[𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘𝗚𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗗]

AT HOPPERS CABIN, THE THREE TEEN girls were in eleven's room, playing music. max was pacing around the room while singing and eleven was looking through magazines.

"oh, you found ralph macchio," max said as she saw what eleven was looking at. "macchio?" el asked, smiling. "yeah, he's the karate kid." sage told her with a smile.

"hai-yah!" max did a chopping motion with her hand and laughs. "he's so hot, right? i bet he's an amazing kisser, too."

eleven looked at max like she was insane.

"hey, uh . . ." max started, sitting on the bed in front of el. "is mike a good kisser?"

"ew, let's not talk about my brother being a good kisser or not," sage commented and gaged. "i don't know," eleven replied to max, chuckling at sage's comment. "he's my first boyfriend."

"ex-boyfriend." max corrected.

eleven looked at her and frowned a little. "hey, don't worry about it. okay?" max tries cheering the hopper teen up. "he'll come crawling back to you in no time for forgiveness." sage added.

"i guarantee you, him and lucas are, like, totally wallowing in self-pity and misery right now. they're like, "oh, i hope they take us back," " max mocked making the girls laugh.

wait they? did max break up with lucas? sage though to herself.

"god, what i wouldn't give to see their stupid faces," max said.

eleven looked down at the bed for a second then looked over at sage, getting an idea.

"what is it?" max asked, seeing the wheeler twin and hopper teen looking at each other with grins.

"we have an idea," sage told her then turned the music off with her mind, changing it to radio static, and getting off the bed. max smiled as eleven handed sage a blindfold. "is this really gonna work?" max asked the girls, sitting on the bed, and watching them put on their blindfolds.

eleven nods then takes ahold of sage's hand, holding it tightly.

"holy shit, this is insane." max said with an exciting smile. "max," sage said sternly. "yeah, quiet. i'm sorry." the red-head apologizes.

the two teen girls begin to focus, holding each other's hands tightly. they let out deep breathes as distorted voices were heard.

"what's wrong with me? what did i do wrong?" mike asked. "nothing," lucas replied.

the static stops and the two teen girls are in the void, looking in front of them to see the boys.

"what did i do wrong? what could i have done wrong?"

"do i have to go through this again?"

"we see them," eleven says to max from outside of the void. "what are they doing?" max asked, getting off the bed and kneeling next to sage.

"eating — like always." sage told her as she watched her twin brother eat chips. "i just don't understand what i did to deserve this," mike whined. sage rolled her eyes as her and eleven walk forward to hear better on what the boys are saying. "nothing. nothing. that's my whole point." lucas reassured his best friend.

"you are the victim here,"

"i know. it's just, why is she treating me this way? i don't know —"

"mike —" lucas sighed, hands over his face.

"god, this kid is a dumbass." sage whispered, shaking her head. "what did i do wrong?" mike asked lucas, seeing his disappointment face.

"what did i do wrong?!" mike repeated. "mike, stop." lucas told him, crossing mike's feet. "relax. just relax. okay? stop asking rational questions."

"i know, i know, you're right, you're right," mike said. "yeah." lucas said. "because women act on emotion and not logic," mike stated.

"oh he did not," sage began and went to march up to her brother, but eleven held her back. "precisely," lucas agreed. "it's a totally different species."

"they say we are "species"." eleven says to max.

"what?" the mayfield teen asks. "mike said us women act on emotion and not logic," sage added in, completely pissed off. "what?" max scoffed.

"guys, it's ready," will declares, motioning to the dnd game. "will, not now," mike said. "they broke up with you. what else is there to talk about?" will asked him. "tons." lucas said to him.

sage looked at will then saw he was wearing the bracelet she got him. she smiled softly.

"yeah, we're trying to solve the great mystery of the female species," mike said before letting out a burp. sage and eleven cringe in disgust.

"i'm disappointed to be considered his twin," sage mumbled to herself as mike laughs. "dude, you can smell the nacho cheese."

"i got that beat." lucas said. "oh god, el, we out." sage told the hopper teen. "what?" el asks the wheeler teen at the same time mike asks. "oh, no." will says, knowing what's gonna happen.

"no, lucas, no."

"no!"

lucas slightly raises his leg and farts loudly.

sage immediately takes her blindfold off along with eleven, and let's out a deep breath.

"what? what happened?" max asked the two before eleven began laughing. "what . . . what? what happened?"

sage looks down at eleven and can't help but chuckle at her laughing state. a car approaching was then heard outside and the girls turn the music back on, grabbing magazines. sage jumped on the bed as max and eleven lay on the floor.

the door slams shut as a drunk jim hopper listens to the music, assuming mike was here.

"hey!" the adult calls out. "hey! when i say three inches, three —" hopper stomps to the door and slams it open, seeing the three teen girls.

