Chapter 004

~*****~


Juliet watched irritably as Dustin rolled the pool towards the gym, complaining it was heavy. She stooped down and heaved it over her shoulder, commenting about how weak he was. "Help me out, shitheads!" Juliet snapped as Lucas began teasing Dustin.

The three began unfolding the pool, Juliet snapping every so often when the sides would drop. Eventually, they got it to stand up right to fill it up. Juliet held the thermometer in the water, peering at it carefully, barking out orders to make it colder or hotter until it reached the desired temperature. Jonathan and Hopper arrived with large bags of salt. Juliet and Hopper began slicing through the thick bags and pouring it into the water. Dustin carefully dipped eggs into the pool to test the float on it until it was perfect. All that was left, was to turn on the white noise and get Eleven into the pool with goggles to black out all the light.

The group sat around the poor as she slid in, easily floating on her back. Almost immediately, the lights flickered off in response to her powers. "Barbara?" Eleven murmured meekly. Nancy perked up and peered at Eleven anxiously. The girl began to breathe heavily.

"What's going on?" Nancy asked as the lights flickered in response to Eleven's breathing.

"I don't know," Mike shrugged.

"Is Barb okay? Is she okay?" Nancy asked urgently.

"Gone. Gone. Gone." Eleven kept repeating, her voice trembling. Her voice raised higher and higher as she sobbed. Nancy gave a shuddering sob and nearly collapsed in her spot kneeling by Jonathan and Juliet.

Joyce began cooing to her, reassuring her that she was okay. "We're right here. We're right here, honey," Joyce cooed. "It's okay, I got you. Don't be afraid. I'm right here with you."

Eleven calmed after a moment. She finally spoke after catching her breath. "Castle Byers..." Eleven murmured. "Will?"

Joyce gave a shrill gasp as she peered closer at Eleven. "You tell him... tell him I'm coming! Mom is coming!" Joyce exclaimed.

Juliet's head whipped to the radio as Will's voice rang out from it. "Hurry..." He sounded weak and tired. Juliet didn't blame him, being stuck somewhere horrifying. She doubted he's had a moments rest.

"Okay, listen, you tell him to... to stay where he is." Joyce pleaded. "We're coming. We're coming, okay? We're coming, honey!"

Eleven began whimpering loudly before she surged upwards, gasping in fear. Joyce wrapped her arms around Eleven and began cooing and reassuring her.


~*****~


Hopper and Joyce took off to enter the gate and find Will, leaving the teens to watch over the younger kids. Juliet stood out in the hall with Nancy, leaning against the wall. She didn't know Barbara to well, considering she was a grade above Nancy and Barbara, and she couldn't imagine how Nancy must've felt hearing that Barbara had died in the Upside Down. Jonathan came back in and slumped down the wall besides Nancy.

The three were silent for a moment before Nancy spoke. "We have to go back to the station." Nancy murmured.

"What?" Jonathan asked.

"Your mom and Hopper are just walking in there like bait." Nancy explained. "That thing is still in there. And we can't just sit here and let it get them, too. We can't."

"You still wanna try it out?" Jonathan asked.

"I wanna finish what we started," Nancy murmured. "I want to kill it."

Juliet pushed off the wall and jut her thumb at the doors leading to the gym. "Then don't worry about the kids." Juliet commented. "If that thing comes here because of Eleven's nosebleeds or an accidental cut, I'll keep them safe. Just make sure you hurt the son of a bitch."

Nancy peered up at Juliet as she held her hand out. Nancy took in the bruises still littering Juliet's body-- all along her neck and face, arms and hands. She was bruised and battered, yet she still stood strong to protect her brother and the other kids. Nancy leapt at Juliet, hugging her tightly as Juliet's lip curled in distaste. "Thank you." Nancy murmured softly. Jonathan fought back snicker at the break in her usual stoney expression.

"Yeah, let go." Juliet retorted, desperately trying to ignore that flush crawling up her neck. "And don't hug me again."

Nancy smiled sheepishly, wiping at her tears before nodding. "Sorry." Nancy hummed. Jonathan peered at the two, brows furrowed.

"You're not getting a hug, either, Byers. Now get out of here." Juliet snapped as she swung the doors to the gym open. "Clingy freaks." Nancy and Jonathan shook their heads with chuckles rumbling in their chests before taking her suggestion and bounding towards the car.

"Change of plan, shit heads." Juliet chirped as she stepped inward. "We're all gonna play the quiet game, and if I hear anything from you freaks, you're getting the crap kicked out of you."

