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• f i f t y •

General POV:

It was a casual Friday afternoon at the Wheeler's house. Mike and Nancy were home from high school, Karen was running errands with Holly, and as usual, Ted was snoring in his recliner.

"Nanc," Mike called his sisters name, jogging lightly up the stairs to her bedroom. He stood in her doorway, finding Nancy on the telephone sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Not now!" she mouthed silently to Mike, but he only rolled his eyes.

"I need to talk to you," Mike told her, a slight firmness about his tone. Nancy sighed loudly.

"One sec," she informed the person on the other end of the call, "Mike's being annoying."

"The other kids are going to the mall, is it cool if I go too?" Mike asked politely, and Nancy considered thoughtfully.

"Okay. Just be home for dinner, and don't take my money or mom's or dad's. Got it?" Nancy replied, and Mike's face lit up as he smiled in excitement.

"Yep! Got it! Thank you!" he exclaimed, and the siblings shared a warm smile before Mike darted across the hall to his own room.

"Where is it..." he mumbled to himself, lifting up random clothes throughout the room until he came across a Ziploc bag full of loose change, "Aha!"

"Mike, come in," Lucas' voice sounded over Mike's Supercom.

"It's Mike. I can come, over," Mike replied, picking up the device.

"Roger that. Meet us at Elm and Cherry in five, over and out," Lucas answered.

"Roger. Over and out," Mike ended, then shoved down the antenna on the Supercom before walking over to his desk. He grabbed his backpack from the floor, and packed his money and his Supercom. He zipped the bag up, then swung it over his shoulders as he exited his room.

"Bye Nancy!" he called out, standing at the top of the steps.

"Bye Mike!" she replied sweetly, making Mike smile as he bolted down the stairs. Knowing his dad would be asleep, Mike didn't bother checking in with him before going out to the garage to hop on his bike.

Mike closed the garage door, then biked down his street until he reached Elm. He took a left turn,  and rode down road as his eyes scanned for the other kids who had all confirmed they were coming as well.

"There," Mike whispered to himself, spotting Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Max at an intersection ahead.

"Look, there he is," Dustin told the others as he slowed to approach them safely. Mike was welcomed by the four of them, but was quick to realize that someone was missing.

"I thought El was coming," Mike said, quietly and disappointed.

"She said she was," Max answered in confusion.

"I guess we all thought you would have picked her up," Lucas reasoned, turning to look at Mike.

"I can go get her and just meet you guys there," Mike offered, and the others nodded.

"Sure. We'll see you soon. The cabin's not too far away, so you shouldn't be too long," Dustin informed Mike, to which he responded with a nod.

"Alright. Bye for now," Mike waved off, biking up the hill en route to the chief's cabin. He reached the edge of town, then turned down a narrow dirt road that he had known for some time now. Mike dismounted the bicycle, and leaned it against the outer wall of the wooden structure. He walked up the front steps, and did the secret knock on the door:

Two knocks.

One knock.

Three knocks.

"Mike!" a short haired girl exclaimed breathily as she swung the door open.