for safety.

              ❛ Yeah, JOIN! Jessie and James are BUSY talking anyway!❜  Sasha replies. She’s ENTHUSIASTIC and KIND about it, taking the ball back once it was handed back to her.                ❛ Sometimes we play SOCCER with it, but other times we just throw it around in-- A circle. To each other! Like this! ❜  The young girl explains, taking three steps back and gently throwing the ball to him.

Once he’s grabbed the crayon she can HEAR him say something. A SORRY? An APOLOGY? She doesn’t understand WHY. He’s done nothing, he’s been POLITE for all Holly’s knowledge. It’s STRANGE to her, saying SORRIES for small things. For nothings. The small Wheeler girl SHAKES her head softly, gaze going back to pay attention to her ART, hands SCRIBBLING on the paper with the black crayon now.             ❛ No problem.❜  She speaks QUIETLY, thinking for a second before adding.             ❛ T---Tell me if you NEED another one.❜

             ❛ What? Why?❜  Will asks, caught OFF GUARD by Jonathan’s request. He would think the PREVIOUS art piece makes the BOTH of them incredibly UNCOMFORTABLE. That NONE of them wanted to SEE that. To go back and THINK about all of the things that happened to them the past months. The things they had to GO THROUGH. Even the music STOPS. The player reaches it’s END, and there is now SILENCE in the room after the click of the machine. Nonetheless, the younger Byers boy’s hand grabs the edge of the sheet, flipping it BACK to where it was a few moments before. Back to the people erased onto the page. Back to their PAIN. Their DISTRESS. Their FEAR. Every NEGATIVE emotion that you could possibly SQUEEZE into one piece of art.                ❛ It was--- Not an EASY night.❜  He says, voice slightly CHOKED on. He knows what it’s ALL ABOUT. And he’s SURE Jonathan does as well. And he’s ASHAMED. Ashamed he can’t FORGET about that one time. Ashamed he can’t FORGIVE himself for what his hands have done to their mother.

            ❛ Yes! We are having FUN-- And SWIMMING-- Mommy always makes some SANDWICHES with Nancy before--- And FRESH JUICE--❜  She explains the usual going of these FAMILY TRIPS with great ENTHUSIASM. Clearly, she ENJOYED them a lot.              ❛ Mike and Nancy SPLASH each other-- And I usually help Mike-- You could be on TEAM NANCY! So she has a CHANCE as well.❜  Holly giggles along, holding the piece of paper in front of herself with tiny arms. She SPECTATES it for a little, takes in all of her MASTERPIECE before placing it in Jonathan’s lap.               ❛ Here, I’ll give it to you! You can keep it and-- Remember we are going to do it the summer! And don’t forget about it.❜  The little girl explains with a BIG, WARM smile.

            ❛ Sure! At least NONE of us will be alone until the others come along.❜  Will agrees, going to open the door for the both of them. He can’t BELIEVE that both they and the losers chose to come to the arcade at the SAME time. He won’t be BORED until they come after all. The place always SMELLED and LOOKED the same, just a FAMILIAR and welcoming environment for him to come to. FORGET about his worries. About all that happened these past years.               ❛ How have you been, though? You--- Feelin ALRIGHT?❜

Kali is caught OFF GUARD by the person that answers the door. She might have come to the WRONG address. Wrong STREET, or something. Yet somehow still JUST RIGHT -- As the other female seems to KNOW just who she is talking about. Without even saying the NAME of who she is looking for. Just by the TITLE. A sister.              ❛ Do you know where I could FIND her?❜  She asks, undeniably intrigued by the other’s KNOWLEDGE.               ❛ It is, but --- I didn’t even SAY I was looking for Jane-- HOW did you know?❜

