The day after Halloween was wild. Most teenagers at Hawkins High School for hungover, others were moody. Julie was probably one of the only teens who didn't feel like shit. She was in a rare good mood, and it started when she drove Steve's car home the night before.
Julie had to park the car down the street so her family wouldn't see it, but that was easy. She'd been hiding things since she was a kid. It was getting increasingly harder to not have a license at her age, so Julie was trying to work up the courage to have Steve help her out. But she was too afraid.
Now though, Julie was in her second period gym class watching all the boys in her class play a game of basketball. Steve's team was 'Shirts', and Billy's team was 'Skins'. Julie and the other girls in her glass were sitting on the bleachers in their gym clothes, waiting for the guys to take their break so they could play.
Julie didn't have many friends in her class, but she talked to Samantha, Sarah and Jenny. The four of them were in one little huddle on the bleachers, each girl looking at a different guy. Samantha and Sarah were looking at Billy, Jenny was looking at another guy on the 'Skins' teams, and Julie was looking at Steve.
They watched as Steve dribbled the ball down the court, trying to get past Billy. Julie cringed as Steve was forced to basically grind against Billy, who was trying to taunt him. Steve said something that pissed Billy off, and in the blink of an eye, Steve was on the ground and Billy was making a basket.
The whistle blew, and Billy made a large spectale of his victory, causing Julie to roll her eyes. Out of the corner of her green eyes, Julie saw Nancy walk in. She called Steve's name, and Steve sighed, but walked out of the gym with her.
"Julie! Sub in!" The gym teacher called over to the bleachers, pointing at the girl.
Julie furrowed her brows and looked around briefly, before pointing to herself in a questioning manner.
"Yes, you! Hurry up!" he yelled again, and Julie stood up, Jenny and Sarah lightly pushing her.
When she took her place on the court, everyone immediately looked at Billy to gauge his reaction about his twin sister playing against him. "You ready for this?" he taunted, passing her the ball aggressively.
Julie caught the ball with ease, looking at it quickly, before eyeing her brother. "Are you?" she said, before she went into game-mode. Julie moved her feet in multiple directions, before passing the ball behind her to one of her teammates.
Billy chuckled sarcastically, keeping his guard up and making sure his sister couldn't pass him. When she got the ball back, Billy squared up on her. "Someone taught you well." Billy said as she dribbled, knowing full well that he was the one who taught Julie.
"My teacher is actually a douchebag, but thanks." Julie said, trying and failing to get away from Billy, still dribbling the ball.
Julie passed the ball to a guy on her right, shoving away from Billy and finding a new spot. "Is that any way to talk to me?" Billy said, coming up to Julie yet again.
"I'm twenty-one minutes older than you, remember?" Julie said, watching as someone from the 'Skins' team got the ball away and everyone started running in the other direction.
Julie saw Steve jog into the gym, so she gladly jogged off the court and met him there so he could take her place. Julie walked back to the bleachers and joined her friends again, all of them cheering for her.
"That was so cool." Sarah gawked, shaking Julie's shoulder enthusiastically.
"Did you see Robert knock that ball away?" Jenny asked.
"Julie, I can't believe that you are related to Billy! Maybe you could mention me to him?" Samantha suggested.
"Yeah, sure." Julie mumbled, her attention on Steve. She watched as his hair blew as he moved, and how swift his movements were. She saw determination on his face, and she couldn't help but smile. But then her smile morphed into a look of confusion, and slight fear. A faint screeching sound could be heard in her ears, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was or where it came from. It honestly sounded like a monster.
Jenny was shaking her shoulder, and Julie was oulled out of her thoughts. "Julie, class is over. Let's go change." Jenny said, pulling her up and walking off with her.
•••
At the end of the school day, Julie was waiting with Billy and some girl at Billy's car, waiting for Max. She was late, and Julie could tell that anger was rising in Billy.
"So, your sister coming or what?" the girl asked from beside Billy.
Billy checked his watch, straightening up. "Screw it. That little shit can skate home." he said, walking over to the driver's side. Julie stood, and turned around. "Where are you going?" Billy called to Julie, watching her walk off towards the middle school.
"Finding Max!" Julie called back, not turning around.
Billy muttered a response, but Julie was too far away to hear it. She entered the middle school and began roaming the hallways in search of a certain redhead. As she searched, Julie couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The atmosphere in the school felt like what she had felt all of last year with the Demogorgan. But then the worst. Julie heard faint screeching, the same as earlier that day. Like a baby who was woken up from a nap. Whatever she was hearing made Julie on edge.
Julie eventually found Max when she heard rapid banging on a door and Max yelling at whoever was on the other side. "Hey!" Julie said coming up behind Max, startling her. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Max sighed. "They won't let me in." Max said, but Julie needed more information.
"The boys?" she asked, and Max nodded. "What are they doing?"
"Dustin found this little screeching booger that looks like a tadpole in his trash. The boys are in their 'studying' him, or whatever, and they won't let me in." Max explained, sitting down on her skateboard.
"'Little screeching booger'? That's your description?" Julie teased with a smile on her face.
At that moment, said booger did indeed screech, and Julie heard it loud in clear. Max started pounding on the door again. "Guys, what's going on? Come on." she said, but she got no response.
Julie banged her fist on the door this time. "Boys, it's me, let us in!" she yelled, but the boys did not answer.
Max gave up with asking to come in, and instead got an idea. "Do you have a hairpin?" she asked Julie, kneeling in front of the doorknob.
"Yeah." Julie said, taking a pin out of her hair and handing it to Max, who got started on the lock. Julie kept hearing the screeching, and had to remind herself that it wasn't a Demogorgan. That the monster was dead and couldn't hurt her. Max finally got the door open, but as soon as she opened it, the booger came running out.
