Chapter Text
Dear Mike,
Today is day 185. Feels more like ten years. Joyce says time is funny like that. Emotions can make it speed up or slow down. We are all time travellers if you think about it. For example this week is going very fast.
I think it is because I am so busy. I have to make something called a visual aid. I hope Mrs. Gracey will give some exciting news. Joyce got an amazing new job. She gets to work at home. She says she loves the “freedom”. Will is painting a lot, but he won’t show me what he is working on. I am sure it is for a girl because he isn’t at home a lot and Joyce says he is acting weird. Jonathan is acting weird also. I think he is just nervous about collage. He is still waiting for his big letter. I hope he and Nancy get to go together. But I don’t know how he’ll get to village because his car is still broken. His funny friend Argyle had been taking us to school. His hair is even longer than mine. And he and Jonathan like smoking smelly plants together.
Jonathan says they are super safe because they come from the earth, but to not tell Joyce. Me? I am twice as happy now. You were right. It just takes time. I think I have finally adapted. At first, I missed all the spring flowers, but now I find it pretty here too. I even like school now. I am still best at math, but my grammar is getting good now also. It helps that everyone is so nice here. I have made lots of friends. Even so, I am ready fro spring break mostly because I get to see you, I am so excited to see you it is hard to breathe. Are you excited too? I think you will love it here like me. I hope my spelling was better this time. Miss you.
Love,
El
Mike’s door slammed open.
’The hell are you doing? It’s 10 after,’ said Nancy
’Shit! Shit!’
’Thirty seconds or I’m leaving without you, okay! Thirty seconds!’
’Okay, I have to find my pants!’ Said Mike standing up and hurridly looking around.
After finding some suitable clothes Mike sped downstairs. He picked up his schoolbag and rushed to the pantry to grab breakfast.
’Michael, I know your D&D club is tonight.’ Said his mom
‘Hellfire.’ He corrected
’Why dont you just call it the high school dropout club?’ Commented Ted unelpfully
’I want to to be home no later than 9:00,’
’I’ll try,’ said Mike as he put his tootsie in the toaster
‘No trying. You need to go to bed early.’
’Why?’
‘It’s a 6:30 flight, Michael.’
’Yeah, I know, but—‘
’No buts. Nine or no California.’
’And no sweetie pie,’
Mike’s face began to scrunch up in disgust (Why were parents so weird?) when Nancy called out from by the door.
’Mike! Let’s go!’
’Jesus. How am I going to survive a whole week without you guys?’ Mike sighed rushing out the door.
Of course school had to start with a stupid pep rally today. Mike didn’t get why they needed the entire student body to cheer on their stupid basketball team. It didn’t help that Lucas joined it for some reason. The party or what was left of it in Hawkins is meant to stick together and Lucas chose those stupid mouth breathers over them.
Which only really left Dustin, but…
’Look, I’m not saying that my girlfriend is better than yours. It’s just that Suzie’s, like, a certified genius.’
’You do realise El saved the world twice, right?’
‘And yet you still have a C in Spanish.’
He could be a bit annoying.
The pep rally contours as boring as usual. Mike didn’t get why people got so excited for it.
The basketball team finally came out ending the earsplitting sound of the marching band and the cheering crowd. The captain of the team, Jason picked up the microphone and began his boring aspirational speech.
After a few second Mike began to tune it out and thinking of more important things like his trip to California. What would he wear in California? El said in her letters that it was warmer than Hawkins, but by how much? What did people wear in California? The would definitely wear different clothes and Mikes looks try to fit in. The people in California were probably really stylish which meant that El and Will would probably be dressed like that too. Mabe he should ask Max she lived in California and would know, but Mike wouldn’t dare to ask Max for help about something as stupid as clothes he would never live it down. Maybe Mike should—
‘Think of Billy.’
What the hell was Jason saying in his stupid speech of his?
’Think about our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper. Think about every one of our friends who perished in that fire. What did they die for? For us to lose to some crap school?’
Using the ‘Mall fire’ as motivation for some stupid basketball game is definitely somewhere on the fucked up scale. It didn’t help that that was just the government cover up.
The rest of the speech was just as dumb as the rest of it. Why did people cheer for this shit?
’Tonight we’re gonna bring home the championship trophy!’ Yelled Jason
‘Tonight,’ whisper yelled Mike to Dustin
’How is that possible?’
’They call it a tournament. You win one game, you go on until there’s only one team left.’ Explained Max sarcastically
He sighed and looked at Lucas.
