PSYCHO 《 stranger things 》

-2.1 the fuck?

chapter twenty-one!

CASSIE DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE WAS nauseas because of her weird episodes, of because of the fact that the thing in El's leg was quite literally moving. Everyone was crowded around the fallen girl, kneeling beside her as she screamed out in pain. Cassie didn't blame her, it looked like ass and probably felt worse. She grabbed Will's hand in one of her own, the other latched on tightly to Frankie's arm.

"What the hell is that?"

"There's something in there!"

"Jesus Christ."

Cassie watched with curious eyes as Jonathan stood up, the boy giving her a nod of reassurance. Cassie felt her heart warm. She loved the Byers, and had no idea where she would be without them. Jonathan backed away from the group, "Keep her talking! Keep her awake, okay?"

Mike stood up as well, grabbing El by her arms. "Let's get her up on the side!"

Cassie nodded, removing her hand from Frankie's arm to pull El over to her. Cassie's hands shook in worry for her best friend, never having seen someone in so much pain. Robin began to ramble on, trying to help ease the situation. "You know, it's not actually that bad. There was the goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildflower, the other goalie like slid into her leg and the bone came out of her knee like six inches or something. It was insane."

"Robin."

"Yeah?"

"Not helping."

"I'm sorry."

Cassie grasped onto El's hand as her cries grew louder. El held eye contact with the blonde, affection shining through in her glossy eyes. Cassie returned the look. She loved El with her whole heart, and it was a scary thing to admit at a time like this. Cassie hasn't admitted to herself that she loved someone since Max, and she still hadn't even said that out loud. Max never needed her to, she understood. But El was her best friend. The person she let into her heart without filter, the one she joked and laughed and bonded with on her own terms. She loved El, and it scared her that she was in so much pain.

Johnathan came running back only moments later, with him a knife, a wooden spoon, and some clear plastic gloves. He slid the gloves over his hands as he kneeled next to her, "El, this is going to hurt like hell, okay?"

"Okay," she cried.

"I need you to stay real still," instructed the older boy. El nodded. He handed her the wooden spoon, "Here, you're going to want to bite down on this, okay?"

El nodded and Mike grabbed it out of his hand, placing it in her mouth.

Jonathan pulled out the knife, Cassie wincing slightly. She had never been one to grow squeamish at blood or anything particularly gory, but she had also never been in a situation like this. She couldn't help but feel a bit queasy.

"Holy shit. Holy shit," muttered Dustin, hiding his face in Cassie's shoulder so he wouldn't see. The blonde gave El's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Jonathan looked up, hesitant. Mike nodded, "Do it."

"Okay."

Jonathan held the knife over El's wound for a moment, before cutting into the flesh. Groans were heard from throughout the group, but Cassie could only focus on the sound of El's screams. Jonathan sat the knife down, slowly placing his fingers into the cut he had created, attempting to grab at whatever was in her leg. Cassie sucked in a sharp breath, seemingly the only one not on the verge of throwing up. El squeezed her hand so tight that Cassie began to lose feeling in it. She felt Will hold her other hand a little tighter, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand comfortingly.