²𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧✔

001-the arcade

"MICHEAL, HURRY UP!" CARLA WHEELER YELLED FOR HER BROTHER.

"Coming!" Mike's voice called back within seconds, sounding rather breathless. From the front door—where the Wheeler girl was impatiently standing—she could hear commotion from upstairs, thumping following which signaled her brother was indeed coming.

Nancy's voice followed, "Mike! Mike! Get back here!"

As her sister's voice grew louder, Carla was absolutely sure she was chasing Mike down the stairs—he'd definitely just stolen some of her money without her consent. The Wheeler girl gave an eye roll, watching as her siblings slid through the kitchen, Nancy trying her best to catch their little brother.

"Hey." Ted reprimanded, making a rather useless attempt at stopping the madness between his children, "No running in the house."

Karen gave a confused expression and leaned over the counter to see where her two kids were going, "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Mom!" Carla called, sticking to the wall so she wasn't completely trampled by her siblings. The two passed by her in a blur, and once they did, she added, "We'll be at the arcade!"

Following Nancy out the door, Carla watched as Mike grabbed his bike from the garage, wheeling the item out as he sprinted. The boy ignored his sister's repetitive calls of his name, "Mike! Mike!"

Carla rolled her own bike out, stopping next to her twin sister, who'd stopped chasing the younger boy once he'd hopped on the bike and started pedaling, escaping his wrath. Nancy watched with a defeated face, "Asshole!"

Getting on to her own bike, Carla sent an apologetic look to her sister before saying, "I'll make sure he pays you back."

As Nancy let out a frustrated sigh, the other Wheeler took that as her cue to leave and began to pedal off into the distance towards Mike. Catching up to her brother, the girl spared him a glance, "Nance is gonna be pissed at you when we get home."

"I know," Mike replied, already knowing what to expect when he got home. A talk from Mom, an apology to Nancy and a real promise to pay her back when he actually had the cash—can you tell he's been in this situation before?

"I'm just saying, you better pay her back, because I'm sure as hell not doing it for you."

"Dammit."

Having met up with Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair along the way, Carla pedaled into the arcade parking lot, the three boys involved in some sort of conversation in front of her. She always strayed in the back—one; so she didn't have to listen to all of their conversations, and two; so she could keep a watch on them.

As the four got off their bikes, a car honked and the boys and Carla looked back towards the lot to see the familiar 1976 Ford Pinto of Joyce Byers, Will sitting in the passenger seat. He had a smile of his face, and was sending a wave their way.

"Hey!" Dustin called out towards the car as he chained up his bike, the other two boys sending waves and excited smiles towards their friend. Carla sent a warm smile towards both Byers' watching as Joyce returned the smile before indulging in a small conversation with her son.