Why did he want this? They were supposed to stick together. It was bad enough with Will gone, but Lucas practically betraying the party for those mouthbreather is low. Mike would just have to talk about this to Lucas after this. Eddie would barely tolerate it. Lucas was already not on Eddie’s good side because he was part of the basketball team, but missing the final session of their campaign would solidify that.
Lucas went around high-fiving his teammates. Those were of people that bullied them. They were assholes and for some reason Lucas wanted to be their friend.
Mike and Dustin were able to catch Lucas on his way out of the gymnasium.
’I don’t get the big deal. Just talk to Eddie. Get him to move hellfire to another night.’
‘Just talk to Eddie.’
’Why don’t you just talk to your coach and get him to move the game?’
’I think that’s a great idea, Mike.’
’Thank you, Dustin.’
’This is the championship game.’
’And this is the end of Eddie’s campaign. A semester of adventuring had lead to this moment, and we need you.’
’Yeah, and the Tigers don’t. You’ve been on the bench all year.’
’Thats not the point.’
’Please arrive at the point.’
’If I get in good with these guys, I’ll be in the popular crowd, and then you guys will be too.’
’Has it ever occurred to you that we don’t want to be popular?’
’So you wanna be stuck with the nerds and the freaks for three more years?’
’We are nerds and freaks.’
’Yeah, but maybe we don’t have to be…Look, I’m tired of being bullied. I’m tired of girls laughing at us. I’m tired of feeling like a loser. We came to high school wanting things to be different. Right? So now we have that chance. I skip tonight that’s all out the window. So I’m asking you guys as a friend, just talk to Eddie get him to move Hellfire. Come to my game. Please.’
The bell rung and Lucas walked away.
’Shit.’ Exclaimed Dustin
Mike felt the same way.
As he and Dustin walked into the cafeteria both their eyes were drawn to Eddie who had his face shoved in a magazine loudly reading it until he put it down with a wild look on his face
’Shit, he seems really revved up today.’
’He's always revved up. We’ll just act casual,’
’Casual,’ Dustin repeated
’Casual.’
’Right okay, totally,’ Dustin sighed before hesitantly making their way towards the table
Mike put his tray down next to Dustin’s which held some of the most unappetising food he had ever seen.
’Society has to blame something. We’re and easy target,’ said Jeff
’Exactly we’re the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game. But as long as your into band or science or parties or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets.’ Yelled Eddie climbing onto the table and starting arounf the cafeteria
’You want something, freak?’ Asks Jason
Eddie puts his hands up imitating devil horns and sticks out his tongue. ‘It’s forced conforming. Thats what’s killing the kids,’ tells Eddie jumping of the table scaring a teacher before politely bowing to some passing cheerleaders, ‘That’s the real monster,’
’So uh, speaking of monsters,’ Dustin begins awkwardly, ‘if, Lucas has to do his, uh…balls in laundry baskets game. So, he’s not gonna be able to make it to Hellfire tonight. And I know there is no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him. So me and Mike, we were talking, shooting the shit, and we were thinking that maybe we might…’ Dustin hesitates obviously trying to soften the blow
’Postpone,’ Mike finally spits out cutting short Dustins rambling.
The table erupts in disagreement.
’Shut up,’ yells Eddie cutting through the voices, ‘You saying Sinclair’s been taken in by the dark side?’
’Uh, something like that.’ Mike responds
’Something like that?’ Eddie mocks throwing a piece of his lunch him, ‘and rather than find a sub for him, you want to postpone “The Cult of Vecna” ?’
’I don’t want to postpone it. We don’t want to postpone it. It’s just that, you know, most of the subs will be at the championship game.’ Mike tries to expain
’Oh, its the championship game?’ Eddie asks
’Yeah.’ Mike says hesitantly
’Can I level with you? Jeff graduates this year. Gareth gots what a year and a half. Me, I am army-crawling my way towards a D in Ms. O’Donnell’s. If I don’t blow her final, I’m gonna walk that stage next month, I’m gonna look principal Higgins dead in the eye, I’m gonna flip him the bird, I’m gonna snatch that diploma. I’m gonna run like hell outta here.’ Said Eddie
’Didn’t you say that last year?’
’And the year before that?’
