teenage tragedy (Max Mayfield)

2. seven

Cammie, Max, Dustin and Lucas were sat on the stairs leading into school at lunch, the four of them talking about one of their classes.

"We need to talk. AV room. Right now," Mike marched over the stairs and they all stood up. "Party members only," he clarified.

Max stared at him with an angry look on her face.

"Come on, Mike," Dustin tried.

"No! This is non-negotiable," Mike snapped.

"Mike-" Cammie tried.

Mike looked at Cammie and she knew exactly what this was about. Will and why he hadn't came into school.

"Fuck me," Cammie muttered.

She nodded, watching as Lucas and Dustin followed Mike inside. Cammie turned to Max and squeezed her arm.

"I'm so sorry, but you can't come with us for this," Cammie said.

"Why not?" Max asked. "Cammie, what's going on?" she said.

"Please trust me when I say that you really do not want to be involved in this. Please, trust me," Cammie said.

She didn't wait for Max's reply. She squeezed her arm again before turning and running to the AV club room to meet the boys.

"Will didn't want me to tell anyone, but on Halloween night he saw a sort of shadow in the sky," Mike said.

"A shadow? What kind of shadow?" Lucas stammered.

"I don't know. But it scared him. And if Will really has True Sight... I mean, if he can really see into the Upside Down, maybe he saw that shadow again yesterday," Mike said.

"So that's why he was frozen like that?" Dustin said.

"Maybe." Mike said.

"Can it hurt him?" Cammie asked.

"I mean, if this shadow thing isn't from our world..." Lucas said.

"I'm not sure. Dustin?" Mike said.

"Well, if you're in another plane, you can't interact with the material plane, so theoretically, no, the shadow can't hurt him," Dustin said.

"Yeah, if that's even what's happening. This isn't D&D. This is real life," Mike said.

"So, what do we do?" Lucas said.

"We acquire more knowledge. I'll go to Will's after school. See what's going on. You guys stay here and find Dart," Mike said.

"Dart? What's he gotta do with this?" Dustin said.

"Will heard him in the Upside Down. I don't know how yet, but he's gotta be connected to all this. He's gotta be. If we find Dart, maybe we can solve this thing. Maybe we can help Will," Mike said.

"I'm not looking for that monster," Cammie shook her head.

"You can come with me, then," he said. She nodded.

"Okay," she said.

"Hello? Will? Mrs Byers?" Mike knocked on Will's door again. He sighed and looked at Cammie. "Any chance you can magic the door open?" he said.

She didn't need to, as the door swung open and Joyce gave them a tired smile.

"Hi," Cammie said.

"Hey, guys," Joyce said.

"Is Will here?" Mike asked.

"You know what? Now is not a really good time," Joyce said.

"Is he okay?" Cammie asked. Joyce sighed.