𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙨│𝘴.𝘵

˙ǝǝɹɥʇ ɹǝʇdɐɥɔ

"is there a number we can call for your parents?" mike says, the thunder rumbles so loud outside it shakes the house. "Where's your hair? Do you have cancer?" dustin says, i look at him weird. "Did you run away?" lucas says. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" i say, worrying for her. "Is that blood?" lucas says, reaching towards her.

"Stop it! You're freaking her out!" mike says, to which lucas replies, "She's freaking me out!" then dustin decides to chime in with "I bet she's deaf." he proceeds to clap his hands in front of her face, "Not deaf." he says. "All right, that's enough, all right? She's just scared and cold." mike says, getting defensive of her for some reason. The thunder claps outside, scaring her. "Here, these are clean. Okay?" mike hands her some clothes.

She stands up, and reaches to the bottom of the shirt to take her clothes off, "No, no, no!" the boys yell, and cover their eyes. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God." dustin says, i just try to hold in my laugh. "See over there? That's the bathroom. Privacy. Get it?" mike says, pointing towards the bathroom. Mike and the girl go towards the bathroom, and me, lucas and dustin are all so confused.

"This is mental." dustin says, and i nod my head in agreement. "At least she can talk." mike says. "She said "no" and "yes." Your three-year-old sister says more." i argue. "She tried to get naked." dustin says, as if hes still petrified. "There's something seriously wrong with her. Like, wrong in the head." lucas says, i agree. "She just went like..." dustin tries to copy the process of her taking her clothes off, and knocks his hat off of his head in the attempt. "I bet she escaped from Pennhurst." lucas says. "From where?' mike asks. "The nuthouse in Kerley County." i answer, liking lucas' theory. "You got a lot of family there?" dustin asks lucas, i give him a glare, and lucas says, "Bite me."

"Seriously though, think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy." lucas continues. "Why she went like..." dustin wont let it go, and i roll my eyes. "She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho." i join the conversation. "Like Michael Myers." dustin says, weird comparison, but yeah, i guess. "Exactly! We should've never brought her here." lucas says. "So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?" mike says. I nod, mike doesn't like that. "Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem." lucas says. "I think we should tell your mom." i say. "I second that." lucas says, and dustin nods. "Who's crazy now?" mike says. "How is that crazy?" i ask mike.

"'Cause, we weren't supposed to be out tonight, remember?" mike says, looking at all of us. "So?" lucas says. "So if I tell my mom, and she tells your mom and your mom and yours..." mike says. "Oh, man." dustin says. "Our houses become Alcatraz." lucas says. "Shit." i say. "Exactly. We'll never find Will." mike says. We all look at eachother and dustin does the her-taking-of-her-clothes thing again. "All right, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight." mike starts, but is cut off by dustin, "You're letting a girl—" i raise my eyebrows, "Just listen! In the morning, she sneaks around my house, goes to the front door and rings my doorbell. My mom will answer and know exactly what to do. She'll send her back to Pennhurst or wherever she comes from. We'll be totally in the clear! And tomorrow night, we go back out. And this time, we find Will." he says.

Next thing i know, me, lucas and dustin are leaving mikes house. "You really think she's psycho?" dustin asks. "Wouldn't want her in my house." lucas answers. Dustin sighs. "Mental." he says. We exit mikes house and lucas and dustin get on their bikes. i'm about to get on mine before i hear a noise behind me, and see steve climbing out of nancy's window. I sigh and look at lucas and dustin, who are staring at steve with their mouths agape.

They look at me and try not to laugh. I just stand there, hoping the moon isn't bright enough to show how red my face is. how embarrassing that my older brother is banging mikes older sister, and two of my friends just saw it. Once steve jumps down from her window and notices us, dustin and lucas ride away. And i just stand there looking at him. He sighs and looks down and starts walking towards me.