something about you

Panic Attack

Reader as Benjamin 'Ben' Byers

You are waiting for Will at the front office of the school, he's late. You know he's probably running around with Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, so you don't mind. You're only a year above them, but you only hang out with them if Will's okay with it.

He's not the best at making friends and they are all he has, unlike you who plays on the Hawkins Soccer team. You sit at the front office when Lucas comes running in with his walkie-talkie.

"Lucas? What's wrong?" you ask.

"It's Will! In the field!" he exclaims urgently.

"Show me," you order. Both of you take off the long hallway, hearing the secretary yell 'walk' from behind you. You burst through the doors and down the steps, only to collide with another body, "ugh."

You sit up and see a redheaded girl lying on the ground, a skateboard laying nearby.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" you ask, grabbing her hand to help her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," she answers. You smile but it quickly fades when Mike yells for you.

"Ben!" he shouts, "I just found him like this! I think he's having another episode!"

You and the redheaded girl run over to your younger brother. He stands with his eyes closed, but they move under his eyelids.

"Will? Will, can you hear me?" you shout at him, grabbing his shoulders. He's tense and he doesn't move at your touch. You turn to Mike and Lucas, "call my mom, quick."

"Yeah, okay," Mike breathes heavily. The two run off leaving Dustin and the redheaded girl with you.

"Will, wake up! Wake up, it's Ben! I'm right here! I'm right here!" you shout at him, touching his face. You hear swirling all around you. Turning around you don't hear anything.

"Ben? What's wrong?" Dustin asks. The swirling grows louder, making your head pound, "Ben?! Ben!"

You collapse onto the ground, covering your ears. You don't know it but your mom pulls up to the school.

"Over here! Over here!" Mike shouts, guiding your mom to Will.

"Help me move him," Dustin says to the redheaded girl. The two pull your body away from Will as your mom comes running over.

"Will? Will? Sweetie, wake up! It's Mom!" she tries to wake him, just as you did. Dustin stands up and watches with the other two boys as your mom tries to wake Will. The redheaded girl, however, sits with your head in her lap. All you can hear is the drowning noise of the Mind Flayer attacking your brother, his screams.

"It's okay, it's okay," she quietly says to you, stroking your hair. Your eyes squeezes shut and hands over your ears, her voices comes through quietly. You relax a little at the voice, even though you have no idea who she is. She can feel your body relax, "It's gonna be okay, just breathe. Just breathe, you're gonna be just fine. It's gonna be okay."

Will then collapses to the ground and all the noise from him and the Mind Flayer stop. You flinch when everything goes silent, before opening your eyes. You look up to long red head dangling in your face and the feeling of her fingers running through your hair.

"Hey," she says, "Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

You nod, too stunned to speak. Ever since Will's gotten back, anytime he had an episode, you could hear him. Hear his terror in your own mind, piercing through your eardrums. This was the first time you could hear anyone else in your mind but Will.

"Are you hurt?" she asks. You shake your head 'no', as your mom comes over to you.

"Ben! Ben, sweetie come here!" she pulls you out of the girl's lap into her own. She rocks you and kisses the top of your head. Your mom is your hero, but right now, you feel embarrassed to have her rock you in front of the girl. The redheaded girl smiles shyly at you and stands up. You stand up as well.

"I'll m-meet you at th-the car in a second, okay?" you stutter nervously, from your episode a moment ago.

"Okay, sweetie," your mom says, kissing your head again before heading to the car.

"I, uh... I don't know what to say..." you admit to the girl.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. Are you sure you're okay?" she asks.

"Y-yeah, it was just a panic attack... but, but you helped," you smile.

"I'm glad," she smiles back, "I'm Max, by the way."

She sticks out her hand to shake. You grab it, "I'm Ben... see you around?"

"Yeah, you can, uh... find me at the arcade... if you are ever free," she smiles.

"Okay... thanks again," you tell her.

"Anytime."