i. | the vanishing of will byers

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chapter i

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chapter i. | the vanishing of will byers
"do you need a ride?"
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        IT WAS NO SECRET TO ANYONE IN THE TOWN of Hawkins, Indiana that Cassandra Henderson didn't like talking to many people. If you were to pass by the Henderson house and look at Cassandra's window at any time of day, any day of the week, it would be empty, or only filled with the presence of Cassandra herself.

        Cassandra – or 'Cassie' as she preferred to be called – liked it that way. She wasn't too interested in the small teenage population of Hawkins. The only person she would willingly talk to her age was Barbra Holland on occasion. The girls sat next to each other in English, and Cassie would sometimes strike up a lively conversation with the redhead.

        Once again, Cassie sat in her room alone, hunched over her stack of sketches. The room was dark, except for the dim light that sat on her desk, which glowed over her work.

        As her watch ticked over to 8:30, Cassie sighed in relief as she heard the front door open, her younger brother's voice ringing loud and clear throughout the house. It wasn't that she was worried about him per se – Dustin often came home late from the Wheeler's house – but she was a little on edge when he hadn't shown up before 8. 

       Cassie swung around in her desk chair to face the door, being greeted by her brother's smiling face.

       "Hey, Dusty. Did you have a good time?" she asked with a smile.

        Cassie had always been close with her little brother. He was one of the few people who didn't piss her off every time he opened his mouth. She was protective of him, and in a lot of ways, she was grateful Dustin was so open with her about his life. She never wanted to end up in a situation like Mike and Nancy Wheeler.

        Mike was one of Dustin's best friends, and Cassie thought he was an alright kid. Nancy, on the other hand, was the same age as Cassie. While Nancy was best friends with Barbra, Cassie and the Wheeler girl had never gotten along well. They clashed often, and Cassie seriously didn't like the boy Nancy was going out with.

        "Oh, Cassie, we lost the campaign. Again! All thanks to that stupid shittin' Demogorgon," whined Dustin, making Cassie chuckle. Dustin and his group were very passionate about their Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

        "Alright, adventurer," she smiled, standing up and walking toward her brother. "It's time you get to bed. You've got school in the morning." 

        Cassie placed a hand on his back, leading him to the bathroom for a shower. She left his pyjamas outside the door before retreating back to her room. When Dustin was dressed for bed, he walked into his sister's room, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a hug as she hunched over her desk.

        "Night, Cassie," he said, squeezing her tight.

        "Night, Dusty," she responded, moving her head so that she could give him a kiss on the cheek. She chuckled as she saw his beloved baseball cap still on his head. "You can't sleep in this, silly." She took his cap off, letting his curls free. She handed him the cap with a teasing smile. He took it, leaving the room.

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