𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝙾𝚗𝚎
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𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚝
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Will, Genie and Mike sat on Mike's sofa while Will explained his episodes.
"It's like I'm stuck." He said to the two. Genie was on one side of Will while Mike was on the other.
"Like stuck in the Upside Down?" Mike questioned. Will shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh.
"No, like um...like on the viewmaster when it..." He trailed off and put his head in his hands. Genie placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Like you're caught between this world and the Upside down." Genie stated more than asked.
"Yes!" Will looked up hopefully, "And-and there was this noise coming from...coming from everywhere. And I saw this thing, Genie saw it too-"
"The Demogorgon?" Mike cut in. Will shook his head again.
"No, it's like this big shadow in the sky only it was-it was alive and it was coming for us." He explained shakily. Will spoke quickly, nerves affecting his tone. Genie shuddered, remembering the monster that loomed over their seemingly cursed town.
"Was it real? Or was it just in your head like the doctors say?" Mike asked. This time it was Genie who responded.
"It's real." She confirmed, "I can feel it trying to contact me."
"Contact you?" Mike knit his brows. Genie glanced at Will who nodded, urging her to tell Mike the truth.
"Yeah, it's trying to get in my head. The monster thing has emotions and I can feel them. It's hard to explain..."
Mike stared at her, confused, "What do you mean you can 'feel it's emotions?'"
Genie sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she looked Mike in the eyes. "You're scared for Will. You're worried for El. You're mad at Max. You're confused with me. You're frustrated with Dustin and Lucas. Wow you're feeling a lot of things, dude."
Mike shook his head, "Anyone could figure that out if they were my friend. I still don't understand."
"You love Eleven."
He froze. It was clear that he liked Eleven but did he love her? Did he really love her or was it just a crush?
"The fact that you're thinking all those questions just proves my point." Genie mumbled and Mike stared at her in awe.
"You can read minds..." He trailed off.
"Yeah. Don't tell anyone else."
"What about Will?" Mike asked, gesturing to the smaller boy.
"Already knew." He piped up with a proud smile. "Also, speaking of not telling anyone else, don't mention the shadow monster. The others wouldn't understand."
"Eleven would." Mike said almost instinctively.
"She would?" Will asked. Genie had almost forgotten that Will never knew Eleven.
"Yeah, she would. She always did. Someone's I feel like I still see her. Like she's still around but...she isn't. I feel like I'm going crazy." Mike rambled sadly.
"Same." Will sighed.
"Ditto." Genie added in a 'I'm trying to lighten the mood' tone. "Let's be crazy together."
She wrapped her arm around Will who then wrapped an arm around Mike.
———
"His name is D'artagnan." Dustin proudly dumped the slug-like creature onto the table in the AV room. Genie made a disgusted face and took a step back. "Cute isn't he?"
"No." The brunette snapped. Upon seeing the glare she received from Dustin, she mumbled an unenthusiastic 'sorry' and crossed her arms.
"D'artagnan?" Mike echoed, watching the creature with interest.
"Dart for short." Dustin shrugged.
Max scrunched up her nose, "And he was just in your trash?"
"Yup, wanna hold him?" Dustin lifted Dart in his cupped hand and Max's eyes widened.
"No no n-" Dustin slid the small creature in Max's cupped hands and she scowled, "It's so slimy!"
Max quickly slid it into Lucas's hands who matched her scowl, "He's like a living booger!" He passed it along to Genie who cringed away from it and frowned.
"Ew ew ew-" She practically threw Dart into Will's hands and he too made a face.
"Ugh, oh God." He passed Dart quickly to Mike who held him up to better inspect the creature.
"What is he?" Mike asked, gently handing Dart back to his original owner.
"My question exactly." Dustin said, pulling some books from his bag, "At first I thought he was a type of pollywog."
"Pollywog?" Questioned Max.
"It's another word for a tadpole. A tadpole is the larval stage of a to-"
"I know what a tadpole is." Max interrupted, slightly irritated.
"Alright, well then you'll know that most tadpole are aquatic, right? Well Dart isn't. He doesn't need water." Dustin continued. Genie was beyond confused so she decided to look into the minds of her friends for answers. Sure it was kind of an invasion of privacy but she didn't really care.
"Yeah but aren't there some non-aquatic pollywogs?" Lucas asked uncertainly.
"Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep, two to be exact. Indiana Semiplainata and the Andromeda Andrae. One's from India and one's from South America..." Dustin stared curiously at Dart, "So how did one end up in my trash?"
Genie bent forward to inspect the creature—from a distance—and saw it moving. Moving from the inside.
"Um, guys? Dart looks like he's about to cough up a hairball." Genie alerted the others, taking a step back from the table.
"It looks like something's moving inside it." Mike said, adjusting the light so it shone directly on Dart.
Dart screeched and jumped away from the light, the kids all doing the same. Dustin caught Dart and put him gently back into his little cage.
"And another thing, reptiles are cold-blooded. Exothermic? They love the heat, the sun. Dart hates it, it hurts him." Dustin said ominously.
"So if he's not a pollywog or a reptile..." Lucas looked up at Dustin.
"Then I've discovered a new species." The curly-haired boy said with a grin.
The bell rang, interrupting the five kids. They packed up their bags and hurried out the door to Mr Clarke's classroom. Genie didn't even notice Will grab Mike's arm before they left.
As the boys and Max began their huge build-up to introducing Dart, Mike and Will came rushing in.
"Stop! Sorry Mr Clarke this was just a stupid prank." Mike blurted.
"What are you doing!?" Dustin asked, wide-eyed. Mike grabbed the box that contained Dart and started for the door.
"We need to go!" Genie could sense the urgency in his voice without her powers.
"Mike!" Dustin protested.
"Right now!" Nobody moved so Mike repeated himself, "Right now!"
They all rushed reluctantly out the door and followed Mike back to the AV room.
"Sorry Max, party members only." Mike pushed the ginger out of the room and locked the door.
"Oh come on, Mike. Don't be a dick." Genie frowned.
"Now's really not the time to argue about this, Genie." Mike said without looking at her.
"She's our friend!"
"If you wanna hang out with her so bad, go hang out with her!" He gestured to the door angrily. Genie went to leave but Will grabbed her hand.
"No, we need her to be here." The small boy protested. Genie tried to argue but he looked at her with a pleading look in his eyes. She couldn't fight with her best friend.
"Fine, I'll stay." She hesitantly moved back to the table, occasionally glancing back at the closed door.
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THANK YOU FOR 300 READS!!!
See you in part two <3
See you in part two <3