"EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE" Will Byers x Reader

Dart// chapter 12

Y/n's POV 

'Bob told me this story,' Will says to me as we walk to class. 'About a clown named Baldo.' 

I smile. 'What?' 

'He said that Mr. Baldo was a scary clown, and that he was terrified of him.' Will adds. 

'Continue...' 

'I think he was trying to imply that I should use his strategy with the Mind Flayer. Just tell it to leave me alone.' 

'Do you think it would really work?' I drop my voice to  a whisper. 'It would leave you alone?' 

Will hesitates. 'It's worth a try.' 

'Maybe.' I trail off. 'Don't do anything dangerous, Byers.' 

Will smiles, 'I'll be careful.' 

...

'The case of Phineas Gage is one of the great medical curiosities of all time. Phineas was a railroad worker in 1848 who had a nightmarish accident. A large iron rod was driven completely through his head.' 

I zone out, as Mr. Clarke continues on with this story. Will glances at me, and passes me a note across tables. His cheeks turn bright red as I open it slowly. 

Y/n, 

I need to ask you something. meet me after class 

-will 

I smile at him, nodding. Will does an awkward thumbs up, as Dustin bursts in to the classroom, the door slamming against the wall. 

'I am so sorry, Mr. Clarke. Really, I'm so sorry. Please, continue with the class.' He says, out of breath. 'Don't mind me. Really, continue, please. Thanks.' 

'Although it wasn't a crowbar, it was a rod, as I said.' Mr. Clarke finishes. 

'We have to meet. All of us. At lunch, AV Club.' Dustin whispers loudly to us. 

'Why?' 

'I have something that you won't believe.' Dustin turns around to look at Max. 'AV Club. Lunch.' 

'Dustin!' Mr. Clarke says. 

'Yes, my lord?' Dustin smiles. 

'Would you care to join the class now?' 

'Please, yes.' 

...

'What did you want to ask me?' I ask Will after class. 

Will shoves his hands in his pockets, blushing. 

'I was wondering if-you know the Snowball- I know it's a long time away but I-' Will stammers. 

'I'd love to,' I smile. 'Yeah, of course.' 

Will smiles back. 'Great.' 

'Aren't you coming?' Dustin urges, following after Mike. 

...

'His name is d'Artagnan.' Dustin says, lifting the weird creature out of the box. 'Cute, right?' 

'D'Artagnan?' Mike scoffs. 

'Dart for short.' Dustin corrects. 

'And he was in your trash?' Max clarifies. 

'Foraging for food.' Dustin nods. 'You wanna hold him?' 

'No, no.' Max holds her hands out. 

'He doesn't bite.' Dustin says. 

'I don't want to...' Max protests as Dustin drops the little creature into my hands. I look him up and down before passing him to Max. 

'Oh, God, he's slimy!' She cries. 

'Ugh, he's like a living booger.' Lucas groans. 

'Ugh, oh, God!' Will exclaims. 

'What is he?' Mike asks, the only guy not to immediately drop him on the table. 

'My question exactly.' Dustin starts. 'At first, I thought it was some type of pollywog.' 

'Pollywog?' Max questions skeptically. 

'It's another word for tadpole.' Dustin explains. 'A tadpole is the larval stage of a toad.' 

'I know what a tadpole is.' Max says. 

'All right, then you know that most tadpoles are aquatic, right?' He pauses. 'Well, Dart, he isn't.
He doesn't need water.' 

'Yeah, but aren't there nonaquatic pollywogs?' Lucas points out. 

'Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep. Two to be exact.' Dustin flips through a large book. 'Indirana semipalmata. And the Adenomera andreae. One's from India, one's from South America. So how did one end up in my trash?' 

'Maybe some scientists brought it here, and it escaped?' I suggest. 

'Do you guys see that?' Mike points at it. 'Looks like something is moving inside of it.' 

He points the light at Dart. Dart emits a loud screech, scrambling off the table and into Dustin's hands. 

'Whoa. It's okay. It's okay. I got you, little guy.' 

Dart chitters loudly. 'I know you don't like that. It's okay. And there's another thing. Reptiles, they're cold-blooded. Ectothermic, right? They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it. It hurts him.' 

I notice Will stiffen beside me. 

'Will?' I touch his arm, gasping quietly as I'm pulled back into the memory of the upside down. The same loud chittering noise that Dart makes echoes around me. 

Dart is from the Upside Down.