AFTER RECEIVING THE NO FROM HOPPER, THE GROUP SEPARATED INTO SMALLER, MORE RESPECTIVE CLUMPS.
The Party—Erica included, as she truly didn't have a respective group to join—all met up in the center of the mall, Jonathan and Nancy near a small set of stairs to enter the food court, and Carla, Steve and Robin at a nearby vendor called Hot Sams.
Steve had grabbed some sort of candy for the two girls and himself—something about how they might as well keep their energy up if they were about to fight an inter-dimensional creature—which Carla didn't hesitate to take. She hadn't really eaten since being in the hospital, and even that hadn't really fulfilled her hunger needs.
From the counter of the vendor, Robin looked over at the couple. The Wheeler was in between the Harrington boys legs, the boy's chin against her shoulder. They seemed rather.....chill.....about the whole situation, and she becoming rather curious about the situation, "So....you've done this how many times?"
"This is number three." Steve replied from his girlfriend's shoulder. It felt odd admitting to Robin that they'd fought monsters like this three times before, because, well, it was. No average teens should have to fight creatures from different universes on a yearly basis—but then again, none of them had been 'average teens' since '83. "Started back in '83 when Will went missing."
"But it wasn't like this." Carla stated, continuing on with Robin's original question, "It started out with a creature we called the Demogorgan—don't ask, it's something Dungeons and Dragons related—to which then turned into Demo-Dogs in '84, where we were also trying to fight this creature, the Mind Flayer. But instead of guts and blood it was made of smoke and was possessing Will."
Robin let out a breath, "Wow."
"Mhm." the Wheeler girl sighed. Stating it out loud made her truly realize the shit she'd been put through the past three years, but, at least she was used to it. Looking at Robin—the way she'd been rambling earlier, the way she picked at her already peeling nail polish, clearly anxious—Carla couldn't help but feel bad. The Buckley was supposed to be spending her summer scooping ice cream, not fighting an inter-dimensional monster. That was their job.
So, looking at the blonde sincerely, Carla asked, "Are you okay, Robin? This whole situation is rather overwhelming, but at least we—" she gestured around her, "—know what's going on."
"Me? I'm fine." Robin quickly replied. She wasn't. "I mean, it's not everyday that you get stuck in a Russian base, and drugged and interrogated but it could have been worse—I could be dead or something."
"Thank God you aren't." the Wheeler muttered, sending a sympathetic look towards the girl, "I'm sorry you got wrapped up in this. Last year, we had a newcomer get involved—Bob Newby, real nice guy, Joyce's boyfriend—and he, uh, he died." She didn't like thinking back to the night. The way Hopper's grip tightened on the wheel when she asked, the way Joyce disappeared into her room, the way everyone went quiet. "And it just made me kinda angry? You guys don't deserve to get wrapped up in our shit. I mean, this creature wants me, not you."
"Yeah, but you two didn't deserve to go through this either." Robin perked back up, "I don't think you deserve to be wanted by this Mind Flayer.....thingy."
"Thanks." the Wheeler sighed, before muttering, "And to think I expected a normal summer."
Steve sighed, "Well, with our luck Carla, I'm not really surprised."
The three teens went quiet for a moment before Robin questioned again, "So, you said this thing is made of guts and blood? Like.....human guts? I'm sorry, but this is all a little hard to understand."
Steve gave an affirmative nod, "You'll catch up."
"Yeah, human blood and guts." Carla confirmed, cringing at the memory of Tom and Bruce melting in front of her—their melted parts mushing together to create the Mind Flayer. Robin gave a disgusted look and the Wheeler nodded, "Yeah, gross right? When I was in the hospital, I saw it happen."
"I still can't believe you were in the hospital." the Harrington boy spoke up again. While he was following Dustin's lead to open a goddamn elevator, his girlfriend was being harmed by Billy Hargrove.
Robin raised a brow, "You were in the hospital?"
