[ 𝚂𝚞𝚗 & 𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗 ] ~ 𝙹𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚢𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

VIII - Ringing

Six am. It was six in the morning when Justin woke up, a phone ringing hazily in the background. She groaned, rolling over and hiding her head in a pillow. "Make it stop-" Justin groaned, pulling the pillow out from under her and using it to cover her ears instead. She felt the bed shift beside her as her friend let out an annoyed huff, before flopping back into the bed with a thud. 

"God, shut up!" Jonathan rasped, his voice laced with exhaustion. 

As the phone kept ringing, Justin finally gave up and pushed herself off of Jonathan's bed and grumpily slumped to the phone in the kitchen. "What?" She hissed out into the phone, not paying mind to the light footsteps behind her. 

"Justin?" Nancy. Of course it was Nancy. 

"Do you realize what time it is?" 

"Why are you answering Jonathan's phone?" Nancy shot back.

"Who cares!? What do you want?" 

"Put Jonathan on the phone." 

"You know what, fine." Justin huffed, pulling the phone away from her ear and holding it out to Jonathan. "She's all yours."

"Who?" He questioned, carefully taking the phone from Justin's hands. 

"Your girlfriend." Justin grumbled her response. 

Jonathan gave a shallow nod, taking a deep breath as he brought the phone up. "Hello?" 

Justin leaned against the wall, watching - and listening as much as she could - as Jonathan talked to Nancy. "It's six a.m. and, uh, I had a late night, so, uh-" 

Justin heard her name angrily muffled on the other end of the line and raised a brow in Jonathan's direction. "Sounds like fun." She whispered to him before walking toward the kitchen. 

"No, nothing like that- Nancy- Nancy calm down- It's not- We were just hanging out, geez-"

Justin started sifting through the pantry. She pulled out a box of General Mills' Count Chocula, a sour look on her face. Justin slid it back in and found a half full box of Kellogg's Froot Loops. She smiled slightly, walking back to where Jonathan was and holding the box up with a tilt of her head. He gave a nod, quietly saying she could help herself before scowling at the phone again. "Nancy, please tell me you're joking." 

Justin went and found a bowl and spoon before grabbing milk from the fridge. She filled up the bowl with cereal then milk, putting the milk away and walking back to Jonathan. She wanted to know what was going on.

"What?" He seethed. "Uh- He's not even here." There was a pause. "Why wouldn't he be safe?" Jonathan's eyes met Justin's just as she put a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "Nancy? Why wouldn't he be safe?" 

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They were at Nancy Wheeler's house now. Why? Who fucking knows. Justin wasn't necessarily ecstatic about the idea, yet she came along anyway because Jonathan asked her to, and she still wasn't sure if Dustin was there or not. "Why is she here?" Nancy snarled, looking at Justin who was currently in one of Jonathan's shirts since she didn't bring anything to their impromptu sleepover. It was an old David Bowie shirt that he had lying in a drawer, faded and slightly ripped in places. 

"Her brother might be in danger too-" Jonathan rushed the words out before pushing past Nancy and into the house. "Where is Mike?" 

"Basement." Nancy responded, waiting for Justin to enter the house before shutting the front door. 

Jonathan walked through the house, Justin just behind him as he knocked on the door to the basement. "Not now, Mom!" Mike yelled up the stairs. 

"Mike, open the door." Nancy called back.

In just a few seconds, there stood Mike Wheeler with a look of mixed irritation and confusion. "Justin Henderson?" He whispered under his breath as he took in the odd sight of Dustin's older sister in his house. 

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Word Count - 643

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Published - January 28, 2024

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