come home ; WILL BYERS

70

I got outside of Joyce's car; once she parked at the school. Seeing hoppers car park behind, the kids coming out. Joyce went to the boot, getting out the kiddie pool we bought him for his birthday a few years ago. The four that came out of joyces car walked to hoppers, joyce gave dustin the kiddie pool.

"Okay, you two can go get the water hoses," he told nancy and mike, "me and johnathan are gonna get the salt, then the rest of you will fill the pool," he instructed us, we parted off into our groups. Me lucas and dustin went to the hall, unfolding the kiddie pool Joyce handed to dustin. Joyce walked to eleven and led her towards the school building, my group walked behind, heading off to the hall as they walked down the science corridors.

"Okay stretch it out," I said, and they pulled out, I grabbed on side, lucas stood on the right, dustin stood on my left as we pulled it out and placed it on the ground, folding inside.

"Son of a bitch," dustin yelled, picking up the pool.

"Wait, flip it out again," lucas told him as we pulled it out. "Now pull back and let go," he said, we pulled back and released, the pooling folding inside again.

"Shit!" Dustin yelled.

"You know what, hold it out and wait for them," I suggested, sitting on the ground holding the pool out.

"Got 'em" nancy said, carrying two water hoses in a wheelbarrow, as mike carried one on his shoulder. They walked to the pool, Nancy putting two hoses besides her, pulling them out as she walked to the taps at the end of the hall. Mike put the end of the hose he held over the pool, the water running through and hitting the plastic and slowly filling the area.

It began to fill halfway, hopper and johnathan came back, stacks of de icing salt: cutting them open with hoppers pocket knife, spilling the ice inside the water as it rose slightly. Lucas grabbed a thermometer from Mr.Clarke's science room - placing the glass tube in the water.

"Colder!" He yelled towards the corner if the hall, covering her right side of his mouth slightly to be heard more. Nancy followed Lucas' instructions and twisted the cold knob on, slight too much going in. "Warmer!" He yelled again to her, his voice cracking slightly. More water was pushed out of the tube whilst lucas measured the temperature of the water. He watched as the red line rise up, and slowly he raised his hand. "Right there!" He yelled, and the water stopped gushing through the hose; so did the salting.

"Right let's see if it's the right amount," dustin said getting egg from the canteen, taking an egg out looking towards Mike and Lucas that sat beside him. He hovered the egg the water, then placing it in the water; the egg sinking the bottom.

"Shit," I blurted out, hopper cut open another sack of ice, passing it to johnathan so he poured it inside the pool, hopper opened another sack and poured that inside. He opened around three more sacks before they stopped.

"Okay, try again," hopper told dustin, he nodded getting the egg carton again and putting the egg at his fingertips then carefully placed it in the water.

It floated.

We all sighed in relief, mike nudged his arm, lucas smiled and I rubbed my face.

"I'll go get joyce and el," I told everyone and walked out of the hall, looking through the science corridors, doing a double take when I caught a slight glimpse of them. I opened the door quietly and stood inside a bit. "Ready?" I asked, both of their heads turned to me. Eleven looked to joyce and back to me, nodding.

Joyce stood up, holding her elbow out for eleven, eleven linked her arm through and stood close by joyce as they walked behind me into the hall.