

"Exactly." Will said, still not looking up from the paper. "Mom, Dustin, Lucas. They all treat me like I'm gonna break. Like- like I'm some baby. Like I can't handle things on my own."

Halley, still listening, took a step toward Will, finally seeing what was on his paper. 'Zombie boy'.

Oh, fuck that.

"It doesn't help," he continued, "it just makes me feel like more of a freak."

Jonathan practically reeled forward, "you're not a freak." he said. But Will glared at him.

"Yeah. I am." He was angry, and Halley couldn't tell if it was because of something that had happened or because Jonathan wasn't agreeing. "I am." his lips quivered, but he tried to pretend they hadn't, going back to his drawing.

Halley locked eyes with Jonathan and they came to an understanding. She took a step back, leaning against the wall. "Yeah. You're right." she said. Picking at her nails. She acted like she didn't see the near doubletake Will had. "You are a freak."

Jonathan nodded, pushing himself up and sitting directly across from Will on his bed. "Yeah. She's serious. You're a freak." He said, nodding with all the certainty he had. "But what, you wanna be normal? You wanna be just like everybody else? Being a freak is the best. I'm a freak. Halley's a freak."

"Is that why you don't have any friends?" Will asked.

Halley scoffed, shoving away from the wall. "Hey, I have friends." Sure, a majority of those friends were her own brothers and a couple middle schoolers, but they were still friends.

"Then why do you hang out with me?"

Climbing up onto the bed beside Will, she latched an arm around his shoulders. "Because you two are my best friends. And I'd rather be friends with Zombie Boy and Jonathan Byers than some boring nobody."

He wasn't convinced.

"Look," Jonathan said, looking down for a second, then focusing on a poster on the side of Will's room. "Would you rather be friends with Bowie, or Kenny Rogers?" he clasped his hands together and he knew he had gotten Will.

And he had. Will groaned, making Halley laugh, she couldn't help but agree.

"Exactly, it's no contest," his hands were flying around, adding emphasis to each word. "Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in the world. You got it?"

Will grimaced, looking at Halley as if she was about to jump in. "I mean, some people like Kenny Rogers."

The door opened and a voice cut off the conversation at hand. "Kenny Rogers? I love Kenny Rogers." Bob stepped through the doorway, picking up the tapes Jonathan must've set on Will's dresser. "What's so funny?" he asked, watching as each of the Byers' kids' faces lit up. They shook their heads. It didn't seem to bother Bob though, because his own face erupted in a giddy grin, "Mr. Mom! Yes!" He excitedly brought the VHS back to the living room.

The three followed, eventually. All of them getting comfortable on the couch as Bob put the tape in and Joyce passed around the popcorn.

Halley didn't make it fifteen minutes before falling asleep.

Tall, green trees surrounded Halley as she wandered through a vaguely familiar forest. Her feet carried her without thinking. It was like there was an invisible beacon pulling her toward something.

There was an odd sense of serenity in the air as she continued deeper into the trees. She could feel rain against her cheeks as it fell, but when she reached up her hand came back dry.

Twigs snapped under her feet with nearly every step, and every time she thought something was behind her. Despite the homey feeling the place itself had, inside herself she had a storm of anxiety. Something was wrong.

She had been all around Hawkins, had explored her fair share of the forests, but for some reason, she couldn't figure out where she was, or how she had gotten there.

A familiar headache blossomed at the back of her skull, and she tried to ignore it, and push forward; in the distance, there was a cabin. It looked old, but it was definitely in good condition.

The green hue from the leaves, something that usually made her comfortable, was making her stomach turn. There was something off about it, something almost artificial. It was a shade brighter than anything natural. Almost like it was predetermined instead of an instantaneous phenomenon.

She tried not to focus on it as she trekked toward the small building, rather turning her attention to the rest of the area's ecosystem, or more so, the lack of such. The forests in Hawkins were always crawling with squirrels, raccoons and rabbits, but Halley had seen no animals whatsoever. Not even a stray bird flying past. Aside from the rain, it was as if the place was frozen in time.

A small wire ran from two tree trunks. Had Halley not noticed the single droplet of water fall from the trap, she most definitely would have tripped.

She felt her adrenaline spike. Were there other traps around? What was being guarded?

Taking a large step over the wire, she was careful to survey the surroundings. Everything seemed ordinary. Yet, she had a gut feeling screaming at her to run.

She stepped forward. Nothing happened. Another step, slowly approaching on the old, mildewing steps to the porch.

There was a clearer view now. She could see the curtains— well worn and an old pattern that reminded her of one of Joyce's old quilts. They were drawn over the window, shielding the inside from prying trespassers like herself. She noticed an old flower pot beneath the window, whatever was once inside was long dead though. And the door, which was barricaded by a rickety bug screen, was shut tight.

Halley took a deep breath, looking down at her hands, before wracking her knuckles against the screen's wooden support. She had little reason to believe anyone even lived inside, and if someone did, if they were even home. But the trip wire set off alarms within her, and she had a suspicion that there was definitely something important behind the door.

Unsurprised at the silence that followed, she squared her shoulders, trying to ready herself for something she really, probably, shouldn't do.

She pulled the screen away from the real door. Besides a shallow creek, it gave no resistance. Hesitatingly grasping the old door knob, she tried to turn it. Locked.

Of course. Why wouldn't it be?

She looked over at the flower pot. Could it be possible there was a spare key? She kneeled beside the large, cracked terracotta, and began sifting through the dirt. It was dusty, and it clung to her still wet hands in clumps.

About halfway down into the pot, her fingers caught on some sort of loop. Halley pulled it up to find a rusted key chain, with a single bronze key.

Smiling, she picked herself up from the ground, coming face to face with the door, once more. She slipped the key into the lock, and slowly turned.

The door was open.

She pushed past it, coming to find herself in what looked like just a regular cabin. It was well furnished, with a couch, armchair and nice TV in one room, and the adjacent room filled with kitchen appliances.

Nothing was out of place or strange. It was all normal. She didn't understand. There had to be something there.

Her heart was still stuttering as she walked further into the house. There was a door with light shining just barely from underneath it. Was someone home? Why hadn't they stopped her?

The door was plain. Just simple wood with a reflective knob. Halley opened it slowly, waiting for some horrible monster to jump out and devour her, just as the Demogorgon had attempted the year before. But it did not come.

Instead, she was met with a girl sitting with her back facing Halley. She was dressed in a well worn flannel, and had short curly hair that engulfed the top of her head. There was something familiar about her that Halley couldn't seem to place. She took a few steps forward.

The girl turned around.

Her face was nearly the same, big, brown doe eyes not completely trusting, but not as terrified as they once were. Her cheekbones weren't as protruding as before. She had been eating regularly, and not just stolen scraps. Halley reached out, her hand wavering as it fell onto the plaid clad shoulder.

This couldn't be happening, it couldn't be. There was no way it was even possible. But there she was.

"El?"

Chapter 37: something seems wrong

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕, 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆,"

The dream stuck with Halley throughout the next day. During the car ride, as she dropped Will off in his Ghostbusters costume at the middle school, through AP Bio, when she and Caroline dissected a frog heart, through lunch, where she only picked at the sandwich she had brought.

Even as she stood in front of her mirror, pulling her hair into puffed pigtails, she thought about El. It was a dream, she knew that. But it felt like more. Like she had actually seen her. Like El had actually been there.

A horn sounded from outside. Halley tugged a faux leather jacket over her shoulders. The piece was from the high school's annual trip to the Indiana Museum of natural history. She had sneaked away to a nearby thrift shop and gotten a few nice outfits before the teacher even noticed she was gone.

She stopped by the kitchen before leaving, giving her mom a hug, and thanking her once again for attaching the red fabric to the neckline— accentuating the '50's part of her 50's Barbie. She ruffled Will's hair, and told him to have fun, biting back a caution on being careful, and gave Jonathan a mock salute.

There was a vague call for her to have fun from Joyce before the door shut behind her.

Caroline was waiting in her dad's old car. She wasn't usually the driver, and was still fairly new to driving in general, but Jonathan was taking Will, so Halley had relinquished the car to him... with some pushing from their mom.

"You look totally killer," Caroline said, barely waiting for the passenger door to close before pulling out of Halley's driveway. She was dressed in a flowy white sundress, probably too cold for the autumn weather, but she didn't seem to mind. There was a fake, purple and green flower crown sitting atop her head, secured with bobby pins that were just barely noticeable.

"Me? Look at you," Halley laughed, gesturing to her get-up. Originally, she wasn't sure how Caroline was going to make Hamlet's Ophelia work, but looking at her now, she could see that the redhead had planned the costume thoroughly.

She smiled brightly, "You really think so? It's not too much?" she asked, her eyes flickering to Halley before going back to the road ahead. The older girl nodded. "That's good. I was a little worried."

The car jolted as she came to a stop sign. Ignoring Caroline's driving, Halley said, "I can't even remember the last time I went to an actual party." She had hung out at Steve's house, thanks to invitations from Nancy, but a rager with nearly the entirety of Hawkin's high upper class? Not exactly a common occurrence.

"Yeah, I usually don't go...unless you count the sleepovers Robin used to have in freshman year," She paused, neglecting her blinker and turning into Tina's neighborhood, "but you probably don't."

Halley smiled, shaking her head, despite knowing Caroline was hyper focused on not hitting the cars parallel parked on the side of the road, "yeah, I don't know if I'd call pining over Rob Lowe from The Outsiders really counts as a party."

"As if! I am not pining over Rob Lowe." She pulled over in front of Mrs. McKinley's yard, the nose of the car just barely sticking into her driveway. It wasn't like she'd notice though; the old woman was always in bed by 6:30.

Tugging at the leather jacket, Halley waited for her to get out of the driver's side. She leaned over the hood of the car, tapping her fingers on the metal. "I call bullshit, Carrie," She laughed, "everyone pines over Rob Lowe."

Caroline slammed the door. She rolled her eyes, and took Halley's wrist, "Not everyone." She led them up through the grass of Tina's yard and to the large, open front door.

It was obvious the parents weren't home..

There were kids throughout the house, already in various stages of drunk. Knick knacks and furniture were out of place, and red solo cups and beer bottles littered the rooms Halley could see.

Costumes ranged from lackluster to a sad attempt at sexy, the latter came from the boys walking around shirtless for whatever brilliant reason they could come up with. Yeah, the execution was pretty shit, but Halley had to admit, some of them weren't half bad to look at.

The two had managed their way to the kitchen where a couple coolers and comically large punch bowl sat out for Tina's esteemed guests. Giving a quizzical look to the bowl, Halley found it to be filled with what smelled like strawberry Kool-Aid and a shit ton of vodka.

She filled herself a solo cup.

"You want some?" She asked, biting back the taste as she looked at Caroline, she held the ladle revealing the bright red liquid.

"I don't drink," she said simply. Halley shrugged, dumping the contents into her cup and leaning against the counter. The music was blasting at a volume that would almost definitely get the cops called, but no one seemed to care.

The alcohol burned down her throat with every sip but it was a welcoming warmth. A smooth kind of heat. She couldn't understand how Caroline didn't want any.

There was a considerable crowd hanging around the kitchen island, Jacckson Decker and Penny Swellon were sucking faces to their left, backed up against the cabinet door with tongues down each other's throats, and there were a handful of others completely fucking up their livers with bottle after bottle of beers. Not that Halley could really say anything.

People were pushing past each other, trying in vain to make their way to the alcohol. Halley looked over to a Jeremy Ruck, dressed in a less than modest toga nearly drowning in the vodka-aid.

"What is this?" a familiar voice asked. Nancy stood next to the punch bowl glancing at it almost nervously, Jeremy, drunk to all holy hell, replied before Halley got the chance. "Pure fuel." he looked at the liquid, "Pure fuel!" he screamed, whooping as if repeating it would make his answer make sense.

He stumbled away, probably toward a group of sophomore girls who had far too little drinks to deal with him.

"Tastes like berry battery acid," Halley said, smiling at her, "in a good way." She tried not to notice Caroline's disgruntled face as she handed Nancy a cup. "Where's Steve? I figured you'd be with him." There was no way she had come here alone.

Nancy rolled her eyes, taking a sip and physically cringing at the taste. "I am. He's just..." she gestured into the living room, where a larger crowd was gathering, "over there."

Following her vague directions, she caught eyes with Steve as he pushed his way over. He wore a black shirt and had the arms of cheap black sunglasses held between his teeth.

He whisked away the glasses quickly, reaching out to try and stop Nancy, who, as Halley turned back around to see, was chugging her 'pure fuel'.

"Hey, hey, woah, take it easy." She tilted the cup further back only coming up for air when it was empty, "Nance, Nance—Nancy!" he reached out only for her to snatch her hand away.

"What?" she glared, "We're just being stupid teenagers for the night. Wasn't that the deal?" Halley stepped back, falling into the background with Caroline who was just as surprised as her with the ripple in paradise with Hawkins number one couple.

She leaned over, resting her chin on Halley's shoulder. "What's up with them?" she whispered, her lips nearly against the older girl's ears.

With a badly hidden shiver, Halley said, "I have no idea."

Nancy dunked her cup back into the bowl, and downed it again, never breaking eye contact with Steve. She wiped dribbles of red vodka from her chin before walking off, a challenging look burning in her eyes.

"So, uh, what was that?" Halley asked, watching Steve fall against the counter with his head hung.

He shook his head, looking up to her with an almost lost expression. "It's nothing. Just... an argument. About Barb." he glanced around as if waiting for someone to question him about the missing kid from Hawkins that didn't reappear. "I'll fix it, I just... I'll fix it."

That was enough of a hint for Halley to figure Steve was not looking for company.

"Alright, uh, let me know if you need anything," She said hesitantly, beginning to back up—Caroline still attached at her side. Steve didn't respond, so she let herself turn around fully and wander off.

The two girls ambled through the crowd of people until finding their way outside. Tina had a big backyard— incomparable to the forest behind the Byers's house, but it was cookie-cutter-big: an obvious show of money.

There was no fence separating the front and back yard, so when Halley's eyes flickered from the conversation she was having with Caroline over to the front of the house, she had a clear sight of her brother.

"Jonathan!" she called out, cutting her own statement about AP Bio short. The boy in question looked up immediately; his eyes scanned around until falling on Halley and Caroline. He, far too carefully, made his way over to them.

He pulled absentmindedly at his jacket, giving Caroline a friendly smile, but focusing more on his sister.

"You came!" her voice was aloof— speech not slurred, but it was obvious she had had a few drinks.

He nodded, "yeah, uh, just, don't tell Mom," he ran a hand through his hair, not quite meeting Halley's eyes. "I let Will go trick or treating with the others."

A bright grin spread across her lips, "Good! He deserves to have some fun." she took Jonathan's hands in her own, shaking his arms to mimic a subpar dance, "You do too. Go get a drink! Mess around! Forget about you know who!"

Jonathan gave a small laugh, "I don't think a drink is what I need right now." Taking his arms back as he crossed his arms over his chest, and scrunched his nose, "I am gonna go inside though, it's freezing out here." He looked over his shoulder at the open door. As far as Halley knew, he hadn't been at Tina's house before. Or a party at all.

She smiled, nodding as she nudged his shoulder, "Hell yeah, go in, mingle, enjoy yourself." He needed regular highschool experience, and getting 'sheet' faced at Tina's house was definitely a story that most kids at Hawkins' high could tell. 

 

Chapter 38: first encounters

Summary:

"𝑨 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆?"

The night went on, and Halley had spent the majority of it with Caroline outside. They sat on an old wicker bench, watching lightweights puke in the bushes.

She had traded in her solo cup for a cigarette, blowing the smoke away from Caroline, who would subtly wrinkle her nose every time it got near her. She thought she was sneaky, and that Halley didn't notice. But she did.

It was past midnight, and they would be leaving soon; Caroline said her dad would throw a fit if she was out after one. But they were taking their time.

Tina's house had outside lights, it reminded Halley of Christmas decorations, but less red and green. They were little yellow bulbs strung through the trees and plugged into an outlet on the side of the garage. It gave the yard a mellow feel.

The two sat facing each other, Caroline's knees were stacked on top of each other with her head resting on the back of the couch, and Halley sat with one leg outstretched and the other pulled up to her chin.

Blowing out a puff of smoke, she waved it away before directing her attention to Caroline. "Wanna get going? It's probably better to leave before the plastered decide to get behind the wheel."

A gruff voice spoke before Caroline could answer, "leaving so soon?" Billy Hargrove stood behind them with his own cigarette in hand. Tommy H and Jason Carver stood behind him.

The two girls spared each other a glance, wordlessly asking the other why Billy had decided to show up and talk to them now.

"Well, come on." He said, resting his hand in between them. Caroline picked her head up, obviously unwelcoming to Billy's close proximity. "No need to be so cold."

Halley looked him over. There was something about the less than poisonous way he spoke that made her think that it wasn't totally a trap—which would be new, considering Tommy was involved.

Similar to many of the boys she had seen, he was shirtless, aside from the open vest he wore, displaying a sweaty six pack. It wasn't that his presence was off putting, but it didn't exactly feel innocent either.

"Did you need something?" she asked, pointing her chin up to him in a matter of fact way.

He raised his eyebrows, his hand inching closer to her rather than Caroline. "I heard you'd be someone to meet Byers," he looked back to the boys before continuing, "Tommy here said not to bother, but I just couldn't help myself." he licked his lips. It was menacing; his face was nearly expressionless, eyes blazing with a fire that could only be described as predatory.

Sure, he was hot, but it looked like Caroline's original judge of character had been way better than her own, not to mention he was clearly drunk out of his mind.

"Damn. Guess you're out of luck, cause we were just leaving, right Carrie?" she stood up, sidestepping the attempt of a touch from Billy, and held her own hand out to Caroline.

"Hold on, what's the rush?" he leaned over the bench in a forced act of carelessness. "A girl like you shouldn't go out when it's dark like this."

Caroline scoffed, muttering, "he can't be serious," under her breath.

"A girl like me?" Halley asked, crossing her arms, "what's that supposed to mean?" she glared hard, focusing on his dangling cross earring.

He sidestepped the couch to stand directly in front of her. The height difference was striking then; Halley was about average for her age, a little taller than her mom but Jonathan still had her beat by mere centimeters. Billy, however, was a good head above her. She could feel his hot breath against her forehead.

"Heard there's bad things out at night, wouldn't want you getting hurt, sweet cheeks." he was looking down at her, far too close for comfort. She tried to take a step back, but he grasped her wrist, pulling her back in.

She forced herself to keep eye contact, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Thanks."

Billy laughed, pulling her even closer to him."Lemme take you home. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let the town zombie find you." He had the fucking audacity to wink, and while Halley was too stunned to speak, he added the cherry on top, "at least, before I could have some fun with you."

She finally wretched herself from his grasp. "Is this your attempt at getting in my pants?" she shouted, shoving his shoulders with what power she had— he barely stumbled. With a manic smirk, he merely shrugged. "Well, nice try, really, nice try." her voice was quivering and she could feel her cheeks starting to heat up. He had to know the connection. Tommy had to have told him. "Right, Carrie?"

Caroline, with a similar angered look on her face nodded. "A beautifully, tragic attempt, Halles," she spat, her hand still laced in Halley's. She started to pull the older girl back to the house, before she broke free.

"You know. Next time you're trying to fuck someone, try to keep their brother out of the conversation." she smacked her shoulder against him as she walked by, dropping her cigarette in the process.

As they made their way into the house Halley continued to seethe. Her hands curled and uncurled into fists aching to just deck Billy Hargrove.

Although, it looked like it wasn't only them having a shit night. Halley found herself nearly run over by Steve as he attempted to rush out the front door. He muttered an apology before beelining out the house.

"What's his deal?" Caroline asked.

Halley shook her head, running a hand over her mouth. "Fuck if I know. Hold on, let me talk to him."

"But it's almost one." Caroline said, stopping her before she could run off. "I'm sure he's fine. And if he's not Nancy'll be there. You know, his girlfriend?" she joked.

"Yeah, but I'm worried that's what it's about." Halley bit her lip. Caroline was right, it was almost curfew and she'd be in some shit if she got home late again, but something wasn't sitting right with her. "I don't want your dad to be mad at you. Just, uh, get back home, Jonathan's here, somewhere, I'll get a ride with him."

"Halley, your mom's gonna freak if you're not back in time." This was very true. And a large contenter on why she shouldn't stay, but she couldn't just leave Steve.

"I know, I know. I just have a bad feeling about it." she scratched the back of neck, looking at the front door, it was still open. "If my mom calls—like last time..."

Caroline sighed. "I'll tell you you stayed over."

Halley smiled, giving the younger girl a quick hug. "Thanks, Carrie, you're the best."

She quickly followed the path Steve had taken only minutes before.

One thing Halley had learned about Steve, from the few times he had driven her to school when her car broke down, and home from work when it was raining, was that he was a shit parker. And from the sight of his car halfway into Tina's Mom's petunia garden, it was clear he wasn't getting better.

"Harrignton!" She called out. He turned to her, clearly thinking she was someone else at first, by the way his expression deflated at the sight of her. "Hey! What's going on?"

He had turned back around, his hand shaking as he tried to unlock the car. There was no response. She hadn't expected him to spill his heart, or whatever, they definitely weren't that close, but completely ignoring her? Kind of low, even for him.

"Steve, hey, come on." she took his hand, gently taking the keys from him. "What's wrong?"

"It's bullshit, Byers," he said suddenly, facing her again, "It's all bullshit."

That was not what she had thought he would say. Something about him being fine? Sure. Maybe even an insult like the Steve from last year to get her to leave him alone. But whatever that cryptid ass response was? Not that.

"Everything. Our relationship. Me. It's bullshit. All of it."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, noticing the few lingering glances from those who were still fairly sober.

He took a deep breath and refused to look at her. "Nancy. That's what she said." he reached for the keys, but she held them out of his reach. The look in his eyes reminded her of how she had felt moments before: unsteady and, momentarily, emotionally unstable.

"Let me drive you home." The words surprised her nearly as much as they did him.

He shook his head, seeming to break out of the angry state he was in for just a second. "No. No way you're driving my car." he spoke matter of factly, but nothing with his stance said he was ready for an argument.

"You're clearly thinking about a lot of stuff. I don't want you getting into an accident." it was rare that she was so nice to Steve, but it looked like his night was going even worse than her own. "I've been driving for years, I'm not gonna hurt your car." He was looking at something over her head. She followed his gaze, noticing Billy and his cronies watching them. "Please, Steve."

She didn't know if he did it because of the way Billy was looking at them, or if she had finally worn him down, but he allowed her to get behind the wheel.

The drive back to the Harrington house was agonizingly quiet. Steve didn't say a word, and Halley felt like turning on the radio would only make it worse.

She drove up the long driveway, and parked in front of the closed garage.

"Halley?" Steve said suddenly, stopping her from getting out of the car. She turned to him, slightly surprised by the suddenness of his voice. "You wanna come inside?"

It was well after one at that point.

"Yeah, sure."

She'd been inside Steve's house before. Many times, actually. But not just the two of them. And not in his room.

After locking his car, Steve had brought her in and up the long, winding stairs. His room wasn't exactly what she was expecting. It was, for the most part, really bland. With small squared curtains and beige walls.

She was sitting on his bed. It was neatly made, with a dark colored comforter and a few pillows. Steve had disappeared into the attached bathroom to get out of his costume, leaving her to look around.

There was a messy desk pressed against the wall, halfway looking out the window. She could see partially finished math homework with most of the problems scribbled out. It was Pre-Calculus. She hated Pre-Calculus.

Aside from the single light fixture on Steve's ceiling, the room was dark. The bulb only really gives off a yellowish hue in the otherwise shadowy dwelling.

It made her uncomfortable.

She hadn't always been afraid of the dark, and it was something very few people knew about her—once the fear developed. But after her run in with the demogorgon last year, it didn't take much to trick her mind into assuming she was back in danger. In the Upside Down, with a knife just out of reach, and a giant monster transferring something inside her.

It wasn't something she liked to think about. So she usually didn't. Jonathan and Will assumed she had gotten the fear because of the run-in that had happened at the Byers's house the night Will was brought back. And sure, it played a part, but nothing could compare to the feeling of powerlessness.

She turned on the lamp on the night table. It was small: a stout porcelain body with a navy blue rippled shade, and it made the light climb up the walls in waves, and rest on the ceiling in a circular pool of luminescence.

Kicking her sock clad feet up onto the bed, just as she leaned against the headboard the door to the bathroom opened up, revealing Steve in an old school gym shirt and sweatpants. His hair was disheveled and he was looking rough.

"So, uh, you wanna talk about it?" Halley asked hesitantly. Steve didn't acknowledge the question, instead pulled open the top drawer to his dresser and brought out another pair of sweatpants and a retired basketball hoodie.

He tossed both of them at her, finally turned around and gave a lopsided, forced, smile. "You look uncomfortable."

"I'm not staying, though."

He scoffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, well, you're drunker than I thought if you think I'd let you walk home alone." he raised an eyebrow, expecting her to say something despite having no intention of giving in. She rolled her eyes, snagging the clothes and slinking off the bed.

"Fine."  

 

Chapter 39: 0/10 sleepover, do not recommend

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

Notes:

Pov you leave a comment and I am overcome with joy and happiness because I need validation :)

Bullets ricocheted against the wall behind her as she scrambled to escape the demogorgon. It's large, claw-like hands sweeping out, trying to grab her.

Nancy was behind her, shouting, shooting without hesitation, but the monster wasn't reacting.

She was backed up against the wall, frantically looking around for something to distract it, to save herself. But she was stuck. Trapped. It reached out to her. Talons ripped into her shirt and pierced her skin. Its mouth was open, teeth glistening to a point from the saliva on each petal.

Closing in. There was a single unguis pressed against her throat, prodding deeper with a threatening push. It's mouth was throbbing; it seemed to grow with every ragged breath the beast took.

And then she saw it. The same slimy speckled vein from before, creeping out from the center hole of its head. The hand around her neck tightened, forcing her head back. Her eyes went wide and she gasped for breath, but just as her mouth opened, the vein shot toward her, and forced its way inside of her.

Halley was screaming.

Steve practically flew out of bed, yanking the chain on the bedside lamp on and kneeling down beside her.

Surrounded by a broken cocoon of blankets and pillows, she had jolted from her sleep. A layer of cold sweat clung to her as she brought shaky hands up to her throat.

"Halley, hey, hey," he said, trying to get her attention. "What's wrong?" He took her shoulders. She was barely listening to him, and instead clung to him. Despite the momentary confusion, he hugged her back.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," she spoke nearly inaudibly, and more to herself than Steve. "It's fine. Nothing happened." she slowly pulled away, her heart still beating rapidly and adrenaline pumping through her blood. "Sorry."

Steve was dumbfounded. "Sorry?" he said, his eyebrows jumping. "Halley, are you okay?" his hands were gripping her shoulders and keeping her grounded. She palmed at her dry eyes, trying to shake the vivid images.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She forced her voice to be steady, despite the sporadic thrum of her heart threatening to jump from her chest. "Just a dream." It was one of the tamer ones— or, at the least, one of the less detailed ones.

Still holding on to her, Steve didn't seem to buy it. "You don't look fine," he said. She licked her lips, trying to figure out what to say to convince him. What lie would be most believable.

"It's nothing," she said, finally. Her eyes were glued to her own hands, picking at the ragged skin around her nails. "I didn't mean to wake you."

He was quiet. Honestly, a little too quiet for Halley's liking. Steve was always talking—spewing some nonsensical joke, but silent and somber Steve was uncomfortable. It was like he knew.

"I get them too, you know," he said softly, so much so that Halley barely heard him.

It took her a second to even register what he meant. "What?"

"The nightmares, about that night," he said, wiping a hand over his mouth. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

What a fucking loaded question that was.

"It's nothing," she said again, trying to wiggle her way away from Steve. He let her go, but stayed where he was.

"What about a deal?" he said, looking expectantly at her. Halley didn't know how to respond, what was he getting at? "You tell me what's stuck with you, and," he paused, looking away from her, "I'll tell you what happened last night."

Pulling her legs up to her chest, she scrunched her nose, "why do you want to know so bad?" she asked.

Steve shrugged, the ghost of a smile pulling slightly at his lips, "why'd you take me home?"

Halley frowned, "you were upset. I was just looking out for you."

"Exactly."

She shook her head "This is different." Hugging her knees, she continued, "I was making sure you didn't kill yourself driving like a moron. Talking about some stupid dream wont make it go away." And that was fine. Really. It was just a dream after all. And dreams couldn't hurt you.

Steve leaned against his bed. He didn't say anything; got comfortable and pulled a blanket over his lap. Continuing to look around the room, Halley wondered if he was trying to play some mind games with her. It didn't matter though, because he wouldn't win.

"Nancy wants to tell Barb's parents." She looked up at him, but he was focused on a loose screw on his bedside table.

"Oh," she said.

He nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Yeah." there was another pause, and Halley glanced over to Steve. His eyes were closed, and he was softly shaking his head. "I told her it was a bad idea. That they would do some pretty bad shit if we told anyone," he met her eyes then, "I said we should be stupid teenagers for the night. After everything I thought we deserved it." The laugh he gave was anything but humorous, and it was far too serious of him for Halley's liking. "She got drunk, and we got into this big fight."

"The vodka," she muttered, thinking about Nancy's all too excited reaction to the alcohol.

"She tried to say she was just acting like stupid teenagers, like I wanted, that she was just acting like we were in love." He stopped, his head falling back against the mattress. His Adams apple bobbled as he swallowed. "She said it was all bullshit. Everything."

The two were quiet. Steve was done talking and Halley didn't know how to respond. A year ago she would have applauded Nancy, but she had gotten to know Steve, and as much as she hated to admit it, he wasn't as drastically awful as she had once assumed.

Unfortunately for her, Steve had no problem waiting for her to say something. Maybe he would win the mind games after all.

Halley laid her head on her knees, looking away from him.

"Last year," she started, her voice coming out far more shaky than she would like, "it wasn't the first time I fought that thing— when we were in my house." her nails dug into her palms as she tried to remind herself that she was still in the real world; in Steve house. Safe. "Jonathan, Nancy, and I went out looking for it. We were, uh, we were gonna kill it. A couple guns, some flashlights and my dad's old carving knife."

It was hard to put everything into words. She had spent so long keeping it to herself and trying her hardest not to worry anyone, actively telling Steve felt like she was breaking a promise.

"I don't know how, but it can... teleport or something. It doesn't exist in this world. The kids called it the Upside Down." she could feel the cool tingle of the dead air from that place still. She fought with herself for a moment, not entirely sure how to continue. "Nancy and I were there," she said finally, "it wasn't on purpose, not really. We had followed the monster, the demogorgon, through some kind of portal. We tried to leave but it saw us, so we ran."

Panting with every step, sure that Jonathan would have to go home and explain that he was the only Byers child still accounted for.

"It tried to go after Nancy, so I started throwing rocks at it. I was just trying to get it away from her." she bit her lower lip, clenching her eyes shut trying to stop the memories from popping up in striking detail. "It turned on me. Nancy got away, but I wasn't fast enough. It was on top of me, I thought it was going to kill me, but now I don't think that's what it was doing." she hugged herself tighter, "it opened its mouth and there was this... I don't know what it was, a vein, kind of, some kind of transfer system. It forced the thing down my throat and I could feel it."

"Feel what?" Steve said quietly. It was the first time he had spoken, and she startled at his words, Halley had nearly forgotten that he was there at all.

She fumbled over herself trying to find a way to explain it. "You know snakes? Like when they eat and you can see the prey in the body, watching it get digested? It was like that. But it wasn't being digested, there was something being passed through it. To me."

"Halley—"

"I've been dreaming about it for a while. But I prefer those dreams over the hyper realistic ones, and the flashbacks. They don't last as long." She picked her head up and forced a neutral face. "Just. don't tell anyone, okay? It's not a big deal."

He looked at her, his eyebrow twitching. There was a real change of dynamics in the room. Halley was dead serious.

"Okay, Steve?" she said again, her demeanor strong, but her eyes begging him to comply.

"Okay."

Chapter 40: She's kind of intuitive

Summary:

"𝑺𝒐 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅,"

"No, Halley! I don't think you understand!"

