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𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗬

chapter twelve:
renny goes full mom mode

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NANCY DROVE FARTHER and farther away from the store, putting as much distance between them and the very hurt Mind Flayer as possible. Serenity hadn't released her grip on Steve's bat at all — for some reason, it brought her comfort. Maybe it was because it was his, or because she actually knew how to use it now. Whatever it was, it stayed in her grip.

A whimper of pain was suddenly heard from the very back. Serenity turned, only to see that Eleven was still slumped against Mike and Max, her eyes screwed shut and her face wet with tears and sweat. She then looked down to Eleven's leg, which was still bleeding through her pants.

Serenity hadn't dealt much with injuries from something from a parallel dimension. When she had gotten scratched by those Demo-Dogs, which she still had the scars to prove, Nancy had cleaned the wound for her. However, Serenity had cleaned plenty of wounds from the boys over the years. She knew what to do.

"Hey, Nance, can you stop at the store?" Serenity asked once they drove a little further into Hawkins. "We have to clean Eleven's leg."

Nancy looked at her through the rearview mirror and nodded. She continued to drive until she spotted Bradley's, a convenience store near downtown Hawkins. Deeming this as urgent, Nancy didn't park the car nicely at all. She didn't put on the brakes and spun the car around right in front of the convenience store. Serenity got dizzy for a second as the car screeched to a stop.

All of them got out of the car. Serenity rested the bat against her shoulder as she stared ahead. Obviously the doors would be locked — it was late, and not to mention it was a holiday. Of course the store would be closed. And thank goodness she had something to open the door.

"Stand back," Serenity ordered.

Everyone did as they were told. Serenity lifted the bat up off of her shoulder and wound it back. She hit it straight against the door. Instantly, upon impact from the wood and the nails, the glass door to the store shattered, falling to a million pieces on the floor.

Serenity twirled the bat around in her hand — which was still so cool. "You know, breaking and entering wasn't really on my summer list, but then again, neither was fighting a monster from a parallel dimension."

She led the way into the store, walking through the now broken door. They all followed her inside, where she brought them to the aisle with medical supplies — it was where most likely everything she needed was. Serenity glanced back for a moment to Eleven, Mike, and Max. She put down the bat and leaned it against the shelves.

"Okay, set her down," Serenity instructed.

Max and Mike did as they were told. They placed Eleven down onto the linoleium floors, and she immediately slumped against

Serenity crouched down in front of Eleven, looking up at her with gentle eyes. "Can I see?"

Eleven nodded weakly. Serenity pulled her pant leg up, and her stomach immediately twisted uncomfortably. Eleven's leg was covered with blood, including her white sock. The wound itself was deep and was still oozing blood. Serenity watched as the red liquid dripped out of the wound onto the floor, staining it red.

"Oh shit," Max commented.

"Okay," Serenity began, ignoring the spinning of her mind and trying to remember everything. "We have to stop the bleeding first, then clean the wound, then disinfect it, and then bandage it."

Nancy blinked at her. "How do you know all that?"

"Serenity Alexander, professional babysitter." She reached up and pulled a box of gauze pads off of the shelf and opened it, taking one out. Serenity opened it and put it on top of Eleven's wound. "Mike, hold this. Remember to apply pressure so it stops faster."

Mike reached forwards and held the gauze pad on Eleven's leg. Eleven groaned in pain from the pressure he was applying.

"Water and soap," Serenity stated. She looked to Nancy and Jonathan. "Can you get that?"

Jonathan nodded. He pulled Nancy up, and the two of them disappeared to go get what Serenity asked them go get. Serenity looked back, only to see that Lucas was taking off his backpack. Her eyebrows knit in confusion as she watched him open it and turn it over, spilling all of the contents inside of it on the floor.

"Does any of this help?" Lucas questioned.

Serenity gave him a soft smile. "I appreciate it, Lucas, I do, but that's going to do absolutely nothing. Could you and Will go get me a washcloth and a bowl?"

"A bowl?"

"That's what I said."

Will hit Lucas' chest gently to urge him on.

"O-Okay," Lucas stammered, walking backwards with Will and leaving the aisle entirely to get a bowl.

"Charming, he is," Serenity said. She then looked back at Eleven, who was still struggling through her pain. "El, you're going to be okay. I promise."

Every so often, she would hand new gauze pads to Mike to keep holding pressure. Serenity was honestly in a bit of a daze. Her mind was still reeling all of the events that had just happened. The Mind Flayer was huge now, way bigger than the morphed one in the hospital. That made Serenity kind of nervous that there were more people being flayed to make it that way.

"Okay, I'm afraid that the boys got lost in an aisle," Serenity admitted. "Mike, you stay here with El. Max, come with me."

The two of them left Mike and Eleven in the aisle so he could continue applying pressure to her wound. However, when Serenity went searching for Will and Lucas, all she found was them standing by a firework display and not doing what she asked them to. Serenity sighed and crossed her arms across her chest, slowing to a stop.

"Wow," Serenity voiced. "Some bowls you have."

"It's not a bowl, it's way better," Lucas insisted, and Serenity raised her eyebrows. "There is a reason this warning label says eighteen or older. This sucker is filled with a hundred and fifty grains of black powder. AKA gunpowder." He tossed the box over to Serenity, who caught it and looked down at it. "Strap two of these together, and it's bigger than an M-eighty. Five of them, we've got ourselves a stick of dynamite."

"So let me get this straight. You want to throw a bunch of fireworks at the human flesh monster to kill it?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Uh, yeah," Max answered. "Eleven."

