Peter left a note for his friends saying he'd be back, needing to take care of something on his own. He left early that morning to go to the public library, finally showing up at his house nearly two hours later. He held the books in his hands, using the key around his neck to open the door. The faint, gentle humming of his Moms humming filled his ears. It brought a smile onto his face, remembering how she'd do it when he was little and got hurt at soccer games.

"Mom." he poked his head around the corner.

"Peter!" he gasped, nearly dropping the whole thing of salt. "You scared me. What are you doing home already? I thought you were gonna wait to come home until spring break was over."

"I decided to come home with the team." he nodded, walking a little more into the kitchen and eyeing the bake goods she'd been mixing. "Another bake sale?"

"Your father made another deal." she gave a little smile. "Wanted to welcome his workers with mini apple pies."

Peter smiled, his eyes started to water. "They'll like that."

"Aw, what's wrong, baby?" Darcy wipped her hands on her apron and cupped his face. "Did something happen?"

"No." he tried to keep it together, her finger rubbed across his scar. Unlike how he did with El, he stayed still. "I just...I wanted to come see you before I leave."

"Where are you headed?" some of her red hair fell into her eyes, taking one hand off his face to push it back.

"Steves." he lied to her. "I ugh, I'm not sure how long i'll be."

"Tell that cousin of yours he needs to get his butt over here one day soon." she gave him a knowingly look, glancing down at the stack of books in his arms. "What are those for?"

Peter hesitated, placing them on the counter. His eyes looked hard at hers and saw the makeup covering the bruise on her left cheek bone. "I think you should give them a look."

He leaned in and hugged her, his arms tightening around her with his head pushed into her neck. Darcy rubbed his back, soaking up what she could of the affectionate side he rarely was able or wanted to show with her. They pulled back as she cupped his face. "My strong boy."

"You can be strong too." he whispered, because his voice would have cracked if he hadn't. "I have to go now."

"I'll see you when you want to come home." she nodded. Peter felt his heart go into his stomach, because he didn't know how true that would be. He turned his back, walking through his house. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see it again, wasn't sure if he'd ever run through the house because Wesley threatened to leave him if he didn't hurry, wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to sneak out to hang out with Mike on Wednesdays and Max on Saturdays. He wasn't sure of anything, but he was sure of wanting his Mom to be okay.

When Darcy heard the door shut, she flipped the first book opened and stared at the Domestic Violence stories from woman all over the world.

Peter was headed back to where he came from before taking a turn to the school. He was gonna leave it alone but couldn't help himself, walking into the soccer field out back. For the first time since he got back to Hawkins, he felt like home on the field. The grass had a smell that he'd always love, the soccer goal recently pained white again. Peter inhaled deeply as he shut his eyes a moment, inhaling deeply in the middle of the field.

When he opened them, he wasn't on the soccer field anymore.

Peter panicked as he looked around. Everything was red, clocks floating. He backed up quickly, falling over one as the noise echoed. He hit the ground hard with a huff, looking around. "Steve!"

He never asked Max if she tried to yell for them when she was stuck, he hoped maybe his yells would be real outside of his head. He stood up quickly, spinning around to run, colliding with someone as he fell over again. His eyes shifted up to his fathers face. He stared down at him in disgust. "Get up, you big baby!"

Peters heart raced, shaking his head. "You're not real."

A wine glass appeared his his hand, throwing it as it hit Peters face. He fell back some, holding his face as it bleed onto his hands. He stood up quickly and tried to back up before his Dad grabbed hold of him, holding him by the shirt. "Are those tears I see? Shut up!"

Peter wipped his left eye. "I'm not crying."

"You're just like your stupid mother, you know that? Too emotional." he glared into his sons eyes. "Get out of my face, I don't wanna see you until tomorrow."

When he let him go, Peter didn't plant his feet on the ground, instead he was falling, and fast. He yelled in fear, dropping into nothing. He didn't know where he was going, there was no way of knowing. It wasn't until he hit the ground did he realize he was back on the soccer field, only a different version.

