Other Friends

10

Getting separated was not how Windy thought this would go. She sat in a room, handcuffed to a chair, waiting for someone, anyone, to enter. A million thoughts racing through her head. Were these the people who had Eleven? Did they fake Will's death? Were they going to kill them? Did they do this on purpose to Bella and Will? Her thoughts were cut short when the door opened, and an older man sat down across from her.

"The boy. We know you've been in contact with him." the man says as he stares at the teen, unbothered by her thrashing against the cuffs. "When and how did you make contact with him?"

Windy glares at the man, "Through Christmas lights, what do you think?" she says in a smartass tone.

"Hmm... Six." he says leaning back in the chair.

"Six?" Windy questions, now confused.

"Six people have been taken this week. This... thing that took the boy, we don't really understand it. But its behavior is predictable. Like all animals-"

She cuts him off, "Seven."

Now it was his turn to look confused, "Seven?"

"You miscounted, it took seven." she corrected him, anger in her eyes now.

"Enlighten me, who did we miss?" he asks the teen.

"My friend, Bella. She went missing the same night as Will. She's with him in that... that place." she tells him.

He holds back his surprise, "Is that so?"

"Yeah, you missed her when you tried to cover up Will's fake death. She's his babysitter, and you completely missed her. That's how we knew this was all shit. Because you missed one key thing. You didn't know about my best friend." Windy tells him, leaning forward on the table.

"We can save her. We can save them both, if you want. All you have to do is help us." he offers.

Windy rolls her eyes, "What's the catch? Because from my perspective, I can't trust you. You let that... thing out. It took people I care about. And you want me to trust you? I don't even know you"

"I'm Dr. Brenner, and I want to save your friend." he says.

"You didn't know she existed until a minute ago when I told you. So you can shove it, asshole."

_______

Lizzie sat alone with the kids annoyed. Everyone had left her alone to babysit, but she wasn't the babysitter she didn't know what to do. She was more so annoyed that Jonathan and Nancy didn't even tell her they were leaving, they just disappeared, which led her to now. "Idiots, leaving me alone." Lizzie mumbles to herself.

"There's no way they left us here with her." Mike says pointing over at the teen girl sitting on the bleachers a little ways from them.

She looks over at them annoyed, "I can hear you idiot. I'm not thrilled about this either."

"Why are you here?" Lucas questions the teen confused.

"To babysit you, obviously." she says sarcastically.

"We have a babysitter, and it's not you." Dustin argues.

"Yeah well she's a bit busy at the moment if you forgot." she snaps at them, "So you're stuck with me."

"This is why Bella babysits us." Dustin mumbles to his friends.

"Okay, all of you, shut up!" Mike snaps at them.

"Cool it Wheeler!" Lizzie argues, not liking the kid shouting at her.

"We should go look for Nancy and Jonathan." he argues, causing the teen to roll her eyes.

"No, we are staying here. They left you with me, so you listen to my rules." she tells them.

"In case you forgot Mike, we're wanted fugitives." Lucas brings up.

"Yeah, the best thing we can do is stick to the chief's plan of staying out of sight and keeping El safe." Dustin adds on, before turning and walking away from them.

"Where the hell are you going Henderson? I don't need your sister killing me because you decided to go for a stroll." Lizzie says as the tween walks across the gym.

"I'm just gonna go get some chocolate pudding. Don't worry, I'm still sticking to the plan." Dustin reassures the teen.

"Are you serious?" Mike shouts after his friend.

"El needs to be recharged." Dustin argues before exiting the gym, the group just looking at the door annoyed.

_______

After some more time alone, Windy was confused when some guards entered and took the cuffs off her. They lead her out of the room only to be engulfed in a hug from Joyce. "Are you okay kid?" Hopper asks the teen.

"I'm fine." she tells him, only to get a look from Joyce, "I swear, I'm fine." she tells her before they begin to get led down a hall.

"So what's happening?" Windy asks the two.

"I don't understand." Joyce brings up the two looking at the tall man between them.

"We came to an agreement." he tells them simply.

"What?" the two questions, confused.

"Look, everything that's happened here and everything that's gonna happen, we don't talk about. You want Will and Bella back? This place had nothing to do with it. That's the deal. You two got it?" Hopper explains to them, not once looking at them.

The three of them were led into a room where three suits were hung up. "What's this?" Windy hesitantly asks the doctor in the room.

"Protection." the man replies simply. "The atmosphere is toxic."

"Oh god." the teen whispers, staring at the suits with wide eyes.

"Bu-But my son's in there. He..." Joyce stutters out in shock.

Hopper grabs a suit, "Put it on." he tells them. The two listen to him, quickly changing and then quickly getting escorted into an elevator. None of the guards followed them.

The trio make their way to a wall on a lower level that seemed to have a sort of entrance about it. The whole section was covered in slimy breathing vines. It unnerved Windy to no end. And reluctantly, she followed after the adults into what the kids named, The Upside Down.

"Hey, you two alright?" Hopper asks the two as they make their way into the dark otherworldly dimension.

"Yeah." Joyce replies.

"Yup." Windy says, sticking to Joyces side, as the woman seems overwhelmed.

"I just need you to relax, okay?" he tells her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I want you to slow down your breathing, take deep breaths. In and out." he says as he leads.

They finally make their way outside, all as calm as they can be, shining their lights around as they begin their hunt for Bella and Will. Windy avoids even looking in the direction of something egg-shaped as they continue to where they think Castle Byers should be.

"Will!" Joyce begins to shout, gaining the other two's attention. "Will!? Bella?!" she shouts some more. As Windy makes her way over, she stops seeing the fallen sign of Castle Byers and what remains of the structure.

"Will!" Hopper joins in on the shouting.

"Bella!" Windy starts up too, looking around. "I don't think they're here. Let's go check the house." The two adults agree and they make their way over to the upside down version of the Byers home and begin their search again.