𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄! ✽ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

32

𝐀 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐔𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐓 hung from the corner of sheridan's mouth as she tugged up the zipper of will's ghostbuster costume. "look at that," she mumbled, crumbs falling down the front of her forest green turtleneck. the young boy giggled. "you look just like egon!" she cheered, eyeing the hand-embroidered spengler patch on the left side of the beige jumpsuit. she finished munching on her breakfast as she stepped back to examine her work with her hands on her hips. joyce helped will with his proton pack. jonathan stood at his sister's side, arms folded across his chest, and gawked at will's costume. "doesn't he look just like him?!" sherrie questioned through a mouthful of toast as she landed a playful slap on his shoulder. her infectious smile could not be hidden easily. sure, the costume wasn't much of an ego booster, but the joy will felt was unsurpassable; and that, in turn, made dani happy. will could hear the satisfaction in his sister's voice.

"just like him," jonathan confirmed with a smile. before will knew it, jonathan pulled out his camera; the one that steve and nancy had gotten him for christmas. will wore a smile from cheek to cheek and gave a thumbs up to the camera, sherrie giggling.

"the proton pack, the proton pack!" she cheered as she clapped her hands together, her brothers and mother joining in her chorus of laughter. the girl's black nail polish had begun to chip; the weight of academics and radioshack on top of the costumes, and keeping up with steve harrington, was no easy feat and dani's nails had shown it. will nabbed the old vacuum hose and aimed it towards the camera. "perfect!" jonathan's flash went off continuously with will coming up with an array of poses. he was eating his costume up like it was sunday dinner after mass. everything was finally back to normal.

the boy couldn't stop smiling all the way to school, and dani even ripped the theme song on a cassette to play on the way. as the girl pulled betsy up to the entrance of hawkins middle school, she noticed the other three boys in their gear as well, parking their bicycles and belting the theme song out loud, too. "who ya gonna call?!" will exclaimed as he exited the passenger seat.

"ghostbusters!" mike, lucas, and dustin sang in unison. their smiles matched will's, their legendary ensemble surely going down in the history books.

cheers of "egon!" and "spengler!" filled the courtyard. just as will left lucas's arms, mike noticed the name patch that mirrored his. sheridan had a hard time containing her laughter at the argument that was brewing. "why are you venkman?" the wheeler boy questioned with anger, his eyes flitting from lucas's red and black patch to his friend's gaze.

"because i'm venkman."

"no, i'm venkman," mike countered, pointing to his chest.

"why can't there just be two venkmans?" will meekly asked. he'd never been one for conflict.

"dani made two venkmans?" dustin thought aloud, his brows furrowed. all four boys' heads flipped toward the red-headed girl in her car. sherrie's smile faded almost instantaneously. they all shared awkward, silent glares before sheridan spoke up.

"that's my cue!" the girl smiled and blew satirical goodbye kisses to mike, lucas, will, and dustin as they began to chase after her speeding car.