School was just as boring as normal.

The hours were going by slowly and I couldn't help but think that I was never going to get out of this stupid school.

The day started to speed up once I got to my last period of the day, Mr. Clarke's boring science class.

My desk is in the back row and I sat in between Melissa and Stacey. Melissa, who was honestly really interested in science was writing in her notebook and listening to Mr. Clarke. Stacey on the other hand was drawing on the desk, thinking that no one would notice.

Then there was me, who was staring out the window, thinking about how we were almost out of school.

Mr. Clarke was explaining something about something that we read in chapter 12 when the bell rang, telling everyone that school was over.

I immediately got to my feet, a small smile coming onto my face. I grabbed my stuff off my desk and started with Melissa and Stacey towards the classroom door.

"Remember, finish chapter 12 and answer 12.3 on the difference between an experiment and other forms of science investigation. This will be on a test--"

Mr. Clarke's words faded into the loudness of the hallway. Everyone was by their lockers, grabbing out their books and getting their backpacks. Another day of school has come to an end.

Me, Melissa, and Stacy's locker was at the end of main hall which was super close to Mr. Clarke's room.

Once we got to our lockers, Stacey started talking.

"So my mom said that I could invite a couple of friends over tonight," Stacey said, "If you two want to come, you can."

Melissa gave a weak smile, "Yeah, that sounds fun."

I opened my locker which was a mess, but I listened to Stacey curiously. The last time we hung out outside of school, it was awful. It was awkward and I promised myself that I was never going to do that again. And I thought that Stacey had made the same promise to herself.

"So you'll come?" Stacey asked as she closed her locker.

"We'll see, Stac," Melissa said as she rolled her eyes.

Stacey made a face then said, "If you two want to come, just give me a call."

That's when Stacey turned and started walking away from us and down the main hall.

Melissa turned to me and we both started laughing.

"Can you believe that?" Melissa laughed.

I snorted, "Not for two seconds. She seemed a little desperate."

"It's because you're becoming more popular than her," Melissa smirks, as she put her science textbook in her backpack.

"That's not ture."

"Is so," Melissa says, "I heard that Troy, popular boy Troy wants to ask you out."

I rolled my eyes, I had already heard these rumors from everyone, including my own brother who told me last week. There was no way that I was going to ever go out with that freaking bully, not ever.

"Barf Mel," I said, making a face, "There's no way in hell that I would ever go out with him."

"Why not?"

I rolled my eyes and closed my locker, "Come on, let's get going."

~~~

I was up in my bedroom doing my homework for Mr. Clarke's class when I turned the front door slam shut and I knew just then that Mike was home from his AV Club meeting. I rolled my eyes almost immediately, why did he have to be so loud.

I went back to doing my homework like nothing happened but after a couple minutes I heard Mike's loud footsteps coming up the stairs.

I heard Mike groan loudly and that's when I had to say something.

"Mike," I yelled, "Can you not be any louder?"

That's when Mike appeared in my doorway and he looked at me annoyed.

"Can you just shut up for a second Amanda?"

I rolled my eyes at him, "I'm trying to study so can you be quiet?"

"Like you're really studying," Mike said, "You're probably planning your wedding with Troy."

"Barf Michael," I snapped, "What's with the attitude, did you break one of your D&D characters?"

Mike sigh, "If you were honestly smart or cared about anyone beside yourself, you would know what was going on."

"What's that supposed to mean you asshole," I snapped at me. Mike just rolled his eyes then I asked, "What's going on?"

"You don't care," Mike said as he turned and started down the hall.

"Mike, wait," I say as I got to my feet and started after him.

I got to my doorway and I saw that Mike was only about halfway down the hall, he turned around to look at me. I gave him a look and said, "Just tell me what's going on, you know that I can't be left with suspense."

"You won't care."

"Mike."

"Fine," Mike said as he looked down at the floor, "Will is missing. He didn't make it home last night, the chief questioned us today about him."

"What?'

"Yeah, I knew you wouldn't care."

"Mike, stop!" I said, "How can you say I wouldn't care about this. I was Will's friend once, remember?"

Yeah, that was before you became a jerk."

"Mike? Are you going to help look for him?" I asked.

Mike got more annoyed after I asked that question, "I asked, but Mom isnt letting us out of the house. I can't believe I can't help."

"There's nothing we can do?'

Mike shook his head then went into his bedroom and slammed the door, leaving me alone in the hallway with a lot on my mind.

Will was missing. This couldn't be real and I didn't feel real. Will was my first friend that I've ever made, I remember that day like it was yesterday.

They would find him, that's what I told myself as I turned to go back into my bedroom.

They will find him.

