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c h a p t e r f o u r t y - f o u r
"I... I just don't think they've thought this through," Will paces the room, tossing the ball at the wall for the fiftieth time. "If this goes on for a month, or months, and people can't get a hold of us, they're gonna totally freak out."
Mike barely listens, eyes trained on the wall connecting his room to the guest room, where Bianca was staying.
He'd expected her to come out and join them hours ago, but still, she was in there, doing God knows what.
"Meanwhile, my mom's probably having a panic attack. And what about Hawkins? That lady's supposed to keep it "contained." Like you can contain any of this without El. I mean-" he finally stops bouncing the ball, recognizing Mike's solemn expression.
"Yeah."
"Staring at the door won't make her walk through it."
"Has she even come out for breakfast?" Mike frowns.
"She got cereal this morning, but she took it back to the room," Will sits down.
"She thinks we hate her?" he furrows his eyebrows.
"That's what she said. Honestly, I'm not all that surprised. I mean, look at how you've been acting towards her."
"I don't know, it's like everytime I talk to her, I just say the wrong thing. And-And I know it's the wrong thing, it's just the right thing never comes out."
"She's your best friend, Mike. I know the breakup made things a little awkward, but she's still the same Bianca. You know her better than anyone else."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry, I've been such a self-pitying asshole lately. Bianca's not the only one I've been a bad friend to."
"Thanks Mike," he grins, meeting his eyes. "But I get it. You've had a lot going on."
"Still. I'm sorry."
"Make sure you tell her that," he points to the door, his smile dropping as soon as Mike starts to stand.
The tall boy quickly makes his way to Bianca's room, knocking softly as he runs over what he wanted to say a million times.
She opens the door with an expressionless face, the bags under her eyes giving confirmation to his concerns.
It was clear she'd been up for some time, having gotten dressed and tying half of her hair back.
"Hey," he awkwardly tucks his hands in his pockets.
"Hey," she looks around, face slowly contorting into confusion. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, no, yeah," he stammers. "I just wanted to talk."
"Oh," her eyebrows furrow, and she opens the door wider. "Come in."
He lingers by the door for a while, earning an expectant look as she waits for him to say something.
"Typically when people say they want to chat, it requires them to actually speak," she teases.
"Sorry, sorry, right," he sits next to her. "Are you okay? I know you were pretty shaken up about El and I would've came up last night but I-"
"It's fine, really. I'm fine, see?" she gives a frightening grin, making him chuckle.
"Right, yeah, um... It's just... Will told me something you said and I'm just a little confused."
"Really?" she feigns confusion, beginning to fidget with some things around the room. "What- What did he say?"
"You said the party hates you, which couldn't be further from the truth. I mean, come on, B. Without you, there'd be no party."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah, I really do. I mean, if anyone's been shitty, it's us, and by us, I mean me. You're the entire reason why Max is our friend and even El. You bring us together. Like the... Like glue."
"This feels like the time you compared me to cheese."
"I like cheese!"
"I know, it's just... It's such a Mike Wheeler compliment," she chuckles. "Weird yet oddly effective."
"What can I say?" he grins. "But really, I need you to know that the way I was... Me being a jerk wasn't because I hate you. At all. And neither does the rest of the party."
"So why were you acting like a jerk?"
"I just didn't know how to-How to be your friend again, I guess."
"We've been friends for years."
"Yeah, but you... I don't know how to put it all into words. I just... I think I was sad. I missed you and instead of telling you that, I just-"
"Made me feel like a traitor?"
"Yeah," he sheepishly glances over.
"I missed you too, you know? You were my best friend."
"I know. I miss when we'd sit in the basement and watch so much shitty TV, my mom would get mad," he laughs fondly.
"Oh, or those days where we'd go to the library and just trade books for hours," she adds.
"Sometimes I still go, but it's not the same."
"Me too. Why couldn't we just pick up where we left off before everything?"
"Because it's hard, Bianca. It's hard because both of us have changed."
"Yeah, you wear skinny jeans now," she teases. "Sorry. Mike, I'm the exact same person I've always been."
"I don't know about that."
"You don't make any sense to me. You say we're too different because I'm not getting bullied anymore, but Lucas gives you a clear opening to not be bullied either and suddenly it's a problem."
"I don't want to be popular! I like Hellfire, I like D&D, I know you would too."
