A/n: HAPPY [belated] 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 DAY!
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*✲ﾟ*｡⋆ huzzah

||𝟑𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

"Wait, how do you know he'll go to his room?" Max whispered.

The six kids stand shoulder to shoulder, their backs glued to the wall of the dining room behind the lounge. There they stood, tucked away just out of sight until their target could make it to the other end of the house.

"My mom's gonna tell him to unpack, she's in on it." Y/n explains quickly in hushed tones, packing in closer towards Max so as not to be seen. "Now shh, I think they're nearly at the-"

BAM

The sound of the front door being thrown open was enough to make everyone jump.

"Dustin!" Mrs. Henderson scolds from the other room. "Easy, will you? What if Tews had been standing there?"

Eyes jump around the room at one another, sly smirks growing on everyone's faces when they heard the commotion. By the sounds of it, their plan had worked and Dustin suspected nothing. Will relaxed only slightly when he heard his friend's voice from the other room. And it was only when he began to imagine the look on Dustin's face as he was saying these things that made Will giggle to himself.

"Sorry, sorry," Dustin says half-heartedly.

Y/n wraps a hand over her mouth, desperately trying to hide an infectious laugh that they all eventually catch at his whine.

Sure enough, they each perk upon hearing the sound of his stomps as he makes his way down the hall in a pout. It is then five pairs of eyes lay steadily on Y/n, waiting anxiously for her next move as she stands at the very corner of the wall. Her head cautiously peeks around the corner with a level of stealth and commitment they couldn't help but admire. Several moments pass before she beckons the party with one lightning fast gesture and they all shuffle back around the corner and back into the living room under her tactful lead.

Once again they find themselves packed in against a wall, Will even finds himself glued to the brick of the fireplace that prods his spine in fear of being seen, but he stays quiet. Itching to use her abilities, Y/n's eyes land on her mother who still lingers by the front door, purse hanging from her elbow. Y/n's friends all follow her gaze to see Mrs. Henderson collecting her keys and reaching for the doorknob.

She smiled at her daughter and her friends and began talking in a not so quiet whisper.

"I'm running late for my appointment-"

Y/n shook her head frantically from beside Max, eyes wide as her arms began waving desperately to quiet her mother as they all were doing. Claudia giggled to herself quietly, eyes going wide as she realized her blunder and mouthed a 'sorry'.

"Hey, Dusty-!" She called, eyes still saying trained merrily on the kids she was in cahoots with.

"...yeah?"

"I'm sorry I can't stay sweetie, but I'm running late. I'll be back by three. I love you! Glad you're home, and say hi to Tews, okay? She missed you!"

The sigh that left Dustin was powerful enough to be heard from the front room, eliciting even more hushed laughter among the group. Though Claudia failed to see, that for the kids, their laughter was more nervous than anything as they silently plead for her to leave in fear of her giving them away.

"Okay, love you too!"

Mrs. Henderson turned back to the lot and winked, pulling open the front door and continued to whisper to them with a blissful ignorance.

"Mac 'n Cheese is in the fridge if anybody wants some." She turned her attention towards Y/n, who looked as if she was ready to melt into the floor. "I love you Pumpkin, have fun."

And with that, Claudia disappeared outside, leaving the party-save for Y/n-with the impossible challenge of not giving themselves away. Lucas was biting his knuckles to keep from laughing, Max was giggling breathlessly into his arm and El and Mike were having just as much luck keeping quiet. Y/n buried her face in her hands and it was a bit easier for Will to swallow his laughter.

Eventually, the moment passed. Just in time too, as the worst of the laughter subsided, the group of friends could barely make out the sound of Dustin talking to himself. Yurtle, they realize, he must be talking to Yurtle.

"At least someone's happy I'm home," he said somberly, and the six of us all shared mischievous smiles. "My own sister isn't even here. She's probably sucking face with Byers somewhere," he sighed.

Y/n's cheeks burned and her jaw dropped. It was the others' turn to stifle giggles and she looked around shocked and frankly, quite annoyed. Will, of course was the only exception, to which the poor boy's face could rival a beet. In fact, all he could find himself doing was looking to everyone wide eyed shaking his head, as if to defend his himself and his whereabouts in that very moment. This only made everyone laugh more, and in that instant Will could feel the blush in his cheeks spreading and stinging down his neck and shoulders.

Y/n didn't appreciate that comment much either, and her embarrassment had a very different outlet they quickly found; she looked ready to pounce after Dustin but luckily Max had caught her and held her back. Not without pulling her hands away in a hiss, shaking them out a little. Y/n grumbled something to her, what Will assumed to be a 'sorry' and everyone else knew at once her powers had unintentionally stung Max.

