-november 7th 1983-
-reader's pov-
the wheeler family were placed in their usual positions at the dinner table as they ate their chicken.
"we should be out there looking for him," mike spoke determinedly.
"we've been over this mike, chief says-" my mum was halfway through her sentence until mike cut in.
"I don't care what the chief says!" mike interrupted.
"Michael!" Scolded Karen.
"We have to do something. Will could be in danger!" Mike informed his parents as I nodded, showing that I agreed with him.
"more reason to stay put," argued Karen.
"mum!" both me and Mike whined.
"end of discussion." she said which silenced the room.
after a few quiet moments nancy spoke up, "so.. me and Barb are gonna study at her house tonight. that's cool, right?"
"No, not cool," Karen continued to eat her dinner.
"What?!" Exclaimed nancy, "why not?"
"Why do you think?" Answered Karen as if everyone was staring the answer right in the eye but they just remained completely oblivious to it, "am I speaking chinese in this house? until we know Will is okay no one leaves."
"This is such bullshit!" Nancy swore.
"Language!" scolded Ted dully.
"so we're under house arrest? just because mike and y/n's friend got lost on the way home from-" said Nancy until me and Mike intruded her speech.
"this isn't will's fault!" we said in unison like we were a pair of creepy identical twins, although we weren't.
"nancy. take that back." ordered Mrs wheeler.
"No!" nancy rebelled against her mother's orders.
"You're just pissed off 'cause you wanna hang out with Steve." Mike spoke truthfully.
"Yeah!" I added, knowing that was the real reason and I couldn't believe how blind my parents were being right now, as if Nancy would need to study for anything. she literally knows everything!
an awkward silence suddenly lingered about in the air.
"Steve?" Asked a hazy ted.
"Who's Steve?" Inquired Karen.
"Her new boyfriend," mike told our mum.
"yeah and he's a total douche," I added.
"pfft!" nancy dropped her fork onto her plate, it created a clattering noise, "you two are the only douches around here!"
"Language!" Ted repeated again, it seemed as if it was the only thing he could actually say.
nancy groaned as she left her seat and stormed up the stairs in a mood.
"Nancy, come back." Karen said to her daughter, but Nancy didn't listen she just angrily continued to stomp up the stairs.
"you see what happens kids," Ted looked at me and Mike as he continued to chew on his chicken.
"what happens when what?" mike yelled, "we're the only ones acting normal here! we're the only ones who care about Will!"
"That is really unfair, son. We care." Ted lazily popped another piece of chicken into his mouth.
mike didn't even answer him, he just slammed his hands on the table with a gaping mouth, which was open from the shock of what his father just said.
"cmon y/n," he tugged at my arm and pulled me from my seat, "I'm so done with this stupid household."
karen called for us as we marched up the stairs, we just ignored her and instead searched for the peace and quiet that mike's bedroom brought.
————
as I sat at mike's desk, doing my science homework the same worry kept on spinning around my head, it was distracting me from my work.
"mike? can you help me on question 13?" I asked but got no response, "mike?"
I spun the spinny-chair to look at mike but he was just transfixed on a picture of 'Will the Wise' that Will had drawn with his large collection of crayons last month.
"mike, hello?" I snapped my fingers in his face which pulled him from his reverie, "you good?.."
"u-um, yeah.. it's just.. remember yesterday, with our campaign," mike spoke as I nodded along, showing that I recalled yesterday's events, "will could've cast protection, but he didn't did he?"
I shook my head 'no.'
"he cast fireball." mike reminded me.
"yes?.." I patiently waited for my brother's response.
"well, he could've played it safe, but he didn't. he put himself in danger to help the party." mike answered.
"..we need to go find him." I spoke, my voice dripping with confidence, "you call the others, I'll get our coats and bags."
mike nodded as he reached for his walkie-talkie and I discarded my homework and headed in the direction of the downstairs closet where we kept all of our bags and coats.
—————
in a row, we all let the tires of our bikes roll us down the hill until we reached the forgotten entrance to Mirkwood. it was covered in police tape that read 'DO NOT CROSS. POLICE LINE' all over it.
"ah man, this is it." lucas announced as we all slammed on the brakes of our bikes.
a loud rumble of thunder boomed in the sky above, which caused dustin to look up.
"you guys feel that?" the boy asked, "I think maybe we should go back.."
"No. We're not going back, just stay close" mike spoke strongly.
"yeah, and don't do anything stupid." I added as everyone but Dustin stepped over the police tape.
"Hey guys! Wait up!" Dustin called out as he broke into a sprint to catch up with us but that was when the downpour of rain began.
"WILL!"
"WILL BYERS!"
"WILLIAM!"
"I GOT YOUR X-MEN 134!"
we shouted at the top of our lungs but will was nowhere to be seen, just like the dice from yesterday.
the rain kept on pouring down, it dripped down my face but I was just grateful I wore my thick coat else I'd be shivering cold and genuinely soaked to the bone.
"guys, I really think we should turn back.." fretted dustin.
"seriously dustin? you wanna be a baby just go home already!" yelled lucas.
"I'm just being realistic lucas!" dustin snapped back.
"No! You're just being a big sissy!" Lucas snarled.
I tried my best to block out their pathetic argument and that was when I heard a crumple of leaves in front of us.
"guys shh! did you hear that?" suddenly the arguing stopped as everyone shone their flashlights in the same direction.
then, an even louder rustle was heard from behind us so we all spun on our heels to be faced with a frail looking girl.
she looked our age and she wore a baggy yellow t-shirt, it was so big it almost swallowed her whole and I recognised the shirt was from 'benny's burgers' which was a burger place across town. multiple beads of
rain water dripped down the shivering girl's face as she stared at us like a deer in a car's headlights. her hair was buzzed, and if I'm going to be honest with you, I'd never seen a girl with a buzz-cut ever before in my life. but I knew that this girl was in need of help, and I was willing to give it to her the best I could.