"I'm not joining the damn club."
"Why? And don't say it's because you don't like the game, I've seen you while we're playing. You get this sparkle in your eye everytime you make the right move. You love it."
"I don't play because I can't, okay?" she snaps. "When I look at the manual or the game pieces, all I can think of is the Upside Down. The monsters we fight constantly. The fact that I've watched everyone I love almost die over and over again. So I can't."
He frowns at the admission, awkwardly standing up and pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's-It's stupid," she argues, despite visibly calming down.
"It's not stupid and I'm sorry I didn't notice. Look, you're the best friend any of us have ever had. You support all of our stupid hobbies, you make sure to keep in touch with Will and El, and I don't know what we'd do if we didn't have you with the Mind Flayer and the Demogorgon."
"So you guys don't hate me?" she skeptically asks.
"No," he chuckles. "We just miss you."
She smiles softly at this, pulling him in for another hug.
"Truce?"
"Truce."
"Good, because I've been thinking all night," she walks over to the desk, holding a notebook out to him.
"Two plans? For what?"
"Well, for one, we need to find El, hopefully with her powers, and two, we need to save Hawkins."
"You make that sound way easier than it is."
"I'm aware of that, thank you. But we need to save El. I have a bad feeling-"
"So do we," Jonathan bursts open the door.
"Were you listening the whole time?"
"No..."
"Listen, let's assume these friends of Owens are telling the truth. We can't call Hawkins without alerting the military, putting El in danger. Fine. Then we'll just go to them," Jonathan suggests.
"Go to Hawkins?"
"How?"
"I like the way you think, Jonathan," Bianca gives a thumbs up, earning an incredulous look from Mike.
"What are you worried about? Ponch and Jon out there? They're half-asleep now watching golf."
"No, Jonathan. I mean, we don't have a car or money," Will reminds him.
"Then we'll hail ourselves a ride. A cheap one," he holds up the number for Surfer Boy Pizza.
Quickly, the three freshmen run downstairs, attempting to get the agents' attention.
"Excuse me, sir?" Mike clears his throat, earning no response, not even an eye twitch.
"Excuse me, sir?" Bianca shouts.
Finally, he turns with a sigh. "What?"
"We're hungry," Will holds up the card, making the two agents share a look.
"I could eat."
_____
In what feels like ten minutes, Bianca finishes repacking her bag, heading over to Will's room, where she feels like she interrupted something.
"Sorry, did I...?" she raises her eyebrows.
"No, no, you're fine. Come," Will shakes his head.
Before she could question further, or really even contemplate, Jonathan comes barging in. "You guys ready?"
"Yep," they point to their bags.
As they approach the window to see if it was actually Argyle, they hear a thud and what sounded like a gunshot come from the living room
"What the hell was that?" Jonathan jumps back, starting to go downstairs. "Stay here!"
Immediately, he runs back in the room, eyes frantic.
"What's going on?"
"Get back!" he pushes them further into the room. "Listen, we gotta go right now-"
His demand gets cut off by bullets shooting through the window, confirming Bianca's fears.
She ducks as he guides them through the house, one of the agents giving them a chance to hide behind the living room wall.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
"What the hell, Jonathan!" Bianca whispers, just as more snipers come from the basement. "Shit!"
The agent shoots them, coming around the corner. "Follow me."
Of course, as he leads them towards the back, more snipers come, shooting at them as Bianca can feel her heart racing.
"What the hell is going on!"
"Get down."
They oblige, Bianca finding herself at the bottom of the huddle, practically hyperventilating.
"Listen," Agent Harmon whispers. "I shoot, you run!"
"Run where?"
"Just run!" he shouts, not anticipating getting a bullet to the side himself.
They carry him out, lucky enough for Argyle just to be pulling into the driveway as they make it to safety.
Jonathan bangs on the window, making the long-haired boy open the doors in confusion.
"The hell is going on?"
They all pile in, panting as he turns to them.
"Whoa, is that real blood, man?"
"Drive!"
He furrows his eyebrows, glancing back at the house to see a sniper approaching the car. "Oh my God. Why is that guy holding a gun?"
"Drive!" they yell even louder, finally getting him to step on the gas.
"Okay!"
"Jesus," Bianca coughs, reaching for the gold cross around her neck as she attempts to slow her breathing.
a/n: spooky season is among us... sorry i went mia again lol