Joyce was beyond pissed when Halley got home. Steve had driven her back once they woke up, giving her enough time to get ready for school and him to pick up Nancy. They didn't talk about their late night conversation.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Halley said, focusing on pouring herself a cup of coffee, instead of her mother's disappointed glare. "Besides, I'm fine. I was just with Caroline, you called her, she told you. What else do you want me to say?"

Jonathan was hiding away in his room, waiting for the heated discussion to calm so he could drive himself and Halley to school. Will, however, was not being subjected to the same torturous wait; Bob was dropping him off on his way to work.

"I want you to acknowledge that you made a bad decision. I was worried about you." Joyce took hold of her shoulders, forcing Halley to look at her.

Halley wiggled free of the grasp. "I said I was sorry. We went to a party, it was late, so I stayed over. No big deal." she rifled through the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk, splashing a bit into her chipped mug.

Despite the excuses, which were, albeit, total lies, Joyce was still not having it. Her arms were crossed against her chest, and she looked about ready to give a lecture. "You know it's a big deal, Halley. You know what happened last year."

"Yeah, but I wasn't alone, and I was being safe!" Halley cried, her cheeks were starting to flush.

"But I didn't know that!" there was a beat of silence before Joyce continued. "I didn't know that. I had no idea if you were hurt, or in trouble." She plucked the coffee mug out of Halley's grasp and placed it on the counter, before taking her now free hands. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I love you so much, Halley, and I don't think I can go through losing one of you again."

Biting her lip, Halley nodded, not quite meeting her mother's eyes. "I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean to scare you." She was only slightly taken aback when she felt Joyce's arms wrap around her.

"Thank you. I'm glad you're okay, Sweetie," she said, squeezing her shoulders. "Now go on, go get your brother before you two are late."

 

~

 

Despite their best effort, the two were very late. Jonathan was far more worried about it, rushing to class, and muttering about how his math teacher would kill him. While Halley, on the other hand, took her sweet time. She lit a cigarette, and let it hang from her lips and she shouldered her bag and locked the car.

First period was already about half way over, and sure, Caroline would wonder where she was, but her morning had been tiresome enough already, and she did not want to explain what had happened the night before. Not yet at least.

"Where's the get up, Barbie?" a gruff voice asked. Leaning against the side of the school, her usual skipping spot, was Billy Hargrove. He had a cigarette of his own, blowing a long string of smoke in her direction.

"It's Halley." She didn't bother looking at him. Not really. Instead, she simply dropped her bag to the ground and sat down beside it.

For some unknown reason, Billy followed her lead.

He was quiet, which was not something she expected. If anything, she was ready for another bombarding of shitty pick up lines to get into her pants.

"I didn't take you for the ditching type," he laughed. It wasn't aggressive, but Halley wasn't completely sure if it was friendly either.

Cracking her knuckles one by one, a nervous habit she was only half conscious about, she shrugged. "I'm not. Usually, at least." That was true. For the most part, she tried to go to class. After the prior year, and missing a considerable amount of work during the week her brother was stuck in the Upside Down, she had vowed to stay on top of things.

With Caroline, it was easier to do. Walking into the first period knowing that she wouldn't have to start the day alone was something that typically fueled her enough to get through the rest of the day.

"Something on your mind, Blondie?" he asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the brick wall. He was acting differently than how she remembered. Maybe it was the sobriety he held now, or some sort of front put up for Tommy and Jason then, but Halley wasn't completely disgusted with him. For the moment.

Thinking about his question, she fought herself on how to answer. No way in hell would she spill her guts about everything, but something around them made her want to confide in him. There was an itching sense inside her that told her that was a bad idea.

"Family shit. You know?" she said, offhandedly. It wasn't a lie, but it definitely wasn't the whole truth.

Billy gave a hollow laugh, "Yeah," he said, "I know." she turned at that, not at all ready for him to agree. Looking at him, really, for the first time, she found that he absolutely was a different person than the party. 'Calmer' wasn't the word she would use, but he was far less sporadic. Definitely still intimidating, though.

"Yeah?" she said finally, hoping to coax just the basics of a conversation out of him.

He was cocky. A smug smile clung to his lips but she could tell he was caught a little off guard. "It wasn't exactly my idea to move to this shit town," he said.

"Well," Halley said, ignoring the cold tone in his voice, "it isn't exactly anyone's idea, most of us just end up here." She wasn't going to defend Hawkins to Billy. It was a shit town, just not in the way he thought it was. "Max is your sister, right?" she said suddenly, changing the subject.

Billy scoffed, rolling his eyes and taking a long inhale from his cigarette. "Stepsister," he corrected, smoke spilling from his mouth as he spoke, "Maxine is my stepsister."

"Right," Halley said, "I actually drove her home the other night," she took a puff from her own cigarette, "yeah, found her just sitting in the dark by the arcade."

Obviously, he wasn't expecting her to bring that up. "Thought that was you." that was it? That was all he was going to say?

"Look, not that it's my business, but I wouldn't let her walk alone late at night like that. Some pretty bad shit has happened recently," she said, trying to act nonchalant.

That seemed to strike a nerve. He turned to her, the fire from the night before burning in his eyes again. "You're right. It's not your business." it was glaringly clear that he was trying to make her back down. But she had dealt with Tommy's taunting and Lonnie's attempt to scare her into compliance.

"Just saying. It's best not to be by yourself at that time," she shrugged, daring him to pick a fight.

"Don't try to tell me what I should be doing." he was angry, which was only slightly understandable. Sure it probably wasn't her place to tell him this, but someone needed to. It wasn't fair to Max if he kept stranding her.

She stretched out her legs, leaning back and looking at the gloomy sky. "Listen to me or don't. But I'm just trying to help."

"Yeah, but you're not." he shot back, sitting up and looming over her.

She sighed, blowing smoke into his face. "Maybe not you, but if you don't make that little girl walk around an unfamiliar town in the dark, then I think I'm helping her."

"Fuck you."

"You already tried," she said, "didn't go too well." She smiled at the antagonized look he gave her. His eyebrows scrunched up and an almost boyish frown turned his lips down. If she didn't know any better, she would call it pouting.

Billy was dead set on not saying anything. What Halley didn't understand was why didn't just get up and leave if he was so done with her. Why would he stay, sitting beside her in utter silence?

"Family shit, right?" she said, forcing him to acknowledge her again, he only glared. "Step or blood?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "The fuck makes you think I'd tell you?"

Halley kept her composure, paying attention to the jean jacket he wore instead of his angry blue eyes. "Why not?" she pushed herself up, raising an eyebrow. "Aw, come on, did I make you mad?" She broke the unspoken barrier between them and poked his shoulder.

Shrugging her off, he gave her another hard glare. "You really are a bitch, Blondie."

"So I've been told," Halley said, letting out an unceremonious laugh. Billy would have to do a lot worse if he wanted to insult her. "So, what? Scared you're gonna lose the big boy facade?" She watched a rabbit hope through the bushes far off in the parking lot. "Unless you're crazy good at being inconspicuous, which, full offense, you aren't, secrets don't stay that way for long here."

He huffed, squaring his jaw and trying to figure out what to say to her. It's not like she was trying to piss him off, but it was true. The only secret that had stayed such was that of her brother's disappearance. And that wasn't even really a secret, just... selective knowledge.

"What's it to you, anyway?" he said in a low tone. She'd give it to him, it was intimidating, but not to the extent he wanted.

She smiled, taking a slow drag from the cigarette. "Just wondering," she said through the smoke. As much as she was wondering, it wasn't like his whole problem wasn't obvious. Afterall, the way he carried himself, the look, the blaring rock music from the killer car, the 'fuck you' attitude? It all screamed daddy issues. And she would know.

He shook his head, smirking. "You think you know me already."

"Well, a boy like you isn't that hard to figure out." She smiled, throwing his own words from the party back at him.

"Bullshit."

"Yeah?" She challenged, turning to completely face him, he stared back at her, daring her to go on. "You showed up on your first day to town at the gas station with a gnarly split lip. Went in, grabbed cokes, a pack of camels, a shit choice, by the way, and a few first aid kits."

"You work at the gas station?" he asked, neglecting the rest of what she said.

Halley barked out a laugh. "Oh, fuck no. That's where sleazes like you are." she clasped her hands in her lap, smiling sweetly before continuing, "my brother does."

Billy was slightly surprised, maybe, but still not convinced.

"Your stepmom, Susan? She went to the middle school PTA meeting the same night. She was sweet. Not interested in anything about the school, though. She mostly talked to the parents, Karen Wheeler especially. A dead end giveaway that she was trying to get into the weird ass mother clique this town has."

"Your mom tell you that?" He laughed, though his demeanor was beginning to drop.

She shook her head. "Saw it myself. I go to them sometimes, when I can."

"You go to PTA meetings?"

"After work. I try to make at least two a year, for my youngest brother." she spoke as if it was the most normal thing in the world. And to her it was. Jonathan had gone to one before, but had no idea how to handle the mothers. Halley got along well with them, though. Usually. She had been known to butt heads with Mrs. Walsh whenever the woman would comment on Joyce's lack of appearance.

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "You think you know me because your brother saw me at some gas station and Susan at a middle school?"

"She didn't talk about your dad." Halley pushed hair from her face, watching as Billy's face contorted. "I heard a lot about Max, a little bit about her ex husband, and a fair amount about you. She said you and Max didn't get along, but I didn't need someone to tell me that."

"You talked to Susan?" he said slowly. He was trying to hide the effects she had on him, but she could tell.

She shook her head. "God, not at all. Claudia Henderson did. I overheard it all." her eyebrows jumped, and the left side of her mouth turned up. "The only thing I did hear about Neil—That's your dad's name, right?" she paused, but not long enough for him to answer, not that he would have, "was that you two haven't been getting along."

Billy smashed his cigarette into the pavement in between them, dangerously close to her crossed leg. "You think you know shit, don't you Blondie?" he was leaning toward her, looking down at her.

She abruptly stood up, forcing him back. "I do know shit. Susan's conversations were manicured, Max's were angry, and you were an open book from the beginning."

Bending down to grab her bag, she rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. A little rectangular box.

"Here," she threw the half empty carton of Marlboros at him, "ditch the Camels."   

Notes:

When I said Slow burn I really meant SLOW burn ;)

Chapter 41: hide and seek

Summary:

"𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍, 𝑲𝒊𝒅,"

As it turned out, Steve didn't actually pick up Nancy that morning. Halley figured that out when Jonathan had found her after their last periods and told her the oldest Wheeler had offered him a ride home. Supposedly, she wanted the company, and Jonathan would be the last to decline such an opportunity.

That left Halley to wait for Will. She was sitting in the car, watching as the other Hawkins' High students drove off, until the parking lot was nearly empty.

Billy was standing by his Camaro with Cindy Polk, looking incredibly bored. Cindy said something, and he shook his head, looking out to the farther parking lot one more time, before angrily getting into his car, Cindy did the same.

Was he seriously leaving Max? Again? Halley should have expected this. How could she have thought Hargrove would have taken what she said with anything more than a grain of salt?

Watching him speed out of the school lot, Halley started up her own car, and drove the barely 30 feet to the middle school.

Most of the kids had already gotten on the bus, or begun walking home, and the outside of the middle school was littered with only the few stragglers left. Still, no sign of Will. Or Max.

Halley slammed her car door shut as she got out, not bothering to lock it. There was something going on, something bad. She could feel it in her stomach, a churning, evil, feeling.

The kids left filing out of the school, were confused, but not necessarily surprised that Halley was in the school. There had times before where she had gone in, looking for the boys, or helping out Mr. Clarke's science class during her study hall, but no one was expecting her to be there at the end of the day.

AV club was not going on. So, there was no reason for the boys to be locked up in the AV room. Yet, she found Max outside the locked door.

"Hey?" She looked down at Max. She was on her knees with an absolutely ravaged paper clip, picking the lock. Where she had learned to do that, Halley didn't know. And to be quite frank, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Max didn't look up at her. Instead, she focused on wiggling the small wire deeper into the doorknob until there was an audible click, and the door swung open. She stood up with a triumphant smile plastered across her face.

Unfortunately, it quickly vanished as some fucking slimy thing came running out of the room.

"What the hell?" Halley said, but the boys were already trampling out behind it, practically body slamming Max in the process.

"What was that?" she cried, pushing Dustin off of her.

Dustin, also pushing himself off of Max, seemed almost insulted by the question, "Dart!" he said. This information was completely useless, and did not help Halley at all.

"You let him get away!" Mike said, pointing a finger at Max, glaring at the girl.

"Well, you tried to attack him!" Dustin shouted back.

Halley had had enough. She pulled Dustin away from Mike, effectively bringing the boys' and Max's attention to her. "Would someone please explain what the fuck that was?" she asked.

"We'll explain later, we have to get it." Mike was already unsheathing his walkie from his backpack. "Split up. Let the others know if you find anything." and he took off.

Halley was used to Mike's inability to take a step back and realize not everyone knew what was going on. However, it did not make it less annoying.

Like usual, everyone else followed Mike's lead. Dustin took off in the opposite direction, and Max followed after Mike. Will had gone off when Halley's back was turned, no doubt to get out of the millions of questions she had. Her gut feeling earlier was right. There was something definitely wrong going on. And the worst part was that that slimy little creature of whatever was ominously familiar. She had a sneaking suspicion of where it had come from, and she could only hope she was wrong.

Lucas was the one who waited for her.

He led her down the one hallway that no one else had taken, and tried to give her the rundown on what had been going on.

"Slow your roll, Kid," she said, taking the stairs two at a time up to the second floor, "True sight?" He had said that that was what Will had, after explaining that they assumed the little slime thing was actually some creature from the Upside Down. which, of course it was, because Halley couldn't catch a fucking break, apparently.

"Yeah," Lucas said, checking inside a trash can, "in D&D, where you can see into the other realm, so, like, Will can see into the Upside Down." he stomped down on a fallen poster, making sure that nothing had hidden beneath it.

Halley pinched the bridge of her nose, she had another headache brewing and it was not a good time for that. "So, what you're saying is that my brother's 'now memories' aren't—"

"Aren't memories at all. Will is somehow looking into the Upside Down, and seeing things in real time—Here, hold on." he handed her his walkie, as the boys on the other end continued to question whether or not he had found anything.

Lucas jumped into the door in front of them without warning, foot outstretched like a scene he had probably seen in a movie. 'Dart' was not in the classroom. An old lady was. She was not happy.

"Mr. Sinclair!" she screamed, clutching her handbag to her heart. "What in the world are you doing!"

He was still for a moment, giving an awkward laugh, he apologized, and backed out the door.

"Smooth." Halley handed him the Walkie.

"Nothing here, man," Lucas said into it, walking back the way they had come.

This was not good. If Will was seeing into the upside down, what did that mean for Halley? And if she was right about Dart...

Her headache was getting worse, and her ears were ringing. She called out to Lucas to wait up a second, at least, she thought she did. The room was spinning around her and she wasn't sure what she was thinking or saying anymore.

She was vaguely aware of Lucas starting to panic. And that was not supposed to be something that happened. She could just make out his shaky voice as he spoke over the Walkie, "Guys, we have a problem."

Sitting down against the wall, Halley put her head between her knees, trying to regain a sense of her surroundings. She would be fine, everything was going to be fine. Another wave of pain crashed against the front of her head, and she clenched her eyes shut.

Except, instead of the black nothingness composing the insides of her eyelids, she saw something else.

Flashes of the school. El.

"You don't want me in your party."

"Correct."

Max? And Mike?

Halley was starting to shake, trying her hardest to get her head to focus. It was like flipping through TV channels, changing from images of a curly haired El, and far off voices from Max and Mike to Will walking slowly down a hallway. Like a light switch flashing on and off.

"I could be your zoomer."

The pain was getting unbearable, it was like something was slamming against her skull, fighting to be let out.

Will was walking through the school, walkie held tightly in his hands. He was trembling.

"Jesus!" Halley cried, cradling her head. It wouldn't go away. Images and voices images and voices. Over, and over, and over.

"I found him."

That was Will's voice. It echoed through her head, reverberating through her bones. For a moment, Halley could see him perfectly. Standing outside a stall door, staring at Dart, who was hiding behind a toilet.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Dart hissed. Will ran.

There was a burning sensation, starting at her neck and working its way up, her head flung out from its nook between her legs. Her eyes snapped open, and for a quick, solid, moment, she saw the Upside Down, inside the school, with shadows closing in on Will.

Halley gasped, heaving in heavy breaths of air that felt like poison to her lungs. She was coughing, hacking at the dust she had seen, but not felt.

Lucas was freaking out. His hands were on her shoulders, shaking her, begging her to snap out of it. Asking her if she was okay, what was going on.

Her heart was racing. Ignoring Lucas's terrified expression, she brought her hands up to her face, running them over her cheeks, wiping sweat from her forehead, and a small trickle of blood from her nose.

"We have to get Will." she finally said, disregarding everything else Lucas had been asking her. She was not okay, but she didn't need to worry him right now.

To say he was surprised by that, would be an understatement, he was taken aback, blinking once, twice, three times before he answered her. "Yeah. uh, yeah. We just heard from him. He and Dart are in the bathroom."

Halley shook her head. "No. Not the bathroom. Outside. We need to get outside." she was sweating, but still felt goosebumps running up and down her arms.

Lucas held out his hand, but she pushed herself up. Wavering on her feet for a moment, before taking the lead, and taking Lucas down the stairs.

They passed Mike on the way out, he tried only once to tell them that the bathroom Will was talking about was in the opposite direction, before Lucas told him that Halley had other plans. Mike wasn't quick to follow along, but Halley wasn't going to stop moving, whether or not Lucas was behind her.

She broke through the door of the school, hit in the face by the brisk wind of November. And there he was. Standing in the middle of a grass field.

Halley took off running. "Will!" she screamed, "Will!"

But he couldn't hear her. He couldn't hear anything. At least, not from their world. 

 

Chapter 42: What the hell was that?

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘!"

Lucas had been given the task of finding the others while Mike and Halley tried desperately to get Will to react to anything.

"Will? Will, come on, can you hear me?" Mike was saying, shaking his shoulder. He had tried shouting, waving his hand in front of Will's closed eyes, and still, nothing. With that extensive list, Halley couldn't believe nothing was working.

She was holding his hands. If not to bring him out of his trance, to give herself some sort of comfort.

"Halley, what do we do?" Mike cried, looking up to her, "Halley!"

"I don't know!" her heart was pounding in her ears, "Just keep trying to get him out of it." She wasn't trying to hide the fear in her voice. She didn't care at that point. All she cared about was Will being okay.

There had only been a few times she had witnessed Will's 'episodes', and every time, as soon as someone made contact with him, he would be brought back to real life. But there was something wrong. Whatever he was going through was stronger. It was holding him tighter. Something wanted him to be in the Upside Down. But why?

"Will!" Halley's head shot up at the sound. Lucas was running back to them with Dustin, Max, and Joyce in tow. She had never been more relieved to hear her mother's voice.

Mike, still holding on to Will, turned, brightening at the sight of an adult. "We just found him like this, I think he's having another episode." Mike took a step back as Joyce took Halley's spot, her hands falling on Will's shoulders as she gently shook him.

"Will! Will, Will!" she shouted. The kids were standing off to the side, completely dumbfounded. In any other situation, Halley told herself she would check on them, make sure they were also okay. But she couldn't bring her attention away from Will. The whites of his eyes flashed under his eyelids, and she could see his covered pupils flitting back and forth. Like he was reading a book. "Sweetie! Wake up, it's Mom," Joyce tried again, looking over her shoulder to Halley. "Will!"

His body was trembling. It was slight, and barely noticeable, if anything, it could be blamed on the breeze, but Halley knew that wasn't it. It wasn't just any 'episode'. It was far, far worse.

"Wake up!" Joyce's hands fell to his arms, then raised to cup his cheeks. "Will! Can you hear me?" She pushed hair from his face, trying in vain to get any kind of reaction out of him. "Will! Wake up!" She was panicking, but in her defense, so was Halley. "It's Mom, it's me!"

Will's eyes snapped open. He was gasping for air, hyperventilating as he fell against Joyce.

When the initial shock wore off. Halley was the first to speak. Forcing her voice to stay level, she said, "Okay. Mom, you take him home. I'll meet you there." Joyce didn't say anything, but she nodded. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around Will's frail figure. She helped him walk back to the school.

It was completely silent then, as the others followed closely behind. No one said a word until the two were sitting in Joyce's green Ford Pinto, driving away.

"Okay, that totally freaked me out," Max said. But no one was listening. Not really, they all watched the car fade out of sight. "Did that not freak you guys out?"

"Two episodes in one day," Lucas said, leaning against the fencing around the door.

"It's getting worse." Mike stared at where the car had been parked seconds before.

"You think it's true sight?" Lucas asked. Fiddling with the strap attached to his walkie.

"What's true sight?"

Lucas shook his head, "It's nothing." Max was clearly unhappy with this answer. As she should be. Halley didn't know what was going on, or why she was suddenly hanging out with the boys, but she did know that Max was most definitely clueless to everything going on.

"You guys should get going too," Halley said, attempting to keep the calm and collected role. "Did you bike here today, or do you need a ride?" She looked over the bike rack, recognizing the only three bikes there, and realizing it was pointless to even ask. "Go home, okay? You can find that thing tomorrow," she waited for an agreement that never came, but she knew they would listen. Hopefully. "Come on, Max."

"Huh?" she asked, glancing from Halley to the boys.

"Your house is on the way." lie. "Besides, I've got some shit to say to your step brother." truth.

Max wasn't easily convinced. But Halley wasn't about to let her skate home from the school after what happened. It's not like it was extremely far away or anything, but by the time she got there the sun would be setting, and Halley would rather be overly careful than let something happen.

They didn't wait for the boys. Halley led Max over to where she had parked her car earlier. It was slightly crooked, the front left wheel over the line, now that she was actually looking at it, but it hardly mattered, barely anyone parked at the middle school anyway.

Max kept her skateboard with her clutching it as she buckled her seat belt. She kept looking over as Halley was driving, opening her mouth like she was going to say something, but then decided against it.

"You doing okay?" Halley finally asked. Breaking the silence. Max shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not quite looking at the older girl.

"What was that?" She was picking at the grip tape on her board.

The question made Halley's stomach churn. Not only because she couldn't answer Max, and explain why the boys weren't as confused as she was, but also because she didn't know. That was different from anything that Will had gone through before. Even within her own experiences, there had never been something to that extent.

Halley pulled into Cherry Lane, slowing down as she watched younger kids running around with a football in the street.

"It's hard to explain," She said, biting her lip, "You know my brother went missing last year, but there's a lot that's still a mystery to all of us. To be honest with you, I really don't know what that was. But I don't think it was good." she looked over to find Max staring right back at her. She nodded.

"That sucks," she said, averting her eyes, and going back to her skateboard.

Pulling up to the Hargrove house, Halley nodded. There was no point in getting into emotional things, it was clear neither girl wanted to be subjected to that.

"Anyway," she said louder than necessary, startling herself and Max, "here we are."

The house was definitely different in the daylight. Even if it was starting to dim. It was a nice place. There was no driveway, only street parking, but it had a nice yard. A little concrete pathway led up to the front door, which was, at the moment, open.

Cindy Polk was waltzing out of the house with a stupid grin on her face. Her hair was a total mess and she had missed a button on her blouse.

It shouldn't have been surprising, it was obvious when she had seen them earlier that they weren't going to study, yet, it was still odd for Halley to see Cindy's lack of awareness. Obviously, she couldn't care less about the sex life of her classmates, because, ew, but there were adults that were far too invested in the lives of teenagers. And if devout Christians Mr. and Mrs. Polk even got an idea that their sweet, innocent little girl was going off and fucking the new boy, they'd send her away to bible camp before she could even say 'amen'. After all, that's what happened to Cindy's sister.

"That's four," Max said, more so to herself than anyone else.

"Four?" Halley laughed, watching Cindy stalk off through the bushes. "Jesus. He's been here for what, a week?" Max shrugged.

The only car around was Billy's Camaro, so his dad must be at work. She didn't know where Mrs. Hargrove was, but Halley was very much sure she was not in the house.

So she laid on the horn.

"What the hell are you doing?" Max yelled. Shoving her hand off the steering wheel. Halley only watched the door, waiting, waiting, waiting.

And there he was. Billy Hargrove, pissed to all hell, and shirtless. He was making his way to the car, taking his sweet time with a murderous look in his eyes.

Halley rolled down her window, her elbow jutting out of the car, and her chin resting on her upturned hand. "Hey." She gave him a sickly sweet smile.

"You change your mind, Blondie?" he asked, though there was no serious question in his voice. His arms were crossed and he looked put out by the sight of her.

"Gross. No." she said, leaning back against her seat to reveal to the redhead still sitting in her passenger seat. "Just wanted to make sure she got home okay."

Billy grit his teeth. The forced self righteous demeanor was replaced entirely too quickly with one of total anger. "Maxine," he nearly growled, "Get inside."

She was fast to unbuckle her seatbelt and slide out of the car. "Thanks for the ride," she muttered, her eyes locked on the ground. As she rushed towards the house, Halley realized how eager she was to get away from Billy.

"You're a dick. You know that?" Halley said, stepping out of the car herself, to stand face to face with the boy in front of her. He was taller, still, and it was just slightly uncomfortable being so close to him with his bare chest on full display, but she was angry enough to simply not think about any of those things.

"You're the one showing up at my house and disrupting the peace." After Max had gone inside, he seemed to go back to normal. Laid back without a care in the world. It was infuriating.

She scowled, "Oh yeah, I'm sure my horn was the loudest thing they heard today. I saw Polk." Billy gave her a blank stare. He had to be fucking around. Her eyes narrowed. He wasn't letting up on the joke, and she was starting to believe it wasn't one at all. "Cindy Polk? Jesus, the girl you- God! Whatever." she threw her hands up and took a step back. There was no way this was a real interaction she was having right now.

"Jealous, Blondie?" There it was again, the smug smirk etching its way across his lips, as if he had heard nothing of what she had said before; not seen just how angry she was about Max being left again.

Jaw squared, she tried to keep her composure. They were in public, in his front lawn. She had to stay civil.

"No." she crossed her own arms, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. "I'm just trying to look out for her," she said, nodding towards the window where Max was not so subtly watching. Her head disappeared as soon as Billy turned, but he had already seen her.

"She doesn't need you looking out for her." It was clear he was thinking about stomping back inside, to be honest, Halley was slightly surprised he had stayed out as long as he had.

"Why? Cause you are?" She fired back, raising her eyebrows.

His nostrils flared, but she held her ground. "Look. She's got a skateboard for a reason. And I don't need my dad on my ass for why some random chick is driving around with Maxine in the car."

"It's November."

"The fuck does that have to do with anything?" he was talking to her like she was stupid. Sure, it wasn't uncommon, especially from people like Billy, but it was still annoying as shit.

"It means, smartass, that it gets dark real quick. Would you rather have your dad on your ass because Max didn't come home at all?" She had plenty more to say, but she was cut off by a sleek car coming to a standstill beside her and Billy.

The window rolled down to show a man in business casual attire. His salt and pepper hair was meticulous. Halley noticed him white knuckling the steering wheel.

At the sight of both the car and the man, Billy had taken a generous step backwards, completely shifting to someone far less than who had been mere seconds before.

"Who's this, William?" He asked coldly. It was odd to hear his full name, looking at Billy, it just didn't fit him.

The man neglected to turn his attention away from his son, but it was obvious Billy was shit at coming up with excuses.

"So sorry to bother you, Sir. My name is Halley Byers," She spared him a smile, and his eyes just barely looked her way, "Billy was loaning me some of his notes from English from when I was out sick."

"I think it's time for you to go, Harley," Mr. Hargrove deadpanned.

"It's uh... yeah, yes, of course. Sorry again." She turned to Billy, before getting into her own car, "I hope next time we meet, it's under different circumstances." 

 

Chapter 43: the void sucks

Summary:

"𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆?"

Notes:

Currently devastated because there was a rumor that one of the schools, I'm applying to was going to release their early decision results yesterday and they didn't :(( I mean it's my fault for believing someone who in no way, shape, or form is related to admissions or the university at all, but still.

however, I have yet to learn my lesson, because there's another rumor that the results will come out on the 15th, and I will be believing in that so hard.

He felt it. Everywhere.

That's what Joyce had told Halley when she got home. And that's what kept her up that night.

She sat curled up on the old sofa, with a ratty blanket pulled around her. Her walkman was beside her, softly playing The Smiths's Bigmouth Strikes Again from her mixtape from Steve.

The songs compiled onto the playlist were by no means 'gentle', and before, she would have never felt comforted by a mix with the song Don't Fear the Reaper by The Blue Oyster Cult, but times had changed, and nothing calmed her down more.

Still, no song could settle the storm brewing within her. Something was wrong, and it was only getting worse.

With the episodes Will was going through, and the sudden development of a physical sense inside them, paired with whatever happened today when Halley was with Lucas, it was obvious that whatever evil they had dealt with last year was far from gone.

Halley just wanted to know what was going on with her. And Will, of course, but as she sat, looking at the bare, locked door, she couldn't shake the thought of that afternoon. She had felt like she was in multiple places at once. But she knew she hadn't moved from her spot in the hallway with Lucas.

She knew that she had still been on the ground, trying to fight that god awful headache, but she couldn't convince herself that what she heard, from Mike and Max, and what she saw with El, wasn't happening simultaneously. Which, of course, couldn't be true, because that was impossible. But if it was so impossible, how had she known Will was in the field, and not in the bathroom with that creature Dustin had found?

There was no logical explanation to any of it, and it was freaking her out.

Burrowing deeper into the couch, she let her head lay against the back, and stared at the ceiling. Old water leaks and random discoloration spots looked back at her. She was home. And she was safe. But she didn't feel like it.

She closed her eyes. Ignoring the changing songs in her headphones, she tried to imagine herself back where she was in the middle school.

There was a tingle in the back of her head, similar to the beginning of the headaches she would get, but not as intense. She tried to keep her breathing calm.

It was okay. She was safe. Her mom was just in the other room.

Forcing herself to focus on anything other than the feeling of dread creeping up her spine. She thought of that place she saw in one of her dreams. The old cabin, with the girl. With El.

She didn't know what she was doing. But maybe, if she tried, she could control her episodes. She just needed to keep herself grounded. Focus on the sound waves echoing through her ears, but not the music. Her heartbeat was picking up, she could feel it. It was starting to thrum against her chest, and, despite them splayed across her chest, her hands shook.

This was different from what she had experienced before. Sure, her anxiety was spiking, and the unnerving sense of dread was weaving its thick hold around her heart, but she wasn't in physical pain.

Keeping her mind away from her surroundings, she tried to picture El. She had seen her before, and there was no reason she wouldn't be able to see her now. At least, that's what Halley told herself.

To be completely honest, she didn't know what she was doing, or why she was doing it. She had no plan, and no idea what to say if it even worked, or even what would happen if it did 'work' at all. But she wanted answers. She needed them.

It was like she was being stranded. She was still around everyone, and they were well aware of her presence, but she was dealing with something they had no clue of. Except Steve. Steve had a clue. Not a large one, Halley made sure of that, she didn't want to worry him, but he knew. That meant she wasn't completely stranded. She had a way out of the maze, if she needed it.

But she didn't. Not yet at least. Not until she tried to damndest to solve her problem herself.

For a moment, she felt weightless. In a terrible, awful way. Like the couch had been ripped from under her and she was suspended in midair, waiting for gravity to hit and send her flailing to the ground. But she didn't hit the ground. In fact it didn't feel like she was falling at all.

As the feeling only grew, Halley slowly opened her eyes. It was dark. Pitch black. She was laying on the ground, well, above the ground; a thin layer of water that couldn't be more than an inch held her. The physics of it wasn't possible. She shouldn't be floating. It didn't last long, though, as she reached her arm out, moving only slightly, whatever buoyancy she had fell through, similar to how she fell through the small amount of water.

She hit the ground with a small, insignificant thud. The water rippled around her, but settled far too quickly.

Halley pushed herself off the dark floor, slowly standing up. She looked around. There was nothing. Nothing at all. Holding her hands out in front of her, she found that she could see just fine. It wasn't dark, just black.

Carefully, she began to venture forward into the blackness. The water sloshed beneath her every step.

