The other Mayfield (Will Byers X Reader)

019. The war zone

~Y/n POV~

We arrived at the War Zone, and surprisingly, it was packed. Cars lined the gravel lot, and people were moving in and out like it was just another normal shopping day. Everyone except Dustin, Lucas, and Eddie went inside.

"So much for avoiding angry hicks," Robin sighed as she glanced around.

"Let's be fast... yeah?" Nancy said, already scanning the entrance.

"Definitely," Erica stated.

We all nodded and split up.

I headed toward the clothing section, Steve drifting in the same direction. He reached for a dark green army jacket and held it up, examining it briefly before tossing one my way.

He shrugged at me.

"It's too big for me," I laughed.

"Bigger the better," Steve said, patting my shoulder before heading off toward Robin.

I rolled my eyes and slipped the jacket on anyway. It swallowed me a bit, but it was warm, and honestly, comforting. I adjusted the sleeves, then glanced to my right—

—and immediately wished I hadn't.

Standing not too far away were Heather and Olivia, with what looked like Heather's father hovering protectively beside them. My stomach tightened.

I turned away quickly, hoping to God they hadn't noticed me. I did not have the energy for their bullshit today.

I ducked into another aisle, grabbing a tomahawk axe off the shelf just to keep my hands busy. It was solid. Heavy. Could definitely be useful, probably for Steve. I stared at it a second longer than necessary.

Then I heard a voice.

Shit.

"Well, well... if it isn't Y/n," Heather said, her voice dripping with condescension.

Olivia tilted her head. "Shopping for weapons now? Planning to be some kind of hero?"

I finally turned to face them, my voice calm but sharp. "You're here for supplies too, I assume? Or are you just wandering around being useless like always?"

Heather frowned. "Excuse me? You think you're better than us now?"

I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head slightly. "Never said I was. But when it comes to focused? Definitely. You should be too, instead of wandering around the store staring at yourselves in every reflective surface."

Olivia snorted. "Wow, you've always had a mouth on you. Still the same redhead we know."

"Of course. And a brain. Unlike certain people I know, I can use both at the same time. So, unless you're planning on actually getting something from this aisle, I suggest you move along," I replied.

I stepped past them, smirking faintly. "You can keep standing here, talking in circles. But I've got better things to do than listen to you two bozos fill air."

They didn't respond, just muttered under their breath and glared as I walked away. I kept my pace steady, refusing to look back. Some things weren't worth the energy, especially not today.

I continued searching for supplies, grabbing flashlights, duct tape, nails, anything that looked remotely useful. My arms were starting to ache by the time I spotted Erica a few aisles over.

I walked up to her and placed everything I'd collected into her cart.

"We need anything else?" I asked.

"If you see something useful, grab it. If not, keep moving." she said, barely glancing up.

We moved through a few more aisles together, adding more items to the cart, batteries, rope, gloves.

Then Erica spoke again.

"I still don't understand Max and my brother. Like... at all. She's smarter than that." She muttered.

I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Anyone who voluntarily signs up for Lucas Sinclair's nonsense is either incredibly patient or deeply confused."

I smirked. "That's... fair. But she knows what she's doing."

"If she knew what she was doing, she wouldn't be dating my brother." Erica replied.

Y/N shrugged lightly.

"Max doesn't do anything by accident. If she's with him, it's because she chose to be."

Erica scoffed, pushing a box further back on the shelf.

"Mm-hmm. Sure. Or she just hasn't upgraded yet."

She glanced sideways at me.

"No offense. My brother has a lot of... potential. It's just buried. Deep."

I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. "Wow. You really don't miss a chance to roast him, do you?"

Erica shrugged, completely unapologetic. "Why would I? He gives me fresh material every day."

I grinned, grabbing another item off the shelf. "I'll give you that. He does make it easy."

"He really does," she said, scanning the shelves. "I don't even have to try. I just observe."

"That sounds exhausting," I teased.

"Please. It's a public service," Erica replied. "Someone has to keep him humble."

I laughed under my breath, tossing another item into the cart. "You say that like he ever wasn't."

She shot me a look. "Exactly. Imagine how bad it'd be if I didn't."

I shook my head, still smiling, and we kept moving down the aisle, the tension easing just a little as the noise of the store filled the space between us.

We turned down another aisle and immediately froze.

Jason was standing there, talking to Nancy.

"Oh shit," I muttered. "Let's go."

We turned quickly, heading in the opposite direction, only to be blocked by two other basketball players. They weren't looking in our direction.

My chest tightened.

Erica and I backed up slowly, not saying a word, until we reached Steve and Robin. We exchanged tense looks, silently communicating everything at once. Moments later, Nancy rejoined us, her expression tight.

We didn't waste time after that.

After we paid for everything, we rushed out of the store and headed straight for the camper, piling inside as fast as possible.

"What happened?" Lucas asked.

"We gotta go!" Steve said quickly, sliding into the driver's seat.

"Your old friends are here," Erica told Lucas as she dropped into the seat beside him.

"Shit."

The camper door slammed shut, everyone scrambling for seats as Steve pulled out and drove off without hesitation.