Chapter Nine

Once Nancy, Jonathan, and I got our things from the station, we had made it back to the Byers' joint and set everything up. There's a beer trap where we trap the monster and hopefully burn it. Once everything is set up, Jonathan, Nancy, and I are now standing in the living room, preparing to cut our hands so that we can try attract the monster.

Jonathan had made another weapon, a bat that has nails in it. It's a good idea because Nancy and I both have guns. We have about four bullets in each gun, hopefully, that'll do us.

"Remember..." Jonathan began, looking between the two of us.

"Straight into Will's room." Nancy recites.

"Don't step on the trap," I add on, cringing at the thought of a human being in a bear trap.

"Wait for the yo-yo to move." Nancy continued on.

"Then..." Jonathan ignites the lighter. "All right. You guys ready?"

Nancy and I looked at each other. "Ready." We both calmly said. We all our knives against our open palms.

"On three," Jonathan whispered. "One... Two... You don't have to do this—"

"Three!" I yelled out, cutting my palm. I winced at the short pain I felt, eyeing the blood that comes oozing out of my palm. "Ooh, ouch," I mumbled as Nancy and Jonathan both sliced their palms, too.

Jonathan quickly rushed over and grabbed the bandages. He wraps himself up before wrapping up Nancy's, and I wrapped my own hand up.

"Did you hear that?" Nancy asked as Jonathan and Nancy were sitting on the couch, facing each other.

"It's just the wind," Jonathan commented and I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry. My Mom, she said the lights speak when it comes."

"Speak?" I asked and Jonathan looked over at me.

He winced a little. "Blink. Think of them as alarms."

Nancy glanced up at the lights and pursed her lips. "We have an alarm system, cool," I murmur, pacing back and forward around the living room. Suddenly, a loud knock was heard on the door, making all three of us jump. "Oh, my God!"

"Jonathan?" I recognised it as Steve's. "Are you there, man? It's... It's Steve!" Nancy gives me a look. "Listen, I just want to talk!"

"I'll get rid of him," I mumbled, walking over to the door and opening it. "Steve, listen to me."

"Hey. Juno, what—" Steve frowned.

"You need to leave," I tell him, keeping the door open three inches.

"No, I'm not trying to start anything, okay?" Steve tells me.

"I don't care about that." I rolled my eyes. "You need to leave."

"No, no, no listen. I messed up, okay?" Steve quickly said. "I messed up... I messed up. Okay? Really. Please. I just want to make things right." My heart was hammering in my chest as I looked at him. "Okay? Please. Please... Hey, what happened to your hand?" He grabs ahold of my bandaged hand. "Is that blood?"

"Nothing!" I quickly rushed out. "It was an accident."

"What's going on?" Steve questioned.

"Nothing—"

"Wait a sec." Steve cuts me off. "Did he do this to you?"

"No! No, no!" I tried to push him out of the way and stop him from coming in. Steve pushes me aside, his eyes widening as he looked at Nancy and Jonathan who both had their hands cut.

"What... What is this?" Steve questioned, giving me a confused look.

"You need to get out of here," Jonathan tells him. Jonathan walked over to Steve. "Listen, I'm not asking, I'm telling you, get out of here!"

"What is that smell?" Steve demands. "Is that gasoline?!'

I grabbed my gun that was in my pocket and held it up to Steve. "Steve, get out!" I demand. I didn't want to do this, but I have to scare him off somehow. He can't be mixed up in all of this.

"Wait. What?" Steve cried out his eyes widening. "What is going on?"

"You have five seconds to get out of here," I inform him.

"Okay, is this a joke?" Steve exclaimed, looking at me. "Stop. Juno, Put the gun down."

"I'm doing this for you." I insisted. I had a pleading tone on as I steadied my hand with the gun.

"Juno, Nancy," Jonathan spoke to us in a warning tone.

"Wait. Is this a... what is this?" Steve demanded, freaking out.

"Juno," Jonathan tried again and this time I ignored him, simply starring at Steve the entire time.