The Wheeler gestured to her neck, causing the Buckley's gaze to fall upon the bruises. As her eyes widened, Carla began to explain. "So, you know how I said the Mind Flayer possessed Will in '84?" The girl nodded, "Well, he's doing it again and this time he took over Billy Hargrove. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time—well, actually, he did want me specifically, so...."
"Why does the Mind Flayer want you anyway?"
Carla didn't mind the questions that the Buckley was asking—she was just a new comer to this whole mess and needed a quick refresher on everything that had happened in the past three years, on the years of history the rest of the group shared with these monsters.
"I guess he's....connected to me?" the Wheeler replies before holding up an arm to show her scars to Robin, so the blonde would understand, "Ever since I got these scars from the Demogorgan I have been. Going with that, fun fact, I can dream walk—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Dream walk?" Steve cuts her off with a raised brow. He really had missed shit when he was in that Russian base. He pulled his chin off her shoulder to watch as she nodded. "Since when?"
"Since now." Carla shrugs. She supposes she's been able to do it since 1983—since her first nightmare—but only now was she truly exploring the ability, "Anyway, yeah I can dream walk. When I'm in my nightmares—I get nightmares which are connected to this whole mess, it's a long story—it's like I'm there, but I'm not. In my more recent ones, this replica version of me is telling me that he wants me. That since we're connected via these scars, he needs me to thrive."
Steve scoffed, "Well, fuck that. He's not getting you."
"I hope not."
Robin gave a slow nod, as if she was still processing everything she'd just heard. It wasn't everyday when you met a girl with superpowers, got trapped in a Russian base, realized you were about to fight a giant fleshy monster and found out your friend was sorta supernatural. "Huh. That was a lot of information but I think I understood it."
"Okay, enough questions from us. Go interrogate the kids or something." Steve huffed, causing his co-worker to roll her eyes. Carla's lips twisted into a light smile—it was nice to see the two of them acting normal, to see that Robin wasn't completely traumatized from everything she's witnessed and heard—but it quickly fell into a frown.
"Are you okay, baby?" Steve noticed the fall in her features. He felt bad having not been there for her after what Billy did, while she was in the hospital.
Carla nodded, "I'm fine."
The Harrington gave her a knowing look. He knew Carla Wheeler well, and if anything, knew she bottled up her emotions. She rarely expressed how she felt, and would keep it to herself as to not bother anyone, or to put someone else's feelings before hers. "Carla. You can tell me if you're not. I mean, this shit is crazy—no one expects you to be fine. "
Carla sighed. Steve was right, but she also felt as if he was wrong. Despite the fact that fighting an inter-dimensional monster was batshit crazy and she deserved to feel anything other than okay after almost dying twice.....Carla felt like she needed to be okay. She felt like the kids expected her to be fine, to be the role model. Someone had to be the strong one, right? And if anyone could handle it, it was Carla.
"Just nervous." The Wheeler admitted, "I mean, it's not everyday that an inter-dimensional creature wants you. And before you try to reassure me that he's not going to get me, I know that. I know that you and El and Nancy and everyone else will do everything to keep me safe—they already have over the past few days—but, I don't know......I can't help but feel scared that maybe he will? That maybe he'll get me and I won't be myself anymore."
"Don't think like that." Steve shook his head. He paused a moment before his lips lightly turned upwards, "Think of something happier."
His words were rather reminiscent of a conversation the two had exchanged the year before, while they were waiting for the demo-dogs within the beat down bus. At the happier memory, Carla also gave a weak smile, adding what he'd said the previous year. "Like us?"
"Yeah, like us." Steve replied, meeting his girlfriends gaze. "How about I take you on a date after we kill this son of a bitch?"
Carla's smile slightly grew, "You owe me a date after making me think you were dead in that base."
"How about Enzo's at seven Friday?"
"No, Saturday instead." the Wheeler girl shook her head. Tomorrow was Friday, and honestly, Carla was sure she'd need a day to just recollect what had happened. A day to just think it through. "We'll need a day to just.....sit and do nothing. To just be normal."
Steve nodded in agreement, "Good point. So, Saturday, 7:00 p.m at Enzo's."
