FIXATION

FOURTEEN

FOURTEEN: BILLY
november 5th, 1984

"I can't believe it's really you, I called you every day for"-

"Three hundred and fifty-three days. I heard you, every day."

Things seem to move much quicker the second the young Jedi decides to grace the group with her presence. The reunion is sweet. All the kids hug - except for Max who Eleven doesn't seem to like too much - and when she finally comes face to face with the hero she introduces herself.

"I'm Rosalie. I've heard a lot about you. Thank you so much for saving us," she tells the young girl who looks at the blood stains on her hands, the flannel with mismatched buttons and the lack of sleep in her eye.

Nonetheless it warms Rosalie's heart when Eleven grins up at her and nods, "pretty." And after that goes to check on Will.

The third part of the plan shortly goes into play. Will is going with Nancy, Joyce and Jonathan. They're going to Hopper's place in the woods to sweat the Mind Flayer out of Will's body. It didn't sound like a pleasant trip. Hopper and Eleven would go back to the lab and the second Will became Flayer-Free Eleven would close the gate. Rosalie's job was to stay with the kids and Steve, to make sure they stayed out of trouble. Seemed easy enough, until Mike came up with the great idea to burn down the tunnels.

Rosalie paused from the sip of water she was about to take. She coughed up the liquid, "you want us to what?!"

Mike groaned with frustration, "look, El can't get to the gate because that place is swarming with dogs. If we cause a distraction"-

Dustin snaps his fingers, "then it'll be a straight shot to close the gate for El."

The kids began conversing with one another and just as Rosalie was going to jump in and ask where Steve's keys were he interrupted them. "Hey, hey hey, slow down! We're benched, okay? We have to do what's best for the team and that means we stay benched, got it?" He looks across each of the kid's eyes for clarification but is met with utter confusion.

"Uh, Steve this isn't a sports game," Rosalie reminds me, rubbing his shoulders then steps to stand in front of him, "plus, you know, they might have a point."

He stares at her like she's speaking an alien language, "they have a point? Rose, no. We need to be on the same team it's us versus them," he turns her away so their backs are to the kids who begin to plot their rescue mission. "Look if they know we're not on the same page then they're gonna try to take us down."

Rosalie scoffs and crosses her arms, "steve, they're kids not little spies"-

"Uh.. guys, we've got a problem," Dustin mutters from the front of the living room, his eyes staying on the drive way that now seems brighter than before. A pair of headlights shines on the door.

"Not now, shit head we're in the middle of"-

"Steve, who's car is that?" Rosalie whispers squinting through the blinds, hoping to see past the high beams that shine into the house. She goes over to the window, standing beside Max who is also peaking through the blinds to whimper.

"Oh no, it's my brother. Billy."

Her eyes almost shoot out of her head, "your brother is Billy!?"