#henderson! reader

you had always been a little clumsy, a little ditsy, some people would say. steve found it endearing, the way you’d hold onto his arm when you walked through crowds so you didn’t stumble, the way you’d drop things if you got distracted or trip over shoelaces you forgot to tie. you weren’t dumb; in fact, steve often told you you were smarter than he was, in your own way. some people failed to see that, though, took you at face value and ignored any assets you could offer. since you’d been let in on the truth about what your brother and his friends, and now your own boyfriend, had been up to, you’d been repeatedly left out, instructed to stay home and ‘keep an eye on things’, despite your wishes. you were on the tenth instance of being ignored when you finally snapped, frustration bubbling over.

“this is ridiculous,” you sighed, running a hand through your hair, frowning, “you guys always go and leave me behind with busy work. it’s not fair, and honestly, it’s starting to hurt my feelings.” the group was gathered around their planning table, nancy writing something on a crudely drawn map and steve leaned against the ledge of the table, reading over something. “i’ve told you a million times, i can’t have you getting hurt,” he said, looking over at you, smiling faintly, apologetic, “we’ve been doing this longer than you have, honey. that’s all it is.” “only because you kept it from me,” you said pointedly, “you never even give me a chance to prove i can help. you’d rather take the kids than take me.” he sighed softy, leaving his perch to sit next to you on the small sofa, his arm around your shoulders. “you know i don’t wanna leave you out,” he murmured, “but it’s too dangerous, okay? and were at such a pivotal time, we can’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“of course,” you mumbled, “you’ll just get to go off and save the world without me.” you knew, distantly, that you were being unfair, but you were too frustrated to care. “look at me,” he tapped your chin gently, “you know i’m not doing this to hurt you, sweetheart. i cannot lose you, and we can’t afford to make any mistakes because i’m too worried about you to focus, alright? please stop being angry at me.” “fine,” you huffed softy, leaning into his palm, “you could at least give me some real work to do here, though. maybe i could help with the channels in the van?” “okay, baby,” he kissed your forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment, “i’ll go talk to the others, see if we can find you something to help with. sit tight.” you smiled weakly, watching him go to the side room where most of the others had gathered, kicking the door closed behind him.

you busied yourself tidying up while they discussed, only faintly listening to the voices carrying through the thin walls. you were wiping down a side table when you heard steve, his voice raised and tense. “i mean, come on, man. she’s kinda stupid, isn’t she? i’m sorry, it’s just the way it is.” it was jonathan next, uncharacteristically annoyed sounding. “don’t say shit like that, byers,” steve snapped, “that’s my girlfriend you’re talking about. she’s not stupid, she’s just-“ “clumsy, right. we’ve heard it a million times,” jonathan cut him off, “i’m not going out in the van with her, harrington.” “i’ll stay back and go with her, then,” your boyfriend sighed, clearly irritated. “no,” it was nancy this time, “absolutely not. we can’t lose you in position because of this. i’m sorry, steve. it’s just not worth the risk.”

the hot sting of tears pricked your eyes, and you wiped them away roughly just as the door opened, the group filing out, steve’s shoes thudding against the floor as he all but stomped over to you, taking your arm and pulling you into the other room. “they don’t think it’s a good idea for you to work in the van,” he said, voice low, “i’m sorry, sweetheart. i tried, alright? maybe you can stay here and keep running the station for robin.” “i heard what they said, steve,” you pulled your arm away, face hot, “jonathan thinks i’m an idiot.” “fuck jonathan,” he spat the words like they were poison, “you’re not stupid, okay? he didn’t even mean it, don’t listen to him. everyone’s just stressed out right now. it’s a bad time, that’s all it is.” “it’s always a bad time,” you muttered, “the world is ending.” “yeah, well,” he pulled you back into his arms, his chin resting on your head, “this should be our last crawl, they think we’re getting real close. can you hold down the fort this one last time for me, sweetheart?” “fine,” you said after a moment, voice muffled by his chest, “this one last time.”

the crawl was, you discovered, definitely not the last. things were worse than ever, and everyone was frantic, all hands on deck. all hands, of course, but yours. you knew there was no point even arguing anymore. it was more of an emergency than it ever had been before, and you could see it weighing on steve every time you looked at him, could see the lines of stress and the sore on his bottom lip from biting at it, the dark circles beneath his eyes and the seemingly constant littering of bruises or cuts. you dropped it, made yourself content to just clean up around the station or tend to the groups minor injuries if needed. it lasted a couple weeks, and then you were antsy again, stressed and buzzing from the constant stream of bad news and negative expectations.

steve had pulled you aside before another routine crawl, his eyes serious and his jaw set. “i need you to stay here,” he said, voice low, “no matter what, promise me you’ll stay here. we’ve got demo’s just roaming around, it feels like, and i don’t want you going anywhere and risking getting hurt. joyce is coming with us to keep an eye on will, so you’ll be alone, but i’m leaving you a walkie. you understand? do not leave under any circumstances.” “okay,” you nodded, brows drawn together in concern, mind racing, “you’ll come back, right? you’ll be okay?” “of course, honey,” he kissed your forehead, chaste and gentle, “i’ll be just fine. you’ll be able to hear all of our walkies, and we’ll be able to hear you, if anything happens. promise me you’ll use it if you need it.” “i promise, stevie,” you sniffled, your nerves so high it nearly brought you to tears, “promise you’ll come back?” he hesitated, voice faltering as he said, “i promise, sweetheart.”

you were a mess the entire time they were gone, obsessively listening to the walkie correspondence, the device glued to your side as you paced the room restlessly. it was mostly brief messages, confirming locations to each other, or mike and lucas giving the go ahead to the others. as the night progressed, they grew more frantic, more serious. “we’ve got demos,” will’s voice had cracked across the airwaves, and your stomach churned. just as you started to relax again, you heard steve, his voice panicked and unsteady. “me and henderson are in the van,” he rushed out some coordinates you couldn’t make out, “there’s a demogoron tailing us, we can’t lose it. headed back towards the station, over.” your heart raced with the information, the two most important people in your life in such a vulnerable position. “we can’t cover,” it was hopper, “can you handle it?” “there’s more,” steve was back, “we’re doing our best.” he said your name, and your skin prickled, “stay where you are. don’t unlock the door unless i tell you here, okay?”

you pressed down on the mic, voice shaky, “okay. be careful, please.” “always,” he sounded as if he was smiling, despite everything, “i love you.” “i love you,” you exhaled shakily, “see you soon.” “oh, gag me,” dustin’s voice crackled, and you laughed despite it all, “love you too, dusty.” minutes passed, and you heard the squealing of tired distantly, then a loud commotion, then gunshots. your heart pounded, and you crept upstairs despite steve’s instructions, a gun you definitely were not trained to use in your hand. you peeked out the window, and there was steve, fighting off a creature with his baseball bat, keeping it away from the van, from your brother. your mind raced faster than you could keep up, and before you thought better of it, you were unbolting the door and running out into the night, nearly stumbling over your own feet. “no!” steve’s voice cracked through the chaos, “no, go inside!”

you ignored him, hands shaking terribly as you loaded the shotgun, saying a silent prayer to a god you were sure must’ve abandoned you, and aiming the barrel at the wretched thing. your ears rang as the shot echoed in the air around you, the bullet lodged into the demo’s gnashing mouth, a strange sound leaving it as it limped away, leaving a trail of dark blood behind. you stood, dazed, dizzy from adrenaline and your ears warbling. you were certain you’d pass out in the seconds that followed, knees weak. but then steve’s hands were on your shoulders, his voice breaking through the rushing in your eardrums, his eyes scanning over you wildly for injury. “what were you thinking?” he demanded, pulling you inside, your brother trailing behind, watching the two of you warily. “you were in danger,” you managed, shivering from the adrenaline crash, letting him lead you down the stairs, “i had to help, i didn’t know what else to do.” “i didn’t think you could even shoot a gun,” dustin said, nearly laughing at the vision despite the intense moment, “you can barely even carry a box. how’d you manage that?”

