Escape ~ S.Harrington

3} The Girl in The Woods

After school, Jenna got in her car and headed to the middle school to pick up the boys. She wasn't planning for this to be how she spent her afternoon but hey, it could definitely be worse. She pulled up and parked right near the front of the school just as the boys were walking their bikes up with them.

"I just don't understand why the chief won't let us help! I mean, we know Will better than anyone. I feel like we'd be the most useful," Mike said.
"I know right! They just don't want to admit that a group of kids could be more useful than the adults," Lucas commented.
"Yeah, it's bullshit!" agreed Dustin.
"Hey shitheads! Shut up and get in the fucking car. I have to throw your bikes in the trunk and tie some on the roof so hurry. The fuck. Up!" Jenna yelled at the boys.
"God! We're coming!" Dustin yelled back, "Oh, and I call shotgun!"
"No!"
"Unfair," the other kids fought in frustration. Dustin quickly sprinted to Jenna's car and jumped into the front seat.

"Haha, suck it losers!" Dustin bragged.
"Asshole," Lucas muttered. Mike hopped into the backseat while Lucas waited outside the car trying to help Jenna put the bikes away.
"Need any help, m'lady?" he flirted.
"You know what Sinclair, I think I'm fine," she responded.
"Yeah you are," he said under his breath.
"Hey, I heard that, and for the last time, I'm too old for you. It's never gonna happen."
"We'll see about that." Throughout this conversation, Jenna shoved two bikes in her trunk and started strapping the other one onto the roof.

"Woah! Your ass is so big!"
"Hey dipshit, that's my sister!" Dustin yelled out the window at his friend, "Totally gross. Keep that kind of stuff to yourself man!"
"Yes, like my brother said, keep that shit to yourself, and stop staring at my ass! Get a life dude." Jenna shoved Lucas into the back seat and got into the driver's seat.
As always, she played her Jonathan Byers mixtape which was in the middle of Bad Reputation by John Jett and The Blackhearts. The ride was fairly silent except for the goodbyes being said as each boy was dropped off and the hum of the radio. After Jenna dropped off Lucas and Mike, it was just her and her brother left up front.

"So... how are you doing?" Jenna asked her brother.
"As fine as I can be," he replied, "I mean, how would you feel if Steve or Nancy went missing?"
"I would feel like shit," she responded, "but guess what? I feel like shit now. I love Will. He may be your friend, but he's mine too, Dust."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Hey! They're gonna find him alright? WERE gonna find him."
"We can only hope Jenna. We can only hope."

~

Jenna stood up from her desk and plopped down on her bed, finally satisfied and finished with her homework. She stared at the ceiling while listening to an Eagles vinyl playing from her record player. She grabbed her book from her nightstand, preparing to settle down and read before Steve and hers movie night later on, when she heard footsteps passing her door. Curious at what was going on, she got up and checked. She opened her door to find her younger brother attempting, and failing, to sneak out of the house.

"What are you doing!?" Jenna whisper-yelled at him.
"AHHHHHH WHAT THE HELL!" he shrieked in response.
"Shut up shithead. You're gonna wake up mom!" Jenna gestured over towards their mother asleep on the couch with their cat, Mews.
"Well that wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't snuck up on me now would it?" he retaliated.
"That's besides the point, where were you planning on going?"
"But..."
"Where. Were. You. Going?"
"Fine, Fine. The party and I planned on sneaking out and going to look for Will."
"And you didn't tell me this, why?"
"We didn't know how you'd take it."
"Of course I'd be ok with this. I want to find Will just as much as you guys do. Now, give me your walkie-talkie."
"Why?"
"Just do it. Now!"

"Here you go then." Jenna took the walkie-talkie from Dustin's hands and turned it to the proper channel.
"Hey shitheads. This is Jenna. I'm going with you guys," she spoke into the device.
"Jenna?! What are you doing on here? Over," Lucas asked.
"I told you Dustin would tell her! Over," Mike yelled.
"Calm down. Either I go with you guys or I call your parents and Hopper and tell them your plan, over."
"Ugh, fine. I guess you can come. Over," Mike said reluctantly.
"Alright, see you guys soon. Over and out."

~

Jenna and the boys met up at the opening of the woods. It was pretty chilly outside and it started to sprinkle out.
"You guys. You feel that? Maybe we should go back," said Dustin.
"No," replied Mike, "we're not going back. Just stay close. Come on." Mike, Lucas, and Jenna started to enter the woods as Dustin stayed back, hesitant to enter himself. Jenna looked back at her brother with a 'you coming or not' look.
"Just stay on channel six. Don't do anything stupid," Mike reminded the group.
"Hey, guys, wait up," Dustin said as he hurried to catch up with everyone else, "Wait up!"

The group started to venture deeper and deeper into the woods with the hopes of finding their missing party member.
A thought crossed Jenna's mind.
Ah, shit! I'm hoping this isn't keeping Steve waiting for movie night. I'm such a horrible friend. I nag him about this and can't even keep up with my own shit!

But little did she know, her best friend was currently over at the Wheeler household, up in Nancy's bedroom to help her 'study'. He had completely forgotten all about movie night and didn't have the slightest idea that his best friend was out in the woods looking for one of her brother's friends. He also didn't know that she was actually concerned about him and their weekly movie night while he was out trying to get in Nancy Wheeler's pants, and failing miserably.

"Will!"
"Will!"
"Byers!" they boys yelled
"I've got your X-Men 134!" shouted Dustin, "Guys, I really think we should head back."
"Seriously, Dustin?" questioned Lucas, "You wanna be a baby, then go home already!"
"I'm just being realistic, Lucas!" Dustin retaliated.
"No, you're just being a big sissy!"
"Hey, stop fighting! We're out here for Will and we're gonna keep looking. If the weather gets too bad, then we'll head back, got it?" Jenna said to the group.

Silence settled among the group for a second until Dustin said,
"Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going to the exact same spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?"
"Dustin, shut up," Mike said.
"I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?" Dustin continued.
"Shut up. Shut up," Mike said slightly more sternly, "did you guys hear that?"

A rustling sound was heard a little ways away. The party turned abruptly to point their flashlights towards the direction the noise was coming from. Jenna slowly creeped forward, keeping the boys behind her. Everyone gasped as they turned back around to find a kid with a yellow shirt and a shaved head. This was going to be a more eventful night than they had initially imagined; and a much stranger one too.