slay 'em dead//Steve Harrington

4

I get a call from Jonathan as I'm making myself dinner.

"Hey," I greet.

"They found him," Jonathan tells me. "They found Will."

I smile. "Where? Where is he?"

I can hear Jonathan sob. "He's dead."

I almost drop the phone. "I... I... I'll be right there."

I lie in Jonathan's bed with him. Our eyes are red and puffy from crying. When I got here Hopper was leaving. Joyce was nowhere I could see. She was probably in her room sobbing.

"Mom still thinks he's alive," Jonathan tells me.

I sniffle. "It can't be easy to lose your son."

"She thinks he's still talking to her through the lights. One blink for yes, two for no," Jonathan explains. "And... and she thinks something came out of the wall and chased her."

"Chased her?" I ask.

"It was almost... human, but it wasn't. It... It had these long arms and... it didn't have a face," Jonathan tells me.

"It didn't have a face?" I question.

Jonathan nods slightly. "I think she's lost it."

I turn so that I can wrap my arms around Jonathan. "She'll get better."

"How do you know that?" Jonathan asks.

"Because my dad did after my mom died," I tell him. "Because I did. I stopped trying to fight it and I accepted that my mom was never coming home." I sniffle. "As hard as it was, I did."

"How long did it take?" Jonathan asks.

"A while," I confess. "Everyone grieves differently." Jonathan nods. "You should try and sleep."

"Are you going to stay?" Jonathan asks.

"If you want me to," I tell him.

Jonathan nods. "Please."

I woke up this morning with my arms wrapped around Jonathan. His head was in the crook of my neck. I've slept over before but never in the same bed as him. I can't say that it was completely uncomfortable.

I try my hardest to get out of bed without waking Jonathan up. As my feet hit the floor, I can feel Jonathan shifting.

"Candice?" Jonathan asks.

I turn to face him. "I'm sorry I woke you. I've gotta get to school."

Jonathan nods his head, but he doesn't get up. "You should go back to sleep. It's barely 6:30." Jonathan nods again. "If you need anything just come get me."

As I go to stand up Jonathan grabs my hand. "Thank you."

I smile slightly. "You're my best friend."

The TV is on in the living room and Joyce is asleep sitting straight up on the couch.

"Byers's body was found in the water of this quarry by state police earlier this evening. It was discovered by state trooper David O'Bannon, just after dark. The state police are mounting an investigation to determine Byers' cause of death, but an initial inquiry..."

I switch the TV off. Joyce doesn't need to hear that first thing in the morning.

As I close my locker Steve is standing there.

"Go away," I tell him.

"Sugar..." Steve starts.

"I don't want to talk to you," I tell him.