In moments, the air falls silent as the opportunity presents itself. And for the second time in several moments, the party of Max Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, and El Hopper look down the line expectantly at their seventh member, Y/n Henderson as they wait for her signal. She met their gaze individually before taking a quick breath and closing her eyes. They all watch-Will especially who was completely transfixed-as several waves of heat seeped out of her in steady bursts. Each of them felt warm bursts on their skin almost instantly that kissed the air and moved anything it and everything it could-including Max's hair, prompting the girl to bunch it up over her shoulder. She seemed equally as amazed as everyone else was; watching the room carefully as Y/n's powers slowly and carefully took over the house.

Little things started to move; first the books on the bookshelves just over their heads had started to scrape loudly against the wood. The iron tongs by Will's feet began to rattle loudly, a steady clang that Dustin was sure to hear. Then they all felt it. The shake in the ground that one could barely make out if they tried hard enough.

Will found himself smiling so hard it hurt.

Y/n's was getting better at controlling it, and Will couldn't be more proud. Or in awe.

"What the...?"

On cue, everyone aside from the Henderson girl all looked over at El at the other end of the line, opposite Y/n. Her eyes were already closed and that's when the first beeps and whirs coming from Dustin's room could be heard. Mike recognized a few; like R2D2 and the cymbals from that creepy Jolly Chimp he despised but most of them just seemed like garbled voice boxes. And they could all still feel the rumble in their feet and that's when Will looked back at Y/n.

Veins beneath her skin were starting to show themselves around her lips and eyes from what he could see, but they weren't nearly as visible as they used to be. His eye contact on her was stolen away by Lucas who instantly shared the same thought, the two of them grinning and biting back laughs when he heard Dustin getting closer.

"It's just a dream." He told himself. "You're dreaming."

The rumbling grew more intense, her hold on the world beneath her began to spread past her property without her knowing and everyone was shocked to hear a car alarm go off in the neighbors driveway. Y/n's eyes ripped open, but the shaking continued with few faltering moments. Carefully and with her back glued to the brick wall of the fireplace, she poked her head around the corner only to jump back. She sent everyone a reassuring nod, her eyes zoning into a spot across the room as she kept her focus. With an iron grip on reality that she clung desperately to, Y/n slowly but surely reeled in her grip on the world around her, trying her best to keep it tethered to the boundaries she had mentally built to keep her powers contained.

A skill she was still learning how to hone in the past few months. Something she quickly found with her powers, and her potential, and how closely they resembled a dam. A dam once broken, was hard to rebuild and her safety relied on keeping her powers from spilling.

Only moments had passed, and so it would appear to Y/n, she was the only one to notice her small panic. But time marched on and so did the plan.

"Now!" Mike whispered.

In perfect sync, Y/n and El both stopped and so did the commotion they had caused. The room had stopped shaking and the toys had stopped making noise. Will sent a quick glance Y/n's way; she looked winded but more excited than anything which relived him greatly. He would have had to have been to dead to miss her panic, and he was glad she had powered through.

Silently as a mouse, she motioned the party to follow her and they all complied, as light on our feet as possible.

Lucas handed Y/n a corner of the banner as the party entered the lounge, the six friends creeping on their toes. Just as they all had hoped, Dustin was bent down in the carpet investigating the army of toys El had commanded, a display they welcomed eagerly enough that they completely glossed over the can of hairspray in Dustin's left hand.

Y/n brought her party blower up to her mouth as they all did, and Max silently counted down from three as Dustin stood to his feet.

Three...

Two...

And-

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Y/n jumped back and stumbled into Will's arms as she covered her ears, dropping the banner in the process. Reflexively, Will hugged her tight to his chest as his arms encapsulated her, pulling himself and her both away from Dustin's line of fire with his eyes squeezed shut. Dustin was still screaming and so was Lucas, eardrums were bursting and Max had to intervene to pull Dustin out of shock and to Lucas's aid.

Poor Lucas was still screaming as he clutched his eyes, now collapsed to his knees on the carpet. Y/n, Will, and Max rushed over, Y/n dropping to her knees to help as everyone looked up at Dustin gawking.

"Dustin! What the hell?"

Dustin was still in shock, looking back and forth between the banner, the can in his hand and Lucas. Y/n manages to stop Lucas's screaming and wipes the most aggressive pools of hairspray from around his eyes and his eyebrows with her thumbs to keep any more from getting in. She winces as he panics and tries her best to calm him down. Weakly, he tries to bat away her hands but none of it works.