"do you knock? jeez!" max said. "yeah! jeez!" eleven said after her. "hey, hop," sage said with a smile as the adult tries processing what's going on. "oh, hey. i'm sorry. i thought that, uh —"

"mike's not here." sage told the adult. "max and sage wanted to have . . . a sleepover." eleven said to her father. "is that . . . okay?"

"yeah. yeah. yeah. yeah." hopper replied. "your parents know about it?" he asked the red-head.

"yup," max replied with a nod.

hopper then turns to look at sage and she nods in reply. "uh, yeah, it's cool," hopper slurs. "yeah. that's — that's really cool."

the adult stands by the door and the girls stare at him weirdly. "did you need something?" max asks the adult. "no, no. uh, i'll leave." hopper said then began closing the door. "i'll let you . . . i'll leave you . . ." he closed the door fully and happily smiled to himself.

"holy shit, i can't believe we're really doing this." max said as she wrote down names, putting them on a red board, a glass bottle in the middle.

"ready?" she asks the two. "ready," they reply in unison. eleven grabs the bottle and spins it.

"mr. wheeler."

"my dad's probably sleeping," sage said to the two girls. "ugh. boring." max replied, smiling.

"yeah, boring," eleven repeats, also smiling. "spin again," max tells her. "against the rules?" eleven asked her. "we make our own rules," sage said.

eleven smiled at her before spinning again.

"billy," the three say.

sage and eleven look at max. the red-head slides off the bed.

"okay, look, i should just warn you, if he's with a girl or doing something gross, just get out of there right away before you're scarred for life." max informed the two, mostly eleven.

"max —" eleven tried saying. "no, i'm just saying, i'm serious," max cut her off, sitting on the bed again, handing the two girls their blindfolds, and holding the radio. "he's really gross," she added.

"max!"

"okay, shutting up now,"

the mayfield teen changes the radio channel and radio static was now heard. eleven and sage put their blindfolds on, tying it from the back.

max stares between the two, accidentally catching herself staring at sage for too long.

the two girls focus, holding hands tightly before the static stops.

sage turns around to see a car next to her and eleven. it was still on. eleven glances at sage before slowly walking towards the car. the windshield was cracked and the trunk was wide open. a girl whimpering was then heard.

pained whimpering.

sage looks over and sees billy kneeling down over someone.

"we found him," eleven tells max. "what's he doing?" max asked them.

"we don't know," sage whispered, starting to get freaked out as her nose starts bleeding.

"don't be afraid." billy said.

"he's . . . on the floor." eleven said.

"it'll be over soon,"

"he's talking to someone," sage added in as her and eleven walk closer to the situation.

the girl starts whimpering even more. it's almost seems as if she's trying to escape billy.

"just stay very still." billy informed the girl as the two girls got closer to the older teenager.

the girl's whimpers get worse before she gasps.

billy slowly stands up from the floor and abruptly turns around to see the two girls. sage and eleven gasp in surprise, breathing heavily as the girl screams. sage lets out a breath as billy disappears from in front of the two girls.

eleven tears the blindfold off of her, gasping for air.

"what is it? what happened?" max asked her. eleven turns to look at her, not saying a word.

sage takes her blindfold off after and breathes heavily, looking at max.

"hey, what happened?" max asked her, grabbing her hand gently.

   MAX, ELEVEN, AND SAGE WALK ON the side walk to get to max's house, thunder rumbling.

"it's gonna start pouring soon," max said as they walked. "we should be at the mall or, like, watching a movie or something."

"we could be," sage said. "but this is important."

"you don't believe us?" eleven asked the red-head teen. "i believe you two saw some super weird stuff, totally, but you said mike has sensed you in there before, right?" max asked her.

eleven nods in reply.

"so maybe it was just like that. maybe billy just . . . sensed you two somehow."

"max, there was screaming —" sage tried saying but max cut her off. "yeah, i know, but here's the thing." max started off.

sage shook her head and raised her hands up in defense. "when billy is alone with a girl, they make, like, really crazy noises."

"they scream?" eleven asked max. "yeah, but, like . . . happy screams." the mayfield teen said.

"happy screams? what is happy screams?"

"happy screams? really max?"

"shh. it's like . . . i'm just gonna lend you my mom's cosmo." max told the hopper teen. "oh, my god," sage whispered before the three girls reached the house.

"his car's not here." max said. "you really wanna do this?" the red-head asked her friends.

they nod before walking into the house. the three walk through a hall before max opens a door, walking into the room.

"why do i get the feeling we're gonna find all kinds of wrong in here?" max asked. "you read my mind, mayfield," sage said as she heard heavy metal music playing on the stereo.

eleven looks around with sage as max walks over to her step-brother's drawer. she opens it and sees magazines of women almost showing their breasts. max groans at the sight.

"ugh! gag me with a spoon." she said and closes the drawer, disgusted.

don't get her wrong, she found women attractive, but just seeing her own sibling have magazines of almost fully naked women grossed her out.

sage walked over to the bathroom and opened the door, turning on the light. eleven and max follow her, walking into the bathroom.

eleven walks over to the tub, seeing it was full of water and that there were ice bags in the tub. sage walks next to her to see the tub and stares at it, holding in her breath.

