Chapter Text
The soft hum of the phone line filled the quiet of your room as you lay sprawled across your bed, the long, tangled cord stretched halfway across the floor. One foot kicked lazily in the air behind you while your chemistry textbook sat open in front of you—completely ignored.
“I’m serious,” you said, dragging your pen across the margin of your notebook. “If he puts another balancing equation on that test, I’m walking out.”
Barb laughed on the other end. “You say that every time.”
“Yeah, well this time I mean it.”
“You don’t mean it.”
You rolled your eyes. “Okay, no, I don’t. But I’ll think about it really hard.”
“That’ll scare him,” Barb said dryly.
You shifted onto your side, propping your head up with your hand. “Did you even understand what he was talking about on Friday? Because I swear he lost me five minutes in.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Right around when he started writing numbers.”
You snorted. “Good. Glad it wasn’t just me.”
There was a pause—easy, familiar.
Then Barb spoke again, a little more carefully.
“So… I saw Nancy today.”
You groaned immediately, dropping your forehead lightly against your textbook. “Don’t.”
Barb huffed out a quiet laugh. “I’m just saying.”
“She ditched us. Again.”
“She didn’t ditch us,” Barb said, though she didn’t sound convinced. “She just… had other plans.”
You pushed yourself up, already annoyed. “Yeah. With him.”
Barb hesitated for half a second.
“…Yeah.”
You made a face. “God.”
“I mean—” Barb started, then stopped herself. “Look, I don’t… love him.”
You blinked. “You don’t?”
“No,” she said flatly. “Or his friends. Or the way they all stare at people like they’re deciding whether they’re worth talking to.”
You let out a short, satisfied breath. “Thank you.”
“But,” she added quickly, “Nancy does. So I’m trying to not immediately hate everything about it.”
You flopped back onto your bed. “I’ll hate him for both of us, don’t worry.”
Barb laughed. “I figured.”
“I mean, seriously,” you continued, staring up at the ceiling. “He walks around like he owns the school. And now Nancy’s just—what—making out with him in her spare time like that’s a hobby?”
Barb made a noise like she was trying not to laugh. “You’re so dramatic.”
“I’m right.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But she seems happy.”
You turned your head slightly, frowning. “…Yeah.”
There was a small pause.
Then you sighed. “I still don’t like him.”
“Noted,” Barb said lightly.
Before you could say anything else—
The front door slammed shut hard enough to echo through the house.
You lifted your head. “Oh my God—”
“What was that?” Barb asked.
You pushed yourself up, already hearing heavy footsteps coming down the hall. “My brother’s back from his geek group.”
Barb laughed immediately. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious.”
A second later Dustin appeared in your doorway, tossing you a quick wave like he hadn’t just stormed into the house like a maniac.
You stared at him.
Then gave him a slow, slightly sarcastic wave back.
He grinned, completely unbothered.
“Okay,” you said into the phone, shifting it against your ear. “I gotta go. See you tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Barb said. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
You hung up the phone with a soft click, the room settling back into quiet—broken only by Dustin moving around somewhere nearby.
_____________________________
You stayed sitting on your bed for a second after hanging up, listening to the familiar sounds of Dustin moving around the house—heavy footsteps, something being dropped.
You pushed yourself up with a small sigh and headed out into the hallway, padding down toward his room.
His door was already open.
Dustin stood near his desk, shrugging off his backpack and letting it fall to the floor before reaching up to pull his walkie headset off, his hair sticking up in about five different directions like he’d been running his hands through it all night.
You leaned against the doorframe, arms crossing loosely.
“Mom put dinner in the fridge for you,” you said casually. Then, after a beat, “but I’m presuming you just ate stale pizza for the last twelve hours.”
Dustin looked over at you, completely unapologetic.
“I’ll still eat it!”
You laughed, shaking your head as you stepped further into the room. “Of course you will.”
You grabbed the nearest pillow off his bed and tossed it at him without warning. It smacked lightly against his shoulder.
“Hey—!”
“Go to sleep,” you said, already turning back toward the door. “Because Mom and I will both kill you again if you’re up all night talking on your walkie to your geek friends.”
