"Ali," he said, and she smiled, pulling him into a hug. It had been a long time-almost two years since they'd last seen each other.
"I'm glad to see you, Troy," she said, smiling. Troy could hardly believe it-his best friend and childhood crush was at the same school as him. He grinned, happy to be reunited with her. He noticed her glance at the picture of Will.
"I can hear him... and a big monster too," she said softly. Troy looked at her, surprised. Nearby, Nancy saw the two of them together, and an unexpected jealousy began to stir, even though she barely knew him. Barbara noticed Nancy's expression and glanced between Ali and Troy.
"Stop staring. He's going to notice," Barbara murmured.
"Troy is with her," Nancy said, watching him smile at Ali.
"Maybe they know each other. Do you... like the new boy?" Barbara asked, raising an eyebrow. Nancy turned to her, feeling caught off guard. She didn't know exactly what she felt, but something about Troy brought her a strange sense of peace.
"No," she replied firmly, but Barbara knew she was lying.
"Alright. Look over your notes; we've got a test tomorrow," Barbara said as they continued studying. Troy watched Nancy and Barbara laughing together, though his thoughts were elsewhere.
He turned to Ali, confused. "What do you have to do with these kids?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said. "But I've been seeing him-he's been calling for help since Sunday." Troy wondered if she was playing with him.
"Brenner's behind this," she continued.
"This kid is in danger... and so is she." Troy's eyes widened. That name-it was familiar. The memory flooded back, flashes of a cold, sterile lab, and his younger self there.
"004, when you're ready, ignite," a voice had said. Little Troy had closed his eyes, smiling as he became engulfed in flames, hovering midair. He smiled, making circles of fire around him, the heat intensifying.
"He has to stop, or we're going to blow-he's heating up like a supernova!" a doctor had shouted.
"004, stop!" Brenner's voice commanded, but Troy couldn't control himself. They'd pressed a button, sucking out the oxygen and spraying him with extinguishers until he collapsed. Brenner had walked in.
"Four, don't ever reach that range of heat again-you could've killed us all," he'd said coldly. Little Troy had been on the ground, breathing hard. Through the haze, he'd seen a small girl toddling over, clutching a doll. Her wrist bore the number "011."
"Eleven," he'd whispered, smiling as she hugged him.
Now, back in the present, Troy repeated it. "Eleven."
Ali glanced around, her expression tense. "We should talk somewhere else," she said, leading him to her car. They needed privacy.
Ali parked her car in a secluded, junk-strewn lot, grinning as she rummaged in her bag. "Come on, I got beers and some weed," she teased, flashing a smile that made Troy blush despite himself.
They walked to an old, rusted-out truck, a relic from their past. Ali gave him a playful smirk. "You still remember this place?"
Troy chuckled, glancing around with a hint of nostalgia. "How could I not? This is where we first hung out... where we fell in love," he said quietly as they climbed into the truck bed, settling in like they had a hundred times before. He took out some rolling paper and started preparing a cigarette.
"Troy." Ali's voice was soft, her gaze steady as she handed him a beer.
He gave her a small smile. "What's really going on, Ali? You've been acting strange."
YOU ARE READING
004 - Stranger Thing
Hayran KurguA young boy is back to his family hometown, he star to know more about his past, is family and star to chase strange creature is haunting the town.
