precarious ; jonathan byers [2]

chapter seventeen- burnin' up in this bitch

Casey

For what felt like the hundredth time tonight, the group needed to conduct yet another plan. With the gate to the Upside Down still open and the Mind Flayer still having control over Will, the group, unfortunately, had to split up. This worried me deeply. Our group that we had unintentionally formed when shit tends to hit the fan was much stronger together. Splitting up and facing different challenges on our own was risky as all hell and would potentially put everyone's lives on the line, even the kids.

Nothing can happen to those kids. I wouldn't let it.

The group was still gathered in the living room, theorizing what we needed to do next. If we played our cards right and were smart about this, there was a good chance the kids wouldn't even have to be put in the line of fire. All except for El, unfortunately. She may have only been a kid as well, but we needed her.

"The gate isn't like it was before. It's grown. A lot," Hopper had said from the side, crossing his arms across his chest. "I mean, that's considering we can get in there. That place is crawling with those dogs."

"I can do it," El assured him quietly.

Hop shook his head at her–probably out of fret–and his voice grew more stern, "You're not hearing me,"

"I'm hearing you. I can do it," She argued back gently. "I'll need some backup, but I can do it."

"Even if El can, there's still another problem," Mike countered. "If the brain dies, the body dies."

"Isn't that the whole point?" Max asked him.

"It is, but if we're really right about this..." Mike paused, trying to find the correct wording for what he was about to say next. "I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army–"

It was as if my heart dropped once I realized what Mike was trying to explain to everyone else and my anxiety for the events to come had grown even more. I gulped, "Will's a part of that army, too," I cut Mike off lightly, glancing down to my once perfect but now tattered and worn Chuck Taylor's to avoid the group's eyes on me. "Closing the gate will kill him."

I then glanced up to Joyce as the words left my mouth, wondering how she was even pushing through right now. But Joyce was far from acting like the distraught mother. She looked almost badass in a way as she stood off to the side with her arms crossed tightly and her jaw clenched. It was almost as if the gears in her head were turning, lost in her own thoughts as everyone else brainstormed back and forth. I yearned to ask her what was the matter, to ask her what she was thinking about. But she then caught me and everyone else off guard when her stance straightened, her eyes widening slightly. "Wait a second," She mumbled quietly before quickly turning in her spot and headed back towards Will's room. I didn't hesitate to follow after her, the group following behind me as well.

Once we had all filed into the bedroom behind her, Joyce's eyes seemed to be glued to the open window that had been letting the crisp autumn air in. "Joyce..." I slowly called out, taking a step closer to her.

"He likes it cold," Was all she had responded with, not willing to rip her eyes away from the window. This had confused me. He? Who is she referring to? Will?

"What?" I asked in order to get her to elaborate.

"It's what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold," She explained further, walking over to the window in order to shut it completely. "We keep giving it what it wants."