"Hello?" She called out, trying to stay calm. Everything inside of her was screaming to panic. To freak out. And it was warranted, definitely; she had no idea where she was, how she got there, or how to get out, but something was telling her to keep going. There was no explanation, but she knew she was going in the right direction.

It was like a magnet. Sort of. It was pulling her forward. She could feel a similar throb in her head to the one before her episodes, but it didn't hurt.

She licked her cracked lips. Where she was now was almost definitely connected to what had been happening to her, it had to be. She could feel it.

"Is anyone there?" She tried again. Her shaking steps didn't disrupt anything. Turning back wasn't an option, obviously, but fear was starting to pick up. The emptiness of everything was concerning, and the feeling was only growing. "El?" She figured, if anyone would be here, it would be her. "El? Are you there?"

Halley stopped. There were small pitter-patters of steps coming from further into the abyss. Someone else was there. "Hello?" no answer. Not necessarily wanting to, she started walking toward the sound.

The other footsteps were drowned out by her own, but Halley knew they were still there. She could feel the presence in her bones. She knew someone was out there. And she was going to find them.

Slow paced, calculated steps began to pick up, and before she realized it, she was running. Sprinting into an unknown void.

Before her eyes, things began to appear. Not shimmering into existence, but straight up appear. Like a dresser, and a very familiar bed. One that she had seen only a few nights before.

El stood staring at her. Her eyebrows pinched together and head tilted just slightly. "Halley." She spoke, her voice was definitive, but terribly confused. "How?"

"El?" Halley's breaths were ragged, pulling at her lungs like a puppeteer. Her lips spasmed, unsure if they should smile. She swallowed. "El. Where am I?" she asked cautiously, taking a few steps forward. The younger girl didn't falter.

"In mind." Halley shook her head. She didn't understand. What did that mean? How could she be 'in mind'? Who's mind?

Her hands were shaking again, and she felt the pins and needles sensation slowly build in her fingertips. This wasn't making any sense. It was insane. But it all was. Everything about anything that happened was insane.

"Please, I don't... El, what's going on?"

El stepped forward with a determined look on her face, "my mind," she said, then, pointing to Halley, "found me." she dropped her hand, still looking inquizically at the older girl. "How?"

"I don't— I don't know." El was starting to go fuzzy, and the furniture surrounding them was beginning to disappear. "El, I don't know what's going on."

In an instant, she was alone again, and she was falling, just as she had expected when she first gained that weightless feeling.

Just as she was sure she would hit the ground, her eyes shot open.

The old blanket that had been wrapped around her was kicked to her feet, and she was tangled up in the headphone cord that had been pulled from her walkman.

Halley sat up, running her hands over her face, and pushing baby hairs away from her forehead. She was breathing heavily, looking around to make sure she was really back in her house. Everything was there.

Hunched over, she felt something wet hit her exposed leg. A small red splotch marked her like a freckle. She reached up, swiping under her nose, and checking her hand.

It came back bright red.

 

Chapter 44: is it hot in here?

Summary:

"𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕?"

Notes:

OH MY GOD!!!!!! I GOT IN!! THE SCHOOL I WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE A/N LAST CHAPTER CAME OUT WITH THEIR ED ACCEPTANCES AND I'M IN!!!!!!!!!
I'm so fucking excited right now oh my literal god, I applied to dual enrollment to one of the colleges in the uni alongside with my intended major just for fun, because when in Rome, right? (also, I had always been interested in the subject but too scared to really pursue it) and it was a total shot in the dark because the acceptance to that specific college is about 10-15% but I fucking got in. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am !!!!!!

Halley was perfectly fine keeping everything that had happened the night before to herself. In fact, she had no intention of sharing that information with anyone. At all. Especially with what Will was going through at that moment.

Such a situation explained why Halley was still at home.

She held a cup of coffee in each hand, offering one to Joyce as the older woman aggressively hung up the phone.

"Still no word from Hopper?" Halley asked, holding the mug to her face and allowing the steam to warm up her cold nose. It made her eyes water.

Joyce shook her head, muttering a small 'thank you' for the coffee. She had been trying to get in touch with Hopper since yesterday, when Will told her what was going on. So far, she had no luck; only a couple of forced pleasantries with Flo.

Halley had offered to go down to the station, not that she was jumping at the idea of coming up with an excuse as to why she had skipped her internship. Joyce had said no. Not only would the two be separated if something happened to or with Will, but Halley would also have to explain why she wasn't at school.

There had been a little bit of an argument about the whole 'going to school' thing. But ultimately, Joyce gave in when Halley said it was either staying home, or (still) skipping and going over to the middle school to talk to the kids. Supposedly, there was no need to bring the boys back into the mess. Halley neglected to tell her that there was a good chance that they were already involved.

Will had rounded the corner, then, a towel wrapped around his waist, but completely dry. "It's too hot." Joyce glanced at Halley, almost ready to argue, but she stopped herself, turning back and nodding. Will led her back to the bathroom, where the water in the tub was already whirling down the drain.

"I...I can cool it down a little, Baby," Joyce said, sitting on the side of the tub, running her hand through the water still there, "but we need to get your body temperature up." She shook the water off her hand.

"No."

That got both Halley and Joyce's attention. "What?"

"He likes it cold." Will stood almost completely still, an unrecognizable look sketched across his face. What the fuck? Halley stepped toward him, reaching out, but he flinched back. For a second, it looked like Will almost regretted speaking, he looked down, then walked away without another word. Leaving Halley and Joyce to stare at where he had stood.

"What was that?" Halley whispered, her eyes widening as she stared at Joyce.

She looked down at the tub. "I don't know."

With a gulp, the blonde looked at her mom, "I'll, uh, I'll go talk to him." Joyce nodded, still shocked by what happened. The drain gurgled as it took the last of the water.

Will had gone to his room. No doubt. It was where he usually went when he was upset, or something happened, and while whatever was going on was definitely not normal, or a typical discrepancy in the life of the Byers, it was still worth betting that he would be strewn across his bed.

So Halley stood in front of his closed door, biting her lip. She didn't know what to say. She didn't even know how to start the conversation. She fought with herself for a moment, trying to figure out if she should ask him to come out, or if she could come in. Whether or not to dive right in or let him open up. There were too many different ways it could go. And she couldn't see any of them going the way she wanted.

Finally, she knocked. "Will?" she called through the door, "can I come in?" he didn't answer. For a brief moment, she got a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach, remembering last year, when she had gone to wake Will, only to find his room untouched and little brother-less.

But that was stupid. Will was in his room. Just right through the door.

"Will?" she tried again, knocking louder. "I'm coming in." She found him sitting with her back towards the door; he had changed into some old shorts. She took her time walking to him. Trying to take small quiet steps so as not to scare him. "Hey, Kiddo." she said, climbing onto the bed beside him, "what's going on?"

He shrugged, not looking at her. "I'm hot," he said plainly. The tree outside the window shook. She gave a sad, hollow laugh. "I don't want to get in the water."

She was quiet then, taking a deep breath and she tried to figure out how to respond. "Alright." Halley watched as a pinecone fell from one of the tree's branches. "You don't have to," she said, squeezing his hand. His skin was cold to the touch, but clammy with sweat. She didn't mention it.

She stayed with him for nearly an hour, just sitting on his bed, and watching the dark clouds roll through the sky. Will didn't say anything. But Halley could see beads of sweat starting to appear on his forehead, and while she didn't think it was that extreme, she would hand it to him, their house was a little warm.

After so much silence. She finally got up. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna open some windows," she said. He nodded, not taking his attention away from the dark sky outside, and leaning into the breeze blowing in.

She got to work. Starting with the hall window, unlocking it and pulling up the glass. It took about a minute before Joyce looked up from her spot on the couch, holding a cigarette between her pointer and middle finger. "Sweetie, what are you doing?"

Halley opened their front door before answering, "It's kind of hot in here. I'm just opening the windows."

Joyce's eyes narrowed. She laid her cigarette on a glass ashtray, and made her way over to her daughter. Almost cautiously. "Are you feeling okay, Baby?" she asked. The younger girl nodded. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I promise." she turned her back, opening the windows above the kitchen sink. A gust blew in, biting at her cheeks and making her face flush. "Do you hear that?" she asked, turning around.

The two went quiet, and sure enough there was the sound of an engine outside. Joyce went to invetigate

"Where the hell have you been?" Halley heard Joyce ask, and she knew then that it was Hopper. Took him long enough.

The two adults spoke in a quieter tone then, and Halley could only pick up bits and pieces of what they said, something about oversleeping, she thought. Still trying to make out what was said, she nearly missed the two walking past her and towards Will's room. She quickly trailed behind them.

Joyce tapped lightly on Will's door before going in. He was still facing the window, nearly the exact same position he had been when Halley left. It was unsettling.

Halley and Hopper sat on either side of Will, while Joyce kneeled beside the bed.

Hopper revealed a paper that Halley hadn't noticed before. It was one of Will's drawings, slightly crumpled but the design was still clear. A large spider-like creature.

"This shadow thing," Hopper said, showing the picture to Will. Halley got the feeling it had some sort of importance, despite this being the first time she had seen it. "You told your mom it likes this," he gestured around them, "it likes it cold?" that monster was 'he'?

Will, seeming nearly completely out of it, nodded. "Yeah." His voice was almost inaudible.

"How do you know that?" Hopper asked, looking at Joyce.

Shrugging, Will stared at the floor. "I just do," he said. His gaze moved to the page in Hopper's hand. There was another one. More detailed, a large shadow with red lightning behind it.

"Does it talk to you?" Hopper was being uncharacteristically gentle.

He shook his head. "No, it's like..." he paused, his face contorting for a moment, "I don't have to think, I just know things now." His eyes were red, sunken almost, Halley couldn't remember the last time he looked so tired. "Things I never did before," he went on, sounding like he was caught up in his own thoughts.

Hopper sighed, standing up, and taking a seat on Will's desk chair, now facing the three Byers. "And uh," he started, checking the pictures, "What else do you know?"

"It's hard to explain," he paused, "It's like... old memories, stuck in the back of my head," his voice cracked, "Only... they're not my memories." He was focused on a lamp on his desk, and chin quivered as he took a breath. "I mean, I don't think they're old memories at all. They're... now memories," he said, looking at Halley now, "Happening all at once, now."

Halley swallowed. She caught Hopper's eyes, not sure if they were connecting the same dots, but knowing they were thinking the same thing. "Can you... can you describe these now memories?" she asked him, taking hold of his hand and squeezing.

"I... it's hard to explain," he said again, slightly shaking his head.

After a short pause, it was Joyce who spoke up. She laid her hand on his knee and smiled at him, "I know it's hard, Sweetie, but can you just... Can you try? For us?"

His eyes were watering, and without hesitation Halley draped her arm over his shoulders and brought him closer to her. "It's okay," she said.

"It's like..." he paused, fighting against waver in his voice, "they're growing. And spreading. Killing."

"The memories?" Halley asked, looking at her mom.

Will looked at his hands, "I don't know," tears were starting to fall and he turned to Halley and Joyce, "I'm sorry."

Halley pulled him into a hug, letting him rest his head against her shoulder. "No, no, no, it's okay. It's okay, Will."

Worrying glances passed between the two adults in the room. Halley didn't like it. Joyce stood up, taking hold of Will's shoulders, similarly to how she had in the field the day before. "What if you didn't have to talk?"

Will looked up at her with wet eyes. Joyce pointed to the bulletin board of his drawings.

Which led to Will at his desk with countless sheets of paper and a plethora of crayons around him. He was attacking each page with countless colors, but it didn't make any sense. It all just looked like splotches of random, sporadic, blobs. Each stretched out, one end of the paper to another. Not straight, but specific. Like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Joyce was taking handfuls of pages out to the living room where Hopper sat waiting. Halley knew they were trying to make sense of it all, but she had no idea how they would do that.

Staring at the ground, where a puddle of colors sat, she couldn't even begin to understand. Will swept the next paper off his table, starting on a new one.

The former fluttered to the ground among the others, landing on top of one of the later ones. Except, it was different. Halley realized what each drawing had in common, a long black line, and that wasn't it. Her eyes went wide, and she snatched the pictures from the ground, rushing out to the others.

"Mom! Look," she said, holding out the papers, her hands shaking with excitement. This had to be something, "They connect."

Hopper took the pages, turning his head slightly, as he placed them on the coffee table in front of him. He took a few of the other papers, and sure enough they matched up. He looked up at them, shaking his head in near disbelief. "It's some kind of map."

But a map of what?

 

Chapter 45: that was... unexpected

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍."

Notes:

TW: (Internalized) Homophobia (written by w|w)

There were two things Halley wanted. The first was a cigarette. And the second was Jonathan: her other brother who had gone through nearly everything with her the year before. He would be able to calm her nerves, just a little. But he wasn't there. He was off with Nancy, taking down Hawkins' lab.

How? She wasn't totally sure, he didn't give her all the details, just that he and Nancy were going to put an end to them once and for all.

Except, with Jonathan doing something that Joyce would be very against, considering the personal risk that came with trying to dismantle a literal killer operation, Halley was stuck covering for him.

Which, basically, just meant she was holding a shit ton of secrets that she didn't really want to harbor at that point.

A few hours after Hopper left yesterday, Mike had come over, and while Halley and Joyce attempted to finish up the map scattered throughout their house, Will caught Mike up to speed. Bob had come over too. He finished the map faster than Halley thought possible.

So she had resided in her room for the rest of the night. Not really sleeping, just watching the clock on her bedside table. She was happy for her mom—and her brother. They deserved someone to be there for them during this disaster. But, as selfish as it sounded, she was jealous. She wanted someone there for her.

Oddly enough, the person her mind kept wandering to through the night, wasn't Jonathan, or Nancy, or even Caroline. It was Steve. Thinking about how he had seen her when she had stayed over. How he had known she was lying when she said she was fine.

Obviously, she had kept everything a secret, and it was easy to fly under the radar with not so subtly hidden issues when there was a very clear problem going on, but sometimes Halley did wish her family noticed.

She knew they had other things to worry about. Clearly. After all, Will was in contact with some shadow monster, and was having side effects from his connection with it, and Jonathan, finally seen by the girl he'd been head over heels with for forever, was getting the chance to not only be with her, but also take down the people that caused Will's problems in the first place. But still.

Was it so hard to see? She had been sleeping less, drinking borderline dangerous amounts of coffee, and had gone through a pack of cigarettes in a little more than three days.

It was fine though. It was fine because she had it under control, and it wasn't the biggest issue at the moment. She could handle it later. Bring it up and deal with the problem at some other time. When Will was safe.

Halley left her room around 8 that morning. Struggling out of bed and pulling a Purdue crewneck on—a token from the many school trips Hawkins high took to convince their students to continue their education.

She peaked into Will's room as she passed. The boys were still asleep; Mike in one of their old sleeping bags snuggled next to Will's bed. It was almost comforting seeing the two of them together again. Will and Mike. Mike and Will. They had been inseparable since kindergarten and if the Upside Down shit didn't change that, Halley wasn't sure anything would.

Her mom was awake though. It wasn't surprising, Joyce hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep since... Well, ever, really. There hadn't been a time where Halley remembered her mom sleeping later than her.

"Hi, Sweetie," Joyce said, taking a break from observing the papers sloppily taped across their walls, she placed a steaming mug onto the counter behind her. "You're up early."

Halley picked at the already shredded skin around her nails. She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep." Through the window behind the sink, she could see the crooked gravestone put up for Chester. Will had insisted on it after they found him.

She looked away from the window.

"Actually, Mom," She said, turning to the older woman, "I was thinking I might go out. See if Carrie could fill me in on what I missed yesterday, maybe give Keith a heads up on missing my shifts this weekend."

Joyce nodded, but she wasn't entirely there. "Okay, Honey, what time do you think you'll be back?" She had picked up her mug again, and slowly took a sip of the coffee.

"I'm not totally sure. I think I might stop by and see if Jon and Nancy need any help with that school project." She felt slightly bad about using her brother as a scapegoat, but she needed to get out and breathe. Just for the day.

She felt awful about it. Of course. Will was deep in the Upside Down hell, again, but here she was feeling overwhelmed by and unattended to. What kind of terrible person was she, needing to take a break from her own family's problems? The guilt was already building in her stomach, but there was no turning back.

"That sounds nice," Joyce said absentmindedly. She had gone back to following the trail of papers, her fingers danced across the mangled crayon markings. Halley wasn't totally sure she had heard anything she had said. Not really, at least.

"Yeah, well," she said, looking down at her own hands, "I'll, uh, I'll see you later then, Mom." Joyce nodded, her back still turned. "Right. Okay. Love you."

"I love you too, Baby." Yeah, it was an automatic response, and Joyce almost definitely didn't have to put any thought into having the words tumble from her coffee stained lips, but they still gave Halley a bit of relief. A warm, homey feeling. Like all of the mess they were in would dissipate, and eventually, everything would go back to normal.

But 'eventually' wasn't soon enough.

Jonathan had the car, and the brakes on her bike had finally worn out after the near decade she had it, so Halley was forced to walk into town.

While it wasn't ideal, it definitely could have been worse; at least she had her Walkman. She had attached it to the waist of her jeans, and was almost entirely sure that passerby could hear the melody to every song playing through her headphones.

Not that she passed many people. Most of them were hauled up at home, cleaning their houses to the extreme to impress or belittle extended family. Nancy used to tell her about the chaos that would ensue around Thanksgiving, when Karen would need everything pristine for Nana Wheeler to come over.

Halley used the think the whole idea was stupid. Why would people want to overcompensate their lives just to lie to their own family? But she started to understand as she grew up. She would do close to anything to show Lonnie how much better her life was after he left. Not that that needed a lot of lying.

It wasn't long before Halley stopped in front of her destination: Hawkin's library. Caroline took up longer shifts over the weekends, usually spanning from midmorning to late afternoon. The schedule was similar to Halley's at the arcade, which they planned. Making it so that on the hours they weren't working they could catch a drive in movie, or hang out with Caroline's friends—Who, at this point, were now probably considered Halley's friends as well.

Doris, the same woman who had been working when Halley burst through the doors the year before, thinking her brother had drowned, was officially the co-head librarian. And on good terms with Halley. Which was more than could be said for Dustin. As Doris had complained to the unassumingly proclaimed preteen wrangler that he had continuously ignored the limit of books allowed to be checked out at once.

"Halley!" Doris smiled, waving her over as she slid the due date slip into a large book, before handing it over to a curly haired kid. "Hi, Honey, how are you doing?" She rested her arms on the counter, leaning over to get a better look at the teen.

"I'm doing alright," she said, shifting her weight from leg to leg, "I'm actually here to see Carrie, is she around?"

Doris glanced back at the clock behind her. "She's just on her break, Dear. you can go see her, if you'd like. Just don't tell anyone that I let you back there." She jokingly winked before gesturing to the staff only room. Halley had been back there plenty of times during Caroline's shifts. So much so, that most of the other employees knew her well enough, and some of the newer ones thought she actually worked there.

Halley nodded, sliding over the counter to the clearly marked door: 'Not for public use'.

They had redecorated since she was there last. Instead of paper cut out bats and plastic pumpkins set up for Halloween, there were little turkey stuffed toys sitting around the room and large, classroom decals of pilgrims and Native Americans.

Caroline sat on the old couch, flipping through a well-worn copy of Jane Austen's Lady Susan.

"Hey, Carrie." Caroline jolted, looking up from her book. She laughed at herself, marking her spot in the book with an old ticket stump. Carefree as ever. It was a trait Halley envied to an extreme extent.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked, scooting over to make room for her on the couch.

She accepted the offer, dropping down beside the red head. They must have turned up the heat again, because Halley was hyper aware of the beads of sweat swelling on her forehead. She wiped them away, trying to focus on Caroline.

"I was at home," she finally said, leaning her head back on the mothball ridden fabric, "I think my brother's sick. Probably with something from his time in the... the woods, when he was missing." It was so easy for her to open up to Caroline. Sometimes even too much so. It was like whenever she was around her, Halley just couldn't stop herself from confiding in her. She was her rock.

Readjusting herself and pulling her legs up onto the couch to face Halley, Caroline sighed, a grimace pulling at her lips. "I'm sorry, Halles," she said, taking her hands, "I know that's gotta suck."

Her anxiety flatlined, and she let out a low breath. "Yeah. My mom's been really worried about him—I mean I've been too, of course," she added quickly, feeling her eyes open wider, subconsciously, as she faced Caroline. "I don't know. I just wish this would stop happening, you know? It's like, just as things are starting to feel like they're going back to normal, this happens. And Jonathan's off with Nancy somewhere so I can't even talk to him about it." she shook her head, looking back up to the ceiling. "Shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to dump all that on you."

Caroline slid closer to her, leaning her own head back, while turning to face her. "Hey. Don't be sorry," she said, feigning an angry face, "I said you could talk to me about whatever, and I meant it." she let out a puff of air, and Halley could feel her hot breath on her ear. "Now, we don't have to talk about all the bad things right now, if you don't want to, but we can talk about what Wheeler's doing with your brother," she laughed.

Letting out a small laugh of her own, Halley rolled her eyes, still staring into the dim, fluorescent lights. Caroline had never really liked Nancy, for undisclosed reasons, but she was very interested in whatever the eldest Wheeler was doing.

"Who knows?" Halley said, her left hand, now free from Caroline's grasp, twiddled with the wire to her headphones. "It's like the closer they get the more distant Jon and I are. And I mean that's probably selfish of me—I should be happy for him, I just miss him, I guess." She turned, facing Caroline. She was listening. Like actually interested in what she was saying. Her ocean eyes whirlpool, dragging her in. "I miss when things were normal," she whispered. Only inches away from the other girl.

"Yeah," Caroline breathed, her fingers tap dancing atop Halley's right hand, "I know how you feel." There was a small, almost sad smile then, that pressed her lips too thin to be genuine.

They stared at each other; Halley could feel the red head's pulse through her fingers. There was always an unspoken comfort between the two, where each girl had the ability to melt away any intrusive fears of the other. Halley felt safe around her.

"Carrie?" Halley muttered, watching the girl's eyelashes as they bounced with every blink, she leaned closer, forcing Halley's eyes to refocus. "I don't know where I'd be with you. I mean you've just been everything I've needed every time something's come up, and I just... I can't even imagine my life without y-"

She was cut with Caroline breaking the space between them, meeting her lips with her own. It was tender, soft, and so fucking terrifying. She was still. Stunned, completely. Caroline Cae was kissing her. Her best friend. Her hands reached up to cup her cheeks. It sent shivers down Halley's spine, with the gentle touch of each finger.

Lonnie's voice echoed through her ears.

You fucking homo.

She shoved herself away from Caroline. Hands shaking and cheeks red hot. Breathing heavily, she scrambled to the other end of the couch, her chin wavering.

"I gotta go," she said, moving to stand on shaky legs. Her heart was in her throat, her stomach in her feet, and it was hot as all fucking hell.

Caroline made a move to stand up but stopped as Halley violently flinched back. She reached out her hands, as if to show she wouldn't attack. "Halles, wait-"

"No!" Halley cried, fumbling over her feet as she backed up, "no. I'm not some kind of... some kind of queer, Caroline!" her voice was low, and she was focusing so hard on letting it crack. Jesus, she could just imagine her father walking in on them. Seeing her. He'd kill her. He would kill her.

The only noise in the room was the clock. The second hand ticking slowly, menacingly. She couldn't take it. The walls around her were starting to close in, and she could feel hands traveling her skin.

"I gotta go," she said again, barely realizing she had spoken at all. She was on autopilot, unable to decipher the commands her own brain was sending.

Her legs were moving, she knew that. And the door was getting closer. She was reaching for the knob. Teeth chattering, hands sweaty, she couldn't do this. Not now. Everything was just getting worse.

"Halley! What's the rush, Honey?" Doris had gone back to swiping books under her scanner, putting them on an already half full, black rolling cart.

Forcing herself to calm down, she gave a small, nonchalant smile, "I, uh, I just forgot I had to do something...for my mom. It was nice to see you, Doris." She didn't wait for a reply. She didn't wait for anything.

She needed to get the hell out. 

 

Chapter 46: children have bad ideas

Summary:

"𝑴𝒆?"

Notes:

Sorry it took so long to update, I had finals and had a nasty fallout with some (really terrible) ex friends. anyway...

Heart still beating wildly, Halley wandered through the heart of Hawkins, backtracking the trek she had taken only about half an hour ago. She needed to go home. Her brain was scattered, fried, and if anything else went wrong she didn't know if she could handle it.

"Halley?" She turned at the sound of her name. Her hands were shaking, worried that she was going to be confronted about what had happened. That somehow, someone had seen her. Them.

Lucas was pedaling toward her at a frantic speed. She stopped, letting him catch up to her.

"Hey." he came to a screeching halt in front of her, his face flush with the effort he had just put in. "I was, uh, I was on my way to your house, actually." He was half off his bike, with his feet on the ground, and was incredibly out of breath.

Figuring this was about her brother, Halley put on a fake smile, "Oh, yeah, Will's just—"

"No, no, I was coming for you." He had dismounted his bike, propping it up with the kickstand.

"Me?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you." he spoke as if it was obvious. It was not. Lucas sighed, rolling his eyes, "I need your help."

"Okay," she said, drawing out the word as if that would encourage him to further explain. He only stood there with wide eyes, waiting for a response. "Kid, I'm gonna need some more info."

"Right, yeah, obviously." He shook his head at himself, like he was trying to focus. This was the first time outside of a campaign that she had seen him so animated. "So, Max, right? She thinks we're jerks because we're keeping the whole... thing from her right," his voice got low, leaning closer to Halley to keep away any prying ears, "I want to tell her."

Halley stepped back, holding out a hand to stop him. "Woah. Hold on," she said, looking around. There was a woman on the other end of the street walking into a coffee shop; she didn't look at them. "Lucas, you remember what those guys told us." Even if he didn't, she did. And she remembered the threat they had given with full conviction. "I don't think government guys with guns are the best people to fu- mess around with."

Picking at a loose thread in his shirt, Lucas refrained from looking up at her. Halley wasn't naive though; she knew that he wouldn't give up that easily.

"I think she deserves to know. She's already seen two of Will's episodes and-"

Halley cut him off, "two? What?" She was well aware of what had happened at the school, she had been there after all. But what was the other one? She'd been under the assumption that she knew of every time there had been an episode. For the most part, Jonathan, Joyce or Halley were there for them, and when they weren't Will would, albeit, reluctantly, tell them about it. So when did this happen?

Lucas was stunned, almost like he was caught in a lie... Or a secret. "It was, uh, Halloween." he fiddled with his fingers, not completely meeting Halley's eyes, "we were trick or treating. Mike said he would take him home."

It wasn't that Halley was angry that Will hadn't gone to his family, obviously sometimes it was easier to find comfort in someone else, but what else had he been keeping from them? He was too much like her in that sense: hiding things.

"I just," Lucas said, bringing her back to the topic at hand, "I think she should know, so if something does happen, she's at least a little prepared." Halley was still half hooked on the thought of her brother, but still focused enough to realize that Lucas had a point. It was obvious something was still going on, and while she would try her damndest to keep the kids away from danger this time, she knew better to expect everything would go as planned.

"Okay."

Lucas stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out if she was messing with him or not. "Really?"

She nodded. "I don't think it's a good idea. I actually think it's a pretty bad one, if I'm honest—" Lucas went to interrupt but she held her hand up, shaking her head, "but if you think we should tell her then okay."

Clearly, he was not expecting her to get on board so quickly.

"Besides," she added, knocking his shoulder, "I have a feeling you'd do it whether or not I helped."

Kicking at the dirt on the sidewalk, Lucas didn't meet her eyes. She was right. Obviously. If she had learned nothing else last year, it was that the boys defied almost exactly what adults told them to do. Or more, what not to do.

"Alright, come on. What's the big plan, Kid?" she asked, offering a small smile when he looked up at her.

Lucas proceeded to only prove her right even more as he deep dived into a well thought out plan. Aside from a believable witness to attest to the whole ordeal, and maybe moral support, there was virtually no point for Halley. It was an in depth plan and part of her wondered if she was only a last minute addition to increase the probability of Max believing anything.

The two made their way to the arcade. Lucas walked his bike alongside Halley as he further explained, in immaculate detail, how the conversation would go down. She decided not to ask him how he knew what Max would say.

Despite the step by step instructions there were to make sure they weren't caught—meaning Lucas did, in fact, remember when the government men threatened—Halley couldn't help but feel her heart throb louder with every step. She was slightly hoping Max wouldn't show up at all, but she had worked long enough to notice just how frequently the redhead was at the arcade.

The building came into view, with only a few cars and an overflowing number of bikes.There were a few kids around Lucas's age coming through the door, laughing about something inaudible.

"You're absolutely sure about this, right?" Halley asked, trying not to make eye contact with anyone as they passed by flashing games and yelling kids.

Lucas nodded. "I can't stop now, I've already enlisted Keith."

Of course he did.

He makes them pass by Dig Dug, to make sure the sign had been put up. Lo and behold a bland 'OUT OF ORDER' sign was lazily taped to the screen in big, black letters.

Lucas was satisfied with it, and he took Halley to the staff room, while waiting for her to unlock the door.

Keith was sitting on the couch against the far wall; waiting for them, Halley assumed. Despite, of course, how he was supposed to be in the actual arcade, and accessible to the customers if they had any questions, or needed help. That was a rule that Keith rarely followed.

"Nice of you to actually show up for a shift," He said, stuffing his mouth with cheese puffs. His fingers were already stained a grainy orange.

Halley rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, well, I've had a lot going on. Family shit." Aside from the usual harping on her, Keith was overall very loose with enforcing her to come in. Especially if she gave him an explanation regarding her family. She didn't ditch work very often, only for emergencies, and he knew that.

"She's not here for a shift," Lucas said, jumping in. Keith was unsurprised. "She's uh, she's helping me with... what we were talking about."

Keith laughed, nearly choking on one of his cheese puffs. "Playing matchmaker, Byers?"

That definitely caught Halley off guard. She didn't know what to think Lucas had told Keith to get him on board, but it wasn't that.

"Yeah," she said, "yeah." She was looking to Lucas for help now, absolutely lost on what she was supposed to say then. Thankfully, he took the hint.

Coughing, he got Keith's attention, "You should get out there. See if she's here yet, right?"

He popped a puff into his mouth and wiped his oranged dusted fingers on his shirt. "Whatever." He let the door slam behind him, leaving Lucas and Halley in silence. A silence similar to that of which she and Caroline would sit in. an empty, noiseless room, filled only the other. She didn't want to think of Caroline.

Lucas had hoisted himself onto a messy desk. Pencils rolled to the ground, but neither of them reacted. "Do you think she'll take it okay enough?" he asked, starting to show a bit of hesitancy in his plan.

"I mean, how would you take it?" He didn't respond, but they both knew the answer. What they were planning to explain was insane. It was impossible, or, at least, it was supposed to be. To expect Max, who had no prior experience with The Lab and its creations, aside from the (apparently) two episodes from Will, was asking too much. At least in Halley's opinion.

Frankly, as terribly selfish as it sounded, If she didn't need a distraction, Halley would have definitely spent more time trying to deter Lucas. But she was just so frazzled from what happened with Caroline. She needed anything, anything, to keep her mind off of what happened. Because if she spent too much time thinking about it, she would surely understand the true gravity of the situation. And she didn't need that at the moment. No, thank you.

Lucas had hopped off the table, moving over to screw around with the controls of the second, glitchy to all hell, Digdug.

Finally, when it felt like the soft clinks and clanks from the machine were going to drive her over the edge, the door opened. Max stood in the doorway, her skateboard under her arm, not necessarily surprised, but definitely pissed. Lucas spared her an awkward smile.

"You better get me that date, Sinclair." Keith was pointing a cheese puff at the younger boy as if it was intimidating.

"I told you I would!"

Keith waved his hand, orange dust falling to the ground with every shake, "Keep things PG in here, all right?" He said, as if Halley wasn't standing right there. Sending a wink to Max, he closed the door.

It took Max a whopping second before turning on Lucas. "What the shit, stalker?"

"Sorry, I just needed a safe place," Lucas said, trying to keep his voice steady, but Halley could tell he didn't expect her to be so angry.

Max scoffed, crossing her arms as much as she could with the skateboard in the way. "A safe place to do what, be creepy?" so far, it wasn't looking good. Halley couldn't imagine Max sitting down and listening to them, let alone believe anything they said.

