The other Mayfield (Will Byers X Reader)

003. Suzie do you copie?

~Y/n POV~

The late afternoon sun hung low over Hawkins, coating everything in a gold haze as we trudged up the steep hill. The air buzzed with cicadas, and the gravel crunched under our sneakers. Dustin was leading the way, lugging his duffel bag like it was filled with treasure instead of wires and metal.

"Aren't we high enough?" Lucas complained, dragging his feet dramatically as Max rolled her eyes beside him.

"Cerebro works best at a hundred meters," Dustin answered, puffing his chest out proudly.

"You know, I'm pretty sure people in Utah have cell phones," Max stated, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, but Suzie's Mormon," Dustin replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh shit, she doesn't have electricity?" Lucas asked, his tone dead serious.

"Oh, that's Amish," Max corrected.

"What are Mormons?" Will questioned, genuinely confused.

"Super religious white people,'" Dustin explained, gesturing with his hands as he climbed higher. "'They have electricity and cars and stuff, but I'm not Mormon, so her parents would never approve... it's all a bit Shakespearean."

"Shakespearean?" Max questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, like Romeo and Juliet."

"Right."

"Star-crossed lovers."

"I got it!" Max snapped, making me snicker.

We kept walking, the trees thickening around us as the sun started to dip lower. The trail twisted upward, and the air grew heavy and humid.

"Hey guys," Mike called from behind us, his voice a little strained.

"This is fun and all but uh—"

"I have to go home," Eleven added smiling with Mike.

"We're almost there!'" Dustin complained, clearly annoyed as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Sorry, man... curfew and all. Let's go," Mike said, already turning around.

"Good luck," Eleven giggled as they made their way back down the hill, hand in hand.

We all stood there for a second, watching them disappear through the trees before Dustin groaned.

"Curfew? At 4:00?" Dustin asked, disbelief in his voice.

"They're lying," I stated flatly, crossing my arms.

"It's been like this all summer," Will said quietly.

"It's romantic," Max smiled.

"It's gross," me and Will said at the same time, earning a laugh from the group.

"It's bullshit! I just got home! Their loss, right? Onwards and upwards—Suzie awaits!" Dustin shouted, rallying the group like we were climbing Mount Everest instead of a Hawkins hill.

We all groaned but followed him anyway, our laughter echoing between the trees as we pushed onward toward the clearing at the top.

I stopped once I noticed Will wasn't beside me anymore. The others were already continuing up the hill, their voices fading into the rustle of the trees. I turned back and spotted him a few yards down, standing completely still, eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Hey, Will, you okay?" I called, making my way down toward him.

He didn't answer right away. His hand had drifted to the back of his neck, fingers pressing lightly like he was checking for something. His breathing was uneven, and for a second, that familiar chill ran through me—the same kind that came before everything went wrong.