"Three. Two." I threatened, pointing the gun directly at Steve.

"No, no, no!" Steve shouts at me, waving his hands around.

"Juno! The lights!" Nancy exclaimed to me and I looked up, my mouth opened. "It's here."

"Wait, what?" Steve asked and I paced around carefully, Jonathan grabbing the bat and his lighter. "What's here?"

"Where is it?" Nancy looked around, holding tightly onto her own gun.

"Whoa!" Steve yelled out. "Easy with that!"

"Where is it?" I demand, looking around with my eyes. The Demogorgon is nowhere! But it has to be here.

"I don't know," Jonathan replied. "I don't see it."

"Where is what?" Steve exclaimed. "Hello? Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going—"

Steve is cut off when the roof caves in, and the Demogorgon is appearing out of nowhere. Nancy tried to shoot at it with the gun, but the gun wasn't doing shit, and neither was my gun.

"No!" Jonathan yelled and grabbed Nancy by the waist and pulled her along with us as we ran down the hallway, I made sure Steve was in front.

"Jump!" I yelled at Steve as I jumped the trap, and Steve did as well.

"Oh, my God, oh, my God!" Steve yelled repeatedly as we made it to Will's room, I slammed the door shut. "Jesus! Jesus! What the hell was that? What the hell was that?"

"Shut up!" Nancy, Jonathan, and I all yelled at him. The monster screeches from the outside. I raised my gun, Jonathan got out his bat and Nancy held out the gun. Steve was standing behind Nancy, Jonathan, and I as we all faced the door.

The Demogorgon is right outside. "What's it doing?" I asked allowed.

"I don't know," Jonathan answered. The lights in this room were flickering constantly, and then within seconds, the lights stopped flickering.

"Do you hear anything?" Nancy asked.

Jonathan puts the cap on the lighter. "No."

I lower my gun. I walked over and opened the door, popping my head out. The monster wasn't there. The three teenagers behind me slowly come out as well. The Demogorgon is gone. I lead them into the lounge, the Demogorgon isn't in here, either. The lights had stopped blinking as well.

"This is crazy," Steve muttered to himself. "This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy! This is crazy! This is crazy!" He rushed over to the phone to probably call 911, but I stormed over there and stopped him. I ripped the phone out of his hand and chucked it across the room. "What are you doing!? Are you insane!?"

"It's going to come back! So you need to leave. Right now." I told him.

"And leave you?" Steve's mouth drops. "Juno, you have to come with me, right now and get the hell away from that thing!"

"Steve, I am not leaving—"

"You are!" Steve kept insisting, grabbing me by the hand and trying to pull me away but I stood my ground.

"Steve!" I yelled, standing my ground. "You have to leave. I'm staying here, I promise I'm fine, I know what I'm doing. I swear. Go, we'll be okay." Steve looks around helplessly, he doesn't know what to do with himself.

He then walked over to the front door and exited, closing the door behind him. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing he'll be okay.

That's when the lights blink again, making my stomach drop. "Where is it?" Nancy trembled as we twirled around the lounge room, waiting for it.

"Come on," Jonathan muttered. "Come on, you son of a bitch. Either of you see it?"

"No," I answer cautiously.

"Where are you?" Jonathan exclaims. "Come on!"

That's when the lights go completely dark and I heard a growl behind me. "Juno!" I heard Nancy call out my name but it was too late, the monster had gotten on top of me and I had lost my gun in the process. "Juno!"

I looked up at it, it had no face and lots of fangs. It was exactly like I had seen in the forest, sending shivers down my back. The monster opened its mouth up, and then there were gunshots heard.

"Go to hell you son of a bitch!" Nancy cried out and I looked over, she was shooting the gun at the monster.

I gagged a little when the Demogorgonliva hit my mouth and the Demogorgon got off me, before having it's attention to Nancy.

"Nancy!" Jonathan cried out and I rolled away from the Demogorgon, Jonathan helped me up. "Are you okay?"

