The Virus | ST Mileven fanfiction

Chit-Chat

Will:
Getting past his mother was not the easiest thing to do. Especially since she was still very overprotective.
And no matter how much he tried to talk himself into it, he just couldn't lie to her. So, he had simply told her the truth.
"Dustin called me. He told me that Eleven called him and told him to tell the party that we have to meet at the cabin. She said that Mike was fine, but he's in a coma. She wants really bad to get to the bottom of it."
Joyce had nodded her head in agreement. "I suppose you should go, then. Mike is your best friend. But, you can only go if your brother drives you."
Will had been so happy that his mother agreed. When he squeezed her in a tight hug, he'd almost forgotten to say thank you.
She had called Jonathan over and explained to him what she wanted done, then the boys were off.
Now, they were sitting in a car driving to the cabin in the woods.
"You know I don't like that place too much, right?"
Will shrugged. "Is it because of what happened to me last year?"
Jonathan nodded solemnly. "It was a traumatic time, Will. We thought you were a goner for sure. It's a good thing Mom's being so flexible with this."
Will agreed quietly.
"So, are all of your friends going to be here?"
"I dunno. Dustin called me. He told me El wanted to meet there. She should be there... somehow. Though, I don't see how she'd get here from all the way at the hospital."
"She should have a way to get here if she called the meeting." Jonathan said. "She's smart in some ways."
"Do you think she'll ever go to school?" Will asked. "I think- I think Mike would enjoy that if he... when he gets out of the hospital. Maybe we can finally talk to Hopper about it."
"You never know," Jonathan murmured. "Hopper might be flexible too. I don't know if she's quite there yet at that level to be in the same grade as you. Hopper might have to home school her for another 3 years just she can catch up to you Dustin, Lucas, and Mike!"
Will chuckled quietly. "Yeah. But, she's getting there! Mike does tutor her a lot! If- when he wakes up, she'll definitely be as smart as we are since he'll be recovering and he can tutor her then!"
"Hmm. That's the spirit!" Jonathan smiled, "He'll be out of the hospital soon, then everything will be back to normal."
Will nodded.
"Who's bike is that?" Jonathan asked as he parked the car in front of the cabin.
Will frowned, peeking out of the front windshield onto the auburn front lawn. His eyes picked up the shimmering of metal, and he immediately recognized Dustin's bike.
"That's Dustin's bike." He said, then rolled down the window.
"Dustin! He called out. "Are you here?"
Silence.
Will exchanged a look with his brother.
"Go on. I won't leave." Jonathan urged.
Will nodded and pushed open the car door. He hopped out of the car and cupped his hands over his mouth.
"Dustin!"
Over by the side of the house, something banged against the metal, and someone cursed.
"Will?" Dustin's voice came from the figure rubbing their head. "You scared me!"
"What were you doing under there?" Will asked as he took a step towards his friend.
"I dropped something," Dustin explained. "But, that's not important. Are you the first one here?"
"Um," Will took a look around. "Yeah, I think so. I got driven. Is El even here yet?"
"I've been here the whole time,"
Will jumped at the chilling voice from the porch of the cabin. He squinted through the darkness and made out another dark figure.
"El, dear god!" Dustin exclaimed. "Who else is going to scare me?"
"How did you get here so fast?" Will demanded. "That hospital is miles away."
"Someone drove me." El responded.
"Who drove you?"
"A man."
"You weren't scared?"
"A nice man."
"Alright, then." Dustin said. "Do you know how to get inside?"
Over on their right, the door unlatched and swung open with a creak. El straightened
her back with a satisfied hum.
"I'll wait for everyone to come," she said, "you go inside."
"There are no wolves in there or anything?" Dustin asked. "Cause, I mean-"
"Dustin!" Will snapped. "Go inside."
Dustin held his hands up in defense as he sauntered through the door.
"Alright, alright! I'm going!" He yelled, then disappeared into the darkness.
Will cast a look to his brother, then to Eleven, and then disappeared through the door behind his friend.

Max:
Max hadn't been doing anything when the phone rang, and when she had heard about El calling a meeting she had walked out the front door with ease. Admittedly, she had her second thoughts about doing something for Eleven and Mike since they had been so rude to her for so long.
On the way to the field, she had constantly been reminding herself that it was for the greater good, that she would gain nothing by being mean, but four times she had almost turned back.
Mike and Eleven had been horrible to her for so long; she owed them nothing at all.
It was at the field, when she was getting her skateboard, that she unintentionally met Lucas; he had come to get his bike as well.
The two talked for a minute before they decided to take everyone else's bikes with them.
Lucas handled Will's, and Max handled Mike's. Together, they hauled three bikes and skateboard up the huge hill and passed the time with some talking.
"What do you think happened to him, Lucas?"
"I don't know. It was very exotic, I've never read or heard about anything like it ever before. I didn't know someone's heart rate could be that low. It seems physically impossible."
"Do you think it has something to do with... the... the t-turn around...? Darkness-?"
"The upside down," Lucas cut in. "Sometimes to do with the upside down. Maybe. That monster... I don't know, Max." After a minute of silence, Lucas changed the subject.
"What did... what did you have for dinner?"
"Noodles. What about you?"
"Chicken. My sister practically drowned it in Ketchup, though! I think she had ketchup, not chicken for dinner."
Max chuckled. "That's disgusting. What's her name again?"
"Erica. I hate her."
Max grinned broadly and giggled softly. "And I hate my brother. He's the absolute worst."
"Haha, you win. Your sibling is definitely the worst."
The air was stale when they made it to the top of the hill. It wasn't long before they had reached the cabin where a car and a bike sat out front.
"Who's here already?" Max asked.
"Umm... Dustin...and I'm guessing Will."
"Is El here yet?" Max asked nervously. She didn't feel like being bullied tonight.
"Why do you have Mike's bike?" A dark voice drifted through the air.
Max flinched and cursed quietly as she set the bike on the ground. Of course that would be what she noticed first.
"I was doing you a favor!" She called out into the air. "So, you're welcome!"
The floorboards on the porch creaked and Jane Hopper stepped into the moonlight, her eyes fixated on the bike resting on the ground.
"They're inside," El muttered, shoving past Max to get to the bike. "I'll be there in a minute."
Max snorted quietly and rolled her eyes. She exchanged a look with Lucas and reached for his hand, taking it in her own. Lucas squeezed her hand gently and kissed her on the top of the head.
That was his sign for it's okay and Max loved it.
The pair began to walk towards the house in complete silence. They reached the front door and Lucas went in. Max was about to follow, when a voice from behind her made her freeze.
"Max."
Max groaned subconsciously. Why did Eleven need to insult her? She turned around slowly, and took a step to the side to let El past, but the girl stopped in front of her.
"What is it, El?" Max asked, defeated.
El shut her eyes tightly and threw herself into Max, wrapping her arms around the redhead's midsection. Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke, but there was enough sincerity in her voice... Max knew she meant it.
"Thank you."
Slightly caught off guard by the gesture, Max pat her back gently.
"You're.... You're welcome."