“We are not geeks!” Dustin shot back immediately.
You paused in the doorway, glancing back at him with a small, amused smile.
“Mm,” you hummed, unconvinced.
Dustin frowned at you, then added quickly, “You’re the one with the weird friend. Nancy’s gotten all bitchy because of Steve.”
You rolled your eyes, the annoyance immediate.
“Don’t need to tell me about it.”
There was a brief beat—shared understanding in the irritation.
Then you exhaled lightly, letting it go.
“Anyways,” you said, softer now, “love you.”
Dustin rolled his eyes, but there was a faint smile there anyway. “Yeah, yeah.”
You didn’t miss it.
You stepped out into the hallway, heading toward the bathroom. The light flicked on with a quiet click, the mirror catching your reflection as you reached automatically for your toothbrush.
The routine was easy—familiar. Brushing your teeth, rinsing, pulling your hair back out of your face before changing into your pajamas.
Normal.
Everything felt normal.
When you stepped out again, the house had quieted slightly. The soft glow of the living room light spilled into the hallway, and you followed it, finding your mom curled up on the couch.
“Hey,” you said quietly.
She looked up, smiling softly. “Hey, honey.”
You walked over and leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “I’m going to bed.”
“Okay,” she said gently. “Goodnight.”
“Night.”
You lingered for just a second before turning and heading back down the hall.
Your room felt cooler when you stepped inside. You slipped under the covers, pulling them up around you as you settled into the familiar comfort of your bed.
For a while, your mind kept moving.
Chemistry test.
You groaned quietly into your pillow.
There was no way you were ready for that.
You mentally ran through what you could remember—formulas, notes, half-understood explanations that all blurred together the more you tried to focus on them. At some point it shifted into other things—classes, homework, whether Nancy would actually show up to lunch tomorrow or disappear again.
You frowned faintly at that, but didn’t linger on it.
It didn’t matter.
It was just school. Just another day.
Just normal.
Your thoughts slowed, the edges of them softening as sleep started to pull you under. The house was quiet, the distant hum of appliances the only sound left as your eyes finally drifted closed.
And somewhere out in the darkness beyond Hawkins—
Something had already begun.
________________________________
The alarm went off with a sharp, obnoxious buzz beside your head, dragging you out of sleep far too quickly. You groaned, blindly reaching over until your hand finally smacked down on it, cutting the noise off. For a second, you didn’t move, just lay there with your eyes still closed, half considering whether you could get away with skipping school entirely. Then you let out a quiet, defeated sigh into your pillow.
Yeah. No chance.
You forced yourself up, pushing your hair back out of your face as you swung your legs over the side of the bed, immediately wincing at the cold floor.
Bad start.
You dragged yourself out into the hallway, still half asleep, heading straight for the bathroom out of habit—only to stop when you saw the door already closed.
You stared at it for a second, disbelief settling in.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
You stepped forward and knocked hard against the door. “Dustin, I swear to God—hurry up or I’m going to pee on the floor.”
There was a pause before his voice came through, muffled and already annoyed. “Good morning to you too.”
You leaned your forehead against the door, eyes half-lidded. “You’ve been in there forever.”
“I have not!”
“You have,” you shot back instantly. “I woke up and you were already in there. That’s suspicious.”
There was a brief beat of silence before the lock clicked and the door swung open. Dustin stepped out, brushing past you with a look that said he found you deeply unreasonable. “You’re dramatic.”
You didn’t even bother responding, slipping past him and into the bathroom before he could rethink letting you in, shutting the door behind you with a soft click.
The hot water helped. It always did. You stood under it longer than you probably needed to, letting the heat slowly wake you up properly, your thoughts still sluggish and unfocused. Eventually you forced yourself through the rest of it—quick, routine, familiar—before stepping out and wiping a clear patch into the fogged mirror. You leaned closer, applying just enough makeup to look awake, nothing more. You didn’t have the energy for anything else.
Back in your room, you stood in front of your closet for a moment, scanning before pulling something out that felt like you—comfortable, casual, easy. Not like Nancy, not like Barb. Just you. You got dressed quickly, running your fingers through your hair one last time before heading back out.
