"MATERIAL GIRL" // Will Byers x Reader

That Came Out Wrong // CHAPTER 9

COMING OUT OF MY CAGE AND I'VE BEEN DOING JUST FINE

Will's Walkie crackles as Mike yells directly into it again. I groan, rolling over and burying my head in the pillow. 

'Do you copy? Will? Are you there? Look, I'm sorry man. Just please, pick up?' A loud sigh is heard on the other side and it shuts off. 

Will mumbles something incoherently, untangling his legs from mine and lifting his head slowly. He lets his head fall back down, rolling over onto his back. 

'That's the fifth time this morning,' He mutters, rubbing his eyes. 

'Are you going to pick up?' I ask, yawning. My hair is all tangled and I'm wearing one of Will's large t-shirts. 'You know he's never going to give up.' 

Will rolls his eyes, flipping back onto his stomach. 'Yeah, I know.' 

'Hey-' The Walkie emits static again. 'It's uh-it's Mike. I mean, you already know that. Is Y/N there? I know you're still mad at me, but can you at least let me know that my sister's safe?' 

I raise my eyebrows, glancing over at Will. 'Should I?' 

Will scrunches up his nose. 'I guess I'm not mad at him anymore.' He licks his lips. 'We've got more important things to worry about.' 

I nod, picking up the Walkie. 'Mike.' 

'Y/N? Oh thank god,' Mike cuts himself off. 'Wait-you slept over at Will's?' 

'No, I slept in the forest,' I roll my eyes. 'What did you think I was going to do?' 

Panicked sounds come from the machine. 'Oh my god you aren't a virgin anymore, are you?' 

Of course, I am, who does he think he's talking to? 

'MIKE!' I shout. 'I'm hanging up on you!'

'COME HOME NOW!' 

'I'M NOT A KID, YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!' 

'YOU'RE SO DEAD!' 

'YOUR FACE IS DEAD!' 

'That doesn't even make any sense!' Mike yells, his voice getting cut off abruptly as I flick the off button, placing it down on Will's bedside table. 

'Dear god,' I say, flopping back onto the bed. 

Will stares at me for a second, and then he bursts out laughing. 

'Oh shut up.' 

_

'I didn't think it was anything at first,' Will admits, staring around at the rest of the group. He sighs. 'I mean, I think I just didn't want to believe it. The first time I felt it was at Day of the Dead.'

'Power went out that night, too,' Mike says, determinedly staring at the wall. 

I roll my eyes. 

'And then I felt it again at the field near the Nelson farm the next day,' Will continues. 'Then again yesterday outside Castle Byers.' 

'What does it feel like?' Max asks, frowning slightly. 

'It's almost like...' He pauses. 'You know when you drop on a roller coaster?

'Sure.' Mike nods. 

'Yeah.' Max agrees. 

'No.' El shakes her head. 

'It's like... everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but... this is worse.' Will stares down at his feet. 'Your body...it goes cold and... and you can't breathe. I've felt it before, whenever he was close.' 

'Whenever who was close?' Max asks. 

'The Mind Flayer.' 

'We closed the gate.' El says, her tone confused. 

'I know, but...what if he never left? What if we locked him out here with us?' Will grabs a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil. 'This is him. All of him. But, that day on the field, a part of him attached itself to me. My mom got it out of me...And Eleven and Y/N closed the gate.' Will turns the page over, smacking his hand on the surface to make a print. 'But the part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world? In Hawkins.'

'I don't understand.' Max says. 'The Demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies.'

'We can't take any chances. We need to assume the worst.' Mike sighs. 'The Mind Flayer's back.'

'Yeah. And if he is, he'd want to attach himself to someone again.' Will adds. 'A new me.'

'A new host.' Lucas says. 

'How can you tell if someone is a host?' El asks. 

'A test, maybe?' I suggest. 

'Good idea,' Mike says, somewhat sarcastically, still staring at the wall. 

'Uh, why are you...how to put this 'acting like a hostile asshole'?' Max demands, glaring at Mike. 

'Because he slept with my sister!' Mike yells, pointing at Will. 

Max's mouth drops open, along with Lucas's. El just looks confused. 

'What does...slept with mean?' 

'I did not!' Will replies. 

'It's none of your fucking business, Mike,' I say. 'And for the record, we didn't.' 

'Huh yeah sure,' Mike huffs. 

Will rolls his eyes. 'When will you grow up, Mike?' 

'That's funny!' Mike says, fuming. 'That's really funny, considering I was the one telling you to grow up last night!'

We all stare at him. 

Lucas's mouth twitches. 

Max holds in her laughter. 

El frowns with confusion. 

I bite my tongue. 

Will opens his mouth to say something. 

'That came out wrong,' Mike sighs, shaking his head with disappointment.