"Don't do-! OW, OW OW! You're rubbing it in!" He cries.

"No, I'm not! I'm not touching your eyes! I'm cleaning your- STOP MOVING! More will get in if I don't get it off your forehead!"

"No, it won't-aaahhh!"

"You'll need to flush your eyes,"

Lucas immediately freezes, all efforts to bat her away halt but his eyes remain screwed shut and watering profusely. To the best of his ability, he gives her a stern look, not realizing he is missing Y/n completely and glaring at the tempered glass window behind her.

"Uh, no way."

Y/n looks up at Max, and without saying a word, Max Nods. Stepping forward, she hooks her arm under Lucas's shoulder pulling him up to his feet and drags him away around the corner, Lucas protesting the whole way.

As they do, all remaining attention turns to Dustin, expressionless. Y/n stands up and rips the can out of his hand, sending him a glare before looking at it. A funny look crosses her face and she looks back at him, any trace of anger lost in amusement.

"Why do you have Farrah-"

Dustin's eyes widen in a panic and he rips the can from her hand before she can finish.

"Thank you guys so much for the surprise!" He laughs nervously. "That was, uh- you guys, eh, you guys got me. Yeah. That was good. That was cool. Hey, SORRY ABOUT THAT LUCAS! MY BAD!"

He takes off for the kitchen, calling after Lucas leaving Will, Y/n, Mike and El in confusion. A knowing look flashes across Y/n's face as she crosses her arms and she calls out to him before Dustin can disappear around the corner.

"Speaking of," her voice full of mischief when she connects the dots. "Steve says hi~!"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

A stubborn summer breeze swept through downtown Hawkins, bringing with it several dried up leaves that still lingered from autumn as well as the occasional rogue flyer and yet this was the most populated it had been in weeks. All that was missing from the desolate wasteland of a scene was a tumbleweed strolling down the road.

Joyce Byers stood alone in the window of Melvald's as she strung up what seemed to be the hundredth variation of the store's discount sale sign as she stood atop a small step ladder. The radio spilled a soft tune into the store, no one else was around to hear it so Joyce didn't feel so bad about turning it up.

The store's bell rang much to her surprise, bringing her attention to the door. She found herself smiling a little at who stood in the entrance and she muttered a soft greeting.

"Hey," Hopper said, fidgeting with his hat. "You busy?"

Joyce secured the tie on the banner and her shoulders slacked in shrug. "You're our first customer, so..."

Hopper can't seem to meet her eye, the pit in his stomach as stubborn as the unsettling image of the previous night playing over in his head that twisted his gut. He doesn't have to say anything for Joyce to understand his dilemma. She doesn't bother to hide her exasperation with him either and she cocks her head and gives him an unimpressed look as she scoffs.

"What now?"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"And then El, she just... slams the door. Right in my face."

Hopper sits on an semi empty shelf, hands wrung together as he scowls at the pack of markers across the isle from him. Joyce casts a glance at him every now and then to show she's listening as she continues to work, not at all surprised by what she is hearing. Or why Hopper is mad. Yet still, she hardly bothers to show enthusiasm as she marks the price on her third package of Pro-Yo Yo-Yo's.

"Uh-huh," she mumbles, allowing Hopper to continue his rant.

"You know, it is that smug son of a bitch, Mike." He seethes, his bushy scowl never leaving his thousand yard stare. "He's corrupting her, I'm telling you."

The man is too upset and in his own head to notice Joyce make a small face at the accusation.

"And I'm just gonna lose it. I mean, I am gonna lose it, Joyce."

"Just take it down, Hopper," she eases, crossing over into the next isle.

"I need for them to break up." He declares suddenly, not unlike that of a pouting child.

"That is not your decision."

"They're spending entirely too much time together." He proclaims, standing up into a pace. "You agree with me about that, right?"

Joyce seems to think on this for a split second, a thoughtful frown written on her face as she pauses her work.

"Well, I mean, they're just kissing, right?"

"Yeah, but it is constant!" Feeling he hadn't made his point clearly enough, he steps forward and leans himself over a shelf. "It is constant. Okay? That is not normal, that is not healthy."

"You can't just force them apart. I mean, they're not little kids anymore, Hop. They're teenagers."

'They're not adults, either.' He thinks, angrily tossing a small rubber ball he had found up and down in the air as he paces.

"If you order them around like a cop, they're gonna rebel. It's just what they do."

