ocean eyes ✧ Billy Hargrove

[ 032 ]

They arrived at the Byers' house, tension thick in the air. Will lay unconscious on the couch, his breathing shallow. Jonathan hovered over him, whispering soothing words, while Nancy sat beside him, trying to stay calm.

Steve paced around the house, clearly on edge, and Joyce had locked herself in her room, overwhelmed by the situation. Hopper, meanwhile, was on the phone, desperately trying to get someone to believe him about what had happened at the lab.

Dustin, Mike, Max, Daphne, and Lucas sat around the dining table, anxiously watching Hopper as he finished his call. When he hung up, his expression was grim.

"They didn't believe you, did they?" Dustin asked, breaking the silence.

Hopper shook his head, frustration evident in his voice. "We'll see."

Mike's frustration boiled over. "'We'll see'? We can't just sit here while those things are out there!"

Hopper met his gaze, his tone firm. "We stay here and wait for help. That's the plan."

Daphne, sensing Mike's agitation, spoke up. "Mike, he's right. We can't just run out there—we have no idea how to stop this, and it's too dangerous."

Mike didn't respond, his eyes filled with worry and defiance. Daphne sighed, getting up to find Steve. She needed to talk, to process everything that was happening.

She found Steve pacing in the hallway, his anxiety palpable. "Steve," she called softly, getting his attention.

He turned to her, relieved to have someone to talk to. "Daph, this is all so messed up. How are we supposed to protect everyone?"

Daphne leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "I don't know, Steve. But we've got to keep it together. For the kids and for my mom."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, his stress evident. "It just feels like everything's falling apart. Monsters, a shadow creature controlling Will—how do we even fight something like that?"

Daphne placed a hand on his shoulder, offering comfort. "We take it one step at a time. We do what we can, and we stick together. That's the only way we'll get through this."

Steve nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, you're right. We've come this far, we can't give up now."

"Exactly," Daphne agreed, managing a small smile. "We just have to keep moving forward."

They returned to the kitchen, leaning on the counter as they watched the kids. Mike, clearly deep in thought, suddenly got up and headed to the living room. The others followed, curious about what he was up to.

Mike grabbed a blue cube from a game set and placed it on the table. "Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins' AV Club?"

Lucas looked at him in surprise. "Really?"