Can't Get Use to Losing You- Max Mayfield

Trick or Treat, Freak

1983
Karen Wheeler and Ted Wheeler are sat on their sofa talking to agents from the Hawkins Laboratory.
"What about the Russians? What if they come looking for her?"
TJ's is taken out of his trance, when a woman asks him and Mike the same questions that they've been asked for hours on end
"Go back to the beginning!"
Mike huffs before saying "I told you everything." The woman carries on talking at Mike before turning her attention to TJ knowing that she is getting nowhere with the younger Wheeler brother.
"Before you even try, I've already told you what I know. I don't know what more you want from us? The colour of the toilet paper she used?"
TJ took a breath before carrying on
"If she flossed after she brushed her teeth?"
The agent cuts over TJ  losing her patience
"If she contacts you, you must tell us. Otherwise you're putting yourself and your entire family at risk."
"Do you understand?"
TJ gives an over exaggerating nod, knowing full well he'd never tell them.
She then turns to Mike "Do you understand Michael? Do you understand?"
TJ turns to his brother whose staring out of the window as if he's seen a ghost, while the agents scurry out of the house
"Somebody check the left side! I'll get the right!"

October 31st, 1984
Present day
" Hey TJ. How are you man?" Riley asks.
"I'm good, I'm all good thanks. What about you Riles? How you holding up?" TJ responds.
"I mean... I'd be better if my best friend wasn't lying to me! If he told me that he knows!"
"That I know what Riley?" TJ asks confused but knowingly anticipates the answer.
" That my sister! That my sister Barb is dead!" Riley bellows this out, while TJ pleads
"I, I was trying to protect you Riley. I, I didn't know how to tell you!"
"I'd have told you if it was Nancy!" Riley replies.
"I'm sorry Riley! I'm so sorry!"
TJ hears a laugh from behind him.
"You're sorry! That all you have to say! You kept that his sister was dead from him and all you can do is say I'm say sorry!" Cassie appears now shouting at TJ.
"I, I"
"You what TJ?" TJ hears a voice from behind him as his face turns into confusion
"Barb?" TJ calls out to the girl in front of him, "You're, you're alive?"
He goes out to reach for her hand when he hears a noise from behind him, he slowly turns to see the demogorgon running full sped at him...

TJ jolts up in his bed, beads of sweat running down his forehead from the reoccurring nightmare that has plagued his mind for months on end. He looks at his clock to see that it's only 7am, he is to afraid to go back to sleep so decides to get up. As he is about to go down the stairs he hears quite sobs coming from Nancys room.
He knocks lightly
"Nancy can I, can I talk to you?" She opens the door and lets him in.
Both siblings look at each other noticing the state their both in, they embrace each other without saying any words.
A few moments pass before TJ breaks the hug,
"I can't keep lying to Riles. Nancy it's breaking me apart!"
TJ is now the one crying. While Nancys heart breaks seeing her usually strong brother crying.
Nancy guides TJ over to her bed and holds him while he sobs,
"The Holland's... they think she's coming home... and she's not. I can't look at him in the eye knowing everything I know!"
TJ tries to get his words out through strangled sobs.
His sister can't seem to give him any words of comfort as she is feeling the burden of guilt that he also is.
They sit there just holding each other in silence. No words were needed but both had never felt so grateful for each other.

TJ decides he's going to ride his bike to school today with his brother and his friends.
TJ is stood waiting at the door while their mum takes multiple photos of the youngest Wheeler boy, he rolls his eyes seeing how blind his mum was to Mikes uncomfortableness
"Right! Mum I think you've got enough of him." TJ says trying to save his brother.
"Alright, that's the last one"
Mike tells his mum but she quickly argues
"No just one more. Come on, please ?"
Mike finally goes to leave as their mum asks "Okay say, who you gonna call?"
TJ, Mike and even Holly all shout "No!"