"But--"

"Didn't I just say I'd kick the crap out of you?" Juliet snapped at Mike. "Jonathan and Nancy are gone, okay? This thing might still be in the Upside Down while Hopper and Joyce go for Will. They're gonna draw it out."

"Why didn't you go?" Dustin asked curiously.

Juliet just gestured to her body. "I don't know about you, but I think I'm a bit drained myself. I would just be in the way if that monster showed up." Juliet retorted.  "So you guys are stuck with me, and I do not need to hear you guys bickering all night."

"How are you going to protect us if something happens if you're tired, Julie?" Dustin complained.

"Dude, she said she's gonna kick our asses if we don't be quiet," Lucas hissed.

Juliet pries the rebar from the scrapyard out of her belt loops, brandishing it with a smirk. "I can create a distraction for you guys to book it."

"But we can't just wait around!" Mike exclaimed.

"Am I the only one taking her threat seriously?" Lucas complained, throwing his hands out dramatically. "And in case you forgot, we're still fugitives. The bad men are still looking for us."

"And we don't even know where your sister is," Dustin commented.

"El can find her." Mike retorted.

"She isn't going to do a damn thing, Mike," Juliet snapped. "She's exhausted. So we're sticking to the Chief's plan. We're staying here and keeping El out of sight and safe. That's the most important thing, got it? Besides, you shouldn't worry about Nancy, she's with Jonathan.

"Yeah, and she's kind of a badass now, so..." Dustin trailed off.

"What the hell does that make me?" Juliet asked, irritation burning at her gut.

"Super badass," Dustin shrugged before grasping onto Juliet's arm and tugging her away from the group.

"Where the hell are you taking me, Dustin?" Juliet snapped irritably. "I just said stick to the plan!"

"We are. I'm just gonna go get some chocolate pudding. I'm telling you, Lunch Lady Phyllis hoards that shit." Dustin comments loudly.

"Are you serious?!" Mike exclaimed.

"Well, El might need something to eat," Juliet retorted, mind suddenly filled with the thought of chocolate pudding. "Dude, I get first dibs."

"Okay, but only because you got chased by the Demogorgon." Dustin retorted.

"I get second dibs!" Lucas called out as he barreled after them.


~*****~


Juliet pried open the large fridge in the Hawkins Middle School kitchen, brows quirking as a large grin embellishes her face. "Jackpot!"

"Oh, I knew she was hoarding it!" Dustin exclaimed as he rushed up behind his sister.

"Yeah~" Lucas chirped, laughing at Juliet as she cracks open a can and chugs the contents.

"I knew it!" Dustin barked. "Always lying, saying she's out. Bald-faced liar! Mike! I found the chocolate pudding!"

"Phyllis really does love her chocolate pudding, doesn't she?" Juliet chirped as she cracked open a second can and licking the top. "Good to see the old bag hasn't changed." Dustin guffawed after comment.

The trio hurried back to Eleven with arms full of pudding. "This will charge your battery right up, I'm telling you," Dustin urged as Juliet peered around for Mike.

"Guys! Guys!" Mike panted as he surged back into the cafeteria.

"What is it?" Juliet asked, setting down the can of pudding.

"They found us!" Mike exclaimed.

Juliet peered at the door before turning to Eleven and grasping her hand. "Let's go, come on!" She hisses to the kids.

"How did they know where the find us?" Lucas gasped.

"I don't know, but they knew we were in the gym!" Mike exclaimed.

"Lando." Dustin retorted breathlessly.

"Go, go, go--" Juliet urged, shoving the kids backwards. The group kept running, turning into a group of soldiers at each turn until they're stuck in the middle of the three entrances. Juliet shoved the kids behind her, brandishing her rebar and began barking out threats. "Come any closer and it'll be your teeth, shithead!" Juliet snapped loudly. The lights began flickering again, and blood began pooling from the eyes of every person in the hallway surrounding us. Juliet snapped her gaze back at Eleven as blood dripped from her nose. "Stop, stop--" Juliet whispered softly. "You're weak enough as is, you're killing yourself!" Juliet pleaded, shaking the girl.

All the soldiers in the hall dropped to the ground. The lights stopped flickering and Juliet had to drop her metal bar to catch Eleven from hitting the ground. "El, Are you okay?" Mike gasped as Juliet hauled her up into her arms. "El! Something's wrong."

"She's just drained, Mike," Juliet explained.

