"EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE" Will Byers x Reader

Dart// chapter 12

Y/n's POV

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

I smile. "What?"

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

"Continue..."

"I think he was trying to imply 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 drones on. Will glances at me and passes a note across the table. His cheeks are bright red as I open it slowly:

Y/n,
I need to ask you something. Meet me after class.
—Will

I smile, nodding. Will gives an awkward thumbs-up as Dustin bursts into the classroom, door slamming.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Clarke! Really! Please, continue with the class," he pants. "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.

"Why?"

"I have something you won't believe," Dustin says, turning to Max. "AV Club. Lunch."

"Dustin!" Mr. Clarke says.

"Yes, my lord?" Dustin smiles.

"Would you care to join the class now?"

"Please, yes," he replies.

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

He 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 beams. "Great."

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

"D'Artagnan?" Mike scoffs.

"Dart for short," Dustin corrects.

"And he was in your trash?" Max asks.

"Foraging for food," Dustin nods. "Wanna hold him?"

"No, no," Max protests, holding out her hands.

"He doesn't bite," Dustin reassures her, then 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 one who hasn't immediately recoiled.

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

"Pollywog?" Max questions skeptically.

"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?" Dustin continues. "Well, Dart isn't. He doesn't need water."

"Yeah, but aren't there nonaquatic pollywogs?" Lucas asks.

"Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep. Two, to be exact," Dustin flips through a large book. "Indirana semipalmata, 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."

He shines a light on Dart. The creature screeches loudly, scrambling off the table and into Dustin's hands.

"Whoa. It's okay, little guy. It's okay."

Dart chitters again. "And another thing—reptiles are cold-blooded, ectothermic. They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it. It hurts him."

I notice Will stiffen beside me.

"Will?" I touch his arm, gasping quietly.

The same loud chittering reverberates in my head—the sound of Dart.

A sudden, chilling thought hits me.

Dart is from the Upside Down.