“henderson,” steve snapped, “go lock up and then check on the others. i’m taking her downstairs.” “yes sir,” you could practically hear your brother roll his eyes, but he obeyed anyway, going back up the creaky steps to lock the door. steve guided you to the couch, sitting beside you, one hand on your shoulders and the other on your face, turning you to look up at him. “you could’ve been killed,” he said, voice serious, “if there had been another one, you could’ve been hurt, or worse. do you understand? you had no idea what you were walking into.” “i knew you were out there,” you said, voice thin, “and i knew dustin was with you. that’s all i needed to know.” “that was so stupid,” he said, shaking his head, “don’t ever do that again.” “don’t say that,” you snapped weakly, “i’m not stupid.” “you’re not stupid,” he said quickly, “but that was stupid. it was reckless, and dangerous, and i never want you to do that again.”

The walk felt long and arduous, especially with the sun beating down on you as hard as it did. How odd it was that you were just under the cover of darkness back home— it had been cold and stormy, but here the sun was high up in the sky, with clouds only partly covering the land. Below you, the grassy hill felt as if it went on forever, and for a beat, you thought it did— a sick trick already at the start, but one thing remained a constant in your mind.

        Find Dustin and get out of there.

        You thought those words over and over like a mantra, or hell, even a prayer, pushing yourself forward despite the burning sun. Despite the clock that timed you from the top of that damn hill. Despite the handsome, curly-haired man who brought you here in the first place.

        Cursing him, you shook your head and continued your trek, finally reaching the bottom of the hill and landing on a dirt road. The surrounding fields were barren, and crops rotted in tipped-over barrels. The area was devoid of life, and as the smell of charcoal invaded your nostrils, you scrunched your nose in disgust, picking up the pace. With sunken thatch roofs, the houses were charred, and when you came closer, you noticed arrows stuck in the rotting wood. You noticed the claw marks that scarred the doors and the rust-colored stains that marred the sides of the cottages. There had been some sort of struggle; a carnage that had been long forgotten, but there were no bodies in sight— as if they had just up and vanished.

       Just what happened here?

        As you walked, the ash-stricken houses began to converge the closer you walked towards the forest, as if a village was waiting deep inside. A growing uneasiness followed you until you finally stopped in front of a signpost, realizing that the dirt road forked into two paths— one that went into the forest, and another that continued towards abandoned farmland. Both signs were illegible, written in a language that resembled the scribbles of a two year-old. But even if you could translate them, the wooden signs were so damaged, rotting and falling apart, that you struggled to decide which way to go.

        Without warning, a gust of wind swept through you, and you shivered, rubbing your arms to combat the sudden chill. Now you really wished you had a jacket, rather than just a tank top. However, you noticed that the wind whisked a trail of leaves into the woods.

        If that wasn't a sign, then you didn't know what was.

        Taking a deep breath, you followed them down the path.

        Time seemed to stand still as you walked through the damp forest, but then again, time felt a lot different here. The trees provided a much-needed cover from the burning sun, casting gloomy shadows. It seemed to be a logging camp, with a scattering of wooden cabins that looked in better shape then the ones outside, but were still unsettling to walk past. You found more arrows, with rusty axes embedded in the trunks of trees, but nature seemed to overtake them. Grass and daisies grew in the gaps between abandoned machinery, covering the pieces in moss. More houses seemed to go deeper into the forest, all seemingly abandoned and overgrown.

        As you walked, the humidity caused your hair to frizz up and covered your entire body in an uncomfortable layer of sweat. You let out a huff and wiped the condensation from your brow, your legs aching.

        How long had you been walking for? Was this all for nothing? Had you gone the wrong way? Was there no labyrinth at all? Questions swirled around your mind as your chest swelled, your breath shortening. The heat was not helping— it felt suffocating, as if the entire forest was a damp sauna. What was it with this sudden change in weather?

       With a ragged breath, you finally stopped walking, and your vision blurred with tears. Anxiety gnawed at your very core, your body tensing and trembling as you buried your face in your hands, taking deep breaths. Slowly, you tried to steady yourself, your head aching and pulse pounding. As the pain in your chest subsided, you lowered your palms from your eyes, slowly opening them.

        In front of you wasn't the dirt path, but a large gate— one that hadn’t been there before. It was tall and deeply ornate, with a stone arch and iron bars that were curled into what looked like bats. Moss and vines twisted along the cobblestone pillars on either side, but what caught your eye was the wide, seemingly endless wall that encompassed the labyrinth. You slowly walked up to it, grabbing onto the iron bars and pulling— but the gate was locked.

        "Come on, I've come this far…” you sighed.

        "Halt! Who goes there?”

        Jumping in surprise, you spun and frantically looked for the source of the voice, bringing your arms up in a defensive position— albeit a rather weak one.

        "Who’s there?!” you called out.

        The disembodied voice seemed to chuckle at your attempt at intimidation.

        "I should be asking you that! What brings a human to my neck of the woods?”

        The voice sounded feminine and held a jolly lilt of humor, one that eased your stance slightly. Looking around, you kept your fists up, stepping forward. Maybe those karate classes from elementary school would kick in if something did happen.

        Then as swift as the wind, someone from the top of the gate dropped behind you.

       "Boo!”

        Yelping, you tripped and landed on your bottom, stirring up dust that caused you to cough.

        Curse your lack of instincts and balance. Those classes did nothing to prepare you.

        When the dust settled, you found a pair of striking blue-green eyes staring you down. You let out a gasp, quickly scooting backwards in a feeble attempt to crabwalk away from her. She was sun-kissed, as if she spent her life outside, with freckles dotted across her nose— or was it dirt? You couldn't tell, but she was studying you like a specimen, her eyebrows married in concentration at the possibility of you being a threat. But then she relaxed and flashed a sharp-toothed smile, her teeth both blinding and scary.

        "So it is you! The girl Eddie’s always on about!”

        "Wh-What?”

        "Oh, sorry for startling you— here, lemme help you up.”

        She grabbed your forearm, hoisting you up as if you weighed nothing, and you winced as her sharp claws lightly grazed your skin. Her dirty-blonde hair was chopped just above her shoulders, her eyes crinkling under her wide grin. How could she smile even more?

        "Who are you?”

        "Oh right, I’m Robin! I watch over this gaudy-looking gate!”

        Robin stepped back from you, and it was then that you fully took her in. She wore a similar outfit to Eddie's, dressed in a poet shirt and tight trousers, with gloves fit for an archer. Slung over her back was a longbow and a quiver of arrows, and a dagger was sheathed to her hip. Gold piercings adorned her ears, which were long and pointed— something you had only ever read about in fantasy novels.

        "You’re an elf…?”

        "Oh hells no! A goblin, actually! Never seen a goblin before? We're nothing like those posh pricks!"

        "No, I've never seen a real goblin before..."

        "And it's been a while since I've seen a human! They're quite rare around here.”

        Shaking your head, you stared at her in awe. Goblins always were depicted as small, evil green things, but Robin— she looked human. It made you wonder what elves really looked like.

        "I know, I am quite stunning, but I'm afraid I'm taken!"

        You realized you were staring for longer than was socially acceptable, and your face turned bright red as you broke your stare.