"Give him a chance, Kid," Halley said. Max turned to her, seeming to only just realize that it was more than only Lucas in the room. If anything, the older girl's presence only angered her more.

"Don't tell me you're in on this."

Trying to bring her attention back to him, Lucas put his hands out, trying to show he meant no harm. "Look. We're going to tell you what really happened last year. But if anyone finds out, you could be arrested." He paused, looking over at Halley, then back to Max, "possibly killed."

Max shook her head, melodramatically rolling her eyes. "Killed?"

Lucas didn't let her say anything else. "I need to know," he said, Max looked over at Halley, "do you accept the risk?" Halley nodded towards Lucas. They needed an answer.

"Oh my God." she said, lips curling in a confused grimace, "this is... this is so stupid."

With a step forward, Halley quickly stopped her before she could leave. "Do you accept the risk, Max?" Her voice was stronger than Lucas's, but not nearly as level.

That definitely caught her off guard. She stopped mid step, her right hand frozen in the air for a moment. "Yeah." she cleared her throat, looking anywhere but the two people in front of her. "Sure. fine." she took a step back, plopping down in an old chair Keith had stolen from a garage sale. "I accept the risk."

Halley was the last one standing, Lucas slipping back to his spot atop the desk. He was hesitating, for someone who had such a well thought out plan, he had no idea where to start.

So, she helped him out. "Last year," Halley said, picking at her already too-short nails, "My brother didn't get lost in the woods. He got lost... somewhere else." 

 

Chapter 47: shit hits the fan (again)

Summary:

"𝒃𝒖𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔,"

The fact that Max didn't believe them wasn't exactly surprising. Halley could've said that would've happened as soon as Lucas proposed his idea. But she went through with it, and now the kid thinks the two of them are insane.

However, it gave her a problem to fix, which was a good reason to not think about Caroline.

That was how she found herself standing at the Hargrove door. The only car out front was the Camero, so it was a safe bet that Mr. Hargrove was off at work.

She knocked. There was music inside; it was loud but not as loud as she would have expected. She knocked again.

A tall, red haired woman opened the door. She had a kind face but tired eyes. Susan already looked different than she did that first night Halley saw her at the middle school PTA meeting.

"Oh," She said, not exactly sounding excited to see her, "you must be one of Billy's friends."

Halley interrupted before she could call out to the boy. "No, actually. I'm here to see Max? Um, would it be alright if I came in?" Susan gave her a skeptical look, no doubt wondering why a high school senior was looking for her 13 year old. Still, she stepped aside and gestured for Halley to come inside.

"She's in her room." Susan waved toward the corner. There was the living room with a large bench press, and Billy. He was glaring at her. She tried not to pay attention to him.

Halley nodded. "Thanks." she waited for Susan to say something else. But there was nothing. Instead the woman nodded, and simply turned around and went back to what Halley assumed was the kitchen, by the way the smell of pot roast wafted from it.

She paused, momentarily thinking about bolting. Turning around and just leaving. But she couldn't do that. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself to find her way, only to find herself inches away from Billy. How he had snuck up on her, she wasn't sure, but she came face to chest with him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice gravelly, like an overprotective dog. Animalistic. She was once again uncomfortable with the close proximity. He reeked of sweat and a mix of chemical composed hairspray.

She took a step back, squaring her shoulders and staring right back at him. "I'm not here for you." she said, matter of factly. Maybe if she mirrored his own attitude, he would lose interest. No reaction meant nothing for him to play off of. Right?

With his hand reaching over her, resting on the door she had been backed into, he leaned over her. She was caged in now, forced to keep eye contact, or lose the unspoken contest between them.

"Really?" He said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" his voice was still low, but this time in a different way. It was quieter. Almost softer. And it was clear he was speaking so Susan couldn't hear.

Halley kept her composer. This was uncharted territory, and it was definitely not what she expected coming into the house. Though, considering the former run ins with Billy, it should have been obvious. She crossed her arms, she could feel her cheeks heating up, but was hoping he couldn't tell.

He could totally tell.

"You're nervous, Blondie." it wasn't a question. His figure relaxed, just slightly, elbow bent just a little bit, and he went from towering over her to simply looking down. This wasn't going where she thought it would. "Am I making you nervous?" A smirk twitched at his lips. He was teasing her. Well, fuck him.

He leaned forward, and she could smell his aftershave. She was surprised he used it. Billy's hand fell lower on the door, just above her shoulder, with his thumb resting in her loose hair. Her lip curled in an almost-snarl as she fought the urge to push him away.

"Bit presumptuous of you," she said, finally finding her words. She was struggling to keep her voice steady. Matching his volume as much as she could with her blood pounding in her ears. She was trying to convince him he was wrong, that she was absolutely not nervous. But they both knew that was a lie.

He laughed, not exactly maliciously, but it wasn't in good humor. "Is it now?" her bones were not built for this pressure, she could feel her knees practically liquifying. What was going on? "Because you're the one that keeps showing up at my house."

She licked her lips, trying to keep calm. She had never had someone make her so flustered before. Except for Caroline. But that was different. This was different.

"I-" she stammered, shifting her weight from leg to leg. He may have a point, she did keep coming to his house, but she had good reason too. And that reason had absolutely nothing to do with him. No way. "I'm just here for your sister."

Billy leaned forward, his lips nearly grazing her nose as he spoke. "Step-sister." she couldn't stop the shiver that shook through her from the feeling of his hot breath on her face. He was beyond pleased with himself, and she could see. He took a step back, letting his arm fall back to his side. "Maxine!" he yelled in a tauntingly sweet voice, never breaking eye contact with Halley; she flinched at the sudden shout. "Company!"

There was a loud slam from somewhere unseen. And in a few seconds a tumbleweed of red hair careened around the corner. "What?" she spat at first, though her demeanor only slightly changed when she noticed Halley. The older girl gave an awkward wave, despite still being oh so close to Billy.

Max took hesitant steps towards them, making sure to completely look over the situation at hand before joining the two.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes trailing over to Billy.

"She's here for you," Billy answered without giving Halley a chance. It was a sickening tone he used. Waiting to catch her in a lie. The motherfucker was as self-absorbed as he was hot.

With Max's disbelief filled eye roll, Halley finally found it in herself to push past Billy, using more force than necessary, but freeing herself from the proximity. "Can we talk? Please?" she asked, ignoring the way she could feel Billy's eyes from behind her.

"Fine." Max said, after an uncomfortable pause, her eyes had traveled behind Halley and a silent conversation seemed to pass over her face. It wasn't hard to assume Billy was somehow fighting with her. "Follow me." She spared a glare at the outlier in the room, an unspoken, 'stay away', and led Halley back to where she had appeared from.

The layout of the house was slightly similar to that of her own. But the Hargrove floor plan was far bigger. Though, Halley was still surprised at the size of Max's room. It was larger than her own, and something told her she hadn't gotten the largest bedroom like Halley had.

There was a full-size bed with a colorful comforter and a wicker headboard. Next to it was a bookshelf, haphazardly filled with Max's things: a Coca Cola six pack, some books, and a few tapes. There were clothes on the ground, but it wasn't messy.

Halley noticed a few comic books on her nightstand table. "Wonder Woman," she pointed out, smiling, "she's one of my favorites." Max didn't smile back. Instead, she took a seat on her bed and looked at her expectantly, and fairly angry.

"What are you doing here, Halley?" she asked again, crossing her arms. Directly behind her was a shadowing figure of a girl skateboarding. Halley wondered where Max's skateboard was.

"I wanted to... check in. After telling you everything." She fiddled with her fingers, trying to decide if she should sit down or not. She stayed standing. "It's hard to understand, and it sounds crazy, I know."

Max laughed. Not cruelly, but it wasn't exactly of belief either. "Yeah. It is crazy. And you two are crazy to think I'd fall for it."

Halley took a deep breath. "Mike mentioned El. When you all were looking for Dustin's lizard thing. He called her their mage, and you said that you could be their zoomer." she tilted on her feet, balancing back and forth from toe to heel. Heel to toe.

"So Mike's talking shit, then?" her face twitched slightly, but for the most part she kept a neutral expression.

"No, Max, I- I can't really explain it, but I heard it. The conversation. But, in my head. I was on the other side of the school— ask Lucas, but I could see you two talking." She kicked at an old homework paper on the floor. "I know that this sounds like something from an X-men comic, or one of those Star Wars movies, but I'm telling the truth." She held out her hand, a thin white line etched into her skin, standing out like a sore thumb. "I got this the night we got Will back. Mike's sister, and Jonathan, my brother— we all have them."

"Like some sort of blood brothers? What is this, a cult?" Max scoffed, starting to get up. She looked ready to throw Halley out.

"Wait. Just," she paused, trying to think, she was just making things worse at this point, making Max second guess her even more. "This. I got it when I went into that place. The Upside Down." She pulled the neckline of her shirt down from her shoulder, revealing the long scars from the talons of the Demogorgon.

Max stared at them. Slowly sitting back down. "That's not a cat scratch," she muttered. Halley let go of her shirt, and it fell back, unevenly, to her neck.

"This is a dangerous thing," Halley said, "and I understand if you don't want to believe it, or if you want to distance yourself, but you can't tell anyone. And you can't let on to anyone that you know. Okay? Just... just promise me you'll be careful. Please."

"Okay," she said, seeming to take in the importance of the situation. "I will."

Halley nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. "Good. Thank you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I still think you're insane," Max said pointedly, messing with the fringe on one of her blankets. "But I guess if you were looking for some sacrifice for a cult or something, you would have already taken me."

"I can promise you that I'm not in a cult," Halley tested out a smile, and to her surprise Max chuckled slightly. "Sorry about showing up out of the blue, I'll, uh, let you get back to whatever you were doing." She took one last look at Max, sitting in her room, still unaware of what was out there, or, at least in denial of it. Halley didn't know what she would do if she let anything happen to that little girl.

Closing the door and shutting the wall between her and Max was harder than it should have been. It was like it was solidifying what she and Lucas had done. Max knew. And it was only a matter of time before she was in danger too. You could only stay safe for so long.

The music from the living room had been turned off, and there were no clanging sounds coming from the bench press she had seen before. Instead, it was quiet. Halley could barely even hear Susan moving around in the kitchen.

A rumbling engine explained the sudden change in atmosphere. Neil. Her heart skipped at the thought. Remembering how it had been so similar with her own father. How Jonathan and Halley would hide away with Will in one of their rooms while Joyce was still off at work.

The thought of Lonnie made her throat seize up. Thinking about him made her think about what he would do. What he would do if he found out. About Caroline. About what happened in the library.

Halley's heart was beating too quickly, and her hands were shaking.

Billy Idol's Rebel Yell was playing behind a closed door. Not blasting, but loud enough. It was Billy's room. It had to be.

Without thinking, Halley opened the door.

Billy looked up. He was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling, on his bed. To say he was surprised to see her was an understatement. Halley was frozen in the doorway, not sure what she was supposed to do. Why had she even opened that goddamn door?

"Tell me about California?" she breathed out in a shaky laugh.

Billy, hardass, narcissistic, dickbag Billy, took one look at her and nodded.

She took a hesitant step forward, pulling the door shut behind her. When she realized that Billy, for whatever reason, was no longer trying to get in her pants, she let herself fall down next to him on the bed.

"It's hot." his voice carried in the room, despite the chorus floating through the air around them. "California," he clarified. He wasn't looking at her. Instead, his attention was focused on a poster across the room. It was a sandy beach, with glowing palm trees and a clear blue sky. It was a stark contrast to the hair band posters scattered across the walls.

"You swim a lot?" Halley asked, watching how Billy's face stuttered at the question. Like he was about to smile but decided against it. He still wasn't looking at her, but she found it was extremely calming to watch the little jerks his muscles gave involuntarily. She was hyper aware of how close they were, but it wasn't in a bad way.

After a second, Billy answered, he shook his head, his curls bouncing in one large mass. "I surfed." he didn't say anything else.

Halley nodded, though he couldn't see her. The air came to a standstill as the song ended. The final thrum of the drums leading off into nothingness. Halley was still shaking.

"I used to swim." He didn't ask her, but the silence was just letting her mind wander to Neil, to Lonnie. "Sophomore and Junior year. I used to be pretty good. I was the captain of our team even," she paused, taking a deep breath. "But, you know, shit happens." Her voice faded off, and that was when Billy turned to look at her.

His eyebrows furrowed, taking in the girl in front of him.

"Why are you here, Blondie?" It was oddly kind. Tired, definitely, but nice.

Halley looked down at the chain on his neck, askew, thanks to them lying down. It dipped below his shirt before she could see what was attached. She looked back up at him. His eyes were piercing. "Sometimes you just need a distraction, you know?" she whispered, watching his eyelashes as he blinked. "When life is just so fucking shit, you just need a, you just need to—" she couldn't help herself, she broke the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

She took handfuls of his hair, anchoring herself. He tasted like Marlboros.

He cupped her cheeks in his hands, his palms were rough, calloused, and blistered. His leg wrapped around her own, drawing her closer.

Halley broke away. Her hands falling away from Billy's hair to his chest, keeping him at arm's length. She was going to be sick.

She stumbled off the bed. Billy began to follow, but she held out her hands, shaking her head. "No, no, I'm sorry. Fuck, I'm so sorry." she wrapped her arms around herself. "This was a mistake, I need— I need to go."

 

Chapter 48: Lucas's brilliant idea... again

Summary:

"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒙, 𝒉𝒖𝒉?"

Notes:

TW: brief mentions of homophobia

From a young age, Lonnie had made it very clear that he would prefer a slut to a homo. Coming to the 'Welcome to the World' section in the paper over breakfast, he would make offhanded comments on how he would never support a baby if Halley came home pregnant before marriage, especially, if she was still in high school. But that was nothing compared to what he would say when he reached the news on the rising AIDS epidemic.

He had it drilled into Halley and her brothers' heads that if any of them were gay, they would not be welcomed under his house, and would most certainly be condemned to Hell. For a man that never went to Sunday Mass, he claimed to know a whole lot about what God did and didn't like.

Maybe that was the reason none of the Byers kids never really felt a connection with the religion that seemed to be such a holy concept to the town. Lonnie had weaponized it, twisted it into his own words despite never listening to its origins. She couldn't speak for her brothers, but the idea of worshiping something, or someone, that was tainted by father was nearly sickening.

As much as she hated to admit it. Lonnie had a lasting effect on her. His words still echoed through her head and dictated her life subconsciously.

Which explained why she had slept in the staff room at the arcade.

She couldn't go home, not yet. Everything was spiraling and as terrible and self centered as it sounded, she couldn't add more problems to her plate.

It wasn't the first time someone had crashed at the arcade. Keith used to do it a lot, actually, when he would get too high at work and had to wait for it to wear off before he faced his parents. Halley had never needed to.

While she expected the experience to be less than great, she wasn't ready for how completely shitty it was.

Hidden up in the ceiling tiles was an old air mattress. Like, really old. She used the air pump they kept around to help kids with bike flats. It took longer than she would have liked to admit.

The practically antique mattress had a horrific smell of sweat and mildew, and it was a miracle there weren't any holes in it. Finding a few old employee t-shirts, she laid them down in an attempt to buffer herself from the material. It didn't exactly work.

She woke up in the morning with a killing strain in her neck, and sweating her ass off.

It was well past 10 at that point, and someone was pounding on the singular window the staff room had. Halley groaned. The arcade didn't even open until noon on Sundays. She pushed herself off the ground, trying to stretch out her back, and cringing at the loud pops it made.

The window was sheathed with some old shitty blinds that were in desperate need of replacing, but no one had gotten around to it. To be honest, Halley wasn't sure anyone ever would.

Pushing the yellowing blinds to the side, Halley found herself looking down at Lucas. He wore an impatient expression.

She pulled the window open. The screen had either fallen out or been torn out—Halley didn't really know—a while ago. "What are you doing here?" she asked, running a hand through her wild hair.

Lucas scoffed. "Did you sleep here?"

Halley took a deep breath and blew it out through her teeth. She gave a hollow laugh. "Oh, yeah," she tried to smile, "I forgot something here yesterday and I totally fell asleep." It was such a horrible lie Halley was surprised he didn't call her out on it right then and there. Instead, Lucas only nodded, he was preoccupied, which, honestly, was probably better for Halley. At the least, it meant less explaining on her part.

"Are you busy?" he asked, dropping the subject. Hesitantly, she shook her head. "Okay, good." She waited for him to say more. He didn't.

"Did you need help with something?" she asked, trying to prompt him to say more.

He nodded. "I have proof."

"Proof?"

"For Max. We just need to get her to the old junkyard."

Halley needed to stop asking him questions. It seemed like whenever she needed clarification she had only wished she had turned right around and allowed herself to leave in confusion. But no. Now she was stuck in the absolute shitstorm. Again.

She was already climbing out the window.

"You don't have your car here, do you?" he asked hopefully. Halley raised an eyebrow at him, not realizing as her ankle caught on the sill and she tripped out onto the ground.

Catching herself before she took a face full of dirt, she genuinely considered just staying put. Simply ignoring any and all things related to last year. It could be so easy. It should be, but over the last few months she had found it was impossible to try and pretend things didn't happen.

"Right, obviously not." he scratched the back of his head. "What about a bike?"

Halley, still trying to smudge away the grass stains on her pants, sighed. "Lucas, do you see a bike?" the boy looked around, as if he thought he would actually spot one leaning against the side of the wall. He didn't.

Looking down at her ratty sneakers, he gave an almost apologetic smile. "You're a fast runner, right?"

If any part of her thought that answering 'no' would have gotten them out of whatever danger Lucas was going to jump head first into, she would have shouted the word at the top of her lungs. But she knew that it wouldn't stop anything.

Which, of course, is how she wound up jogging behind him as he set the pace on his bike. She knew where they were going; he didn't need to tell her.

Running wasn't exactly helping the strangled feeling in her lungs—the one that just seemed to worsen with every step closer to the Hargrove house they took.

It was stupid. So fucking stupid. She didn't even know why she had stayed in the house to begin with. As soon as she had heard Mr. Hargrove, she should have left. She'd made up excuses before, talking about homework and absences. It would have been so simple. It should have been simple.

But she just had to stay. So worried about Lonnie, who, from the last time she checked, was hours away in another town. It wasn't as if the man would even be thinking about her, either. But for some reason she had filled her mind so much with the prenotion of her estranged father finding out she had kissed—had been kissed by—a girl, that she panicked. Froze.

Though, for some godforsaken reason, she thought slipping into Billy's room was the right move. As if he was a healthy way of dealing with the mental shutdown she had been experiencing. It was stupid, self destrustive, and exactly what Lonnie would say she would do— run at the slightest inconvenience. Whore her way out of a problem.

"Let me do the talking, okay?" Lucas said, stopping them on the sidewalk a few houses before their destination.

Halley stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "Okay."

He knocked on the door. They could hear music blaring from inside, and Halley prayed that Billy wasn't the one who opened the door.

Surprisingly, it seemed as though someone actually heard her prayers. Max opened the door, her eyes going wide when she saw Lucas, and quickly slipped out.

"What are you doing here?" her voice was rushed and she sounded genuinely worried.

Lucas, though, didn't pick up on the social cue. "I have proof."

Max blinked. "What?"

"Proof that what I told you," he paused looking back at Halley, "what we told you, is real. But we have to hurry." They stared at each other for a moment, Lucas, with his hopeful, almost pleading look, and Max, looking just as cynical as always.

"What kind of proof?" she finally said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll explain on the way, promise. But we have to go." Lucas nudged Halley, and she responded with a halfass nod. She was almost as in the dark as Max was, and her anxiety was spiking with the unknown.

"What are you talking about? Go where?" she questioned.

Lucas wasn't letting up, though. "Just come on. Please."

A pause, some sort of intestine staring contest between the two preteens. Until finally: "Fine." Max gave in, not looking at Lucas, "Go wait by my window, behind the house." she didn't wait for an answer, before she quickly slipped back inside, barely opening the door wide enough to squeeze herself through.

Halley knew the act was to mostly shield Lucas from Billy's nosy eyes, but she couldn't shake the relieved feeling of not having to face the blond. Not after the day before.

Frankly, she would be perfectly fine never facing him again.

"Come on, we don't want to be seen," she said, leading Lucas around the corner of the house, there was only one window without a screen, and they assumed that it was the one Max was talking about.

There was a firewood storage structure strategically placed on the ground; a stepping stone to sneaking in and out. Halley wondered how often Max had snuck out of the house. She hadn't been in Hawkins for too long, and yet the screen was off the window and she had a clear escape route.

Halley tried to focus on something else.

"You and Max, huh?" she said, nudging at Lucas. He was still gripping the handlebars on his bike, and waiting extremely impatiently. He paled at the question.

"W-what? No! No, it's not like that," he stuttered, looking down at his hands, and picking at the rubber beneath his fingers. "I just... want her to know what she's in for," he shrugged, then quickly added, "you know, if she's gonna be part of the party and all."

"Oh, uh huh, sure." Halley laughed, nudging his shoulder. Lucas's cheeks turned a dark shade of red, and he turned away from her muttering about keeping watch.

After a few moments of bated waiting, the windowpane slid up and a cascade of red hair fell out. Lucas pushed in front of Halley, still straddling his bike. "Come on," he said, looking up at her, "hop on." Halley neglected to mention the fact that she had nothing other than her two feet.

Max dropped from her window, landing on the ground with a soft thud. She quickly slung one leg over the bike, sitting on the back of the seat. She kept her feet up, and took hold of Lucas's shoulders. "This better be good, Stalker."

Without responding, Lucas took off pedaling.

Halley had no choice but to follow.

 

Chapter 49: bad advice (seriously steve?)

Summary:

"𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌?"

"Halley?"

She looked up at the sound of her name. It wasn't Lucas or Max, who at that point had dismounted Lucas's bike and were walking a few feet in front of her.

Halley had been stuck third wheeling—no matter what Lucas would say— the two of them for the past hour. Listening to them talk about Troy Walsh, and science, and skateboarding, and the arcade; as much as she loved Lucas, she was ready to ditch him.

Standing side by side a few feet in front of them, was Dustin and Steve.

"Lucas, what the fuck is going on?" Halley asked. This was absolutely not what she was expecting when he said he had proof. Granted, she didn't know what she was expecting, but it was not this.

"I got the code red," he said simply, starting down the hill with Max.

"He got the code red," Halley muttered to herself, trailing behind them. "You know, a heads up would have been nice."

Lucas didn't get the chance to respond, because Dustin snatched his arm and led him behind an abandoned car carcass. Leaving Max, Halley, and Steve. And none of the three had the full story.

"We're uh, we're reinforcing the bus," Steve said. He gestured over to the same school bus Hopper and Halley had found the boys in last year. The memory wasn't exactly a happy one.

Max, seeming to jump at the opportunity of getting away nodded like she understood, and went off to grab large slabs of metal scattered around the junkyard. Leaving Steve and Halley.

"You wanna check out the inside? Load up the supplies?" Steve suggested, already beginning to take off in the opposite direction. Halley sighed. It didn't look like she had much of a choice.

Begrudgingly, she pushed through the doors. The bus was similar to how she remembered it. Old. run down. Overall: not her first choice in a bunker. Regardless, she continued down the aisle.

"What if it's a trick?"

She whipped around, scanning the seats. "Mike?" she asked, but the seats were empty.

"But it's your sister!"

"Lucas?" there was still no one there.

"What if the bad people kidnapped her?"

Halley stopped mid step. The bad people? Isn't that what they called the government men from the lab?

Last year, when they were looking for the boys and El. Trying to contact them with Will's Walkie. That doesn't make any sense, though.

"But doesn't it, Halley?"

She jumped at the new voice. It was lower, gravely. Halley hadn't heard it before. "What the fuck?" she whispered, her fingers digging into the plastic of the chain beside her. Trying to keep her breathing steady she slowly surveyed around herself. No one was there. No one.

"Not that you can see."

Halley gulped. "What do you want?" she asked.

"You'll see."

She was plunged into darkness. Back to the emptiness she had found herself in during her talk with El. but it was different this time. Instead of the cabin in the woods, there was a large building. Hawkins Lab. But why was she seeing the lab?

"Hello?" She shouted, watching as the liquid-y ground below her rippled. Her hands tingled at her sides. Stranded in the emptiness was only a step above flashing back to the Upside Down. Regardless, she didn't want to be there. "Steve?" she called hopelessly. No one could hear her. No one that wasn't in the emptiness.

Without any desire to, she began her hasty walk to the large front doors. With each step, out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her surroundings glimmer into existence. A fence, a car, a lamppost. Nothing too intricate.

Pushing on the door, it opened with an eerie creek. It only led into another layer of nothing. But further into the distance, there was a light, and the soft sound of voices. Halley crept towards it.

"He doesn't want me to see there." Will's voice reverberated through the emptiness. He stood with a group of doctors behind him, pointing at something on a table. It looked like the drawings they had just taped around their house.

The drawings weren't her main concern, though. Why was Will in Hawkins' lab? And why was he in a hospital gown?

The doctors talked behind him, a noiseless chatter that Halley's ears couldn't comprehend. They faded into the background as Will's figure grew clearer. He looked tired. Large eyebags sagging deep into his skin, and a pale face— Paler than usual.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Mike appeared next to him, putting an arm around Will's shoulder and guiding him away from the pictures. Why was Mike with them? What had happened?

Mike started to lead the two away from the table, walking straight through her in the process.

"Halley?"

She jumped at her name, hoping that Mike or Will had actually seen her. But when she turned around, both the boys were gone.

The chairs she had assumed that had been sitting shimmered as they slowly disappeared as well, similar to the table the pictures were on. She glanced down at her hands, finding herself not exempt from fading away.

"Hello?" she cried out worriedly, trying to find anyone. Even if they couldn't see her. "Is someone out there!" she was backtracking her steps from before. Attempting to find her way back to the initial front door of the building.

But it was like with every step she took, her body grew heavier and heavier. Her feet were dragging on the ground, but when she looked down, she found her legs nearly completely gone.

"Halley!"

Her eyes snapped open, coming nearly nose to nose with Steve. His hands were on her shoulders in a hold strong enough to tell her she was out for longer than it felt.

"Was that... one of those flashbacks?" he asked, after being able to catch her eyes. His hands let up on her, but they still held tight.

She was quiet for a moment, still trying to figure out herself. It was different than when she had seen El. And she hadn't heard that disembodied voice before.

"No," she said finally. "This was different." She broke away from Steve. Glancing around. It was only them in the bus. "I don't know what it was. But it wasn't a flashback."

A crash sounded from outside, followed by the sound of three people arguing.

"We can talk about it later. It's... it's not important right now." She didn't wait for Steve to answer. Instead, she pushed her way out of the bus to find Max, Lucas, and Dustin holding a ladder.

"There you are," Lucas said, rolling his eyes, "thanks for all your help." She forced herself to laugh, messing up his hair as she offered to help with the ladder.

They brought it around to the back of the bus, guiding it through the emergency door at the back and through one of the ceiling exits. Max pulled at it, making sure it was sturdy, and stepped back, giving a small smile.

The sun outside was already more than halfway set, making the junkyard a dark orange color, and the inside of the bus even darker. The five of them had taken camp at the back portion of the vehicle. Where the seats had been uprooted, turned, and stolen all together.

It gave them enough room to spread out their legs and keep their supplies close.

They sat in an awkward silence. All looking at anything other than the people in front of them. Waiting for the sun to completely set and hoping to God that their base would hold up under an anticipated attack.

"So, uh," Dustin said, gaining everyone's attention. He was focusing more on Halley, occasionally glancing at Max as well, "We found Dart." He messed with the bottom of his shirt, looking as if he was debating whether or not he should go on. "He sort of turned into a demogorgon, kind of."

"He what?" Halley said, not missing a beat. She had known something was off with that thing the first time she had seen it. Back in middle school, when Will was so obviously uncomfortable with the slimy motherfucker. Of course, it was a demogorgon. Of course, it was another thing from the Upside Down haunting her.

"He also ate my cat."

"Mews?" she muttered, feeling a sting in her chest. That cat had no reason to be dragged into this mess, and absolutely did not deserve such a horrid ending.

Max cleared her throat. Effectively ending the Mews topic. "What the hell is a 'demogorgon'?" she asked, turning to Lucas.

"That's what took Will last year." He said, glancing at Halley.

She stopped him, interrupting before he could continue, "what we think took him. They're these big creatures, like monsters. They fight to kill." she tried not to think about the thing on top of her. Trying to forget the feeling of it holding her against the ground—

"Sinclair," Steve said suddenly, ripping Halley away from her thoughts, "Keep watch, let us know when it gets close." He gestured to the ladder and the ceiling's open hatch. Lucas nodded, pushing himself up from his perch in the corner with Max. Slowly, he clambered up the ladder.

The sky had completely darkened in the past twenty or so minutes. Leaving the group on an ominously quiet night. Fog was rolling in across the ground, and the stars were already beginning to make an appearance. The whole ordeal was extremely unsettling.

Steve sat with his back against the bus, flicking the cap to a lighter on and off. On and off. For a while, the snap of the metal was the only sound that could be heard.

"So," Max said, glancing hesitantly at Steve, "you've fought one of these before?" Steve looked to his lighter, pursing his lips and giving a solemn nod. It was weird seeing him so serious. "And you're, like, one hundred percent sure it wasn't a bear?"

Dustin, pacing back and forth across about 2 feet of bus, spoke up before Steve could defend himself. "Shit. Don't be an idiot. Okay? It wasn't a bear." A pregnant pause, and then: "why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home."

Pushing herself up, Max rolled her eyes. "Geez, someone's cranky." she kicked at the ground, "past your bedtime?" The jab was given halfheartedly, and Max simply pulled herself up the ladder and disappeared through the ceiling.

"That's good. Just show her you don't care," Steve said nonchalantly, as if this had been something the two of them had practiced.

"I don't." Dustin slumped down where Max had been sitting only moments prior.

Halley waved her hands, getting the attention of the two boys. "I'm sorry, can someone explain whatever that was, and why you're being such a bitch to Max?"

"I was just helping Henderson with some girl troubles," Steve said, gesturing over to Dustin.

"Why are you winking, Steve? Stop."

"Oh Jesus. Girl advice? Since when is Steve a reliable source?" Halley said, glaring at the man in question. "You told him being a dick would help?"

Seeming to be shocked by the sudden callout, Steve shook his head. "Woah, all I said was to play hard to get, show her he doesn't care."

Halley rolled her eyes. "God that's total bull—" she paused, biting her tongue, "That's idiotic. And a load of crap." If Steve noticed her initial wording, he didn't let on.

"Oh, okay, but I'm sure you have some shitty advice that's supposed to make everything perfect, right?" Steve challenged, raising his eyebrows. Halley positioned herself across from him on the floor, letting her head rest on one of the old seats.

"No," she said, letting out a long huff of air, "but I wouldn't suggest being mean."

"Oh, yeah. Wow, look at that, Henderson, you've got your solution." Steve stretched out his legs, ignoring the two middle fingers Halley was flipping him.

"Fuck off. All I'm saying is that you should be nice to the girl you're trying to get with."

Their argument was effectively cut off by a low, guttural growl coming from outside the bus. Halley and Steve both jumped from the ground, crowding each other at the grated window. Dustin pushed his way in between them.

"Do you see it?" Steve whispered; his face nearly pressed against the window trying to make anything out of the fog. Halley mutely shook her head. Scanning the other direction.

Dustin took a step back and turned up to the ladder. "Lucas! What's going on out there?" he yelled. They waited on bated breath for a response.

"Hold on!" was all that came back. Not exactly what they were looking for.

Halley relinquished her spot at the window to Steve, stepped back and took stock of the weapons available to her. She wished she had her gun. It didn't do anything against the demogorgons, and she doubted it would do anything against whatever was out there now, but it was a good distraction last year.

She could vaguely make out Lucas shouting down to them, but for the most part, she had tuned everything out. It was her, and whatever would be their best chance at survival. If it came down to it.

"Halley!" Dustin cried, yanking at her arm. She dropped everything at the desperation in his voice.

Facing him, she was only then able to see Steve just out of the corner of her eye. Through the window. Outside of the bus.

"What the actual fuck?" she looked down to Dustin, but he had no response. "Jesus, oh my God."

