Strawberry Cigarettes | Max Mayfield

7. the kids are not okay

Before I start, I wanted to say that I'm pretty sure I've seen this chapter title somewhere else but it's really cool and if the original author wants me to change it, i will. 

Now Enjoy!

The Kids walked alongside the old railroad no one used in years. Lucas, Dustin and Chris were walking upfront with Dustin having the compass and Mike an El were a bit more behind. Lucas sighed. They've been walking for good 2 hours now and he was getting bored. "How much further?" he asked while Dustin was still staring at his compass. "I don't know. These only tell direction, not distance." Dustin said as if it wasn't already obvious

"You really need to learn more about compasses." he then said to which Chris laughed a bit. "Yeah, you do" she said. "As if you know a lot about compasses." Lucas fired back, slightly annoyed with the girl. "I don't know much but i know the basics which is already more than you do" Chris said with a smile. Lucas sighed again and turned back to Dustin who was trying to muffle his laugh from Chris' previous statement. "I'm just saying. How would we know when we get to the gate?".

"Uhhh, I think a portal to another dimension is gonna be pretty obvious." Dustin said. "Plus, El is going to tell us if she sees it probably" Chris continued. Lucas sighed yet again and looked back to see what Mike and El were doing and he just happened to catch El, wiping her nose. "Do you think she's acting weird?" Lucas asked. "You're asking if the weirdo, is acting weird?" Dustin said in a are-you-serious tone. "Hey! That was uncalled for." Chris then said.

"I mean, weirder than normal" Lucas went on completely ignoring Fee. "I don't know, who cares?" 

-

Shortly after, the party plus the two girls arrived at an old junkyard. Old cars were scattered all over the place with on big old school bus at the left. Big scraps of metal sheets were laying everywhere, and an old swing was standing at the very back of the junkyard. "Oh no" Dustin said. "Oh, no? What, Oh no?" Lucas asked very much annoyed.

"We're headed back home" Dustin answered. "What?" "Are you sure?" Lucas asked. "Yeah, he is right. The sun is setting right there. We went in a circle." Chris said. "Exactly". "And you're just realising that now?" Lucas asked, still in a very annoyed tone. 

While everyone was arguing, Eleven stayed out of it and just watched from beside. "Why is this all on me?" Dustin started getting defensive. "Because you're the compass genius!" "But it's not like he is deciding where the compass leads." Chris defended Dustin. "Thank you! But well, what do yours say?" "North" Mike and Lucas said in unison. "Makes no damn sense."

"Maybe the gate moved" Mike said, starting to gather possible reasons to why the fuck the compasses were now again showing north. "That could actually be possible" Chris said while she went around the yard, looking at everything there was. "No, don't think it's the gate. I think it's something else. screwing with the compasses." Dustin replied. 

"Maybe it's something here." "No, it has to be like a super magnet". Then it was like a lightbulb went on in Lucas' mind. "It's not as magnet" he realised. "She's been acting weirder than normal" Lucas went on and mentioned to El. "If she can slam doors with her mind, she can definitely screw up a compass" "Why would she do that?" Mike then asked. "Yeah, please stop blaming El for everything for at least 5 minutes man" Chris said. 

"No. She's trying to sabotage our mission. Because she's a traitor! And you are probably with her on this aren't you? Would explain why you're so defensive all the time!" Lucas went on. "Uh, no. We are not traitor and i was being defensive because she's my friend and I am not gonna let anyone make fun of my friends." Chris said as if it wasn't obvious.