𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥

Chapter Five: Dig Dug

That night, the group of Ethan's friends stayed over, to make sure no one from the lab would come and take Hallow, Jaeden or Ethan. Lucas slept on the living room couch, with Dustin sleeping upright on the end. Jaeden and Hallow slept on the floor under many layers of blankets, and Mike slept on the recliner, leaned back halfway for comfort. Ethan slept in his bed the first time in a year, he couldn't wrap his head around the comfort he once loved being so new and weird, he tossed and turned all night.

And by morning, Lucas and Dustin both went home, Dustin to hide Dart, who was still hiding in his hat, and Lucas to probably find Max and go crush on her more. It was kinda obvious that both Dustin and Lucas liked Max Mayfield, but they probably wouldn't say it or try and show it off.

Ethan and Mike woke up before Nicole, leaving her a post-it note on the door that they'd be at Will's, wanting to make sure he was okay. They would leave Jaeden and Hallow to explore the small, but to them huge, new world around them. Just the Boise's home, though, they warned the two not to step foot outside for now.

It was to dangerous, they had to treat them like when they found Eleven, anyone seeing them could put them in danger. Specifically the tattoos, even if they looked like normal kids, the heavy eyebags, the improper grammar, and dozed looking state would give it away. The neighbors would call the police in suspicion of kidnap, most likely.

Mike and Ethan hopped onto Mike's bike, their white Nike's and black converse hanging onto the pedals for dear life. Carrying two people on these bikes was quite hard, you had to focus more on balance, and unluckily Ethan couldn't ride his bike out of fear of falling, and they couldn't be wasting time now.

When they reached the rocky, long driveway to the Byers house, they were greeted with a red-orange car in the driveway. They threw Mike's bike down, rushing inside as Joyce greets them. The brunette woman looks at Ethan, a shocked expression on her face as she pulls him in for a hug, asking many questions like where he'd been and how to help his stoner-looking state.

Joyce drags the boys inside, rambling about Will entering another episode and covering the walls with paper.

Mike and Ethan look around, Joyce wasn't lying, the whole house was covered as Bob was trying to figure out what it was. Joyce explained Hopper went missing and this was some sort of map.

"What's with the X?" Ethan asks, pointing towards a large red X on one of the papers

"That's where Hopper is, I think" Joyce replies, looking to Will sitting at the table.

Will just nods his head, afraid and scared.

"This is.. Satler's Quarry" Bob tells Joyce as she grabs a measuring tape and pencil from off the coffee table.

"Eno River.."

Ethan walks to Will, embracing him in a hug, feeling the fear Will was holding inside of him. Will hugs back as he drags Ethan to his room, wanting to talk. Mike stays with Joyce and Bob, seeing that it was a private conversation, not wanting to interrupt.

Will softly closed the door behind them, his bare chest sweating even in the freezing cold house. He sat on his bed, Ethan stood in front of him as he fidgeted with the sleeves of his grey sweater.

"What have you gone through..?" Will softly asks, looking up at Ethan

"A lot," Ethan admits, "but being back here, with you guys, helps distract me from the pain, Will. Please don't worry about me, we need to help Hopper, and we need to help you."

Will looked down at the floor, remembering all the words in the journal he had read during sixth and seventh period before finishing in eighth. The torture, experiencing the Upside Down, how they just ignored the fact he was deaf and probably couldn't hear them when they found him, luckily he had a hearing aid though, Will felt so bad for being so ignorant about it.