The smell of coffee hit you as soon as you stepped into the kitchen.
“Morning,” you said, grabbing a piece of toast off the counter without waiting.
Your mom looked up, smiling softly. “Morning, honey.”
Dustin was already halfway out the door, backpack hanging off one shoulder as he shoved something into his mouth like he was in a race against time.
“Bye!” he called, words muffled.
You didn’t even turn, just lifted your hand in a lazy wave. “Try not to die.”
“Very funny!”
The door slammed behind him.
You took a bite of your toast, leaning back against the counter as your mom poured herself another cup of coffee, the quiet settling back in around you.
“Sleep okay?” she asked.
“Mm,” you nodded. “Yeah.”
She studied you for a moment, then smiled, apparently satisfied with that. You stayed there for a bit, eating, talking about nothing important—school, the day ahead, small things that filled the space.
Normal things.
Eventually you pushed yourself upright with a small sigh. “I should go.”
“Have a good day,” she said.
“You too.”
You grabbed your bag and headed outside, the cool morning air waking you up the rest of the way. Your car sat in the driveway, still cold from the night. You slid into the driver’s seat, tossing your bag onto the passenger side before turning the key.
The engine rumbled to life beneath your hands.
For a second, you just sat there, fingers resting lightly against the steering wheel as you stared out at the quiet street ahead.
Another day.
Just school.
Just normal.
You shifted into gear and pulled out of the driveway, heading toward Hawkins High.
_____________________________
The hallway was already packed by the time you got there, lockers slamming, voices overlapping, the usual morning chaos settling in like it always did. You leaned back against the cool metal, arms loosely crossed, one shoulder pressed into the locker behind you while you watched people pass without really paying attention to any of them.
Beside you, Barb shifted her books against her chest, craning her neck slightly to look down the hallway.
“She’s coming,” she said, like she’d been saying it for the last five minutes.
You let out a quiet hum, not bothering to move. “Mm. You said that already.”
Barb glanced at you, then nudged your arm lightly. “Can you just—be nice?”
You turned your head slowly to look at her, one eyebrow lifting. “I am nice.”
She gave you a look that said no, you’re not.
You exhaled through your nose, tilting your head back against the locker for a second. “Okay, I’m nice to people who deserve it.”
“She deserves it,” Barb said quickly. “And she’s still our friend.”
“I know that,” you replied, your tone softer for half a second before it shifted back, “but that doesn’t mean I have to suddenly love the fact that she’s hanging out with him and his… entourage.”
Barb huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “You’re being dramatic.”
“They literally act like they own the hallway,” you muttered, gesturing vaguely as a group of upperclassmen pushed past without so much as looking at anyone around them. “Sorry if I’m not impressed.”
Barb didn’t argue that part.
“…Just don’t say anything,” she said instead, quieter now. “Please.”
You rolled your eyes, but there wasn’t any real bite behind it this time. “Fine. I won’t start anything.”
“That’s not the same as being nice.”
“You’re asking for a lot this early in the morning.”
Before she could respond, movement down the hallway caught your attention. Nancy was making her way toward you, weaving through the crowd with that slightly distracted look she’d had more and more lately.
You straightened just slightly, pushing yourself off the locker.
Barb noticed her a second later and immediately stepped forward.
“So?” she asked as Nancy reached you. “Did he call?”
Nancy glanced around quickly. “Keep your voice down—”
You let out a quiet breath through your nose, looking away for a second, already knowing where this was going.
“Did he?” Barb pressed.
Nancy shook her head as she turned to her locker. “I told you, it’s not like that.”
You shifted your weight, leaning lightly against the locker beside hers, watching her without saying anything yet.
Barb shot her a look.
Nancy hesitated, then gave in with a small sigh. “Okay, I mean, yes, fine, he likes me, you know, but not like that—” she lowered her voice slightly, glancing between the two of you, “we just made out a couple times.”
You couldn’t help it—you let out a quiet, disbelieving huff, glancing down the hallway for a second before looking back.
“A couple times,” you repeated under your breath.
