apologies and bound up boys 

. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧

And so, the plan was put into action, as plans usually are. It was a risky plan—those are the most fun ones, said Lucas—and one that would involve plenty of hard work, but with eleven people on the job, it wouldn't take so long. And if this plan worked, they might have an upper hand in the conflict, and perhaps even the tools to save the world.

At least, this was what Alina was telling herself as she got to work. She was feeling a little better, if not great, but she was praying someone would see the look in her eyes and know something was wrong. She was beginning to have her suspicions—or perhaps not beginning. Perhaps she had had them before, before they were wiped clean—but whenever she tried to tell anyone, an unknown force snapped her lips shut. It made her sick. When she caught flashes of her reflection in the mirror, she could practically see her ribs jutting out, her brittle limbs beginning to resemble the skeleton she'd dressed up as for Halloween. And to top it all off, her palms wouldn't stop itching, and she'd have to step out every couple of minutes to let some energy burst off of her.

She still was avoiding Lucas. Even though she knew she had to talk to him, to apologize for overreacting and try to become friends with him again. Even though she knew he didn't like her. It would be a good distraction from everything else. But she couldn't force herself to do it.

Was it even her anymore?

Lucas Sinclair was currently dumping out bins of trash to see what could be used for this plan. Dustin and Gabe helped him, while Alina, Max and Mike were inside, and as the garbage made a pile on the ground, he remembered the day of the field, the day he'd started with going dumpster-diving. Yet again, everything that had happened made those mundane things feel like such a long time ago. He regretted all of the time he hadn't spent with Alina, because it was clear she didn't want him anymore.

Right?

He clicked on his flashlight, beginning to paw through the trash with Dustin and Gabe, the latter wearing rubber gloves. Gabe was weird, but Lucas couldn't help but be grateful for his presence. It made things with Dustin significantly less awkward.

"Hey," Dustin said. Gabe continued looking down, knowing this wasn't about him, and Lucas looked up, his jaw clenching, hoping another argument wasn't about to start. "I'm... I'm sorry about Dart and all. I guess I just thought that he was my friend. I was wrong. I broke the rule of law, so if you want—if you want your girlfriend to take over my spot in the party, I understand." Lucas could see tears forming in his friend's eyes, and let out a sigh.

Gabe swallowed, looking up, but he knew it wasn't his place to say anything. Instead, he stood up, walking away to give the two some space. Lucas was glad. He didn't want to make things even more awkward. And he realized then that he hadn't been too nice to the new kid. That would have to change. Gabe was a genuinely good person, and even though he rambled and probably had OCD and read newspapers, he could be a great friend. He'd written notes for Will. Joined them in the junkyard.

God, why did he always have to feel guilty?

"She's not my girlfriend," said Lucas now, pinching the bridge of his nose. I don't like her like that anymore. I think.

"I saw you two holding hands in the bus, Lucas," said Dustin. Lucas startled. He hadn't realized anyone had noticed. He'd been terrified out of his mind, and reached for the first person closest to him, which ended up being Max's warm hand. He'd let go immediately, realizing what he'd done, and grabbed someone else. But apparently Dustin had noticed.

"She was just scared," Lucas said. I was just scared.

"Maybe," said Dustin. "But I could feel it."

"Feel what?"

"The electricity."

Dustin stood up and followed Gabe, making his way inside the house. Lucas watched him go, sucking in a breath. The electricity. Was that really what everyone else thought? Well, he had been kind of a douche. Telling Max and everything. He'd already apologized to Dustin... now he needed to apologize to the one person he was most terrified of. The girl who hadn't spoken to him since that fight on the roof of the old bus, right before everything went to hell.

Alina, the girl in question, was currently crouched in the kitchen, helping Max and Mike, unbeknownst to what Lucas was feeling outside. Her group worked in silence, until Max ripped off a piece of tape, and, much like it, decided to rip off the bandage and start a conversation with Mike.

"I get why El was your mage now," she said. Mike, who was rifling through the cupboards under the sink, extracted himself and turned towards her.

"What?"

"Lucas," said Max. "He told me all about her."

She ripped off another piece of tape. But if she was expecting Mike to warm up to her, she didn't get what he wanted. Mike's face instead remained neutral. "Yeah, well, he shouldn't have," he said coldly. "And just because you know the truth, it doesn't mean you're in our party. You do know that, right?"

"Mike..." said Alina, but Max, who was now frowning, just shrugged.

"Yeah, I know. I mean, why would you want a stupid zoomer in your party anyway?" she looked down, and Alina could tell that Mike's words had hurt her more than she was letting on. "I'm just saying. El? She sounds like she was really awesome."

Mike sighed. "Yeah, she was." He shut the cabinet, gathering the supplies he needed in his arms. "Until that thing took her. Just like it took Bob." He stood up at that, walking away, oblivious to how much Alina had flinched when he'd said Bob's name.

Breathe, Alina. She wasn't so sure she could anymore.

