I was secretly over the moon every time I passed under a streetlight on my way down the dark road. I was on my way to Mike Wheeler's house to pick up my brother. When Mum had seen how dark it was out, she'd started worrying, and I knew I'd never hear the end of it if Dustin had to cycle home in the dark. So here I was, early November, rubbing my hands together in an attempt to stay warm as I walked.
My ears pricked as I heard rustling in the bushes. My head snapped round but I couldn't see what was there. I stood still for a few moments, just listening. Nothing. I sighed and started walking again. If there was one thing I hated about winter, it was the darker nights, and if there was one thing I hated about Hawkins, it was the woods and their ability to play tricks on you. Paired together, that was a combination I'd rather not think about, so I picked up my pace and carried on.
It wasn't long before I saw the lights of the Wheeler house, and I couldn't have been happier. I headed up the drive before rapping on the door and bobbing up and down to keep warm as I waited for someone to answer it.
"Oh hi, Gracie," Karen opened the door with a smile, "Come on in, how are you?"
"Great thanks, Mrs Wheeler," I replied, stepping inside and wiping my shoes on the welcome mat; "And yourself?"
"I'm all good, thank you. The boys are in the basement if you want to head down."
"Yeah I will. Thanks, Mrs Wheeler," I said as I headed over to the basement door.
As I walked down the stairs, I could hear Mike's voice dramatically projecting across the room... he's Dungeon Master tonight then.
Getting to the bottom, none of the boys had noticed me yet and I leaned against the rail as I watched them play their game... albeit rowdily.
"Use the fireball!" Lucas all but screamed at Will, who was looking around with a deer-in-headlights look on his face.
"No! Only an idiot would do that! Cast a protection spell!" Dustin demanded.
As Will looked around in somewhat of a panic, his eyes landed on me and he sighed in relief.
"Gracie, what do you think I should do?" he asked, and all the boys snapped their attention to me.
"Well..." I started, as I headed further into the room, "I'd probably cast the protection spell, but maybe that's me playing it a bit too safe. It's whatever you want to do, buddy."
Will sighed, frowning in concentration.
"Don't listen to her," Lucas exploded, "Use a fireball!"
"Hey! Everyone listens to my sister, so shut up you son-of-a-bitch!" Dustin pointed angrily at Lucas from across the table.
"Dustin!" I gasped, "Language."
"Sorry, Gracie," he held up his hands, and everyone turned their attention back to Will.
Lucas' stare must have won out intensity wise as Will eventually yelled, "Fireball!"
He launched the dice across the table and one went flying across the room. The boys leapt off their chairs and scrambled about trying to find it. I watched incredulously as Dustin scrambled past my feet on all fours.
"I hate to break up the party, but maybe that'd be a good place to end it, guys," I said.
"What?!"
Four heads snapped in my direction and I sighed; "Guys, it's nearly midnight and you've all got school tomorrow. You've been playing for hours and hours, and I think maybe this is the game's way of telling you it's time to call it a night."
All the boys huffed and whined as they got up and started getting their things together and I rolled my eyes, heading back to the staircase.
"You manage to get them to finish up?" Karen asked, drying a plate over the sink.
"Just about," I laughed, "It's never easy though."
"Tell me about it! I must have tried five times in the last hour."
I laughed and we watched as the boys filed up the stairs and headed out to get their bikes.
"Thanks for having them, Mrs Wheeler," I said on the realisation none of the boys would come back and say it.
"It's my pleasure," she laughed, "They're no trouble at all, they just head down into the basement and only come up if they need snacks."
"Yeah well that's all well and good until they eat you out of house and home," I said, and we both chuckled; "Anyway, goodnight Mrs Wheeler."
"Goodnight, sweetie. Get home safe."
I headed out onto the drive and saw Dustin sat on his bike waiting for me. Will was having a conversation with Mike.
"Hey Will, you going our way?" I asked, knowing full well he was.
"Yeah, I'm coming," he grinned and walked his bike over to me.
The boys walked their bikes with me as we headed back down the dark road. As we passed the bushes again, I strained my ears to try to hear anything past Dustin's evidence for why he should be the next Dungeon Master. Nothing. It must have been an animal or something. Whatever it was, definitely wasn't there now and I sighed, content, as I continued to listen to the boys' conversation.
"My campaign would be epic," Dustin finished.
"It does sound really good," Will admitted, "I don't think we've had a goblin before."
"We haven't," Dustin confirmed, "And Gracie will help me write it and stuff, right Gracie?"
"Right," I smiled at him, and he grinned back with the few front teeth he had.
"Jonathon would never sit and write a campaign with me," Will smiled.
"Sure he would!" I said, "I'm sure if you asked him, he'd sit for hours with you and do it! You could set yours in Castle Byers," I nudged him and he grinned.
"That'd be cool," Dustin added, and then a comfortable silence settled on the three of us.
"Race you back to mine?" Dustin asked Will.
"Hang on-" I started.
"Sure! Winner gets a comic?" Will said.
"Deal!" Dustin replied, and the two of them jumped on their bikes and started pedalling like mad.
"Guys!" I yelled.
When I got no reply, I sighed and started running. This was not what I wanted to be doing right now. My arms pumped as I sprinted and focused on trying not to slip on the wet tarmac beneath me. Looking up, I saw that Will had beat Dustin to our house and was starting to carry on.
"Will!" I yelled.
He slammed on the breaks and skidded round. He waited for me to catch up, and chuckled as I doubled over and held up a finger for him to wait as I tried to get my breath back.
"Do you want us to walk you back to your house?" I asked.
"No, it's fine," he smiled.
"Will all I'm saying is it's pitch black and I don't know if I want you to go by yourself. If Dustin and I come with you, there's never going to be someone by themselves," I reasoned.
Will shook his head, "Honestly, Gracie don't worry about it. It's like a minute away- I'll be fine," he said.
"Will..."
"I'll be fine, Gracie. I promise. Thanks for caring though. See you tomorrow, see you tomorrow, Dustin!" he called to my brother who was already halfway up the drive.
Dustin waved wordlessly as he struggled with something on his bike and I rolled my eyes.
"Fine, but I'm standing here until you're out of sight, okay?" I said.
"Okay," Will laughed, "And by the time I'm out of sight, home will be like thirty seconds away."
I smiled and said goodbye as I watched him pedal away down the street. I pulled my jacket tighter around me as I shivered- there was a chill in the air tonight, and I didn't like it.
As Will reached the point he was just about to go out of sight, he turned and waved. I waved back and off he went, round the corner.
I sighed and walked up the drive, throwing an arm around Dustin as we walked inside together. The two of us brushed our teeth, got ready for bed, and then sat in our respective rooms having a quick conversation before bed. We were completely unprepared for what lay in store the next day...