"You're not gonna get anywhere with two left feet. Do it again!" Shane shouted at him, Peter looked up quickly and saw his Dad standing over his again. Before he could react, he got a heel right to the face. The memory was too familiar, only he was little when this happened, not fifteen. He dad didn't hit him often, three times in his life, usually just through words did he affect him. First, the wine glass, which he already experience, then the kick to the face.

Peters eyes widened when he realized where he was after he fell backwards, his hands shoving into the carpet back at his house. His Dad pulled him up. "You think leaving the house is gonna get you anywhere? Going to hide out at your stupid uncles house thinking that'll make everything okay? You're dumb ass got arrested!"

"I'm sorry." Peter shook his head, it felt too real, despite knowing it wasn't. "I didn't mean to."

"I should have left your ungrateful ass there, maybe it'll teach you a lesson." he smacked him across the face, letting his shirt go. "Do you have any idea how that looks on me? Our family!"

"I'm sorry." he whispered it, his hand touched the side of his face his dad smacked him with. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care how sorry you are." Shane threatened him. "Come here, come close to me."

Peter sat still, shaking his head. Shane waved him over. "Come here, son. It's okay, come here."

He took two steps forward, his dad placed a gentle hand on his face, giving him a weak smile. Peter relaxed his shoulders just as he got a punch rather then a slap, making his, back then when it happened, smaller body fell to the side and hit the coffee table. It went black as Shane stared in a panic at the blood. "Oh my god. Peter, Peter get up. Get up."

Peter opened his eyes up, staring at the white hospital light. His head hurt, Wesley was there. "Wes."

"Hey." Wesley stood up quickly and kissed him on the forehead. "Scared me to death, you ass."

"Where's Mom?" he asked him.

"With Uncle Scott." he rubbed his arm. "You hit your head really hard, there was a shit ton of blood, I thought it was fake."

"I c-" Peter started, he stopped talking as he sat up. "You're not real. You're not real."

"Shh." Wesley placed his hand over Peters face, his skin forming into a claw while the rest of his body went from the teenage boy form to Vecna's true, wrinkled and ugly, form. "Your pain is seen now, Peter. No one will ignore it anymore."

Vines wrapped around his wrist and ankles in the hospital bed, holding him down. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Join me." Vecna hovered over him. "Your suffering doesn't have to continue."

He struggled to breath as the vine went around his neck. "Please."

"It doesn't have to be this way anymore." Vecna stared to him. "I have wanted you for so long, Peter. Your name...it called for me since the day your father first hurt you on that soccer field. Join me."

Peter coughed as Vecna leaned in close to him, the vines getting tighter.

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.

Peter started to cry when he heard it, the hospitals room opening up. He could see himself, he could see his friends. His feet were coming off the ground, but he wasn't up yet. Peter stared at Vecna as his claw tightened on his face. If he could breath free, if he could manage to get away, he'd be okay.

My girl, my girl, my girl. Talkin bout my girl.

"I like it." El nodded as she listened over the headphones. "Doesn't blow my mind though."

"What?" Peter laughed in disbelief. "No way, it blows my mind the most."

El shook her head. "Like the other one more."

"No, no, you just gotta get it going." he got off her bed, it was still cold outside from Christmas being yesterday. He pulled her with him, giving her a spin. "Talkin bout... my girl!!""

"My girl!!" El yelled with him as he pulled her in and they danced around her room together. "My girl!!"

"My girl!!" Peter yelled, lifting her off her feet in a small spin as El laugh, taking his face and kissing him quickly.

He was in the locker room now, alone. The door opened up as Lucas walked in. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Peter hurried to tie his shoe before running out with him. "By the time we're done, they're gonna be begging you to be on the team."

"I can't even make a basket three times in a row." Lucas bounced the basketball on the court.

"We've only been practicing three days." Peter nodded. "Don't forget to block me!"

Lucas ducked under his arm as Peter tried to block him, turning his back and shooting the ball. As it passed the net, the pair of boys yelled out and threw their arms over their heads. Their voices echoed in the empty gym as Lucas hugged him tightly.

The hospitals hallway last year.

"He is." Peter nodded his head. "You should meet him."

Will had to give him a smile. "Thanks."

