𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫. ►

CHAPTER SIX: THE MONSTER

"Alright, Alright, alright, and how did this happened again?" Steve muttered as he observed his younger sisters cheek that was nearly covered with blood.

He held up the rag in his hand, and softly placed it on her wound, checking his watch frequently as winced, avoiding any eye contact with her brother as she sighed and brushed off the question.

"If you have somewhere to be-"

"No, no, no. It's not like anyone's expecting me, right?" He shrugged, a bitter look across his face as River nodded slowly. "Now how'd this happen, answer my damn question." He gave her a stern look before taking the rag off and washing it.

"Lucas, and Mike got into it. And while trying to stop it, i tripped over something and face planted." She simply lied as Steve studied her, but nodded nonetheless.

"Alright, alright." He mumbled, before River jumped off of the counter, and grabbed her backpack.

"Thanks Steve. I'm headed to Lucas' now." She yelled out, barely allowing him to respond, since she was already out the door, and biking her way over, in her defense, she knew Steve would probably say something against it anyways.

Once River made it to the Sinclair residence, she watched as Dustin and Mike stood at Lucas' front door as well, making her sigh, before she dropped her bike down. The pink bandages Steve gave her was the first thing both of the boys noticed, and the girl had noticed they were staring at them, so she only looked away, walking past them and knocking herself, she chose to be petty. When Lucas opened the door, she raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want." he spoke to all of them, giving them an annoyed look.

"I don't know about them, but I'd like to hear your plan." River explained, keeping her hands stuffed into her pocket as he nodded, letting her in.

Though of Course Mike and Dustin followed behind, to say what they had wanted to.

They wanted to shake, but Lucas had much thinking to do for that. He only walked back and forth, various times causing Mike to grow aggravated. "Okay, I'll shake." Lucas nodded as Mike put his hand out, finally. "-If the weirdos out and we go straight to the gate."

"Then the deals over!" Mike yelled, shaking his head and dropping his hand quickly, stepping backwards.

"You'd drop anything for her, wouldn't you?" River spoke up with her eyebrows raised in disbelief as Lucas nodded, standing by her side.

"Stop it! We need to stick together." Dustin yelled. River stood up.

"Yeah, us four!" She yelled, gesturing to them all with a shrug. She tried hearing El out, only to be let down and lied to so many times. It wasn't that she didn't like her, it was that she was fed up.

"This is the party right here, in this room." Lucas stated, truthfully as Mike shook his head.

"El's one of us now." He argued, while River sighed and spoke up.

"No disrespect to El, she's cool. But if we would've just went straight to Will, instead of dealing with your stupid girl problems, we be closer than where we are now. And, Lucas and I wouldn't have gotten hurt yesterday because she flew us off of you, to protect her little boyfriend! Admit it, mike. The only reason she's still hanging around us is because she likes you, and she's nice to you because she doesn't know any better." She yelled, growing angrier as she went on to speak.

Everything that come out of her mouth was kind of true, though. "I really can't believe you River! That's not true!" Mike scoffed, as River gave him a look of confusion.

"You never do anyways? Not until that girl showed up, all you do is listen to her, and believe anything that comes out of her mouth, which is not much?" She argued.

"We need her! Do you really want to fight the demogorgon alone?" Mike once again argued, while Dustin stood and watched like always.

"Look do whatever the hell you want With El, but I'm with Lucas. Sorry" She shrugged, leaving the room, as Lucas followed her.

˗ˏˋ✦ ✦ ✦'ˎ˗

Lucas and River ended up using their compasses again, hoping this time they weren't sabotaged again.

They had made it to a spot where it seemed like they were close, but the only thing they saw was a literal gate, making River turn to Lucas before putting a few pieces together.

"Here.." River said, dropping her bike. "Climb up this tree, maybe we can see more." She had shrugged, before she started to climb up, Lucas following.

And they had found something. Actually, they hadn't just found something, they found a lab, a full on government lab.

"What the hell." River and Lucas whispered in Unison before sharing an uneasy look.