Jeopardy- Stranger Things

Chapter Forty Six

November 12th, 1983

George and Lucas biked back up to the old railway tracks, where they had been the last time they tried to find the gate. This time it was just the two of them. Dustin had gone off with Mike after he and Lucas refused to shake and make up. But George and Dustin had a plan. While he was with Lucas and Dustin was with Mike, they would each attempt to get them to forgive the other.

But George was finding it more difficult than he thought it would be. He couldn't bring himself to actually mention Mike's name in case it made Lucas angry again. He didn't want to argue, he didn't want to fight. So he biked along after Lucas in silence. Lucas went ahead, focused completely on where his compass was pointing. After a few minutes of following the railway tracks in silence, Lucas slowed down, allowing George to catch up.

"This has been a lot easier without El, huh?" he said and a sinking feeling appeared in George's stomach.

"Well," He stammered, "Her powers have helped us before," he reasoned and Lucas' face set into a frown, "If it weren't for her powers, we'd never have known Will was alive."

"Because of her powers, I ended up unconscious," Lucas snapped, suddenly stopping pedalling to scowl at George, "If it weren't for your hot sister, I could have died."

Lucas pushed off hard and started ferociously pedalling away from George. He sighed and rolled his eyes that Lucas had called Nick hot. At least he was getting back to his usual self. George pedalled hard to catch up with him but Lucas didn't meet his eye.

"Come on," George prompted, "Let's just find this gate."

*

Dustin had gone with Mike, who was set on finding El ever since she'd disappeared after everything that happened at the junkyard.

"This is weird without Lucas," Dustin mumbled as he biked alongside Mike, neither of them saying a word.

"He should have just shaken my hand," Mike shrugged and carried on biking in silence.

"He's just jealous," Dustin reasoned, "He'll come around," He said and pedalled ahead. Mike frowned from behind him and pedalled harder to catch up.

"What are you on about?"

"Sometimes," Dustin said, looking over his shoulder at Mike and laughing lightly, "Your complete obliviousness just blows my mind."

"He's your best friend, right?" Dustin shrugged and Mike looked uncomfortable.

"Yeah...I mean," Mike stammered, trying not to hurt Dustin's feelings.

"It's fine, I get it," Dustin said, nodding, "I didn't get here till the fourth grade and Lucas lives next door. He's your best friend and has always been. And then this girl shows up and you want to do everything with her."

"That's not-"

"It's true and you know it," Dustin smirked and rolled his eyes, "And he knows it. Everyone knows it, even George can see it. But no one said anything until you both started punching each other and yelling at each other like a bunch of goblins with intelligence scores of zero."

Mike looked away, guiltily looking at the ground.

"Now everything's weird," Dustin concluded.

"He's not my best friend," Mike quipped, "I mean, he is, but so are you. And Will and George."

Dustin rolled his eyes.

"You can't have more than one best friend."

"Says who?" Mike asked confrontationally.

"Says logic."

"Well I call bull on your logic, cause you're my best friend too," Mike defended and Dustin smiled slightly.

"Okay," He said, not looking at Mike. But Mike wasn't looking at Dustin anyway. Neither of them had been paying much attention as they biked around the neighbourhood in search of El. But that wouldn't matter as they'd inadvertently gone to the place she was most likely to be.

They'd made their way to the convenience store where Nick worked, only to find the automatic glass doors smashed and the police talking to the owner, Don, outside. The boys shared a knowing look and biked closer to the scene of the crime.

*

In the chaos, Nick and Frankie had been instructed to remain in the store as although the police wanted to talk to Don, there were still customers that needed ringing up. However, curiosity got the better of them, and every single customer inside, so no one, not even the employees, were using the tills. Everyone inside was far more interested in the aftermath of what had happened with that strange looking girl who had managed to smash the doors without touching them.

Frankie and Nick loitered in the doorway, watching Don ramble to the police.

"I feel sorry for them," Frankie said as she lent against the door frame with her arms folded.

"What'd you mean?" Nick asked, leaning against the door frame opposite Frankie, both of them watching Don talk to the police.

"They have to talk to Don when he's in a mood," she laughed.

"At least we don't have to deal with him," Nick said, laughing too as they watched Don throw his arms up in anger, "Hang on a minute," Nick trailed off, having caught sight of Mike and Dustin loitering at the edge of the parking lot, "I'll be right back," She called over her shoulder at Frankie and strode across the parking lot to meet Mike and Dustin.

"Was that your Swedish cousin?" She asked, finally realising where she knew that girl from before, "Did you shave her head?" she asked sternly, bewildered.

"Yes..." Mike answered although he sounded more confused than Nick did, "That's my cousin. She's going through a rough time. Er, which way did she go?"

"You kids need some help," Nick frowned and widened her eyes, "Come in," she said turning back and heading into the store, expecting them to follow her, "I'll phone your parents and-" Nick said, turning around only to find Mike and Dustin hadn't followed her. She looked up to where they had been talking only to see the back of their bikes racing off down the road.

Nick rolled her eyes and sighed.

"For fuck's sake!"