Steve was taking short, calculated steps through the fog. Twirling his formerly claimed nail bait as if he was getting ready to step up to home base. He was putting up the tough guy act, Halley could tell.

She and Dustin stood noses to the window watching on bated breath. The latter of the two stepped back at the sound of someone coming down from the top of the bus, but Halley watched religiously, terrified to take her eyes off of Steve.

"What's he doing?" Max's voice rang through the near silent bus.

"Expanding the menu."

God, that psycho. Of course, he would do something like that. He just had to play the hero, didn't he?

Max squished up beside Halley as she too looked out at the idiot baiting death. "He's insane," she said.

"He's awesome," Dustin corrected, and while Halley's attention was entirely on Steve and his growing proximity to the murderous other-dimension creature, she could still hear the smile on the younger boy's face.

Standing in a ready stance, Steve swung the bat back and forth, readying himself for a pounce. At that point, Halley and the others could see the silhouette of the not-quite-demogorgon. It was standing on all fours and seemed to be stuck in a standoff with Steve.

Halley's heart was beating wildly, and she could feel her hands start to sweat. Her head was spinning, and the corners of her vision were getting fuzzy. In the back of her head, she could hear a soft buzz, almost like voices. She fought against them, trying to keep herself centered in where she was in the current moment.

With Lucas's shrieking voice, it was getting significantly easier.

"Steve! Steve, watch out!" He shouted. Halley, for the first time, let her eyes wander from the initial attraction. And sure enough, a few cars over from where Steve stood, was a second creature, looking about ready to attack. This was about the farthest thing from good.

"Oh my god," Max muttered, stepping back from the window.

Halley's fingers were tingling, and the built-up energy inside her was threatening to explode. In a split-second decision, she grabbed a rusty knife from the pile of prospective 'weapons.

"I don't care what happens out there," She started, glancing back out the window before looking at Dustin again, she needed to hurry. "You stay in the bus."

"Three o'clock! Steve!" Lucas yelled from above them.

About ready to pass out, Halley gave one last killer look toward the two kids before stepping off the bus. 

 

Chapter 50: letting him in

Summary:

"𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆,"

Notes:

I LIVE BITCH

sorry for the long wait I was insanely busy... move into college like 3000 miles away from home and it's def a new ordeal. anyway, enjoy the chapter :) <3

She shouldn't be doing this. It was a bad idea, and the probability of her coming out of it unharmed was close to none. But she'd be damned if something happened to Steve without trying her hardest to stop it. Especially if something happened in front of the kids.

It was like time was moving in slow motion. Halley's eyes scanned from one end of the junkyard, where Steve was facing off the first semi-demogorgon, and slowly falling over to the second, unaccounted for, creature.

In less than two seconds, the latter was advancing on Steve; Halley found herself kickstarted into action. And without realizing it, had begun to sprint towards the thing. Tackling the beast head on only a moment before it could reach its target. It was pretty much the worst possible situation she could be in, and she had to keep reminding herself that she was in real Hawkins. Not the Upside Down's version.

She could vaguely make out Steve screaming her name, but she was far more occupied with wrestling with the interdimensional whatever-the-fuck that was on top of her. Its talons were just as sharp as she remembered, but she was more prepared this time, slicing at its limbs before it had time to slice at her.

It hissed in her face. Screaming with its hot, deathly breath against her nose. The petals around its head extended revealing the rows and rows of teeth. Halley froze. It was going to happen again.

"Use the knife! Use the knife, Goddamnit it, Halley!" Dustin was shouting at her, and the thought of him seeing this god forsaken thing win and overtake her was enough to fuel her to use whatever strength she could muster and push it off her body. She stabbed at it, trying in vain to kill the son of a bitch, but it just kept getting back up.

She dodged flying claws, trying desperately to rip into her flesh like a satanic birthday present. It was taking most of her energy to keep herself upright, trying not to focus on the dull ache reverberating through her body after taking the hard fall to the ground.

Her arms shook as she slashed at the air in front of her. The creature was only going to be kept at bay for so long, and at the rate things were going, it wasn't actually going to be long.

With the grainy sound starting back up in her mind, it was getting increasingly harder to stay on task. The ground below her felt as if it was giving out, and she felt like she was falling, still trying to keep the monster away from her. And Steve.

It was like the feeling of falling right as you're about to fall asleep. Except, this time, Halley didn't jolt awake. She didn't thrash around to find herself in her bed, or kicking off the covers in a hurry.

"Halley!" Steve was beside her now, grabbing her wrist with one hand and swinging the bat hard against the thing in front of her with the other. The buzzing stopped again, and she was able to fully come back to the current happenings.

They were running now, with the beasts just barely missing their heels. The kids were sticking their heads out of the bus door, gesturing at them to hurry up, yelling at them to run faster. Halley wanted to yell back that she was trying, but her lungs were very much occupied with pumping enough oxygen through her system to actually make it to the shelter.

Steve practically pushed Halley through the kids when they finally made it to the bus, following close behind her with a running leap. He yanked the door shut, grabbing one of the spare slabs of metal and holding it against one of the broken panes with his foot. The kids were freaking out behind him.

"They can't get in, they can't get in!" Lucas was shouting, seeming to be trying to convince himself more than do anything else. He and Dustin stood side by side, clinging to one of the few still in place seats in the bus, cringing at every slam that came from the creatures throwing themselves against the exterior walls.

The bus shook with the sheer force from the otherworldly monsters, and after so much, a second pane gave way. Steve slid backwards, but wasted no time in regaining his composure, grabbing the bat, once again, and swinging away at the intruders.

Halley followed the kids as they careened to the back of the bus, shoving Lucas and Max behind her into a corner, and standing in a fighting position, with her knife at the ready. "It's gonna be okay." her voice was steady, and for one of the first times that day, she sounded sure of something. Because she would not let these things get to the kids. Not again.

Dustin gave a cry of anguish, trying to reach anyone with the walkies a few seats in front of where Halley was keeping guard. He was yelling her brother's name. But she knew he wasn't going to respond.

"We're at the old junkyard," Dustin shouted, holding the walkie centimeters away from his mouth, "and we are going to die."

"We are not going to die," Halley said, though she doubted he was even listening to her. She had hesitantly stepped away from Max and Lucas after realizing Steve had a handle on the breach at the door, which seemed to be the only imminent danger. Obviously, not considering the swarm of semi-demogorgons threatening to break into the bus—because that was still a threat. But they were outside, and Halley and the kids were inside.

Without warning, Max started screaming. Halley leapt into action before realizing what was going on, knocking the redhead back behind her and holding her measly weapon out in front of her.

It was then she discovered what had scared Max. One of the creatures had found their weakness. Their kryptonite. Their open ceiling hatches.

"Stand back!" she shouted, not taking her eyes off of the thing. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch, I swear to God I'll do it."

The thing stood back, taking its two front limbs off of the top rung of the ladder. It paused, almost as if it was looking at Halley, then let out a horrific, ground-shakingly low growl, and leapt from the top of the bus. From inside the shelter, Halley could make out a stampede getting quieter and quieter.

The five stood there. In complete silence, as they listened to the stomping and growling dwindle.

"What happened?" Max finally asked. Looking from Lucas, to Dustin, to Halley.

"You scared them off?" Dustin offered, looking at the two older teens. Steve shook his head. Slowly, and ever so hesitantly pushing the door open. He stepped out, looking around at the empty junk yard.

He kept his bat over his shoulder, just in case, "No." he looked back at them, "they're going somewhere else."

Halley broke free from the kids, joining Steve in the open air. Sure enough, she could just barely make out the hoard of creatures running straight through the woods.

She had a sneaking suspicion on where they were going, and the thought made her stomach sink.

"What, what do we do?" Lucas asked, not yet exiting the bus.

Steve let his bat fall to a looser grip, knocking it against the ground a few times, as if he was going to actually hit a baseball. "We follow them," he said, nodding to himself, "but first, we recoup."

Following them was a bad idea. Steve and Halley both knew that, but they also knew that they were the only ones who would do anything about the new infestation. Not to mention, they were some of the few people that knew that this kind of infestation existed.

Halley, of all people, did not want to run after the things into the unknown, because, in her mind, it was very, very far from 'unknown'. And if they really were running straight toward the lab, then something was definitely wrong. Part of her was worried it was about Will. That, maybe, those visions she had been getting, and those voices she had been hearing weren't total bullshit. That they meant something.

She didn't know if that would be a good thing or not.

"...Hey," Steve said. He was shaking her shoulder, looking concerned. "You with us?"

Halley stepped back. "Yeah. yeah, sorry. I'm here."

Steve nodded. "Good." She needed to be more attentive. Be more focused in situations that had the possibility of multiple deaths, or, at best, serious maiming. She needed to stop zoning out.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked, looking from Dustin to Lucas to Max. All three of them looked shaken up, understandably, but she didn't see any noticeable injuries. It was more than she could have asked for.

Steve started before any of the kids could speak. "Get the flashlights, and try to contact the others again. See if there's anything salvageable in the bus too, anything that might be useful." no one moved. Steve stared at them, raising an eyebrow, "now, shitheads, we don't have all night."

Once the three delved back into the bus, Steve turned to Halley. "What the hell were you doing?" he said.

Halley was taken aback. He was angry? Angry that she tried to save his life? That she didn't want him to get ripped to pieces?

"Excuse me?" she said back. She was sweating, and she could feel the beads forming on her forehead. "You're the one that wanted to, what, 'expand the menu'? You could have gotten yourself killed."

"Me? You could have gotten yourself killed." He challenged, taking a step closer to her. "Tackling one of those things? That's got to be the dumbest thing you could have done." He had dropped the bat to the ground beside him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Did you actually send the kids away call me dumb?" she scoffed, unconsciously mimicking his stance.

With a long sigh, he shook his head. "I want to know where you keep going. Earlier, in the bus, and when you were fighting Dustin's ex science project, and, like, two seconds ago." he stepped back, running a hand through his hair. "I know you said not to worry about it, but I am. You're going to get yourself hurt. So spill it. What's going on?"

Halley shifted her weight side to side, trying to look anywhere but Steve's eyes. She knew that she could very easily get out of the conversation, she could dodge the confrontation entirely by pulling out some bullshit lie, or going totally cold and blowing the whole thing off, but there was a part of her that didn't want to. She wanted to confide, to tell someone about the weird shit that was happening to her.

"So," she started, hugging herself tightly, "remember when I told you about the flashbacks. And the hyper realistic dreams?" she paused, but not long enough for a response, "there's more. At least, recently there is. It started a few nights ago. I was in this weird, empty space, totally black. There was nothing around except this cabin— but that, that doesn't matter, it's just an example, the real focus in the empty place, I don't know what it is but it's like I'm seeing things that are happening somewhere else."

Steve opened his mouth, but she kept going.

"And I can't explain it, I don't know what it is, but it's getting worse. It's like it's just waiting in the back of my mind, trying to knock me out and take me back to total darkness. I can't explain it, not really, but..." she trailed off, looking down at her feet, "it's like it's showing me things that are actually happening. In other places." She thought back to the time in the school with Lucas. How she could hear Mike and Max, and how she knew just where to find Will.

Halley looked up again, meeting Steve's eyes. He was there, in front of her. And that was something she knew for a fact. She could reach out and touch him and he could do the same. It wasn't some delusion. He was there with her.

"I think something's wrong with me," she whispered, finally, "I think something's wrong with me and I'm scared."

 

Chapter 51: not a fan of the hills

Summary:

"𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌,"

Notes:

I got a notification ab a comment on the last chapter asking for an update and it highkey motivated me again. I forgot how much I love Halley and all the silly little plans I have for her ;)

(so shout out to moonyxstars)

The five were trekking through the woods, following after the stampede of disformed demogorgons. The figures were long gone, and at that point they weren't even relying on the stomping that once echoed against the tree trunks. But, considering the trampled brush and forest debris, it was obvious they were going in the right direction.

"And you're positive that was Dart?" Lucas asked. He and Dustin had taken the lead, only a few steps ahead of Steve, who threatened to kill them himself if they got attacked on his watch.

Dustin, speaking as if no stupider question had ever been asked, "Yes. He had the exact same yellow pattern on his butt." Because, apparently, a butt pattern was enough to know for sure. Halley didn't say anything.

"He was tiny two days ago," Max said.

"Yeah, well, he's molted three times already." Jesus. Molted? Like a fucking snake? This is not what she signed up for.

Steve stopped. Holding up his hand to hold off on a conversation, his eyebrows scrunched together, as if he was trying to fit the last piece of a puzzle. "Malted?" Halley could hit him.

"Molt."

Disregarding the interruption from Steve: "When's he gonna molt again?" Max's questions were lacking the sense of 'what the actual fuck are you talking about' that Halley had expected. She was handling the whole new world ordeal a lot better than anyone could have guessed.

Dustin shrugged. "Soon, it's gotta be," his flashlight's beam bobbed back and forth on the ground in front of them. "And then, he'll be fully formed, or, at least close to it. Along with his friends." God, his friends, Halley had nearly forgotten about the hundreds of other demogorgons that they would have to face sooner or later.

"And they're gonna want to eat a lot more than cats," Steve said offhandedly.

At this, Lucas stopped, pointing out a finger at Dustin, like he had just remembered something horrible. "About that," he started, crossing his arms, and giving a stern look, "to eat your cat, Dustin, Dart would have had to be in your house, and that would mean you would have had to have kept him."

Dustin didn't say anything.

Lucas squared his jaw, frowning as he yelled, "I knew it! You kept him! You kept him even though you knew we were looking for him!"

"He missed me! He wanted to come home."

"Oh, bullshit." Lucas shook his head.

"I didn't know he was a demogorgon, okay?" Dustin said, defensively. He threw his arms up and the stretch of light reached into the trees. There was a soft rustling then nothing.

Halley had had enough. They had been walking for too long, and the sinking feeling in her stomach was only growing with every passing minute. "Who cares? Right? Let's forget it and move on." she tried, pulling gently at Lucas's shoulder. He nudged her off, sending her a malicious look. Rolling her eyes, she backed up.

This was about the last thing they needed to be doing right now, with everything going on, but it was obvious that she wasn't going to stop them at this point. Dumbasses.

"I care!" Lucas was yelling, "you," he pointed at Dustin, "put the party in jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!" Halley didn't remember a 'don't give sanction to a fugitive demogorgon' in the rule book, but she would give it to Lucas, it would definitely be something that shouldn't have to be outright said.

"Me?" Dustin cried, "you told a stranger the truth!" he flashed Max in the face with the light, making her cringe.

"A stranger?" Max reeled, drawing herself into the conversation.

At that point Halley completely stepped back, she would let this play out on its own, because there was no way in hell she would be jumping in the middle of it. Especially now that they had dragged Max in. The girl had enough reason to be mad at Halley, she didn't need any other ammunition for later explosions, or black mail.

She fell back alongside Steve. He watched the preteens in utter annoyance. She smiled. That night, she had seen the Steve that had helped them banish the Demogorgon from her house last year. And she was happy he had made a reappearance. Sure, ever since the incident, he's been significantly less douchey, but he was still King Steve. Top of the food chain. High school royalty. But now? He was anything but.

"Y'know," Halley said, taking his attention away from the growing argument, and breaking the silence between them, "I never took you as a babysitter."

He shook his head, "I'm not a babysitter." his hands were on his hips, and he looked at her exasperatedly. She had been in the role plenty of times before. Enough to know it when she saw it. He was totally a babysitter.

"There's nothing wrong with it," she smiled, "I mean, it kind of suits you." The wind blew harshly around them, and Max was yelling at Dustin behind them.

Before he had a chance to respond, there was a loud screech from just outside the forest. The two went still, but the kids behind them didn't seem to hear it.

"Guys," Steve said, taking a step in the direction of the noise. Halley followed his lead, hugging herself tight as she scanned the area. The argument behind them continued. Something about Dart eating them. "Guys!" Steve shouted, turning back at them. That got their attention.

The sound echoed around them again.

Steve shouldered the bat and took off toward it, this time not stopping. Halley was close behind him, and the boys had no choice but to follow.

"Wait. guys? Hey, guys, why are we going toward the sound?" Max whisper-shouted, her voice shakier than it had been when she was shouting about her right to be there just moments prior. As much as Halley wanted to explain more, and console, or encourage, or whatever the circumstance called for. There were more pressing matters. And if Max decided to fall back, and stay in the woods, as much as Halley didn't want her to, it was her decision.

Not without hesitation, Max quickly hurried through the forest debris to catch back up.

As the five got closer to the sound, Halley could feel her heart rate increase. Like a metal detector getting closer and closer to a bomb. It wasn't good. In any way. Her fingers tingled in her pockets as she tried not to think about all the things that could go horribly wrong.

Lo and behold, the lab. The others hadn't realized yet, as they stood atop the hill, looking down on the ongoing clumps of trees, but smack in the middle was Hawkins lab. And that was where Dart along with all his little buddies were going. Fuck.

God, she could just see it: the demogorgons bursting through the doors—bounding up the stairs. Down the long linoleum hallways of unflatteringly fluorescent lights. Breaking into rooms with computers, and hospital beds, and equipment. And people.

"We have to get down there."

"You mean, like, where all of those things are?" Max asked. She had taken Lucas's binoculars, still hung around his neck, and was staring at the hoard of the monsters. "Isn't that a death wish?"

"Yes and no," Steve said, jumping in, "Halley's right, we gotta get to the lab, there's obviously a reason they're going there. And maybe that'll give us an explanation on why Dart showed up in the first place." He took a breath, hitting his bat against the ground and spattering loose dirt around them, "and we have a hundred percent chance of surviving, considering we've survived the last few times."

"Steve, that's not how statistics work," Halley tried to say, but he waved her off.

"You're killing the vibe."

"Like how we're gonna get killed?" Max butted in, releasing the binoculars, and taking a power stance in front of the two older teens, her hands against her hips. "Cause I'd really rather not get killed tonight."

Halley shook her head. "No, no one is dying tonight." It was a hard thing to promise, but she wouldn't let these kids get hurt, not again. "Now," she said, squaring her shoulders in an attempt to make herself seem more collected, "let's go get these sons of bitches."

"Are we almost there, yet?" Dustin asked, dragging his feet behind them. He was clearly over the short hike down the extremely inconvenient hill. In his defense, so was everyone else.

Halley sighed, not bothering to answer. The lab was still a fair amount away from them and saying that would only fuel everyone's shitty moods.

Instead, she fell in step with Lucas, who's conversation with Max had come to a lull. He looked at her, waiting for whatever it was she had to say.

"So," Halley started, forcing herself not to overthink. "That night, at the school last year, right? Um, what do you remember? Like, with El?"

Lucas's eyebrows furrowed. For a moment, it looked like he wasn't going to answer, until— "didn't you talk to Mike about that?"

She hugged her arms over her chest, trying to seem nonchalant about the topic. "A little bit, yeah, but I'm confused about what happened at the end, when the uh, the demogorgon, came." The name of the creature left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I mean, there's nothing to be confused about," Lucas said, sneaking a glance at Max, who was just as invested in the conversation, "El killed it, but it must have used all her power because after the monster dust was gone, so was she."

"But you don't think she could have gotten out? Like escaped before anyone could see her?"

Lucas stared at her, "Why?"

"Just wondering, uh, forget I said anything," she shook her head, letting her footsteps fall out of sync.

As they got closer and closer to the lab, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about El. Especially the dream she had had only a few nights before. Though, 'dream' didn't feel like the right word. It felt so real. Like El was actually there.

The boys had said that she had been, for lack of a better word, incinerated, with the demogorgon in the school last November, but something about that didn't sit right with Halley. Something told her that El was still around.

It was like the voices that still echoed in the back of her head— if she focused hard enough, she could catch the smallest glimpses of the younger girl. At first, she had thought they were some sort of mirage, but as they continued, Halley grew more and more sure they were real. After all, El seemed to see her as much as she saw El.

If she really was still out there. They would need her with whatever was going on. No one knew as much about the lab, or the other dimension as she did. Not to mention, Halley was sure if anyone would know what was going on with her, it would be El.

Alright, maybe Dr. Owens, or one of the other specialists Will had been seeing at the Lab would have some sort of suspicion, but to get their theory on her issues, it would require her to actually tell them. And that was out of the question. Just as it had been from the get-go.

"Halley?" Steve called back to her, stopping momentarily. Lost in thought, she nearly ran right into him.

"What?" She stepped up beside him, the kids were still a few paces behind them, but Halley didn't need one of Dustin's genius explanations to understand what was happening.

From where they stood on the hill, they could see the flashing lights within the lab. As if someone was flipping the light switch on and off throughout the entire building. Just like how Halley's house had short circuited during the demogorgon's appearances.

"Oh god." They were significantly closer than they had been before, but still, they shouldn't have been able to hear the horrific roars and crashes from where they stood. She pursed her lips, listening to the screams ringing through the night. The kids had stopped short in their steps, staring at the lab in confused fear. As much as Halley really didn't want to, she knew what had to happen. "We need to hurry."

Chapter 52: ignoring personal issues

Summary:

"𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚!"

"No way."

Halley was leading the group, pushing through tree branches and overgrown bushes when she heard voices. Familiar voices.

"What?" Steve asked, only a few steps behind her. He was in charge of making sure none of the kids were left behind or mauled by an unaccounted for demogorgon.

Instead of answering, Halley pulled back the few branches still in their line of view, and gestured for him to go through. There, standing with their back to a closed gate, were two people she was almost sure were not involved in the current mess.

"Steve?" Jonathan and Nancy said simultaneously. Neither of them seemed exactly thrilled to see him. And Halley could swear she saw her brother's eyes very quickly dart to Nancy before focusing on the group in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Nancy asked, breaking the silence.

"What are we— what are you doing here?" Steve said, stepping forward. Halley was wondering the same thing. Regardless of how glad they were there, there must have been some reason, some bad reason, that the two of them had come to the lab.

Nancy's words solidified her theory. "We're looking for Will and Mike."

Halley pushed past Steve before he could say anything. "What do you mean looking for them?" she asked quickly. Her mind flashed to the strange 'episode' she had had back in the school bus in the junkyard. Where she saw both the boys in the lab. "You, uh, you think they're in there?"

Glancing at each other, Nancy bit her lip, "We're not sure, but I think so." Halley's heart sank. As absolutely infuriating as it was, Nancy usually wasn't wrong. And if she was right about the boys being in there... "Why?"

A shriek rang through the air around them. Deafening, and cracked. "That's why." Halley's voice came out barely louder than a whisper.

Jonathan's face went steely. "Halley, what's going on?" His tone reminded her of their mom, and she could help but think of how much she wished Joyce was with them. God, she wanted her mom. She would know what to do.

"It's like that thing from last year. But half size," Steve stepped in, "the shithead back there brought one home and kept it as a pet." Dustin let a disgruntled 'hey', but kept his mouth shut otherwise. "There's a lot of them. All heading in there."

"They're probably already in there." All eyes turned to Max, who was, very calmly, standing off to the side, digging her foot into some dirt. At the attention she stopped. "I mean, look," she pointed to the building, "There's no lights, and I don't hear any engines. It looks like the power's out, and I don't think it's an accident."

She was right. Out of the entire building, not a single window had a glow behind the blinds. It was completely dark, looking like an abandoned building. But an abandoned building would be empty, and Halley knew that the lab was anything but.

"Alright, how do we get in?" Nancy said, squaring her shoulders. Halley and Steve nearly laughed.

"You don't. We can't out run those things, they'll kill us before we even make it to the second floor."

Halley nodded. "And I promised no one was dying tonight."

"We can't just sit out here and hope they come out," Nancy said, looking almost betrayed with the expression she shot Halley. Her eyes pointed downward, and her chin wrinkled with her frown. It wouldn't work. Hopping the fence without a clear exit plan for when things inevitably went wrong? Even the kids could tell that was a bad idea.

Steve had his arms crossed over his chest, and he was about as convinced by Nancy's sentiment as Halley. "And we can't just go in there asking those things to rip us apart."

It was a stalemate. Halley was only a little offended Jonathan picked Nancy over her, but she had far bigger things to worry about at the moment.

"You're sure Will's not just at your house?" Lucas asked, stepping up beside Halley. That was a good point. Maybe he was just in Castle Byers. It wouldn't be the first time he and Mike had wandered off. Halley wanted to believe it.

"Well I didn't see him. Halley?" oh shit.

She forced an awkward smile. "I uh, I haven't been home for a few days," with a wince, she waited for the reaction. Jonathan's eyebrows jumped, and his mouth formed around a question, but she cut him off, "I slept at the arcade last night, I had a shitty day, and you were gone with the car; I didn't feel like walking back home— look, it's not important," she stopped herself, trying to stop her mind from wandering to Caroline. Or God forbid, Billy.

"That sounds kind of important, Halley," Jonathan said, looking like he had a whole lot more to say. Had Steve and the kids not been there with them, he definitely would have interrogated her until she spilled every last secret about the past 50 hours of her life.

Trying to come up with something to support her case, she almost didn't notice Nancy a few feet away staring at the lab.

"Guys?" she pointed toward the windows, "I think the power's back on." Halley followed Nancy's finger, and sure enough, fluorescent lights were shining through the glass again.

And if the power was on, that meant...

Halley abruptly left Jonathan for the gate operation desk in the small shed by the fenced entry way. The buttons were dark, but she could still make out the faint 'open' red control. She pressed it. Nothing. She pressed it again, harder. Shoving her fist against the button again and again. The fence didn't budge.

Dustin had pushed his way up beside her, "Lemme try," he said. Trying to shimmy his own hand in front of hers. She pushed back, still desperately trying to force the button to work. "Let me try, Halley," he said again. She gave in, stepping back as he did the exact same thing as she had done. The outcome was the same. Until it wasn't.

The gate screeched open as a little bulb flickered on. "Holy shit," Halley said. She doubted it was Dustin who was behind it, because the two of them had virtually the same instinct when it gave to that forsaken red button, but she'd let him have it.

Jonathan and Nancy were already in the car, which was currently pulling through the newly opened path. Leaving Halley behind. Which was fine. They had planned on going into the lab before they ran into her and Steve and the kids. But still.

She stepped out of the operator's box, with Dustin close behind her, and watched as her brother sped around a corner.

The air felt colder then. She pushed her hair out of her face and tried not to think of every terrible thing that might be happening. It was very hard. There were a lot of terrible things that could be happening.

"You slept at the arcade?" she jumped at Steve's sudden voice. He had snuck up on her, unintentionally, probably.

Halley shrugged. Her attention flickered around her; the kids weren't paying attention. "It was easier than going home. There was just a lot going on." She really didn't want to be talking about it. Especially not with Steve. They might be closer now that he wasn't actively trying to ruin her life, but it was still uncomfortable. "It's seriously nothing."

For a moment, the two stood in silence. Watching Max, Lucas and Dustin wander around. It looked like everyone was feeling iffy about the situation at hand.

"Just uh, if you ever need to talk or something..." Steve trailed off, his hand going to the back of his neck as he attempted to look nonchalant.

Halley laughed, "didn't think you were this sappy."

"Yeah, well don't go around telling people." She mimicked locking her lips. She flicked at her thumb, symbolically throwing away the key. Talking with Steve was actually making her feel a little bit better about her brother ditching her.

Maybe 'ditching' was a little harsh, and maybe she only felt so betrayed because of how everything in her life seemed to be barreling down hill very quickly, but it didn't diminish the discontent she felt. Afterall, Steve was more concerned with why she hadn't gone home than her own brother.

"Hey, Steve?" She said suddenly, "Remember back in the bus, where you found me, uh—" she stopped. How could she describe that? To her it was an out of body experience; like she wasn't there anymore.

"Totally spaced? Yeah, I remember," he supplied. She bit her lip,

'Spaced', that was probably an accurate descriptor.

The wind seemed to howl in agreement. "Yeah. Then. I think I saw something." she chewed on her cheek, trying to figure out how she wanted to word everything.

It was far more challenging than Halley had expected to open up and confide even more in Steve than she already had. Telling him specifics about something she wasn't sure was even real was a step she didn't necessarily want to take, but too many things were aligning for it to be a coincidence.

"It was like I was in some kind of lab. Like, this lab," she paused gesturing to the giant building in front of them, "I saw Mike and Will, and a shit ton of doctors. They were talking about something. Something bad." She waited for him to respond. He was staring at the lab, and for a moment, Halley wondered if he had heard anything she had said.

"Okay," he finally said, turning to face her, "So you saw your brother in here. Was it like, thinking you saw them or...?"

She shook her head; it wasn't going well. "No, no, it wasn't like that. It was like a dream, where you're there but you're not. Except this wasn't a dream. I was there and I saw them, and it might have been something that was actually happening."

"You think— you think you... you what, appeared? Somewhere else? Like being in two places at once?"

"Yes, well, kind of. I don't think I was there. It was dark and the whole lab wasn't actually there, just the main parts. And Will and Mike didn't see me, at least, I don't think." She was well aware of how crazy she sounded, but she also knew what she had seen.

It was obvious Steve was having issues believing her. That was understandable, but it didn't mean she wasn't hurt.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but you've gotta trust me. Something's going on, and I think it has something to do with... um, what I told you about. Back at your house." She looked down at her hands, it was the first time admitting that aloud: thinking there was a connection to her run-in with the demogorgon was playing a part in her episodes.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "For the record, Byers, I do trust you." she looked up, noticing a lopsided smile on his lips.

The moment was cut short.

"Uh, guys?" Max said, Halley followed her gaze, finding headlights speeding towards them.

"Out of the way!" she shouted, barely audible over the honking. The car whizzed past them, just as Dustin and Lucas made it over to the operation box. Halley was able to get a quick glance at Nancy in the passenger side before they were gone.

Hopper's police car rolled up beside them, "let's go," he said, unlocking the doors.

The five piled in, Steve going first and practically throwing himself to the back of the van, to speed up the process. Halley was last, closing the door as Hopper sped off after Jonathan.

She sat quietly. It reminded her too much of when they had to save the boys and El last year from the very bus she had been in only hours before.

"Where's Will?" she finally asked. Her seatbelt hung forgotten beside her, but that was the least of their worries. Hopper glanced over to her, before back to the road. They were going way more than the 35mph speed limit.

"With your mom. And Jonathan." His answer was exceptionally vague, and Halley could tell it was on purpose. She stayed silent, hoping he would give her more information. After a moment, with very awkward tension coming from the four in the back, he finally sighed. "Halley, I swear, we'll explain it all, but right now we need to get back to your house before he wakes up."

"Wakes up?" she disregarded what he had said. She would take the explanation of 'everything' later, but now it was time to focus on Will. And more importantly, if he was okay.

Hopper ran a hand over the stubble on his chin. "We had to sedate him."

 

Chapter 53: hi bob

Summary:

"𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒐-𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒔?"

Notes:

ahhh heheheh this is one of my favorite chapters I've written so far, and I'm very proud of one of the scenes bc it's in an area I've never written for before :)

Will was on their couch. Passed out and drenched in sweat. Jonathan was with him, talking softly as he pushed hair from the younger boy's forehead. Halley would go over, but Nancy was already consoling the middle of the Byers kids, and she felt awkward getting in the middle of that.

Clearly, she wasn't the only one to notice this. Steve, standing with his hands on his hips only a few feet away from her, turned at the sight, walking past Hopper, who was yelling at someone about the lab. Halley had missed that part of the briefing.

The walls around them were covered in Will's drawings, feeling strangely similar to when her mother had outfitted the entire interior of their house with Christmas lights. She hated the repetition of it all.

She followed Steve into the kitchen, casting a slow glance over each of the kids seated at the table. Mike looked seconds away from shell shock. She didn't know if he had seen Bob's death, something she had learned about once Joyce had calmed down enough to get out a word. Hopper filled in on the parts she had skipped over.

Regardless, the fact that Mike was there at all, was enough trauma for a lifetime. As if the kid didn't have enough of that yet.

Standing beside him, she put a hand on his shoulder, trying to give a reassuring smile when he looked up at her. "Thanks for sticking with Will through all that." He only nodded.

Hopper slammed the phone down, letting out an aggravated sigh.

"They didn't believe you, did they?" Dustin asked, shaking his head. In all seriousness, it wasn't like they could be that angry, before last year, none of them would have believed rumors of interdimensional creatures rampaging through a small Indiana town.

