"Dream of better lives the kind which never hate
Dropped in the state of imaginary grace
I made a pilgrimage to save this humans race
Never comprehending the race that long gone bye
I'll stop the world and melt with you"

The death of Victoria Parker was old news.  People forgot about it after two weeks and mostly everyone's lives went back to normal. She was just dead news.

Anthony had his hands stuffed in his jean-jacket as he followed behind Steve down one of the schools hallways.  Tommy and Carol right behind him.

"A molecule that can-"  Barbara didn't get to finish as Steve grabbed the cards out of her hands.  Anthony smiled slightly at his friends actions.

"Hey."  Barbara sighed, looking at Steve.

"I don't know.  I think you've studied enough, Nance."  Steve said, looking at the note cards, Anthony looking at the cards from next to him.  "I'm telling you, you got this.  Now onto more important matters."  Steve told her while she gave him a look.

"My dad has left town on a conference and my moms gone with him, cause, you know, she doesn't trust him."  Steve explained, looking to Nancy and Barbra.

"Good call."  Tommy smiled.

"So are you in?"  Steve asked.

"In for what?"  Nancy asked confused.

"No parents?  Big house?"  Carol looked at her.

"A party?"

"Ding, ding, ding!"  Carol said as Tommy laughed.

"It's Tuesday."  Nancy said with confusion in her voice.

"And tomorrow is going to be Wednesday."  Anthony shrugged, raising an eyebrow.

"It's Tuesday- oh my-"  Steve slapped Tommy.

"It'll be low-key.  It'll be just us.  What do you say?  Are you in or are you out?"  Steve asked.

"Umm."

"Oh, God.  Look."  Carol spoke with disgust in her voice as the group averted their eyes to Jonathan putting up his little brothers missing picture up on the board...the same board Anthony used.

"Oh, God, that's depressing."  Steve said and Anthony just shook his head at his words.

"Should we say something?"  Nancy asked, looking to Anthony, since he's been down this road.

"I don't think he speaks."  Carol said.

"How much do you want to bet he killed him?"  Tommy asked.

"Shut up."  Steve whispered to Tommy, shoving him slightly.

Anthony gave the two a look not believing what was coming out of their mouths.  Well, it wasn't all the surprisingly but it was like they forgot this same thing happened to his sister.  The same accusations and everything.

"Hey, Tommy, Carol.  Zip it."  He told them seriously. 

Anthony watched Nancy go over to Jonathan and when Jonathan looked over to the group he backed up slightly.  "I'm going to get to class."  He told Steve.

"Alright, man.  See you in History."  Steve nodded as he glanced at his friend who was walking away.

The Upside uʍop

Will was running through the woods of the upside down, scared for his life. He had no idea where he was and that creature was still after him. He breathed out heavily as he turned his head back slightly, seeing the thing move in the distance before he looked straight ahead again.

A hand then clamped over his mouth while another arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him into someone's chest. Will struggled under the grip, letting out a muffled cry.

"Shhhh. Shhh." A feminine voice whispered. Victoria breathed out softly as she stood straight up, against a trunk as the creature walked on the other side, screeching out.

Leaves crunched below it as it turned its head, letting out a loud screech before running off. Victoria slowly let go of Will as she looked around, to see if anything else was near.

"Victoria?" Will asked, looking at the girl.

Victoria looked at the kid, furrowing her eyebrows together. She never met this kid in her life and he was clearly new to the Upside Down. "Yeah?" She asked back.

"You're alive? You've been here this whole time?" Will asked.

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him.

"You've been gone for months. Everyone thinks you're dead." Will explained.

"May as well be dead." She muttered to herself.

"I'm Will Byers. Jonathan's brother." Will smiled a bit, happy he wasn't alone in this world.

"Nice to meet you Will, your brother told me very much about you.  Sorry, we have to meet in these circumstances."  She looked around before turning back to Will.

"We need to get out of here.  It's not good to be out in the open with No Faces looking around."  She moved her tangled hair out of her face.

"Is that what you call them?  I call them Demogorgans."  Will whispered to her.

"I like that name better."  She smiled shyly before grabbing onto his hand tightly.  "Don't let go."  She told him and started to run in a certain direction.

Will did what he was told, he held onto her hand tightly as he ran just as fast as her, afraid if he didn't he would fall or the demehorgans would get him.  The two heard them screech but kept going, never looking back.

"In here."  Victoria let go of his hand and ushered him in her spot that has been keeping her safe from the creatures.  Another screech went off and Victoria took one last look around before climbing in as well.

"What even is this place?" Will asked her in a whisper.

"I-I don't know." She held her legs close to her chest. "It looks just like Hawkins but only darker and colder and...like everything is-"

"Upside down?" Will cut her off and her big eyes looked up at him and she nodded.

