Me and Max didn't end up skating home. Steve was polite enough to drop us off where Billy couldn't see us so we'd have only a couple minutes to walk back home. Dustin thought it would be a good idea for Max to have a walkie-talkie as well but Mike refused, so Steve is gonna see if he can find another way to contact me and Max without using the home phone and having a chance for Billy to pick it up instead of us.

Max walks off with a smile and Steve turns to me. "If Billy does anything to the both of you. Tell me, alright. I don't trust him at all."

I nod. "Okay. If anything comes up, tell me. I have a part to play in all this not just because of the knowledge I know."

He raises an eyebrow confused. I chuckle. "It might come up later so if it does, I'll tell you."

"Alright."

We both sit there awkwardly for a moment, and I quickly get out. "Sorry!"

"No, no. It's fine. You should follow Max."

I nod. "Have a safe trip Steve."

He gives me a gentle smile before driving off. I quickly dash after Max as we begin to walk down the path. "What'd you two talk about?"

"Steve told me to tell him if anything happens and I told him that the safe goes for him if he sees anything suspicious."

Max nods. "How come you know about what's going on and I don't?"

I sigh, rubbing my neck. "It's a long story. It's quite personal too."

Her eyebrows raise. "Oh. My bad."

"No. It's fine. I don't know why they didn't tell you anything. Mike won't say a word so try asking the others. But...not Will."

"Yeah I know. I'll probably ask Lucas."

I feel a smirk form on my lips. "Any particular reason why?"

She gives me a look of shock. "N-no!"

I begin to laugh and she groans. "Well. It's just that Dustin has that stupid little monster, Will's traumatized or something and Mike doesn't like me much."

I frown. Earlier today he had another episode. It was quite worse. His body was shaking as if something was happening to him as he was standing there. Even Joyce couldn't get him to snap out of it and it was not nice to see.

I checked with him before I went off with Max but he was shaken and couldn't tell me or the boys anything before Joyce took him back home.

"Yeah okay. Talk to Lucas but tell me all the juicy details!"

"Oh shut up!" I laugh as she punches my shoulder lightly.

"It's not like you and Steve have anything going on!"

"Hey! Steve got broken up with Nancy so I wouldn't do that."

She frowns and looks away. "Ouch."

"Tell me about it. He was a mess from the start of it and he's only sticking by me because I'm new and he saw the bruise Billy gave me."

The conversation ends short as we get close to the house, Billy stands on the porch having a cigarette.

"Where the fuck were you too little shits?"

"We had a mission to do." I huff.

"Mission?" He asks.

"Max needed my help with some homework that she has for her group project and it turned out to be a Mission which is why it took us longer to get home. Plus, making Max skate me and me walk all the way home wasn't the brightest idea either." I snarl.

He snickers. "I don't have time to argue with you two. Get in."

I walk inside with Max and I turn to her.

"Can I continue to speak in your room?" I whisper.

She nods. We walk in and I shut the door. "I know you don't know these boys well. I don't either. But when you go talk to Lucas, I'm gonna talk to Will. I knew Jonathan, his brother when I was a little kid and I met Will recently. If I talk to Will, I could tell you a bit more than what Lucas might if he doesn't say it all."

She shrugs. "It may sound like a stupid story but if you both tell me the same thing, I might believe it a bit more."

I smile lightly. "Will is a precious kid, so I'm gonna check on him tomorrow. If you see Steve, tell him I'm not going to school."

Max's eyes widen. "You're coming to my school for the day?"

"Yeah, I am. I need to know what's going on because I lost a friend in this 'Upside Down' place. Which is what is the big problem."

"The Upside Down? That's what this all is?" She chuckles.

When she sees I'm not laughing, she quickly stops. I jump when Billy throws the door open and stares at us both.

"Are you two going to bed tonight or what?"

"It's only eight o'clock!" I hiss.

"And you still need to get up for school tomorrow because if you're late then you're walking and skating to school."

I groan as Billy walks away. "We'll talk about this more tomorrow okay?"

I nod. "Alright. Goodnight Max."

"Goodnight Y/N."

* * *

Me and Max got up earlier this morning, earlier than Billy so we could have a decent conversation with no bullshit. We actually seemed to have a decent conversation and it also had...

"So you have a crush on Steve?"

"And you have a crush on Lucas?"

We both give each other a wide look of shock before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

"Seriously. Do you?" Max asks.

I sigh, rubbing my neck. "I do. I guess I do."

She gasps. "But! It feels...wrong."

"How?"

"Because he broke up with Nancy and he could be still trying to get over it."

"Well, I've seen Nancy hanging around Jonathan a lot."

"Is that so?" I ask suspiciously.

"Would you two keep it down? Or go to school!" Billy grumbles, walking out groggilly.

"GOD! Put a shirt on!" Max exclaims.

"NO!"

I chuckle at his bickering and Max rolls her eyes. We eat breakfast, brush our teeth, get ready then Billy drives us to school.

Once we get out the car, I see Steve. "Max. Go ahead. I'll catch up with you."

She nods and skates off. "Hey Steve."

"Hi Y/N."

"Listen. I'm not gonna be at school today because I'm going to Max's school for the day."

He frowns. "Why?"

"To find Dart. That creature. And Will had another episode so I wanna check on him."

"Oh shit, okay." Steve nods.

I smile at him. "Y/N?"

"Yeah?" I ask.

He gets a little nervous.

"I wanted to ask...if you wanted to come to my place tonight. To work on Homework and just...talk I guess. Me and you."

I grin. "That sounds delightful!"

His face lightens up. "Awesome! I'll pick you up after school okay?"

"Got it!"

I quickly run off after Max and leave Steve behind.

I finally make it to the school and look around. Where are they?

"Y/N?" I turn around.