Hopper ran a hand over the stubble on his chin, "We'll see."

"'We'll see'?" Mike exclaimed, pushing Halley's hand away, "we can't just sit here while those things are loose!"

"We stay here and wait for help." Hopper spoke definitively. Letting the message hang in the air as he turned and walked away.

Halley watched as he started up a conversation with her mom. He took her wrist and said something that made Joyce smile. A sad smile, the kind that the Byers kids used to see when they were younger and asked about Lonnie. Halley looked away.

The kids sat around the table in silence. Steve was leaning against the wall by the back door with his head hung. It was an incredibly uncomfortable party reunion.

Abruptly, Mike stood up, all eyes followed him into the living room as he picked up some sort of blue cube wrapped in rubber bands.

"Did you guys know Bob was the original founder of Hawkins A.V.?" he said, running a hand over the surface of the object. He turned back around to face them, "he petitioned the school to start it and everything. Then he had a fundraiser for equipment." Mike was getting excited now, but the stark use of past tense with Bob's names made Halley shiver. "We can't let him die in vain."

A loud pitch ringing overtook her ears, and Halley stumbled back, not able to make out anything the kids were saying. She knew exactly what was happening as her vision started to blur, and there was nothing she could do. Trying without success to grab hold of something to keep her anchored, she fell into the void.

Her feet squelched against the ground as she forced herself forward. She didn't know what was waiting for her, but she knew that the building growing closer and closer was no doubt Hawkins lab. Nothing inside of it could be good.

Without any physical indication, she knew that she was passing the void's equivalent of the barbed wire fence. Her fingers tingled as she got closer, as if there was electricity racing through the air.

"Oh my god," she muttered, stumbling back on her heels. She brought shaking hands to her mouth, trying to suppress the outcry trying to rip from her throat. There, lying motionless in front of her, were Bob's remains.

Ravaged by the dogs, and oozing blood and black liquid. Halley tried to move but she was horrifically captivated by the scene in front of her.

His eyes stared up at her, glazed over and dead, but they pierced her gaze. His chest was missing. A gaping hole of crushed rib cage and organs sat in its place. His throat had nearly been skinned; flaps of lifeless cream-colored neck lay opposite to where they should be. Revealing bright red, raw underlayers.

The exposed body that wasn't soaked in clotting blood, was paler beyond belief. Bob was already a pasty man, but what Halley was seeing... no human body was capable of that color.

There were large gashes ripped from both his pants and legs, making his lower half look no more than rotting livestock on a long-forgotten farm.

She was going to throw up.

Staggering backwards, Halley couldn't care less about anything she stepped on, or tripped over, the only thing on her mind was getting the hell away.

In an instant, the corpse twitched, stopping Halley in her tracks. Bob blinked, and a wicked, bloody smile spread across his red stained lips. His tongue protruded from his mouth, already swelling up beyond belief.

"I'm coming for you." his voice was gravelling, rasping from the mangled throat. Halley nearly jumped out of skin. "You're not as safe as you think you are," he laughed, a growl-like, inhuman noise. It echoed through the void surrounding and encapsulating her.

"Halley!"

Her eyes snapped open, finding herself back in her own house. No void. No corpse.

Steve had a tight grip on her shoulders. The kids were staring at her from their spots at the table. She didn't know how long she had been out of it, but clearly it was enough to draw attention.

"Hey," Steve said, "you, okay?" she could feel her hands shaking at her side. A large part of her wanted to tell him the truth. That she was very much far from 'okay'. She didn't.

Ignoring his eyes, she nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I uh, I was just thinking." It was very obvious that Steve didn't believe her, but he was nice enough to not call her out in front of the kids. He let go of her but didn't back away.

"Thinking about the demodogs?" Dustin piped up, leaning over the table to see Halley around Steve.

"Demo-whats?" she asked, looking at the others for clarification.

"Goddamn, you really weren't paying attention were you." Dustin shook his head. "Demogorgons, but smaller, and running on all fours, like dogs."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, still not feeling completely back in her body, "Sure. Yeah. Demodogs."

"Would you forget about the stupid demodogs for a minute!" Mike said. All eyes turned to him. "I think I know what's going on."

He was definitely enjoying the suspense.

They followed Mike into Will's bedroom, where he picked up a colored drawing of a large, almost spider-like, creature. It loomed in the sky in front of red bolts of lightning. A weather pattern Halley had come to associate with the Upside Down.

"The shadow monster?" Dustin asked, taking the picture from Mike.

"The what?" Halley asked.

"It got Will that day on the field." Mike ignored her question.

"It what?"

"The doctors said it was like a virus; it infected him."

"Mike!" Halley shouted. He finally looked over to her. "What the fuck is that thing and what did it do to my brother?" She was deadly serious, and the kids seemed to sense it. The room was quiet, even Steve was surprised by her outburst.

But Mike nodded, taking the drawing back from Dustin and handing it over to her. "Will drew this," that was obvious, but Halley didn't mention that "We call it the shadow monster and Will's been seeing it in his now-memories. That day, back at the school, on the field, when he was in that trance, he saw it. The doctors think it infected him or something."

"What... what does that mean?" she asked, much calmer.

"It means that the shadow monster, at least, metaphysically, is inside him, like his mind. So that now it knows and sees what Will knows and sees. And we think it works the opposite way too, which would explain why Will knew the demodogs were coming when we were in the hospital."

Halley paled. She licked at her chapped lips, "so, you're saying, because of this shadow monster, Will's able to see things that are happening somewhere else? Like somewhere he isn't?"

"I mean, that's not really the main point, but yeah, I guess."

She nodded, trying to steady her breathing. Will's situation was starting to sound more and more like her own. And if he was infected with the shadow monster, what did that make her?

"Guys," Dustin said, far too excited for what was going on. "The Mind Flayer."

Max, Halley, and Steve stared at him in utter confusion, but Lucas and Mike seemed to understand right away. Both boys' eyes went wide, as they spoke over each other about how it made 'perfect sense'. Halley couldn't exactly disagree because she had absolutely no idea what they were going on about.

"We have to tell the others," Mike said. He looked around for a moment, until he found what he was scanning for. Nabbing a large, brown spined book from Will's shelf, Halley recognized it instantly: The DnD guide Will had gotten a few Christmases ago. "Come on, we need to hurry."

Once again, Halley and the others followed Mike through her house.

Dustin rounded up the others, forcing them to cram around the small dining table where he opened up the manual far too ceremoniously. "The Mind Flayer." He pointed to a weird, squid headed creature on the page. It looked nothing like Will's drawing.

"What the hell is that?" Hopper's exhaustion was ever present in the lack of enthusiasm in his voice. He was standing next to Halley, across from Nancy and Jonathan, all of whom had no idea what Dustin was trying to tell them.

He sighed, put out by everyone doubting him, probably. "It's a monster from an unknown dimension. It's so ancient it doesn't even know it's true home." Halley didn't know why that mattered. Besides, it definitely seemed like it knew the Upside Down was where it was from. Or, at the very least, it knew that it was not a former resident of their dimension. Realizing no one was following, he continued. "Okay, it enslaves races from the other dimensions by taking over their brains and using its highly-developed psionic powers."

Hopper stepped back, shaking his head. "Oh my god. None of this is real, it's a kids game." As much as it meant to the kids, Halley had to agree. She didn't know how any of this was going to help Will.

"No. It's a manual. And it's not for kids." Dustin wasn't exactly helping his case. "And unless you," he pointed at Hopper, "know something we don't, this is the best metaphor-"

"Analogy," Lucas interrupted. Halley barely managed to stifle her laugh.

"Analogy? That's what you're worried about?" Lucas didn't answer. "Fine! Analogy, it's the best analogy for understanding whatever the hell is going on."

Nancy cut in before Lucas and Dustin could argue anymore. Because God knows they would. "So, this, this mind flamer thing-"

"Flayer."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring the interjection, "what does it want?"

"To conquer us, basically, it thinks it's the master race."

Steve snapped, breaking the stiff tension in the room, "like, uh, like the Germans." Silence.

"You... you mean the Nazis?" Halley asked, hoping she was right, he nodded, trying to hide the red blooming on his cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah, the uh, the Nazis."

Dustin stammered, still confused by Steve's addition, "uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess, if the Nazis were from another dimension, totally." From the corner of her eye, Halley could see Hopper squeezing his hand over his forehead, not at all impressed, "It, uh, views all other races, like us, as inferior to itself.

"It wants to spread and take over our world," Mike said, nodding at Dustin.

"We're talking about the destruction of our world as we know it." Halley didn't like Lucas's addition. It really put a whole damper on the already life or death mood.

Steve stepped away, mumbling to himself, Halley nearly followed him.

"Okay, so if this thing is like a brain that's controlling everything..." Nancy trailed off, picking up the book, and beginning to pace the small space around her, "then if we kill it?" She looked to Mike, just as clueless to the DnD portion of the issue as Steve.

"We kill everything it controls."

Hopper took the book from Nancy, holding it up close to his face, "Great. How do we kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?

Dustin laughed, shaking his head. "No, no, no fireballs. Uh, you summon an undead army, uh because," he paused looking up to see Hopper's no-nonsense face, "because, zombies, you know, they, uh, they don't have brains, and the mind flayer it, it likes brains," he stumbled over his words, "it's just, it's just a game."

Shutting the book and tossing it down on the table, Hopper turned, "what the hell are we doing here?"

The question was rhetorical, as per usual with Hopper, but Dustin had yet to pick up on his signs, "I thought we were waiting on your military backup!" he said.

"We are." Hopper stared the younger boy down.

"How are they gonna stop this?" Mike said, incredulously. He had a point. As far as they knew these things didn't have any weaknesses. "They can't just shoot it with a gun."

Looking about ready to snap, Hopper shot back, "We don't know that! We don't know anything!"

"We know it's already killed everyone in that lab!" Mike said.

"We know it's going to molt again." Lucas joined in, it wasn't looking good for Hopper.

"We know it's only a matter of time before those tunnels reach the town."

"They're right." Joyce stood in the dimly lit hallway, her hair a matted mess, and the scrubs she had gotten from the lab wrinkled. Halley wanted nothing more than to run to her and fall into her arms. "We need to kill this thing—I want to kill this thing."

Hopper's demeanor almost immediately changed. His face softened out, and he slowly approached her. "Me too, Joyce, okay?" he said, paying no attention to the kids behind him, "but how are we gonna do that? We don't exactly know what we're dealing with here."

"No," Mike jumped in, "but he does." Halley followed his gaze, watching as he slowly approached her brother, "if anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it's Will. He's connected to it, he knows its weakness."

There was a pause as everyone stared at Will, still lying unconscious on the couch and looking almost even smaller than he had when he was first rescued from the Upside Down.

"I thought we couldn't trust him anymore?" Max whispered, as if she was worried she would wake him. "That he's a spy for the mind flayer now."

Halley bit her lip, not completely sure if she was right but... "Maybe, but he can't spy if he doesn't know where he is."

 

Chapter 54: not an ideal night

Summary:

"𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒅𝒆."

They had all worked together. Taping and stapling old newspaper and cardboard and tarps and whatever else they had found to the rotting walls of the Byers's shed. It was strange seeing it so empty. Void of the guns and ammo that it used to hold. The memories still lingered though. Of grabbing the paint for her mother, the year prior. Sitting inside waiting for Lonnie and Jonathan to get back from their first hunting trip. Raiding it to go on her own 'hunting trip' with Nancy and Jonathan.

Halley tried to focus on something else when they carried Will in. Jonathan set him down on the paper covered chair in the center of the room and began tying him down with old cords they had found. It made her squirm.

Almost directly above her, Mike was fastening a fluorescent light, pointing it down at Will. Nancy and Steve had escorted Dustin, Lucas and Max back to the house, and one of them had plugged the light in, as it flickered to life in all its harshly bright glory.

The only ones left in the shed were the three conscious Byers, Hopper, and Mike. the air between them all was sickening.

"Alright, you ready?" Hopper asked, more so toward Joyce than anyone else. She had readied a syringe with whatever sedation they had gotten from the lab. Mike had gotten down from his perch with the light and took a spot next to Halley.

"Do it."

Hopper nodded grimly. He pressed a cotton ball to the mouth of a bleach bottle stolen from their kitchen, then held it up to Will's nose. His eyes snapped open, head immediately jumping from its slumped position.

And there he was. The first time Halley had seen him awake since he had drawn the tunnels strung up on their walls. She forced her expression to stay neutral.

At first, he was disoriented, looking around, squinting at the light. But that only lasted so long. Will was thrashing in the chair, panicking as no one tried to help him. "What— what is this? Why am I tied up?"

Joyce was the first to move, kneeling down in front of him, and placing her hand on his knee. "Will, we just want to talk." her voice was soft, and only slightly shaken. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Where am I?" He ignored her.

Hopper leaned down beside Joyce, not giving Will the satisfaction of an answer, but instead holding up the picture Mike had shown the group earlier. The crayon drawing of the Mind flayer. "You recognize this?" he asked. Will shook his head.

"We want to help you, Baby. But we need to know how to kill it, okay?"

"Why am I tied up?" He yelled, making Halley flinch, but Joyce, outwardly, appeared unfazed, keeping a calm composure, and not feeding into his anger. "Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up!" He repeated the words over and over his voice growing louder each time.

Mike had grabbed Halley's wrist, just as surprised by the outburst as she was.

He was shaking the chair, throwing his body around as he tried to free himself from the cords. "Why am I tied up! Why am I tied up!" Hopper was pushing him back, trying to stop him from hurting himself.

The lights began flickering, and Halley instinctively stepped in front of Mike, looking over to Jonathan. He met her eyes, wincing as Will's mantra changed to screams to let him go.

She felt defenseless. Watching Will try in vain to free himself, it killed her to see him like that, so betrayed. He was looking at her, trying to get her attention and convince her to help him. She shook her head.

Joyce was hiding her face in her hands as Hopper put his entire weight into restraining Will. "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" His cries were animalistic and dangerous, nothing like the Will they knew.

Thankfully, he seemed to tire himself out. His voice fell away, unable to continue the final plea. "...go."

Mike's eyes were wide with fear as Will finally stopped, slumping against Hopper in exhaustion.

Joyce, after a single beat of silence, pushed herself onto the chair mirroring Will's, "Do you know what March 22nd is?" Will was breathing hard, heaving in as much air as his abused lungs would allow him. He didn't answer. "It's your birthday." Joyce was shaking, just slightly, and Halley could imagine the sad smile she had on her face. "Your birthday," she said again. "When you turned eight, I gave you this huge box of crayons. Do you remember that? 120 colors."

There was a pause, a nearly inaudible, strangled noise, and then she continued, "all your friends, they got you Star Wars toys, but all you wanted to do was draw with your new colors, and you drew this big spaceship. It wasn't from a movie." she shook her head, giving a tiny laugh as she tried to keep herself together, "it, it was your spaceship. A rainbow ship is what you called it." Will had gone still, entranced by her words. "You must have used every single color. I took that with me to Melvand's and I told everyone that came in: 'My son drew this', and you were so embarrassed, but I was so proud. I was so, so proud."

"Do you remember the day Dad left?" Will's eyes jumped to Jonathan. He stepped forward on shaky legs, to kneel down next to their mom, "we stayed up all night building Castle Byers, just the way you drew it." he smiled, "and it, it took so long, because you were so bad at hammering, you'd miss the nail every time." Will's lips were starting to tremble, and it looked like they were actually getting through to him. "It started to rain, but we stayed out there, we were both sick for a week after that, but we had to finish it, right?"

From her place in the back with Mike, Halley noticed Will's fingers gently tapping on the leg of the chair. She didn't know if he was aware he was doing it, but she did know that they couldn't let him stop.

"What about that time a few years ago, when you finally convinced me to try and learn DnD with you guys?" Halley said, taking the empty spot on her mom's other side. "You were so excited to bring me with you to Mike's, do you remember that? You made me a paper crown and said I could be the elven princess, you had already made me a character sheet, too." She fiddled with her fingers, cracking her knuckles as she continued, "It took hours trying to explain everything to me, right? I just couldn't get it, but you and Mike, and Lucas and Dustin, you guys actually understood it all. And you were able to just roll through it all." Halley pushed her palms to her eyes, swallowing back a sob, "the, uh, the first solo move I made I ended up falling in a giant lava pit, remember? You wouldn't stop laughing at me."

Her chin was wavering, and she bit her bottom lip, looking over to her mom and Jonathan, they were smiling, sad smiles, obviously, but it was enough encouragement to keep going.

"I told you I hated it on the drive home, because I knew you'd never let me hear the end of it if I told you the truth." She took a shaky breath, "I had a really good time. I still have that crown in my room, too, and I've been trying to learn more about that stuff so when you talk to me about it, I can actually know what's going on. But I still don't understand half of what Dustin says," a breathy laugh slipped through her lips, "but I'm trying, Will, I still am."

Halley rubbed harshly at her cheeks, trying to dry away the tears beginning to fall.

Mike hesitantly stepped up beside her. He was weary, and it looked like he wasn't totally sure if he knew what he was doing, but, still, he started talking.

"Do you remember the first day we met?" His voice was hoarse; it sounded like he hadn't had water in hours. Will's attention snapped over to look at Mike. "It was... It was the first day of kindergarten," his eyes wandered around wracking his brain to come up with the words he was trying to say. "I knew nobody. I had no friends and..." he trailed off, choking over his words.

Halley looked up, noticing the single tear glimmering on his cheek, she reached out and comfortingly squeezed his hand.

He sniffled as another tear rolled down his cheek. "I just felt so alone and so scared, but..." he blinked repeatedly, looking away before catching Will's eyes. "I saw you on the swings and you were alone, too. You were just swinging by yourself."

Will's mouth twitched. He was still scared, but he had calmed down from his fit of rage. He seemed to be remembering the day as Mike spoke.

Mike continued, "and I just walked up to you and... I asked." He paused, biting his lip before picking back up, "I asked if you wanted to be my friend." His lip trembled. "And you said yes. You said yes." he was nodding. Convincing himself it had happened just as much as he was Will. "It was the best thing I've ever done."

There was silence. Will was staring intently at Mike, his mouth moving just slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't quite form the words. The other Byers waited on bated breath.

Finally, Joyce broke the stillness. She reached out, placing her hand on Will's knee. "Will, Baby," she whispered, her voice wavered, "if you're in there just please...please talk to us." She tried to smile encouragingly. "Please, Honey, please, can you do that for me?" Will's face trembled, Halley couldn't tell if he was going to start crying or yelling. "Please, I love you so much."

They went quiet again, waiting for Will to say something— say anything. His lips contorted, and everyone leaned in. "Let me go."

"Follow me." Hopper's voice rang out in the silence, making Halley jump. She had nearly forgotten he was with them. The four looked up at him, confused as to why he had chosen that particular moment to jump in. "Come on."

Hesitantly, the four followed him out of the shed.

"Jim, what are you doing?" Joyce asked once they were a safe distance away. They didn't want Will overhearing anything that he might use to get information on where he was.

Hopper didn't say anything though. He took the porch steps two at a time and pulled the side door to the house open, scaring the living shit out of everyone inside. Joyce, Jonathan, Halley and Mike all trailed in behind him as he grabbed a pen and beelined toward the kitchen table.

"I think he's talking, just not with words," He finally said. Everyone was crowded around him, and he was writing down small dots and lines on a piece of paper.

Steve, standing with his hands on his hips, asked, "what is that?"

"Morse code," Halley muttered. She had seen Will's fingers tapping on the walkie talkie. She had known it meant something. How had she not figured it out sooner?

"H. E. R. E." Hopper read aloud. He was there. Will was there. He was still with them. There was still hope. "Will's still in there, he's talking to us."

They needed to keep talking, keep the Mind flayer occupied with trivial knowledge that Will already knew, so he can send the messages. Jonathan had grabbed his stereo, and Mike had grabbed drawings still laying out on Will's desk— regular ones, not those of the tunnel system.

And once again, the two groups split up.

Jonathan set up his stereo in front of Will, and plunked the cassette in. He pressed play, then began. "You remember when I first played you this? Mom and Dad were both arguing in the other room, so I played you the mixtape I made. It was the first time you got into music, real music." he kept going, but Halley's mind was spiraling. The focus was obviously Will, but she, too, remembered the first time Jonathan had brought The Clash into the family.

"Don't you talk about my kids that way!" Joyce shouted. Her voice was perfectly clear even through the barrier of wall and door. The Byers kids were all sitting on Jonathan's bed, trying not to listen to their parents in the living room.

"It's true, Joyce! The boys are a bunch of pansies, and Halley's obsessed with that gay shit she calls music. Maybe if you were around a little more, you'd be able to see—"

"Don't you dare tell me I should be around more, Lonnie!" Joyce practically screams, cutting him off. "Someone around here has to put food on the table, and God knows the only thing your money goes to is alcohol!"

Will was nestled under Halley's arm. She was only 13, and already knew she hated her father with a passion. It was less so for the hatred he showed her, but more the reactions it elicited from her brothers. Will was afraid of him, and that was something she would never forgive Lonnie for.

Jonathan had pulled out his big stereo, it was one of the first things he had bought with his own money. He had saved up for months, mowing lawns and washing cars.

Their parents' voices reverberated through the house, bouncing through the thin walls like the rumors about their marriage through town—everyone in Hawkins knew Joyce and Lonnnie were having trouble. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out when the kids kept showing up with bruises that, despite what they said, didn't come from falling.

"Fuck ups! A family of fuck ups! You think I don't hear what they call us, Joyce? And they aren't fucking wrong."

Halley cringed at Lonnie's cruel tone; it was the same one he used when he was getting ready to strike.

In her English class, earlier in the year, they had talked about idioms, like how someone's bark was worse than their bite. Everyone laughed when Halley said it didn't make sense. But Lonnie was the only person she could think of. No one else had such a bark like him, but even then, it was nothing compared to his bite. He was a feral Pitbull, and nothing could tear him away when his sight was set on a prey.

Will gripped Jonathan's bedsheets in tight fists, trying not to look at either of his older siblings.

Halley felt responsible for the mess they were in. She wanted to apologize, but Jonathan would cut her off before she could even start. Not that she could blame him, if he tried to take the blame, she would stop him too. But still. She never should have brought up Mike at the dinner table. Never should have asked Will about his weekend plans.

Lonnie didn't really like any of Will's friends, but he hated Mike. It was something about the way the two were always together. Will and Mike had been best friends since kindergarten, attached at the hip since the get-go. Lonnie liked to blame Mike for Will's 'lack of masculinity'. Though, his words were usually far harsher.

There was a crash, and the sound of a glass, or maybe a plate, breaking. Halley flinched.

Jonathan, attempting to stay unbothered to keep his siblings' nerves calm, slipped a cassette tape into the front of his stereo, and hit play. He gave the two on his bed a lopsided, hollow smile.

The speakers spluttered to life, halfway through a song, and the music began to drown out the heated argument.

"' Darling you've got to let me know. Should I stay or should I go '." 

 

Chapter 55: self reflection and monsters

Summary:

"𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒉, 𝑰'𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆."

"Halley, Halley!" Mike was pulling at her arm, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Come on, we have to go." She was confused, at first, her mind still caught between past and present. Was Lonnie there? No.

No.

She snapped back completely at the sight of Jonathan carrying Will in his arms. The younger boy was passed out with thick beads of sweat pricking at his hairline. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

The eldest Byers boy was already breaking free from the shed, kicking the door open and sending it flying backwards. The dark night suddenly invaded by the cruel, artificial light from the makeshift interrogation room.

Jonathan was quick to leave, rushing outside and toward the house, but Halley, much to Mike's dismay, was a little more weary. She wanted to know what was happening; to make sure anything left in the shed wouldn't be missed in case they needed it later.

Fuck. This whole night was just going to shit.

What was going on? Halley had zoned out for maybe five minutes, seven tops, how had everything gone so bad so fast? It seemed like they were just getting to Will, too. Like they had a chance of saving him. Maybe that was wishful thinking, though: to think the problem could be so easily fixed that all they needed were a few tear filled memories.

But that wasn't what she needed to be focusing on.

"Mike, what's going on? What happened?" she was watching her brothers up ahead, just about to disappear from her view, she knew that she and Mike needed to follow and catch up. But there was a bad feeling blossoming in her chest. She couldn't see Hopper or her mom, and that made her feel even worse.

Mike was pulling her toward the house, no longer waiting for her to follow him of her own accord. "It was the phone," he said, finally. His voice was quiet, as if he was worried he would wake up Will. "The sound, I mean. He recognized it."

Mike's face was pale, but the cool air turned the tip of his nose a bright pink. The sight was so... childish, it was almost comical. But it wasn't. Because no matter how young Mike looked, shivering in the cold wind, the edge of anxious nerves etching across his face made him look far too old.

"We're pretty sure that means...the uh, demodogs are on their way," Mike added, checking on either side, as if saying the word would make the creatures appear.

Halley nodded, trying to regain her composure. She needed to get it together. She was supposed to be an adult in the situation. Keeping herself calm was the least she could do, Mike needed a rock right now. And someone needed to pretend to be the composed, reasonable one. Halley needed to be a mature adult. For Mike. For Will.

Getting closer to the house, Halley finally got eyes on her mom. She let out a sigh of relief, feeling the smallest sense of safety at the sight. Joyce herded her two eldests and Mike in through the back door, her eyes were bloodshot and red. Halley didn't point it out. She was just grateful Joyce was there.

The kitchen was a wreck, and there was a new hole in their wall. Just about where the phone should be. A foot or two away, Halley could make out the coil tangled up on the floor, surrounded by a few stray pieces of plastic from the dial.

Mike had branched off from her, and was now reconnecting with the other kids. He, Dustin and Lucas were talking quickly amongst themselves. They could barely get a word in before one of the other boys cut them off, in an even more fast paced voice. Max tried to jump in a few times, but ultimately looked lost with what they were saying. Halley thought about going over there.

"Hey." she jumped at the sudden hand on her shoulder, whipping around to find Steve. Just Steve. She sighed, giving him an embarrassed look. She held her arms tightly over her chest in an attempt to calm herself down. "You alright?" The nail bat from last year was slung over his shoulder almost carelessly, like he was getting ready for a baseball game. He held a pistol out to her. The same one she had pointed at him last year, though she was sure he hadn't connected that.

Halley stared at the kids arguing over each other and pursed her lips. "Yeah." Her voice was raspy, she cleared her throat as she looked up at Steve and accepted the gun, "Yeah, I'm fine." He didn't believe her. She could tell. But she wouldn't have believed herself either, so she couldn't exactly blame him.

"You look it," he said dryly, and for some reason, that made her laugh. It was a small, hollow chortle, almost like she was coughing, but it calmed her racing heart a little bit. He smiled at her, a little confused. "Hopper said we needed to be ready to fight these things." and just like that her heart rate picked up again.

"Right." Halley nodded. What was she supposed to say? "Bet you're wishing you didn't follow Dustin, huh?" He looked at her blankly.

After a moment he shook his head. "I'm wishing these things didn't take your brother last year and drop us into this mess." He adjusted the bat, testing the grip, and bringing it over to rest on his other shoulder. "You're high if you think I'd just walk away from that twerp over there, though." he nodded over to Dustin, "running 'round like he got his head chopped off. I couldn't ignore that."

Halley was once again caught off guard by Steve's new persona. Maybe she should have expected it, after the past few days, but it was still a shock to hear that something he was doing wasn't for some ulterior motive. That he actually cared.

She sounded like a bitch. She knew. And it wasn't like she didn't believe he had changed. He clearly had. It was just... the difference. It was hard to accept that the guy that had tormented her, or at the very least allowed his former friends to torment her day after day, was suddenly Mr. Perfect.

Although, as she looked into Steve's eyes, being met by nothing but the deepest sincerity, she realized that maybe it wouldn't be too difficult to grasp. He was different now. And he did care. About them.

Damn, Nancy was making a huge fucking mistake.

Halley looked away, glancing further into the living room.

Leaving their fight for whatever reason, the kids had taken to the window and were staring out, as if they were waiting for someone. Or something. Halley was about to ask what they were doing when she heard the distinct sound of a gun cocking. She turned around quickly to find Hopper holding on to Lonnie's old shotguns and a machine gun he must have stolen from the lab.

"Hey, hey. Get away from the window!" Hopper said, glaring at the kids, they scrambled back acting as though they had been milling around the bookcase the entire time. Hopper turned to Jonathan, who had been talking to Nancy. "Do you know how to use this?" He held one of the guns up.

Jonathan looked at him blankly. "What?"

"Can you use this?" Hopper asked exasperatedly.

Nancy jumped in before he could get more irritated. "I can," she said. Hopper, albeit with a slightly surprised look, tossed her the weapon. She caught it with ease, shooting Mike a look that told him not to question her.

Steve and Halley joined the others in the living room, standing in front of the kids readying themselves for a fight. Halley's hand shook around the trigger of her gun as she aimed in front of her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention and a chill ran down her spine. Something was coming. She could feel it.

"Where are they?" Max's voice was strained, like she had to fight against her vocal chords to speak. She was empty handed. Standing behind Lucas, with his slingshot, she wore an anxious expression. Dustin was next to her, looking lost as his hands stuffed into the pocket of his hoodie.

Joyce was also without a weapon, if you could count what some of the kids were holding as 'weapons'. She stood beside Jonathan, holding tightly to his arm as she waited in anticipation for something to barrel through their wall. Jonathan tried to keep her calm, but for the most part, he was just as terrified as she was. Halley could see it in his eyes.

Next to Halley, and slightly behind Nancy, stood Mike, armed with a candle holder.

The wind rattled through the trees and there was a ground shaking thud outside. Halley flinched, her finger wavering on her trigger. Don't do it. She had to remind herself. If by some God-given miracle the creatures didn't know where they were; going ballistic and sending rounds of bullets into the thin glass window was sure to bring the demodogs over.

"What are they doing?" Nancy whispered, her hands scarily calm on the rifle. The paleness of her hands was a stark contrast to the sleek black metal of the gun. There was an aura around her, a sort of confidence, that Halley lacked. Nancy was strong. Put together. Ready for anything. Including an attack from interdimensional monsters. It would be infuriating if it wasn't so damn impressive.

Another snarl sounded, and the group turned again, back to the large windows facing them from behind the couch. It would only take a small force from outside to send their one barrier down. Then there would be nothing stopping the demodogs from a direct attack. And if the whole pack was there? They were screwed.

Halley could hear Mike's shaky breathing, and somehow, that forced her into a calmer state. Hopper and Joyce may have been in the Upside Down last year, but she was the one that had fought these things before. Or at least things adjacent to them. Along with Jonathan, and Nancy, hell, even Steve, after what happened in the junkyard, she was the experienced one, which meant she needed to be the one to face the demo-whatevers if they got in. Not the kids.

As she came to the understanding, the glass exploded in front of them, spraying a storm of glass confetti across the ground, along with the body of the demodog. Halley, with one hand, shoved Mike behind her, and the other holding her gun out ready to fire, stared intently at the thing. Even if the bullets did nothing. If they ricocheted off the body, she wouldn't even care, she just needed to keep it distracted. Keep it away from the kids.

But there was no need.

The creature, a gruesome grey, lay limply by the bookcase. Its petal mouth remained closed, shielding its hideously sharp teeth, despite the group staring it down. It didn't move. Not even shallow breaths as an indication of life.

"Holy shit," Dustin muttered, sharing a glance with Lucas. The body was still as they all cautiously approached it.

"Is it dead?" Max asked, her voice just above a whisper, just as Hopper lifted his foot to nudge the slimy creature harshly. It didn't budge. It was dead, all right, but how? Halley was positive the things could only be killed with fire, because of the demogorgon last year. Unless these things were different, some mutation of the already fucked up breed. God, that would suck.

The walls cracked around them. The noise reverberated through the air, and harmonized with the sounds of something approaching the house. There was a shift in the room as everyone turned to the door, weapons loaded, raised, and ready for attack.

The demodog was momentarily forgotten as all eyes fell to the front door. Without the slightest hint of resistance, the lock snapped up, followed almost immediately after by the chain lock at the top, allowing entrance to whatever was coming.

The tension was thick in the room, the anxiety around them was palpable and smothering. Halley forced herself to breath steadily, she needed to be ready. For anything.

