𝔽 ℜ 🄴 ᗩ 长 ᔆ ❕ ¡ !| 𝙴. 𝙼𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚗

- 6 -

I don't really like this chapter, at least not the beginning. So I'm sorry in advance. Here, have a cookie🍪

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The quiz was way harder than you expected it to be. Some subjects you were sure hadn't even been covered yet in this class. You barely managed to finish the front of the double sided page when the old intercom crackled to life.

"Everyone to the Gym for the pep rally, The rally begins in five minutes."

There was a collective sigh of relief throughout the room at the interruption, and everyone was on their feet in a matter of seconds. "Place your quiz on my desk before you leave." Mrs. Smith called. There was excited chatter spreading through the room, the scraping of chairs and squeaks of shoes on the tile floor background noise to the gossip that seemed to spread. You grabbed your bag and sped out the door as soon as you turned in your paper, happy to leave the tense atmosphere behind. You waited by the door for Eddie for two reasons. One, you didn't know where the gym was. And two, you didn't want to go alone. But by the time everyone had left, he was already gone. Dang it.

Giving up, you followed everyone else to the auditorium, and that's when you realized how small this place was. Teachers hearded the kids to the gym, shouting in authoritative and peppy voices. Caught up in the flood of students, you tripped over feet and bags, were shoved forward and then pushed in a random seat in the middle of everything. "Sorry." You mumbled when you bumped shoulders with whoever was next to you. When you turned to look, you saw that it was the curly haired kid from lunch yesterday. "Hey, um...Dustin right?" You asked, remembering the lanky one (Mike?) talking to him yesterday. He turned to you, then nodded when he seemed to recognize you.

"Yeah, and you badass that kicked that jock in the balls." He grinned. Next to him was the lanky kid, and to his left was a girl with red hair. You made small conversation until the cheerleaders started doing their bit, and then a girl named Tammy Thompson started singing the national anthem. Not gonna lie, she sounds like a muppet. Then the jock that yelled at Eddie yesterday stepped forward (Jason Carver) started giving a speech, (After giving a shout-out to his girlfriend) and The boys beside you were not happy.

"I think I can speak for all of us when I say, It's been a tough year for Hawkins." He began. What does that mean? "So much loss." He continued. "And sometimes I wonder, 'How much loss can one community take?'" "In dark days like this, we need something to believe in." He paused. "So, last night, when we were down by ten points at half to Christian Academy, I looked at my team," He raised his voice. "and I said,"

"Think of Jack."

"Think of Melissa."

"Think of Heather."

"Think of Billy." This seemed to be a sore spot to the red head a few seats down.

"Think about our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper." The kids beside you stiffened.

"Think about every one of our friends who perished in that fire." What fire?

"What did they die for? For us to lose to some... some crap school?"

"No."

"NO!" The crowd shouted back.

"They didn't die for some stupid game." Dustin muttered, glaring daggers at the basketball captain.

"For us to return home with our heads hung low in defeat?" Jason paced back and forth, staring into the audience. "No!"

"No!"