Holly Jolly
Benji
"We'll just tell our parents we have Av club after school," the group gathers around the table in Mike's basement, while eleven sits on the couch playing with a walkie talkie, "That'll give us at least a few hours for Operation Mirkwood."
"You seriously think the weirdo knows where Will is?" Lucas asks while exchanging a look with Missy.
"Just trust me on this, okay?" Mike replies, a determined look in his eyes.
"You got the supplies?" Benji asks from his place beside Missy.
"Yeah," Lucas exclaims while pulling things out of his backpack, "Binoculars...from 'Nam, Army knife..also from 'Nam. Hammer, Camouflage bandana...and the wrist rocket."
"You're gonna take out the Demogorgon with a slingshot?" Dustin mocks before Lucas interjects,
"First of all, it's a wrist rocket. And second of all, the Demogorgon's not real - it's made up. But if there is something out there.. I'm gonna shoot it in the eye and blind it!"
"Yeah right, you'd be dead before you could shoot it in the eye." Missy laughs and he sends her a sarcastic smile.
Ignoring them, Mike turns to Dustin, "Dustin, what did you get?" Said boy takes his backpack and dumps the contents onto the table.
"Well, alrighty. So, we've got...Nutty bars, Bazooka, Pez, Smarties, Pringles, Nilla Wafers, apple, banana and trail mix." He finishes, proud of his collection.
"Seriously?" Lucas asks unimpressed, at the same time that Missy asks, "Did you get extra gum?" To which Dustin throws her another pack before turning back to Lucas,
"We need energy for our travels - for stamina. Besides, why do we need weapons anyway? We have her." He gestures to El.
"She shut one door!" Missy groans and both Dustin and Benji interject, "With her mind!"
"Are you kidding me? That's insane!" Dustin continues, "Imagine all the other cool stuff she could do. Like...I bet she could make this fly!" He holds up the millennium falcon, "Hey, okay concentrate, okay?"
Dustin let's go and the toy falls straight to the floor, "Okay, one more time!" He repeats his actions gaining the same result, "Okay, use your powers okay?" It falls again.
Mike rushes over and picks up the toy, "She's not a dog!" Missy let's out a small bark, much to Benji's amusement.
"Boys, Missy! Time for school!" Karen yells from upstairs and the group rush to get their things together. Dustin, Lucas, Benji and Missy head upstairs, leaving Mike to talk to El.
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As they bike to school, they all pull in around the corner and look to Missy expectantly. She bites her lip in thought and Benji feels the hope rising in his chest but it's quickly deflated by her next words.
"I'll meet you guys here after school..uh, just wait five minutes until you set off again to avoid suspicion." She sends them an apologetic glance before riding around the corner to school.
"I don't know why we thought she changed." Mike sighs and Benji rolls his eyes,
"Stop it, Mike."
"No, that was a douchebag move and you know it, she just a-"
"If you finish that sentence, I promise that I will punch you." The strawberry blonde boy snapped causing the other three to look at him in shock.
"What do you me-"
"I hate it when you talk bad about Missy and then act like she's your friend again to her face. It's not right!"
"It's not right that she's too embarrassed to be seen with us at school!"
"Maybe not, but she's still our friend and I care about her. So I swear to god, call her one more bad name in front of me and...well, don't say I didn't warn you."
With that Benji just gets back on his bike and speeds around the corner to school, leaving the others speechless.
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It's now lunch and the boys are searching for rocks that they could use against a monster. Benji had cooled down enough to talk to Mike again after this morning, but he hasn't apologised for threatening him and nor will he.
"How about this one?" Mike asks Dustin who squints a bit before replying,
"Too big for the sling shot."
"So do you think eleven was born with powers, like the X-men, or do you think she acquired them..like Green Lantern?" Dustin ponders before Lucas interrupts,
"She's not a superhero, she's a weirdo."
"What does that matter?" Benji inquires, not being the type of person to judge before getting to know someone, after all as far as the schools concerned the boys were the weirdos.
"Yeah, the X-men are weirdos." Mike adds, keen to defend the new girl in their party.
"Well, if you love her so much why don't you marry her?" Lucas mocks Mike, who just rolls his eyes before responding,
"What are you talking about?"
"Mike, seriously?"
"What?"
"You look at her like Benji looks at Missy-"
"Wait, what?" Benji flushes red but Lucas just continues,
"All like, hi El! El! El! El! I love you so much!" He mocks Mike's voice before embracing the boy in a hug and then getting down on one knee, "Would you marry me?"
"Shut up, Lucas," Mike scolds, glancing at Benji who was still a blushing mess from Lucas's earlier comment.
"Yeah, shut up Lucas." Troy speaks up from his place besides James, "What are you losers doing back here?"
"Probably looking for their missing friend." James snickers.
"That's not funny. It's serious, he's in danger." Dustin cuts in with a glare.
"I hate to break it to you Toothless, but he's not in danger. He's dead - that's what my dad says. He says he was probably killed by some other queer." Troy laughs.
Upon hearing his last words, Benji snapped, "Shut up, Troy. It's none of your business if someone likes girls or boys - just because Missy Kennedy keeps rejecting your advances doesn't mean you get to take it out on our missing friend."
Troy and James freeze, not expecting to be put in their place by someone who cries when they get into an argument. But one thing people should know is that Benji's attitude changes completely when defending people he cares about.
"Well..uh considering Missy abandoned you all and became our friend as soon as she got pretty, I don't think you can talk."
"Don't objectify me, asshole."
The boys all turn to see the girl herself stood behind them, a blank look on her face and her arms crossed as she leans against a fence.
"Missy!.. I wasn't uh, I wasn't objectifying you. Your too pretty to be an object!" Troy stutters foolishly causing the girl to scoff,
"So..you weren't talking about me like I was some prize?"
"Exactly!"
Missy rolled her eyes and the boys begin to leave but Troy trips Mike, "Watch were your going, Frogface."
He looks to Missy for her approval only to get a blank look and a pop of bubble gum. Turning to James instead, he gains a high five and they both leave. The boys help Mike up and Benji sends a smile to Missy, who returns a small one.
"You alright?" Lucas asks Mike who nods in response.
Dustin sighs and picks up the rock which cut Mike's chin, "How about this one?"
"Yeah, this is it."
"Oh yeah, this is the monster killer!" Lucas decides and Benji laughs from his place besides Missy.