The Next-Door Down

Cut

The next morning you found yourself glaring at the lab as you ate your breakfast.

The building looked more ominous than ever now that you knew the secret it was withholding from the world.

The girl you'd seen yesterday was somehow linked to the lab, you knew it.

It would explain how she'd recognised you because you would sometimes wait in the foyer for your parents after a long day.

Maybe the girl knew something about that monster?

Maybe she knew what that gooey bulbous tear along the wall was?

It certainly wasn't natural, that was all you knew for sure.

And then, the next thought that came to your mind was one that made your gut turn inside out.

What if she was part of it?

Working with the monsters?

Did that make her dangerous?

Before you knew it, you were on your bike, spinning your pedals as fast as you could to get to school.

The sunlight made the frosted ground sparkle and it looked almost magical as you pulled your bike up outside school.

You had arrived early today.

You knew this because you couldn't spot the others' bikes locked up in the shed.

"Hey! Watch out nerd!" You hear a masculine voice shout.

You spin behind you, knowing that the insult was targeted at you.

However, you didn't know that a beer can was going to be lobbed at your face by the school's most popular jock.

Steve Harrington.

You curse, wiping away a line of blood as it seeps from a fresh cut on your cheek.

All of his friend group laughs and jeers at you except one that you recognised as Mike's sister, Nancy Wheeler.

She tucks her hair behind her ears as she walks past, making an effort to not make eye contact.

You didn't really mind, you were used to it at this point.

You spend the rest of your morning in the toilet trying to clean up the wound and end up arriving in your first class five minutes late.

"Sorry." You mutter as you find your desk in your history class.

You avoid making eye contact with Lucas and Dustin as you slide into your seat, surprised to see that Mike hadn't shown up.

You pay attention that lesson, only taking your eyes away from the work when Dustin turns around to speak to you.

"Sorry about last night.." He says genuinely, before gesturing towards your cut, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." You smile at his kindness but then think back to the girl and the laboratory, "I'm more worried about Mike actually."

"Do you think the loony went all psycho on him?" Lucas says, his eyes widening as he speaks.

"Possibly.." You say, wondering whether you should tell them all about the lab.

You decide to hold onto your knowledge for a while, they were already suspicious of you.

You told yourself that you just had to gain their trust and then you'd tell them.