³𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 ✔

018-the calm before the storm

AFTER RECEIVING THE NO FROM HOPPER, THE GROUP SEPARATED INTO SMALLER, MORE RESPECTIVE CLUMPS.

The Party—Erica included, as she truly didn't have a respective group to join—all met up in the center of the mall, Jonathan and Nancy near a small set of stairs to enter the food court, and Carla, Steve and Robin at a nearby vendor called Hot Sams.

Steve had grabbed some sort of candy for the two girls and himself—something about how they might as well keep their energy up if they were about to fight an inter-dimensional creature—which Carla didn't hesitate to take.  She hadn't really eaten since being in the hospital, and even that hadn't really fulfilled her hunger needs.

From the counter of the vendor, Robin looked over at the couple.  The Wheeler was in between the Harrington boys legs, the boy's chin against her shoulder.   They seemed rather.....chill.....about the whole situation, and she becoming rather curious about the situation, "So....you've done this how many times?"

"This is number three." Steve replied from his girlfriend's shoulder.  It felt odd admitting to Robin that they'd fought monsters like this three times before, because, well, it was.  No average teens should have to fight creatures from different universes on a yearly basis—but then again, none of them had been 'average teens' since '83. "Started back in '83 when Will went missing."

"But it wasn't like this." Carla stated, continuing on with Robin's original question, "It started out with a creature we called the Demogorgan—don't ask, it's something Dungeons and Dragons related—to which then turned into Demo-Dogs in '84, where we were also trying to fight this creature, the Mind Flayer.  But instead of guts and blood it was made of smoke and was possessing Will."

Robin let out a breath, "Wow."

"Mhm." the Wheeler girl sighed. Stating it out loud made her truly realize the shit she'd been put through the past three years, but, at least she was used to it.  Looking at Robin—the way she'd been rambling earlier, the way she picked at her already peeling nail polish, clearly anxious—Carla couldn't help but feel bad.  The Buckley was supposed to be spending her summer scooping ice cream, not fighting an inter-dimensional monster.  That was their job.

So, looking at the blonde sincerely, Carla asked, "Are you okay, Robin? This whole situation is rather overwhelming, but at least we—" she gestured around her, "—know what's going on."

"Me? I'm fine." Robin quickly replied. She wasn't. "I mean, it's not everyday that you get stuck in a Russian base, and drugged and interrogated but it could have been worse—I could be dead or something."

"Thank God you aren't." the Wheeler muttered, sending a sympathetic look towards the girl, "I'm sorry you got wrapped up in this.  Last year, we had a newcomer get involved—Bob Newby, real nice guy, Joyce's boyfriend—and he, uh, he died." She didn't like thinking back to the night.  The way Hopper's grip tightened on the wheel when she asked, the way Joyce disappeared into her room, the way everyone went quiet.  "And it just made me kinda angry? You guys don't deserve to get wrapped up in our shit.  I mean, this creature wants me, not you."

"Yeah, but you two didn't deserve to go through this either." Robin perked back up, "I don't think you deserve to be wanted by this Mind Flayer.....thingy."

"Thanks." the Wheeler sighed, before muttering, "And to think I expected a normal summer."

Steve sighed, "Well, with our luck Carla, I'm not really surprised."