"No, no, no, she won't wake up! El!" Mike cried. "El! El!"

"Stop shouting, Mike, that's enough!" Juliet snapped, forcing herself to stand up despite the ache caused by carrying Eleven. Her back screamed for relief, the earlier whiplash coming back with a vengeance. "We have to go."

"Leave her!" A man snapped from down the hall. Juliet's gaze snapped upwards at the older man approaching with more soldiers. "Step away from the child."

"Hey, whoa, whoa--" Juliet retorted loudly. "I don't like the idea of leaving a little girl with you creepy looking mother fuckers." Her gaze flickers behind her and she kicks her rebar upwards, raising it high as she hoists El over her shoulder. Soldiers were rushing towards her and the boys. "Eat shit--" She snaps, cracking the bar against the soldier rushing her. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas began shouting as they're grasped by some of the soldiers. The old man hurried towards them as Juliet kept swinging the metal bar around, shouting out threats. "She's a little girl! Not a lab rat! Back off, you old bastards!" She bellowed. El stirred against Juliet, murmuring Mike's name softly. The bar cracked against the old man's gut before the lights began flickering as Juliet swung towards him. Everyone stopped in their movements.

"Blood." Mike gasped.

Juliet whipped her gaze to the large emblem on the far wall as it begins to crack, the familiar growls and snarls echoing out as something pushes through. "Demogorgon--" Dustin gasps.

"Oh, fuck--" Juliet gasped, pushing backwards and shoving the soldiers in front of her. "Boys, let's move!" She bellowed. They ran down the hallways, gasping out in terror before ducking into a classroom. Juliet laid her on a table in the back. "Stay in the back of the classroom, understand?" Juliet hissed.

They all nod and turn to Eleven. Juliet starts searching the classroom for anything she could use to defend herself against the Demogorgon. She picked up a stool, heaving it up and down for weight before she notices the gunfire stopped. "Is-- is it dead?" Dustin asked nervously.

Juliet gave a shout as the door is knocked down, the Demogorgon slinking inwards with the same terrifying chattering. Fear oozed from Juliet as she stared up at it, but the sounds of the kids shouting in the back shoved her adrenaline to the max. "Get in the back! Now!" Juliet roared. She swung the stool as hard as she could, cracking it against the Demogorgon's face and sending it tumbling backwards. She snatched the rebar off of the table as the Demogorgon kept walking towards her, beating against it as hard as she could to keep it way from the kids. The creature swept at her with it's large claws, narrowly missing her head as Juliet ducked underneath, body working in an instinctual haze for survival. Juliet flipped the bar in her hands, heart settling to a slow beat as she steeled herself, and swung upwards, catching it on the bottom of the head. Her brows flew upwards as the Demogorgon flew backwards, hitting the wall with a terrifying force. She peered down at the rebar in surprise before she felt a soft hand on her arm. She tumbled to the side, peering at Eleven in shock.

"Eleven, stop!" Mike cried before Eleven slung her hand out, shoving Mike and Juliet back against the cupboards.

Juliet groaned and rubbed at the back of her head before peering up at Eleven approaching the Demogorgon. She turned to peer at them sadly. "Goodbye, Mike." Eleven murmured before turning her gaze back onto the Demogorgon. "No more." She murmured before holding her hand out to it, letting out a loud scream as she poured everything she had into destroying the Demogorgon. Juliet cupped her ears as the beast wailed loudly, eyes watering as it disappeared into a cloud of dust. No trace of the monster was left, nor any of Eleven.

Mike scrambled upwards. "El!" Mike shouted. "El!" He kept crying out.

Juliet sat against the cupboards; frown etched on her face as she caught her breath. She couldn't bear to listen to the boys as they cried out for Eleven.


~*****~


Steve peered at Juliet as she sat with her brother, head tipped back, sleeping deeply. Dustin and Lucas were pressed to her sides, snoring loudly. Steve snapped his gaze away when Juliet's head snapped up from the door opening, her usually cold eyes suddenly warm from the sleep still in them. "Guys. Guys, he's up. Will is up. Guys, Will's up!" Mike snapped suddenly, shaking at his friends.

Juliet grunted lowly and stretched out as the three boys charged out to see Will. She peered around, squinting lightly before they settled onto Steve's face, a smirk wrapping onto her face. Steve felt a flush crawl up his neck. She'd often threatened to kick his ass, but seeing someone else do it must've hit her funny bone. Brows quirking up, she began chuckling before getting up and stretching. Juliet ambled out into the hallway to buy a snack from the machine.

