Holly, Jolly
"El!" Mike called as he, Lucas, Dustin and Cat wheeled their bikes up the hill towards the powerlines behind his house. The boys had filled the older girl in on their afternoon plans on the way to the Wheeler's house, stopping on the way there so Cat could grab her jacket. None of them wanted a repeat of last time. Eleven turned around to face them. "You okay?" The raven-haired boy asked her, getting a few nods from Eleven in response. The girl saw that Catherine was with them this time and a small smile appeared on her face. Cat's own face lit up with a smile at the sight of the small girl. Even though she barely knew the girl, she already felt responsible for her safety and would do anything for her. Cat dropped her bike for the second time that day and ran over to El, her arms wrapping around her small frame. The older girl leaned her head on El's, her body being only slightly taller than the girl in her arms. Shocked by the older girl's actions, Eleven hesitantly wrapped her arms around Cat's tiny frame. After a few moments, Catherine pulled away from the small girl, taking a few steps back to her bike.
As Lucas and Dustin were sorting their own bikes out, turning them around so they could cycle them towards the woods, and Catherine was picking up her bike from the grass, Mike patted the seat on his bike, talking to El. "Hop on. We only have a few hours." The girl sat on the back of the seat while Mike climbed on in front of her. The group began cycling, Cat behind them to make sure she had eyes on all of the kids. She couldn't lose either of them.
***
The group wheeled their bikes along the trail in the woods and Cat moved her gaze from the leaves beneath her feet when she heard her brother's voice. "So, Cat. How was the party last night?"
Catherine scoffed.
"That bad, huh?" Lucas asked her.
Catherine nodded. She started to say something about Barb and how worried she was for the girl but stopped, not wanting to worry the kids with her problems. She looked ahead to see Mike walking alongside El, both deep in their own conversation. She looked down when she felt a tug on her sleeve. "Kit? Are you okay?" Dustin asked her, concerned for his older sister.
"Huh? Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Her response didn't convince him though.
"You sure?" Lucas asked. "You look kinda pale."
Dustin nodded. "You did eat something today, right?" He knew about his sister's habit to skip meals or that when she did eat, it was only in tiny amounts.
Cat's breath hitched in her throat. "Well... I mean, I had breakfast-"
"Yeah, if by breakfast you mean five tiny bites of an apple." Dustin interrupted.
Cat sighed. "And then I was going to eat something at lunch, but Nancy just had to sit with Steve and I didn't want to be by myself because Barb wasn't there, so I sat with her. And Carol," She cringed at the name as if it were a food she had taken a bite out of and not realised it was mouldy or out of date. "-Just had to have her feet on the table, showing everyone this disgusting thing on her ankle."
"You better not pass out on us, Henderson" Lucas said to her.
The teen shook her head as she began to fall in line with Mike and Eleven. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Why did they hurt you?" Cat heard Eleven ask Mike as she looked up in confusion.
"What?" Mike asked the girl, also confused for a moment. El pointed at the cut on his chin. "Oh, that. Uh... I just fell at recess."
"Bullshit." Cat muttered, seeing through the lie. "Wait, who hurt you?" She asked. "Do you want me to say something to them?"
Mike shook his head. "No. No. It's fine."
"Mike..." Eleven started.
"Yeah?"
"Friends tell the truth." El stated, also seeing through Mike's lie.
"She has point, Wheeler." Cat agreed.
The raven-haired boy sighed. "I was tripped by this mouth breather, Troy, okay?"
"He's still bullying you?" Cat asked, upset that neither of the boys had mentioned it to her.
"Mouth breather?" El asked, confused by the word.
"Yeah, you know... a dumb person." Mike explained. "A knucklehead."
"Knucklehead?" Eleven asked, still confused.
"I don't know why I didnt just tell you. Everyone at school knows. I just didn't want you to think I was a wastoid, you know?" Cat took one hand off her bike and rubbed the boy's shoulder for a moment. It was her silent way of comforting and it was something the boys appreciated a lot.
"Mike..." Eleven's voice was quiet.
