C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N

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C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N
Makeover

C H A P T E R   F O U R T  E E NMakeover

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Roni was the last person to make it into Mike's Basement. They sat around in a circle while El sat in the fort, fiddling with the Walkie-Talkie. She sat cross-legged in the middle of Lucas and Dustin. She quietly sat and heard what they were all supposed to hear.

It was a soft whimpering and nothing else but static heard through the radio. Mike looked at them excitedly. "We keep losing the signal, but you heard it, right?" He asked. Lucas, Roni, and Dustin glanced at each other.

"Yeah, I heard a baby," Lucas answered. Roni thought about what she heard and though it did sound like a baby's whimpers, it had somewhat of a familiarity to it. Mike contorts his face into confusion. "Mike, you obviously tapped into a baby monitor. It's probably the Blackburns' next door."

"Uh, did that sound like a baby to you? That was Will," Mike spoke firmly. Roni hated to see her friend like this. Imagining things that aren't there.

"Mike," Roni speaks softly. "I know you might think you heard Will but it might not be him. We all would love for it to be true, but when people are really sad they imagine things. But here for you." She tries to touch his shoulder but he moves away.

"No, no, you don't understand. He spoke last night. Words!" He explains. Roni pulls back and looks at him intently. "He was singing that weird song he loves. Even El heard him."

Roni pulled her eyebrows together, "Should I stay or should I go?" She asked and he nods.

"Oh, well, if the weirdo heard him, then I guess-" Lucas starts but Dustin interrupts him.

"Are sure you're on the right channel?" He asks.

Mike looks over at El who was focused on the Walkie-Talkie. "I don't think it's about that. I think, somehow, she's channeling him," Lucas looks at him in disbelief.

"Like...like Professor X," Dustin gazes in wonder at El. Mike nods with his statement.

"So, she is like Jean-Gray. Cool," Roni gapes. Dustin nods along with her.

Lucas looks between Dustin and Roni. "Are you actually believing this crap?"

Roni shrugs, not knowing what to believe anymore. Dustin thinks for a second. "Do you remember when Will fell off his bike and broke his finger? He sounded a lot like that," Roni's eyes widen, suddenly remembering that day.

They were having a race and Will's bike ran over a rock making him launched forward and fall off his bike, landing on his hand. There was a bone coming out of his finger. Will was crying out in pain and Roni felt so sick. Not from seeing the bone but at seeing someone in that much pain. Especially if it's her friend.

"Did you guys not see what I saw? They pulled Will's body out of the water. He's dead!" Lucas yells at the three of them. Lucas was always the realist of the group, only believing the facts and seeing what's in front of him than anything else.

He's words cut Roni in the core. She shut her eyes firmly, keeping the tears in.

"All I know is Will is alive. Will is alive!" Mike yells. "He's out there somewhere. All we have to do it find him." They look between each other, all hurt at the loss of their friend. Roni knew that there was some part of Lucas that really wanted to believe that Will was alive but he was a realistic thinker.

Their argument faded with a loud static crackling sounded throughout the room. El continued to try to make the radio work but Mike took it from her. "This isn't gonna work. We need to get El to a stronger radio."

Dustin looks up and smiles. "Mr. Clarke's Heathkit ham shack," Mike nods along his idea.

"The Heathkit's at school. There is no way we're gonna get the weirdo in there without anyone noticing," Lucas explains. Roni looks at El and sighs loudly standing up.

"Mike, is Nancy home?" She asks, tying up her blonde hair with a black scrunchie. He shakes his head. "Good. Time for a makeover, El." Eleven looks innocently at her and then the boys.

The Party soon got ready for El's new look. Mike sat with her in Nancy room with the makeup box, while the rest of them searched in Mike's basement for some clothes. Roni didn't have any spare clothes here and it would take longer to head to her house for some.

Lucas pulls out a pink dress with a white peter-pan collar, holding it to his chest. Dustin grabs a blonde wig and puts it on his head, and gestures to himself. "You are both idiots," They flinch when they heard her voice. Dustin quickly takes the wig off, clearing his throat.

Roni shakes her head and picks up a pair of shoes that look about El's size or a little bit bigger. They give her the clothes and wait outside Nancy's room for her to come out.

When El does come out, Mike's brown eyes light up. Roni nudges Dustin and they send each other knowing looks.

"Wow," Dustin says with a surprised look. "She looks-"

"Pretty," Mike finishes. The corners of El's mouth quirked upwards. Roni rolls her eyes, strolling up the the now blonde girl.

"Yeah, she looks pretty but let's add a little rock n' roll to this outfit," Roni takes El's wrist gently and slides a black beaded bracelet. The black beads had hints of silver and a silver guitar charm hung from the middle of the bracelet. She drops her arm and El touches it softly, smiling at Roni.

She steps away, leaving Mike to continue to gaze at her. Dustin looks Roni up and down, noticing her black shirt and blue jeans and replacing them with a pink dress that El is wearing. "Why don't you wear stuff like that, Roni?" He asks, Roni raises an eyebrow.

"Because then I'll look like Marcia from the Brady Bunch," Roni leaned on her left leg. Lucas snickers.

"Marcia? You'll look more like Jan," He laughs. Roni punches his shoulder, sending an angry look.

"Stuff it, Lucas," She glares at him.

The party left the house. Biking El to the school, hoping that it would lead them to Will.

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