The Girl With the Red Hair

IV. The Demodogs

    "Mike I really don't think we have to do this," Benny spoke as Mike handed him a stick.

   "We have to find Dart, he's dangerous," Mike emphasized.

   "Yeah, but don't you think dumpster diving is a bit much?" Benny motioned his hand towards the dumpster. Max nodded, leaning on the stick that Mike had given her earlier. Just moments before, they'd pulled straws to see who's have to go into the dumpster, and Lucas pulled the shortest straw.

   "I agree," Lucas raised his hand.

    "Just stop being a baby and do it already!" Mike yelled, and Lucas flipped him off before hopping into the dumpster.

   Benny cringed while Max rolled her eyes, "This is so disgusting."

Dustin then jogged over from the front of the school, "What the hell is going on?"

    "What do you think? We're looking for Dart," Mike  said flatly.

   Two trash cans then practically flew from the dumpster with two grunts from Lucas. Benny stepped back quickly before any of the trash could touch him. "Jesus!" Dustin looked at the dumpster.

  Lucas hopped back out of the dumpster, "Well, well, well, look who finally decided show up."  Lucas placed his hands on his hips, "After I drew the short straw. Real convenient."

   "You stink," Max moved from in between Lucas and Benny to next to Dustin.

   Lucas looked offended while Dustin was proudly smiling, "Hi, Max."

   "Hi?"

   Dustin awkwardly looked away, "Where's Will?"

"He'll be here," Mike reassured.

    "Are you just gonna stand there?" Lucas moved to grab the stick leaning on the dumpster, throwing it to Dustin. "Or are you gonna help?" They started to poke the trash with the sticks while Lucas kicked it.

-
After having no luck with Dart and the trash, the 5 were sitting in Mr. Clarke's class while he talked about the human brain. Despite what Mike had said earlier, Will still wasn't there.

"All living things, from complex mammals to single-celled organisms, instinctively respond to danger. Expose a bacterium to a toxic chemical, and it will flee. Or deploy some other defense mechanism. We're very much the same. We encounter danger, our hearts start pounding. Our palms start to sweat. These are the signs of the physical and emotional state we call... fear."

The bell then rang and Mike left in a worried state. Lucas, Dustin, Benny, and Max all followed him out.

"Wait here. I have to make a call to the Byers'," Mike said before hurrying off. They sat on the steps until he came back only a minute after.

"Anything?" Lucas asked.

Mike came running towards them, "We need to talk. AV room. Right now." When Benny and Max stood up, Mike stopped, "Party members only."

"Come on Mike," Dustin pleaded.

"No! This is non-negotiable," he snapped. Dustin and Lucas apologized to the two and left. Benny childishly mocked Mike over his shoulder.

  "What the hell even is their 'party' anyways?" Benny huffed out while sitting back down again.

   "Mike said, and I quote, 'He's the paladin, Will's the cleric, Dustin's their bard, Lucas is the ranger, and El is their mage," Max explained with a roll of her eyes.

   "El? Who's El? Is she a magician or something?" Benny furrowed his eyebrows.

    "How would I know? I'm not in their dumb party." Max snapped.