Argyle (AR64LE) : A STRANGER THINGS Story

Chapter Six : Catching A Break

I guess we're bailing on the plan, then. So I just step on out with my stack of pies, but I might as well have been invisible because only Jonathan can see me. He's in the living room wedging up a couch like it's a car, so his brother Will can check under it with a flashlight. I see his mom and sister are busy too on the patio outside, looking around the potted plants, but they're backs are turned to me.

I reckon I can make it to the front door now, but Jonathan sees me going for it and shakes his head. He points me upstairs, but I really think I can make it out. I do a little running move to show him, but he's not in the mood I guess. This is getting silly, because it feels like I could have left by now with this back and forth we are doing. But it's his beady eyes that get to me again and so I abide.

When I land on the upstairs hallway, it feels different than last time. Probably because I'm alone this time and I'm sneaking around somebody's house without them knowing. I think Jonathan would want me to hide in his room, but maybe he wanted me to hide in the bathroom. I only met him a few minutes ago, so I don't know if he'd be cool with me being in his room all by myself.

The thought of the bathroom though has got me feeling like I actually need to go this time and all this nervous energy I'm working up is bound to explode my bowels if I don't take care of it soon. But then I'd set off an alarm throughout the whole house when I flush the toilet. I guess I could just not flush, but then Jonathan would have to take the blame for it and I don't want to do that to my brochacho.

Hold on. Are we brochachos? I mean it does feel like we're bonded now. If I make it through this... This test? Woah! Maybe Jonathan is like testing my friendship right now. That's it. Man, I can't let him down. I can't. Oh crap! Those are totally footsteps coming up the stairs right now! And I'm still standing in the hallway! It could be Jonathan coming to tell me it's all clear and I passed the test.

"I'll be back, Joyce." I hear from the stairs and it must be the sister. She calls her mom by her name, though. I guess girls can just do that without it sounding strange. Crap! Why am I still standing here? She's gonna round that corner any second now and see me, this long haired dude with a stack of hot pies. I don't know how I ended up at the end of the hallway, and so far from Jonathan's door, but I reckon one of these doors close to me is to the bathroom. So eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

I close the door behind me this time and get a quick look around at a vanity mirror and a floral quilt on a bed. Okay, so it's not the bathroom. Again. But maybe I got lucky and this is the mom's room. Joyce's room. No, it's weird when I say it. Maybe that chest of letters from some guy named Mike are the mom's letters, and they all start off with 'Dear El' because that's Mike's pet name for her. And this picture of a young dude is Mike's son, because they share pictures of their kids, so they can imagine what they'll look like when they start their Brady Bunch Family. Shit! It's the sister's room!

I shove the stack of pies in a corner of the closet and squeeze under the bed, just in time for the sister El to enter completely unaware. I watch her, well just what I can see of her below the ankles, walk up to her desk and something falls off it. It's a letter and she kneels down to pick it up. So I reckon this is where she's going to see me then, because the letter is almost under the bed, but she just snaps it up. It's funny. I totally forgot I needed to pee, but I think this has strengthened my bladder control. And then I see El stop by the closet. Oh well, at least I won't wet the bed.