"So what, I'm just supposed to let them do whatever they want?"

"No, I didn't say that." Joyce eases. "I think you should talk to them."

"No. No." Hopper sighs. "'Cause talking to them doesn't work."

Joyce fixes a stern glare on the man that she makes sure he sees. "Not yelling. Not ordering. But talk to them."

Hopper paces unsteadily, even shaking out his arms at the embarrassment that is already coming to him at the thought. This only worsen at what she says next.

"You know, like a heart-to-heart."

And yet, he stops suddenly. All trace of hostility replaced with uncertainty, and once again he fiddles with the hem of his hat.

"A heart-to-heart? What is that?"

"You sit them down and you talk to them, like you're their friend. I find if you talk to them like you're on their level, then they really start to listen."

Hopper leans tiredly against a support beam, anxiety bubbling up in his stomach.

"And then, you know, you could start to create some boundaries." She finishes.

"Boundaries," he contemplates softly, and Joyce nods.

"Yeah, but, Hop, it's really important that no matter how they respond, you stay calm."

Hopper rolls his eyes, something that does not escape Joyce. And despite her growing impatience with the man, she chooses to practice what she teaches and keeps her cool.

"You cannot lose your temper."

He uprooted his gaze from a spot on the ground and looks up at her, face still smushed against the support beam as he tries to entertain the idea.

"Did you have to do that with your boys?" He asks timidly.

The question paints another thoughtful look on her face as she recalls. But it's not long before she clicks her tongue and gives him a shake of the head.

"Not so much," she answers, marking another package of Yo-Yos before she interrupts herself momentarily. "I mean, not about this kind of stuff, no. I've talked to Jonathan some and he's a smart kid, you know. And Will, well, he's still pretty shy. I think he's getting used to this all this stuff still, I really don't think I have to worry about much for a while. But other stuff we've run into, like car payments with Jonathan or Will's chores... Both of their responsibilities around the house,"

She nods admittingly, sending Hopper an encouraging look.

"sometimes we need to rehash things like that, and I'll tell you, there's a lot less friction when you level with them."

Hopper watches his fingers as they steadily drum against the false wood of the beam, his mind racing and his dread building. In an attempt he knows is weak, he barely meets Joyce's eye and timidly asks.

"Maybe you could do it for me?"

Flabbergasted, Joyce shakes her head, mumbling several 'no's. Hopper steps forward eagerly, pleading with her.

"Yeah, you could. Yeah, you could," he says growing more excited. "You come over after work. Yes."

His feet spread far across the linoleum tile stretching his legs and lowering himself closer to her height. She only shakes her head further at his proposition, a small tug making itself known deep within her she can't allow herself to acknowledge.

"No, it only works if it comes from you," she says, jabbing the pricing gun on his chest that left a price sticker. She stops suddenly, a thoughtful look twisting her face that Hopper couldn't help but appreciate. "But..."

Joyce steps away and Hopper straightens, eagerly following her lead as she heads for her counter. "But?"

"Maybe I can help you," She pulls a pad of paper and pen from a hidden stack as she takes a seat, clicking the pen open as the words begin to accumulate in her mind. "find the right words."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"Ow, ow, ow. Ow!"

Lucas stands wincing under the steady burst of lukewarm water that fell from the Henderson's kitchen faucet. Max watches with a sympathetic wince as he straightens, blinking back the painful sensation that stabbed at his eyes. Water covered his face and soaked some of his shirt, and yet he could still feel the stinging sensation in his corneas but the worst of it had subsided thankfully.

And he could finally open his eyes little by little now, which was a start.

"Better?" Asks Max, wince still screwed tight onto her face.

He takes a deep breath as Y/n makes her way into the kitchen in a brisk walk, a washcloth she had retrieved from the linen closet in hand. Lucas continues to blink back the blurry vision he still can't quite seem to escape as Y/n shoves the folded washcloth under the water while keeping a tentative eye on Lucas.

He inhales deeply, swiping several droplets from his eyes.

"Still stings." He answers finally.

Max frowns, not knowing what much else to say other than mumble a soft sorry he barely catches. Y/n stops the water, and rings out the small towel thoroughly before stepping back out of the way and refolding the piece of cloth.

She looks between her friends, offering a similar sympathetic look as she pressed the cloth firmly between her palms to reheat the already cooling water. Her powers work effortlessly to warm the now wet washcloth before she hands it over to him.

