Downside Up [W.Byers]

020

"It's like.. like I'm stuck." Will explains as him and Ruby sit beside each other on his bed. Johnathan had picked the two up from Mike's not long ago.

"Like, Like, stuck in the upside down?" She asks, taking a bite of a 3 Musketeers bar. "No. You know on a View-Master, when it gets, like.."

"What's a view-Master?" She asks. "Ignore that. It's like one side's our world, and the other...the other is the Upside down." He explains. "And..And there was this noise coming from everywhere. and then I saw something."

"The Demogorgon?" She questions. "No." He shakes his head. "It was like this huge shadow on the sky. Only, it was alive. And it was coming for me." Will shakes.

"I've never.. I've never seen or heard of anything like that when I was down there.. is it all real?" She asks. "Or is it like td doctors say, all in your head?"

"I don't know. Just.. just please don't tell the others, okay? They won't understand."

"It would be awful. I wish eleven was here. She knows this way better than I do. She'd understand." She wraps an arm around him. "She would?"

"Yeah." She nods. "I always have a feeling that she's still around. I don't tell mike, though. I know he misses her way more than anyone else. Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy." She chuckles.

"Me, too." He mumbles. "Hey, well, if we're both going crazy, then we'll go crazy together, right?" She smiles to him "Yeah. Crazy together."

"So, I've got an idea." She gets off the bed, standing in front of him. She smiles proudly, grabbing his arms and pulling him up. "Here, you deserve to wear it." She takes off her wizard hat, placing it on top of his head.

"What are you doing, Ruby?" Will chuckles as she walks over to the boom box. "This Halloween sucked. But, I bet some great tunes could make it better."

She presses play. 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go?' begins playing. "Ruby, my mom is asleep." He warns as she pulls him near the window, jumping around. "We'll be quiet." She whispers.

He playfully rolls his eyes and stands still, only his arms moved by Ruby. "You're really annoying sometimes." He jokes.

"Then why do you still hang around me?" She chuckles, spinning herself. "Because you're fun to be around."

"I thought I was annoying." She pouts her lip, crossing her arms. The song ends, and they're both left standing in front of each other. The silence overtakes them. Will clears his throat, looking out the window.

"I better get to sleep, I guess." Ruby coughs, attempting to break the deafening silence. "Yeah, Uh, me too." Will nods. "Good night." She leans forward, pecking his cheek softly before walking out.

Will's eyes widen. He places his hand on his cheek as he watches her leave.

"Jesus. Have you seen them?" Joyce asks as she frantically searches for her keys. "We're looking, mom." Johnathan responds. "Yeah, we're.. we're looking." Will repeats.

"You're not looking." Ruby whispers. "Yeah, maybe she'll let us ride my bike to school." He smirks. "A-hA! Found 'em." Bob calls in victory.

"Aw man." Will sighs. "Hiding under some jeans, sneaky little buggers." The man jokes. "Thank you. Thank you. You're a life saver." Joyce pecks him on the cheek.

"Can you take Will and Ruby to school today? I cannot be late again." She looks to Johnathan. "He's staying over now?" Johnathan asks quietly, eyeing Bob.

"Can you just take them, please." She ignores his question. "I can take them." Bob suggests. "Will you make sure they get in okay?"

"Yeah, of course. What do you say, kids. Wanna go for a ride in the Bobmobile?" He chuckles. Will and Ruby share a look. Ruby shrugs.

Will and Ruby sit together in the backseat of bob's car as cheerful music plays from the radio. "Was that you two I heard last night jumping around, or was that a ghost?" Bob asks.

"Yeah. Us, probably." Will nods. "What, could you not sleep?" He questions. "Um..no."

"Did I ever tell you about Mr. Baldo?"

"Mr. Baldo?" Ruby squints her eyes. "Yeah." He nods. "I was a little younger than you, standing in line for the Ferris wheel at the Roane County fair. And suddenly, I feel this fat white glove tap me on the shoulder. I spin around, and there he is. Mr. Baldo." Will And Ruby turn to each other, small smiles spreading across their faces.

"Hey, kiddo, would you like a balloon?" He imitates. Ruby tried to hold in her laughter, as does Will. "Go ahead, laugh. It's funny. It wasn't funny back then, I can tell you that."

"Are you afraid of balloons?" Ruby leans forward. "No,  it was him. I couldn't get him out of my head. Every night, he would come to me in my dreams. And every night when he came to me... I ran." He sighs.

"It got so bad that I made my mom stay in the room with me until I could fall asleep every night."

"Really?" Will asks, glancing over at Ruby for a moment. "Really." Bob nods. "It went on like that for months. And then one day, the nightmares suddenly stopped. Wanna know how?"

"How?" The two ask curiously. "Well, I fell asleep... and just like always, Mr. Baldo came to me. Only this time, I didn't run. This time, I stood my ground. I just looked at Mr. Baldo and his stupid face, and I said 'Go away. Go away!'" He shouts, startling them.

"Just like that, he was gone. Never saw him again. Easy-peasy, right?" Bob smiles. "Easy-peasy." Will repeats. "Just like that." Ruby adds with a grin.