"Saturday, 7:00 p.m at Enzo's." Carla confirmed with a smile, "You pick me up."
"Yes ma'am." the Harrington boy smiled too. It was nice to have Carla back—to know that she was okay, that they were okay. The boy pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's cheek before sliding off the counter, "I'll see you there Miss Wheeler."
"Hey! Head's up!" Hopper's voice took the couple from each other, both of them looking towards the older man, who was approaching the Party—whom had grouped up in the middle, fully reuniting with Dustin. He tossed a walkie-talkie over to the Henderson, who listened with raised brows. "You can navigate, just from some place safe."
Huh. Dustin had convinced Hopper after all.
Curious, Carla also hopped off the counter of Hot Sams, walking towards the center of the food court. As she got closer she could hear Dustin say, "It's not that simple."
"The signal won't reach." Erica added from the boys side.
"Not with this." Dustin shook his head before explaining, "You need something with a high enough frequency band to relay with the Russian's radio tower. But, for that to work you need someone who has both seen their comms room and has access to a super-powered hand crafted radio tower, one preferably already situated at the highest point in Hawkins."
Hopper stared at the boy for a moment, causing Dustin to finally state, "Oh wait. That's me. If you want us to navigate you got us. But we need a head start....." He paused, the older man sighing with a nod, "....and a car."
At the request, both Dustin and Hopper looked behind themselves at Carla, Steve and Robin—who had made her way towards the center next to her friends—Dustin with a pleading look, Hopper with a knowing one.
Then, before any of the teens could even say a word, Dustin approached with a shit-eating grin, knowing his plan was at work. "You're driving." He tossed Hopper's car keys in Steve's direction, the boy fumbling to catch them having been given no warning.
"You have five minutes to say your goodbyes and then we're out of here to save the world!"
After being forced to chaperone Dustin and Erica to the boy's radio tower—which he made to call his girlfriend, Suzie—Carla took his words to heart and was saying goodbyes before she departed from the Party to go save the world, as Dustin said.
If she were honest, it was difficult to leave the kids, as well as her sister and friend. Through the past week, she'd been with them through thick and thin—through monsters, and attacks, and just the fucking worst—and now, she was leaving them for the first time.
Of course she wasn't really leaving them—she'd return to them after everything was over and hug each and every one of them because holy shit it's over—but it still felt like she was. Like she was leaving them unprotected to follow after her boyfriend and the others, all of which actually fit together. While Steve, Robin, Erica and Dustin were together for most of the past events.....Carla had been with the Party. It didn't feel right leaving them.
But, either way, Carla was now on the chaperone list to make sure Dustin and Erica did what they had to do correctly, as well as to make sure they kept in contact with both the Griswold Family—Dustin's code name for the party after the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, which Carla assumed to be because of the fact that the Griswold family was large, as was the group—and Bald Eagle—Murray's code name, making fun of the fact that he was, well, balding.
Carla was a part of the Scoops Troop—she wasn't even sure where Dustin was coming up with the shit anymore—which of course included Steve, Robin, Dustin and Erica, as well as herself. The Harrington boy was quick to make an attempt to re-name themselves, but honestly, it was catchy and was just a one time code name. They didn't have time to argue.
They only had time for a few goodbyes.
The Wheeler stood in the center of the mall, watching as her friends spoke some final words to each other before the plan started—mutters of good luck, restating instructions, and just having a final moment in case something went wrong.....which it wouldn't. She'd already hugged most of the kids —Lucas, Max and Will, all of which were now talking with Dustin and Erica—as well as Jonathan and Nancy, who were going over final arrangements with Murrary.
All who were left were El and Mike.
"So, you're a part of the Scoops Troop now?" Mike voiced, causing his sister to turn to look at the boy. He'd had his growth spurt over the past year and was now almost taller than Carla—he'd outgrown Nancy a few months ago. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly noticing it, or becoming....emotional.....over it. It just sort of showed that Mike was growing up.
