𓆩♡𓆪

A SHOT GOES OFF and the pressure from it is lifted off of Brooke. She gasps for air as Paisley and Jonathan pull her off the floor. It stands in front of Nancy as she fires off more shots. Brooke's head spins as the oxygen comes back to it. The sound of the gun clicking lets Nancy know she's out of bullets and luck.

It opens its mouth and Brooke lifts the bat off the ground. Suddenly, the monster is flung back by an impact. "Steve!" Nancy pants out. Brooke can't tell if she's mad he came back or thankful for saving Nancy's life but as the thing roars at Steve, he just keeps smacking it. He isn't showing an outward burst of fear like earlier. The four of them step back as Steve swings the bat in his hands and hits it again.

Metal clangs together as it roars in pain and the yo-yo goes flying back. "He's in the trap!" Steve yells. They run over to the hallway and Paisley takes a deep breath as it wiggles around in the bear trap. "He's stuck! Jonathan!" Paisley yells at him.

"Jonathan, now!" Nancy yells as well. Brooke, who is still slightly winded, tosses the lighter to Jonathan who tosses it where the gasoline was put down. The carpet catches flame and it screeches in pain.

Paisley runs to the fire extinguisher, "Step back!" She jumps in front of everyone and sprays the fire, the room filling with the toxicity of the fire and that. Brooke watches the flames burn out and then black smoke fills her lungs. They all cough up a storm but walk down the hall.

"Is the fucking thing dead?" Brooke says between coughs. "It has to be dead," Jonathan tells her. They pant as the smoke fully clears. Brooke looks at the bear trap, her eyes widen at what's left of it sizzling. "Yeah, it's fucking dead," Brooke says.

The lights turn on above them and down the hall and around the house. Brooke and Steve stand in front of the group, baseball bats in hand, they follow the string lights through the house.

"Mom? Is that you?" Jonathan softly asks. "The light shows where it's going," Paisley puts together as the last Christmas light turns on. They all walk outside and the sound of the street light crackling makes them look towards it. "Where's it going?" Nancy asks.

"Hopefully back to hell where it came from," Brooke scrunches her nose. The feeling of it's drool still very much stuck on her face. "I don't think that's the monster," Jonathan whispers.

Ideas of where it could be going circle the girl's mind. What if they're attracted to Eleven? She's at the school with the boys. Brooke throws her bat to the side of the porch, "Danny. I have to go get Danny—"

"How? You gonna run to the school?" Paisley pulls Brooke back by her shoulder. She doesn't really care what she has to do, she just has this nagging feeling in her chest that something is wrong. Brooke shakes Paisley off and starts to run back to her house. Her mom is at work right now so all she can hope is that Shawn is asleep which gives her the opportunity to grab the keys and go.

"Brooke—"

"Paisley, shut up!" Brooke opens the door quietly but hears Shawn snoring on the couch. Relief filling her heart. Brooke doesn't care what shit she's gonna get for this, her and Paisley drive to the school in record time, grabbing Danny but, Eleven isn't there.

The girl Brooke had somehow grown quite comfortable with quickly is gone. Disappeared into the wall, according to Mike.

HER LEG WON'T STOP shaking as they wait for an update on Will. Brooke had picked her seat right next to Paisley but next to the empty one from her was Steve. Her brown eyes keep sending daggers into the side of his beat up face.

Steve looks to his right, catching Brooke glaring but she doesn't look away.

He leaves over the arms of the chairs, "You okay? The thing was stepping on you." Brooke's glare stops and she has to process a million times that Steve is asking if she's okay. It's ridiculous. He thinks just because he helped them that all is good now? That all the years of bullshit is over?

Brooke leans over to him, "And why would you give a shit?" She leans back over, not even waiting on an answer from him. Steve doesn't know what to say. Why does he give a shit? Maybe because the whole thing was ever so slightly traumatic?

The door opens in front of the girls and all eyes are on Jonathan.

He nods at Mike who immediately shakes the other boys awake. Brooke chuckles watching Danny wake up so abruptly. "Guys, come on!" Mike yells as they all run out.

"Well, that's a beautiful sight," Paisley smiles brightly at the boys running down the hall. Nancy stands up and walks over to the girls, "Come with me?" Brooke stands up but Paisley hesitates.

"Come on, P," Brooke puts her hand out. She's ecstatic at the thought of seeing Will again. Paisley carefully puts her hand out and rushes down to where Will is. Her heart lights up at the sight of him, even in his condition he still manages to put a smile on as the boys explain everything.