"Nice bruises," Steve mentioned almost casually as he followed her out, offering her some change for the machine.

Juliet peered at it cautiously before taking it and leaning against the glass of the machine. "Nancy told me about you coming to help," Juliet mentioned softly, peering over at him. There was something in her gaze he hadn't seen. It made his stomach clench. "That was brave." She turned her gaze back onto the machine. "First time I saw that thing, I hightailed it and totaled my truck."

Steve let out a laugh. "Yeah, I saw that." Steve commented. Juliet turned her skeptical gaze onto him. "I was... looking for Nancy. Your brother is friends with her brother, so I thought... he'd know." Steve lied. Juliet just stared at him longer before turning back to the machine and punching in the code for a pack of Twizzlers. "I'm glad you're okay, by the way." Juliet raised her brow again. "I ditched my loser friends. I wouldn't have any fun unless you were around."

Juliet snorted. "Still not friends." She mentioned, eyes returning to that earlier look. "But you're making headway into not being a douchebag. Next step is to deal with that look on your face."

"What look?" Steve asked in mock offence.

"That one. Oh, that one, too. Maybe it's just your face." Juliet teased.

Steve chortled. "Har, har. Give me that." He snatched a Twizzler from the pack and shoved the entire thing into his mouth.


~*****~


A month had passed since Will's return, and Juliet made sure to pick up her brother each time he went to Mike's for DnD. "Here for Will?" Juliet hummed as she met Jonathan in the driveway of the Wheeler house.

Jonathan smiles. "Yeah, can't be too careful." He mentions. "Oh, before I forget. Here, Merry Christmas." Jonathan hummed he extends a sloppily wrapped package Juliet swore was a Vinyl.

"You do know I didn't get you anything, right?" Juliet retorted; brow raised.

Jonathan shrugged. "You've been picking up and dropping off Will from school. You seriously don't need to get me anything. Or my mom, we're both grateful."

Juliet hums lightly. "Yeah, well... I can't relax unless I know they're safe." Juliet shrugs before entering the Wheeler house. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Wheeler!" Juliet called out.

"Merry Christmas!" Jonathan echoes.

Juliet could see Mrs. Wheeler beam before she opens up the door to the basement and recoiling. "What's that smell?" Juliet cried as she bound down the steps.

"Seriously, have you guys been playing games all day, or just farting," Jonathan teased.

Lucas chuckles. "Oh, that's just Dustin." Lucas mentions. "He farted. Dustin Farted~" Lucas teases, blowing raspberries.

"Okay," Dustin retorts irritably.

"Dustin Farted~" Lucas repeats.

"Very mature, Lucas," Dustin exclaims.

Juliet laughed. "You guys can continue your little banter in the car, let's get going before I vom for the amount of farting going on." Juliet teased as Jonathan and Will bound up the stairs. Juliet hauled Dustin over her shoulders and spun him around before setting him down and chasing him up the stairs with Lucas on her tail. "Thanks for having Dustin over, Mrs. Wheeler." Juliet hummed.

"You know you're both welcome to our home. You're like family." Mrs. Wheeler beamed. "Tell your mother I said Merry Christmas. You too, Lucas."

"Yes ma'am--" Juliet smiled. Just as she passed the dining room, she nearly runs into Steve, who's dressed in an ugly Christmas sweater. "Lose a bet, Harrington?"

Steve glanced down at his sweater. "I thought it looked cool. Festive, you know?"

Dustin and Lucas peered up at Juliet, then at Steve before bounding out the door. "You look like a loser, to be honest." Juliet shrugged. "But then again, you're starting back at square one, so I suppose everyone's gotta look like a loser at some point."

"I'm not the one wearing candy cane pins." Steve retorted as he pointed at the lumps under Juliet's solid colored sweater. "That's gotta be like, the pinnacle of loser."

"Oh, they're not pins," Juliet retorted casually. "They're nipple piercings. How'd you guess they were candy canes? You some kinda psychic or did Nancy tell you she bought them for me for my Christmas?" Steve couldn't respond as she tilted her head. "Oh well, guess everyone's got loser stuff. Some more than others." Juliet mentioned as she peered up at Steve's hair. She hurried out the door when she heard her truck horn go off. "See you later, Harrington!"

Steve just stared after her before ambling numbly to the living room, Juliet's present still in hand. He could always give it to her tomorrow, when he forgot she had nipple piercings. Steve's brows furrowed. He was definitely not going to forget that.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top