Peter shrugged. "Thanks for what?"

Will have a faint look. Thanks for not judging me and saying what I finally wanted to hear. "Just, thanks."

School.

"Is this a smart idea? This sounds like a terrible idea." Peter ranted as Dustin drug him down the hallway.

"You're gonna look amazing." he turned back, placing a crown on his head. "Max doesn't want to be the royal blood. You look fantastic!"

"Do I?" Peter gave a snort.

"The best." Dustin nodded, fixing his crown again.

Bradley's house.

"My mom swears my this stuff." he walked in with coco butter. "It won't make it disappear, but it'll definitely make it fade some."

"Thank you." Peter was still new to soccer then, just glad to have Bradley invite him over to his house. He held his face, applying the thick, lotion like, solution onto the scar from his eye to his lip. "I like your Mom."

"Yeah, she likes you too." Bradley gave him a little grin, holding him still. "What was it you were struggling with at practice?"

"People keep running into me." he sighed.

"You gotta build some muscle up." Bradley took his noodle arms in his hands. "It'll be so much easier then."

"What if i'm just stuck in noodle stage forever?" Peter gave him a innocent look, waving his arms.

"Cute little noodle." he laughed as he stood up. "Come on, your training starts today."

Family reunion when he was ten.

"What have you done!" little Wesley yelled as he swung the door open to stare at his brother.

"Doesn't he look great?" little Steve asked with a grin. "Now we really look related."

"I like it!" little Peter yelled as he started at his large hair in the mirror. "Like an ocean wave."

"Exactly like an ocean wave." Steve agreed.

Wesley shut the door. "Me too?"

Mikes basement.

"Okay, looks like it's just the two of us." Mike jogged down the steps. "Max canceled."

"Dustin too?" Peter gapped from the couch.

"Something about quality time with Suzie." Mike cringed with a shake of his head. "I really don't wanna know."

"Well, the one thing we have in common..." Peter trialed off as he grabbed the DVD. "-and the one thing no one else seems to like."

"You like Laserblast?" Mike asked in disbelief as he looked at the DVD.

"Does the sky turn blue?" Peter said in return, tossing it his way. "Fire it up!"

Mike grinned. "No one else likes to watch it with me."

"Well..." the Clarke boy trailed off with a little grin. "-I do."

Max's trailer.

"When I thought about our first year of high school, it was completely different then this." Max said as they sat on the steps, it was cold out and he wanted to go in. "Some days just feel so blank that I don't know what to do."

Peter turned his head to her. "Think it's because high school just sucks or because life sucks?"

"Maybe both." Max suggested, turning her head to him. "I hate like, literally everything."

"I hate stuff with blueberries." he tilted his head.

"I hate people that stand infront of doors." Max said in return.

"I hate pencils that break easily."

"I hate biology."

"I hate really hot weather."

"I hate that I broke up with Lucas."

"I hate that El moved away."

Max turned her head. "I hate most thinks. But, I like hating things with you."

Peter smiled at her with a nod. "I'll be sure to let you know when I find something else I hate."

Peter balled his fist up as he felt like he was coming off the hospital bed under Vecna's hold.

I don't need no money, or fortune, or fame.

"You'll-" Peter choked as the vines started to get tighter. "-you'll regret it all when she gets here."

His nails dig into Vecna's skin, breaking through. The vines loosened as he rolled out of the bed, throwing the scalpel by his bed at Vecna, piercing his eye as he ran to the opening of the hospital wall, nearly diving through.

He was falling again, but this time he hit the ground and My Girl was blaring into his ears. He was relived he'd been okay, but fear of what just happened flooded his entire body as he cried. Steve's arms wrapped around him, holding him against him. "You're okay, kid. You're okay. You're safe."

Max leaned onto Peters stomach in relief as Bradley collapsed onto Robin, who was laughing in joy and sadness all at once. Lucas and Dustin held his legs, like he'd float away again. Nancy stood behind Steve, kneeling down to reach around and place a gentle hand on his face. "You're okay, Peter. You're okay."

•

kylie speaks

hate to ruin the moment,
but are y'all excited to see
bradley and eddie interact
next chapter ??