♡ 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊'𝒎 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 ♡
𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯
episode three : holly, jolly

trigger warning: homophobia
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"WE JUST TELL OUR PARENT WE HAVE AV CLUB AFTER SCHOOL," Mike told the kids the next morning. Lucas, Dustin, and Mike were at the game table, while Dina sat next to Eleven. She was playing with one of the radios they hand laying around. "That'll give us at least a few hours for operation Mirkwood."

"What about me? My mom's not gonna believe joined the Av club." Dina raised a brow. She hopes they don't wanna let her go. She's been feeling awkward since yesterday when she told everyone about not having a home or family. She wishes they don't think differently of her. " Just tell your mom that Dustin is still tutoring you."

Oh right tutoring something Dustin still hasn't done. She muttered alright before slumping on the couch. El saw the distant look in Dina's eyes like she was trouble by something. So she grabbed the slightly taller girl's hand into her own. Dina said nothing but she did smile at El showing her gratitude and she smiled back. She hoped none of the boys saw the moment the girls were sharing.

"You sad?" El whispered pulling her face closer to the girl. "Nah I'm okay."

"Fo you seriously think that the weirdo knows about Will," Lucas asked in a quiet voice not want El to hear, not like she was gonna hear him any way she was too focused on Dina. "Just trust me on this one, okay?" Mike exclaimed. He believes in El she wouldn't lie about something like this. "Okay."

"Did you get the supplies?" Dina asked from the couch.

"Yeah." Lucas bent over to reach his bag pulling out all the gadgets they needed. "Binoculars... from 'Nam. Army knife...also from 'Nam. Hammer, camouflage bandana...and the wrist rocket." He eagerly announced.

"Yeah gonna take out the demogorgan with a slingshot?" Dustin asked sarcastically with a frown on his face. This caused Dina to laugh, he's learning so much from me, she thought as she continues to listen to the conversation in front of her. "First of all, it's a wrist rocket. And second of all, the Demogorgon's not real. It's made up. But if there is something out there, I'm gonna shoot it in the eye..." He shoots the wrist rocket. "And blind it."

"Dustin what did you get?" Mike asked with a sigh. Dustin dumped the things in his backpack onto the table. "Well, alrighty. So we got...nutty bars, bazooka, pez, smarties, pringles, nilla wafers, apple, and trail mix."

"Seriously?" Lucas deadpanned.

"We need energy for our travels. For stamina. And besides, why do we need weapons anyway? We have her!" He pointed out to Eleven. "She shut one door!"

"With her mind! Are you kidding me? That's insane. Imagine all the other cool stuff she could do. Like...I bet that she could make this fly."

Dustin told to her make it fly. It never did. She bearly paid her attention to him. "Idiot"

"She's not a dog Dustin." Dina deadpanned.

"Kids! Time for school." Mike's mom called from upstairs. Dina got up, picking her a backpack the was beside the couch, and walked but towards Mike to talk to El. "Just stay down here. Don't make any noise, and don't leave. If you get hungry, eat Dustin's snacks, okay?"

"Micheal!" Karen yelled once again. "Coming!" He turns d back towards El. "You know those powerlines?" Mick asked the small girl. "Power lines?" She stuttered.

"Yeah. The one's behind my house?"

"Yes."

"Meet us there, after school."

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't know what a school is Mike." Fina folded her arms as she watches the scene unfold. "We get out at 3:15 Eleven."

Eleven stared at her confused about what she was staying. Right she doesn't know numbers either. Dina pulled off the expensive watch on her wrist before crouching down next to Mike to be in front of El. She grabbed the girl's hand, before putting the watch on her. "When the numbers read three-one-five, meet us there," Dina said as she fixed the watch.

"Three-one-five." The girl repeated. "Three-one-five." Mike noticed how both girls would look at each other. It's weird to him because he's never seen Dina act like this maybe Dina was just trying to make her feel comfortable. Mike was the first one to leave. "See you later, El." Dina kindly smiled before leaving the basement. "See you later, Dina." The girl whispered starring down at the watch she just received.

Dina watched as Dustin, Lucas, and Mike pick out the best rocks for Lucas's wrist rocket. Like a rock is gonna kill a monster. "How about this one?" Mike ran over to Dustin. "Too big for the sling." Dustin threw the rock on the floor. "So, do you think Eleven was born with her powers, like the Xman, or do you think she acquired them, like Green Lantern?" Dustin asked the group while they looked for the best rocks.

"She's not a superhero. She's a weirdo." Lucas kicked around some rocks. " Weren't the Xmen weirdos?" Dina questioned defending Eleven. "If you love her so much, why don't you marry her?"