~~~

I played with the food on my plate, not really wanting to eat. I hadn't really felt like doing anything really since I found out about Will. My feelings were confusing me, I hadn't hung out with Will in about two years and I hadn't really talked to him either. But it wasn't a feeling wasn't of anxiety or stress, it was a feeling of guilt.

"We should be out there right now," Mike said, looking from Mom to Dad, "We should be helping look for him."

"We've been over this, Mike," Mom said as she cut into her chicken, "The chief says--"

"I don't care what the chief says," Mike snapped.

"Micheal!"

"We have to do something," Mike said, "Will can be in danger."

"I agree," I mumbled and it was true. For the first time in ages, I agreed with Mike. We needed to help, we needed to do something to help find Will. I didn't like staying here and not doing anything.

"Amanda Louise, not you too," Mom said as she rolled her head back.

"What?" I say, "I agree with Mike, we should help."

"If Will is in danger then there is more reason to stay put," Mom tells us in a calm voice.

"Mom!" Me and Mike both say.

"End of discussion."

Mike and I looked at each other, both of us upset. Dad didn't seem to care about any of this and Nancy was just eating soundly, probably annoyed with the both of us.

After a couple seconds of silence, Nancy said, "So... me and Barbara are gonna study at her house tonight. That's cool, right?"

"No, not cool," Mom says to Nancy.

"What? Why not?"

"Why do you think?" Mom asked, "Am I speaking Chinese in this house? Until we know Will is okay, no one leaves."

Nancy groans, "This is such bullshit."

"Language."

"So we're under house arrest? Just because Mike's friend got lost on the way home..."

"Wait, this is Will's fault?"

"Jesus Christ, Nancy," I mumbled.

Mom made a face, "Nancy, take that back."

"No!"

"You're just pissed off because you lock lips with Stevie," I snapped at Nancy.

Nancy looked over at me, annoyance and anger written all over her face.

"Stevie?" Dad asked.

"Who is Steve?"

"He's her new best friend or should I say your screwing buddy" I say as I give Nancy a smile.

"You're such a bitch, Amanda!" Nancy snapped at me.

"Language!"

Nancy groans and gets out of her seat, walking out of the dining room.

"Nancy, come back," Mom said, then yelled, "Come back!"

Holly made a small noise, Mom turned to her and said, "It's okay. It's okay, Holly. Here, have some juice, okay?"

"You see, Micheal, Amanda," Dad says to us, "You see what happens?"

"What happens when what?' Mike yelled, "I'm the only one acting normal here! I'm the only one that cares about Will!"

I groaned as Dad said, "That is unfair, son. We care."

Mike made a face, then got to his feet and started out of the dining room, just like Nancy did a couple minutes ago.

"Mike!" I said as I got to my feet and started after him.

I heard our mom calling after us but I didn't turn around, I didn't care what they said at this very moment. I followed Mike as he opened and closed the door to the basement, I rolled my eyes, my twin brother was too sensitive sometimes.

I opened the basement door and closed it behind me, knowing that if I didn't, our parents or Nancy could eavesdrop. I walked down the stairs and I looked to see that Mike was sitting in front of the D&D board with his walkie talkie in hand. I knew what he was going to do.