In 1983, he was her little brother who loved playing D&D and now....now he wasn't so little. He'd grown up with the Upside Down almost forcing him to mature—forcing him to lose his childish habits and become a boy who could defend himself and protect his friends.
And Carla didn't like that at all.
"Get tired of us?" Mike's voice took the girl from her thoughts yet again.
"Of you, yes." Carla lightly smiled at her younger brother, before wrapping her arms around him. Whether or not he was taller, she was older. She was the big sister, the one who'd been excited about getting a little brother—Nancy had wanted a baby girl.
Mike wrapped his arms tightly around his sister.
It didn't matter that they had a four year age gap, or that they were the opposite gender. Mike would always have Carla, and Carla would always have Mike. No matter how much they annoyed one another, or how much the Wheeler girl wished that her brother would stop being such an asshole sometimes. They were siblings—they would always be there for each other, especially when they'd gone through shit like this.
"Stay safe." the Wheeler whispered into the boys ear as they embraced, holding on to him tightly. She'd been with him for the past week, making sure he was okay, and now she wouldn't be there if something happened. If something went wrong—Stop thinking like that. "I mean it."
"You don't need to worry about me." Mike slightly pulled away, "I'm not twelve anymore."
Carla sighed, "I'm your older sister, worrying about you is literally my job."
"You stay safe too, okay? I hate to admit it, but I need my big sister."
"Believe me, I know." the Wheeler girl softly rolled her eyes. Mike let out a scoff before stalking away, leaving Carla to say goodbye to her sister figure, who was sitting on the water fountain with her father, still weak from taking the creature from her leg.
The younger girl had a weak smile as Carla approached, the Wheeler taking a seat beside her. Her and Eleven had definitely grown closer over this whole Mind Flayer fiasco—it was them that he wanted. A few days ago, the Wheeler was showing the Hopper the world through the mall, and now it would be the place where they parted to finish the monster. Ironic.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Carla asked the girl who'd become something of a sister to her. She'd been limping ever since the injury, and needed support if she tried to walk—not the best condition to possibly fight an inter-dimensional monster.
"I'll be okay." El nodded with a reassuring smile. "I'm going to Ill-a-noy. I'll be able to rest."
"Illinois, yeah." Carla nodded. That was the plan—the adults traveled to the Russian base, the Scoops Troop to Dustin's radio and the Griswold family to Illinois—Murray gave them the many, many keys to his home so they could bunker down and wait for someone to tell them it was safe to return to Hawkins. "Even though you're gonna be away, I want you to stay safe, okay?"
"You need to stay safe, too." Eleven replied, looking up at the older girl, "He wants you too—not just me. I don't want you to get hurt. We still have so much to do together."
Carla smiled, "You don't have to worry about me, El."
"Right. That's Steve's job only."
The Wheeler girl let out an unexpected scoff, "What has Max been telling you?"
Eleven shrugged, "She told me that you and Steve worry about each other all the time. And about happy screams—she said you could tell me about those."
From beside his daughter, Hopper raised a brow. "Happy screams?"
"Don't ask." Carla shook her head, unimpressed. For how much these kids asked her to do things for them, they could be real assholes to her. "Me and Steve worry about everyone, not just each other and not all the time. Don't listen to anything Max says about me."
"Okay." Eleven slightly laughed.
"But, seriously, if you want to go do some more things outside your cabin, you stay safe." Carla went serious again, raising her brows in a motherly manner, "We can go see Back to the Future or something after this, okay?"
"Back to the Future?" Eleven's brows were knitted. She'd never been to a theater before.
"It's a new movie—I bet it's good. We can go together, or if you want to bring Mike we can do that too."
"No, I want it to be just you and me."
"You and me it is." Carla smiled warmly, holding out a hand with her pinky finger sticking out "You and me against the world."
"Against the world." El repeated, mimicking the action. Earlier on in the summer, Carla had taught Eleven how to do a pinky swear, so the girl did as she was taught, intertwining her pinky with the older girls and squeezing with a light smile.
