MAD'OUK- Lucas Sinclair ²

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Gabe was tempted to say something like "well, actually, you didn't really raise me" but he didn't think that would give him any points in his grandmother's book. Instead he just gave a sheepish "I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it, Gabriel! You better get home right now!"

Gabe clenched the phone, his heart dropping, but he didn't hang up, even though that was what his instincts were telling him to do. "I can't," he said instead. "Grandma, I'm sorry... something's going on right now. With my friends. I have to help them. I have to stay here. Please, grandma. Let me stay."

Her voice softened. She seemed to understand that something was happening by the tone of his voice. "You better be back by morning, Gabe. And you're grounded, so don't expect TV for the next month."

"Yes, grandma."

"I love you," said Dolores eventually, her voice tinny over the phone. "Don't you go forgetting that, okay? I'm glad you're okay."

Gabe's stomach felt like it was going on a roller coaster, and guilt flooded through him. "I love you too," he said. "I'll be home soon, okay?"

"You better." And with that, Dolores Burton hung up the phone, leaving only static on the other end of the line. Gabe listened to it for a moment before hanging up as well.

Letting out a sigh, he made his way into the kitchen, where he found quite the bizarre sight indeed. Dustin and Steve were elbow-deep in the fridge, grabbing anything and everything they could find and tossing it all on the floor. Jars of jam, ketchup, milk cartons and jugs of orange juice all found their way in this mess, as well as the shelves, and Gabe groaned at the sight of everything on the ground.

"Alina's not going to be happy," he said, gazing around at the ruined house. With Will's drawings pasted to every available wall, the ruined state of the rest of the kitchen from the supply grab for the shed, and now the fridge, there was going to be a lot of cleaning up they had to do when all of this was said and done. If all of this ever got to be all said and done. Gabe didn't know for sure. And he already hated waiting.

He'd thought that the adults would have more faith in them. After all, they'd survived being attacked by around a hundred Demodogs in the junkyard! And everything with Alina's abilities—she was practically a Demodog fighting machine! But nope, they were stuck at home, and with a babysitter, no less. No matter how cool Steve was, it was still pretty humiliating. Especially since Gabe had expected he'd actually play a part in the whole world-saving thing, which was why he'd decided to stay in the first place.

"Did someone say my name?" Speaking of the devil, just then, the front door opened, and Alina Fairgrieves poked her head inside. Gabe started when he caught sight of her. Her brown skin was ashy and almost grayish, there were dark circles under her eyes, and veins seemed to bulge out of her neck and forehead. Sweat was beading on her face, already having soaked through her collar, and her curls, usually full, were limp, hanging around her shoulders like pulled-out Slinkys. But before he could say anything about her condition, Alina caught sight of the mess the boys were making.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Dustin didn't look up, instead raising his hand in a wave. "Hi, Al. We're trying to find a place to put this Demogorgon!" with a flourish, Dustin gestured to the dead Demogorgon in Steve's hands, which he'd wrapped snugly in a blanket, reminding Gabe of a hideously deformed baby in desperate need of rocking.

Alina pinched the bridge of her nose, seeming to ignore Gabe's stares. "And you chose our fridge?! Seriously, I am losing my mind here." She mocked looking around the area for her missing mind. "Where did it go? I can't find it. Who knows, but it definitely won't be here." Shaking her head, she began to walk out into the living room, but Gabe stopped her, lunging to grab onto her arm.