Barb immediately jumped in, mocking, “Jesus, you’re gonna be so cool now it’s ridiculous—”
Nancy shook her head quickly. “No I’m not!”
You watched her for a second, then shrugged lightly. “Hey, I’m not saying anything. If you want to voluntarily spend time with Tommy H. and Carol, that’s your decision.”
Nancy made a face. “I’m not—”
“Because I’ve seen them at lunch,” you continued, not missing a beat. “And that table looks like a nightmare.”
Barb nudged you again, a quiet warning.
You lifted your hands slightly in surrender. “What? I said I’d be nice. That was me being nice.”
“That was not you being nice,” Barb muttered.
Nancy shook her head, trying not to smile despite herself as she opened her locker. “Gross. And I’m telling you, this was just a one-time—” she paused, then corrected, “—two-time thing, alright?”
You hummed quietly, unconvinced but not pushing it further. “Mm. Sure.”
Nancy went quiet as she opened the locker door, and something in the shift of her expression made you pay attention again.
There was a folded note taped to the inside.
Your eyes flicked to it automatically.
Nancy reached up, peeling it off slowly, her fingers hesitating just slightly before she unfolded it.
You leaned in a fraction, close enough to see the writing as her eyes scanned the page.
Then she stilled.
Barb leaned closer. “What?”
Nancy didn’t answer right away. She just turned the note slightly so both of you could see.
MEET ME. BATHROOM. STEVE.
There was a brief silence.
You stared at it for a second, then let out a quiet, unimpressed breath.
“Wow,” you muttered, shaking your head slightly. “Real subtle.”
Barb glanced between the note and Nancy, eyebrows raised. “You were saying?”
You pushed yourself fully off the locker, adjusting your bag on your shoulder. “Yeah, no, this definitely falls under ‘not like that,’ right?” you added lightly, glancing at Nancy with the faintest hint of a smirk before looking away again.
_____________________________________
You fell into step beside Barb as you moved away from Nancy’s locker, the hallway still loud around you, but not quite as overwhelming now that you weren’t stuck standing in the middle of it. Barb adjusted the books in her arms again as the two of you stopped at her locker, spinning the dial with practiced ease.
“So,” she said, glancing at you over her shoulder, “are you actually going to study for this test or just complain about it until it happens?”
You leaned your shoulder against the locker next to hers, watching as she pulled it open. “I can do both.”
“That’s not studying.”
“It is mentally preparing,” you corrected.
Barb snorted, digging through her locker. “You’re going to fail.”
“I’m not going to fail,” you said, though without much conviction. “I just might not do… well.”
She pulled out her notebook and shut the locker with a dull clang. “You said that last time.”
“And I survived,” you pointed out. “Barely.”
Barb shook her head, already smiling a little despite herself. “Come over tonight,” she said, shifting her books into a better grip. “We can go over everything. I actually made notes that make sense.”
You raised an eyebrow. “You made notes that make sense?”
“Shut up.”
You huffed out a quiet laugh, pushing off the locker. “Fine. Yeah. I’ll come over.”
“Good,” she said. “Because I’m not failing alone.”
“You won’t,” you replied lightly. “I’ll be right there with you.”
The first bell rang then, cutting through the hallway noise and sending people moving faster, lockers slamming shut in a chain reaction.
You and Barb exchanged a look.
“History,” you both said at the same time, already turning.
The classroom was already half full by the time you got there. You slipped into your usual seat beside Barb, dropping your bag down and pulling your notebook out without much urgency. The room buzzed with low conversation, chairs scraping against the floor, the usual pre-class noise.
Barb sat beside you, already flipping through her notes like she was actually going to study in the two minutes before class started.
You leaned back slightly in your chair, glancing toward the seat on the other side of her.
Empty.
You checked the clock.
Then back at the door.
Barb noticed. “She’ll be here.”
You gave a small, knowing hum. “Mm.”
The warning bell rang, louder this time, and the teacher moved toward the door, hand already reaching for it.
Still no Nancy.
You rolled your eyes slightly, leaning back further in your chair. “Wow. Shocker.”
Barb pressed her lips together, trying not to smile.
Just as the teacher started to pull the door closed—
“Sorry!”
