The Next-Door Down

Planning

The next day you breeze through the school day.

You were a little tired so you didn't pay full attention to what the others were talking about so you ended up staring at the high schoolers at break.

You recognised Mike's sister walk across the hallway and noticed how she stared at Will's brother as he hung up posters.

You couldn't even imagine how much pain Johnathan must've been in.

"Feeling sleepy y/n?" Dustin asks, sitting beside you at lunch.

You nod, your eyes fluttering lightly before remembering something.

At about seven your walkie that Lucas had given to you -his spare- kept making noises and beeping but you just switched it off so you could get more sleep.

"What was that thing about this morning?" You ask, "You know, what was going on on the walkies? Cuz I slept through it."

"Oh.. so Mike wasn't lying." Dustin smiles.

You raise your eyebrow, provoking the boy into explaining further.

"Well.. it's about what we talked about when you had left." He says, "We met this morning with resources for.." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Operation Mirkwood."

"What's that?" You ask.

"You'll see, after school at 3:15 we're meeting behind Mike's house." Dustin says, "I don't see why you can't come so be there."

You nod, before realising something.

"Wait, what do you mean by Mike wasn't lying?" You ask.

"Oh, I thought that Mike didn't invite you on purpose because he.. well it's kind of obvious that he doesn't like you that much." Dustin admits.

"Yeah, I don't know what I've done to be honest." You shrug a little frustrated.

You move your eyes across the room, watching Mike and Lucas squabble in the lunch queue over something that was most likely irrelevant.

"Me neither." Dustin says, "Also why does that girl hate you?"

You gulp, best play it innocent.

"No clue." You act of it was no big deal but it felt like it to you.

"Maybe it's cuz your parents work in the lab." Lucas says, sitting down beside you with a tray.

"Maybe." You say, sipping your drink as Mike sat beside you.

You knew that now the guy you were just talking about was sat beside you, it would be a great time to change the subject.

Luckily Mike starts conversation almost instantly, and surprisingly, for once it's not anything insulting towards you.

"I presume you've drilled y/n with the full details of Operation Mirkwood." Mike whispers the name as if it were some big secret like Dustin did and it almost makes you laugh.

"Mostly, I mean, she knows the time we meet that's about it." Dustin shrugs.

"3:15?" Mike checks.

"3:15." Dustin confirms.

You glance at your watch.. you had exactly two hours until then.

That meant two hours of suspense and trying to figure out what in the world 'Operation Mirkwood' was.