LACUNA | WILL BYERS ¹ ✔

Holly, Jolly [Pt.2 - FINAL PART]

(a/n: I'm sorry this is so short I just sometimes stop the previous chapter at the wrong time lol)

After school, Mike told us that El is waiting behind the house, by the power lines, I believe.

My face is now red, and Mike has a scab on his chin.

Douche of the century, I'm telling you.

We walked our bikes and saw El.

"El!" We got closer to her. She looked... scared?

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded.

"Hop on," Mike said, "We only have a few hours." She hopped on Mike's bike and we all rode off.

A few minutes later, El spoke up. "Why did they hurt you?"

"What?" Mike replied. She pointed to his chin.

"Oh... t-that... uh... I just fell... at recess."

"Mike."

"Yeah?"

"Friends tell the truth."

Mike sighed. "I was tripped by this mouth breather Troy, okay?"

"Mouth breather?"

"Yeah, you know, a dumb person. A knucklehead."

"Knucklehead?"

"I don't know why I just didn't tell you. Everyone at school knows. I just didn't want you to think I was such a wastoid, you know?"

"Mike..."

"Yeah?"

"I understand."

"Oh, okay. Cool."

We just kept biking on.

-Later-

It was now dark. Great.

Wait... El led us to Will's house? What?

"Here," She said, looking at us.

"Yeah, this is where Will lives..."

"Hiding." She said.

"No, no, this is where he lives. He's missing from here, understand?"

"What are we doing here?" Lucas said.

"She said he's hiding here," Mike replied.

"Um... no!" He replied.

"I swear, if we walked all the way out here for nothing--" Dustin started.

"That's exactly what we did! I told you she didn't know what the hell she was talking about!"

"Why did you bring us here?" Mike asked her.

She just stammered and stuttered, but no words came out.

"Mike, don't waste your time with her."

"What do you wanna do then?"

"Call the cops, like we should've done yesterday!"

"We are NOT calling the cops!"

"Hey, guys?" I said.

"What other choice do we have?"

"GUYS!" Dustin shouted.

We heard sirens approaching, and my heart started racing.

Oh, Lord.

"Will..." Mike said.

We zoomed unto our bikes and sped, following the sirens.

My heart was racing the whole way through.

Oh Will... please be all right...

We followed them until they stopped at Sattler's Quarry.

We jumped off our bikes and piled at the back of one of the firetrucks.

They pulled a dead, drowned, body.... in WILL'S clothes... out of the water... onto the stretcher.

"No..." I said, tears brimming at my eyes. "No. No!"

"It's not Will. It can't be." Mike said.

"No, no, no!"

"It's Will. It's really Will." Lucas said, sadly.

Now I started bursting into sobs and a crying mess.

"No! It can't be! It can't be Will!" I said, crying into my hands.

Dustin embraced me in a hug, comforting me.

"It can't be! It can't be Will!" I cried.

"Mike..." El said, putting her hand on Mike's shoulder, but he slapped it away.

"Mike? Mike, what? You were supposed to help us find him alive! You said he was alive! Why did you lie to us?! What's wrong with you? What is wrong with you?!" He yelled.

"Mike--"

"What?" He started running off on his bike.

"Mike, com on, don't do this, man," Lucas called, in tears. "Mike..."

"Mike, where are you going? Mike!" Dustin said, in tears.

I was sobbing uncontrollably, so I couldn't pay attention to what anyone else was saying.

"Mike!" Lucas called.

"Will," I cried, falling to my knees. I can't believe that he's gone...

My best friend... my crush... what was I gonna do without him?

I couldn't take this anymore.

I jumped on my bike and headed home, while the others were in shock.

I walked in my house, my eyes blurry, and I started crying some more as my mom saw me in my state.

"Oh, my gosh, baby, I'm so sorry..." She said, holding me.

"What's going on?" My brother, Kyle asked.

I cried uncontrollably again, I couldn't stop. "Mom... he's gone! Will's dead! He's dead, Mom! I saw him!" I cried, hugging her tighter.