"Um—I—Uh—Fine?" I stuttered out, my eyes wide. Nancy tried to shoot the Demogorgon, but it barely worked and she ran out of bullets. That's when Steve comes in with a battle cry, hitting the Demogorgon with the bat multiple times, the Demogorgon lets out a shriek. "Steve!" I yelled out.

The Demogorgon tried to hit Steve back, but Steve got the Demogorgon's stomach a few times, and it fell into the trap. "He's in the trap!" Steve yelled. "He's stuck! Jonathan, now!"

I grabbed the lighter from him as he fumbled with it and opened it, before putting the lighter onto the gasoline and it lit up on the Demogorgon. The Demogorgon screeches as it lights up into flames.

"Get back!" Jonathan yelled and got the fire extinguisher, before putting the fire extinguisher on the Demogorgon, putting the fire back. We cough at the smoke, before looking at the trap.

The Demogorgon's gone. "Where did it go?" Nancy asked.

"No," Jonathan muttered. "It has to be dead. It has to be." The Christmas lights slowly turn on. Not blinking, however. But, the lights turned on and we walked down the hallway, watching the light turn on slowly. "Mom," Jonathan whispered. "Is that you? Mom."

Not saying anything else, we exit the house and outside. The lamp was blinking. "Where's it going?" Nancy asked.

"I don't think that's the monster." Jonathan figures. I noticed Steve had wrapped an arm around me, comforting me as I stayed close to him, letting out a shaky breath.

︾

Sitting in the hospital waiting room with my Dad, Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, Lucas, Dustin, Mike, Mr and Mrs Wheeler, and Joyce felt like agony. I sat next to Steve, holding his hand out for comfort. Will had been found, and we were all waiting in the waiting room, ready to see Will.

Though I don't know him personally, I've grown to love the people that he grew up with and I can't wait to finally introduce myself to him. Steve and I are giving each other secret glances, and over the past few days, I've noticed how close with become. Like, extremly close. Moments like these, I don't want to be near Steve, he makes me feel secure and safe almost.

While waiting, everyone also seemed to be awake aside from Lucas and Dustin, as they are sleeping on each other, which I found cute.

Eleven didn't make it. I found it rather disappointing and sad, but she has sacrificed herself to save the boys and it was a heroic thing to do. The boys were completely broken but had cheered up about the news of Will being still alive.

The door opens to the waiting room and Jonathan was there. Mike looks up and Jonathan gave him a nod of approval. "Guys." Mike quickly turned to Lucas and Dustin. "Guys. Wake up. Will is up. Guys, get up!" Mike had jumped to his feet, shaking the other two awake.

Lucas and Dustin wake up and they both groan, Lucas, giving Dustin a disgusted look as they sprint out of the room. I smiled happily, my Dad and I both giving each other a happy look. Nancy and I looked at each other, before jumping up.

"I'll be right back," I tell Steve, letting go of his hand. He gives me a nod and a pressed smile before Nancy and I run to each other and linked arms, then down the hallway to Will's room.

I could hear the boys trying to explain to Will what happened while he was gone, they all sounded so excited for him to be back. Nancy and I give each other a shy look as we stand behind Jonathan and the boys.

Then, it hit me. This could've been us with Barb, but she never made it, which made me feel guilty.

I walked out of the room, leaving Nancy behind and I stood in an empty hallway, then leaned against the wall. I placed my hands in front of my eyes, trying to stop the tears from forming. I missed my nerdy little friend and I wished I spent more time with her over the whole summer.

"Jun." I looked up tearfully to see Steve standing there with a concerned look. "Hey, you okay?"

I shake my head, some tears slipping down the side of my face. "I'm happy Will's back, but—but Barb's not. It makes me feel guilty."

"It's okay, Juno." Steve gently told me, gently taking my wrists into his hands. "You don't need to feel guilty, Barb's probably in a better place anyways, Heaven, right?" I nodded my head and let him wrap his arms around me, pulling me in for a long, lasting hug.

[A/N]

That is season 1 completed! Yay! I've finished season 2 and started season 3! I can't wait!