"max?" eleven called out softly.

the mayfield teen walked over to her friends and looked down at the full tub. she leaned down and picked up an empty bag.

"ice. it's just ice." max told them. "it's probably for his muscles or something. he works out like a maniac."

sage let out a deep sigh before turning around, feeling odd. the wheeler teens eyes land on the cabin doors under the sink. there was blood on the handle. sage walks over to it and opens it.

she looks through it then grabs a small bucket, taking it out.

"sage, what is it?" max asked her.

eleven stood next to sage, looking down at what she was looking at. sage reached into the bucket and pulls out a lifeguard fanny pack. max's face drops at the sight. the hopper teen then reaches for something and pulls out a yellow whistle that was covered in blood.

the two girls turn to look at max — their breathing trembling.

   WATER DROPLETS FALL FROM THE sky as thunder rumbles loudly.

"do you guys hear that?" will asks his friends. "it sounds like . . . thunder."

orchestral march music plays on the radio as him, mike, and lucas were gathered around the table, playing dnd.

"but, no, wait. that's not thunder. it's . . ." will grabs the mini figures and slams them in front of his two friends. "a horde of juju zombies!"

"sir mike, your action."

mike sighed and looked at lucas. "what should i do?"

"attack?" lucas replied.

"okay, i attack with my flail." mike said dully as he rolls the dice. "whoosh! you miss." will declared. "your flail clanks the stone, the zombie horde lumbers towards you, and . . ."

will rolls his dice.

"the juju bites your arm. flesh tears! aah! seven points of damage."

"oh, no, my arm," mike cries out sarcastically, looking at his arm. "lucas, look, my arm."

lucas snickers and covers his face.

will looks at mike in disbelief before turning to lucas. "sir lucas, the zombie horde roars! do you fight back or do you run?" will asks him.

the sinclair teen lifts his hand up, going to answer him, but the phone rings.

"no! it's a distraction!" will cried, standing up on his feet. "a trap. do not answer it."

mike and lucas look at each other before getting up from their seats, rushing to the phone.

"what . . . no!"

mike grabs the phone and puts it to his ear.

"el?" he asks, hopeful. "no. sorry, not interested." mike says with a sigh then hangs up the phone, turning to lucas. "telemarketers."

"maybe we should just call them." lucas suggested. "we can do that?" mike asked him.

"i think so,"

"yeah, but what would we say?"

"we'll say nothing! the khuisar tribe still needs your help." will cuts in. "all right, then," mike said. "i'll use my torch to set fire to the chambers, sacrificing ourselves, killing the juju's, and saving khuisar." mike explained.

will frowned as he spoke.

"we all live on as heroes in the memories of the kalamar."

"victory," lucas said then high-fives mike.

"okay. fine." will says, throwing his stick down, done with their bullshit. "you guys win."

will throws off his hat and turns off the music.

"congratulations."

"will, i was just messing around," mike said, shocked at his outburst. will ignores him and takes off his robe, tossing it to the side. "hey, let's finish for real. how much longer is the campaign?" mike asked, trying to get will's attention again.

"just forget it, mike," will told him, packing his stuff. "no, you want to keep playing, right?" mike asked, looking at lucas.

"y-yeah, totally," lucas stuttered, looking at will.

"we'll just call the girls afterwards," mike told his friend. "i said forget it, mike, okay?" will raised his voice, putting his backpack on. "i'm going home."

"but . . ."

"come on, will," lucas tried stopping him.

"move!" will said and shoved him slightly, walking up the basement stairs.

mike pushes past lucas and follows will.

the byers teen opens the front door and walks outside, the rain pouring down hard.

"will, come on," mike said, following him. "you can't leave. it's raining."

no answer.

"listen, i said i was sorry, all right?" mike told him, walking next to him. "it's a cool campaign. it's really cool. we're just not in the mood right now." the wheeler teen explained.

"yeah, mike. that's the problem. you guys are never in the mood anymore. you're ruining our party." will fired at him.

"that's not true," mike denied. "really? where's dustin and sage right now?" will asked him. "see? you don't know and you don't even care. and obviously they don't either and i don't blame them. you're destroying everything, and for what? so you can swap spit with some stupid girl?" will told him, on the verge of tears.

"el's not stupid. it's not my fault you don't like girls." mike shot back, instantly regretting it when he saw will's face. mike sighed. "i'm not trying to be a jerk. okay? but we're not kids anymore. i mean, what did you think, really? that we were never gonna get girlfriends? that we were just gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?"

will nods, "yeah. i guess i did. i really did."

the byers teen get on his bike and bikes away into the heavy rain.

"will," mike calls out. "will! will, come on!"

mike stares out at the open, sighing.

AUTHORS NOTE //

sorry i haven't updated! i was tired and drained once again. hope you enjoy !!

bee <3