DANCIN' ► DUSTIN HENDERSON [1]

2/4

"DUDE, CAN YOU JUST RELAX?" Steve groaned outwardly, his body slouched on the Byers' couch as he watched Dustin pace the living room for the millionth time.

"How can I relax when Jas is out there risking her life and we're doing absolutely nothing to help?" Dustin snapped, freezing mid-pace to throw a sharp glare at the Harrington teen.

"Oh and you think I'm happy about staying here?" Ruby hissed from her spot next to Steve, her legs stretched outwards as she anxiously snacked on a spoonful of peanut butter. "I'm her sister and Hopper didn't even let me go. I'm his partner, for Christ's sake!"

"Hey, let me get a little bit of that," Steve murmured, reaching a finger into the peanut butter jar slightly and scooping some from the top.

Ruby eyed him incredulously, her nose scrunching upwards in disgust. "That was repulsive, you know that right?"

"What?" Steve mumbled defensively with a mouthful of peanut butter, his hands shooting up in surrender.

"Don't you even think about putting your finger back in there, Harrington."

"Dustin's right, though," Mike suddenly inputted, marching in unannounced from the kitchen. He too, like Dustin, was left distraught by the girls leaving. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs."

"Alright, well, we're not there are we?" Steve pointed out wryly.

"We should be!" Dustin exclaimed.

"What are you gonna do, scare the monsters away with your little kitty purr?" Steve taunted, cocking an eyebrow challengingly at the curly-headed boy.

"Kitty purr?" Ruby echoed in confusion. "You...purr?"

"Yeah, you haven't heard it?" Steve glanced at the Marrow girl.

"We are not talking about this right now!" Dustin yelled furiously, clapping his hands together for emphasis.

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?" Steve's head snapped in the direction of this Henderson, frustration lit in his eyes. "When the coach calls a play, you execute it."

"Oh, of course you would make a sports game reference!" Dustin spat, uttering profanities under his breath.

"It's not a sports game. We're not even in the game, we're on the bench," Mike growled, growing tiresome of the constant bickering between Steve and Dustin.

"Yeah, and we shouldn't be!" Ruby declared.

"So what if we're on the bench? The bench is good! It means that us, the less capable players, are making room for the stronger players, like Jas and El, to win the game for us," Steve explained, bitterly adding, "but of course this isn't a game. Still, the point is, there's nothing we can do."

"There's no way that's true," Ruby sent a disapproving look at Steve, make his heart squirm in his chest. "Kids, any ideas?"

"Well these Demodogs have a hive mind," Dustin considered thoughtfully, sitting on the edge of the coffee table and running a few fingers along his chin. "When they ran from the bus, they were called away.