Stranger Things: Riley's Version

Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

She woke slowly to a crackling noise, "Riley do you come in... This is Lucas over... Rye, you there. Riley!" She sat up with a start looking over at the walkie talkie sitting on her desk. With a groan she got out of bed as Lucas continued calling out through the walkie.

"I'm here, I'm here," she replied through a yawn. She rubbed at her eyes as she moved to get dressed in some actual clothes.

"You should really say over when you're done talking on the radio, you know," Lucas responded, Riley just rolled her eyes as her best friend continued on. "You want to shoot around before we head over to Mike's? Over."

"Yeah, yeah but give me a minute I've got to eat breakfast. I think my dad is making pancakes." She told the boy hearing her dad humming along to some rock song and the crackling noise of bacon frying. "Have you eaten yet? Over." She questioned heading for the door to her room now dressed in her normal jeans and marvel t-shirt.

"No, I grabbed a granola bar but that's it. Over."

"Let me ask my dad if you can eat. Over." She opened the door and was met with her dad in the kitchen cooking bacon, a pile of pancakes on the table. "Morning," she said, hopping in the seat pulled up to the bar.

"Morning," he responded with a smile.

"Can Lucas come over for breakfast?" She asked.

"Yeah of course, what's the plan for the day?" He asked pulling some bacon out of the pan and adding new strips.

"Gonna shoot around some, then head over to Mike's for the new campaign." She said as she stole a piece of bacon from the plate in front of her. Her dad swatted her hand away as she went in for a second piece.

"Alright just remember you have school tomorrow."

"Yeah of course, I'm gonna tell Lucas he can come eat our food." She responded hopping off the stool she sat on and headed for her room to inform the boy. "You're good to come over. Over," she stated into the walkie.

"Sweet!" Came the boy's response over the walkie. "I'm on my way over right now. Over and out." Riley rolled her eyes at the other boy, they had been best friends since kindergarten when they found a common love for basketball. Since then they spend every day together no matter what. It also helps that they live right next to each other so they can just walk through their yard to the other's house. They are inseparable and while they're close with the rest of their friends they don't have quite the same bond with them.

Riley had made it to the living room when she heard the knock on her door signaling Lucas's arrival. She hopped over the coffee table and ran to open the door for her friend. Opening the door she was met with the face of one Lucas Sinclair. He was smiling his big goofy smile at her as he walked in the house greeting her with a secret handshake only the two of them knew.

"'Bout time you got up Riles." The boy told her as they walked toward the kitchen, "I was worried we wouldn't be able to shoot around at all before going to Mike's." Both the kids had an obsession with basketball, they loved the game and would constantly shoot out on the hoop Riley's dad had put up for them. They tried to play every morning before school for at least 5 minutes and most of the time they got it done.

"Sorry, I stayed up later than I thought reading the newest Captain America comic," she said with a shrug. Riley had three loves in this world, basketball, comics, specifically Marvel's Captain America and food. Those three things ruled her world and it had been that way since she was very young.

"Dang that smells good," Lucas commented as they entered the dining room where her dad had started eating while the friends were greeting each other.

"Lucas," her dad greeted from his seat at the table. "How are you this morning?"