Stay or Go

Chapter 11

Bang! Bang! Jonathan shoots the gun at some rusty cans a few paces away. "Not bad." I muse from where I'm sitting on the grass, my face turned up the sun, getting a tan. Jonathan lowers the gun and looks over at me "oh yeah? like you could do better" I roll my eyes and stand up. I stalk over to him and hold out my hand, he places the gun in it and I raise it, aiming for the cans. I get them in the middle every time, Jonathan clears his throat, surprised "ok maybe you can." He says and I smile handing it back to him "how did you learn to do that? I've never seen you use one, you always said you hated them." He asks and I move a strand of hair from my face and shrug casually "I'm full of surprises."

Jonathan raises the gun again as I sit down, he shoots at the cans and misses. "You're supposed to hit the cans right?" Nancy asks as she walks towards us and Jonathan tries to hide is smile "actually you see the spaces between the cans? I'm aiming for this." Nancy reaches us, a bulging bag on her shoulder and a baseball bat in her other hand. She places the gun down and my friend asks her "have you ever shot a gun before?" Nancy scoffs and puts her hands in her pockets.

"Have you met my parents?" She replies making us all chuckle softly, Jonathan looks down "yeah I haven't shot one since I was ten. My dad took my hunting for my birthday. He made me kill a rabbit." Nancy wrinkles her nose and looks up at him. "A rabbit?" she asks and he nods. The brunette then turns to me "what about you Lorri?" she asks "ever shot a gun?" I shrug and brush off my cream coloured pants. "Maybe I have." I say standing up again "but if I told you that I would have to kill you."

Jonathan gives Nancy the gun and awkwardly says "just uh point and shoot." which she does. A better shot than Jonathan and I snort, patting him on the back "don't worry Johnny, we promise to protect you with our superior shooting skills." he swats me away with a glare making me smile more.

-

"You never said what I was saying." Nancy says as we trail through the woods, my gaze is on the floor careful of any branches sticking out of the ground. "What?" Jonathan asks a little caught of guard. I start walking ahead, the conversation clearly private. As much as I love that Jonathan is finally talking to the girl he has had a crush on forever it does make me a little jealous. It's always been just me and Johnny, I guess that Nancy joining our little group makes me feel slightly threatened. I'm not the person he wants to go to now with his problems, even if Nancy is new, he easily replaces me with her.

I crack my neck and continue walking in front of the other two. I guess with me gone for a while that might have caused us not to be as close but I would still like to think that I am still Jonathan's number one. Maybe that makes me seem crazy, selfish.

"He's actually a good guy!" Nancy calls as Jonathan runs to catch up with me, "ok." he stammers back but Nancy continues "yesterday, with the camera... he's not like that at all. He was just being protective." I scoff and pull Jonathan along, knowing now that they are clearly talking about Steve. Jesus that guy gets everywhere "thats one word for it." He argues back red rising on his face "oh and I guess what you did was ok?" she barks back, angry as well now. Jonathan shakes his head "no, I never said that." he snaps swinging the bat around.

Nancy follows behind us as we start to walk again "he had every right to be pissed-" Nancy continues and Jonathan turns to her, cutting her off "ok, alright. Does that mean I have to like him?" this catches Nancy out and we stop again, damn we are never gonna get out of these woods. "No." she answers shortly and I run a hand through my tangled mess of hair and add "listen, don't take it so personally ok? We like you but that doesn't mean we have to like your boyfriend." Nancy whirls to me, arms folded and gives me a glare.

"You just follow along with whatever Jonathan feels." she says angrily "you are like a sheep." I rub my arms and step forward "Nancy that isn't fair." I say gently "you know I have my own reasons for hating him." Jonathan and I start walking away as Nancy says gently, her anger simmering "you know, I was actually starting to think you were ok Jonathan." We turn to look at her in perfect synchronisation. He frowns "yeah?" she nods "yeah. yeah I was thinking, Jonathan Byers, maybe he's not the pretentious creep everyone says he is."

I am complete shock with what Nancy is saying, this isn't like her at all. She has only started getting like this since she started seeing Steve, he is turning her into an asshole. Rising to the bait Jonathan steps closer to her "well, I was just starting to think you were ok." He muses "I was thinking, Nancy Wheeler, she's not just another suburban girl who thinks she's rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does... until that phase passes and they marry some boring jock who now works sales, and they live out a perfectly boring little life at the end of the cut-da-sac. Exactly like their parents, who they thought were so depressing, but now het, they get it."

I let out a breath as Jonathan walks towards me and takes me by the arm, practically dragging me away.

-

It starts getting dark as we begin our investigation. I bought both of my guns with me, just in case Richard decides to show it face again. I am walking with Nancy who has calmed down since the argument, Jonathan a few steps in front of us. Nancy then stops causing Jonathan and I to do the same "what, you tired?" Jonathan asks taking his bat off his shoulder and Nancy tilts her head. "Shut up." She orders, concentrating on the sounds around us, I do the same as she whispers "I heard something."

Jonathan goes pale and I scan around, heart hammering so loud I am sure the others can hear it too. There is another sound and we head towards it, we find a deer. Injured and possibly dying "oh god." Nancy mutters and I have to hold my breath against the smell. This wasn't the battle I was expecting tonight, I close my eyes and count to ten in my head to slow my pulse.

When I open them, the other two are crouching down in front of it, I stay back. "It's been hit by a car." Nancy says shining the light on the deer "we cant just leave it." And they both look down at the gun in her hand. I sigh and step forward "I'll do it." I say holding my hand out, Nancy looks over at me with guilt in her eyes and she hands it to me without arguments. The other two stand up and walk away, I point the gun at the deer and release a breath. As I do, I shoot the gun but before I can hit it the deep gets dragged back by something I couldn't see.

We all jump at that, I lean forward "what was that?" I whisper. We follow a trail of blood, scanning the woods around us for any sign of the creature. "Where did it go?" Nancy asks looking around crazily and between panted breaths Jonathan replies "I don't know. Do you see anymore blood?" I shine my torch on the ground and shake my head gently, taking another step "no."

Nancy is being too quiet and when I turn around she is gone, "Nancy?" I call out but get no answer, Jonathan whirls around to look at me with wide eyes "where is she?" He asks and I shrug "I don't know, she was there and then she wasn't." Swallowing hard, we move through the forest while calling her name. Hoping she just got lost and not taken by whatever monster took that deer.

We then hear her scream and race towards the sound, Jonathan finds her backpack and my stomach drops. "Nancy?" he calls out "Nancy where are you?"