"This should help with the stinging. Don't use it yet though if your eyes aren't properly flushed,"

He sighs, taking it gratefully and pressing it to his eyes. The act draws out a small hiss but still he keeps it close to his eyes, welcoming the sense of relief it brings.

"Again, sorry about that," Y/n says, smiling weakly.

Lucas nods with a tight lipped smile and Max turns to smirk at Y/n.

"You seem to know a lot about this," she inquires.

A tired scoff breaks loose and Y/n's eyebrows shoot up in a funny look as she concedes.

"Unfortunately this isn't the first time something like this has happened with Dustin. One time I got up to get a midnight snack and he didn't hear me. Long story short, I spent the next half hour getting his glass of milk flushed out of my eyes. Some weaponized hairspray isn't that much of a surprise, I should have known."

There's a small beat of silence between the three of them that is soon broken by Lucas. He still holds the pink and slightly tattered washcloth firm against his eyes and a prolong sigh deflates his whole body as he nods.

"Yeah." He agrees somberly.

Chuckles bounce between the three of them and Y/n gives Lucas a quick pat on the back and a smile Max's way before leaving the kitchen. She disappears down the hall and into Dustin's room with others, leaving the couple alone yet again.

Lucas pulls the cloth away finally, his eyes still screwed shut. Max watches as he tests the waters and peels his eyes open. He's shocked to find no more pain or lingering sting left on his eyes, as of it had never been there. The only trace there had even been anything wrong is the hot washcloth in his hands and the almost non existent numbing tingle he felt in his eyes and the skin around them where Y/n had insisted on cleaning.

Noticing the odd look on his face, Max cocks a brow and looks go Lucas a bit uneasily.

"What?"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"I call it the Forever Clock," Dustin beams.

Mike, El, Y/n and Will stood gathered in Dustin's room surrounding him and his bag of trinkets he had created. With a bright grin he gives the lever on the device a spin, several of it's wooden popsicle parts spinning an eclectic blade of plastic and metal that one could only describe to look like a windmill.

"Alright? Powered by wind. Very useful in the apocalypse."

He hands the clicking contraption off to Will as he excitedly reached for another device. Will seems the only one taken with the device, and he smiles down at it impressed as he gives it several spins. Y/n watches from his side as he inspects the inner working of the contraption and she smiles to herself at the sight before her attention was pulled back to her brother.

"Then, I give you..." Dustin pulled another device from his bag, his excitement growing. "the Slammer."

Y/n, Mike and El seemed rather confused by the hammer he had pulled out and now began to fiddle with. Several pieces of unidentifiable objects were attached near the bottom of the handle. And with one simple click, the hammer comes to life in his hands. It shook immensely and even rattled his arm and yet he still stuck it forward for all to see. It brought out an impressed look on Y/n's face, which couldn't be said for the others.

Mike merely leaned away from the tremoring hammer with an unimpressed look, and El who clung to his shoulder, her arms interlaced with his took a cautious step back as her eyes widened. Will hadn't noticed, much too preoccupied with the Forever Clock and nobody seemed to notice the whiff of mischief take over him. He smiled at Y/n who still held her eye on the Slammer, and brought the Forever Clock closer to her face as he spun it. The clicks and whirs grabbed her attention and she turned just in time to see him clicking it towards her face. A small chortle escaped as she pushed it away, a toothy grin overtaking both their faces in a moment only they noticed as he gently teased her.

Dustin had already moved on, discarding the Slammer back on his bed and exchanging it for his duffle bag.

"-this is my masterpiece."

As carefully as the weight would allow him, Dustin dropped the bag to the ground creating a clunky and muted thunk, breaking the spell over the young couple and pulling them back to the present. Everyone followed suit as Dustin joined his duffle on the carpet, reaching for the zipper.

"I would like you to meet..." the bag is unzipped, unveiling an underwhelming pile of metal and wire. "Cerebro."

Dustin waited for the excitement he felt to spread to the others, his cheeks beginning to hurt from smiling. But he was only met with unimpressed and rather confused expressions. Mike didn't hold back.

"What exactly are we looking at here?"

Dustin's composure held, much too elated and content with his camp experiences to let the lack of enthusiasm dwindle his spirits.

"An unassembled one-of-a-kind battery-powered radio tower."

"So, it's a..." Will stammered, trying to hide his confusion rather poorly. "a ham radio."

"The Cadillac of ham radios." Dustin reassures. "This baby carries a crystal-clear connection over vast distances. I'm talking North Pole to South."

Y/n's eyebrows shot up, a factor Dustin did not fail to miss and his chest swelled a little with pride at what she said next.

