Invisible- Stranger Things Fanfiction

Chapter Forty One: Eavesdropping

*Dustin's POV*
So, my mom was a little worried that I was out so late last night, but she ended up calming down when she knew I was seeing Mon. Even my mom knew Mon and I should've been together instead of her and that dude with a Deathmobile.
Anyway, the next morning, I tried to brace myself for the day ahead. Mon said they weren't dating, so at least they wouldn't be making out at our lockers. And at least she didn't ever use her locker; that way, even if they did start making out, it'd probably be at his locker. Does it even matter if they're not dating, or do they make out anyway? I don't know how high school relationships work.
  
   Stop. It'll be fine, I told myself. Everything will be fine.
As I grabbed my backpack off the couch, zipping up my jacket, I kept trying not to get all freaked out. Everything would be different today, and our party was slowly drifting apart, but it would all turn out fine, right? I kissed my mom goodbye, not even thinking to tell her I loved her before walking out, getting on my bike and thinking about everything on the ride to school.
No, you know what? I couldn't just focus my life around some girl. I needed a break from thinking about that. I observed everything around me. The snow was pretty much gone, despite how cold it was, and the trees were still totally bare. As I turned the corner, I noticed the tiny little cracks in the sidewalk. There weren't many, but I thought they made this place beautiful. Nothing's perfect, and this town was proof that perfect was boring.
   Vroom, vroom.
I was almost flattened by the huge motorbike which had just come zooming past, stopping at the light. I glared at the driver, only to see that there were two people on the bike.
   One with long, light brown hair.
The person in the back (they were both wearing helmets) turned their head away from me hesitantly, wrapping their arms more tightly around the driver as the two sped off again.
   That could be anyone, I told myself. Brown isn't exactly an uncommon hair color.
Plus, I knew nothing about motorcycles, so of course the two that I'd seen looked the same to me. I was for sure overthinking this, but soon after the bike zoomed past me, I'd forgotten all about it.  
   When I got to school, I was a little later than I had been recently. There were only about ten minutes until homeroom, so I just decided to hang out at my locker. The others' bikes were at the rack, so they were probably at one of our lockers as well.
"Dustin!" I heard as I walked through the school doors. Lucas, Max and El ran up to me, all looking incredibly anxious.
I eyed them with concern, but decided not to ask. "Hey, guys." I started to head to my locker, but they kept getting in front of me, blocking my way. "Okay, what the hell?"
El grabbed my hand and started dragging me in the opposite direction. "Come to the library with us," she insisted.
I tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but I think we all knew it was no use. "I would, but I have to get to my locker. And you're all being much weirder than usual, so..."
Lucas shook his head with a nervous laugh. "Dude, just come on. Max can get your books for you, she knows your locker combination."
I looked at her in shock. "Okay, we're having a discussion about that later. Why are you all being so-"
"Don't ask us to explain, Dustin, please," Max cut in. "Just... just come with us. Will's in the library."
"Where's Mike?"
"Lookout."
"El!" Lucas and Max hissed at once, to which the telekinetic girl simply shrugged.
Now I was getting a bit more concerned. "Guys... why's Mike a lookout? And what's going on at my locker? My birthday's not until-"
"We know," Lucas interrupted. "We just, um... We- Will wants to show us a book about... about... about plants!"
"That's bullshit."
"No, it's not!" Max insisted. "He's recently gotten really into botany. You know, plants and all that shit."
I rolled my eyes. "I know what botany is. I also know when you guys are hiding something."
"Just come with us, damn it!" El finally exclaimed.
   Light bulb.
"Alright," I said defeatedly. "I'll go with you, but- wait, wait." I looked off into the distance, hesitantly pointing a finger in that direction. "What the hell is-?"
When the three of them turned their heads, I bolted to my locker. Soon, they realize what had happened and were chasing after me, calling my name. Mike eventually joined the mob, running out of breath as they all took a break by the water fountains. Soon I'm assuming they all gave up, because I heard their footsteps getting farther and farther away. Morons.
   Well, you're probably expecting what was at my locker, but I sure as hell wasn't. I'm not sure why, though, because everything has been pretty predictable so far.
   "It's not like you're their property."
   Liam and Mon were talking, and they both seemed a little agitated. Not at each other, just in general. I turned a corner as to stay out of sight, but kept listening.
   "I know," Mon replied. "But they're my friends, and I-"
   "Friends who pretended you didn't exist all through middle school?"
   Mon sighed. "They weren't pretending, they actually forgot."
   "Oh, please," Liam scoffed. "How do you just forget a person? Especially someone as amazing as you. Who could ever forget you?"
   What a line.
   "You think they were just pretending not to know me?"
   "I mean, yeah," he said. "Maybe not all of them. The girls couldn't possibly have known who you were, so they couldn't pretend you didn't exist. The boys, though..."
   I heard a little cough come from Mon. She was trying to make an excuse to wipe her face, masking the tear that presumably was forming in her eye. "Will wouldn't do that. And Dustin, he- well, he would, but he barely knew who I was back then."

   He would?

   She thinks I'd do something like that? The guys wouldn't do that either. They loved her! Without her, they probably would never have spoken to a girl our age until El came along.
   Although, it is sort of strange that we would all just forget her. I mean, I'd just gotten here when she started distancing herself from the party (because of me, despite what she says), but the rest of the guys? They had no excuse. They all seemed uneasy around her when we hung out together for the first time this summer, but I didn't realize it until now. Not uneasy because she was new. Uneasy because she wasn't.
   "Hey, don't worry about it, okay?" Liam's voice was now reassuring and calm. "If they're meant to stay in your life, they will. They came back to you this summer, right?"
   "You're right," Mon replied with a sigh. "But, I mean, if we all drift apart, maybe it would be for the best. I'm used to being on my own. It was just easier that way, and it was probably easier for them when I wasn't around."
   "Hey, don't say that."
   Riiiiiing!
   "That's first bell. Better get to class."
   "Okay. See you, Mon."

   That's my name for her.
  
   I didn't have much time to dwell on this before Steve's sister walked right past me, totally oblivious to my presence. The irony.
   I stood there a moment before going to homeroom, contemplating the conversation on which I'd just eavesdropped. My friends definitely knew all this time that Steve had a younger sister, and just acted as if they didn't. I'd see most of the party later on today, but the girls shouldn't be privy to what I had to say to the guys. I needed to call a Party meeting with Mike, Will, and Lucas after school. Those dipshits had some serious explaining to do.