Invisible- Stranger Things Fanfiction

Chapter Eleven: The Second Sleepover

   Miraculously, Dustin and I got back into the house without Steve noticing. We heard him laughing in the backyard, everyone else's voices laughing along. I assumed they were playing football again or something. I quickly ushered Dustin through the yard, stopping below my window.
   "We have to get back up there," I whispered simply. "Steve probably thinks I'm sleeping."
   It was dark now, so we didn't have to worry about anyone seeing us. We just had to be really quiet.
   Dustin looked at me like I was crazy. "Have you lost your shit? How the hell are we supposed to get up there?"
   I looked around the yard, desperate for something to help us. "I guess we'll just have to climb up. Cup your hands together."
   Dustin did as he was told, hoisting me up to I could grab the drain pipe below my window. I held on for dear life, swinging my leg over and trying not to die. "Grab my hand," I said, extending my arm as far as it would go.
   Dustin looked at me, then at the front door. He turned the knob and opened it. "I'm going this way."
That little shit.
   Realizing there was no going back, I started climbing up the roof to my bedroom window. The running footsteps of Dustin could be heard from outside, and he soon appeared at the windowsill, ready to pull me through. I took his hand and he brought be back inside.
   Except it didn't go as smoothly as I just explained it. The pulling killed my already-injured arm, and my stomach was sore and scraped from the roof shingles that had lifted up my shirt. When Dustin pulled me through, my arm was trembling, and I wasn't exactly sure how to stand up, so I went through the window head-first, forcing Dustin to catch me by the shoulders so I didn't faceplant on my carpet.
   "You okay?" he asked with a goofy smile.  
   I laughed in relief, surprised Steve hadn't caught us after all of the ruckus I was probably making. "I'm fine," I sighed. I then threw a book at him before rushing to get under the covers. "Quick, pretend you've been reading for hours."
Dustin sat down, then gave me a look. "American Girl?" he asked, reading the title.
Thump, thump, thump.
"Shit, that's Steve," I said, lying down and pretending to be asleep.
Sure enough, I heard the door open and my brother's soft laugh. "Poor kid, she's exhausted," he said, closing the door carefully behind him.
I fluttered my eyelashes and pretended to wake up. "Steve?" I asked, feigning grogginess.
Steve sat on the end of my bed. "How are you holdin' up, kiddo?"
"I'm fine."
Steve smiled at the curly-haired boy in my chair. "You've been looking after her all this time?"
Dustin nodded. "I can honestly say I have." He exchanged a knowing look with me, making me roll my eyes.
"Steve," I said, sitting up and bringing both of their attention back to me. "When can we start strategi-"
"No, no, no, Nikki," Steve cut me off. "You've gotten injured by this thing enough for a lifetime. From here on out, I don't want you involved in this monster hunting, okay?"
"But Steve-"
"We need her," Dustin said, coming to my aid. "Honestly, we're all shit fighters, and we can never have too many contributors to the party."
Steve shook his head. "No. No, I have to put my foot down. Your safety is my priority, Nik."
"I'd rather risk my safety than all of your lives," I replied. "Steve, let's face it. I figured out that pepper spray hurts the Displacer. I was the one that was able to at least injure it. You guys need me. And I need you."
My older brother seemed to be torn. He got up and began pacing the room. "Nikki, you are a valuable member to the team, that's for damn sure... I don't know, though. I can't risk losing you, Nik."
Dustin stood up and walked to Steve. "Dude, she's the best chance- the only chance- we have of taking that son of a bitch down."
"But-"
"I know, Steve, you're worried about her. Believe me, I am too." He looked at me, but I just huffed in response.
"You do realize I'm right here, don't you?" I put my hands on my hips to further portray my annoyance (as if they hadn't picked up on it already).
Steve turned to me, sitting back down on my bed. "Nik, you realize how dangerous this is, right? Even for someone who hadn't just been injured-"
I put my hand on his arm. "Steve."
"Yeah, Nik?"
"I can do this." I looked him dead in the eyes, making him sure that I wasn't about to back down.
That seemed to be all that it took. "Fine. But if you get so much as a scratch-"
"She won't," Dustin insisted. "I'll make sure of it."