Will goes to sit next to Nancy, hands RESTING on his knees. He is playing with his FINGERS, hazel eyes fixated on them. It’s not that he was NERVOUS around Nancy, or anything. It’s just --- It was still so STRANGE to express his feelings. HATING feeling like this.              ❛ I know they do. I just kind of WISH they didn’t.❜  He speaks finally, biting down on his lower lip.               ❛ I mean--❜  Voice crack- ❛ I almost KILLED mom. I almost hurt her to a point of NO-RETURN. That’s not something SMALL that you would GLIDE over and not CARE about it. It’s not something you just--- FORGIVE.❜

            ❛ ----What do you MEAN?--- Feel about me?❜  Will asks FURTHER. He REALIZES he is probably being too NOSY and getting at his friend’s NERVES already. But he wanted to MAKE SURE. Make sure that Mike felt the SAME way, too. As SILLY as it sounded. He probably just saw Will as his BEST FRIEND. Nothing more. Of course, it made the Byers boy SAD. But he would UNDERSTAND. 

Dominic takes a hit from his cigarette yet again - INHALING it before breathing the smoke out. He could SENSE she was UNEASY, he’s developed quite a WAY of seeing through people. Understanding them WITHOUT said words.             ❛ You know, I’ve LOST my son. For eleven whole years. He was barely a TODDLER when his mother took him.❜  He starts, staring at the falling snow.             ❛  Then LAST YEAR, he magically SHOWED UP. I thought he was DEAD. At least, that’s what they TOLD me. And he asked me---- Dad, why didn’t you WANT me? Why’d you LEAVE me? Mom said you didn’t WANT me.--- That wasn’t the case. His mother took him away from me WITHOUT right.❜  Dominic continues, dropping his cigarette and stepping on it before looking at her again.               ❛ What I’m TRYING to say is --- I KNOW what happened with you and your mother. UNFORTUNATELY so, not every parent is an angel. Not how a PARENT should be. But LIFE will make it up. Sooner or later.❜

He looks over - Blond locks jiggling as blue eyes focus on her. Oh. He’s see her before, RIGHT? Is she the student from ABROAD? She must be. Her ACCENT sort of gives it away. Alex lets out a soft ‘uh’ voice, scratching his chin.               ❛ Right. Sorry. --Didn’t mean to INTERRUPT. ---Are you having TROUBLE? Would you like my notes?❜  Truth is, the boy was so TALKATIVE on Mr. Harper’s class cause he was class first. He already KNEW all of what he was talking about. All that was in the BOOK. In the NOTES.

           ❛ Guess it was pretty LAME, huh? I’m not good at this SCARING business.❜

He has to ADMIT --- He feels bad. As he sits up and a balled up fist rubs on his tired eyes he can see that Dustin is moving SLOWLY, he probably was SLEEPING already, or at the very LEAST about to fall asleep. Trying to fall asleep. Based on the comic book still on the bed.              ❛ Yeah. Sorry, I just- The AFTER-----FEELINGS.❜  Will replies short and sweet. QUIET. Trying not to bother the STILLNESS of the home too much. Trying not to make the BOTH of them so WIDE AWAKE as he felt now. Will then takes the blanket from his friend, wrapping it and the other one he already had TIGHT around his shoulders, holding it together at his neck.               ❛ Did I wake you up? I’m sorry. You can-- Go back to sleep if you want.❜

           ❛ I don’t know. Something UNHEALTHY. Don’t want to care about calories tonight. Maybe some Dennys? Some pancakes. And fries. Definitely feeling something SWEET.❜

           ❛ ---And that’s the story of how I BURNT DOWN the entire kitchen, BROKE the windows in the living room, and got KICKED OUT of home. Then ended up HERE. I can’t say it wasn’t WORTH it, was a pretty good time until it LASTED.❜

Brown eyes FIX on her. She knows EXACTLY what Wendy is talking about. Not even a full 12-hours since their last.. ACTION and she wants to go out. It’s everything BUT safe. She could get RECOGNIZED. And then FOLLOWED. Blow their COVER. Get all of them KILLED.             ❛ Yeah. True. But SOMEBODY’S gotta do it. We are hungry, AREN’T we? And I am the most likely to SUCCEED. We can’t just- STARVE.❜