𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫!

022

anais didn't give him much of a reaction as she was too focus on the envelope and what it contained. she poured two glasses of sodas and brought out a bag of chips as the curiosity ate at her.

i need to know what's in the note.

dear mike,

things are good in california, i've made friends at school. will and jonathan say i am learning quickly, and adapting too...whatever that means. i hope everything is good in hawkins so the party. max says there's a new girl you've become friends with. she says not to worry but i saw your photos together in this thing called a magazine. this girl, i think she's famous. kids at school talk about her all the time, anais higgins. mike i don't want you to forget about me, i don't want you to like someone else either. i'm still your girlfriend. i miss you, write back to me.

love, el.

anais felt her blood run cold as she read the last two sentences of the letter.

"i'm still your girlfriend??" anais whispered. her brows furrowed and she felt this unknown sense of anger and hurt course through her veins until it reached her heart as she stared at the letter, hands gripping it tightly. before anais could even think, she was in the living room standing behind mike, slapping the letter to his chest.

"still your girlfriend?" she said. mike scrambled to grab the paper, turning to look at her in shock. he looked to the letter and then to her, back and forth as he was silent for a moment.

"say something!" she barked.

"what are you going through my stuff?"

"why are you lying to me?"

she asked a good question.

"anais what the fuck?!" mike stood up, letting the note fall back on the couch as he stared at her. "are you crazy? what are you doing going through my bag and reading my letters?"

she felt a pang at her heart. "crazy?"

"yes, crazy. what the fuck is wrong with you?"

hot tears clouded anais' vision as she listened to him speak to her like that. she used her wrist, to wipe a tear from her eye. "get out."

"what?"

"get out of my house," her voiced cracked. she picked up his bag, tossing his bag at him and watching it hit the floor as he failed to catch it. "mike i don't even wanna look at you right now."

"can we just talk about it-"

"no!" she cut him off. "i don't see how you can kiss me like you do when you're dating someone else. i don't see how you can act like that. you played me, michael. you lied to me and i can't believe you would do that. friends don't lie."

mike felt his heart stop as he looked at anais. he stood still, staring at her and moved his eyes down to her wrist. he squinted and saw that the blurry makeup couldn't hide what she was hiding.

009

anais saw his jaw drop and looked at her wrist, noticing how her tears had wiped away the makeup.

"mike get the fuck out of my house." anais said, covering her mouth and pushing past him.

"are you serious?" mike said louder, walking after her. he grabbed anais' wrist and she pulled it back harshly. "all this time you've been preaching and praying about honesty, about communication and yet you didn't tell me you were one of them."

"leave me alone." she spoke coldly as she stormed away from him.

"this whole time you've complained about bex but it turns out you've been the biggest fucking liar!"

"mike get away from me-"

"no wonder you're this demented. they must've did you a lot worst in the lab than eleven because you're all types of fucked up."

that one made her freeze. anais turned around with tears welling in her eyes, she could feel how heavy her chest was.

"what?" her voice was light as air.

"god you're so annoying," he spat. "little miss perfect pop star with her first class problems. your boyfriend cheats on you so you flee the country and then write some shitty songs about then sing it on an album? you spew shit about everyone else but you can't handle to hear about yourself, you're insufferable."

"mike what are you saying?" she could physically feel her heart tearing.

"i'm saying i'm going to kill you."

mike's voice began to morph into this dark, bone chilling sound as the room began to spin and melt. she stumbled back in fear as the boy in front of her began to change into this tall, slimy figure with a stoic, malicious expression and an even worse intent.

"really? did you think mike could really love you?" it spoke, stepping towards her with thundering sounds.

"who are you?" she asked with a quivering voice and a shaky breath. anais grasped the necklace her had on in fear.

it titled it's head as the chime of a grandfather clocked played. "really, nine? you don't remember your own brother? what a shame."

anais' mouth fell agape in fear as the images of the rainbow rooms and all its inhabitants flashed back and forth in her mind. it all made her feel so sick and made her head spin.

"you two really didn't think you could kill me, right?"

he stepped closer and she stepped back. "i'm coming for you, nine. for you, for eleven for all your friends for this entire fucking town and i'm not gonna stop until you're dead. i can't wait to tear you apart."

her bones chilled and her heart felt like it would thump out of her chest. anais closed her eyes as he walked towards until and let out a huge gasp at the room spun.

"ana.. ana... ana!" mike called. she opened her eyes and found herself on the floor next to the couch, vision blurry as she hands grabbed the carpet.

"oh my god ana are you okay??" mike asked. he scooped her up in his arms and placed her on the couch.

"what happened?" anais asked.

"you just tripped and kind of stayed down for a moment, your eyes were all weird and you had this look on your face."

anais' mouth fell open but she simply couldn't find the words or the will to say what she had though. she felt like she would puke if she tried. instead she held back her vomit and blinked a few times before shaking her head and pulling her knees up to her chest. "i'm fine.. just a little tired i guess."

"wait here, i'll get you some water and a snack. your blood sugar might be low or something.." mike muttered, walking off and making his way to the kitchen.

anais peeked over at his on the floor and saw books, clothes and a pair of headphones spilling out- but no now letter. no tan envelope. it was all henry's doing.

mike came back with a glass of water and a chocolate chip cookie. "karate kid? promise i won't get mad if you drool over danny."

anais forced a smile and nodded, setting down the items and curling up to mike on the couch and resting a head to his shoulder. no matter she tried to ignore the feeling of the unknown terror that lurked within her she couldn't.

henry was back. and she knew it wouldn't be easy to get rid of him this time. not without eleven, and not with her friends on the line.

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