HIDDEN !¡ MIKE WHEELER

04. ✰

"MABEL, WAIT UP!" Mike Wheeler ran after the girl who began to walk out of the school. She turned around and met eyes with the raven-haired boy. "The boys and I are having a DND campaign tonight. Wanna come?" he asked her.

"What's a DND campaign?" she furrowed her eyebrows. "Basically where we play Dungeons and Dragons all night. It's a board game," Mike told the girl. "Mabel!" the redhead turned around to search for the person calling her name. Her eyes met with Jessica in her car, waving the girl over.

"Is that your mom?" Mike asked. "Uh... kinda. Follow me," Mabel led Mike to Jess's car. "Jess. This is Mike. He invited me over to his house to play..." Mabel trailed off, forgetting what the name of the game was.

"Dungeons and Dragons," he finished for her. "Yeah... that," Mabel smiled awkwardly. "Um.. okay, sweetie. Can I have your parent's phone number and address?" Jess asked Mike sweetly. Mike gave Jess all of the information as quickly as he could because the boys who were standing at the bike rack were getting impatient.

"Mabel, love," Jess called out for the girl before she walked away. "Remember what we talked about?" Mabel caught on as Jess winked at her, driving away. Mabel really couldn't expose her powers. Jess would be so disappointed and she was the one person Mabel wanted to
impress.

Mike and Mabel went back over to the bike rack, meeting the boys who looked pissed. "Finally! Let's go," Lucas groaned. Mike grabbed his bike and looked over at Mabel. "You can ride on the back of my bike," Mike told her.

She looked at the bike cautiously and bit her lip. "I can walk. It looks dangerous," she muttered. "No, I promise it's fine. Come on," Mike helped the girl on and took her arms gently, putting them around his waist.

Mabel felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach as Mike began peddling off to chase the other boys. The wind whipped at her cheeks, turning them red. The bike teetered back and forth, causing the girl to close her eyes and brace for impact that never came.

They all soon pulled into a driveway which Mabel assumed was Mike's home. He helped her off the bike and they all rushed inside. "Mom! I'm home," Mike yelled. A brunette woman came out of the kitchen wearing oven mittens and smiled at the children.

"Who's this?" her eyes met the little girl whom she's never seen before. "This is Mabel. She's new to our school and I was assigned to help her out. We have the same schedules," Mike told his mother. "Hi, Mabel," she beamed. Mabel returned the smile to the kind lady.

"Can we order pizza?" Mike asked as all the children ran for the basement except him and Mabel. "Well, I'm making casserole—" she began. "Please?" Mike begged. "Okay, fine. I'll order it now. Guess we can save the casserole for tomorrow," his mom rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen.

"Come on," Mike led Mabel down into the basement where the other boys went. There was a table in the middle of the room that Lucas, Dustin and Will were already setting game pieces on. Mabel walked to the couch and set her bag on the floor.

"Do we have to teach her how to play?" Lucas complained. "It'll take hours. She's obviously not a fast learner since she barely knows how to talk." Mike whacked the back of his head harshly. "She knows how to talk, stupid," Will whispers.

Mabel let out a chuckle, causing the boys to look at her. "What?" Dustin asked. "I know how to talk. I just don't like to. Never did," Mabel crossed her arms, sinking farther into the couch. "But since Mr. Lucas is bothered by it so badly, I'll talk more."

"Great," Lucas made a face, his sarcasm showing. Mabel mocked him, making the other boys laugh. The boys finished setting up their game and they all sat down around the table. "You sure you don't want to play, Mabel?" Mike asked her one last time. "I'll just watch," she smiled.

About a half hour later, the pizza arrived and Karen brought it down to the kids. Mabel was eating peacefully as she watched the boys get so into their game. It was surely entertaining to see how much they cared about a board game.

"Something is coming. Something hungry for blood," Mike started. "A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here." Dustin took a deep breath, wiping his nose. "What is it?" Will asked.

"What if it's the Demogorgon? Oh, Jesus, we're so screwed if it's the Demogorgon," Dustin groaned. "It's not the Demogorgon!" Lucas told Dustin. "An army of troglodytes charge into the chamber!" Mike placed something in the center of the table.

"Troglodytes?" Dustin furrowed his eyebrows. "Told ya," Lucas smiled, teasing his friend. "Wait a minute..." Mike whispered, looking around. "Do you hear that? That... that sound. Boom... boom... BOOM!"

All of the kids jumped including Mabel when Mike banged on the table. "That didn't come from the troglodytes. No, that... that came from something else," Mike said. He reached over, slamming a game piece on the table. "The Demogorgon!"

"We're in deep shit," Dustin sighed. "Will, your action!" Mike yelled. "I don't know!" Will shook his head. "Fireball him!" Lucas told Will. "I'd have to roll a thirteen or higher!" Will said. "Too risky. Catch a protection spell," Dustin argued. "Don't be a pussy. Fireball him," Lucas yelled. "Cast protection!" Dustin yelled over Lucas.

"The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering! It stomps towards you! Boom!" Mike slammed on the table again. "Fireball him!" Lucas shouted desperately. "Another stomp, boom!" Mike yelled. "Cast protection," Dustin pleaded. Will looked around as his two friends argued while Mike shouted about the Demogorgon.

He grabbed the dice, shaking it in his hands. "Fireball!" he yelled, throwing the dice across the table. The dice fell off the table, rolling out of sight from the children. "Oh, shit!" Will mutters. They all get up to search for the dice.

Mabel pulled herself off the couch, spotting the dice way under a shelf. Nobody would be able to reach it. "Where'd it go?" Mike frantically searched for it. "I don't know," Will said. "Was it a thirteen?" Dustin shouted. "I don't know!" Will sighed as he crouched over, looking for the dice.

Mabel walked over to the shelf and bent down. She could see light reflecting off the two dice but there was no way someone could reach their arm under there no matter how small it was. "Found it," Mabel looked over to the boys.

All four of them ran over to her. "Mike!" Karen shouted, opening the door. Mike raced over to the bottom of the stairs and argued with his mom. "How are we gonna get it?" Will groaned. Mabel squeezed her eyes shut.

Dear God, please don't make my only friends weirded out by me, she thought. She stuck out her hand, using her telekinesis gifts to retrieve the dice. It quickly flew out from under the shelf and right into her hand.

Dustin's eyes widened. "What the hell?" he whispered. "How did you do that?" Lucas asked. "What? Oh, this?" Mabel waved her hand around, making the dice fly through the air. She placed them into Will's hands. "It's a seven..." he whispered.

"Do... do you have superpowers?" Mike asked slowly, walking up behind them, confused on what he just saw was real or not. "Sure. You could say that. But, please don't tell anyone. I'm here to live a normal life," Mabel began.

"I dont believe it," Lucas crossed his arms. "I understand that. Sometimes, I don't even believe myself," she shrugged. A honk was heard from outside. "Jess is here. See you tomorrow," Mabel smiled, grabbing her bag and jogging up the stairs leaving all four of the boys stunned.

author's note !
idk lol stan aespa ig