𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 -- s. harrington

→ thirty-five.

MAX PEERED THROUGH the binoculars, spying on her older brother as her friends stood in a line on either side of her. "I don't know. He looks pretty normal to me," she said and lowered the binoculars, glancing over at Lucas.

          "Normal? How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" Lucas questioned and looked over at his girlfriend.

          "I mean, it's a little weird," Max agreed and shrugged her shoulders, scrunching up her face as she watched her brother.

          "More than a little," Mike added. "He was in a tub with ice. The Mind Flayer likes it cold."

          "It's the middle of summer, even I would enjoy a nice ice bath," Valorie pointed out and shrugged her shoulders, looking to her right at Mike.

          "Plus everything else—" Mike began but was quickly cut off by Max.

          "But he's lounging at the pool," the redhead said and furrowed her eyebrows. "Which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever."

          "Not necessarily," Will spoke up, causing all of the other preteens to look over in his direction. "The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me," he explained and swallowed a lump in his throat, his eyes shooting over to Valorie who placed a comforting hand on his back. "It's like... like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you," he looked at Billy, "you're activated."

          Max looked back at her brother, her eyes narrowing. "Okay, so we just... wait until he gets activated," she said and nodded her head.

          "No. What if he hurts someone?" Mike asked and looked over at Max, causing her to look over at him.

          "Or kills someone," Will and Valorie said in unison, glancing at one another once the same words left their mouths. They looked back at their group of friends and Valorie cleared her throat, forcing Mike to speak.

          "We can't take that chance," the Wheeler boy said and looked over at Billy. "We need to find out if he's the host," he added and then pushed away from the car they were standing by. He walked behind his friends and headed down toward the pool.

          "Where are you going?" Eleven questioned and stood up straight, her eyes following Mike as he walked away.

          "I have an idea. Boys only," Mike answered, waving his hand at the boys as a signal to follow him.

          "Seriously?" Max questioned, frustration evident in the young girl's voice as she watched the three boys walk away from them.

          "Just trust me on this one," Mike said and flashed a smile at the three girls before turning around and jogging away with Will and Lucas.

          Valorie huffed out a sigh and folded her arms over her chest, turning toward her girls. "I've said it once and I'll say it again," she began and cleared her throat. "I'm going to kill those boys."

* * * *

Erica flicked on the flashlight and pointed it into the tiny vent, furrowing her eyebrows as she stared down the space. "Hmm..." she hummed and then climbed down over the ladder, flicking off the flashlight as she turned around. "Yeah, I don't know."

          "You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asked and glanced up at the vent before looking back down at the girl.

          "Oh, I can fit," Erica stated matter-of-factly. "I just don't know if I want to."

          "Are you claustrophobic?" Robin questioned.