Crush Culture [M.Wheeler]

[04] YOU'RE OUR FRIEND

"Oh, this is weird." Dustin comments as he, Lucas, and Nori take their seats in class. "He's never this late."

"I'm telling you, his stupid plan failed." Lucas says lowly.

"I thought you liked his plan?" Dustin says.

"Yeah, but obviously it was stupid, or he'd be here." He argues.

"If his mom found out a girl spent the night—"

"He's in deep shit right about now." Lucas finishes.

"I've slept at his house before. I'm a girl." Nori points out, causing the two boys to turn around from their seats and look to her.

"Sure, but Mrs. Wheeler likes you. And she knows you. She wouldn't let a random psycho sleep in her home." Lucas explains.

"Hey, what if she slept naked?" Dustin whispers, eyes wide.

"Oh, my God, She didn't." Lucas rolls his eyes at his friend's nonsense.

"Oh, if Mrs. Wheeler tells my parents..." Dustin trails off worriedly.

"No way. Mike would never rat us out." Lucas shakes his head.

"I don't know." Dustin groans.

"All that matters is, after school, the freak will be back in the loony bin, and we can focus on what really matters, finding Will." Lucas says, lightly tapping his desk.

"Finding will." Nori mumbles, nodding.

***

"Are you out of your mind?" Lucas asks in disbelief as they look to the girl sitting on Mike's bed.

"Just listen to me." Mike cuts in.

"You are out of your mind!"

"She knows about Will." Mike says.

"What do you mean she knows about Will?" Dustin asks. Mike lets out a sigh, walking to a photo of the boys at the science fair.

"She pointed at him, at his picture. She knew he was missing. I could tell."  He explains.

"Yeah, well there's missing posters all over for him. Maybe she saw those." Nori suggests.

"You could tell."

Lucas squints his eyes.

"Just think about it. Do you really think it was a coincidence that we found her on Mirkwood, the same place where Will disappeared?" Mike argues, continuing to prove his point.

"That is weird." Dustin agrees.

"And she said bad people were after her." The boy adds, causing their expressions to quickly change. "I think maybe these bad people are the same ones that took Will."

"I think she knows what happened to him." Mike finishes.

"Then why doesn't she tell us?" Lucas asks, then turns to face the girl.