𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄 | stranger things ✓

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: PROMISE

promise; a declaration that one with do something

Dustin wanted Steve's help to put the demo-dog's corpse in the refrigerator because it was a 'scientific discovery.' Mel sat on the couch with her eyes closed in hopes that she would have another vision. Preferably a good one. Showing everyone that drove out in those cars, were going to be okay. Lucas helped Max brush up the broken glass off the floor from the windows. He was getting distracted by Mike's nervous pacing up and down the living room. It annoyed him slightly that Mike was so worried about El. He knew she would be fine. She's Eleven, for Christ's sake.

While everyone was, somewhat busy, Lucas built up the courage to apologise to Mel. He asked her if she would talk in private with him and she cautiously agreed. He took her into Will's bedroom. Dustin watched the pair sneak away wondered what the big secret was. Dustin noticed that Mel was being distant after Bob but he thought he could comfort her but instead, she chose Hopper. And why was Lucas getting all the girls? Lucas closed the door behind him before he spoke. "Listen, Melanie." He began. "I know I make out that I hate you, but I really don't. You're awesome." She stood there listening to him, wondering if this was sincere. "What I said earlier was wrong. You did help. I just want Will to be okay." He short pauses after his sentences that made his apology sound more sincere. "When El disappeared, I really thought she was gone. I really thought I lost a friend. I told myself not to get to know you, incase the same thing happened." Mel smiled at him when she noticed him blushing. "Sounds stupid, I know." He laughed.

"It's not stupid." She told him.

"But I know Dustin would never let anything happen to you." He reassured her. "You're all he talks about." Slipped out.

Melanie sighed, walking over to Will's bed to sit down. "He lied." She told him. He looked at her confused. "He told me Bob would be okay." She whispered playing with her fingers, trying not to cry. "But he died."

"I know." He sat beside her, feeling upset again. "Sometimes people lie to make the other person feel better or calmer so they don't worry or aren't upset." When Lucas put it that way, she kind of understood but knew it was still wrong. "Dustin likes you. He just wants you to be happy, always." He basically confessed for Dustin.

"Happy, always." She repeated to herself. It must be hard to be happy all the time. She knew she couldn't promise him that.

"So, yeah..." Lucas broke the silence. "Are we good? Am I forgiven?" He smiled, hoping she would say yes.

She offered him a handshake. "Friends." Lucas rejected the handshake and gave her a hug. When they both made their way back to the living room, Melanie felt Dustin's eyes on her and Lucas noticed Mike was still pacing. Mel walked up to Dustin who was basically frozen. She had that 'determined look' on her face that worried him. Steve continued tidying the kitchen as they spoke. "Friends don't lie." She reminded him.

"I swear, I will never lie to you again." He raised his hand. "But we do need to talk about Mews and Yurtle after all this is over." He said, getting the bad news off his chest about his pets she liked that were now deceased. (Shoutout to Dart.)

Mel didn't really know what that meant, but went along with it anyway. "Promise?"

"Promise." They smiled at each other and Dustin showed off his 'pearls.' Steve went to join the others in the living room and the pair followed.

Meanwhile, Lucas went to talk to Mike. "Would you just stop worrying, already?" He begged. "It's really annoying."

"You weren't in there, Lucas." He continued pacing. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs."

"She will be fine. She's got the chief with her." He reassured him.

"It's not like she needs protection." Max pointed out. El literally just threw a demo-dog threw the window with her mind.

"A coach calls a play in a game bottom line, you execute it, alright?" Steve told the young ones, sounding educated when he didn't really know where he was going with this. Mike even stopped pacing, realizing how stupid he sounded.  They were all kind of confused. Especially Mel. She just joined in in their conversation.

"Okay..." Mike rolled his eyes. "First, this isn't a stupid game. Second, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench."

"Right." Steve stuttered. "So my point is..." The kids waited for an answer from him. "Right, Yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh...yeah there's nothing we can do." He admitted.

"That's not entirely true." Dustin butted in. "I mean, these demo-dogs have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away." Dustin pointed out.

"If we can get their attention, maybe we can draw them away from the lab." Lucas said in realization.

"Clear a path to the gate." Mike said to himself.

"Yeah, then we all die." Steve yelled.

"That's one point of view." Dustin rolled his eyes.

"That's not a point of view, man." Steve turned to Dustin. "That's a fact."

"Here!" Mike interrupted. "This is like a hive mind." He pointed out a big blue area from Will's drawings that covered the house. "All the tunnels feed into here."

"So what do we do?" Max asked, trying to take part.

"Fire." Mel suggested.

"Set it on fire." Mike repeated to himself.

"Oh, yeah?" Steve sarcastically agreed. "That's a no." He told her.

"Good idea, Mel." Lucas agreed. "Then the mind flayer would call away his army to stop us." Lucas told them.

"This is not-" Steve tried to interrupt so they stopped getting their hopes up because to him, this was not happening. They're not going into any tunnels, they're not setting anything on fire and they're not going to die. Not today, Satan.

Mike quickly planed an escape route in his head. "Then we'd circle back to the exit which would give El more time to-" But was cut off but cranky Steve.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Steve yelled, clapping his hands. After he got their attention, he put his hands on his hips. "This is not happening."

"But-"

"No buts. I promised I'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing." Steve said taking charge. "We're sticking to the plan. We're staying here, on the bench." The kids sighed, rolled their eyes and crossed their arms. "Does everybody understand that?" He made eye contact with them all. "I need a yes."

Dustin put his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Steve, we appreciate you looking out for us but we have to help our friend." He spoke about Eleven. "You've been a great babysitter, we'll tip you later," He joked. "but we're going to have to disobey you." Steve look at him as if he was insane. "You can either stay or come with us and keep us safe." He gave Steve two options and handed him his bat. Steve rubbed his eyes, feeling like he was about to have a mental breakdown.

"You promised." Mel reminded him.

He sighed deeply before taking the bat and saying, "Alright. Let's go, dickheads."

A/N:
pearls = teeth (incase someone didn't know)