Brooke gives Jonathan a side hug and he wraps an arm around Paisley on the other side of him. He looks at both girls with so much love and care that Paisley almost cries on the spot. "Thank you," He whispers.

"Anything for the little shits," Brooke smiles. leaning more into Jonathan.

ONE MONTH LATER

THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON the family Christmas tree shines the colors of the rainbow onto Brooke's face. The new hoodie Paisley bought her wrapped around herself as Shawn continues to dig into her. Kathleen keeps going from agreeing with him to defending her daughter.

"She stole our car, she's been caught smoking weed, she constantly talks back. Kathleen, she needs to be sent away. Now she's talking about a monster. We still have no idea what happened that night and Brooke is spewing bullshit!"

Brooke wants to say she can't believe this is happening on Christmas Eve but somehow every holiday is ruined for the Martel family. Halloween is the only one where she has an excuse to not be home. "Danny said the same thing about the monster though, Shawn—" Kathleen is cut off by Shawn's glare, the same one Brooke tends to give people.

"But everything else is inexcusable," Kathleen sternly says. Brooke scoffs and both her parents turn to her. Shawn gets up from his chair and stomps over to her. He looms above her but Brooke just stares right back at him.

"Something funny?" Shawn says. Brooke shrugs, "You treat me like you don't want me. It's Christmas. Isn't that a time where you're supposed to at least pretend to give a shit?"

"Don't give us that bullshit. We care, Brooke," Kathleen says as she sips her wine. Brooke shifts in her spot on the old leather couch, "Yeah, okay. Whatever floats your boat, Kathleen—"

"Shut your damn mouth, Brooke!"

"Oh, like you give a shit what I say to her!" Brooke stands up and gets right in Shawn's face, "You don't even love her!" A slap echoes off the walls of the house. Brooke stands there stunned but Shawn leans in with gritted teeth, "Get out of my house—"

The same sound of a slap echoing sounds again but this time Brooke stands proud of herself. That's when Kathleen does something, of course it is. She grabs Brooke and pulls her away from Shawn. "Brooke Cora!" Kathleen says as she continues to push her away. Shawn marches over to the two, yelling over his wife's shoulder, "You are a mistake! There is not a damn good thing about you. Get out of my house! Pack your fucking shit and go!"

"Shawn, stop," Kathleen now pushes him back. The two are like fire and gasoline and Kathleen fucking sucks at being a fire extinguisher. "Go!" Shawn yells. Kathleen pushes Brooke towards the stairs, "Go, Brooke!" Brooke looks back at her mom for a second. Sadness replacing anger. "Mom....." Brooke tears up, her hand gripping the railing.

"Just go, Brooke. It's better for all of us," Kathleen puts her head down and walks away. She can't look at the disappointment on her child's face, not for the millionth time. Brooke takes another step up. She takes one last look at her parents. The anger on Shawn's face and the back of Kathleen's shirt. She's always known her parents don't give a shit about her but they can't even leave her alone for Christmas, still rehashing things she did a month ago to get her brother, their son, from the horror they went through in the school.

Brooke rushes up the stairs, grabbing a random bag and stuffing clothes and money into it. She can't see what she grabs through the tears blinding her vision. A sob escapes her throat as she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

The red hand burns into her skin like a branding. She gently places her finger onto her skin. Rage overcomes her again and her chest starts to heave. Brooke's fist collides with the mirror. The shattering noise fills her ears as glass falls around her. She pulls her fist back, blood dripping down from it already. Brooke tightly closes her eyes, wrapping a random towel around it before taking her back and marching downstairs.

She doesn't bother to look at her parents, if she can even call them that now. Brooke stands at the door with a shaky hand on the knob, "You tell Danny that I will call him and tell him where I am or I swear to hell, I will burn this house to the ground with you both in it," She opens the door and marches into the cold December of Hawkins.

Brooke marches right past the Byers, she doesn't even want to bother them or the Slora's with the mess she is. The tears freeze to her skin and her sneakers are wet as she steps through the snow.

The brunette has no idea how long she's been out at this point, she has no idea where she's going either. A car is heard behind her as she walks alongside the road and then a horn blares bringing her back from her slight trance.

The bright headlights make her cover her eyes as she stops. The car slows down.

"Brooke," Hopper's voice makes Brooke step forward in surprise, "Get in the car, kid." The bag filled to the brim with stuff lets Hopper know that she isn't just taking a late night walk. Brooke wordlessly gets in the car and is immediately thankful for the warmth. The two stare at each other not knowing what to say. Hopper sighs deciding to wait bringing up the girl's injuries and starts the car, driving back to his place as the snow falls around them.