"Mike?" I said as I walked down the last couple of stairs. Mike jumped and immediately looked back at me, his face somewhat softened after he saw that it was me and not anyone else.

"Amanda, can you please just leave me alone?" Mike asked as he rolled his eyes.

"Jesus Christ, Michael," I say, annoyance growing in my voice, "Can you stop with the attitude for two seconds, I want to help."

"No you don't."

"Can you stop saying that."

Mike groaned and said, "But it's true. You don't care about the party anymore so can you leave."

"Even though I'm not in the party anymore doesn't mean I don't care," I snapped at him, "It's not like I went cold after I left."

"That's debatable," Mike murmured.

I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips, "I know what you're going to do, and I want to come."

"You're not coming," Mike snapped

"Why not.

"Because."

"Because why?" I asked, giving him a long look.

Mike rolled his eyes, "Because you're not coming."

"If you don't let me come, I'll tell Mom."

That got Mike's attention, "You wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, I would."

I wasn't lying when I said I would tell Mom about what was going on. I knew that Mike was going to go out looking for Will and once he left I would go tell Mom everything.

Mike thought this over for a second. He knew that I wasn't lying because of past experiences with me blackmailing him to get what I want or to get something done. I knew that blackmailing wasn't the best thing to do but it got things done easier.

"Fine," Mike said in somewhat of a groan, "You can come."

"That's what I thought," A small smile creeped onto my face as I said that.

Mike rolled his eyes then said, "I'm gonna radio Lucas and Dustin, then we will get going to Mirkwood."

"Let's start Operation Find Will."

~~~

"Ah, man," Lucas said as we came onto Mirkwood, where the wood entrance is, "This is it."

Me, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin slowed down our bikes as we came close. My heart was pounding in my chest, the nerves were starting to bubble up inside of me.

I heard Dustin let out a sigh as I got off my bike.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled overhead and Dustin said, "Hey, guys. You feel that? I think maybe we should go back."

"No," Mike said quickly, "We're not going back. Just stay close."

"Come on," I say as I ducked until the things that blocked off the trail, "We don't have all night."

"Just stay on channel six."

"And don't do anything stupid," I say, somewhat looking at Lucas.

"Why are you here again?" Lucas asked, giving me a look.

I rolled my eyes, "Is it so hard to believe that I want to help find Will."

Me, Mike, and Lucas were started into the woods when we heard Dustin yell, "Hey, guys, wait up. Wait up!"

That's when we started into the wood with nothing but our backpacks, flashlights, and each other. Now I was starting to think that this was a little bit of a bad idea, we don't know what happened to Will and now we were kinda just calling it towards us. But we continued walking, deeper and deeper.

It felt like we were walking in these woods forever when it had only been about twenty or thirty minutes. My throat was becoming sore as I continued to yell. The thunder was getting louder and the rain started pouring down.

This situation somewhat reminded me of a horror movie and that made my stomach turn.

"Will!" Mike yelled.

"Will!"

"Byers!"

"I've got your X-Men 134!" Dustin yelled then said in a softer voice, "Guys, I really think we should turn back."

"Seriously, Dustin," Lucas said, annoyed, "You wanna be a baby, then go home already!"

"I'm just being realistic, Lucas!" Dustin yelled at him.

"No, you're being a big sissy!"

"Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad?" Dustin tells Lucas, "And we're going to the exact same spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?"

That's when I heard a noise. A noise that sounded like the rustling of a bush far away. Someone or something was coming toward us.

"Mike," I mumbled, grabbing at his jacket but I could tell by the look on his face that he heard it too.

"Dustin, shut up."

"I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?" Dustin said, not listening to my twin.

"Shut up. Shut up."

That's when the rustling got louder, it was coming closer.

"Did you guys hear that?" I asked.

We jumped, the rustling sound a lot closer now.

But that's when the rustling came from the opposite side of us.

We turned and I expected to see something scary.

But what was really in front of us made my mouth drop open.

It was a girl.