Chapter Six;
The Creature Is Gone

Scotty trudged into the door, rolling his eyes as Mike slammed the door in Max's face.

"Mike," Scotty spared him a glance. His eyes lingering for a moment, a moment too long, perhaps, before he continued. "For fucks sake, can you stop being a dick for one damn second and let her in?"

"No!" Mike slammed both of his hands on the table. Will's eyes jumped to Mike and he stepped back at his sudden outburst. Mike cleared his throat, shrugging his shoulders back as he stepped away from the table. "No, I mean.. No, this is party members only."

"Party members only!" Scotty mimicked, scoffing to himself as he looked around the closet, his eyes glanced up at the flickering light bulb. "Yeah, we'll she's as good of a member as any of us."

"Well, if you care about her so much, why don't you just go out there with her yourself!" Mike pointed towards the door, "See if I-we-I care!"

Scotty rolled his eyes, annoyed by Mike's treatment towards Max. She was confused and deserved answers for everything going on. Mike could be- scratch that- was a stubborn asshole when he wanted to be. Unfortunately, Max has to be at the receiving end of it. Now, after halloween, Scotty seemed to be standing right next to her and receiving the brunt of his aggression.

"You're saying you don't care about me?" Scotty's attention was solely on Mike now, forgetting the flickering lights as soon as they locked eyes. Lucas, Dustin, and Will said nothing, remaining completely still, afraid that saying something might cause another explosive outburst from either of them. None of them wanted that kind of anger turned to them.

Mike's eyes softened on Scotty, his stone cold facial expression remaining in place. "Scotty, that's not what I meant. You know I care about you."

Scotty huffed, rolling his eyes. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and crossing his arms. "I know.. funny way of showing it, though."

Dustin almost let out a sigh of relief, grateful for the tensions to be eased. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case.

"Hello?! Hello! Guys, can I come in yet? Come on!" Max pounded on the door. "Guys? Scotty? Hello?!"

"No!" In the blink of an eye, Mike's anger had returned, his annoyance flooding the room. "Party members only means just that: Party members ONLY!"

Scotty rolled his eyes, turning to face the door. "Sorry that Mike's being a jackass!"

"Hey!" Mike snapped, his nostrils flaring. His eyes turned towards Scotty, narrowing at the sight of him.  Any warmth he'd felt moments before had vanished, replaced with irritation. "If anything, you're the jackass! You're the one going around calling me names and being an asshole to everyone. For no reason, may I add!"

"Uh, correction," Scotty raised his finger, moving to clasp his hands together and point at him. "I'm a asshole to you, not Dustin, Lucas, Will, or Max. You deserve it. You know exactly why, too!"

The three boys shared an uncomfortable look, shifting as the tension in the room grew heavier.

"Oh, my god! See?" Mike waved his hands around in exasperation, "This I'd exactly what I'm talking about! You're a dick!"

"Oh, changing up nicknames are we?" Scotty's voice had a hint of amusement hidden beneath his words. His lips curled into a smirk as he stepped closer to Mike. "Is douchebag next?"

Mike looked up at him, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. Unknowingly, Mike gulped and reached back behind him to grip the table. Mike wasn't afraid of Scotty, but fuck. When did he get so tall?

what had he been eating? Mike wondered. Scotty had at least a head on him in height now, when just a few weeks ago they could look each other in the eyes.

"Guys.." Will scratched his arm, looking in between both of his friends. "Can we please not fight? please?"

"Sorry, Will." Scotty smiled apologetically at him and took a step away from Mike, not before shooting him one final nasty look. Mike didn't fail to notice this, despite wanting to send a snarky comment Scotty's way, he resisted for the sake of not only Will, but Lucas and Dustin, too.

"Uh.." Lucas puffed out his cheeks, "I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?"

"Will saw something that looked like Dart last year?"

"Kind of.." Will's voice was weak, afraid as his eyes searched the room, finding Scotty's before continuing. "But there was no tail-"

"But then he heard it yesterday, the exact same sound." Mike added on. Scotty rolled his eyes, leaning back against the bookshelf.