" I don't love her." Dina glared at him. "I'm just being a good friend."

"Dina, seriously? You look at her all, like Hi El! El! El! El! I love you so much." Lucas mocked Dina in a loving voice before giving her a joking hug before getting on one knee. " would you marry me?"

"Shut up, Lucas," Dina mumbled.

"Yeah, shut up, Lucas!" A voice said from behind her. It was Troy, yay!

"What are you losers doing back here? And Dina why are you with these losers?"

"Probably looking for their missing friend." Troy's friend laughed. "That's not funny," Dustin exclaimed. "It's serious. He's in danger."

"I hate to break it to you, Toothless, but he's not in danger. He's dead. That's what my dad says. He said he was probably killed by some other queer." Both the boys laughed once again. Dina was done with their bullshit. "You know Troy, I wouldn't listen to anything your drunk of a dad says. Come on guys let's go. All of a sudden it smells over here." Dina walked away first bumping both the guys shoulders making them move out the way, since they were still scared of her.

The party began to walk with her but Mike was tripped by Troy. Mike fell and hit his chin on a rock, leaving a huge Bruise on it. Dustin and Lucas ran to Mike while Dina handled the two idiot boys. " If you guys don't leave in the three seconds I swear to you, your social status will go down even lower than it already is." She said with a glare. " And we wouldn't want you dad going to jail now would we Troy?"

And with that, they quickly walked away.

"Hey! What about this one." Dustin handed Mike the rock that he fell on. "Yeah." Mike Chuckled. "Yeah, this is it."

"Yeah, this is the monster killer."

School was over, now the party and Dina were meeting Eleven. Dina rode on the back of Lucas's bike as El was on Mike's. El was a little disappointed to be riding with Mike but she knows Dina couldn't ride one and she couldn't either. " Why did they hurt you?" El asked Mike as the three walked in a row in the woods.

"What?" The pale boy asked surprised since it was the first time she'd talk to him. She pointed to the bruise on his chin. "Oh. That. I just fell at recess."

"Mike..."

"Yeah?"

"Friends tell the truth."

"She's right Mike. You have to tell the truth." Dina joked but no one laughed. Mike sigh before saying. "I was tripped by this mouth breather, Troy, okay?"

"Mouth Breather?" Dina asked before El did.

"Yeah, you know...a dumb person. A knucklehead."

"Knucklehead?"

They continued talking for a period, while Dina listened. She's not gonna say she was jealous but she wasn't but once Eleven brushed her hand next to her's all those feelings went away.

"Here." Eleven spoke as she planted her feet on the Byers ground. "Yeah, this is where Will lives." The darker-skinned girl stated the obvious. "Hiding." That was all the girl said.

"No, no, this is where he lives. He's missing from here. Understand?" Mike told the girl not knowing if she was understanding what he was saying. Dustin and Lucas dropped their bikes before coming up next to the other kids. "What are we doing here?" Lucas asked with an attitude. " She said he's hiding here." She filled him in.

"Um...no!"

"I swear if we walked all the way here for nothing-"

He was interrupted by Lucas. "That's exactly what we did. I told you she didn't know what the hell she was talking about!"

Mike and Dina turned to El. "Why did you bring us here?" Eleven stuttered not know what to say, she didn't want to disappoint Dina. "Dina, don't waste your time with her."

"What do you wanna do then?" Mike asked instead.

"Call the cops, like we should have done yesterday."

We are not calling the cops." Dina yelled at the boy. "Hey, guys?" Dustin called out but no listened. "What other choice do we have?"

"Guys!"

The kids heard police sirens and a ambulance drive pass them.

"Will."

The kids quickly got onto the bikes riding behind the cars.

The kids watched from behind a ambulance as people took Will out of a lake onto a stretcher. He's dead. Dina exhale deeply and tears ran down her face. She felt like she was gonna throw up. "It's not Will. It can't be." She heard Mike say. They watched as the police officers took Will's lifeless body out of the water. "It's Will. It's really Will?" Lucas sighed.

They walked to the back of the van. "Dina." Eleven tried to reach for her but she was shoved off. "Dina? Dina What?" Tears still falling down her cheeks. "You were supposed to help us find him alive. You said he was alive!" She shouted in her face. "Why did you lie to us? What's wrong with you? What is wrong with you."

"Dina." Eleven softly said with tears flowing out of her eyes. "What?" She glared at the girl but she did say anything so Dina walked off. "I'm going home."

That night Dina cried herself to sleep that night feeling like a failure because she was she let Will die.