By My Side : Steve Harrington

Chapter Ten

"YOU'RE POSITIVE THAT WAS DART?" Lucas asked as the group trekked down the railroad tracks. Casey found herself constantly searching around them, using her flashlight to highlight dark spots in the forest of trees. Just because she couldn't hear them didn't mean they weren't there – stalking.

"Yes," Dustin answered confidently. "He had the exact same yellow pattern on his butt."

Casey wondered when, during all the chaos, he had time to look at the creature's ass, but that was Dustin.

"He was tiny two days ago," Max noted.

"Well, he's molted three times already," Dustin replied, frankly.

Steve's voice raised in pitch as he asked, "Malted?"

"Molted," Casey corrected.

"Shed his skin to make room for growth like hornworms," Dustin added on after her.

Steve nodded as Max asked, "When is he gonna molt again?"

Dustin shrugged, uncertain. "It's gotta be soon. When he does, he'll be fully grown, or close to it."

"And so will his friends," Casey said unenthused.

"Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats."

Lucas came to a halt after Steve's words his hand going to the curly-haired boy's shoulder, asking, "Wait, a cat?"

The rest of the group stopped with them, and Casey watched the color in Dustin's face drain before glaring in Steve's direction.

Lucus reiterated his question, "Dart ate a cat?"

Dustin shook his head profusely. "No. What? No."

Steve was clearly having a hard time reading the room and continued answering on behalf of Dustin. "What are you talking about? He ate Mews."

"Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asked with furrowed brows, turning toward the older teens.

"It's Dustin's cat."

"Steve, stop talking," Casey scolded as Lucas smacked Dustin's shoulder in frustration.

"I knew it! You kept him!"

Dustin shouted, "No! No." There was a short pause and his voice got lower, "No, I...No, I..."

Lucas glared at his friend, waiting for him to give up on the lie and spill the truth. Dustin lasted maybe three seconds before sighing in defeat, "He missed me. He wanted to come home."

"Bullshit!" Lucas snapped.

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?" Dustin argued loudly.

"Oh, so now you admit it?"

"Guys, who cares? We have to go!" Max tried to break up the fight, but Casey knew that was useless.

"I care! You put the party in Jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!"

"So did you!" Dustin yelled right back.

Casey felt a headache coming on as she dropped her head between her shoulders and pinched the bridge of her nose. Dealing with the Demogorgon's was one thing, but she didn't sign on for middle school drama. She had enough drama in her own life.

Lucas played dumb, "What?"

Dustin raised his flashlight into Max's eyes. "You told a stranger the truth!"

Max scoffed, "A stranger?"

"You wanted to tell her, too!" The two boys got into each other's faces and Casey thought about stepping in, but she decided against it. They needed to work out whatever was going on between them without her help.