BEST OF YOU, stranger things | will byers

𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕚𝕩𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟

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     MILES, MIKE, MAX, LUCAS, NANCY, AND JONATHAN ALL WORKED TOGETHER TO TRY TO FLIP BACK OVER THE CAR EL HAD PREVIOUSLY THROWN ACROSS THE MALL. Their plan to leave the mall was redirected as they had come to find Billy had already beat them to Mrs. Wheeler's car, removing its ignition. They hoped that if they could flip over the car they could take the ignition cable and put it in their car, but so far the car was not going anywhere.

Eventually, they couldn't hold it anymore and allowed it to drop back to its original position with a crash.

"Shit!" Lucas cursed.

"Let me try." El offered from where she stood beside Will in front of the group.

Mike sighed, "El..."

El took a deep breath before nodding insistently, "I can do it."

Without another word, the group made their way around the car to stand behind El. Blood dripped from her nose as she strained to move the car. Squeaking metal could be heard from the car but no visible signs it had moved. Eventually, she gave up. 

Discouraged, she stepped out of the way and allowed the rest of the group to try again. Everyone tried to comfort her in one way or another, Miles just gave the girl a sad but encouraging smile as he passed.

This time when they tried Will joined them and they all grabbed stanchion posts to pry it away from the counter it was propped against. Eventually, they got it on its side, everyone took a moment to catch their breaths.

"All right, now, all the way," Jonathan instructed. They turned around their posts so that the round ends laid against the car. "Three, two, one... push!" They all grunted with the effort it took until the car finally fell over back into its rightful position.

"Told you." Mike panted, "Physics."

"Yes!" Miles pumped a fist into the air before doubling over, panting with his hands resting on his knees. Will rubbed the boy's back.

A few moments later Miles had caught his breath and jumped down, as everyone else had mostly already done the same. He extended a hand out to Will to help him down next.

Nancy and Jonathan got to work on removing the ignition cable from the car, Mike and Max left to go see what El was doing, Lucas sort of wandered off, and Miles just stayed glued to Will's side as they wandered a bit away from the car.

"God, I can't wait for this to be over." Will rubbed a hand over his face. 

Miles did his best to give the boy a comforting smile, reaching to rub the boy's arm, "It will be. We'll beat this."

Will said nothing only nodding as he laid his hand over Miles. The boy savored the touch for a moment before allowing his hand to fall to his side.

They stood in a comfortable silence for a while, not having or needing anything else to talk about. Their shoulders brushed together as Will adjusted to stand beside instead of across from the boy. They just looked around, not looking at anything inparticular.

All seemed to be running smoothly until Will shifted on his feet. Miles turned to see a terrified look on the boy's face as he reached to touch the back of his neck. In that same moment the building shook as something pounded against the roof of the mall.

Dreadfully, Miles looked up, though he wished he didn't, the glass ceiling began to crack under the weight of the Mind Flayer.

"Nancy!" Mike screamed across the mall to alert the girl before grabbing El and running to the other side of the food court, Max moving with the pair.