"Wait, seriously?" She looks between Mike and Will before back to her brother. "And you made this?"

He straightens immediately, his chin hiking as he sends his sister a nod. She returns her attention to the bag, eyes carefully scanning the pieces in thought. Y/n the most of all unprepared for what he had to say next.

"Yep. And I can talk to my girlfriend whenever and wherever I choose."

Y/n's head was suddenly ripped away from the bag at a speed so quick it was a wonder she didn't break her neck, her eyes growing the size of saucers to rival everyone else's.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Max and Lucas stand hunched over a tupperware of Kraft Mac & Cheese they had fished from the refrigerator, both of them fighting over territory with their own forks as the sea of macaroni quickly disappeared. Max takes a big bite, her eyes fluttering closed as she enjoys the impromptu lunch.

Lucas hums along with her, nodding his head as he thoroughly enjoys the cold leftovers. He shakes his head, defeated.

"This is pretty damn good," he admits.

Max hums an agreement, scooping up another small mountain of noodles as she does so.

"Wish we could have asked Y/n to heat it up for us though," Lucas frowns.

Max shoves the comment aside in her mind, and rolls her eyes. "There's a microwave right there,"

He shrugs innocently, his voice almost sad. "I know, but it's not as quick."

"Think we should save-"

Max stops midsentence when the sound of Y/n's muted voice echoes throughout the house

"WHAT?"

Lucas and Max freeze, even their jaws stop chewing as they frown in the direction her voice had come from. Slowly their heads turn to meet in an unsettled and worried gaze.

She couldn't know they were eating all her food, right?

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"Wait, so her name is Suzie?" Mike asks, close on Dustin's tail.

Backpack slung over his shoulders, Dustin coasts down the hallway, heading straight of the living room leaving the others not much time to catch up. Each of them had agreed to take sections of the cerebro in exchange for more information and a chance at talking to her if they helped him set up.

"Suzie with a 'z'," Dustin confirms, his heart fluttering at the thought of the girl he already missed dearly. "She's from Utah."

Without thinking, Will blurts out. "Girls go to science camp?"

And without missing a beat, Y/n sends him a bewildered and exasperated look as they scurry to stay on Mike and El's heels.

"You were single-handedly raised by Joyce Byers, how is it you keep asking things like this?"

Flustered at his mistake, he shakes his head and a sharp pang of guilt and embarrassment landed in his gut. Frantically, he shakes his head.

"No, sorry, that came out-" he sputters, shaking his head. "I meant there were girls there? Like wouldn't they keep them separate?"

Y/n sends him a flat and unimpressed look as her gaze slinks away from him and towards Dustin waiting for his answer.

"Yes and no." Dustin replies quickly, heading for the door much to the confusion of Lucas and Max who were still elbow deep in Mac & Cheese. "It's a boy/girl camp, but they house us separately, obviously."

"Is she cute?" Mike asks, genuinely excited for his friend.

"Think Phoebe Cates, only hotter."

El sends a confused glance to Y/n, silently asking for help. "Phoebe Gates?"

Y/n shrugs, swallowing the light hearted chuckle that came with El's mispronunciation. Easing her worry away, Y/n quickly mumbled. "A TV person." Which promoted a small, knowing nod from El as it clicked in her head.

"What's going on?" Max asked finally, as she straightened curiously.

One by one they began filing out the front door. El, Will, and Y/n the last to leave as each they lugged their own section of the cerebro. Y/n grew visibly exuberant as she all but skipped out of the door, the brightest spark of mischief dancing in her eyes.

"We're going to talk to Dustin's girlfriend."

Simultaneously, their forks dropped with a muted clang. Lucas, who up until this very moment had been quite invested in the Mac & Cheese sprang up from where he towered over the counter. Much too eagerly in fact as the back of his skull quickly met the underside of the hanging cupboards. And yet he was too stunned to care.

"-Girlfriend?"

"-Girlfriend?"

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

CONTINUE TO SUPPORT BLACK LIVES!! This is FAR from over!

BLACK VOTERS MATTER

"Our goal is to increase power in our communities. Effective voting allows a community to determine its on destiny."

Includes voter registration, policy advocacy, organizational development/training, and help fund activities related to certain elections.

[link]

Self Care For People of Color After Psychological Trauma - JustJasmineBlog

[link]

Google Doc of Anti-Racism Resources

**I can't quite remember if I have shared this link before so I sincerely apologize. If that is the case though it is still a very useful link worth being reminded of and worth a second look**

[link]