"What the..." Max muttered.
"What the actual hell?" Julie yelled, stepping away from the door as the boys followed the monster. Dustin ran over Max and knocked her down, Mike ran into the Julie.
"What was that?" Max asked.
"Dart!" Mike yelled at her.
"What?"
"You let him escape!"
"What's a 'Dart'?"
"When did you get here?"
"Why did you attack him?"
"Come on."
"Hey! What's a 'Dart'?"
"Don't hurt him. Don't you hurt him!"
Julie's question was never answered as Lucas took her hand and pulled her with him in search of the booger as everyone split up. "Lucas, what is that thing?" she asked him as they searched.
"We think he might be from the Upside Down." Lucas deadpanned, and Julie stopped in her tracks.
"What?"
"The Upside Down. We have to keep looking." Lucas pulled on her hand.
"That explains why I heard screeching." Julie mumbled to herself, but Lucas didn't hear her.
The duo kept walking, Lucas slightly ahead of Julie as they went. "East is clear. No sign of Dart." Mike's voice came through on the radio.
"West is clear, too. Will?" Dustin said.
"South is clear. Lucas?" Will asked, as Lucas started jogging down the hall. Julie quickened her pace to keep up with him, until Lucas jumped up and kicked open a teacher's door, leaving Julie with wide eyes.
"Excuse me! Mr. Sinclair!" an old teacher scolded, hand on her hip as Julie watched the exchange from the hall.
"Sorry, I was looking for study hall." Lucas stammered, looking around the classroom quickly. "Bye." he said, backing out of the room and taking Julie's arm with him. "Nothing here, man." he said into the radio.
"Why did you do that?" Julie asked him.
Lucas just shrugged, and Julie rolled her eyes. Static came from Lucas's radio, and then Will's voice came over. "Guys. I found him."
"Where?" Dustin said next.
"In the bathroom by Mr. Salerno's" the boy answered, but his voice frightened Julie. He seemed scared.
"Copy that." Mike chorused. It was silent for a few seconds as Julie was pulled in the direction of the bathroom by Lucas, up until she heard the little screeching. Dart, she thought, shaking her hands out.
As Lucas and Julie met up with Mike and Max to go find Dart, the screeching didn't stop. It kept getting louder, and clearer. "Let's go. Down here." Mike instructed, turning down a hallway.
"We're coming!" Lucas said, refusing to let go of Julie for some reason. The kids and Julie burst into the bathroom, but what they saw only added to their confusion. Dustin. No Dart, no Will.
"Where's Dart?" Mike asked his curly haired friend.
Dustin shook his head. "I don't know. Not here."
"What?" Mike said, searching every stall and coming up with nothing.
"He said by Salerno's, right?" Max clarified.
"Yeah, maybe Will has him."
"Dustin, Will is not going to take a slimey-monster-thing and run off with it." Julie sighed.
"He's not a monster." Dustin scoffed, and Julie raised a brow.
"Wait. Where is Will?" Mike asked, but no one knew where the 8th grader had gone.
Everyone split up. Dustin, Julie and Max searched one area leaving Mike and Lucas to take another. "Will?" Julie called out, Dustin and Max copying her actions.
"Dustin! Julie!" It was Joyce Byers, just in time. The three searchers turned a corner and ended up right in her path.
"Mrs. Byers?"
"Joyce?"
"What's going on? Where's Will?" she asked.
Right then, Lucas burst through a door, panting and out of breath. "The field!" he yelled, pointing outside. He ran back outside, the other four following after him.
They found Will standing still as a statue and Mike trying to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. "I just found him like this!" he said once everyone was close enough. "I think he's having another episode!"
Jonathan had told Julie about Will's episodes on her first day back at school. He said that Will had been seeing a special doctor, but he wasn't getting better.
"Will! Will! Will!" Joyce shook her youngest son's shoulders. "Sweetie, wake up! It's Mom! Will!"
Dustin leant over to Julie who was standing next to Max and whisper-shouted to her. "Do you hear anything?" Julie's eyes widened and she looked over at Max who clearly heard Dustin.
"No shit, Henderson." she said with a clenched jaw and gritted teeth.
"What's he talking about?" Max asked.
"Nothing, he's being stupid." Julie shrugged off, focusing on Will.
"Will, wake up!" growling. "Can you hear me?" heavy breathing. "Will, please, just wake up." choking. "Please, wake up!" more choking. "It's Mom!" squelching. "It's me!" choking.
Will gasped and his eyes flew open. Joyce sighed and brought her son into a tight hug, the other kids relaxing immediately. The kids, Julie and Joyce all went inside to get Will's bag. Once collected, Joyce began leading Will back outside and to her car, the remaining five standing on the steps in front of the doors.
Okay, that totally freaked me out. Did that not freak you guys out?" Max said, but no one answered her.
"Two episodes in two days." Lucas said.
"It's getting worse." Mike said. No shit, Wheeler, Julie thought.
"You think it's True Sight?" Lucas asked, his question directed at Mike.
"What's True Sight?" Max and Julie asked.
Mike looked at Lucas, who shook his head. "It's nothing." he clearly forgot Max had no clue about any of their shit.
Joyce and Will drove away, and Julie sighed. It seemed that coming home was her biggest mistake yet. Julie had no idea how wrong she was.
A/N: I just watched Vol. 2 and I am definitely not okay. I had so many ideas for Julie and certain characters after watching Vol. 1 and I can't believe I have to write ALL OF THAT. I might not make it. Go watch Vol. 2 it's amazing. Also go watch the new Minions movie 😘