Painfully slow, the door inched open, sending a screaming squeak through the living room, and breaking the deafening silence that had fallen over the group. A dirty-converse clad foot stepped through the doorway. It was a person.

Adorned in rolled up jeans—with one sock pulled taut over the left cuff, and the other scrunched down at the ankle—a black, distressed, wool-ish material jacket, and smudged black eyeliner, was Eleven.

 

Chapter 56: not a happy hopper

Summary:

"𝑶𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

Nancy stood at Halley's side as they watched Mike engulf Eleven in a hug. The younger girl returned the gesture just as fiercely. A lump of anxiety formed in Halley's throat. Of course she was glad El was alright, and with them, but her presence solidified that what Halley had been experiencing weren't just flashbacks and nightmares. They were something more.

In front of her, Mike broke away, holding El less than arm's length away from him, like he was making sure she wouldn't disappear again. "I never gave up on you," He said, "I called you every night. Every night for—"

"353 days," El whispered, her voice almost cracking. She sounded much older. "I heard."

That was enough to break the magic spell Mike seemed to be under. A confused look painted his face, and it was soon replaced with one of hurt. "Why didn't you tell me where you were then? That you were okay?" He was working himself up, Halley could see the way the side of his mouth twitched as he spoke, as if even Mike couldn't decide if he was angry or not.

Halley took a step forward, going to put a hand on his shoulder and tell him that there was probably a very reasonable explanation and that he needed to let El tell him. But before she could do any of that, another voice sounded from the room.

"Because I wouldn't let her." All eyes turned to Hopper, who had suddenly stepped forward. Halley sucked in a sharp breath. Hopper's cabin. It had been Hopper's cabin she'd seen in her dream. He had mentioned a little property he had to her before—-probably didn't even realize he said it either.

Hopper lowered his gun, looking El over for any signs of injury. Aside from the blood coming from her nose, she was unharmed. "The hell is this?" He said, not unkindly, as he gestured to her outfit. He wrapped an arm over her shoulder and brought her closer for his own hug, "c'mere."

Mike, unaware of the sentimental moment going on between El and Hopper, interjected almost immediately. "You've been hiding her." He sounded almost astonished at the idea. As if he hadn't done the same thing the year prior in his parent's basement. "You've been hiding her the whole time!" he said again, shoving at Hopper.

"Hey!" the older man said, turning around and taking hold of Mike's shirt collar. Mike tried to shove him off but his grip was too tight. "Let's talk." a pause, then: "Alone." Without waiting for the younger boy to respond, he led Mike away to Halley's room, closing the door behind him. She could hear muffled shouts.

She was forced away from her attempt as eavesdropping as El stepped up to her. Looking up at her with those big brown eyes. She smiled. "I... missed you," she said slowly, almost in a formal tone. It sounded like she had practiced the words.

Halley pulled the younger girl into her, resting her chin atop El's overly gelled hair. "I missed you too, kiddo," She muttered, squeezing the younger girl tightly, like she was worried El would disappear again. Halley wondered if El remembered seeing her that night. Or if El had seen her at all.

Before she got the chance to ask, or, more realistically, broadly approach the subject just to chicken out at the last minute, El broke away. She turned to Dustin and Lucas who both ran at her with their arms open wide.

During the reunion, Halley recognized a new presence beside her. She turned to find that Steve had replaced Nancy. She wondered what had happened first: Steve's appearance, or Nancy's absence. Either way, it was clear the separation between the two was purposeful.

"Who's that?" Steve asked, leaning down to whisper in her ear, he was staring at Eleven, as she spoke to Dustin about his teeth.

Halley's voice was low as she answered, trying not to interpret the others. "That's El... Eleven, I guess." Steve glanced over her shoulder at the girl, and then back to Halley, a blank expression on his face. "Dustin didn't tell you?" she paused, looking at the younger boy again as he purred, showing off his new teeth, "Of course he didn't tell you," she said more to herself than him.

Dustin perked up at his name, looking over at them, but Steve waved him back to El and Lucas.

"Eleven is the girl we found in the woods last year when we were looking for Will. She escaped Hawkins Lab. And she has, like, telekinesis."

"Telekinesis?" Steve asked, once again looking over at El. Halley would hand it to him, in this state, El did not look like the type of kid to have super powers.

Regardless, she nodded. "Yeah, and she can like, travel through people's minds or something? I don't know, she was able to find my brother last year. She helped us get him back... before she went missing." She didn't say 'died'. Even though that's what Mike had told her one night. That was his fear of what had happened, after watching a demogorgon explode in front of him.

Halley's fingernails were digging into her palms. The year prior was difficult for her to remember. In a figurative sense. Literally, she was, unfortunately, able to picture every single detail of it. Usually most nights.

Steve's eyes wandered to her hands, there was no way he couldn't notice the anxious tell, but he didn't say anything about it. "She seems to really like you," He said instead.

She looked away, shrugging. "Yeah." She didn't say anything else. Nothing about how in those short few days that Halley had known El, that she had grown to become a sister to the older girl. That, much like she would for Will and his friends, Halley would do anything to protect her.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she watched as El pushed past Max, ignoring an outreached hand.

There was an almost shuddering breath as she found her voice again, "Not as much as she likes Mike."

El embraced Joyce, and Halley turned back to Steve. She smiled, a lopsided, friendly grin that wasn't totally genuine. As happy as she was that El was okay, and that she had come back, she couldn't shake the memory of her dream. With the cabin in the woods, and Eleven.

Steve seemed to notice her unease, because he rested his arm on her shoulder and sighed. "Speaking of Mike," He said, slightly quirking an eyebrow as his head gestured to Halley's room, where the aforementioned boy was still arguing with Hopper. "What's all that about?"

She bit her lip. Mike had confided in her more than once about how much he missed El. Sort of. He wasn't exactly the type of person to wear his heart on his sleeve, but she could tell when something was up with him. While he hadn't, and probably never would have, said something to the others, he had provided her with vague insights into inner feelings.

Dustin and Lucas missed El. There was no doubt about it, and they would say it themselves. However, it was different for Mike. Harder for him.

"Mike and El were close," Halley said simply, sparing a glance at the door. "I didn't know Hopper was involved in this though. Like, the Eleven thing. He helped us out last year but..." She trailed off, not knowing what else to say, she barely understood enough to form a congruent thought let alone explain those thoughts to Steve.

Steve nodded, and Halley was grateful he didn't push anything. 

 

Chapter 57: splitting up

Summary:

"𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏, 𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈."

"We burn it out of him."

 

"Take Denfield, then you'll see a large oak tree." Hopper was carrying Will's limp body as Joyce, Jonathan, and Halley all followed quickly behind him. "You're gonna swing a right. That road is gonna dead end." Jonathan rushed ahead to pull open the back door of the car. "And it's about a five minute walk from there."

Jonathan, with shaky and heavy breaths repeated the directions back to him. "Denfield, oaktree, right, it's— it's channel ten, right? Channel ten?" he stopped suddenly, looking up for confirmation as Hopper closed the door after setting Will down on the seats.

In a fatherly act, Hopper clasped Jonathan's shoulder. "It's channel ten," He said calmly, then, raising an eyebrow and leaning down slightly to properly look Jonathan in the eyes, "You let me know when that thing is out of him." He finished with a small nod, clapping Jonathan's back before walking away.

For a moment, Jonathan was still, then he turned to face Halley, his eyes were misty, but it was obvious he was trying to hide it. She chose not to mention it.

Joyce had gone to grab something from the house, Halley suspected cigarettes, so she had a few minutes before it was time to take Will.

"Jon," She said slowly, stepping closer to him. She spared a glance through the smudged car window. If she were naive, she would have believed that Will had just fallen asleep on the way home.

Seeming to misunderstand what Halley was trying to say, Jonathan shook his head, "It's gonna work, we just gotta—"

"Jonathan, I'm not going." The air went still around them. Halley could hear the crickets deep within the forest as she waited for her brother to say something. Anything.

Finally, he blinked, licked his lips, and started to form words. "What?"

Halley shook her head. She knew that her being there was a bad idea. She couldn't particularly explain it, but it was a gut feeling, a terrible, rumbling gut feeling. The same feeling she felt when she had seen Bob brutally torn apart and Mike jump off a cliff. She didn't know what it was, but she did know she couldn't be at the cabin.

"It's... better if I stay here," she said softly, not quite looking at her brother, her fingernails dug into the backside skin of her thumb. The thought of lying crossed her mind. She could tell him it was because she wanted to keep an eye on the boys, make sure they were all evenly spread out in case anything happened, but she couldn't bring herself to. She didn't offer an explanation, but Jonathan didn't push for one.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Hopper wrangling El away from Mike, and Joyce emerging from the house, Halley knew she should break away; let the plan kick start into action. But it was difficult.

"It's gonna work," She said, just barely audible, as she gave Jonathan a tight lipped smile. He returned the gesture before getting behind the wheel.

Halley had just a moment alone before Nancy was standing beside her, having come from the side of the house. Steve was nowhere to be seen.

The two stood in the quiet for a moment. Both of them looked at the car.

"Take care of him for me?" Halley turned to her, before Nancy said anything. The brunette looked from Halley to the idling car, where the passenger door sat open, the seat empty.

Nancy hesitated, her lip trembling with too many unspoken words. "Yeah... yeah of course. He's gonna be okay." She nodded, starting for the car.

"Nance?" Halley said quickly, surprising herself, Nancy turned around, her hand on the top of the door. "I wasn't talking about Will." Nancy blushed, her mouth opening, then closing again as she thought against whatever she was about to say.

She nodded, not looking at Jonathan, who was oblivious to the conversation. "I promise." The door shut after her, and there was a brief moment—just a second—where Halley almost ran forward to join them. But the car pulled away. And she was still standing outside.

Hopper followed soon after, and the crackling of the rocks beneath his tires pulled Halley from her thoughts. She needed to get herself under control. There was a group of kids still with her, and she'd be damned if she let anything happen to them. They were her responsibility now.

Turning around, she saw the aforementioned group of kids. And Steve.

Mike watched teary eyed as Hopper's police car drove off, and Halley was willing to bet money that there was a similar expression on El's face.

She took a deep breath, trying to ground herself. "Come on," she said, stepping forward, "let's get inside." She broke through the small group, and as she expected, the others followed behind her. Steve, being the last one in, shut the door behind him.

Halley slumped down on the couch in the living room, and stared blankly at the scribbled map covering the walls. She felt like she was looking down on her body.

Mike was pacing back and forth, his head slightly shaking, a grimace on his face. Lucas and Max both looked up from their spot in the middle of the room, sweeping up broken glass, to watch him. There was a brief silence before Lucas finally spoke.

"Mike, would you just stop already?" he said. The broom had gone still. Max was still crouched on the floor, looking from Lucas, to Mike, then finally to Halley.

"You weren't there!" Mike fights back. His voice came out much stronger than Halley would have expected. It stirs her from her stupor. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs."

There's a muffled cry from the kitchen of Dustin correcting the terminology: "Demodogs!" it went unnoticed.

"The chief will take care of her," Lucas said surely. As if this would calm Mike's mind. At this point, Dustin and Steve decided to make an appearance, looking like they had just gotten away with something. Halley didn't have the energy to be suspicious.

Steve seemed to have decided to pick this time to act responsible, and he took a step toward Mike. "Look, dude, a couch calls a play in a game, bottom line: you execute it, alright?" He wipes something from his hands with an old dish rag.

Mike is put off even more by Steve's interjection, though. "Okay, first of all this isn't some stupid sports game. And second of all, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench."

Still fiddling with the dish towel, Steve stammers, clearly not expecting Mike to fight back. A rookie mistake. "So my point is..." There's a beat of silence, he looked to Halley for help but she has nothing to offer. The kids are staring at him. "Right, yeah, we're on the bench. So, uh, there's nothing we can do."

"That's not entirely true," Dustin says, turning to look at Steve, "I mean, these demodogs, they have a hivemind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away."

Lucas had caught up, leaning slightly on the broom as he nodded almost excitedly, "if we can get their attention..."

"Maybe we can draw them away from the lab," Max finished, looking up at Lucas, then to the rest of the group.

"Clear a path to the gate." Mike was paying close attention to a picture on the ground by his feet. It was shades of green and blue and black. One of the center portions of the labyrinth Will had drawn, they had run out of room on the walls, resulting in a large portion of the hardwood being covered in scribbled papers.

"Yeah, and then we all die," Steve said, raising his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"That's one point of view," Dustin said.

"That's not a point of view, man, that's a fact." Mike shoved between the two of them before they could continue to argue. He led the rest of them into the kitchen, kneeling down by the fridge and pointing to a picture still attached to the wall.

"This is it. This is where the Chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel, so..." He brought them back to the center piece he had been so invested in before, "this is the hub. You've got all the tunnels feeding into here. Maybe if we set this on fire—"

"Oh, yeah, that's a no," Steve said almost immediately.

The boys began talking over one another, finishing each other's sentences about the so-called plan. Leading the dogs into the hub, setting it on fire then turning back to get out. If it wasn't for the fact that they would all be in a giant tunnel system with monstrous mutant creatures from the Upside Down, it would be a great idea.

"Guys," Steve said, trying to get their attention, but the kids continued to conspire. Halley watched like a bystander, feeling like a trespasser in her own house. "Hey. Hey! Hey! This is not happening!" He said throwing the dish rag he had over his shoulder and putting his hands on his hips. Mike moves to argue but he puts a hand up, "No, no, no, no. No buts. I promised to keep you shitheads safe. And that's exactly what I plan on doing." Max rolled her eyes. "We're staying here. On the bench. And waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everyone understand that?"

"This isn't a stupid sports game!" Mike said, whipping his head away from Steve, "Halley!" He cried, trying to get her to jump in."

"Does everybody understand!" Steve whipped the dishrag off his shoulder and pointed it at the kids, not giving Halley a chance to say anything. "If the girl really needed help she would have told us."

Mike gritted his teeth. "Her name is El," He said angrily. "And how was she supposed to tell us anything?"

Steve, without thinking about the consequences of his actions, gave an incredulous look. "Through Halley." He said it as if it was obvious, like he had just won the argument he was having with the middle schooler in front of him.

There was a beat of stillness, where Mike's face contorted into confusion, looking from Halley to Steve. "What are you talking about?" he finally said, shaking his head as his eyes narrowed.

Halley gave Steve a side eye. This was definitely not how she wanted to explain what she had been going through to the kids. "I've... talked to El a few times," She said, speaking slowly as she thought over her words.

"What do you mean?" Mike's voice was dangerously low.

"Not in person," she backtracked, holding her hands out. "I didn't know if it was real or not. I just... saw her. In my dreams." She waited. It wasn't like she had really kept a giant secret. She truly hadn't known if she was in contact with El, or if her psyche was fucking with her.

"You knew?" Mike finally said. His mouth was slightly open, and Halley had never seen the boy so upset. He looked even angrier than when Hopper revealed he had been harboring Eleven. "You knew? And you didn't say anything?" he said, his voice growing. Lucas reached out to him, trying to put a hand on his shoulder, but Mike wretched away from him. "How could you? What else are you hiding from us? What else are you lying about!"

Halley took a step forward, trying to reason with him, "Kid, I wasn't lying. I didn't—"

"No! Stop, Halley." Mike cut her off, glaring with an intensity she had never been on the receiving end of. "I can't believe you."

She opened her mouth to say something again, but she was cut off once more. This time, though, not by Mike, but by the distinct sound of an engine revving.

 

Chapter 58: literally get out

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕."

Halley stood against the front door, watching from behind Steve as Billy emerged from his car, not bothering to turn off the engine.

"Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?" Billy said, a twisted lift of an eyebrow as he focused on the boy in front of him.

Steve watched him, his hands on his hips. Halley could only imagine the look on his face. "Yeah. It's me, don't cream your pants." there was an air of apathy in his words.

Billy shed his jacket, revealing a painful amount of his bare chest barely covered by a half buttoned shirt. A cigarette glowed as he held it between his teeth. He slammed his car door. "What are you doing here, Amigo?" He snarled. Steve had begun moving toward him. Halley could feel her heart in her throat.

"I could ask you the same thing." They were face to face now. It reminded Halley, oddly, of last year, when Nancy and Steve had had their stand off before summoning the demogorgon into the Byers's house.

Billy's head tilted, and for a moment he looked almost, sincerely, concerned. "Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here." He spoke around his cigarette. Halley forced herself to look away from his lips. Not think about them on hers. In his room. Listening to his music as she thought about...

"...I don't know her." She was brought back to the situation at hand as Steve spoke.

Billy clearly didn't believe him. "Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch." There was a pull in Halley's chest, aching to defend Max, but she stayed docile. Waiting.

"Doesn't ring a bell. Sorry, buddy." Steve was, very much, not sorry.

Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, it almost looked like Billy was laughing. He shook his head, speaking just loud enough for Halley to pick up his words from the porch. "You know, I don't know, this..." he clicked his tongue, waving a hand around as if he was thinking about his words. But Halley could tell it was an act. "This whole situation, Harrington, I don't know." He took a step toward Steve. "It's giving me the Heebie-Jeebies."

Steve didn't falter at the advancement. "Yeah? Why's that?"

A puff of the cigarette, then, "My 13 year old sister goes missing all day. And then I find her with you. In a stranger's house." a pause. "And you lie to me about it."

A small chuckle escaped from Steve as he looked away for a moment, shaking his head. "Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?" A puff of smoke encases Billy's mouth, and his tongue danced across his lips as he laughed. Steve doesn't move. "I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said. She's not here"

There's a brief moment, Billy's attention goes to the front window, then pointing with the cigarette between his fingers, "Then who is that?"

Fuck.

Steve seemed to think the same thing, because as he turned back around to face Billy, he tried to backtrack, "Oh, shit, listen—" 

But Billy had already planted his hands against his chest and pushed. Hard. Steve fell to the ground with a grunt, and Billy loomed over him, "I told you to plant your feet," He muttered. Halley would have questioned the comment if there weren't more pressing matters at hand. Billy delivered a swift kick to Steve's stomach.

Halley gasped, making a move to help, but stopping as she found Billy's eyes meeting her own. She stayed put. In front of the door. He would have to go through her to get to the kids.

Billy stalked up to her, stopping in front of the porch steps and dropping the cigarette to his feet, stomping it out. It was a Marlboro.

"Don't do this," Halley said slowly, her left hand hiding behind her as it rested against the door handle.

"Get out of my way, Byers," He said in a low voice. Frankly, she was surprised he gave her a warning. She shook her head, and he snarled, gritting his teeth and shoving her with far more force than necessary to the side. She stumbled off the side of the porch and into the dead flower bushes Joyce kept promising to replant. She caught herself; her hands landing into November-frost ridden mulch.

Halley heard the door slam open, then after a few moments slam shut again. She forced herself up, choosing to ignore the way her fingers shook and the raw feeling from her palms. She pulled herself back onto the porch, her left knee screaming at her as she planted it on the hard surface. She chose to ignore that too.

Pushing through the door she found herself looking at a scene that immediately made her forget the ebbing pain she felt. The kids were yelling and Billy had Lucas by the collar of his shirt up against the dining set cabinet.

He was saying something. Speaking in a far too hushed voice for Halley to pick it up. But it didn't matter. It didn't matter what he was saying because Halley was already pissed. The fuse had been lit and it was going to go off.

Halley rushed forward, yanking at Billy's grasp on the younger boy. Thanks to her element of surprise and her element of surprise only, she was able to wrangle Lucas out of Billy's hands. Halley quickly side stepped in front of him, herding him behind her as she stared in utter fury at Billy.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" She spat, her hands behind her as she held Lucas back. She was breathing heavily, teeth gritting as she watched Billy crack her knuckles. "Max is fine, but she sure as hell isn't going anywhere with you." There was a pause where Halley took a heavy breath. She stared directly into Billy's eyes, daring him to argue, "I won't let her get hurt."

"You won't let her get hurt? It's my job to make sure that doesn't happen." Billy's eyes hardened on Halley and she was exceptionally aware of how different he was at that moment than the person she had shared a smoke with while ditching class.

Knowing what she was about to do was a very bad idea, she gently shoved Lucas out to the side where he made a run to the other kids. Halley spoke before Billy could make a move to grab him. "Your job, huh? Is that what Daddy told you?" It was a low blow. Halley knew it. But so was going after a child.

Billy's face turned stone cold, a malicious snarl turning his lips upward. Suddenly it was her up against the cabinet, her feet dangling inches from the ground as Billy held a fistful of her shirt. He was dangerously close to her face, but she refused to give him the fear he was looking for. "You're fucking dead, Byers."

But suddenly Halley's feet were back on the ground, and the hand gripping her so tightly had left.

"No," Halley heard a familiar voice, "you are." Steve had whirled Billy around and delivered a swift punch to his face. He had barely a moment to spare Halley a glance before Billy was back up, cackling as if it was all a game.

"Looks like you have some fire in you after all! Huh?" Billy exclaimed. His voice was maniacal. He sounded psychotic. "I've been waiting to meet this King Steve, everybody's been telling me so much about." He took a step closer, not bothering to wipe the blood from his nose. He had no issue getting right up into Steve's face. "Guess all it took was a little threat towards Blondie over there, right?" Billy's lips twitched into a smirk.

Steve didn't miss a beat. "Get out." He pushed Billy back with only a few fingers, both boys still swaying with adrenaline.

For a moment, Halley thought it was over. That Billy would actually listen and leave. But she should have known that would never have happened. After a single beat of an eerie silence, Billy swung.

Steve ducked with speed Halley hadn't expected, and bounced back up to slug his fist against Billy's face again. The kids were cheering him on, but Halley's hands shook as she watched. Steve was getting hits in, and he had backed Billy into the kitchen sink, the blond laughing hysterically. Steve had the upper hand, currently, but knowing Billy, that advantage wouldn't last.

Without warning, Billy had picked up a plate from the counter and slammed it against Steve's head. Shards of ceramic went flying and Steve doubled over, groaning. Billy didn't wait a second before advancing. It was his turn to deliver blow after blow and knock Steve back into the living room. Halley herded the kids back, trying to figure out how to stop the two from killing each other.

Billy had Steve by the collar, and was speaking in a dark gravelly voice, "No one tells me what to do." And he thrust his head against Steve's. Halley winced at the sight, watching as the latter boy fell to the ground. Billy whooped and cheered, not letting up. "Get up!" he shouted, pouncing and finding himself on top of Steve, throwing punch after punch to his face.

Halley was still, her fingers itching for a gun, a knife, hell anything would be better than the nothing she had in the moment. She shook her head, trying to stop the tremor in her hands, and took a step forward. "Don't move," she hissed at the kids, as they shouted at Billy to stop. Halley pulled at Billy's shoulder, not caring about any retaliation. She needed to get him away from Steve.

"Stop it!" she shouted, yanking as hard as she could, "Get off of him!" she was shaking him now, her breathing was heavy, and her vision was getting spotty. The world around her was blackening. Glitching, almost. Her strength was failing her. But she wasn't all there. The room around her was morphing. She saw Steve on the ground but when she looked up she saw outside.

She was in the woods. She had been here before. Shouting could still be heard, but this time when she looked down she only saw leaves. It was dark. And damp. Someone was calling her name. She turned around, looking for the kids. She needed to protect the kids.

No one was there.

"No. Fuck. No, no, no. I can't do this now. Not right now." she muttered, looking around at her surroundings, she tried to place herself back in her house, tried to focus on the blurring voices in the back of her head screaming for her.

"Fuck!" she screamed, pressing her palms to her eyes as her head went silent.

The wind howled around her, and she could see the moon full in the sky above her. This was different than the other times she had been sucked away. There was no void. It looked like her dream. Too real.

Halley took a step forward. She recognized where she was. The formation of the trees was a dead give away. That, and the small carving in an evergreen a few paces away from her. She heaved in. Shaking her head in anger, before following to the path to a destination she had been only a few times prior.

The air was cold, and Halley knew she should be shivering, but instead she felt rather comfortable. It was only as she grew closer to Hopper's cabin that her body began to fight against the temperature. Though, not in the way it should.

Beads of sweat began to form at her hairline, dripping slowly down her forehead. She could feel her cheeks starting to burn. The tips of her ears brightened.

Halley pushed through the unlocked door. The interior was different from the last time she had been inside. It was darker, and the furniture was in disarray. She ventured further inside, following the waves of heat that made her head spin.

From under a door, she could see the tiniest fracture of light. She pushed her hair from her face. Heat was radiating from the room and she hadn't even opened the door.

There was a scream, and Halley's blood went cold as it rushed through her burning veins. She didn't wait any longer and shot into the room. Had she actually been in the cabin, there would have been no way for her to actually get in. Space heaters crowded the floor, sitting in front of the door, and breaking a dozen safety codes.

"That's right. You're not here, Halley. But I am." A disembodied voice echoed around her. A voice she had remembered hearing before, back when she had seen Bob's body.

She surveyed the room; Jonathan, Nancy, and Joyce stood to the side, their clothes sticking to their sweat glistening bodies. Will had been laid down on a bed, his limbs secured and tied to keep him from hurting himself. From hurting them. 

There was no one else.

"You won't find me," The voice rang again, "Not yet."

Trying her hardest to focus on anything other than the voice reverberating through her skull, Halley moved closer to the bed. As she got closer, she realized that Will wasn't Will. There was something wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong.

Running up and down his ghostly pale arms were dark, ink black veins. They thrummed with every shaky breath he took. His eyes were wide and wild, and for a moment it looked as if they looked right into her own.

She wanted to reach out to him, to hold him close to her and promise that things were going to be okay. But they both would have known she was lying. She watched as his pupils fought against themselves, growing and shrinking in a way Halley had never seen. The bags under his eyes were deeper than ever, they had a bluish purple hue that made him look ill.

Will didn't react as she put a hand on his shoulder, brushing hair from his forehead. He didn't know she was there. She knew that. She knew that nothing she did would transfer from whatever pocket dimension she had found herself in, to where Will was now.

"It won't work."

She looked down, finding Will's face had contorted into something else. Someone else. His skin seemed to melt from his face as he stared at her. "You can't save him." Neither the other Byers, nor Nancy, all of whom were paying close attention to Will, noticed the disfiguration. Halley concluded that the metamorphosis was something only she could see.

Will's skin was a raw red, and hung loosely from his face. His eyes bulged from his head to the point she could see their curvature. A ghastly, too long arm reached up to her. It caresses her cheek, with long black fingers.

Halley didn't understand. The restraints the others had put on Will were strong. He couldn't have broken free. And if he had, the others surely would have realized.

Unless he hadn't actually broken free.

"It's time to go back now." 

 

Chapter 59: asbest-oh no

Summary:

"𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏."

Steve freaking the fuck out was what finally brought Halley back into her current circumstances. She shot forward with gasp, only to find herself smooshed in the back seat of Billy Hargrove's car with three other bodies beside her.

It took her a moment to regain full comprehension of her surroundings. She had been propped up against Steve, their limbs a mess as the kids had tried to tetris the two of them into the back. Mike and Dustin sat on either side of them, looking as normal as ever as they fought over how Mike had "known that Steve would freak out".

Halley was still trying to process everything when a voice in front of her shouted, "Everybody, shut up! I'm trying to focus!" And she suddenly understood how the only two legal drivers were in the back of a moving vehicle: Max was at the wheel.

Suddenly, Steve's major freak out was making sense.

"Oh my God," She said, feeling her stomach drop as Lucas yelled at Max to make a left and the redhead careened the car around the corner so fast Halley thought for a moment they were going to flip. "Slow down," She tried to say, not realizing Steve had made the same request moments prior to no avail.

The image of Will's sunken face stuck in the back of her mind as she pushed herself forward, sticking her head in between the two front seats. Steve was in no position to put up a real fight— not after the one he had so brutally lost.

She tried not to think of the eerie eyes, and the grotesque look of what she refused to believe was her brother, and tried to focus on the twelve year old driving the car.

"What the fuck," She said, far less authoritative than she had wanted. She sounded almost childish. "Lucas what—" she didn't get to finish as the car halted at a speed that shouldn't be possible in the middle of a field. The sudden momentum shift sent her forward, and she nearly flew into the windshield, just barely catching herself on the head unit of the car. The radio and volume dials digging into her palms.

The kids showered Max with sounds of admiration at her driving. "I told you, Zoomer." Halley barely registered Max's words as she tried to recover from the horrendous, death defying ride they had just been on. She pushed herself off the radio, massaging the indents from the impact away.

There was barely time to recover before the preteens were jumping into action, leaving Halley and Steve to both hobble out of the car.

"Oh no. Where do you think you're going?" Steve said, mustering up all his strength to sound 'in charge'. He was leaning against the open door of the Camaro, and looked about ready to collapse. He was in no state to be in charge. "Hello? Are you deaf?" The kids continued to work around him, while Halley watched in a stupor, "I made myself clear, we are not going down there." Mike walked past them with what looked like gasoline, and a scarf wrapped around his mouth with safety goggles tight against his eyes. "Hey, there is no chance we are going to that hole, all right?" Max and Lucas were the next to follow, carrying their own weapons and gear. Steve attempted to stop Dustin, but Halley followed the duo over to where Mike had begun to feed rope into a giant hole.

"We're going in with a plan, right?" She said, finally. The three turned around quickly, not expecting to hear her voice behind them. Mike looked at her skeptically. "I'm on your side. But I want to know we aren't going in there blindly." She had slowly recuperated, feeling more aware of where she was and what was going on. The static that filled her head after episodes finally lifted.

Mike was the first to talk. Throwing the bag he had over his shoulder down and quickly unzipping the first pocket. He pulled out some cloth— Halley recognized it as a bandana Johnathan had used years ago for a cowboy costume— and a pair of her old swimming goggles. Halley put them on without question. "We're gonna burn it all down." He said.

She nodded. Still fiddling with the knot keeping the bandana over her mouth. "Okay."

Halley went in first. She refused to let any of the kids into the mouth of the tunnel until she was positive it was safe—well, as safe as she could confirm it to be. Once she wasn't immediately attacked by the vines, or swallowed into the ground whole, she helped the others down.

Mike wasted no time, he had practically jumped in right behind Halley, it was a miracle he had actually listened to her. He was already a few paces when Lucas and Max finally got down, making the two call out to the other boy to wait up.

To Halley's surprise, Steve was next, Dustin soon to follow, and rushed to catch up with the others. Practically leaving the two people of, albeit, meaningless, authority in the dust.

"Holy shit," Steve muttered, looking around them. He also had a bandana pulled over his mouth, and goggles protecting his eyes. Halley would have laughed at him in any other circumstance.

Holy shit was right. The walls that surrounded them reminded Halley far too much of that night she, Jonathan, and Nancy had traveled into the upside down. Dark oozing barriers, and a squelching ground that looked more like inhumane flesh than dirt.

It was moist, the air thick and humid as they stepped further and further away from the opening. Even without the flashlights the kids had brought along, there was some sort of light source. As if the intestine-like walls held a dull glow. A sickly, silvery luminescence, accompanied by small white particles floating around them like asbestos.

Halley could already feel her stomach twisting.

"I think it's this way!" Mike shouted, taking Halley's attention away from the dystopian surroundings, and back to the middle schooler in front of her. He held a crude replica of the tunnel system Will had drawn; a few shaky black lines with an X making where they were headed.

"Pretty sure, or you're certain?" Dustin asked, his voice muffled by the bandana around his mouth. She wasn't going to say it, but Halley was wondering the same thing.

Mike shot him the best look he could with half of his face covered in protective gear. "I'm one hundred percent sure! Just follow me and you'll see!" Because of the mess Halley had found herself in after the times she had followed Mike in the past, she wasn't too keen on letting him take the lead.

And it seemed that she wasn't the only one in that mindset. "Woah, woah, woah," Steve said, stepping up and clasping Mike's shoulder before he could spearhead into the tunnels, "hey, hey, hey, hey. I don't think so." He let go of him, shining his flashlight at the boy's chest. "Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?" Halley refrained from saying anything, like how she would also be to blame. "From here on out, I'm leading the way. Come on, let's go." He flashed his light at the rest of them.

Steve took the so-called map from Mike, and started down the tunnels. Mike was next, with Dustin, Lucas and Max behind him, as Halley kept up the end.

Their feet sloshed within the tunnel's canals, the moisture in the air made breathing through the bandanas laborious. Halley tried not to focus on the long vines lining the ground, and how they curled and throbbed as they walked past.

