𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐄 || 𝘔𝘈𝘟 𝘔𝘈𝘠𝘍𝘐𝘌𝘓𝘋

28. time to panic

TIME TO PANIC

July 4th, 1985
⏰ 12:00 pm, 📍Hawkins, Indiana

༺♥༻ Fourth of July morning and the kids, plus Nancy and Jonathan are on their way to Hopper's cabin so El can hopefully find some of the flayed.

After the whole hospital and girlfriend fiasco, Stephanie got home late that night. Although, she realized Steve wasn't home. She didn't know when he left or when he would even be back.

Stephanie decided not to worry about it and convinced herself that he was at some girls house for the night.

But this morning, El basically locked herself in her room while the others wander and sit around awkwardly waiting to hear any news.

Max and Stephanie are sitting next to each other, holding hands while Mike paces back and forth. "It can't be good for her to be in there for this long."

"Mike, you need to relax." Max sighs, looking over at Stephanie and rolling her eyes.

"What if she gets brain damage or something?" Mike shoots back.

Lucas' eyes widen. "Oh, shit. Is that, like, a real thing?"

"No, it's not. He made it up." Max shakes her head. "Mike doesn't know what the hell he's talking about."

Mike stops pacing, suddenly offended. "Oh, and you do?"

"Mike, stop acting like a kid. El is fine in there. She's done it plenty of times!" Stephanie argues. "Do you not trust her?"

"No!-yes I do-I don't-" Mike stutters.

"You don't trust her!" Max yells.

Mike scoffs. "You don't know that! You don't know anything!"

"Yeah, sure." Max sighs, almost asking for more fighting.

Stephanie gives Lucas a glance, who has the same confused face she does, watching Max and Mike argue.

"You agree with me right, Stephanie?" Mike suddenly brings Stephanie into the conversation. "About how careless Max is?"

"No I don't agree with you!"

"I am so tired of this!" Mike gestures between the two girls. "You've ignored me the minute Max beat your high score and now you're constantly all up on her!"

"That's not true!" Stephanie defends herself, even though she's not sure that Mike is wrong.

"Can you guys settle an argument for us?" Max sits up from the couch and walks over to Nancy and Jonathan, pulling Stephanie with her. "Who do you think should decide El's limits? Mike or Eleven?"

"The way that you frame that is such bullshit!" Mike argues.

"It's not bullshit, Mike!" Max looks annoyed having to deal with him. "This is your whole problem! And it is also precisely the reason why she dumped your ass!"

"El dumped you?" Nancy asks, surprised.

"Yeah, because they are conspiring against me. They're corrupting her!"