"Against that thing?" Lucas argued. "She's gonna need some backup."

Max shook her head. "Oh my God. Renny, I'll go find that bowl and washcloth for you."

"Thanks," Serenity replied, and Max walked off. She then looked down at the box again. "You know what, Lucas, it's not a bad idea. Sounds dangerous, but honestly, what part of this isn't dangerous?" Serenity tossed the box back to him, laughing slightly at how he smiled brightly. "Stock up."

"Wait, really?" Lucas inquired excitedly.

"Yeah, for sure. Eleven's ultimately going to be the one to stop it, but we can use that to distract it. Besides, me with a spiked bat against a monster that big can only do so much."

Serenity gave them a grin before leaving when Lucas started to stack up fireworks in Will's arms. Max appeared out of an aisle, holding a plastic bowl. Serenity took it graciously and reached forwards, slipping the washcloth that Will had on his shoulder.

"Renny!" Mike shouted.

"What?" Serenity called back in panic. She ran back over to the other aisle with the washcloth and the bowl, skidding to a stop in front of it. "What? What happened?"

"Dustin."

"Dustin?"

"Dustin," Mike confirmed. "I just heard from him."

Her eyes widened. "You heard from him?"

"Yeah, over the walkie. It was hard to hear because he kept breaking up, but all I got was something about a Gate."

Serenity's heart sunk. Gate. There was really only one thing Dustin could be talking about, and Serenity didn't like it.

"I can find him," Eleven announced.

She looked back at the girl in concern. "Eleven, I don't want you to push yourself."

Eleven put a hand on hers. "I can find him."

Serenity nodded slowly. "Okay. Just let me wrap your leg first."

Eleven's wound had officially stopped bleeding, so Serenity started to clean it. She used the water and the soap with the bowl and the washcloth that Max had gotten to clean all of the blood off of it. Serenity then took the rubbing alcohol off of the shelf and disinfected the wound before wrapping it tightly with a bandage.

"There," Serenity told Eleven once the bandage was secure. "Good as new."

Mike helped Eleven stand up, and they got everything prepared so that Eleven could use their powers. Since they didn't have a radio or a television, they opened one of the freezers in the store so that the noise could resemble static. Eleven sat in front of the freezer displaying multiple boxes of Eggo waffles, an American flag bandana that she had found wrapped around her eyes. Her nose was bleeding and her lips were parted as she concentrated.

Serenity watched her carefully from the place she was sitting on the cooler in between Mike and Will. Serenity hoped that she would find Dustin, and she didn't know how she knew, but she had a feeling that Steve was with him. If Eleven found Dustin, that meant she would find Steve, and that meant Serenity could finally rid her anxiety of the two boys being totally M.I.A. for days.

Suddenly, the sound of a can being opened snapped Serenity out of her thoughts and rang throughout the store. She looked away from Eleven, only to see Lucas had opened a can of Coca-Cola.

"Quiet," Max scolded.

"Oh, sorry," Lucas whispered.

Lucas then took a sip of his Coke, slurping it a little bit. Serenity tilted her head at him. Really? Right now?

"How do you even drink that?" Mike asked in disgust.

"Because it's delicious," Lucas answered.

"What?" Mike and Max chorused — and honestly, Serenity agreed, because she did not like New Coke more than the original.

"It's like Carpenter's The Thing. The original is a classic, no question about it. But the remake . . ." He took another sip, slurping it again louder this time, before letting out a content sigh and smacking his lips. "Sweeter, bolder, better."

Serenity blinked at him. "Are you being for real?"

"You're insane," Mike stated.

"So you prefer the original Thing?" Lucas questioned.

"What? No, I'm not talking about The Thing, I'm talking about New Coke."

"It's the same concept, dude."

"Uh, actually, it's not the same concept," Mike insisted.

"It is the same concept," Lucas argued.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"Boys," Serenity warned.

Eleven then ripped the bandana off of her head. "Hey!"

Mike immediately looked at her. "Sorry."

"Sorry," Lucas added.

"What'd you see, El?" Serenity inquired.

"He's at the mall," Eleven revealed. "Watching a movie."

Well, that didn't make sense. Not the mall part, considering Steve's car had been there, but the movie.

Nevertheless, they all gathered the supplies they needed. Serenity grabbed the bat, resting it against her shoulder again as they headed out of the store. Lucas pushed a shopping cart full of fireworks with him while Mike supported Eleven, who apparently felt a lot better now. Serenity

"The movies?" Lucas repeated. "Dustin's so freaked out about the Gate, he decides to go watch a movie? Yeah, makes total sense."

"You're positive he said Gate and not great?" Max asked.

"Yeah, like, this movie I'm watching is great," Will suggested.

"Sounded like Gate," Eleven voiced.

"Which would explain how the Mind Flayer's still alive," Mike cut in.

"Yeah, we just have to shut it again," Nancy agreed.

"Then the monster dies," Will continued.

"And it can stop ruining our fucking lives," Serenity finished.

"But if not, we always have Lucas' fireworks," Max commented sarcastically, helping Lucas lift the shopping car through the door.

"Keep mocking my plan, Max," Lucas responded. "Keep mocking it. I wanna hear you say it again, because you keep doubting me. You keep doubting me."

"Ridiculous."

"Will, Renny? We're gonna prove 'em wrong, right?"

Serenity nodded. "Oh, for sure."

And so Serenity got back in the car, hoping that the boy her heart yearned for and the owner of the bat in her hand was at the mall.

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GUESS WHO COMES BACK NEXT CHAPTERRRRR