"Yeah?"
"I understand."
"Oh. Okay, cool."
"Cool." Eleven smiled at the boy.
Cat slowed down, allowing the two to walk together. She fell back in line with Dustin and Lucas. "So, how much do you want to bet that those two will end up together?" She smiled.
***
It was dark as Eleven lead the group down the path, eventually coming to a stop. Cat's eyes widened when she realised that they had reached the Byers's house. The young girl turned to the others. "Here." She stated.
"Yeah, this is where Will lives." Mike told her.
"Hiding." Eleven said, her voice quiet.
"No, no, this is where he lives." Mike said. "He's missing from here. Understand?"
"What are we doing here?" Lucas asked as he and Dustin dropped their bikes onto the grass. Cat had hers leaning against her side like she did in the parking lot at school.
"She said he's hiding here." Mike informed the two boys.
"Um... no!"
"I swear, if we walked all the way out here for nothing-" Dustin started.
"That's exactly what we did." Lucas exclaimed, cutting him off. Cat just stood there, not sure what to believe. "I told you she didn't know what the hell she was talking about!" He yelled, waving his arm in Eleven's direction.
"Why did you bring us here?" Mike asked El.
The young girl tried to stammer out her answer but was cut off by Lucas. "Mike, don't waste your time with her."
"What do you want to do then?" The raven-haired boy snapped.
"Call the cops, like we should have done yesterday."
"We are not calling the cops!" Mike argued back to Lucas.
"Hey, guys?" Dustin called, causing both girls to look over at him as he stepped between the two fighting boys, walking further forward into the front garden.
"What other choice do we have?" Lucas asked Mike, his voice loud.
Cat slapped his arm, getting him to shut up as Dustin called out to the others for a second time. "Guys!" The group all moved towards Dustin as they heard sirens approaching. They watched as police cars and an ambulance raced past on the main road. Cat let out a sob, knowing who the vehicles were for.
"Will..." Mike breathed out as they all stood there in shock for a moment before turning and racing towards their bikes. They jumped on them and cycled in the direction the ambulance and police cars were driving. Cat let out a breath, wiping the tears that were forming in her eyes, her hair blowing everywhere as she raced after the boys and Eleven.
***
The group came to a stop just behind a fire engine, jumping off the bikes and racing as far forward as they could, without being seen by the adults. Catherine waved them behind her, making sure they stayed covered behind the vehicle. They watched as the firemen carried a body out of the water. From where Catherine stood, and what she could make out through the darkness, the body looked like Will. She let out another sob, her hand lifting to cover her mouth- the guilt of letting Will cycle himself home that night started eating at her, her insides forming a knot.
"It's not Will. It can't be." Mike denied.
"It's Will." Lucas said quietly after a moment. "It's really Will."
Catherine let the tears fall down her face as she let out another sob. The group turned away from the scene, taking a few steps towards the bikes that lay on the ground. Eleven reached her hand out to Mike's shoulder. "Mike..." She said softly. The boy pushed her hand away.
"'Mike?' 'Mike,' what?" He snapped at El, who let out a gasp. "You were supposed to help us find him alive. You said he was alive! Why did you lie to us? What's wrong with you?" Cat walked over, pulling Mike away from the girl in fear that he would lash out and hit her. "What is wrong with you?" Cat pulled the boy towards her and he cried into her shoulder for a few minutes before pulling himself away from her and storming off with his bike.
"Mike, come on. Don't do this, man." Lucas called out to him, tears falling down his face. "Mike..."
"Mike, where are you going?" Dustin asked. "Mike!"
"Mike!" Lucas called out again.
Catherine wrapped her arms around the three kids, trying to hug them at the same time as they each cried into her. The older girl ran her fingers through their hair, a small attempt at getting them to calm down.
***
A/N:
I'm so sorry you guys (if anyone even reads this book) I totally forgot to update yesterday. I hope you enjoyed this chapter (It sucks, I'm sorry).
Edited: 4/4/2020
Edit 2: 7/6/2021