✓ Her Mixtape, Stranger Things

xxvi. cow printed bandaid

　She missed her, and Rue worried in the back of her head that maybe Max was hurt. She's in danger, and she couldn't call for help. What if she's dead!?

　Rue shook her head. She was overthinking, and she had to stop for her own health.

 　She's fine, Rue told herself. But. . . what if she's not?

　No, no, she's fine.

 　She didn't even call you today.

　Maybe she did — I wasn't home anyway.

 　Maybe she doesn't want to see you.

　What? No. . . that would be stupid.

 　But. . . what if — maybe she had a reason she embarrassed you at the mall.

　No way.

 　She didn't even apologize. . . you must have done something to upset her.

　But what have I done wrong?

 　Do you really want me to start? I have a list. . . fine — number one: remember when you killed —

　"Ouch!" Rue winced and the razor stopped moving on its own and dropped into the water with a small splash. She brought her leg up to eyesight and frowned when she saw the bleeding cut on her knee. Maybe she shouldn't overthink while using her powers. . . 'you learn from mistakes' they say.

（ ₊˚. ✰┊📼 ! ）

　Rue sat on the kitchen counter now, brushing her hair. This time, she wasn't using her powers. Rue stared off into space as the comb softly scratched her scalp.

　She was waiting for Joyce to come home. Rue could hear the boys snoring from down the hall, and she worried about what happened to Joyce. It was late, really late. Joyce should be home by now, and Rue needed her, she needed to tell her the Mindflayer was somehow back, and as she sat in her pyjama shorts and one of her dad's old shirts, she began to wonder where she could be. Not at work, her shift ends at five. . . it's one in the morning now.

　Rue looked at the clock on the microwave; it was one fifteen. She picked on the cow print bandaid on her knee before she hopped off the counter and walked towards the fridge, where they'd usually have numbers to call on a piece of paper. But who to call? Who might know where Joyce would be?

　Rue smacked the palm on her hand to her forehead. Hopper! Jim would know where Joyce is! How could she be so stupid?

　Out of habit, she reached to pull the paper from the magnet on the fridge door but frowned when it wasn't there. Nothing was on the fridge door. The colourful magnets that held up Will's drawings and Jonathan's photos were gone.

　Rue looked around and found all the papers, photos, and drawings on the counter next to the fridge. But no magnets. She wondered where they'd gone, but brushed the thought away as she grabbed the paper she needed and walked towards the yellow phone.

　Everything seems louder at night, and with every step she took, anyone could hear the creak on the flooring. Rue pulled the phone out of the ringer, and she looked at the number on the paper. She pressed on the numbers and waited for someone to pick up the phone.