"Great information to share a day late." He muttered to himself, glad to know that no one, especially Mike, of all people, heard him.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Dustin asked, earning a nod from both Scotty and Lucas.

"I wasn't sure."

"So it's coincidence, then."

"Ye-"

"Or not." Mike interrupted, "What if when Will was stuck in the upside down, he somehow acquired true sight?"

"True Sight?" Lucas questioned.

"It gives you the power to see in the ethereal plane."

"Elaborate!" Lucas pressed, rolling his hand forward.

"Maybe these episodes that Will keeps having aren't flashbacks at all, maybe they're real. Maybe Will can somehow see into the Upside Down."

"So that would mean.." Lucas trailed off, a realization falling over the group.

"Dart is from the Upside Down."

"Called it! I knew it all along." Scotty clapped his hands together, pointing at each of them. "That thing is dangerous."

"We have to take him to Hopper." Lucas commanded, "It's not safe."

"Yeah, I agree."

"No!" Dustin nearly shouted, clearing his throat. "I-I mean no. No way, if we take him to Hopper, Dart's as good as dead."

"Maybe he should be." Mike said.

"Harsh." Scotty puffed out his cheeks, looking up again at the flickering lights.

"How can you say that?"

"How can you not? He's from the Upside Down!"

"Maybe! But that doesn't automatically mean he's bad." Dustin defended the creature. Though, he thought it was stupid, he understood where Dustin was coming from. When he was eight, he kept a pigeon in his room for three weeks because he was convinced they were soulmates and that the bird understood him.

When his parents found out, and rightfully threw the bird out, Scotty had a meltdown. He was moping around the house until his parents drove to the pet store and got him a parrot. In which he named Pablo, after Pablo Escobar.

Shortly after, Scotty was diagnosed with anxiety with mild symptoms of ADD, of which he told no one about. Until three years later, when he told Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will. Will, of course, was the most understanding.

"That's like saying just because someone's from the Death Star doesn't make them bad!" Scotty hummed in agreement, sharing a look with Mike. Not a cold one, or a mean one, but one of agreement. Just as quick as it came, Mike looked away from Scotty and back towards Dustin.

"We have a bond." Dustin said plainly, avoiding eye contact with the boys.

"A bond?" Mike's voice was exasperated and annoyed, "Just because he likes nougat?!"

"No!" He argued, "Because he trusts me."

"Oh, fuck." Scotty sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"He trusts you?"

"Yes! I promised that I'd take care of him-" Dustin's sentence cut off as Dart screeched, shaking the box he was hidden inside.

Scotty jumped at the door pounding, "Guys?! What's going on? Come on!"

As the box flipped over, Mike reached forward and grabbed the microphone to use as a weapon. Dustin's heart jumped and he shook his head in a panic, "Don't hurt him!"

"Only if he attacks." Mike relented.

"Just open it already!" 

"Uh, no. Why not leave it closed? Like smart people?" Scotty sighed as Dustin reached forward, squeezing the tube to open the contraption.

"Holy shit.." Lucas trailed off as Dart fell out of the trap, growling and struggling to move towards them.

"Oh, fuck." Scotty squeezed his eyes shut, his hand flying up to his mouth as the thing grew another pair of legs.

"Oh, shit!"

"No!" Dustin cried, shoving Mike away as he moved to crush Dart. In the commotion, Dart jumped off the table and rushed towards the door.

Unfortunately, Max had finally gotten it open in that exact moment.

Swears flew out of the group's mouths as they scrambled to follow the creature out as it escaped.

"Where did it go?"

"What was that?" Max asked, pushing herself to her feet after Dustin had knocked her over.

"Dart!"

"What?"

"You let him escape!"

"Why did you attack him?!" Dustin shoved Mike, aggravation dripping from his words.

"Come on." Mike pushed past Dustin, walking towards the 600 hallway that Dart had gone down.

"Don't hurt him!" Dustin cried, "Don't you hurt him!"

"Fuck." Scotty grumbled, "Come on, let's go, Max. We gotta find that fucking thing."

~~

a/n: did you miss them bc i did