Steve finally nodded, kissing my forehead before standing up to leave. "We start tomorrow. For tonight, I think we all need to rest."
As soon as the door was ajar, I got up and smacked Dustin upside the head. "I don't need your protection, dumbass."
"Well, if I hadn't assured Steve of your safety, he wouldn't be letting you help us anymore. And neither of us want that, do we?"
I kicked my bed in frustration. "You're a real pain in the ass sometimes, Henderson, you know that?"
"Well, you're no angel yourself, Little Miss Kick-Your-Ass."
"I will kick your ass-"
"You can't kick your boyfriend's ass-"
"I can and I will-"
"Boyfriend?" Mike Wheeler stood in the doorway, a smug smirk plastered on his face.
Dustin sighed. "Yeah, Mike, boyfriend," he replied.
"You guys are... dating?" We both nodded. "Don't you think you're rushing it, just a bit?"
I scoffed. "Oh I'm sorry, Mr. Kisses-El-Right-After-He-Meets-Her-Because-She's-Pretty. Are we moving too fast for you?"
Dustin chuckled as Mike flushed red. "Dustin, you shithead, you told her about that?"
"Actually, it was Will, but that wasn't my point," I muttered. "So what are you guys all doing now?"
   Mike started back out the door. "Steve said we should all sleep over here. I'm going back to get some clothes from my place. Do you guys have any sleeping bags?"
   I nodded. "Yeah, they're all in the garage. Why don't I go with you and help you get stuff from your place?"
   "I don't need your-"
   "Come on, Wheeler." I grabbed his wrist and left the house, leaving a very confused Dustin behind. "We have to talk," I said once we were outside, walking towards Mike's house.
   Mike furrowed his brow. "About what?"
   "About Dustin," I replied.
   "You're asking me for advice? Seriously, Nikki?"
   "No, dipshit." I smacked his arm. "Look: he thinks he has to protect me from this Spider-Cat thing-"
   "Displacer Beast," Mike corrected.
   I took a breath, trying to be patient with this boy who used to be my best friend. "Right, Displacer Beast. Now, Dustin thinks that just because he's my boyfriend now (laugh one more time and I'll gut you like a damn fish, Wheeler), that he's somehow responsible for me. No. I can take care of myself, and I don't want him to try to protect me. We're all in enough danger without him trying to protect me."
   Mike opened the door to his house. "And you're telling me this because?"
   "Damn it, Mike, have you really gotten this stupid?" I huffed in frustration.
   "Language!" Mr. Wheeler called monotonously from the living room, making me and Mike roll our eyes.
   Mrs. Wheeler came to the foyer as Mike and I tried to go upstairs. "Mike, sweetie, who's your-  No. Little Nikki Harrington?"
   I grimaced as Mike smirked at me. "Hey, Mrs. Wheeler. Good to see you."
   Mrs. Wheeler rushed over and pushed Mike aside to hug me, almost sending her middle child tumbling down the first few steps. "Oh, honey, it's been years! We've missed you around here."
How the hell is it that she remembered me and Mike didn't?
   "Yeah, um... actually, Mrs. Wheeler, Mike and the rest of the party are staying at my place tonight. Steve's invited them all over," I explained. "I'm just here to help Mike bring his stuff over."
   "Well, aren't you sweet." Mrs. Wheeler turned her back to me to talk to Mike. I took this opportunity to stick my tongue out at him. "Mike, you make sure you behave yourself."
   "Alright, Mom," Mike said, already agitated with his mother.
   Mrs. Wheeler turned back to me and smiled. "Good to see you, Nikki."
   I smiled back. "You, too, ma'am." With that, Mike and I bounded up the stairs. I shut the door to his room and spoke again: "Alright, we need a plan."
   "A plan for what, exactly?"
   I rolled my eyes at his cluelessness. "To make sure we take down this Displacer son of a bitch."
   "And make sure Dustin doesn't get hurt trying to save you?" Mike clarified.
   I nodded. Boyfriend or not, Dustin was the first friend I'd had in a long time, and as much as I loved everyone else in the party, keeping him safe was one of my top priorities. "So here's what we'll do..."