"I'm sorry about him," Alina said. She met Max's gaze, hoping she could see her skeletal figure and realize what was happening. But nobody else did, so why should she be the exception? Alina cleared her throat instead. "He's missing her. A lot. He told me sometimes he feels like El's still around." She closed her eyes, trying not to let the tears fall. "He's acting like a total jerk though, missing her or not. He gets jealous easily. It's why he didn't want me in the party in the first place, either. But he'll get around. When he's not being an asshole, Mike's actually a good guy."

"Thanks, Alina," said Max. "And for the record, I don't just think El is cool. You're really cool, too. I mean, everything with your powers... I thought Lucas was just making that up at first. But you actually did fight that Demogorgon and stuff. That's amazing."

Alina chuckled. "Thanks. And, you know, I think we could use a zoomer in the party. No matter what Mike says."

That made Max smile. "You like him," she said suddenly.

"Mike?" asked Alina, repulsed at the very thought. "Ew. No. No way."

"Not Mike," said Max, shaking her head. "Lucas."

Alina ducked her head. "It doesn't matter. Even if I did, I know he likes you. We can all tell."

That was the first time she'd admitted this to Max, who looked down at her feet, her cheeks suddenly pink. "I... Alina, just because I went to talk to him on the roof of the bus—"

"And he invited you to go trick-or-treating."

"That was Dustin!"

"And he told you the truth."

"I didn't even believe him at first!"

"And he came to you when Dustin called him about Dart."

Max sighed. "Alina, I think you're getting ahead of yourself. I mean, sure, Lucas is pretty cool, and he's not like, bad on the eyes, you know, but... I... I don't know. He seems to really like you. Like, really like you."

"If you like him, Max," started Alina, "and you want to be with him, don't let me stop you. Seriously. I'm... I'm not good enough for him, anyway. I'm... I'm..." I'm dying inside. I can feel it everywhere. It won't let me say so. "It doesn't matter." She stood up. "I think we're done here. I'll go see what else I can help with."

She began to walk out of the kitchen, brushing past Skywalker, who blinked his big eyes and took a step away from her, as if he could see what was going on. As if his stare could penetrate through the layers of her skin and see the blackened husk of her heart. Maybe Skywalker was the only one who knew. But it wasn't like Alina could tell anyone else.

The team assembled in the shed, beginning to duct-tape and cover every inch they could, so that it would be unrecognizable for when Will woke up. Alina covered a wall with cardboard with Jonathan's help, the two of them flattening it down. Her leg still ached, and she kept unconsciously rubbing it, almost feeling like she could touch the blood seeping through. She hoped not.

Gabe and Lucas added newspaper to one wall, and Gabe felt a surge of guilt for completely messing up Alina and the Byers' home. There would be a lot to clean up after they survived all of this, and if he did, he would make sure to help them out. With his rubber gloves still snapped around his wrists, Gabe duct-taped, praying the plan would work, praying that Will would find his surroundings unrecognizable when he opened his eyes. Praying that they wouldn't be found.

Max set up a duct-taped chair, and Jonathan carried Will's unconscious form inside over his shoulders. The boy must have been feather-light by now, but Gabe was more worried about what was happening inside. The Mind Flayer must've been pacing the confines of the unconscious mind like a caged animal, unable to see, as Will could not, desperately hoping for Will to be woken up. It was horrible. It made Gabe want to look right into Will's deadened eyes and shout "get out of my friend, you son of a bitch!"

He had to look away when Will was tied against a covered pole with thin strands of rope, his skin pinching in where the cord bit into it. Like some kind of hostage. Like a prisoner. Like a criminal.

When Gabe had first picked up the old newspaper about The Boy Who Came Back to Life, he hadn't known what he was getting into. He'd thought of Will Byers as a mere figment of the newspaper, not an actual person who was living and breathing and trying to just survive. But then he'd met Will in real life, and it had made him look at things in a different way.

Made him look at himself in a different way.

And now Will Byers, who had just been a photo in a newspaper, just a headline, was now being tied up by his own family.

It was for good reason, of course, but it didn't make him feel any less guilty. It didn't make any of them feel any less guilty. Even though they all knew it wasn't really him.

They taped lights up, giant ones that illuminated Will's sickly figure with white, making him look even paler than he was. Alina made them even brighter with the addition of her own energy, and after that she had to go sit down, wiping blood off of her nose. But she'd done it. They'd all done it. Now Will lay bound in an unrecognizable room. Now the Mind Flayer would have no idea where they were.

Now they could talk to Will, and Will alone.

. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧

a/n: this chapter SUCKS and i'm sorry lol, while editing it i found out i'd put the same paragraph twice and had to add some things to make it hit the word count i have for each chapter (which is 2000 words). so just like,,, don't think too far into it.

also, it seems that sinclairgrieves isn't completely gone!! max seems to know of alina's feelings for lucas, although she seems to like him, too, and lucas (who i love writing povs for lol) is still trying to figure out his feelings for both girls. do you guys think he'll 'choose' alina, or max?

(i realize this kind of turned into a love triangle lol. but i mean,,, alina isn't the one people are fighting over, so it's okay)

'till next time!