ʀɪɢʜᴛsɪᴅᴇ ᴜᴘ: sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢs-sᴇᴀsᴏɴs 𝟷-𝟻

Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street- Part 1

Okay, okay, it's okay Toni, don't freak out. It's not like we came across a child... in the woods.. at night, while it was raining. And it's not like we brought said child back to the Wheeler's basement.... oh wait, WE DID! This is kidnapping. We just kidnapped somebody. We're kidnappers!

She's breathing heavily on the couch where we placed her and hasn't said anything yet.

"Is there a number we can call for your parents?" Mike rushes out.

"Where's you hair? Do you have cancer?" Dustin asks.

My mouth falls open and I turn to smack his arm. "Dustin! You can't just ask somebody if they have freakin cancer!" Her head is shaved to peach fuzz. And she's only wearing an oversized yellow t-shirt, well- and now Mikes jacket.

"Did you run away?" Lucas goes next.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Mike asks.

"Is that blood?" Lucas reaches out towards her and her eyes widen.

Mike quickly smacks his hand. "Stop it! You're freaking her out!"

"She's freaking me out!" Lucas rebuttals.

"I think you're all freaking her out with all your questions!" I raise my voice.

"I bet she's deaf." Dustin concludes.

I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Dustinnn."

He claps at her and she jumps back. "Not deaf." He shrugs.

"Oh. My God." I grab his arms and pull him back. "Has mom never taken you out in public?!" He throws his hands up.

"All right, that's enough, all right? She's just scared and cold." Mike defends, walking away for a moment.

"Well I'm scared and cold too." I huff quietly to Dustin and Lucas.

"Me three." Dustin grumbles and Lucas nods in agreement.

It starts thundering louder and the girl cringes causing Lucas to curl up his nose and Dustin's eyes grow wide. I look over to see what Mike is doing and he's pulling something out of the laundry basket that's on top of the washing machine.

"Here." He comes back, holding out a shirt and sweatpants for her. "These are clean. Okay?"

She takes them and slowly brings it up to wipe her face causing me to frown. I feel bad for this girl, she probably freaking the fuck out right now, on the inside. I know I would be. She sets them to the side and stands, coming out of the jacket as she does, and then starts to take off her shirt.

"No, no, no!" All three boys exclaim, Dustin and Lucas immediately turning their heads and Mike reaches out to stop her.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God." Dustin freaks out as him and Lucas steps back.

I roll my eyes at them before taking a step closer to her.

"See over there? That's the bathroom." Mike points, stammering. "Privacy. Get it?"

She just stares at him before grabbing the clothes and does as she's told. Mike and I follow her. She starts looking around the small space so Mike goes to shut the door as I turn to walk away until she grabs it abruptly causing me to jump a little.

"You don't want it closed?" Mike asks her nicely. His patience with her is astounding.

She looks at the knob. "No." I jerk my head back in surprise. She spoke. I was starting to think she may be mute, but I wasn't going to say that out loud!

Mike takes a second before responding, also shocked. "Oh, so you can speak." I elbow him. "Sorry. Well... Um, how about we just keep the door..." He slowly brings it to a crack, the girls' hand still on it. "Just like this. Is that better?" I was just gonna offer to just stand in the doorway but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, or well, I guess more uncomfortable than she already is.