"Yeah...Upside Down."

~~~

Steve shot gun a can of beer in front of Nancy and Barbra.  After he finished he sat down on a lawn chair by the pool, Nancy giving him a look.  "Is that supposed to impress me?"  She asked.

"Apparently."  Anthony spoke as he made his way over.  "Steve?"  He asked as he held up a bottle of bourbon.

"Yeah.  Go ahead."  Steve nodded then looked back to Nancy.  "You're not?"  He asked, smiling.

"You are cliche, you do realize?"  Nancy asked.

Anthony stifled a laugh at her comment before he took a seat on the diving board, his feet hanging in the water as he opened up the bottle and took a large chug from it.

"You gotta make a hole right at the bottom." Steve pointed to her as he had a cigarette in his mouth.

"I got it."

Steve held his hands up in surrender as Tommy looked at him. "Yeah, she's smart, you douche." Tommy whacked his empty beer can on his head, smashing it while his other arm was wrapped around Carol.

"You could learn a few tips Tommy boy." Anthony spoke from his spot on the diving board, smiling widely as Tommy let out a loud, short laugh.

"Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug!" The four changed as Barbara did not look amuse from her spot on the chair. Once she finished they cheered as she threw it on the ground.

"Barb, you wanna try?" Nancy asked.

"What? No." Barbra shook her head. "No, I don't want to thanks."

"Come on." Nancy told her.

"Yeah." Steve agreed.

"You don't have to do it Barbra! It's lame anyways." Anthony reassured her from his spot.

"Nance, I don't want to." Barbs gave her friend a look.

"Come on its fun." Nancy said. "Just give it a shot."

"Peer pressure isn't a lovely thing." Anthony called from his spot, taking a sip from the bottle as he watched he situation.

"Ok." Barbra gave in, standing up as she took the can and the knife. "So, you just..." Barbra tried to do it but ended up cutting herself instead. She dropped both items.

Tommy chuckled as he looked at her hand. "Gnarly."

"Are you okay?" Nancy asked quickly going to her friend.

"This is why we don't peer pressure! No one listens to Anthony anymore." Anthony shook his head as he looked at the pool below him. "Anthony just spoke in third person.....he did it again."

"Yeah."

"Barbra you're bleeding."

"I'm fine. Where's your bathroom?" She asked, looking to Steve.

"Oh, it's uh." Steve quickly got out of his chair and pointed. "It's down past the kitchen, to the left." Steve instructed as he walked over to make sure she found it.

"To the left!" Anthony shouted from his spot as his eyes were closed, clearly out of it.

"Thanks Tony." Tommy laughed, waving at him.

"Welcome." Anthony muttered tiredly before opening his eyes.

"Okay, thanks." Barbra said as she headed inside.

The five didn't say anything, but Tommy puffed out some smoke he watched Carol walk over to the edge of the pool and he quickly shoved her in. "Oh, shit." Anthony laughed, witnessing the whole thing as the water splashed him.

"Oh, my, God! What the hell, Tommy?" Carol exclaimed. Tommy smiled as he blew out the rest of the smoke before throwing his cigarette somewhere below flying in the pool.

Steve then shoved Nancy before jumping in as well. "Whoo!" Anthony yelled, reaching over to put the bottle down before he slowly stood up.

"Tony! Tony! Tony!" His friends chanted as he jumped in then soon popped back out and floating on his back with a small smile on his face.

Steve silently went over and dunked Anthony. When he popped back up he dunked his friend back. "Ha!"

Once they were all done they wrapped towels around themselves, drying off in the house. "Well, I hear his parents room has a fireplace." Tommy said as Carol started to follow him.

"Are you kidding me?" Steve asked and Anthony held a disgusted look on his face.

"Okay, well, you know. You are cleaning the sheets." Steve told him.

"You alright?" He asked Nancy.

"Yeah." Nancy nodded.

"Come on, let's get you some dry clothes." Steve started to walk away.

"I'll be outside". Anthony told him.

"You sure? You're still in your wet clothes." Steve told him.

"Steve. I'm out of my mind. I can't even tell I'm cold." Anthony smiled.

"Ok. Fine. Just don't go in the pool." Steve pointed to him. "I mean it."

"Yeah. Yeah." Anthony waved him off as he headed back outside and laid down on the lawn chair with the towel wrapped around him. He had his eyes closed for a bit but opened them back up as he heard the door slide open.

He turned his head seeing Barbra walk out and sit down on the diving board like he did a few moments ago.

"You good?" He asked and Barbra's head snapped over to him.

"Yeah...I didn't know anyone was out here." She told him.

"Yeah. I don't need to hear whatever they're doing in there." Anthony said seriously, messing with the towel slightly.

"Sorry Nancy ditched you." Anthony sat up in the lawn chair.

"It's fine." She shrugged.

"Pretty shitty, really." Anthony told her seriously.

"Yeah." She nodded, looking over at him.

Anthony went to say something else but squinted his eyes as he looked slightly past her. He leaned forward, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"What?" Barbra asked.

"I must be really drunk, because I see some weird looking creature behind you." Anthony slowly started to laugh then he placed his hand on his chest, as he kept on laughing. He suddenly stopped when the light went off and he groaned.

"Don't worry I'll fix it. This happens all the time." Anthony stood up as he made his way over to Barbra slowly, stumbling a bit. His eyes widened however when he saw the creature up close.

"Barbra get out of here!" He yelled as the creature latched onto Barbra making her scream.

"Oh, shit!" Anthony yelled as he stumbled back and whipped his head around, hoping to find something to hit it with. He found the pool net laying to the side and quickly grabbed it and held it up like he would a baseball bat and swung away.

The creature turned to him and shrieked before its tentacles flung at him, whacking him towards the pool. Anthony's head smacked against the concrete before he slipped.

He then saw nothing.

**I'm not dead! I've just been busy and also on vacation. I was gonna update but internet was horrible. Hope y'all having a good summer/winter**