SKATER GIRL , STRANGER THINGS

three

Flora immediately moved towards the girl, slowly and softly as she looked scared at the group. "Hey, hi, my name is Flora." She took off her jacket, extending it to the girl. "Have this. We're gonna get you somewhere safe, okay?"

The girl nodded slightly, still afraid, taking the jacket and putting it on with Flora's help.

"Come on boys, let's get back." Flora ordered the boys, going back through the forest the way they came. The girl ended up on the back of Mike's bike, the five going back to Mike's house and sneaking in. Flora laughed as they did, knowing Steve was upstairs with Nancy.

The girl sat on the sofa in the basement, the four looking down at her in concern as she shivered.

Mike looked at the girl, asking. "Is there a number we can call for your parents?"

He didn't get a response, so Dustin tried to talk to her instead. "Where's your hair? Do you have cancer?"

Flora turned to Dustin, scolding him. "That's not a nice thing to say to someone."

Lucas then asked her: "Did you run away?"

Mike seemed to be the only boy with common sense at the time. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Lucas looked at her again. "Is that blood?" Reaching down to touch her, Mike hit his hand away.

"Stop it! You're freaking her out!"  He yelled to Lucas, concerned for the girl.

Lucas yelled back to Mike. "She's freaking me out!"

Dustin then shrugged. "I bet she's deaf."

"Think before you speak." Flora hissed to  Dustin, sighing.

"Not deaf." Dustin concluded once he clapped loudly, the girl jumping in fright and surprise.

Mike sighed, snapping at Dustin. "All right, that's enough, all right? She's just scared and cold." Mike moved over to a laundry basket, picking up some spare clothes for the girl. He handed them to her, smiling. "Here, these are clean. Okay?"

The girl held the clothes to her face, then stood, beginning to take off the t-shirt she was wearing.

The three boys began to yell and freak out, Flora moving forward and gently holding the girl's wrists in place, stopping her from undressing.

Mike pointed over to the bathroom in the basement, explaining to the girl. "See over there? That's the bathroom. Privacy. Get it?" The girl nodded and Flora smiled, extending a hand.

"Come on," She grinned, "I'll take you."

The two girls moved over to the bathroom, Flora going to close the door when she was stopped by the younger girl. "Do you not want it fully closed?"

The girl shook her head. "No." She spoke, gaining a smile from Flora.

"So she speaks." Flora then moved the door to only be slightly open. "Is this okay?"

"Yes." The girl responded.

"Okay, well, I'll make sure none of those boys see you."

Flora then moved back over to the three boys, running a hand down her face.

Dustin was the first to speak: "This is mental."

"At least she can talk." Mike shrugged hopefully.

Lucas rolled his eyes on agitation "She said 'no' and 'yes.' Your three-year-old sister says more."

Dustin was still reeling from one incident. "She tried to get naked."

Lucas shook his head. "There's something seriously wrong with her. Like wrong in the head." He gestured that he thought she was crazy.

Dustin continued what he'd been saying. "She just went like..." He gestured to her trying to take off the t-shirt once more.

Lucas shrugged. "I bet she escaped from Pennhurst."

Mike hadn't heard of it. "From where?"

"The nuthouse in Kerley County." Lucas explained.

Dustin had an immediate retribution. "You got a lot of family there?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Bite me."

"Boys." Flora warned, not wanting another argument.

Lucas continued what he was saying. "Seriously, think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy."

"Maybe she's just had a bad home life." Flora suggested.

"Why she went like..." Dustin once more referenced the changing occurance.

Lucas ignored Dustin. "She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho."

Dustin gasped. "Like Michael Myers."

"Be nice." Flora smacked the back of Dustin's head, rolling her eyes once more.

Lucas agreed with Dustin. "Exactly! We should've never brought her here."

Mike disagreed with the other boys. "So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?"

"Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem." Lucas stated.

"Harsh." Flora mumbled to Lucas. "Y'all are some cruel twelve year olds."

Dustin looked to Mike. "I think we should tell your mom."

Lucas nodded. "I second that."

"If anything, I should call Hopper."

Mike disagreed with the three, especially Dustin and Lucas. "Who's crazy now?"

Lucas was surprised at Mike's words. "How is that crazy?"

Mike began to explain his thoughts. "'Cause, we weren't supposed to be out tonight, remember?"

Lucas scoffed. "So?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "So, if I tell my mom and she tells your mom and your mom..." He trailed off as the other boys realised what could happen if they told Mrs Wheeler.

"Oh, man." Dustin gaped in realisation.

Lucas was also gaping. "Our houses become Alcatraz."

"I don't know what that is." Flora muttered.

Mike nodded. "Exactly. We'll never find Will."

The girl then came back out of the bathroom, Mike leading her over to a blanket fort and handing her even more blankets and pillows.

He turned to the others. "All right, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight."

Dustin nearly screeched. "You're letting a girl--"

Mike cut him off, informing them of the rest of the plan. "Just listen! In the morning, she sneaks around my house, goes to the front door and rings my doorbell. My mom will answer and know exactly what to do. She'll send her back to Pennhurst or wherever she comes from."

The three had moved to rhe stairs at this point, Mike finishing his plan. "We'll be totally in the clear. And tomorrow night, we go back out. And this time, we find Will."

Mike then handed the girl a sleeping bag. "Here you go. This is my sleeping bag."

"Bye Mike, bye girlie!" Flora waved as the three began to leave the basement.

Dustin looked to Lucas and Flora. "You really think she's psycho?"

Lucas shrugged, turning back to Mike and the girl. "Wouldn't want her in my house."

Dustin nodded. "Mental." Flora only shrugged.

As they snuck out of the Wheeler house, Flora looked to the two younger boys. "You two get home safe, okay?"

They nodded, Dustin looking up at Flora. "You're cool. If we need you again you'll know."

"Uh, okay? Bye then boys!"

As Flora skated back to Steve's car, she watched in amusement as he practically fell from Nancy's window. He ran over to her, pointing an accusatory finger. "Not funny."

"Funny." Flora argued as they got back into his car, Steve deciding to drive them back to his place for the night.