𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖. || M. Mayfield ||

Chapter 11: The battle of Starcourt

El was half unconscious, on the ground, the creature was slowly approaching her, as she tries to move away, while there wasn't sight of Max, or either Mike.

We got ready, as everyone had fireworks to throw at it, the Mindflayer roars, ready to take El, but Lucas interrupts it, letting the firework explode right in its face.

"Flay this, you ugly piece of shit!" Lucas yells, while it wails in pain, before he throws one more, right in its mouth.

The Mindflayer starts backing away, crashing against the walls, while we throw more fireworks, "Do you like it? You son of a bitch!" i yell, after throwing the firework right in its face, as he keeps wailing.

"Hey, asshole! Over here!" Steve shouts, before hitting it again.

The monster keeps screeching and roaring, and randomly moving, while we kept sending fireworks.

Eleven starts crawling to escape, but Billy grabs her leg and drags her back, "Fuck!" i shout, throwing fireworks,

"We're almost out!" Will yells, "I know!" Lucas shouts back, before hitting the monster again.

"Dustin! We're out of time!" Steve shouts in the walkie-talkie, while i turn on another set of fireworks, "Hurry! Close it up! Close it!" i hear Dustin yelling his lungs out.

We keep hitting the Mindflayer for a while, until, "We're out!" Will shouts.

"Damn it!" Lucas yells.

"Fuck! We're so fucked!" i shout, after throwing the last set, it stops roaring, and starts heading towards El and Billy.

Then the monster attacks El, with his tentacle, but Billy puts his hands forward, defending Eleven, "No!" he yells, starting pushing away the tentacle.

The Mindflayer uses other tentacles, attacking him in his stomach, while he screams in pain, letting his arms fall down.

"Close it now! Close it!" Dustin yells from the walkie-talkie, while one last tentacle hits Billy right in his chest.

"Billy!" i hear Max's voice yell, as i look around, and finally notice her position, Billy falls to the ground, after the Mindflayer let go of him.

"Shit," i mumble, and the Mindflayer starts roaring, and crashing around the mall, "Get away!" i shout, as me, Steve and Robin fall back, after it hit the fence.

We three quickly get up, and look down to see it dying, and fire appeared around the mall, as Max approaches her brother.

I get away from the fence, and start running down the stairs, i run towards Max, seeing her crying, lightly shaking Billy's shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey," i quickly say, in a low tone, bending down in my knee, she looks back at me, as i wrap my arms around her, as she cries.

"It's okay, all right? Everything is fine now," i softly say, while gently stroking her hair, as she tightly hugs me.

"Shh, I'll stay with you, don't worry," i whisper, high enough to let her hear, as i softly rub her back.

Moments later, the military, ambulances and firefighters came to the mall, with the sirens blaring, starting by turning the fire off.

"Let's get some help, all right?" i say, helping her up, and holding her hand, while walking toward the ambulance.

"You girls can sit there," a man wearing the ambulance uniform says, pointing at the wheeled stretcher.

"Thank you, sir," i say, as i lead Max towards it, and she sits there, while i stand in front of her, i look at her face and see a bruise on her left cheek, "Wait, here, I'll go grab some ice," i tell her, as she nods and i walk away, asking for 2 packs of ice and a little blanket.

I walk back, to Max, noticing Robin was fine, sitting besides her, i approach them, as i hand her the ice pack, before i put the blanket over her shoulders, "Thank you," Max smiles, putting the ice on her cheek.

"Of course,"

"Are you okay, Robin?" i ask, still standing, keeping the ice pack on my forehead.

"Uh, yeah, I'm just shocked, like, i never thought it would end like this, and El, i didn't think super powers were real," she quickly says, moving her hand to explain.

"Do you both know what was the most shocking part?" I ask them, as they shake their heads, "What?" they ask in sync, with a curious expression.

"Suzie being real," i say, trying to light up the mood, as they both burst out laughing, forgetting for a moment about all the things that happened earlier.

Three months later

"Turn around, look at what you see, in her face, the mirror of your dreams, rhymes that keep their secrets will, unfold behind the clouds," me, Max and Lucas sing dramatically, at Will's house, full of boxes, as Dustin glares at us from the other room.

"Wait, did we get that verse right? it's 'unfold behind the clouds'?" Max asks ironically, with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah, but you're butchering it, so could you please stop?" he says, tired of us.

"So then join in, Dusty-bun," Lucas says, blowing an air kiss toward Dustin.

"Yeah, come on, Dusty-bun, why don't you join us?" Max says playfully.

"Or do you need your Suzie-poo?" i say, moving my eyebrows up and down.

"You guys are so funny, you should be on Carson," Dustin says, glaring and us, while putting things in a box.

"Can't we just hear your rendition?" Max asks, as Dustin quickly declines, "No,"

"Please? just one verse?" Max insists, as Dustin doesn't change his mind, "No, no way. It's reserved for Suzie's ears and Suzie's ears alone,"

"Come on, I'll give you a ride, wherever you want," i say, as Max and Lucas nod, trying to convince him, while he stays silent, before declining again, "I said no," he says, we slowly look at each other, before singing again, "Turn around, look at what you see," we say in sync, as Lucas imitates handguns with his hands, pointing them at Dustin while dancing with his body, as i put my sunglasses on, putting my arms up, before hugging Lucas' and Max's shoulders.

"In their face, the mirror of your dreams," we sing, while Max gives me the side hug too, starting moving left and right, Lucas claps his hands at beat, and Dustin gives us the middle finger, "Shut up, you guys,"

"Rhymes that keep their secrets will," we continue singing, "Stop! You guys, please, shut up,"

"unfold behind the clouds, and there upon a rainbow is, the answer to a never-ending story," we finish singing, as i put my sunglasses back on my head.

"Now that you finished your pathetic concert, get up and put the boxes on the trunk," Dustin says, getting up and walking away with a box.

"What? Just admit that we blessed your ears!" Lucas yells, ironically, as i get up, "Alright, let's help him," i say, taking an heavy box, walking outside, handing it to Jonathan, who was standing in the trunk.

It was now time to say our farewells, Will cries as he comes towards me, i wrap my arms around him, as he hugs me.

"It's okay, we'll meet again, sooner than expected," i reassure him, patting his back, before he let go, looking down, as i put my hand on his shoulder.

Minutes later, Eleven walks up at me, forcing a smile, i open my arms, as she hugs me and i do the same, "I'll miss you," she quietly says, as i smile, "I'll miss you too, like, very, very much," i lightly laugh, while El's grip tighten, and i hear her starting shedding tears.

"Wait, no, don't cry, it's alright, okay?" i quickly say, rubbing her back, before pulling away, as I look at her while she nods.

Sadly, a while after, they had to go, Will gets in the car with Jonathan, while crying, as El climbs in the trunk with Joyce, crying too.

They start the engine, as they slowly start going away, while we silently stand there, looking at them, as Max holds my arm, leaning her head on my shoulder.