Nancy rushed in, slightly out of breath, slipping past him quickly before he could say anything more than a tired sigh. She moved straight for her seat, dropping into it beside Barb and pushing her hair back out of her face like nothing had happened.
You and Barb both turned your heads toward her at the same time.
Then, in perfect sync—
Slow, exaggerated, sarcastic shakes of the head.
Nancy glanced between the two of you, immediately knowing.
“Don’t,” she muttered under her breath.
You raised an eyebrow, leaning back in your chair again. “We didn’t say anything.”
Barb nodded. “Not a word.”
Nancy exhaled, already opening her notebook.
You and Barb exchanged one last look.
Yeah. Sure.
__________________________________
The cafeteria was loud in that constant, overlapping way it always was—trays clattering, chairs scraping, voices bouncing off the walls until everything blurred into one steady hum. You sat across from Barb and Nancy, picking half-heartedly at your food while the three of you talked, the conversation drifting between classes, teachers, and anything that wasn’t remotely important.
“I’m telling you,” Barb was saying, pushing her glasses up her nose slightly, “if he puts another trick question on that test, I’m actually going to lose it.”
“He always does,” you replied, glancing up at her. “That’s like his entire personality.”
Nancy huffed out a small laugh, stirring her drink absentmindedly. “You two are being dramatic.”
“You’re not the one who almost failed the last one,” you pointed out.
“I did not almost fail.”
“You said you ‘weren’t thrilled’ with your grade,” Barb added.
Nancy gave her a look. “That’s not the same thing.”
You smiled faintly, shaking your head as you leaned back slightly in your chair, letting the conversation settle into something easier. It drifted after that—weekend plans, who had what homework, small things that filled the space.
Nancy went quiet for a moment, her eyes flicking toward you like she was thinking about something.
Then, casually—too casually—
“So,” she said, “how was your date with Mark the other weekend?”
You paused mid-bite, lowering your fork slowly as you looked at her.
Barb immediately leaned forward, interest lighting up her face. “Oh my God, yes. You never told us.”
You shrugged like it wasn’t worth mentioning. “It was fine.”
Nancy raised an eyebrow. “Fine?”
“Yeah. Just… but he’s just a guy.” You picked at your food again, completely unimpressed. “Nothing special.”
Barb narrowed her eyes slightly. “That’s not an answer.”
You sighed lightly, glancing between them. “He spent most of the night trying to feel me up, so I told him to get lost.”
There was a beat.
Then both of them rolled their eyes at the exact same time.
“Charming,” Nancy muttered.
“Seriously?” Barb said. “That’s your entire dating life lately.”
You lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. “Not my fault.”
“You need better options,” Nancy added.
“I need people to stop being weird,” you corrected.
Barb shook her head. “No, you need something interesting to happen so we don’t have to keep talking about chemistry and school like that’s our entire lives.”
You huffed out a quiet laugh. “Sorry to disappoint.”
Nancy smiled slightly, but there was still something in the way she was watching you—like she’d brought it up for a reason.
You didn’t question it.
Instead, you took another bite of your food, letting the conversation drift again—
Until the noise in the cafeteria shifted slightly.
It wasn’t obvious, not at first, but it was enough.
You glanced up instinctively.
And immediately saw them.
Steve. Carol. Tommy.
Walking in like they owned the place.
You didn’t even think about it—you rolled your eyes on instinct, your expression flattening as you looked back down at your tray.
A sharp kick landed against your leg under the table.
You shot Barb a look.
“Be nice,” she muttered under her breath.
“I didn’t say anything,” you whispered back.
“You didn’t have to.”
Across the cafeteria, Steve’s attention had already shifted. His gaze moved over the room, landing on your table—and more specifically, on Nancy.
He gave her a small, easy wink.
You caught it out of the corner of your eye and resisted the urge to make a face, instead focusing very hard on your food.
Nancy, on the other hand, went slightly still before ducking her head, clearly trying to play it off, but not quite managing it. There was a faint flush creeping into her cheeks as she pretended to be interested in literally anything else.
Steve turned away like it was nothing, heading off with Carol and Tommy to their usual table.
You watched him go for half a second, then looked back at Nancy.
Didn’t say anything.
Barb cleared her throat lightly, breaking the moment. “So—do you want to come over after school? We’re going to go over chemistry stuff.”
Nancy blinked, pulled out of whatever was going on in her head. “Oh—um…”
You already knew.
Barb tilted her head slightly. “You can, right?”
Nancy hesitated. “I—can’t.”
Barb’s expression shifted immediately, understanding settling in. “Steve?”
Nancy didn’t answer.
Which was answer enough.
You leaned back slightly in your chair, rolling your eyes again before you could stop yourself.
Another kick landed against your leg.
You looked at Barb.
She didn’t even look at you this time. “Stop it,” she muttered under her breath.
“I’m not doing anything,” you said quietly, though your tone said otherwise.
Nancy busied herself with her food, avoiding both of your eyes now.
Barb sighed softly.
And the conversation didn’t quite go back to normal after that.
________________________________
The final bell had barely stopped ringing when the front of the school filled with people, voices overlapping as everyone spilled out into the afternoon light. You stood just outside the entrance with Barb and Nancy, shifting your bag higher on your shoulder as you squinted slightly against the sun.
“I’ll come by later,” you said to Barb, nudging her lightly with your elbow. “Don’t start without me.”
She huffed. “I won’t. But if you’re late, I’m not re-explaining everything.”
“Wow. Supportive.”
Nancy smiled faintly at the two of you, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Good luck with that.”
You glanced at her. “You could still come, you know.”
She hesitated for half a second, then shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Mm,” you hummed, not pushing it, even if you wanted to. “Alright.”
There was a brief pause before you shifted your weight back. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“Bye,” Barb said.
“Bye,” Nancy echoed.
You gave them both a small wave before turning and heading toward the parking lot, digging your keys out of your bag as you walked. The air felt warmer now, the kind of afternoon that felt easy, normal, like every other day.
You slid into your car, tossing your bag onto the passenger seat before turning the key. The engine came to life, and a second later the radio crackled on—Blondie cutting through the quiet.
Usually, you didn’t mind the drive. Usually, it helped.
Today it didn’t.
The road stretched out ahead of you, familiar turns, familiar streets, but something about it felt… off. You couldn’t quite place it, just a faint, unsettled feeling sitting low in your stomach as you drove.
You turned onto your street and pulled into the driveway, cutting the engine. For a second, you just sat there, the last notes of the song fading out before you pushed the door open and stepped out.
The house was quiet when you walked in.
Too quiet.
You closed the door behind you, slipping your shoes off absentmindedly before heading toward the kitchen.
That’s when you saw them.
Your mom stood near the counter, and Dustin was across from her—but neither of them looked up right away. Both of them had the same expression, something tight and off, like something had gone wrong.
Your stomach dropped.
“What?” you asked immediately, stepping further into the room. You dropped your bag by the door without thinking, your attention already locked on them. “What’s wrong?”
Your mom looked at you, her expression softening slightly. “Will Byers didn’t go home last night,” she said gently. “They’ve said he’s missing.”
For a second, it didn’t fully register.
Then it did.
You turned to Dustin instantly. “Oh my gosh—are you okay?” you asked, stepping closer to him. “He’s probably just—he’s probably with his dad upstate or—”
Even as you said it, it didn’t feel right.
You’d met Will before. Plenty of times. Quiet, polite, always sticking close to the others. He wasn’t the kind of kid who just disappeared.
Your thoughts stalled.
Your mom’s voice cut in gently. “He’ll be okay, Dusty.”
Dustin didn’t respond.
He just shook his head slightly, jaw tight, and turned away, walking straight out of the kitchen. A second later, his bedroom door slammed shut down the hall.
The sound echoed.
You exhaled slowly, turning back to your mom, the unease settling heavier now.
“Is he going to be okay?” you asked, quieter this time.
She gave you a reassuring smile, the kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “He’ll be fine.”
The kitchen fell silent for a moment after that.
You nodded faintly, even if you weren’t fully convinced, your mind still turning it over.
Then, after a beat, you shifted slightly. “Hey—um… is it okay if I go to Barb’s?” you asked. “We have a chemistry test tomorrow, we want to study.”
Your mom nodded easily, the small smile returning properly this time. “That’s fine, sweetie. Just don’t stay out too late. With everything going on.”
“Yeah,” you said, already moving toward her. “I won’t.”
You leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before stepping back. “I’ll be back later.”
“Okay.”
You grabbed your bag from where you’d dropped it and headed down the hallway to your room, pushing the door open and stepping inside. It felt the same as it always did—your space, your things, everything exactly where it should be.
Normal.
You dropped your bag onto the bed and grabbed what you needed for studying, moving on autopilot more than anything else.
But that feeling didn’t go away.
It stayed there, low and quiet, sitting heavy in your chest as you slung your bag back over your shoulder and headed back out of the room.
Will Byers didn’t go home last night.
You paused for half a second in the hallway, your grip tightening slightly on the strap of your bag.
He wouldn’t just wander off.
You knew that.
Everyone did.
You pushed the thought away, heading for the front door, but it didn’t really leave.
It followed you out into the evening.
And settled somewhere deep in your stomach as you left for Barb’s.
_________________________
By the time you pulled up outside Barb’s house, the sky had already started to darken, the last bit of daylight fading into that dim blue-grey that always came just before night properly set in. The street was quiet, porch lights flicking on one by one, everything looking exactly the same as it always did.
Normal.
You grabbed your bag from the passenger seat and headed up the front path, knocking lightly before letting yourself shift your weight from one foot to the other, waiting.
A second later, the door opened.
“Hi, Mrs. Holland,” you said automatically, offering a small smile.
She smiled back, warm and familiar. “Hi, sweetheart. Barb’s upstairs.”
“Thanks.”
You stepped inside, the house carrying that same lived-in quiet as always, and shut the door behind you before heading toward the stairs. You didn’t need to think about it—your feet already knew the way.
Upstairs. Second door.
You pushed it open without knocking.
Barb was already at her desk, surrounded by notes, papers spread out in a way that looked far more organized than anything you’d attempted all day.
“You’re late,” she said without looking up.
You dropped your bag onto the floor and flopped down onto her bed like you had a hundred times before. “I’m here,” you replied. “That’s what matters.”
Barb glanced over at you, unimpressed. “We have a test tomorrow.”
“I’m aware,” you said, staring up at the ceiling.
“Are you?” she asked, already turning back to her notes.
You let out a quiet breath, then pushed yourself up onto your elbows. “Okay, fine. Start.”
Barb didn’t hesitate. She grabbed a small stack of handwritten cards from her desk and turned slightly in her chair to face you.
“Alright,” she said, flipping to the first one. “Balance this equation—”
You groaned immediately, dragging a hand down your face. “We just started.”
“And we’re already behind.”
You rolled onto your side, propping your head up with your hand as you tried to focus. “Fine. Go.”
She read it out, waiting.
You stared at her for a second.
Then blinked.
“…I have no idea.”
Barb sighed. “You’re not even trying.”
“I am,” you insisted weakly. “My brain just… isn’t cooperating.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly, studying you now instead of the cards. “You’re being weird.”
You shifted slightly on the bed, looking away for a second. “I’m not being weird.”
“Yeah, you are.”
There was a pause.
You exhaled quietly, your gaze dropping to the carpet. “…Will Byers is missing.”
Barb stilled slightly.
“I heard,” she said after a second, softer now. “My parents were talking about it earlier.”
You nodded faintly, your fingers absentmindedly tracing a loose thread on the edge of her blanket. “Dustin’s not… great.”
“That makes sense.”
“He’s trying not to freak out,” you continued, your voice quieter now, more thoughtful than before. “But I can tell.”
Barb turned in her chair a little more, giving you her full attention now.
You hesitated for a second, then shook your head slightly. “I don’t know. It’s just… weird.”
“Yeah.”
You glanced up at her. “Like—he wouldn’t just disappear, right?”
Barb frowned slightly, thinking. “No.”
“Exactly,” you said, sitting up a little straighter now. “I’ve met him. He’s not—he wouldn’t just wander off or something.”
There was a small silence.
Then Barb shrugged lightly, trying to sound reassuring. “He’s probably with a relative or something. People overreact.”
You nodded, even if it didn’t fully settle the feeling in your chest. “Yeah.”
“And stuff like that doesn’t happen here,” she added. “Not in Hawkins.”
You let out a small breath, latching onto that. “Right.”
Because it didn’t.
It never did.
There was another brief pause before Barb tapped the flashcards lightly against her hand.
“Okay,” she said, a little more firmly now. “We’re not failing this test because of small-town paranoia.”
You huffed out a quiet laugh, pushing yourself upright properly. “Wow. Harsh.”
“Sit up,” she said, already flipping to the next card.
You adjusted your position, crossing your legs on the bed and forcing your attention back to her.
“Alright,” you said. “Try me again.”
Barb nodded once. “Balance this—”
This time, you actually listened.
And for a while, the conversation faded back into formulas, notes, and half-remembered lessons, the two of you falling into the rhythm of studying like you always did.
Normal.
Because nothing bad would’ve happened to Will.
Not here.
Not in Hawkins.
__________________________
By the time you set your pen down, your brain felt like it had completely shut off.
“Okay,” you said, dragging your notebook a little further away from you like distance alone might help. “If I look at another equation, I’m actually going to lose it.”
Barb glanced up from her desk, then over at the clock. “It’s eight.”
You blinked. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
You leaned back slightly on the bed, stretching your arms above your head with a quiet groan. “Okay, that’s… probably enough.”
“Probably?” Barb repeated.
“We did good,” you said, sitting up and reaching for your things. “Good enough.”
Barb gave a small nod, closing her notebook. “Yeah. I think so.”
You slipped your notes into your bag, zipping it up before pushing yourself off the bed. “I should go,” you added, glancing toward the window where the sky had gone fully dark. “My mom wants me home not too late. Especially now.”
Barb’s expression softened slightly, and she nodded. “Yeah. That makes sense.”
There was a small pause before she added, “See you tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” you said easily. “See you tomorrow.”
You grabbed your bag and headed out, giving a quick wave and a polite “Bye!” as you passed through the house. Barb’s parents echoed it back from the living room, the TV casting flickering light across the walls.
The second you stepped outside, the air hit you.
Cold. Sharp.
A storm had rolled in properly now, wind rushing down the street hard enough to tug at your clothes, rain already starting to come down in uneven sheets.
“Great,” you muttered under your breath, pulling your jacket tighter around yourself as you hurried toward your car.
By the time you got inside, you were already damp, quickly shutting the door behind you and turning the key in the ignition. The engine came to life, the windshield wipers kicking in almost immediately as the rain picked up.
The drive home wasn’t long.
But it didn’t feel the same.
The road stretched out in front of you, darker now, the storm swallowing most of the usual comfort of familiar streets. David Bowie crackled faintly through the radio now, but it didn’t quite cut through the noise of the rain hitting the car.
Your grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
Will Byers.
You exhaled, shaking your head a little as you forced your attention back to the road.
Don’t.
There was no point thinking about it. Not like this.
He’d be fine.
He had to be.
And Dustin—
You swallowed lightly.
Dustin was home.
Safe.
You focused on that instead.
By the time you turned onto your street, the storm had picked up even more, rain coming down hard enough now that it blurred the edges of everything. You pulled into the driveway and cut the engine, not even hesitating before grabbing your bag and pushing the door open.
Cold rain hit you instantly.
You rushed up the driveway, head ducked slightly as you fumbled for your keys, already reaching for the front door—
Then you stopped.
Something felt off.
You turned your head slightly.
And looked.
Dustin’s bike wasn’t there.
Your stomach dropped.
For a second, you just stood there, rain soaking through your clothes, your keys clutched in your hand as your brain tried to catch up.
He wasn’t supposed to be out.
Not tonight.
Not when—
You swallowed hard, forcing your thoughts to slow down.
It was fine.
He was probably just with Mike. Or Lucas. Or—
Something normal.
Something completely normal.
Because nothing bad ever happened here.
Right?