Alice the Amazing ⇒ STRANGER THINGS

[13] Alice Has a Sugar Daddy? (She Doesn't)

{The Monster, Part II/The Bathtub, Part I}

A/N Sorry for the delay folks! I didn't mean to wait so long to update this story, but I moved back to school and have been kind of busy. To make up for my absence, I've got two chapters to upload today! Hooray! Vote, Comment, and answer the Question of the Day: Who's worse, Carol or Tommy H.?

The next morning at breakfast, Mrs. Henderson got an important phone call.

"I have to go to work," she said, flustered. She grabbed her purse and her keys and turned to her kids. "You two, listen carefully—stay here. This town is turning into a nightmare and I want you far from it. Got it?"

"Got it," Alice and Dustin chorused.

When the door shut behind Mrs. Henderson, Dustin turned to Alice.

"Well, I guess we have to stay home," he said. "Want to watch Star Wars?"

Alice gave him a look.

"You're kidding."

"Of course I'm kidding!" Dustin said. "Mike and I are going to apologize to Lucas and find Eleven. I'm not sitting here all day."

"Oh, good," Alice said. She stood and took off her bathrobe. She was already fully dressed, wearing a purple sundress and a jean jacket. "I'm meeting with my birth mom at the park at 11. Don't have time for Star Wars."

She grabbed her backpack and zipped it up, heading towards the front door.

"Wait," Dustin said.

Alice turned to him.

"What is it, Dusty?"

"Be careful, okay?"

Alice grinned.

"I'm always careful, you know me—"

"Alice," Dustin said, giving her a hard look. "I'm being serious. Don't turn this into one of your jokes or sarcastic punchlines."

"Dustin," Alice said, fidgeting with her jacket sleeves, "you're scaring me."

"Good!" Dustin said. "You should be scared."

He took a deep breath.

"Look," he said, "the world is a scary place. I know you like to look for the best in people, but not everyone is good like you."

"What are you talking about?" Alice said, exasperated.

"I don't want you to get taken by the Bad Men!" Dustin said. "I hate to echo Mom, but this could be a trap."

Alice sighed.

"I know," she said. "But I have to know."

Dustin nodded.

"Just watch yourself, okay?" he said. "Come back safe."

The look in Dustin's eyes was one Alice had never seen before. He was truly, genuinely afraid.

"Okay," Alice said. She grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up to calm his nerves.

Dustin didn't look appeased by the gesture. 

"I hope you find the answer you're looking for," Dustin added.

Alice fake-saluted him and closed the door behind her.

💵 💵 💵

Alice waited on the park bench for an excruciatingly long time.

She kept checking her calculator watch, wondering if she had been tricked. Maybe Tommy H. had prank called after all.

I knew I should've left the warning in the ad, Alice thought.