"Hey, Carla!" the voice of Steve Harrington interrupted the small moment the two girls were sharing. Said girl whipped her head forward to see her boyfriend approaching her. Once her attention was taken, he nodded towards Dustin, Erica and Robin, who stood by the escalator, waiting. "I think we're ready."
"Okay." Carla replied with an appreciative smile. From beside her, Eleven latched on to her sister-figure, embracing the girl tightly. The Wheeler wrapped her arms around the younger girl for a moment before pulling away, standing up from the fountain. "Rest up."
"I will."
With one final smile, Carla joined her boyfriend, grabbing his hand and intertwining it with hers. Steve took that as his girlfriend being finished with her goodbyes, and started walking towards the group of three waiting when they were suddenly stopped again.
"Carla, wait."
Both teens turned back around to see Hopper standing up with a stern, very chief of police look on his face. "Stay safe, kid."
Carla lightly smiled, "Always am, Chief. You too."
Hopper's gaze softened, and he ushered the two teens away. Hand in hand, the couple joined Dustin, Erica and Robin who were—the Henderson more so impatiently—awaiting them. The group then walked together to reach the front entrance of the mall.
After a few moments of walking in silence, the Scoops Troop reached the front doors of the mall. Through the glass paneling of the windows, Carla could make out a cream-colored convertible bathing in the neon lights of the mall—the lighting causing the car to shine.
Carla herself wasn't much of a car person, but even she could admit that it was a nice car. Especially for someone like Hopper to score—how he did so, she wasn't going to bother to ask.
Steve too noticed the beauty of the car, his eyes fixated on it as he pushed open the glass doors with a large smile, as if he'd just been told the best news in the world. "Oh, man, now this....." He tossed the car keys in the air smugly, "....this is what I'm talkin' about!"
The Harrington boy on the other hand was a big fan of cars. Carla was quick to pick that up when they first started dating and throughout their relationship—the way he always made sure to keep his BMW clean, how he hated when people put their feet on the dash board, or ate food in their seat—and this reaction was very much showing it.
Robin's gaze fell to the license plate which read TODFTHR. "Toddfather?"
Carla almost cringed at the thought of someone naming their car after themselves. Instead she asked, "Do we even know a Todd?"
"Oh, screw Todd! Steve's her daddy now." the Harrington boy exclaimed.
The Wheeler girl's mouth fell agape. He didn't just say that.
"Someone please tell me he didn't just say that." Carla followed after her friends towards the fancy car, mentally face-palming herself over her boyfriends choice of words—which he didn't seem to realize the sexual implication of.
As Steve hopped over the door and into the drivers seat with a small thud, Robin's brows furrowed, "Did you just talk about yourself in the third person."
"Did he just call himself daddy?" Erica question in disgust.
Dustin followed up with a sly smile, "It's probably not the first time."
Carla stopped in her tracks, feeling herself growing flustered, "Dustin Henderson!"
Dustin retorted with his hands raised in defense, "You didn't deny it."
"I'm denying it right now." the Wheeler informed, trying to stop her cheeks from becoming even more red. Huffing, she crossed her arms. "God, what is up with you kids and my sex life."
Steve looked up at her with a wide eyed glance, face also slightly red from Dustin's comment. "Wait, what?"
"First it was Max saying I'd know what happy screams were and then there was Dustin with that."
"Can we not talk about sex, please and thank you." Erica voiced, eyes narrowed as they usually were when she was disgusted. "There's a ten year old in the car."
Carla let out another sigh and turned around to face the Starcourt Mall yet again, letting Dustin's on going retorts and Steve's defensive replies fall behind her. It was ironic how a place that showed her comfort a week ago was now the last place she wanted to be.
Yet, for some reason, she yearned to go back.
She wasn't sure why—she'd already said her goodbyes to the Party, her sister and her best friend and was on board with going with the Scoops Troop—but some part inside of her just needed to go back to the kids, to Nancy and Jonathan.
