Demise of Mayfield

Chapter Eight: Irksome

Nancy's silence was unnerving as she entered the house. She shut the door with a single click, the heels of her shoes hitting loudly against the floor as she headed to the upstairs. Her lips were pinched, her sight gradually becoming foggier with tears that clouded her vision. She ignored Joyce's and Hopper's questions, pushed past Mike, and she simply dodged Jonathan's open arms.

"What the hell happened while she was at Max's?" Hopper's brows were knit together, his mouth open in disbelief and perplexion. "All she did was take them groceries and then take them to the school, right?"

"Yeah," Joyce said. She looked towards the stairs, "That was all…"

Mike scratched the back of his head, and he began to head to the stairs. He felt the need to talk to his sister, yet he stopped in place when he saw Jonathan moving as well. He saw Jonathan face him, and Mike sighed, nodding.

Jonathan went upstairs and gently made his way to Nancy's room. He didn't want to trigger something else in her. Curiosity piqued at his head, making him wonder what upset Nancy. He tried to think, but even from all the thoughts he had, it was full of uncertainty.

He lightly knocked, his hand on the doorknob. "Nancy? Can I come in?" He began to turn it, his heart clashing against his ribs as he heard a thud.

Panic crawled up from his stomach, and he pushed the door open. "Nancy!" He stood at the door frame, his hand still on the knob.

Nancy was on the ground, her legs curled as she hid her face behind her hands. Faint sobs were being muffled, and it stung Jonathan's heart. Her weeps were the unheard screams of fear, the unheard worries of doubt. It was the unnoticed change of heart, noticing the way Nancy tried to stop herself from crying.

Jonathan felt his heart pang against his ribs, his own breathing suffocating him as it became trapped. He closed the door, stepping closer to his girlfriend, and he knelt down and pulled Nancy close to his chest. Pressing a kiss against her forehead, he gently uncovered her face and looked her in the eyes. "Nancy, talk to me."

Nancy only glanced away, her lip trembling. She tried to pry away from Jonathan's hold. Opening her mouth to push him away, her voice rejected her thoughts and only croaked out a cry. "W-We sh-should've done a-a b-better job." She could hear the faintest ringing in her ear while letting her thoughts consume her mind. The obscure corners of her mind were clouding her consciousness, swallowing her whole.

"Hey, listen to me." Jonathan cupped her cheeks softly, staring into her eyes. "You did your best. I know you did."

Nancy's pupils were contracting, shaking even when she looked at Jonathan with dull eyes. "No," she whispered, "because… because h-he…"

"He?" Jonathan asked. His thumb brushed against her cheek, looking at her. "Because he what, Nancy? Is this 'he' Vecna?"

"He's still… alive," Nancy laughed weakly, "because I failed…"

Jonathan felt his heart on the verge of shattering like a flower vase, and he pressed his forehead against hers. "Nancy, y-you're the most brilliant, outstanding girl that I know, and you've always outdone yourself. This- This doesn't mean that you failed at all, but rather means that you're strong - you're capable-."

"But he's still alive!" Nancy stared deep into Jonathan's eyes. "He's still alive because our plan wasn't good enough!"

"That's not true!" Jonathan said, his tone tensing up. "Your plan was great, your execution and leadership was great. If it wasn't you, who else would've done it?" His lips curled in a smile, letting out a laugh as his eyes began to water. "Nancy Wheeler," he said as he wiped away the tears that fell from Nancy's eyes.