"You're positive that was Dart?" Max questions.
"Yes, he had the exact yellow pattern on his butt," Dustin says.
"He was tiny two days ago," Max states.
"Well, he's molted three times already," Dustin responds.
"Malted?" Steve repeats.
"Molted. It shed its skin to make room for growth like hornworms," I correct.
"When's he going to molt again?" Max asks.
"It's gonna be soon. When he does, he's going to be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends" Dustin informs.
"Yeah, and he's going to eat a lot more than just cats," Steve says.
"Wait. A cat?" Lucas questions, stopping Dustin.
Dustin's face drops, and he looks stressed.
"Dart ate a cat?" Lucas asks.
"No, what? No," Dustin lies.
"What are you talking about? He ate Mews," Steve questions.
"Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asks.
"It's Dustin's cat," I inform.
"Steve! Y/N!" Dustin yells.
"I knew it! You kept him!" Lucas accuses.
"No!" Dustin lies.
Lucas makes a face, and Dustin starts nervously moving around.
"No. No, I... No, I..."
I raise an eyebrow, and Dustin sighs.
"He missed me! He wanted to come home," Dustin admits.
"Bullshit," Lucas says.
"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?"
"Oh, so now you admit it?" Lucas shouts.
"Guys, who cares? We have to go," Max says.
"I care! You put the party in jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!" Lucas accuses.
"So did you!" Dustin yells.
"What?"
"You told a stranger the truth!" Dustin says while pointing the flashlight in Max's face.
Max closes her eyes and steps back.
"A stranger?" Max scoffs.
Max walks up to them, and it's like they created their own angry circle of arguments. I look at Steve, and he shrugs.
"You wanted to tell her too!" Lucas shouts.
"But I didn't, Lucas, okay? I didn't tell her!" Dustin shouts back.
I hear a faint screech, and Steve turns his head too.
"You heard that?" I whisper to him.
"Yeah," he whispers back.
We slowly walk closer to the forest and flash the light into it. Steve and I completely drown out what the others are saying and slowly turn our heads to each other.
"Hey, guys?" Steve calls.
They all ignore him and continue to bicker. I feel annoyed and snap my head towards them.
"Guys!" I yell.
They all stop talking and face us. We hear screeching again, and Steve and I look at each other with troubled faces. Steve throws his bat over his shoulder and walks into the woods. Dustin and Lucas follow him, but I stay behind with Max.
YOU ARE READING
Radical | A stranger things story
Fantasia*Starts in season 2* "That was pretty Radical and you know it." Billy Hargrove