        "You're really the girl he's always talking about, huh? I can see why he likes you.” The relaxed tone disappeared from her voice, her previous expression returning as she studied you. The goblin woman then began to circle you like a vulture, sizing you up and scanning you from head to toe.

        "What? Why are you doing that? Robin, right? Please, can you let me inside?”

        "Woah, one question at a time. Start with the most important one.”

        "Can you please let me inside?”

        "I can, but that’s not the right question.”

        "What? What do you mean not the right question?”

        "You ask a lot of questions, huh?”

        Robin finally stopped in front of you and stared, a smile slowly appearing on her face. She was quiet, letting you stew in your own mind.

        What was she talking about? You said please, was that not enough?

        You turned your back to her, opening your arms and lifting them to the sky.

        "Open Sesame? Abracadabra?”

        Robin burst into a fit of laughter, her own face turning red as she clutched her abdomen, her shoulders shaking. You dropped your arms in embarrassment, cheeks flushing as you wracked your brain for what could have been the answer— why wouldn't she open the gate?

        Oh wait.

        "...Will you please open the gate?”

        "Now that’s more like it!”

        Robin turned and pushed vines aside to reveal a wooden lever, pulling it down. The mechanisms began to churn, the cranking of the gears becoming louder as you walked closer. Anxiety quickly settled into a permanent place in your stomach.

        "How bad is it?”

        "The truth? Terrifying. Are you really going in there?” Robin watched you with curious, worried eyes.

        "I have to…for my brother.”

        "You mean the brother you wished away? How admirable. But here’s your official warning: a mere human like you may not make it out alive. The labyrinth is no game to take lightly— you might forget which way is which, fall into a pit of spikes, or encounter a monster thirsty for blood— you'll never know what you might find.”

        Staring wide-eyed at the open gate, you turned to her.

        "There are monsters in here? You're not messing with me?“

        "Afraid not, but here— you might need this.”

        Robin unclipped her dagger, quick to wrap the belt around your waist.

        "Promise we’ll be friends if you make it out alive?”

        "When I make it out…”

        "That's the spirit! Now go get 'em! Don’t die!" Robin’s smile was blinding as she pushed you towards the entrance. "Good luck, and don’t take anything at face value!”

        You swallowed the lump in your throat as you stared at the stone walls, which seemed to beckon you inside. Taking a breath, you crossed under the gate, which quickly fell shut behind you with a loud bang. You jumped, turning to see the goblin woman waving from the other side.

        Letting out a surprised huff, you faced ahead once more.

        "Alright, I gotta find Dustin," you thought. "I've only got thirteen hours— how am I even going to track that? Robin mentioned monsters...at least she gave me this…"

        Pulling the dagger from its place on your belt, you examined it. It was a simple thing wrapped in leather, with a slightly curved blade. Embedded in the hilt was a red stone, possibly a ruby. You held it out and slashed at the air, imagining your target as someone with curly hair and brown doe eyes. Once satisfied with yourself, you sheathed it away and continued your journey.

        You walked slowly, taking in your surroundings and keeping a watchful eye out for any traps. Brown roots covered the stone walls and spilled onto the path in thick chunks. You carefully maneuvered around them, but the passage seemed to go on forever, and you slowly went from a walk to a jog, and from a jog to a sprint, running down the path with no end in sight.

        Your careless running finally caught up to you when you tripped over a thick, gnarled root, toppling over and tumbling to the ground. Knees digging into dirt, you huffed as you looked up, and from the corner of your eye, you saw it.

        The labyrinth was moving.

        By the looks of it, it changed ever-so slightly— nothing the careless eye could catch so quickly. The walls shifted in what looked to be a wave of magic, pulsating as if they were alive, and the root you had just tripped over slowly disappeared, rescinding into the stone crevices behind you. Was the labyrinth alive after all? Or was this Eddie’s doing?

        You punched the ground in frustration as the pain in your knees became a dull ache. Groaning, you sat up against the wall, your face red not just from exhaustion, but the anger that bubbled to the surface.

        "You can’t be serious!" you screamed at the bright blue sky, hoping someone— anyone— would listen. "What the actual fuck am I supposed to do? Hey, Eddie! Yeah, I have a feeling you can hear me, you prick! What the fuck!? You didn't say it fucking moves! Or that there were monsters in here!”

        You were met with dead silence as you leaned your head against the stone wall, catching your breath and closing your eyes.

        "Alright, this is fine, just breathe. This is like one of those DND campaigns. Yeah, okay, maybe none of this is even real. Did I finally lose it? What if Dustin is dead? Oh god, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself— what if I'm dead too?! What if mom finds me on the side of the road?!” Your ramblings carried through the silence of the labyrinth, hands trembling as you raked your fingers through your hair in anxious panic.

        Tears threatened to escape your eyes, and you tried to will them away, but had to shove your palms against your eyes to force them to hide. You wouldn’t cry, not over this, not over hypothetical scenarios. Dustin was alive— he had to be. You remembered his bubbly laugh. You remembered how curious he always was, often getting into trouble. You remembered how he tucked his head of curls under your chin when you watched movies together. Then you thought about how scared he must be without you there, in the dark and surrounded by terrifying monsters who could eat him if they wanted to. You tucked your knees close to your chest, hiccups erupting from your body as the tears you tried so hard to fight back flowed from your eyes.

        "Are you alright, dear?”

        You jumped at the sudden voice. It was a gentle thing, feminine and holding a motherly lilt that pulled you out of your internal dread. You searched for the source of it, eyes teary.

        "Would you like a spot of tea? I believe I have some leaves perfect for brewing.”

        The source of the voice finally revealed itself to you, hanging from a vine on the wall. Rubbing the tear stains from your cheeks, you leaned towards the creature. A spotted mushroom sat on its head, and delicate, glistening fairy wings sprouted from its back. You shook your head at the question.

        “What troubles you, my dear?”

        The fairy was small but seemed wise with age, with pointed ears that stuck out from her dark brown curls. Her skin was golden, as if the sun blessed her, and she wore a dress made of leaves. Her voice was warm and inviting, but her golden eyes looked you over with sorrow and worry— a mother's gaze, no doubt.

        "It’s this maze! It moves without warning! How am I supposed to get through it in thirteen hours?! Dustin is probably scared to death and it's all my fault!”

        "Oh dear, our king hasn’t properly warned you of the labyrinth, has he? Well, I can tell you with certainty that the brother you shed tears for is safely tucked away in his manor. Our king is kind and always watches over us, including little ol’ me. But in this place, things are not what you expect— for example, take that wall in front of you. It is no ordinary wall.”

        The fairy's wings gently fluttered as she lifted herself towards the wall. Placing a small hand against it, she seemed to keep floating forward.

        Slowly calming your tears, you picked yourself off the ground and approached the wall. Hand outstretched, you expected yourself to stop short, only you stumbled forward.

        "So it’s an illusion...” You walked further and were finally able to place your hand against the cobble, where you saw paths on either side. The fairy slowly settled onto your shoulder, her wings limply hanging downward.

        "I’m sorry, dear— my wings don’t quite flutter how they used to. Can you set me down near that mushroom there? Thank you.”

        "No, I should be thanking you. I needed your help.” You crouched and held your palm towards your shoulder. The fairy hopped onto it, and you set her on the dirt.

        "Oh dearie, it was nothing. Now go, he’s waiting for you!”

        "Thank you again.”

        The fairy gave you a warm smile before waving you away, her hands sparkling as you straightened up. There were two paths to choose from, both looking nearly identical. You looked to the right first, which was lined with spotted mushrooms, and then to the left, where flowers grew from stone walls. Your feet moved towards the left path, distracted by the flowers, but you stopped. 

        "Maybe the flowers are a trap. Their smell is so overwhelmingly sweet, it's giving me a headache— I can't go that way.”  You shook your head and swiftly turned to the right, following the mushrooms down the path.

        You walked and walked for what felt like hours, the pulsating walls shifting from gray cobblestone to green hedges, the changes taking place in your peripheral vision. When you looked over your shoulder, you noticed that shrubbery covered the opening you came through. You pulled the dagger from its sheath and carved an arrow into the ground, marking your path. Keeping the knife out, you trekked through the hedge maze, and when you reached a dead end, you sighed and turned back— only for the arrow mark to be missing.

        "What the hell? This is such a sick joke— I swear it was right here! Ugh!” You stomped, and the stone tile beneath your foot clicked. Your breath stalled short as your eyes darted around, but you saw nothing. You heard the sudden rustle of leaves, and turned to find that the dead end had opened into an archway. It could have been some sort of trap, but you were desperate, and hurried through the opening.

        The passage slowly opened to a courtyard surrounded by round hedge walls, and you froze as fear took hold of you. Between two pillars, you found a mysterious creature sleeping. It was blocking something— a door.

        "This has to be the way. Of course it wouldn’t be so easy. I need to find a way around this thing— whatever it is."

        You surveyed the creature from a distance, still frozen in fear and awe. Curled like a sleeping housecat, it resembled a golden lion with feathered wings. How were you going to get around it? Your sweaty fingers gripped the hilt of the dagger Robin had given you. It wasn’t much, but you took comfort in having something to defend yourself with. You inched forward, trying to find a way around the beast.

        The animal stirred and you froze immediately, sweat beading on your temple as you defensively held the knife in front of you. The creature then growled and twisted, stretching out in its sleep. A crystal ball rested under its paw, suddenly lighting up, and an all-too-familiar voice shouted through it.

        "Chrissy, wake up!”

        The creature hummed and swiped at the ball, which rolled its way towards you. Maybe this was your chance for contact— to see if your brother was alright.

        You quickly sheathed the dagger and dropped down to hoist the crystal ball into your hands, backing away from the creature. Larger than the one previously offered to you, the orb reflected a man with shaggy curls. You glared at his image, but Eddie's attention was elsewhere as he shouted at someone, his voice muffled by all the noise around him. In the background, you heard the sounds of goblins yelling and knocking each other over as something metal loudly clattered to the floor.

        "Eddie, the kid is causing too much trouble! He nearly decapitated little Mike with a sword just now! You watch him, I need a break!” 

        "Stevie you can't leave now! He likes you!"

        "Not my problem! And stop calling me that!

        The unknown man huffed in annoyance before walking off and Eddie rolled his eyes before he let out a heavy sigh. 

        "Some one else was watching over Dustin? And he was around a sword?!"

        Eddie's pointed ears twitched at a high-pitched scream and he groaned, before turning his head to face you.

        "How many times do I—? Oh hello, Miss Henderson.” His eyes widened, not expecting to see you on the other end of the crystal.

        "Where is he?” Your voice was low and angry as you quickly hid behind a pillar, but he seemed distracted.

        "Where’s who? Hey!" The ball jostled as it was ripped from his hands. "Get back here!” He started chasing after the thief, and when he seemed close, you heard childish laughter.

        "Dustin, is that you!?” Your eyes brimmed with tears as you clutched the ball close, a relieved sigh escaping— none of your fears had come true. 

        The laughter became louder as your brother’s gummy grin took center stage, his blue eyes crinkled with glee as he ran, the crystal shaking in his hands.

        "Dustin! Dustin! Are you okay?!” Your voice shook as you tried to get his attention, lowering it as the sleeping creature stirred. He laughed and joyously called your name.

        "I okay, no worry!”

        "Are you sure? You're not hurt? Where are you?” Your questions came out quick, but he giggled, his curls bouncing as he ran.

        "I at Eddie's house! I like it here and I like Eddie! He play with me and I still eat my veggies, like you say! But Eddie don’t eat.”

        "I’m coming to get you, okay? I'll be there soon. Then we’re gonna go home and eat all the ice cream you want. If the goblins do anything bad, then you hit them real hard and run away.”

        "Yay!" The boy cheered, but his running slowed, his eyes droopy and tired. "Pinky promise...?”

        "Pinky promise…I…I love you.”

        "Love you…” he yawned.

        Suddenly he was scooped up, laughing sleepily— something you didn’t think you would miss so much.

        "I’ll take that back now, you little rascal— time for bed.”

        The image shook once again as Eddie plucked the crystal ball from Dustin's grip, holding it out to show the two of them. Dustin dug his face into his shoulder and clung to his neck, legs wrapped around his torso. The man’s eyes were gentle as he shifted his attention from the boy to you, and with a soft voice, he stared you down.

        "You have eleven hours— I'll see you soon.”

        Red smoke filled the crystal, and when it cleared, he was gone.

        "What was all that about? No, forget him, Dustin is okay. He's been eating and now he's going to sleep. See me soon? When I see Eddie, I’m gonna—"

        You set the large crystal ball on the ground and turned to the now very-much-awake creature— one that was half-human, dressed in a white and gold toga. Her ocean blue eyes were piercing, her golden hair perfectly framing her soft face.

        "It seems you caught me napping— you must be the famous Henderson girl I hear so much about.” The creature's voice was soft and tired, her eyes staring you down as you stood away from her.

        How did all of these creatures know you?

        You kept still, your heart furiously beating in your ears. You were sure she could hear it too.

        "That knife at your hip— I hope you weren't planning on using it on me. Otherwise, you might have been my lunch.” she grinned nonchalantly.

        You quickly shook your head— a lie.

        "Come closer, don't be shy. I’m Chrissy and I promise I won’t eat you— there are things here that are far worse than me. Now for your test!”

        You slowly began to approach her, noticing three large locks on the door behind her.

        "Test? What kind of test?”

        "It’s really easy, just answer some riddles and unlock the door behind me to continue towards the city. Easy-peasy!”

        "Wait, riddles? You're a sphinx?” You wracked your head for the story, remembering the creature from a book of Greek mythology you read for history class.

        "Well no, I’m a goblin. We come in all shapes and sizes." Chrissy was a large creature, but she began to shrink, her lion legs shifting into human ones. Her toga reached her ankles, and her bare feet seemed to have been dipped in gold. Her blonde hair fell just past her shoulders as she yawned, arms stretching out above her head.

        You watched in awe and she smiled brightly, giving you jazz hands. The golden bangles around her wrists clanked when she did so.

        "Alright then, I have three riddles for you. If you can’t solve them, then unfortunately, you'll be...misplaced.”

        "Wait, misplaced? Where to?”

        "Typically you’d be placed anywhere in the labyrinth, but in this case, I was told to send you back to the beginning.”

        Your eyes widened and she laughed, her jewelry jingling as she approached you.

        "So, are you ready or not? You don’t have that much time…”

        Taking a deep breath, you nodded. Hopefully all those Dungeons and Dragons sessions would pay off.

        "I’m ready…I think.”

        She clasped her hands together in prayer and her blue eyes gently closed. When she opened them a few seconds later, they glowed a bright gold. You flinched at the unexpected change, but tried to relax. This was your first true test.

        "Your first riddle is this: if given one, you’ll have many or none at all.” Her voice echoed throughout the landing, shaking the hedge walls.

        You steadied yourself and delved deep into your mind, stewing in the question. You had to think carefully; if you gave the wrong answer, you would have to start all over again. And if you did, there most likely wouldn't be a kind fairy creature to help you. What would you even choose to say? There were so many choices.

        Wait.

        Taking a deep breath, you shakily gave your first answer.

        "A choice…?”

        Chrissy smiled, and a lock from behind her fell to the floor.

        "That is correct— your destiny is shaped by the choices you make on your journey through life. Many choices can alter your path, whether they lead you to ruin, or lead you to glory. Choices give the power to challenge your fate. Now your second riddle is this: some are cherished, some are hated, and even if lost, they remain with you.”

        You stared at her, taking in her words, imprinting them into your mind. It could be people— maybe it was. But how are lost people still with you? In your heart?

        Suddenly you thought of your father, the day he left Hawkins ingrained into your memory. Your mother was pregnant with Dustin at the time— you remembered her crying after work, still in her scrubs. You remembered the day she came home with your brother in a carrier and how she cried for weeks after. You remembered seeing her less often. You remembered waking up to feed Dustin when your mother worked night shifts. You remembered not having a Sweet 16th after he was born. You remembered helping to pay for his racecar bed. You remembered getting him to say your name for the first time. It was his first word. You remembered raising him, and you remembered loving him so much. But you remembered the sleepless nights before tests. You remembered missing school to watch over him when he was sick. You remembered crying when he wouldn’t stop. You remembered having to swallow back the tears when your mother was there. The memories were a cocktail of pain, loss, and happiness.

        You remembered…

        "Is the answer memories?”

        Another of the locks fell to the ground, causing it to shake.

        "Correct— memories are powerful. They may hold a person's love or hate, their joy and their grief, and some may choose to block them out. The memories you hold dear will always be imprinted into your heart, even as years pass. Our memories shape us, and you are now stronger because of them. Keep those memories close, for even if they hurt, they are a part of who you are. Now, your last riddle is this: they arrive every night, whether invited or not. They can be seen, but not heard or touched. If one falls, they all keep moving.”

        You absorbed her words into your mind— you needed to get this right, or you would be doomed to reset this death trap. Tapping your foot, you tried to wrap your head around the riddle. You looked up at the sky above you, falling into a distant memory.

        "Whas in da sky?”

        "Those are stars, Dustin. You can only see them clearly out here.”

        "Why?”

        "Because it's dark here.”

        "The dark is scawy...”

        "It can be, but the stars will always keep you safe.”

        "How?”

        "Well, you see that up there? That’s the North Star— when it comes out, you make a wish on it. And guess what? If you follow it, it can take you home.”

        You sat on the driveway with Dustin in your lap, staring up into the starry sky. There had been a blackout, and your mother was still working at the hospital. The sudden darkness had scared the boy, and you tried to calm his cries by bringing him outside.

        "It can?”

        "Yeah, and do you wanna know the coolest thing?”

        "Wha?”

        "Sometimes stars fall from the sky. They say bye-bye to their mommies and they go on their own adventure. They fly by and spread their magic dust to make you happy.”

        "Really? They not scawed?”

        "Maybe, but it’s okay to be scared. Their mommies are always watching.”

        "And sisters?”

        "Yeah buddy, their sisters watch them too.”

        Dustin leaned against you, staring up at the sky with awe in his bright blue eyes. The stars, despite the blackout, kept on moving.

        "Is Mommy still working?”

        "Yeah, the hospital needs a lot of help, so she’s staying late.”

        "I sleep with you?”

        He looked up at you with pleading puppy-dog eyes, and how could you say no to that? You sighed and gently nodded.

        "Yeah, you can sleep in my room 'til Mom gets back.”

        He cheered and leaned against you, his eyes starting to close, and for a second, you thought a comet shot through the sky.

        You wished things were different.

        "Stars— the answer is stars.” Your voice came out shaky and unsure, and you held your breath until finally, after what felt like years, the final lock clicked open and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

        "Correct— for centuries, the stars have guided the lost, and today, their memory guides you forward. Whenever you feel lost in your heart, unsure of how to navigate the darkness within, then look to the night sky. Follow the stars and allow them to guide you, just as they guided others long ago. Just as the stars keep moving, so will you. Congratulations— you have passed the test and may continue on your journey.”

        You held your breath, your eyes wide with shock. Your heart raced as you stood still, as if one wrong move would send you back to the start of the labyrinth. But your anxiety melted into joy when you realized that you had done it— you had passed the first test. You let out a shaky breath, your trembling hands quickly rubbing away the joyous tears that poured down your cheeks. Breaking into a smile, you turned to the orb, pointing at it with a determined fire in your eyes.

        "See that, Eddie?! Fuck you, I did it! Bring it on!”

        Chrissy smiled and tried to hide her laugh. She closed her glowing eyes, and when she blinked them open, she was herself again.

        "Do watch out for traps, won’t you? I would like to see you at the banquet.”

        "Banquet?”

        "Yes, I would like to see you there alive and well. We have a celebration coming up and would love to have you there.”

        You stared at her with confusion etching your features— as if you would voluntarily spend another second in this godforsaken place.

        Chrissy stepped aside as the door swung open, exposing a topiary of a lion on the other side of the passage. You turned to her as she stretched and yawned, her form shifting back to her more animal-like appearance. Swallowing a lump in your throat, you were finally able to voice your concern.

        "Are the next trials harder?”

        "Well, everything has its difficulties and everything has its solutions. You’ll be fine, just keep looking ahead.”

        "Alright, thank you!”

        You took a deep breath, and with a newfound excitement, you passed through the doorway, your eyes trained on the topiary ahead. You looked back at Chrissy, who seemed to settle into sleep, and with a wide smile, you began to run. Your shoes pounded against the flagstone floor as you hurried through the passage.

        But then the flagstone was gone, there was no ground, and your eyes widened as you fell down a gaping abyss. You clawed at the edge of the stone, but it was too late. Your heart raced as you helplessly flailed your arms, the darkness swallowing the scream you let out as you plummeted into the unknown. Was this the your fate all along? Had you made the wrong choice? Gone the wrong way? Were you going to die?

       "I should have looked where I was stepping."

        You fell down, down into the abyss, and the darkness consumed you.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I know it took almost a year to get here but it's here! I'm a full time college student and coming up with original puzzles for this was no easy feat I'll tell you what. I promise I haven't given up yet! Don't forget to reblog, like and comment it really helps! (gosh I sound like a Youtuber lol) But anyways thank you again for reading and back to the writing cave I go!

Taglist: (If you want to be placed on it comment under here)

“Oh that was music you were playing?” One of Jasons friends shoots, your smile tight as your eyes flick back to Jason,

“What are you doing here, Jason?” You look back down where you were separating music note sheets, knowing Jeff would complain about the untidiness,

“Looking for your brother,” Jason speaks up so you glance at him, eyes narrowed towards him, “Where is he, Henderson?”

“I really don’t think that’s any of your business. Now leave,”

Your eyes flick to Lucas, who watched the interaction, your head tilting in a “I knew it” motion.

“But I think it is,” Jason’s step forward leads to a flurry of motions, you dropping the sheets to follow his steps so you were nearly chest-to-chest with the man, Gareth close behind you if Jason was to do anything,

“Hit me, Jason. I fucking dare you,” Your eyes squint, again, eyes flicking between the blondes, “I don’t know where Dustin is. So fuck off, and get off this property,”

“Y/N,” Gareths warning behind you alerts the amount of threats you have thrown at the bully, Jason chuckling as he peers over your shoulder, to the curly haired male and your two other friends behind you,

“Yeah, Y/N,” Jason murmurs, tilting his jaw down, “I’d listen to your freak boyfriend if I were you,”

With that, your hands find Jason’s shirt with a rough shove, sending him stumbling back into his friend group, before he immediately lunges back towards you, shoving you just as hard, if not harder, so Gareth and Jeff could both catch an arm, tightening their grips when you begin to pull in an attempt to escape,

“Didnt think you were one to need body guards, Henderson,” Jason wipes down the front of his shirt, eyes narrowed, “As if I need you to tell me where your brother is. I’ll find him. Trust me,”

Somehow, you manage to slip your body free from Gareth and Jeff’s grasps, shoving Jason hard enough to where he toppled onto his back, your figure hovering over him, only getting a single punch in before Gareth is grabbing at your waist, heaving you off the man’s body.

“Touch my brother and me and you will have a bigger fucking issue, Carver,” You hiss, eyes shooting to Lucas, “All of you,” Another push away from Gareth, but he manages to catch you,

“Okay, okay! Enough,” Gareth demands, Jeff moving in front of you with one of Gareths drumsticks in hand, attempting to look intimidating.

Jason leaves with a heaved scoff after his team helps him off the ground, hand rubbing his face, and after a moments pause, Gareth releases you, your body spinning to dig through your bag,

“Y/N, what the hell was that?” Jeff asks, Gareth crossing his arms as you pull out your walkie, something Gareth knew was an easy way for you and Dustin to communicate, “You punched Jason Carver, he’ll send his whole team out before we know it!”

Ignoring your friend, you pull the antenna to your walkie, pressing a button on the side, “Dustin, you copy?”

A slight pause, “Y/N! Holy shit, you won’t believe what’s been going on,”

“Dustin, are you home?” You ignore, your friends behind you slowly moving back to their previous tasks,

“No, we’ve been at the Wheelers, why?”

“Good, Jason’s gone fucking nuts looking for Eddie and now he’s going after you,” You lift your bag, rubbing your temple at the growing headache you received.

“What did he do?” Steve cuts, Jeff mumbling behind you “Is that Steve Harrington?”

“Just his usual threats,” You mutter, slinging your bag over your shoulder as you rub your temple at the dull headache behind your eyes, “I’m on my way,”

“What about practice?” Jeff asks, hands out as Gareth watches your movements, brows furrowed,

“I need to make sure Jason doesn’t go after Dustin. I separated the sheets for you,” You pause to let him breathe out, thankful, “Just-,” You stop to hand Gareth your walkie, confusion on his face, “Let me know if he comes back. Channel three,”

“Just be careful, okay?” Gareth pleas, breathless, your shoulder curling as you give him a small smile,

“Always. You know me and Dustin get into crazy shit a lot. This is nothing,”

. . .

“So do you guys have an actual plan or you just deciding to chit chat?”

The group of seven spin around at your voice. The leaves crunch beneath your feet, eyes squinting at the large party before stopping next to Dustin,

“How the hell did you find us all the way out here, Henderson?” Steve questions, your hand raising up then dropping with a scoff-like laugh,

“You’re not very quiet. I can hear you guys over a mile away,” You turn to Dustin, pulling his own bag from off his shoulder so he blinked in confusion,

“Dude, what are you looking for?”

“Your walkie,”

“What? Why mine?” Dustin complains, “Where’s yours?”

“Gareths got it,” You lift the walkie from the bag, looking up at Dustin’s pause,

“And why does Gareth have your walkie?” There’s a threatening tone to his voice, obviously bothered by the fact that your boyfriend and his group member now holds your walkie.

“Jason’s looking for you!” You gesture to Dustin himself, then to Eddie, “You, too. Gareths just keeping an eye out, calm down,”

“If he breaks it he buys it,” Dustin rolls his eyes, watching you pull the antenna up,

“Hey, Gareth?” You release the button to listen, the walkie beginning to static before it stops,

“Yup, I’m here,” Gareth responds, your eyebrows raised up towards Dustin, “Still no signs from Jason,”

“Good, try to keep it like that. We won’t be going home in case he does find out. Lucas is with them so if he decides to be a dick,” You roll your eyes with your pause, “There’s always a chance they’ll figure out. I’ll check back in later,”

“Be safe,”

“So does this Gareth dude know about the whole upside down shit?” Steve questions, your shoulders lifting with your sigh,

“Kinda, yeah. Just the basics. Eleven, Wills reason for disappearing, oh he also knows Star Court didn’t actually catch fire,”

“So we’re just telling random people about aliens and Russians now?” Nancy squints her eyes, you copying her action,

“Gareth isn’t a random person. He’s been involved for like, two years. This isn’t the point of the topic,” You wave your hands around, dropping the walkie back into Dustin’s bag, “So what’s the plan?”

. . .

That night at the Wheelers house, you find yourself sitting on the hood of Steves car in the driveway, Gareth next to you with his arms propped on his knees, chin against his hand,

“So how long are you guys staying here?” Gareths eyes flick to Mikes house behind you, indicating he meant the Wheelers house specifically.

“Just until Jason gives up on looking for Dustin,” You copy his motion, propping both hands beneath your jaw, “But it’s not just us. The whole group minus Mike and Lucas are here. Mainly to keep an eye out on Max. But that’s a long story,”

“I’ve got time,” Gareth shrugs, shifting his gaze back to you, watching your small smile falter, glancing up at the dark sky.

“Eddie didn’t kill Chrissy, Gareth,” You sigh, shifting your hand to rub your temple. You really wish you took some painkillers during dinner.

“Innocent until proven guilty, in my opinion,” Gareth shrugs, eyes flicking across your face, curiously, “But if he didn’t, who did?”

You pause, “Do you remember the whole Upside Down thing I told you about? With the gate that we closed?”

Gareth hums. “It opened again. There’s a new bad guy. I get this is going to sound fucking insane but, the bad guy is Vecna,”

Gareth doesn’t say anything. When he does, “Vecna as in Dungeons and Dragons?”

It’s your turn to hum, then you rub your forehead a second time and rest your head against said hand, “It sounds so stupid. I probably sound insane,”

“Unless you and Dustin really planned out this prank to stick to the same storyline, I believe you,” Gareth leans to the side to nudge his shoulder to yours, your giggle quiet as you nudge him back.

“Trust me, Dustin can’t lie for shit,” You mutter, glancing over your shoulder when you hear a footstep, Steve’s figure making his way towards you and the other teenager beside you,

“What have I told you guys about sitting on my car?” Steve heaves, your grimace light as you shrug a shoulder, Gareth squinting at Steve to see his face in the dark, “C’mon. Ill drive you home, Gareth. I don’t want Y/N out here so late,”

“What are you, her babysitter?” Gareth questions, your head tilting with a shrug as Steve rolls his eyes,

“At this point, kinda,” You smile, softly, leaning to the side again to nudge him a second time, “I’ll be fine. We’ll do our daily walkie check in like usual,”

You slide off the hood, waiting for Gareth to do the same, “But in Dustin’s words, you break it you buy it,”

“Noted,” Gareth clicks his teeth, as Steve rounds to the drivers seat, “Just- be careful, okay? I don’t understand half this shit, but, sounds dangerous,”

“This is my fourth year dealing with these things,” You laugh, “I’ll be okay,” You lean into the passenger window of Steve’s car, “Get him home in one piece, yeah?”

“Yeah, yeah, get in, dude, or you can walk,” Steve grumbles, Gareth barely pecking your cheek before he climbs in, you turning on your heel to prepare another night in the basement.

. . .

“Eddie! What the fuck are you doing?!”

You and Dustin crane your necks to look up into the doorway to the Upside Down, Eddie mirroring you from the opposite side.

“Buying us time,” Eddie leaves the trailer, your head shaking in a panic along with your hands, looking around in alarm,

“Holy shit- okay,” You drag a chair to level with the open portal, stepping up to grab the edges of the doorway, heaving yourself back into the unknown location of the upside down,

“Eddie!” Dustin follows suit- most likely breaking his ankle in the process- and the next few seconds are a blur of bats, blood, and screaming. So much screaming.

You and Dustin sit at Eddie’s sides. Blood covers his face, while tears cover yours, and your chest hurts from the ongoing panic attack that seemed to take over your senses,

“I didn’t run away this time,” Eddie gasps, Dustin’s head shaking as your hands pull off your sweater cover over, pressing it to the wound on Eddie’s side so that the older teenager hissed, “It’s my year. I was going to graduate,”

“And you will!” Your wheeze startles Dustin to look up, and your hands shake so violently you can’t seem to keep the pressure on Eddie’s wound, “You’re going to graduate, just stay awake for us, Eddie,”

Silence. You and Dustin immediately look back down to the man, both seeming to exhale harshly at the realization- Eddie was gone.

“Oh my God,” You gasp, immediately coughing on the sob lodged in your throat. Raising your hands to your face, you sniffle, so hard your shoulders shake, before you flinch at a rumble, looking up at Dustin, “We gotta get out of here,”

“I’m not leaving him,” Your younger brother forces, face red from tears and lip trembling, “We can get him to a hospital!”

“He’s dead, Dustin,” You hiccup, standing on trembling legs before stepping over Eddie, grasping at Dustin’s arm as another shake took over the underworld, “We have to go!”

Getting back through the portal seemed easier than the first time, you and Dustin both managing to land without injuring yourselves again, but as soon as you regain composure, a crack forms on the ground, startling you both to look at each other.

The ground then snaps open, your arms sticking out to shove Dustin into the closest wall, your own feet stumbling backwards so you press your back to the opposite wall, eyes wide in alarm at the red glow that came from the crack, “What the hell?”

. . .

It’s another day before you see the group. You stand in the gym of Hawkins High, barely listening to Steve and Robin talking to one of the volunteers, before you finally spot Jeff, who immediately grabbed at Gareths shoulder to direct his attention to you.

All emotions from yesterday seem to build back up as you move towards them. Trying not to stumble on people sitting or lying on the ground, Gareth too begins to navigate through citizens, meeting you halfway to wrap his arms around your middle, while your own threw themselves at his shoulders, hiding your face in your sleeve to muffle the sudden sob you release.

You notice Jeff’s worried confusion, Kevin beside him sharing a look with him as they watch Gareth lean back, one hand at your arm while the other held in the air, unsure as you wipe your face,

“Eddie’s gone,” Your breath is short, hand dropping to grasp at his flannel, as his face dropped in realization, “The earthquake- Dustin and I were there,”

His eyes soften, knowing the earthquake wasn’t really the reason, glancing back at your two other band members before facing you, “Let’s get you some water, yeah?”

Taking your hand, Gareth leads you back through the crowds, your free hand wiping your nose with a heave of a breath, sinking down onto the bleachers as Gareth grabbed two cups, handing one to you before sitting next to you, your knees turning to bump his,

“It wasn’t the earthquake,” You murmur, Gareth nodding as your eyes flick to the side, spotting Dustin talking to Mr. Munson, “He died a hero for a town that called him a killer, Gareth. He didn’t do any of it,”

“Hey, drink some water,” Gareth murmurs, hand at your knee when it begins to bounce, taking your own hand that sat on your leg with a comforting squeeze, “Take a sec and calm down,”

Your nod is weak, nose stuffy and eyes puffy as you glance up, Steve moving to sit next to you with a heaved breath, “You two okay?”

Gareths hand now rests at your back when you curl into his side, Gareth sighing himself as he glances around the crowded gym, “How’s Max?” He avoids, barely glancing at you and to Steve,

“They don’t have an estimation of when she’ll wake up,” Steve shakes his head, his own eyes shifting to you. Your eyes have closed out of exhaustion, and Steve wonders if you’ll even be able to sleep tonight with last nights incident, “Keep an eye on her, okay?”

Gareths eyebrows furrow at the sudden topic change, the slack of your figure indicating you have nearly dozed off. Gareth nods, looking over to meet Steves eyes, “Yeah. Same to you for Dustin,”

“ Just chill. Even if he wants that cheerleader, so what? Eddie Munson has as many chances of being with Chrissy Cunnigham as ….” 

“ ‘ as I have with Nancy Wheeler’. That’s the outdated answer you are trying to replace because you ran out of excuses to cheer me.” You cut him off in a mock. “ Let’s finish the sentence with a ‘ as you have with the guitarist of Van Halen’, which is actually impossible unlike your case.” 

The interruption got a few chuckles out of him, but it also led him into an excellent point he hasn't discussed with you on the topic. 

“ Have you never stopped to think that maybe that’s how he sees her? You know, a fantasy. Not everyone projects on celebrities like you do. Some people that we see everyday can feel almost as unreachable and serve the same purpose.” 

It never occured to you, but you didn’t see the importance of distinguishing it. One way or another, he liked her and there was no space to speculate on how you could be part of the equation. 

“ What’s the difference? It doesn’t really matter how, the fact is there.” 

Jonathan tried to make the explanation as practical as possible to make you see what you were not getting. 

“ Let’s name the Eddies so this will not get confusing: Van Halen is Eddie 1 and Munson is Eddie 2. “ 

“ Like the Things of Doctor Seuss?” 

“ Yeah, like that. “ He agreed to continue. “ Now imagine a fictional situation where both are into you and you have to pick one of them. I’m not even going to ask you because I know you will pick Eddie 2, he is the real deal. The one you know, who you trust and share stuff with. Eddie 1 is an image on your wall, a video on your TV screen and you like him as that. With him you don't want it to be real and you don’t need it to be real.” 

“ Of course not, that would be erotomania.” 

He would have answered the same way, that was definitely his influence. 

“ For as much as you drool whenever MTV airs the video of Panama, Eddie 2 is still your Eddie and the way in which your face transforms when you see him play is something I have never seen before.” 

“ With all of this you mean that Chrissy may be my Eddie’s version of Eddie and, if i am lucky, I still have chances of becoming his version of him?” 

The tongue twister conclusion seemed to be indicating that you understood the central points of his idea. 

“ That makes no sense.” You insisted on yours. “ She is not in a poster, she is a real girl who passes by us everyday and he could be talking to. She is right there being a divine beauty and freaking adorable, putting every mortal girl to shame while we really can’t blame her because she seems like a sweetheart. She is like Arwen, I simply can’t compete with her and I don’t want to hate her because there is nothing to hate. What I should be doing is having the guts Eowyn had to face Aragorn was not for her.” 

“ Let go of that Jolene bullshit. We are going to a shithole to see the band of the dude who sells me drugs. How can you lose your mind claiming that you are not good enough for him?” 

From the way in which he was presenting it, that did sound a bit exaggerated, but it was perhaps because Jonathan wasn’t spending as much time with Eddie as you. He didn’t find him as awesome as you did, to him he was just some dude. 

“ I guess it is my subconscious being unable to let go of how I was rejected by the chezz club as a kid. “ You joked in return. “ I could have been a chezz state champion, but I abandoned some time before the championships because I found out the boys had a D&D party outside of that and they never invited me.” 

“ Then you tried to form your own group in revenge, but only one girl joined and that wasn’t enough to start a campaign. You thought you had made a friend, but she moved for the next school year and you were alone again.” 

He remembered every single detail of the anecdote, knowing it so well that he wouldn’t let you finish it. 

“ I love you, Johnny. I don’t know what I would do without you. I love to know that, even if things go wrong and Hellfire turns out to be like the chezz club, we will still have each other.” 

He was focused on driving, but you could still see his smile. 