After a few moments of walking in silence, they came to a fork in the trail. "God," Lucas murmured, looking at the three separate trail heads. The rest of them were clearly thinking the same thing.

"What is this place?" Max breathed out from beside Halley, looking up to the older girl. Halley shrugged, not quite meeting Max's eyes. She was too busy focusing on the way particles in the air swirled down each tunnel's mouth, disappearing as they got further and further away. She tried not to think about getting lost— wandering around down there, calling for help as they walked circles around the underground of Hawkins, never—

"Come on, guys. Keep moving." Steve said, not giving them anymore time to stall, before heading straight into the second trailroad.

Trekking along, Halley nearly bulldozed over Dustin after he stopped suddenly. His head upturned, and body shaking like he had just seen a ghost. After everything, Halley wouldn't have been surprised if he had.

"What the hell is that thing?" Dustin muttered, turning to look at Halley, as if she would have the answer. She followed his gesture, as he pointed up to it, and was horrified to find a large substance on the top of the tunnel.

It was just barely translucent, maroon red with thick purple veins swelling along what Halley could only describe as skin. A flower-like opening that reminded her far too much of the Demegorgon's mouth. Of the vein that had— no. not right now. Not here.

It was pumping, its opening getting wider. Like an organ. Like a heart.

"Oh my god," Halley muttered. Not quite registering Dustin, who was still waiting for her response. But the heart, after what seemed like a deep breath in, exhaled a wind of white debris in a whirl, knocking Dustin back.

He scrambled to get back up, spluttering as he did so. "Shit, oh fuck. Help, help!" Halley quickly reached to him, letting him grab hold of her wrist, and hoisting him up, as the rest of the group turned around from their lead ahead of them and rushed back. "It got in my mouth! Oh god, it got inside my mouth." He was back on his feet, but his hands grasped his knees as he coughed and hacked.

The group stood back, each and every flashlight trained on Dustin until he finally stood back up. His bandana was off of his mouth, loose around his neck. He looked at the others, "I'm okay."

Max rolled her eyes, "are you serious?" She deadpanned, already turning around to continue down further into the tunnel.

"Really funny, man, good going." Steve was back in the front, moving as if nothing had happened.

Halley squeezed Dustin's shoulder, guiding him up the small unleveled incline after Steve and the others. Heaving herself up and over the above ground roots of all the vines still weaving around them.

She tried not to focus on them. Instead, watching Lucas and Max as they talked quietly to one another. The sight of Max, stuck down in the tunnels with the rest of them, made a pit in her stomach. She didn't want to have to bring more people into the mess she had dealt with last year. Or, at the very least, she would have loved to have been able to give Max a little more of a heads up on what she was getting herself into.

Halley bit her lip, trying to focus on the situation at hand. She didn't have anything else inhabiting her mind right now. She could worry about the detriment to the development of the kids later, and God knows she would, but she needed to keep her focus on Will. Helping her brother. That was her number one goal. No matter what.

"Hey, guys?" Steve piped up from ahead of her, "I think I found your hub."

Pushing her way between the kids, Halley found herself beside Steve. Looking at the circular crossroad they had found themselves in. Seven different trailheads staring them down with a trunk like skeletal centerpiece lying straight in the center of it all.

"Drench it." Halley had forgotten Mike was right next to her until he spoke. He was also looking at the thing in front of them, his hands already shaking to get his hands on the gasoline they brought.

Without question, the group began. Old gasoline tanks, and weed killer sprayers, not a single inch around them went untouched. Getting ready to burn the walls around them to the ground.

The smell of gasoline was strong around them, cinching Halley's nose hairs as the vine around them shivered under the feel of the unfamiliar sensation.

Mike, Dustin, and Steve, took the left side, dowsing the centerpiece and walls, as Max, Halley, and Lucas did the same on the right side. They didn't reconvene in the tunnel they originally came through until each and every container that had been brought had been emptied, and there was not a single drop of gasoline left.

Steve and Halley kneeled down in front of the kids, Mike hanging over Halley's shoulder to make sure everything went according to plan. He angrily pushed her hair out of his way, murmuring something as if it was her fault.

"Ready?" Steve said, already holding the lighter in his hands. Mike replied Before Halley got a chance to. The rest of them followed suit, with a chorus of 'ready's echoing through their tunnel.

Halley turned to Steve, accidently giving Mike a face full of her hair, which he did not respond kindly to, and said, "Light 'er up, Harrington."

"Oh, I am in such deep shit." And he dropped the lighter.

 

Chapter 60: running with the wolves

Summary:

"𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆—"

The heat hit her before she could process the sight in front of her. Halley's eyes watered as the flames flickered around her, the singed smell making her lightheaded.

Despite being docile when the group had trampled through before, the vines practically exploded once the fire started. Stems flew around them as they wriggled against the blaze, waving through the air like tentacles.

Steve, Halley, and the kids were still for a moment, mesmerized by the sight in front of them. But it only took them a moment to steady themselves and see the danger of the situation. Steve was the first to act, pushing himself up to his feet and barking at the kids to get moving. To get away from the fire that was starting to burn its way towards them. It didn't take much convincing.

They tore back down the tunnels, jumping over vines and trying to dodge unlevel ground. Steve was leading, surprisingly good with directions even without the crude map. Halley was keeping an eye on Dustin. Making sure he wasn't blown away by another cavernous organ.

Though, after a few sharp turns and narrow entryways, Halley had a horrible sensation. She slowed down, letting Dustin get ahead of her as she tried to catch her breath. A damning tug within her stomach unwavering. She blinked as if she could see the twisting vines within her eyelids, dancing across the ground, reaching out— she turned around just as Mike went down.

He must have tripped, fallen on one of the many vines scattering the ground. But concern truly set in when he didn't get back up. Halley watched as the vines gripped onto Mike's ankle and started to retract, pulling him back with them.

"Help!" Mike was finally able to yell out, his voice having been lost to him for a moment. "Help! Help, help!" He repeated it like a mantra, not noticing that Halley was already beside him. The others had turned at that point, hearing the commotion.

The world seemed to slow down. Halley could feel her stomach drop completely as her entire body went through a heat flash. It had Mike. Just like it had gotten her brother, just like it had gotten her.

She couldn't breathe.

Not again. This couldn't be happening again. She dropped down almost instantly. She couldn't let this happen. Couldn't live with herself if she did. She could feel the vines around her, they spindled around her feet, not quite touching her. She hated the way it seemed like they were trying to communicate with her.

"Fuck, it's okay. I've got you," Halley said, her hands hooking under his arms and fighting against the vine's grasp. She tore at the slimy things, her nails bending backwards and breaking off. She didn't notice. It didn't matter. She wasn't able to get him loose, but she was able to stop him from being dragged away. From the corner of her eye she could see the others bounding back to them from their slight lead.

She pulled harder—with everything inside her. She wouldn't let this nightmare get Mike, too. "Steve!" She finally screamed out, Mike's grip tight on her arms as he tried to kick the vine away. Steve was already there, already knew what she wanted him to do.

"Stand back! Get back!" He shouted at the kids who had crowded them, eyes wide with fear. They listened partially, taking a step back from Steve, but following Halley's lead, grabbing hold of Mike's shoulders and arms, trying to pull him away. Meanwhile, Steve slammed his bat rhythmically against the vines. Repeatedly striking the tendril as he raised the bat high above his head and letting it fall, again and again. Finally, it withered in on itself, like a slug that had run into salt. Halley and the kids heaved Mike back before the hissing offender could snatch him again.

They scrambled back up to their feet, Halley pulling Mike up with her, and wrapping her arms around him. Her heart beating erratically as the kids all questioned him, making sure he was okay.

The moment didn't last long. "Guys, we gotta go," Steve said, rushing through his words as he turned back, trying to push the group forward. A growl sounded out from close behind them, the same growl they had heard back at the Byers's house before a Demodog came crashing through one of the windows.

Halley let go of Mike, all of them turning around. A single demodog stood in front of them, it shook its head, letting out a huff of breath, almost like an actual dog. No one moved. It was a standoff, until finally Dustin stepped forward. Halley moved to grab his shoulder and pull him back, but he shrugged her off.

"Dart?" He asked slowly. Halley made a mental note to ask him later if he was trying to get them killed. If they made it out alive. She spared a glance over at Steve, who was just as completely dumbfounded by the current situation as her.

"Dustin, get back," Max finally said. but he held up a hand to her, not turning around, and shushed her. If the creature didn't kill him, Halley was sure Max would.

"Just... trust me, please." he took another step forward, lowering the bandana around his mouth, and pulling the goggles up on his head. "Hey, it's me. It's me, your friend," He said, speaking to the deadly, man eating thing in front of him now, "It's Dustin." There was no telling how much longer he would be able to speak in present tense because this thing was going to rip through the boy and then take out the rest of them. Halley was sure of it.

Dustin knelt down, getting eye level with the demodog, and Halley had to snatch Steve's wrist, holding him back before he went to drag Dustin away.

"You remember me right?" Dustin said, as if talking to a pet, it walked forward slowly, like it was tracking down prey. "Will you let us pass?" At the words, Dart snarled, trudging forward, its giant mouth opening to reveal the petals of teeth. They all flinched, save for Dustin, Halley's heart dropped, her skin going cold. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He said calmly, unrattled by the monster, "I'm sorry about the storm cellar."

Halley watched with her mouth agape as Dart closed his mouth, bowing its head like a dog scolded at Dustin's words. The boy let out a breathy laugh, "It was a pretty douchey thing to do, huh?" He pulled his backpack off his shoulder, beginning to rifle through it. "You hungry?"

From beside Halley, Lucas shook his head, the flashlight in his hand trembling. "He's insane," he muttered. Steve and Mike shushed him, but Halley was on his side. She was sure her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She was also sure that Dustin was insane. There was no other explanation for why he was so calm while facing the monster.

Dustin pulled out a candy bar holding it up so Dart could see. "I've got your favorite, see? Nougat." Dart grunted, this time not putting his horrifying rows of teeth on display as he stepped forward with calculated moves. "Look at that. Yummy," Dustin opened the candy, holding it closer to Dart, "Here, all right?" He put it on the ground. "Eat up, Buddy." And he did. Dart leaned down suspiciously, then started nudging at the candy bar with what Halley assumed was a demodog's equivalent of a nose. All the while, Dustin hurriedly waved them on, not taking his eyes off the creature in front of him.

Steve went first, taking long strides, and trying to get past Dart as quickly as possible. When Dart didn't react, Halley corralled the kids in front of her, following close behind as Dustin pulled another chocolate nougat from his bag. He stepped back, as Dart devoured his 'favorite' snack, pulling his goggles back over his eyes. "Goodbye, Buddy." He tugged his bandana up again, and let Halley pull him away, as they moved back to the opening they had first entered through.

It took a moment to regain their rhythm, but they were back to running through the tunnels, Steve leading them with his flashlight bouncing with every bounding step. Halley kept to the back, making sure none of the kids fell behind, or got lost in the maze of forking sections.

They should have known it wouldn't have been that easy though. As Steve leapt over a particularly large divot, he landed on a shaking ground. The walls vibrated around them, pulsating like an earthquake. Max went down first, but Halley was ready this time, hauling her up quickly before the vines could wriggle their way around her ankles like they had done to Mike.

"Jesus!" Steve was fighting to keep himself on his feet, turning back to make sure the rest of them were still there. A growl about ten times louder than the one they heard from Dart ricocheted against the walls around them.

"What was that?" Max whipped her head around, trying to find the source of the noise. The rest of them followed Mike's light shining brightly against the dark abyss they had just come from.

Mike was still, a shaky breath escaping his lips. "They're coming." no one moved. Thoughts raced through all of their minds, until finally Mike spoke again. "Run!" he cried, turning around, his eyes wide with fear, "Run!"

"Go, go, go!" Steve yelled, rounding a corner, his feet stamping the ground beneath them as the others followed closely behind. The kids were practically trampling over each other, yelling for one another to hurry up and go faster.

Straight ahead, was the rope they had climbed down into the hell hole with. Halley almost stopped with how relieved she was at the sight, but she knew they weren't safe yet.

Steve got to the rope first, waving to the kids anxiously, "let's go, let's go, come on." He picked Max up without hesitation, hoisting her up the rope to the surface where she climbed.

Halley scanned the ground around them, until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed the spiked bat, laying right besides Steve, her hands shaking as she stood guard. She could hear Max talking to Lucas, as Steve lifted him up next, but her blood was rushing too loud in her ears to pick up the words. The bat was heavy in her hands. She couldn't help but wish she had played softball when she was younger.

The ground wasn't shaking as violently as before, or maybe it was and she had gotten used to it, regardless, she could still feel the rumbling of however many demodogs were pounding towards them. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut, but she knew that was a bad idea. Instead she kept her back to Steve and the kids, shifting her weight and trying to slow her breathing.

A loud howl came from maybe a few feet around a corner, far too close for her liking. They would be there anytime now, she could feel it, like a tug in her chest as they grew nearer.

She nearly swung when Steve grabbed her shoulder. He pulled her behind him, taking the bat. The shadows of the demodogs were pooling on the walls in front of them. A cruel foreshadowing of the mass amounts coming for them. There wasn't enough time for them to get out. She looked around, then up. All four kids were staring down at them, trying to wave them up. Halley exhaled. They were out. They were safe. That was good enough.

"Steve—" Her voice was barely heard over the stampede.

"Just hold on!" He said, his eyes filled with so much certainty she was almost convinced. She knew how this would end, though. She had seen what those things had done to Bob.

They came in a mass, shoving and bumping into each other as they raced to get in front. Halley squeezed her eyes shut.

When she didn't feel herself being torn limb from limb, she opened one eye. The demodogs were going around them. She was speechless, stunned as she watched them race past as Steve pulled her out of one's way. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her against him and ducking his head down against hers as they waited it out. Her forehead was against his chest, and she could feel his heart beating wildly, she expected her own to be doing something similar. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the two of them to be tackled to the ground and torn to shreds, but it didn't come.

After a good few minutes, the rumbling of the demodogs quieted, and the sweep was gone. Slowly, Steve and Halley broke apart, looking around, waiting for another wave. Nothing. They were okay.

Before she could even breath out a sigh of relief, she felt her feet leave the ground as Steve hiked her up, his hands around her waist as he pushed her up towards the mouth of the hole. "Go," he said. She didn't argue, grabbing the rope and pulling herself up the rest of the way.

The kids grabbed at her arms and torso once she was partially out, and pulled her the rest of the way. They tumbled over each other once Halley was able to get her legs up to solid ground.

Max, Dustin, and Lucas rushed to get back, yelling advice that Steve didn't really need to get up, and trying to help him as well. Mike stayed put for a moment, watching as Halley heaved in breaths still on her hands and knees. He was quiet for a moment.

"Didn't know if you'd get out," he said finally, his voice a quiet contrast to the ringing in Halley's ears and the shouting from the others behind her. She looked up, pushing her hair out of her face and forced her trembling legs to stand.

With a shake of her head, she gave a breathless, humorless laugh. "Still stuck with me, Wheeler." She slung her arm around his shoulders, pulling him into her. He didn't have to say anything else. She thought the same thing. Usually Mike would shrug her away immediately, but he hugged her back for the briefest moment taking in a breath before pulling away, and joining the others at the opening of the hole where Steve was waving them off, as he fought to pull himself back to solid ground. Halley moved forward, offering him a hand once he was steady.

He looked up at her with a dead tired smile. The corners of his lips just barely upturned as he took her hand.

As the six of them stood, catching their breath and trying to wrap their minds around how they had survived the tunnels beneath them. The headlights of Steve's car suddenly lit up, the air crackled with electricity as the bulbs burned brighter than they should be able to.

A loud ringing as the light hit its peak, and then nothing. The headlights shut off, and there was a silence around them.

It was over. 

 

Chapter 61: fucking cowards

Summary:

"𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒛𝒆..."

Halley stood in front of a large two story house. It was baby blue with white trim, and a blooming of hanging christmas lights. A handful of rose bushes lining the walk up to the door, decorated with small, plastic candy canes. A small bench swing sat shaded by an overhanging tree that had to have been older than Halley's grandmother, at least. The only thing that was missing was a picket fence and it would have been the perfect, nuclear, house.

There was a large American flag waving on its perch in between the two door garage. It was crisp, looking new, like it had just been bought and put up recently.

She'd been there before. Plenty of times, actually, but she'd never been so anxious. Her hands wrung in her jacket, sweating far more than they should in the crisp November air. She really should just turn around and go home. Help Will get ready for his winter dance at the middle school. Fix up the transmission in her and Jonathan's car like she'd said she would do. Hell, research colleges to apply to. She didn't do any of that, though.

Her footsteps were unsteady as they pattered up to the front porch. A giant wreath was hung over the center of the door. With pinecones and ribbon and fake snow. To the side, on the ground, was a few lanterns lit with battery powered candles and a small nativity set. Halley steadied herself, then reached out to press the doorbell.

she wasn't prepared for what met her when the door opened. Mrs. Cae stood stoned face, with her arms crossed and an angry gleam in her eyes. Her cross necklace sat askew on the neckline of her sweater. Halley wondered if the neighbors had been putting their garbage in the Cae's cans again.

"Uh, hi, Mrs. C. I was just looking for Caroline?" Halley tried, her fingers prodding and picking at the skin around her thumbs as she hid her hands behind her.

Mrs. Cae scoffed, running her tongue over her teeth like she was deciding whether or not to pounce and bite. Halley's nails cut deeper into her fingers.

"You shouldn't be here." She finally said. Tapping her foot against the tiled floor inside the house. Halley could make out the Christmas tree behind her in the living room, adorned with picture perfect ornaments and an angel at the top. "Not after what you did to my daughter."

Halley stilled. Her mouth opened for a moment, before clamping shut again. She should have realized Caroline's family would know about what happened. They had always been incredibly close, after all. Of course she would tell them about what a shitty person Halley was. What she had done to their only daughter. How she'd reacted. Fuck, she couldn't even blame them. Couldn't even be mad.

She shifted her weight from leg to leg, trying to muster up the courage to speak. She wanted to run. But she had to make things right. "I know," She said, quietly, not meeting the woman's eyes, her words were sloppy and choked up, "I wanted to apologize... I'm really, really sorry. Can I just— can I see her?"

The wind whipped behind her, throwing up some of the tree leaves that had clung onto their branches through autumn. The flag smacked against the house.

"She's not home right now." Mrs. Cae's words were definitive, and Halley could tell the woman didn't want her on her porch any longer than she had already been. But Halley couldn't leave yet. Not without seeing Caroline. Not without doing everything she needed to.

"Do you know when she'll be back?"

Mrs. Cae's nostrils flared at the question, her lips pressing together in a thin line before she shook her head incredulously, taking a step forward and leaning down just slightly to meet Halley's eyes. "You really think her father and I would let her stay here and be corrupted by you? My daughter will be back when her mind is free from the poison and sickness you gave to her."

Halley stepped back like she'd been slapped, "w-what?"

"You think we don't know what you did? You sick little dyke. I should have known with a family like yours, you would have been nothing more than a disgusting queer. Your mother may be alright with her children being condemned to hell but I will not let my baby stray away from God." The woman was practically hissing, her eyes lighting with a fire Halley had never seen in an adult's eyes.

Mrs Cae suddenly took a deep breath, standing up straight again and putting a calm condescending smile on her face, as she looked Halley up and down, shaking her head. "Caroline is attending a lovely wilderness retreat in the west, that will fix her. I recommend you look into something similar for yourself." She shut the door before Halley could respond.

There was a numb, empty feeling as Halley stepped down from the porch. She felt like she'd been suckerpunched in the stomach, and couldn't quite get her lungs to properly breath.

She thought of Caroline. Of her in the library: it felt like weeks ago, but was no more than a few days. A few days. Not even a hundred hours, and Caroline was gone. And it was Halley's fault. She did this.

Halley was going to be sick.

When had Caroline told her parents? Was it the day of? Or later, after Halley had dodged her calls, partly because the Byers's telephone had been ripped from the wall, and partly because she had been scared. If Halley hadn't been such a fucking coward, if she hadn't of run, would Caroline still be here?

She had heard of the 'retreats' before. Lonnie used to threaten to send Will there when they were younger. Months alone in the woods with only other 'sick' kids, and the people that would heal you. Caroline didn't need to be healed. She wasn't sick. Halley wanted to run back up to the Cae house and tell her mother that: that Caroline wasn't sick. She wasn't fucking sick.

But she didn't.

Instead Halley moved backwards, stumbling over the porch steps, knocking over one of the three wise men in the nativity set. She didn't fix it.

Her breath came in a startled gasp, and she clenched her fists at her sides, digging her fingernails into her palms as she tried to ground herself.

Mrs. Cae was still watching her through the shutters by the front door. Halley could make out the sheen of her hair through the frosted glass. She refused to give the woman the satisfaction of seeing that she'd gotten in her head. She couldn't do that.

So she steadied herself, her chest stuttering with the deep breath she took, and kicked the rest of the nativity set down. She turned around, calmly walking off the Cae property, with no intention of ever returning.

The walk back to her own house was harrowing and utterly silent. Despite the walkman attached to her hip, she didn't pull on her headphones. She didn't think Pat Benatar was an appropriate artist for the situation, and she was positive that The Smiths would only make her feel worse. Besides, she needed the quiet. Needed to listen to the rustling leaves, and the occasional car passing by with the unmistakable sound of a fucked up muffler.

She should have known. Should have figured that after the years she spent stuck in a house with Lonnie, that Hawkins would never have been a safe place. Should have known from the way Will used to crawl into her bed when he was younger after being made fun of at school. She never should have left Caroline like she had.

The thoughts still echoed in her head when she reached her own house. The dead grass beneath her feet barely moved as she walked across the frozen dirt.

She could make out the soft hum of music from inside, before she even opened the door. Some Christmas tune, she figured.

She braced herself, trying to hide the feelings still swirling and churning in her stomach. Conjuring up a non-suspicious expression that would have her family questioning absolutely nothing. Then let herself in.

Joyce was trying to show Will how to dance to Jingle Bell Rock while Jonathan was filming the disaster. It helped turn the fake smile on her face a little more real.

"Halley!" Will exclaimed, seeing her come into the living room, a carefree smile on his face, a rare feat over the last year. "Is this really how people are dancing?" He raised his eyebrows as if to gesture the way Joyce was instructing him to move.

With a real smile, Halley nodded, a deadpan tone, "Obviously." Jonathan tried to smother a smile behind his camera. Halley let out a breath. This was better. The cavern in her chest was slowly dissipating, and she was beginning to feel like she was back to standing on her own two feet, rather than floating like a ghost. Her brothers typically had that effect on her.

"Come on, if you're late the only girl you're gonna dance with tonight is gonna be Mom," Jonathan said, setting his camera down next to the TV and grabbing the keys from beside it, twirling them around his fingers. "You still coming, Halles?" She nodded as she trailed behind the younger boys. Snagging her worn messenger bag from the hook by the door.

She sat in the back of the car while Jonathan and Will talked in the front. An unremarkable song by The Who was playing softly in the background. Halley tried to keep her mind on what was going on in the present, but it kept wandering. To Caroline's house. To Mrs. Cae. To Caroline herself, back in the library. The staff room, leaning forward—

"...hear me, Halley?" Her gaze flicked up, finding Will practically turned around and facing her, a small grin on his face. She blinked at him.

"Huh?" She asked as Jonathn made a sharp turn around a corner. Will grabbed hold of the side of his seat to stay facing her.

"I asked if you were going in?"

The question sparked the memory of her telling Will she may or may not make an appearance—depending on whether Mr. Clarke still needed chaperones. "Oh. Uh, I don't know. I never heard back so I figured I'd just kinda... show up." best case scenario, they needed her and she got to log volunteer hours, worst case, she got to home, it was a win/win situation.

There were only a handful of cars in the lot when they pulled into the school. They had gotten there a few minutes early since Jonathan had offered to take pictures for the event. Halley half suspected it was because Nancy was going to be there, but she kept this suspicion to herself.

Mr Clarke was waiting for them at the gym entrance, dressed up in a corduroy blazer and his typical black framed glasses. He beamed at the three Byers as they reached him, and he reached out to clap Jonathan on the shoulder.

"Ah, the Byers trio! What a sight. Haven't seen the three of you all at once in a while!" Mr. Clarke said. He spared a glance behind him, into the dead gymnasium. It was too early for most of the kids to be there, and a majority of the people inside were just the siblings or children of chaperones and volunteers. "We have the camera all set up inside Jonathan." Mr Clarke's eyes flickered to Halley and he made a face as if he was thinking. "I'm not sure if we need any more volunteers right now..."

"Oh, that's fine." Halley said, forcing a friendly smile onto her face. "I couldn't remember what you'd said, so I thought I'd stop by just in case." A part of her was disappointed. She knew this meant that she could go back home, change into her comfy clothes, pop some popcorn and watch the Breakfast Club for the 47th time. But she was also afraid of what not having a distraction would do to her. At the school, she'd have a pinpoint focus on Will and his friends. It's just what happened. But at home? By herself? She wouldn't be able to stop her mind from wandering.

"I'm gonna head inside, Halles, make sure the settings are correct, and... yeah." She followed his gaze to where Nancy was setting up a punch bowl. Of course.

He handed her the keys before pretending to be very casual as he walked in. Will very much noticed, as well.

"I really appreciate you showing up, Halley, and I'll make sure we call you first the next time we need volunteers for something like this," Mr Clarke said, nodding his head solemnly, and she knew he was telling the truth, he truly would call her first next time. And she would say yes.

As Mr. Clarke turned to go inside, Halley took Will's wrist before he could follow, turning him back around to face her for a moment.

"Hold on, Kiddo." He gave her a look, especially since other cars were starting to show up now.

"Come on, Halley—"

"I just want to make sure you're okay. You know," she said, pursing her lips as she took him in. He was still small. So small. "Typical babysitter stuff." She nudged her shoulder, and he couldn't help but smile, even as he rolled his eyes.

"I don't need a babysitter any more. I'm in eighth grade." She laughed a little, fighting the urge to ruffle his hair. She settled on fixing his tie, and centering it.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I just..." she looked around, watching as parents were letting their kids out of the car and driving off. She cracked her knuckles. "I don't want anything to happen," she said quietly.

Will shook his head like he was absolutely sure of what he was about to say. "No. It's okay, nothing bad's gonna happen. It's over." She wished she could believe that.

"You're right, everything's fine," she forced herself to say, anyway. Before she could continue the familiar growl of an engine passed through the street next to the entrance to the school. She paused for a moment, an uncharacteristic smile spreading across her face, before turning back to Will. "You're fine. I know that. And you're gonna have fun tonight." She squeezed his shoulder, pulling him close to her to give him a quick hug. He moved to go inside but she pulled him back once more. "Hold on, can you just..." She held out the keys to the car to him, "could you give this back to Jon?"

Will gave her a strange look, staring at the keys in his hand, and then at the car parked over on the other side of the lot. "You're not going home?"

Halley tugged her hand through her hair and shook her head, fighting the small tilt that pulled at her lips. "I think I'm gonna hang out with a friend, actually."

"A friend? Since when—"

"Go find Mike, Will." She cut him off, steering him towards the doors, "and do me a favor and make fun of Jonathan when he's around Nancy," She said quieter. That seemed to deter the other questions as he grinned enthusiastically at the request. He spared her one last glance before darting into the doors and disappearing into the crowd of children that had all been exceptionally punctual.

Halley stayed where she was watching as the dark maroon BMW slowly came to a stop a few feet away from her. The windows were tinted, but she could see Dustin sitting in the passenger seat fussing with hair. It was done up that made its inspiration very clear. Halley couldn't help the smile on her face.

She waited a few minutes before the younger boy let himself out of the car, too busy bracing himself for the night ahead to notice her. As he walked toward the middle school, Halley walked toward the car. Startling the driver as she knocked on the window. He'd been watching Dustin through the windshield, completely oblivious to whatever else was happening in the parking lot.

Steve jumped, reaching for a nonexistent weapon, preparing himself for a fight against a threat that wasn't there. He immediately calmed down when he recognized her.

"Byers? What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, after reaching over to roll down the window. Halley leaned down, crossing her arms against the opening of the window, and letting her hand hang inside the car as she poked her head further.

"I could ask you the same thing. Dropping off Henderson? Didn't realize you two were so close." There was a soft teasing in her voice, but nothing cruel. Steve picked up on it, rolling his eyes.

"Kid wanted a ride to the dance, who was I to deny him the transportation?" He said, the left side of his mouth quirking up in a small smirk. Halley shook her head at his words, trying to hide the laugh he had drawn from her.

Steve reached over again, unlocked the passenger door and opened it slightly, making Halley step back. He gave a small gesture with his head, telling her to get in. She listened.

The car was warm. A nice difference from the cold night air and the breeze that whispered through the parking lot. The thud of the door closing behind Halley was sharp in the silence between the two of them. Steve was watching her.

"You alright there, Harrington?" she asked, her cheeks starting to flush, she angled the heating vents away from herself.

Steve looked away, pulling the car into drive as he pushed his hair back. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." He flexed his hands against the steering wheel, his gaze straight ahead now.

It was dark, the only light being from the few street lights on the back roads that Steve had taken.

It was a good five minutes before either of them said anything. The windows rolled down and the soft chirp of crickets being the only true noise, aside from the engine rumbling.

"So I've been—"

"I wanted to ask you something," Steve blurted, before Halley could get her words out. She clamped her mouth shut. The road ahead of them was straight for a while, and inky in the low light. Had she been alone, she would have felt uneasy. But she didn't.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. What's up?" She asked, clearing her throat, and turning to look at him. She noticed his distressed fingernails immediately. They reminded her of her own when she bit them down to the quick.

Steve was shaking his head, "It's stupid, I know, I just..." He trailed off, not quite looking at her yet. But Halley waited. Her fingers clenched against the messenger bag sitting in her lap. Itching to pull out what had been sitting inside it since the day after everything ended.

"Can't be stupider than anything else you've ever said," she tried, a small smile pulling at the edges of her lips, trying to ease the tension around the two of them.

He took a deep breath, sparing a glance her way, before his eyes went back to the road, driving aimlessly through the emptiness of Hawkins. "I don't wanna, like... make you uncomfortable or anything, you know?"

Halley's breath caught in her throat, and she could feel her hands start to sweat. She wiped them on her pants. "No. It's fine. You won't. Promise."

Steve was quiet again, and for a moment Halley didn't know if he had actually heard her, but as they slowed down as a doe and her fawn crossed the street he turned to her again.

"Are Jonathan and Nancy like... a thing now?"

"Oh." She watched the deer disappear into the bushes. "Um..."

"Forget I said it. He's your brother, I know, it's weird, I shouldn't have—"

"I don't know," she interrupted, pulling at her finger and cracking her knuckles. "Jon hasn't told me anything." She tried to settle her face, attempting to keep it calm. "Sorry."

Steve shook his head, trying to seem casual too. "No, no. It's not— I mean, don't be sorry."

They kept driving. Nothing else was in the road.

"So uh, we're you... gonna say something? Before?" Steve's voice was quieter this time.

Halley shook her head. "Oh. N o. not really. I was just... gonna ask if you and Nancy had talked." She kept her gaze out the window, watching the black and indigo shapes whizz by. They were indecipherable to her. She thought, lamely, that if she focused a bit more, she would be able to make them out. She didn't focus any harder.

"Not since..." he trailed off, stealing a look her way before turning back, his words unspoken but heard loud and clear. "No, I haven't."

She nodded, sucking in a breath through her teeth. The air around them was thick now. Different than before, back at the school. Halley steaded herself. Forcing a neutral look and pretending as if she had just remembered something.

"Also, uh, I have this. For you." She pulled a small rectangular object from her bag. Wrapped in old newspaper and a small star sticker she'd found buried in one of her drawers.

He reached over, keeping one hand on the wheel, and taking the gift from her. A small quirk of a smile playing on his lips as he realized what it was. "This a cassette?"

With a shrug, Halley tried to play it off, "You gave me one last year, figured it was my turn. You know, sorta a thank you for not letting me be trampled by interdimensional mutant dogs, and all."

He didn't open it, but he didn't set it down either. His eyes lingered on the small star, the stark color against the black and white of the paper. "Anytime, Byers."

 

 

 

 

𝙴𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚠𝚘