~Just Another Kid (Y/N Harrington x Will Byers)~

Three: The Pollywog

"The case of Phineas Gage is one of the greatest medical curiosities of all time. Phineas was a railroad worker in 1848 who had a nightmarish accident. A large iron rod was driven completely through his head. Phineas miraculously survived. He seemed fine. And physicaly yes he was. But his injury resulted in a complete change to his personality. So much so that friends that knew him started referring to him as 'No longer Gage.' At the time this was known as the American Crowbar Case. But as I said it wasn't a crowbar-" Dustin runs in interrupting Mr. Clarke.
"I am so sorry Mr. Clarke. Really I'm so sorry. Please continue with class." Dustin comes in and sits in his spot mumbling more apologies.
"Although it wasn't a crowbar it was a rod as I said."
"We have to meet all of us. At lunch, AV Club. I have something you won't believe." He says as we all lean forward to hear what he's saying.
"AV Club, lunch." He whispers to Max.
"Dustin!"
"Yes, my lord?"
"Would you care to join the class now?"
"Please. Yes."
"The case of Phineas Gage."
"Phineas Gage."
"Page 104."
"104,104." As Dustin pulls his book out I see his ghost trap from last night in his bag. I wonder why he has it.
"Focus."
"Focusing. AV Club." Dustin whispers to Max again. She gives him a thumbs up.
"And he began to curse. Using terrible words. That I don't dare to repeat here." Mr. Clarke continues.
————
"His name is D'Artagnan," Dustin tells us as he shows us some kind of creature. He picks it up to show us closer. "Cute right?" I look at the weird thing. I wouldn't say it's 'cute.' It's kind of like a slug mixed with a frog.
"D'Artagnan?" Mike asks.
"Dart for short."
"And he was in your trash?" Max inquires.
"Foraging for food," Dustin explains. "You wanna hold him?"
"No, no!" Max says. "I don't want to" Dustin passes the creature to her.
"He doesn't bite!"
"Oh god, he's slimy!" Max passes the Creature To Lucas.
"He's like a living booger." Lucas passes it to Will.
"Ugh oh god!" He passes it to me.
"No thank you!" I pass it to Mike. Instead of freaking out, he stares at it.
"What is he?" Mike asks.
"At first I thought he was some type of pollywog."
"Pollywog?" Max questions.
"It's another word for tadpole. A tadpole is the larval stage of a toad."
"I know what a tadpole is."
"Alright then you know that most tadpoles are aquatic, right? Well, dart he isn't. He doesn't need water."
"Yea but aren't their non-aquatic pollywogs?"
"Terrestrial pollywogs? Yes. Two to be exact. The Indriana semipalmata and the Adenomera Andrae." Dustin flips to two marked pages with information on the pollywogs. "Ones from India and ones from South America. So how did one end up in my trash?"
"Maybe some scientists brought it here and it escaped?" Max suggests.
"Do you guys see that?" Mike asks looking at the pollywog. "Looks like somethings moving inside it." Someone moves the light to see better. It screeches and runs to Dustin.
"It's okay it's okay. I got you, little guy. I know you don't like that. It's okay." He picks up the creature. "That's another thing. Reptiles there cold-blooded. Ectothermic right? They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it, it hurts him."
"So if he's not a reptile or a pollywog?"
"I've discovered a new species." I stare at the creature and hear it chitter. For some reason, the chitter sends a chill down my back. An image of the upside-down and Barbara's body flashes in my mind. I shake my head and try to put my fear aside. We walk out of the AV room as the bell rings.
"We gotta show him to Mr. Clarke."
"No, what if he steals my discovery."
"He's not going to steal your discovery."
"You know I'm thinking about calling it Dustonious Pollywogus. What do you think?"
"I think you're an idiot." The rest of my friends' voices get drowned out as I notice something wrong with Will.
"Hey, are you okay Will?" I ask. He looks in the distance for a second longer.
"Huh? What did you say I'm sorry."
"I asked if you're okay." I repeat giving a concerned look.
"I um- I'm fine." He stammers.
"Are you sure?"
"Y-yea it's nothing."
"Okay." I say giving a very light smile.
————
Later Mike and I walk to get Will so we can show of Dustin's invention.
"Hey Will you coming?" Mike asks. Will looks at us scared.
"What is it?" I ask.
"It's about d'Artangan." He says.
"Stop!" Mike yells running into Mr. Clarke's classroom Will and I trailing behind. "I'm really sorry Mr. Clarke. It was just a stupid prank. I told him to stop. "
"What the hell are you doing?" Dustin asks.
"We need to go! AV Club right now! Right now!" He shouts. Mr. Clarke looks at us confused. I mouth sorry and run after them.
"Hello? Hello? Guys can I come in yet?" Max yells through the door.
"No!" Mike yells back.
"I don't understand!" Lucas sighs.
"What don't you understand?" I ask.
"Will saw something that looked like Dart last year?"
"Kind of but there was no tail." Will says.
"And Will and Y/N heard it yesterday the exact same sound."
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Dustin asks Will.
"I wasn't sure."
"So it's a coincidence." Dustin obviously had already grown a bond with Dart and didn't want something to happen to him.
"Or not. What if when Will was stuck in the upside down he somehow acquired true sight. And since Y/N can teleport there..."
"True sight?" Lucas questions.
"It gives you power to see into the ethereal plane."
"Elaborate."
"Maybe these 'episodes' that Will keeps having aren't really flashbacks at all. Maybe there real. Maybe Will and even y/n can see into the upside down."
"So that would mean."
"Dart is from the Upside Down."
"We have to take him to Hopper."
"I agree." I say after taking in all this information.
"No. No way if we take him to Hopper, Darts as good as dead."
"Maybe he should be dead."
"How can you say that?" I look over to Will who looks scared. I grab his hand gently from the table and squeeze it reassuringly.
"How can you not? He's from the Upside Down!"
"Maybe. Even if he is that doesn't automatically mean he's bad."
"Dustin comes on, I know you like Dart because you're like his mom but did that Demogorgon seem nice to you? If there are other monsters out there they are going to be bad so what makes Dart different?" I try.
"Exactly! That's just like saying just because someone's from the death star doesn't make them bad."
"We have a bond." Dustin says. I roll my eyes.
"A bond? Just because he likes nougat?" Mike shouts.
"No, because he trusts me!"
"He trusts you." Lucas repeats.
"Yes, I promised I would take care of hi-." Just then the ghost trap screeches. My eyes widen. Will backs up making me move with him since our hands are locked together still.
"Guys, what's going on? Come on." Max pounds on the door again.
"Y/N get ready!" Mike says grabbing a microphone to attack Dart.
"Don't hurt him!" Dustin defends.
"Only if he attacks." Mike says.
"Just open it already." Dustin slowly opens the trap and Dart comes out screeching at Dustin.
"Holy shit." It screeches again and grows another pair of legs. I gag.
"Oh shit!" Mike goes to hit it.
"No!" Just as Dart runs off the table Max opens the door.
"Shit come on!" I yell. I run out the door Dustin falling on Max.
"Where'd he go?"
"What was that?"
"Dart!"
"What?"
"You let him escape!"
"Why did you attack him."
"We don't have time for this come on!" I yell.
"Don't hurt him! Don't you hurt him." Dustin yells.
"We won't go find him!" I yell grabbing Wills hand and running to find him.
————
Meanwhile...
[Third Person POV]
Eleven walks up to the school. She looks on the bike rack. The whole party's bikes are there. Taking a deep breath, Eleven sadly reaches toward the handle of Mike's bike. She looks to the right where her sister's y/f/c (your favorite color) bike is as well. She takes a deep breath again and walks towards the front of the school.
————
[Back to Y/N POV]
"East is clear." Mike says through his walkie. I turn my walkie-talkie off so it wouldn't have a double sound.
"West is clear too. Will Y/N?" Dustin sighs. We look into an empty classroom.
"South is clear. Lucas?" Will asks. I look down the hallway. "Anything?"
"Nothing here guys." Lucas says after a small pause.
"Let's split up maybe we can cover more ground." I say to Will. He nods his head slowly. "Hey, it's okay we'll take care of Dart and then pretend like we are just any other kid." I smile faintly. I walk towards the gym. I sigh. I really wish that maybe I could find my sister. I know she's out there somewhere. I hear voices and follow them to the gym. At the door, I see a girl with short curly hair standing there.
"El?" I say. She turns around and widens her eyes. "What's wrong?" She looks on the verge of tears. I run up and hug her. She accepts my hug for a moment.
"Not supposed to be here." She says.
"O-oh," I say. She turns to the gym again. Mike and Max are arguing. Then Max falls. While I watch her fall Eleven takes off. "Wait!" I yell but she's already gone. Mike runs out of the gym.
"Did you see El?" He asks. I bite my lip. Eleven said she wasn't supposed to be here.
"N-no why?" I ask.
"I just- never mind," he says.
"Guys...I found him." Will very softly says into his walkie.
"Where?" Dustin asks.
"In the bathroom by Mr. Salerno's." I take off leaving Mike behind towards the bathroom.
"Copy that." I hear Mike say behind me.
When I arrive at the bathroom I see Will take off running.
"Will?" I shout. I take off after him. He looks terrified. I close my eyes and reopen them but nothing happens. I start to get a headache as I watch Will run farther away.
"Will what's wrong!" I yell again. He takes off across the grass. He stops and turns around slowly. Looking at something I can't see.
"Go away." He says. I raise my eyebrows in confusion. I look at where he's looking there's nothing there. "Go away!" He yells this time. I run up to him. "Go away! Go away! Go away! Go away!" He yells louder and louder. I try to read his mind but something keeps kicking me out. I grab his hand, I haven't had to in years. I go into his mind for a split second. I see the shadow monster thing that we had seen at the arcade and when trick or treating but I got kicked out again.
"Will!" I yell.
"Go away! Go away!" He shouts at the monster. I start to tear up from seeing him so scared. He freezes up.
"Oh my God-" "Will? Should I call 911? Are you having a seizure?" I want to cry but I keep shaking him. Mike runs up to us.
"What's wrong with him?" He asks.
"I-i don't know." We continue to shake him in hopes he'll wake up. I look across the field. Max, Mrs. Byers, Dustin, and Lucas come running across it.
"Will? I just found him like this! I think he's having another episode." Mike yells. Mrs. Byers runs up to Will.
"Will! Will! Will! Sweetie wake up! It's mom! Will!"
"I tried to read his mind but I kept getting kicked out by something." I say holding my head fro the massive headache I was expirencing.
"Can you hear me?" Joyce asks Will. "Will. Please, just wake up. It's mom! It's me!" Then he opens his eyes.
————
Will walks with his Mom so they can go to the lab.
"That totally freaked me out, did it not freak you guys out?" Max asks.
"Two episodes in two days," Lucas says.
"It's getting worse." Mike finishes Lucas's thought.
"Do you think it's true sight?" Lucas inquires.
"What's true sight?" We all give Lucas a look.
"It's nothing." Lucas shakes his head.

Hi! Thank you for reading. That was 1990 words.

-Love Hcney