“ Always, you know I love you too. I want you to remember that it will not be your fault if it turns out that there are no real chances beyond friendship with Eddie. This is not about being worthy or unworthy of him. Besides, we are all weirdos. He is called a freak, I am a freak and so are you. Yeah, you are not some preppy cheerleader but we know that is not the end of the world. You are still a cute freak girl and some other freak will notice.” 

“ That’s the kind of comforting advice I give to Dustin. Please, don’t make me sound like a hypocrite. “ 

“ Or maybe a normal dude. Have you thought about it?” Jonathan added, still caught onto his speech. '' Some chill normal that casually enjoys Stephen King books and would get to hear your exhaustive analysis on dates. He is so normal that haunted house horror is his favorite genre and he found The Shining absolutely revolutionary. He doesn’t even get why King complains about Kubrick’s adaptation.” 

“ Don’t be an asshole, haunted house is Steve’s favorite! He doesn’t like gore and enjoys stories centered on families. Not everyone has to be into the blood splatter.” 

“ We have the same Evil Dead poster, we are on it together.” 

“ I’m just saying that the haunted house genre has its charm. “ You defended yourself. “ Remember that draft for a story I abandoned because I felt there was nothing interesting besides the subversive undertones at the end I wanted for it? I told the concept to Steve and he said he would watch a movie based on it.” 

Jonathan was surprised to hear that you were talking about that with Steve. He knew that you were spending a lot of time with him because he became a friend of Dustin, but didn’t imagine he would stand the writer's info dumping. 

“ Are you doing market research before passing by your editor? Unless you forgot it, that’s me.“ 

" I will hand you the manuscript as soon as I decide on a direction for the idea. I don't know yet what I am going to do, but Steve liked it and that makes me want to do something with it."  

In the relaxed spirit of the conversation, he delivered some more well intentioned teasing. 

" What does Eddie say about that? "

The mere mention of that made you throw a skeptical chuckle.

" Please, as if he could actually be jealous of me. ME, of all girls. At best, I can see myself as á 'one of the boys' kind of friend." 

" Is that why you are going to freeze to death wearing that super short skirt? Do you want to perform metalhead femininity so your friend /crush will notice you are a girl?" 

That was exactly what you wanted to do, or at least a complicated explanation of your plan. At the needed time, as always, you asked him to pull over halfway so you could change clothes alone in the car. 

Neither his mother or yours had to know where you were going, so you couldn't allow yourself to be seen by any of them wearing your outfits for the shows. Each and every single time you were contextually forced to change clothes on the way. The look you picked for that gig had you particularly excited because it was slightly more riskfull than your usual. You were a bit too desperate for some of Eddie's attention, what you would be trying to get wearing your shortest jean skirt and fishnets. 

Wondering if he would notice the change was your main motivation and the escenarios going on in your mind were a great impulse as you were changing. Your playful imagination was inventing an ideal reaction: Eddie looking at you and feeling surprised, impressed, maybe interested. That last point was exactly what you craved the most to think about, you were imagining how amazing it would be if he would want you as more than a friend. You two would be crossing glances the whole show, a sneak out to some small corner of the place where you could be alone after the end. Him confessing in whispers exactly what you wanted to hear leading to a heavy makeout session where you would feel his hands touching you everywhere... maybe even underneath your skirt. 

That kind of distraction was the recipe for an accident. Not only were you changing on a rush, your mind was somewhere else. You had no idea of how your thoughts could escalate that fast, but the result was your fishnets getting stuck. Cursing yourself in the process, you tried to fix the situation on your own. It didn't work, you barely got them to pass halfway to your thighs. 

There was no other way, you were going to need more hands on the matter. 

" JONATHAN!! " You called for your friend waiting outside. " I need some back up!" 

He didn't know what you meant, but didn't like the sound of it. 

" How are things going?" 

Your answer was slightly delayed by your shame making you hesitate. 

" It's the fishnets, crap doesn't move and I can't make it move." 

He also hesitated before replying. 

" Can't you figure that out yourself?" 

It caused more frustration in you regarding the situation. 

" IT'S STUCK! PLEASE, JOHNNY. I NEED YOU IN THIS!!!"

A very awkward request, but it sounded desperate enough to make him see you were serious. That only made him get more nervous. 

" WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?? MOTLEY CRUE, DR FRANK N FURTER ?? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THAT SHIT??" 

" DON'T YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND??" 

The evocation didn't work at all to convince him.

" NANCY DOESN'T WEAR FISHNETS!" 

That wouldn't make you stop either. 

" JUST COME IN!!!!" 

Seeing no other option, he got inside the car to find you spreaded in the backseat and providing a very embarrassing visual. 

His expression of discomfort was impossible to dissimulate, it was such an awkward situation for everyone involved. 

" Ok, I am here. What should I do next?" 

There was no simple way to explain it. 

" Help me pull, but do it gently or you will rip the thing apart. " 

" Can you make it sound LESS awkward, please?" 

You were too ashamed to think words carefully. 

" Teamwork requires sacrifices, now pick a side and start pulling. " 

You allowed him the needed space to reach you and the embarrassment grew. Johnatan was very hesitant to touch you when he comprobed that there was no innocent extreme for him to grab the fishnets without getting in contact with some awkward spot of your body. 

In your front it was your inner thighs, while in the back it would be pulling until reaching your ass. 

" I'm going to cut this hideous thing with a scissor and your legs will go bare. " 

" YOU DON'T!" Was your extremist complaining " We have faced shit worse than this and we did it together. GRAB AND PULL!" 

" I CAN'T!!!" He kept yelling, completely freaking out. " THERE IS NOWHERE I CAN PICK WITHOUT TOUCHING." 

" JUST DO IT!!!"

One of the most uncomfortable moments you have lived together across all the history of your friendship took place exactly then. As he helped you out in between a concert of curses, mutual yelling and weird encouraging speeches you two got convinced that fighting interdimensional creatures was somehow less challenging than going through that. 

" ALMOST THERE, DON'T YOU DARE TO GIVE UP NOW." You were saying to him once you began to notice some considerable movement. 

At the same time you thought you made it you were almost sure of hearing a subtle cracking sound that was very bad news. 

" IT WILL LOOK BETTER THAT WAY, I PROMISE." Johnatan tried to stop you from panicking within his own panic. " DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT, WE ARE GONNA MAKE IT. DID YOU HEAR ME? THIS FUCKING RIPPED CRAP AIN'T GONNA STOP YOU. " 

" HOW MUCH IS IT?" You asked, still managing to panic. " HOW MUCH DAMAGE, JONATHAN??" 

" Try not to bend down, the hole is at the edge of your ass"

" FUCK!" You cried out in frustration. " One goddamn time I'm putting in more effort and shit has to get screwed anyways." 

You put on the skirt with some feelings of defeat ruining your mood. 

" Thank you, I'm very sorry for this mess and for how batshit crazy this whole situation has me. " You apologized to your friend. " I want to feel pretty because that feeds a bit into the illusion, you know? It's my dumb brain thinking that if i look different Eddie could get to look at me a bit different. " 

The sincere confession made Johnnatan toss aside some of the awkwardness. 

" It's alright, we all do dumb shit when we like someone. " He attempted to comfort you. " Seriously, don't bend down or it will get worse. It may sound like a good idea to get quick attention, but it is not going to come from him first. Your new goal tonight is keeping this crap in place at least until the last song." 

You tried to seem optimistic, at least as a way to show gratitude to Jonathan for his help. 

" Alright, that is going to give me something to keep myself occupied. It must help with the nerves at least. "

The outcome didn't end up turning as terrible as you feared. You had fun anyways, despite the reminder of the quite wild fantasy you unexpectedly came up with at the time of your harmless accident made you feel too wrong to keep eye contact with Eddie for too long.