What Lies Beneath || Stranger Things

three || the foul

HAWKINS

The school bell ran overhead in Mr. Clarke's class, sending the kids sprawling for the door in a frenzy.

"Remember!" Mr. Clarke called over the shuffling of sneakers and closing notebooks. "Finish chapter twelve and answer twelve point three on the difference between and experiment and other forms of science investigation. This will be on the test, which will cover chapters ten through twelve." He sighed, voice trailing off as the students dissipated through the door. "It will be multiple choice with an essay section."

Last to pack up their belongings, Mike, Lucas and Dustin excitedly rushed the desk with wide grins.

"So, did it come?" Mike asked, antsy hands tapping on the desk.

"Sorry, boys," Mr. Clarke said, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but..." His solemn expression flipped to a grin. "It came. Go see."

The boys let out an excited gaggle, bolting out of the science lab and down the hall to the designated A/V room stacked with cool technology.

"Yes!" Mike whispered, taking a seat at the desk that bared a brand new, top of the line radio.

Following in close behind, Mr. Clarke's happiness only grew at the sight of kids genuinely being interested in science. "The Heathkit ham shack. Ain't she a beaut?"

Dustin wiggled one of the static knobs as Mike played with the headset. "I bet you can talk to New York on this thing."

Mr. Clarke grinned. "Think bigger."

"California?" Lucas asked.

"Bigger."

Having slid the headphones on, Mike's brows lifted with the volume of his voice. "Australia?"

Mr. Clarke's satisfied expression set the boys into triumphant laughter, turning their attention to the massive device.

"When Will sees this, he's totally gonna blow his shit!"

"Lucas!" Clarke reprimanded with folded arms.

"Sorry," he winced, his mistake backdropped by Dustin's laughter.

Mike leaned in to the microphone as he swung into a thick Australian accent. "Hello, this is Mike Wheeler, president of Hawkins Middle AV Club."

Dustin snatched the headphones, taking Mike's place with a wide grin. "Hello, this is Dustin, and this is the secretary and treasurer of Hawkins Middle AV Club," he said in a peppy Dundee accent. "Do you eat kangaroos for breakfast?"

As Lucas grappled for the headset, they were apprehended by the Principal entering the A/V room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but, uh, may I borrow Michael, Lucas and Dustin?" he asked, pointing out each of the boys.

With nothing they actively knew they had done wrong, they were hesitant to follow their Principal into the hall where Chief Hopper and one of his officers waited silently. The walk to the office was quiet on the adults' part while the boys hummed in soft concern and elbowing each other in the sides.

Told to dispose of their backpacks and take a seat on the sofa in the principal's office, they hesitantly followed suit while Hopper and Officer Callahan took a pair of chairs across from them.

"Boys," Chief Hopper began with a light gruff, holding his hat in his lap, "Will Byers didn't show up at home last night and his mother is under the impression that he's missing." He held up a finger to stop their immediate questions. "I've been told that you were the last ones to see him after some kind of game night last night. Can you walk me through that and how he gets home?"