𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 ✦ 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫

17

[ Narrator ]

"JUST PUT HIM IN THE TUB!"

Steve set Mike into the tub, submerging his head for a moment. Mike sat up, gasping for air before hunching over and throwing up yet another large, leech-like creature.

Everyone stood in the bathroom, staring at Mike with looks of pure terror on their face.

"What happened?" Mike whispered.

To everyone in the room... It was kind of a blur. Dustin kicked everyone out of the theater and ran to get Nancy. Nancy stayed with Mike while Dustin pulled Lucas out of practice.

Lucas carried the (still) seizing Mike to Nancy's car.

They went and got Steve who had suggested putting him in a bath of ice water to shock him back into reality.

Mike had little recollection of what he saw while it was happening.

Only that it was cold and suffocating.

They pulled the leech (slug?) out of the water as it had stopped moving. Mike laid his head back, enjoying the sweet taste of air that he hadn't ever really noticed before it was taken so quickly from him.

"Look at those teeth." Steve muttered in awe.

"They're getting bigger."

"I thought you said you were better."

"Well it hadn't happened in a while." Mike commented, getting out of the tub.

Throw up stuck to his shirt and pants, making few in the room cringe.

Nancy passed Mike a towel which he muttered a thank you for.

He left the bathroom, walking down the hall to change.

He could see Y/n from his window. Practicing a cheer in her uniform. Mike sighed softly, feeling a small warmth of comfort for a moment.

He shivered, breaking the thought from his mind and replacing it with the new thought of changing his clothes.

Y/n stopped, heaving out a big sigh. She turned to her window, looking into Mike's room. He was there, changing.

Y/n watched as Mike took off a soaking wet shirt. Had it rained? Why were his clothes wet?

She was even more shocked at the sight of his drenched underwear.

Had he jumped into a pool fully clothed?

She didn't mind the view as Mike pulled his underwear off to change it but after pulling on a pair of sweats Mike turned back to the window, Y/n quickly ducked as if he hadn't already seen her.

She slowly stood up to see if he was still there.

And he was.

Mike smiled cockily at Y/n from his window, he could see the blush on her cheeks.

Y/n mouthed a sorry to which Mike shook his head playfully. She blew him a kiss which Mike pretended to catch before doing it back.

That embarrassed him.

But she liked it.

Mike left his room, heading to Nancy's room where he assumed everyone was.

On the way he saw Holly peeking out from her door. She quickly shut it, drawing him to her. Mike opened the door and looked around.

Holly was hiding under her covers from him.

"Hol? Hey... What's wrong?"

Mike slowly pulled the covers off of his younger sister. She cowered away from him which made him feel... Bad.

"Go away Mike." She whispered.

"What's wrong?" He pressed.

"You... You are scary."

Mike studied her face, noting the truly terrified look in her eyes.

"I'm just sick... I'm not going to hurt anyone." Mike whispered.

Holly hesitated and Mike got up, not wanting to scare her anymore.

He swiftly left the room and continued to Nancy's room.

Everyone turned to Mike as he opened the door. "What?" He muttered quietly, slightly embarrassed by Holly's reaction of him.

"We called Joyce... She and El are coming down to help."

"Help? How?" I closed the door, picking my fingernails off one by one. "Well... If we can't cut it out maybe she can pull it out."

"Yeah pull this and my entire digestive trac out with it!"

"Mike what else is there? For us to just watch you get dragged down and killed in the upside down?! Think about Y/n!" Nancy was obviously upset and probably worried.

"Don't fucking bring her into this."

"Fine... Until Joyce and El get here someone's going to be with you at all times."

"What about when I'm with Y/n?"

"Seriously Mike?!"

"Well if I'm going to die I want to fuck my girlfriend a couple of times and maybe spend time alone with her!"

"Mike! Ew!"

To everyone in the room it was just Nancy and Mike arguing like siblings.

But this was life or death and Nancy was scared.

Mike couldn't figure out his feelings. He was so scared he felt numb. He wanted nothing more than to just be with Y/n.

He didn't think he could escape this.

He wasn't going to live.

He just knew that.