Jailbird || Stranger Things

fifty-one ➵ own rules

"Where's Reese?" Lucas asked, scanning the pool for the familiar girl.

    "She took the rest of the week off," Max replied absentmindedly, watching Billy through her ex-boyfriend's binoculars. "I don't get it," she changed the subject, "He looks pretty normal to me."

    "Normal?" Lucas asked, eyes widening in surprise, "How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?"

    Admittedly, even Max had to nod at that, "I mean, it's a little weird."

    "More than a little," Mike stressed. "He was in a tub with ice. The Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus, everything else—"

    "But he's lounging at the pool, which is like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever," Max argued, El having to swallow her words. Instead, she reached into her pocket, taking out the radio Teresa had handed to her when she went to the mall with Max. She thought about using it, but as Mike spoke, she turned her attention back to her friends.

    "Not necessarily," he got all of their eyes on him. "The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me," he clarified, "It's like—Like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you, you're activated."

    They looked back to Billy in the lifeguard chair, covered head to toe in a cold, soaked, towel, a cap, and a long sleeved shirt, eating ice chips. It really was quite weird.

    "Okay, so we just... wait until he gets activated," Max decided.

    "No, what is he hurts someone?" Mike asked.

    "Or kills someone," Will tagged on, looking to the two leading the conversation.

    "We can't take that chance. We need to find out if he's the host."

    Mike pushed himself away from the car, getting out from behind cover and waving his friends on.

    "Where are you going?" El asked, being left behind with Max.

    "I have an idea. Boys only!"

    "Seriously?" Max felt her blood start to boil.

    "Just trust me on this one," the boys got further away across the car park.

    "We'll call Reese!"

    "We'll be right back!"

    While rolling her eyes, Max still turned to El, noticing her holding the radio. "Maybe we should try as well?"

    El sighed, looking down at her hand and deciding to try her alternate tuning, to the one only she and her family used.

    Except unknown to them, the only place that their message could be heard was in Teresa's car, in through the radio in the bag in the trunk of her car.

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"Yeah, I don't know."

    Teresa watched from between Robin and Steve, sat up on the counter as her friends leaned on either side. She couldn't help but be suspicious of Lucas's little sister, if not only due to the way he'd described her, but because she knew exactly how smart the Sinclair siblings were.

    This little girl was not to be underestimated.

    "You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asked.

    "Oh, I can fit," she assured, "I just don't know if I want to."

    "Are you claustrophobic?" Robin questioned, while Reese continued to measure up the girl with narrowed eyes.