𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄
JUNE 30TH, 1985

Mike had called Henry early that morning, his voice strained with urgency. He had practically sounded a code red, confessing that things with Eleven had taken a turn for the worse. True to the kind of friend he aspired to be, Henry rushed over without hesitation. Now, he found himself perched on the couch in the Wheeler basement, where the dim light cast long shadows across the room. Lucas sat beside him, arms crossed in thought, while Will was busy at the table, meticulously setting up a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

"She knows I'm lying. She knows I'm lying!" Mike's voice quivered with panic, a palpable tension in the air that made Henry's stomach twist with worry. He glanced at his friend, whose face was a mix of desperation and frustration. Honestly, Henry couldn't remember the last time he had lied to Scarlette. Their relationship thrived on honesty, even when the truth stung.

"I don't even understand—why lie?" Lucas asked, and Henry nodded in agreement, his foot tapping nervously against the ground as if it could somehow ground him amid Mike's turmoil.

"Hopper. He threatened me!" Mike declared, his voice rising dramatically, eyes wide as if recounting a horror story. Henry chuckled lightly, trying to lighten the mood, but his heart raced as Lucas followed up with what felt like the most absurd question in the world.

"Did he say he'd kill you?"

"Dude, what the fuck?" Henry shot a bewildered look at Lucas, the worry for Mike's well-being mounting. Mike's response was swift, a flare of indignation breaking through his panic. "What? No!"

Henry rubbed his face, the pressure building behind his eyes. He felt an overwhelming impatience welling up inside him, mixed with a deep concern for his friend. The thought of Mike in danger sent a chill down his spine.

"So then, what's the big deal?" Lucas waved his arms in frustration, confusion etched across his features, earning an eye roll from Henry.

"He doesn't want to get murdered by the chief dude!" Henry exclaimed, leaning his head back against the couch, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders. As he closed his eyes, he tried to think of a way to help Mike navigate this mess, a protective instinct kicking in.

"Exactly!" Mike exclaimed, earning an enthusiastic thumbs-up from Henry, who felt the gravity of his friend's situation pressing down on him. "If I don't do what he says, he will stop me from seeing El—like permanently." The weight of those words hung in the air, and Mike's voice wavered with a mixture of fear and determination.

As the boy's words lingered, Lucas dropped his head into his hands, overwhelmed and unsure of how to navigate the chaos unfolding in front of him. Henry shared that same helplessness, his heart aching for Mike, who was trapped in a nightmarish dilemma.