𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐭

x. PRETTY.. GOOD

  

     Charles stared at the drawings sitting on his lap. He looks at them all, flipping through them. He felt tears well up again, but for some reason he felt like deep down it wasn't true, that Will was still out there. That Will was still alive. Then he left his bedroom, heading downstairs.

     He walks into the kitchen, he spots his mom stressing over her work. He pours a cup of coffee, adding two teaspoons of sugar then mixed in a bit of cream. He walks over, setting the cup down beside her work, "here, mom." He says, sitting down beside her and pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

    "Thanks, sweetheart." She said with a small smile, knowing this was just how he was. "No problem." He said before he starts eating his cereal, staring out the window. The two sat in silence, she drank her coffee and did her work while Charles enjoyed his cereal before putting his bowl away.

     When the doorbell rang, he raised his hand, "I'll get it." He quickly said to her before running over to the door. "Hey, man. Mike wants us to go to his place." Lucas panted, holding his chest as he stood side by side with Dustin. Charles sighs, "fine.. I'll go get my backpack and jacket, come on in." He said before he is rushing up the stairs.

     As he ran into his bedroom, he quickly grabs his backpack and jacket before running down the stairs and the other set of stairs. "Mom! I'm gonna be heading out to Mike's! If you need anything, call the Wheeler's home phone!" He calls out and Sarah Dumont just smiled to herself.

     At Mike's, the four boys all sat in front of the girl who had a radio in his hands where there were indistinct noises, whimpering. "We keep losing the signal, but you heard it, right?" Mike asked as he looks at Lucas and Charles.

     "Yeah. I heard a baby." Lucas said, not impressed. "What?" Mike asked with confusion. "Mike, you obviously tapped into a baby monitor." Lucas said as Charles looks over at Eleven.

     "It's probably the Blackburns' next door." Charles said with a slight shrug as he looks at Mike. "Uh, did that sound like a baby to you?" Mike asked them in disbelief. "That was Will!"

     Lucas rolled his eyes, "Mike.."

     "Lucas, you don't understand. He spoke last night. Words! He was singing that weird song he loves." When Mike said this, Charles looked at him right away. "Even El heard him!" He adds.

    "Oh, well, if the weirdo heard him, then I guess—" "Was it Should I Stay or Should I Go by the Clash?" Charles asked Mike, cutting off Lucas who looks at him. "I guess," Mike said right away as Charles looks at Eleven again. "Are you sure you're on the right channel?" Dustin asked Mike next who looked at the radio in Eleven's hands.

    "I don't think it's about that. I think, somehow, she's channeling him." Mike said as Lucas gave him a confused look. "Like.. like Professor X." Dustin said and Mike nods. "Yeah." He smiled.

     "Are you two actually believing this crap?" Lucas asked both Dustin and Charles who he looks at. "I don't know, I mean.." Dustin says. "Do you remember when Will fell off his bike and broke his finger?" He suddenly asked as he looks at Lucas. "Oh, yeah.. He sounded a lot like that." Charles said as he looks at Dustin then over at Eleven.

     "Did you guys not see what I saw?" Lucas asked, looking at Mike, Dustin then Charles. "They pulled Will's body out of the water." He said then looked at Mike. "He's dead!" He said loudly and Charles gulped, looking down. "Well, maybe it's his ghost. Maybe he's haunting us." Dustin said.

     "It's not his ghost."

     "Then how do you know that?"

     "I just do."

     "Then what was in that water?"

     "I don't know!"

      "All I know is Will is alive. Will is alive!" Mike exclaimed and Charles sighed. "T-This morning I did get this feeling.. t-that he wasn't dead.." Charles said as he looks at Mike then Lucas.

     "Yeah! He's out there somewhere. All we have to do is find him." Mike furthered his argument as he looks at Lucas. Mike looked at the radio in Eleven's hands again, as the girl continued to try and do what Mike supposedly said she had done.

      "This isn't gonna work. We need to get El to a stronger radio." Mike says and Dustin smiled right away. "Mr. Clarke's Heathkit ham shack." The curly haired boy said and Mike smiled again, nodding. "Yeah." He said and Charles sighs. "The heathkit's at school." Charles reminds them.

     "There is no way we're gonna get the weirdo in there without anyone noticing. I mean.. look at her." Lucas said and so they all look to the girl who looked up at them, sort of confused.

    And so, Mike took Eleven upstairs to put make up on her, as in Nancy's make up on her. The other three boys stay downstairs, looking through boxes and boxes for an outfit for her.

     Lucas unfolds a dress and Charles smiled, raising his thumbs at the boy. Lucas holds the dress to his body to show them and Charles chuckled before he looks at Dustin who put a wig ontop of his curls. He smiled proudly over his find. Charles also gave him two thumbs up and wide smile.

     Upstairs, the boys wait for Eleven who exits Nancy's room, in the dress and the wig. "Wow." Dustin said as Charles smiled at Eleven. "She looks—" "Pretty." Mike finished for Dustin and Charles smirked at him as Eleven smiled slightly. "Good. You look pretty good." Mike covered up and Charles rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

    The girl walks all around them, over to the mirror, Mike following her and standing near. "Pretty." She says with a small smile at her reflection, at her new outfit. "Good.." She added and Charles frowned at that because her smile went away.

     

      

      

       

       

authors note el is so cute aw