"Hi Dustin."

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"I'm worried about Will. So I wanted to skip school today and check if he's okay. Maybe even hang out with you guys and find Dart."

He chuckles nervously. "Y-yeah. We still need to find him. But that's nice of you, do you know Will well?"

"Through Jonathan." I explain.

Dustin looks off to the distance and I look where he stands.

"Stop being a baby and do it already!"

Was that Mike?

Me and Dustin exchange confused glances before heading in the direction of the voices.

"This is so disgusting. Is this really necessary?" I hear Max ask. We run around to the back of the school, near a yellow building and big trash bins.

"The hell's going on?" Dustin asks.

"What do you think? We're looking for Dart. And why's Y/N here?" Mike states.

Suddenly a big trash bag is thrown up into the air.

"Jesus!"

"Oh!"

"Holy crap!"

Lucas jumps up from the bin and lands epicly on the ground. He grunts and looks toward Dustin and I.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. After I drew the short straw, real convenient."

He then turns to me as Max gives him a stinky insult. "And why are you here Y/N?"

"I wanted to hang around you guys today since I'm concerned about Will."

"Will isn't gonna be at school." Mike says.

What? Argh...I suppose that makes sense.

"Well, shit."

"Okay, you can go now." Mike shoos.

"Hey! Mike, she still wants to check up on us! She could be the theorist of the group, she may know more than what it seems. She may know about Eleven!"

Mike's eyes widen and he turns to me. He frowns. "FINE!! But only for today!"

"Thanks, Mike." I say politely.

Max walks over to Dustin as I walk over to Lucas. Dustin smiles. "Hi, Max."

"...Hi."

Lucas does stink but I've smelt worse. "I don't think I've been properly introduced to any of you three. Well, I was with Mike for a little in the gym yesterday but nice to meet you."

Lucas pulls a face and shakes my hand. Max gives me a disgusted look but I mouth.

Not doing anything stupid.

"Can you both please help? Or will you stand there?"

Lucas passes me a stick and tosses one to Dustin.

We all begin to poke the trash for the time being, going through other trashes. The bell eventually goes and I have to wait for the next break to roll around. I offered to take a walkie-talkie in hand as I continued looking for Dart but again, Mike refused. I know he has his reasons but I didn't argue with him whether he's a sour little boy or not.

I sit down on the steps and hold my head in my hands.

I groan. "Please...time. Hurry up."

I shut my eyes for a moment.

"FINLEY!!"

I bang on the door. Trying to find any way I can to open the door.

"His name isn't Finley anymore."

I zip my head around. "YES, IT IS!!"

"Go home Y/N. Or I'll make you like him."

I hear Finley crying, trapped in the little room. "What? Like what because whatever you're doing to him is wrong!"

The man chuckles. "I'm making him stronger. More, magnificent."

"What are you talking about?" I huff.

"An experiment. With special powers. Like a girl named Eleven and Seven."

Are those the names of your experiments?" I bark.

"Why of course."

I lower my head. "Last warning."

"Leave now or you'll fear the worst."

I slowly lift my head up. "Bite. Me."

He scoffs.

"Take her in."

"What-"

I scream as I'm suddenly grabbed from behind. "NO!! LET ME GO!!"

"I warned you." The man says.

"NOO!! STOPP!! LET ME GOO!! PLEASE STOP!!"

"Y/N."

"Y/N!"

"GET AWAY!!"

"Y/N SNAP OUT OF IT!!"

I jump back startled, my hands shaking. I look up.

"S-S-Steve!?"

"Hey, Hey! What's going on?" He asks crouched down in front of me.

"W-what are y-you t-t-talking about?" I stutter.

His eyes go wide as Max, Mike, Dustin and Lucas run around the corner.

"Mike found you here...speaking to yourself. So he got Max to run off and get me since I was nearby." He explains.

I take a deep breath and sigh. "Shit...sorry."

"Its...it's okay you just worried me." Max says.

I look up toward Mike. He frowns. "Steve, can I talk to her in private please?"

He looks to Mike, then me for confirmation. I nod and step up.

"We won't be too long." I say before following Mike around then to an empty room.

"Who's Finley?" Mike asks.

"What? How do you know that?" I ask.

"Me and Max found you first. You were saying something like...let him go. Whatever you're doing is wrong. Are those the names of your experiments?"

Holy shit. I've been saying this out loud.

"Then your voice rose. Saying stop. Let me go. And that's when we got Steve."

"Mike...I'm really sorry about that. I wish you didn't hear it." I apologize.

"I just want to know what's going on...especially if it has a connection to El." Mike says.

I take a deep breath. "I...Mike."

"Y/N. Take your time."

I nod. "I don't know if this is connected to El. I'm having flashbacks. They're not like Will's episodes because these are actually flashbacks."

He nods. I bite my lip. "Finley. I used to like him. His number was 005." Mike's eyes widen.

"He didn't survive the experimentation. He died." My voice croaks.

"And I'm having flashbacks...because I was sent into the Upside Down." Mike drops his arms and his eyes widen.

"I thought you said you weren't living in Hawkins-"

"I LIED!! I wasn't living in Hawkins but I still came down from the city to try and save Finley, reconnect with Jonathan since he was my first ever friend and meet Will! But all of that failed and...!"

Mike stares in surprise as I stumble back, tears stinging my eyes. "I'M SORRY OKAY!!"

"Hey, hey hey hey!" Steve runs around the corner to find us, wrapping his arms around me. I sob into his chest and wrap my arms around him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Hey, hey Y/N. Calm down." Steve hushes. He rubs my back soothingly and I shake unsteadily. I feel his head turn around for a moment, before turning back in my direction and resting his chin on top of my head.

"Just calm down...calm down. I'm here for you. Calm down..."