As if something clicked inside of her by looking at the mall, going with her friends just didn't feel right anymore. Something about leaving El, Mike, Max, Lucas, Will and the others in the mall just didn't settle right in her.
They had been there for her over the past few days, and honestly, Carla was in full babysitter mode over them. She felt like she was their protector, and that by leaving, she was just ditching them because why? She hadn't seen her boyfriend for a week and needed his comfort for a few hours?
The kids came first. They always would.
"Carla, let's go. Stop staring into the distance like the main character. We have bigger problems right now." Dustin called out, clearly growing impatient with the Wheeler girl. First she took forever in the mall, and now she was taking forever to get in the car.
"I can't." Carla muttered, a frown etching upon her face.
Steve's brows furrowed at her response, "Baby, what do you mean?"
"I can't get in the car, Steve." Carla said quietly, as if she wasn't quite sure she wanted it to be known among the group. "I don't know why, I just can't. That monster, he wants Eleven too and I'm not gonna leave her alone in the mall. Mike and Nancy—the kids —they're all in there. I've been with them for all of this shit and it doesn't feel right leaving them now."
Steve was quick to hop out of the Toddfather at his girlfriend's unsure expression. He came to her side, eyes searching through hers. Despite her eyes being the same brown color as his, Steve was sure he could search through them forever—he would never get tired.
"Carla." Steve knew that she had to go back, but he was honestly scared of losing her to that monster if she did. "That creature wants you too. And I'm sorry if I sound selfish, but I can't loose you again."
"I'd rather have it get me then El." the Wheeler whispered under her breath. It was true. The kids came first—especially Eleven. She deserved to live the normal life she wanted, and she couldn't get that if this monster had got her. "I have to go back or else I'm gonna feel so fucking guilty if something happens and I'm not there. Leaving with you doesn't feel right."
The Harrington's hands cupped her face. She needed to go. "If you go, promise me you are gonna put yourself first. I know that you always put those kids first, but don't throw yourself head first into danger for them. Not right now."
"I promise." She doesn't really mean it.
With that, the boy is quick to kiss her. His lips were soft, gentle—it was a goodbye.
Carla tried to savor the kiss before pulling away, "I love you."
"I love you." Steve repeated.
With that, Carla didn't waste a second before running back into Starcourt Mall, her boyfriend watching from where she'd left him, praying that she'd keep her promise.
That she'd put herself first.
mara's misc
sorry for the little pause between updates! i sorta lost motivation for this chapter due to the first part just being filler—as you know from me saying it before, i hate writing fillers/scenes that aren't a part of the show. my imagination/creativity is literally so bad and it takes a moment for me to think of a conversation that a) fits the characters and b) fits the moment.
but, i hope that this long-ass chapter made up for it. this is like 2000+ more words than usual, but i ain't splitting it up.
but....now i'm back????? (hopefully)
i loved the little date part i wrote for starla. i was getting deja vu from chapter eleven of vanished and just decided to add part of the convo as a little deja vu moment in the book for funsies.
also, since friday dates in hawkins are cursed asf, i had carla save herself. i thought it was kind of funny, and that whole date convo helped me get motivation again so yay!!!
yes, carla puts the kids way before herself. she thinks they deserve to be safe more than herself, (i feel bad as if i don't force her to go through shit like this) and would do anything to make sure that they're okay, even if she gets harmed instead. whether this is foreshadowing or not i'll let you decide.
also the small mike bit. i think it's so unfair that all of the party were forced to mature bc of the upside down and carla would too.
this chapter as a whole was very cute and fun to write. it was honestly nice having this so....calm....after the past few chapters where shit has been going down (aka why this is called the calm before the storm. it took forever to figure out a name for this chapter.)
also, unrelated but i found this photo of diana silvers (carla's fc) on pinterest and idk about ya'll but it is the most summer of '85 photo i've seen for carla. like the outfit is spot on, and the fact that she's next to a bike *chefs kiss*
anway, sorry for this long authors note, i had a lot to say.
hope you enjoyed <3 see you back with chapter 19!! (shit is gonna go down)