’Yeah, and I was full of shit. This years different. This year is my year. I can feel it. ‘86, baby. You know what that means? It means you boys,’ says Eddie coming behind him and Dustin putting his arms arounf their shoulders, ‘Are the future of Hellfire. I knew it the moment is saw you. You sat on that table right over there, looking like two little lost sheep. You were wearing a Weird Al T-shirt, which I though was brave.’
‘Thank You,’ Dustin whispers
’Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mommy bought you from the goddam Gap.’ Mike laughed and so did the rest of the table until Eddie tightened his grip on their shoulders and pulled them up. ‘And we showed you that school didn’t have to be the worst years if your lives, right?’
’No.’ Mike and Dustin whispered in unison
’Okay, no. Well, I’m here to tell you there are other little lost sleepers out there who need help. Who need you. And all you guys gotta do is get your Bo-peeps on and find one.’ Said Eddie shoving them away.
‘Well, that didn’t go as planned.’ Said Mike as they hurridly walked out the cafeteria
‘No shit. What were we thinking? Casual? Lucas owes us for this,’
‘I know, but we still gotta find a sub.’
’Yeah let’s split up. I’ll ask Max,’
Mike snorted, ‘Good luck with that.’
’Okay genius who are you gonna ask?’
’Uh…Nancy?’ Mumbled Mike
’Oh yeah?’ Said Dustin
’Just shut up.’ Snapped Mike, ‘Let’s go find someone.’
Dustin nodded and headed off in the opposite direction.
He really wished Will were here right now.
As Mike sigh the first person he asked was Nancy. She would obviously be in the room for the student news paper. He ran to the room and slammed open the door which in hindsight was way too dramatic because everyone in the room was staring at him now. Mike froze before his eyes landed on Nancy.
’Nancy, hey. I’m, do you want to join Hellfire tonight?’
Nancy exhaled sharply before giving from a stern look that already held his answer, ‘No!’
’Shit,’ Mike whispered to himself before turning around and leaving.
Mike continued to go around the school asking way to many people that he never fathomed talking to before while he got the same answer every time. Mike needed up running into Dustin outside who had had the same result.
’I hate high school.’ Mike groaned as he sat down defeatedly next to Dustin.
‘So screw it,’ Dustin said after a pause
’Screw what?’ Mike asked
’Screw high school!’ Dustin exclaimed running off again
’What? What? Dustin, where are you going?’ Mike yelled after him following him
’Just trust me,’ Dustin yelled back
’Come on, just talk to me. Tell me thing!’
’Wear a helmet!’ Dustin yelled
’What are you talking about?’ Mike asked as he now realised where they were going.
Hawkins Middle school. There was only one D&D player there that Mike knew of. Dustin was a fucking genius.
Dustin and Mike walked up to the Hellfire room acomaning the one and only Erica Sinclair. Mike hadn’t interacted with Erica much ministers to Dustin who had been part of the “Scoops troop” with her. She was the one who had received Will’s old D&D stuff that definitely didn’t make his eyes water when he saw it. For probably the millionth time since Will left Mike was wondering what was going on with Will. El’s letters rarely spoke of him which was weird since she talked a lot about Joyce, Jonathan and her school friends. And Will’s letters were non-existent. The weren’t many phone calls too. Will didn’t call, but when Mike tried the line was always busy and if it wasn’t Will couldn’t come to the phone. Mike throughout they had left on good terms. The day Will left they had talked a lot and hugged a bunch so why wasn’t Will contacting him. They were meant to be there fore each other Will had said so. Mike was his Paladin, but what did that mean if Will wasn’t even a Cleric anymore.
Mike was snapped out of his circle of theoughts when they entered the Hellfire room.
’Absolutely not.’ Sighed Eddie from his DM chair
’You asked for a sub. We delivered.’ Explained Dustin
’This is Hellfire Club. Not Babysitting Club.’ Said Eddie
’I’m 11, you long-haired freak.’ Shit back Erica
’My, My, the child speaks.’ Eddie stood up and Walked over to Erica, ‘So, what’s your name, child?’
’Erica Sinclair.’ She said seriously
Eddie chuckled, ‘So this is Sinclair’s infamous sister.’
’He’s sharp,’ said Erica turning back to Mike and Dustin
’Whats your class and level? Level one dwarf,’ asked Eddie
Mike didn’t know what whatever the hell this was, but it was interesting. The other members were laughing and this didn’t look so good.
’My name is Lady Applejack. And I’m a chaotic goof half-elf rogue, level 14. I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way and stab them in the back with my poison-soaked kukri and I’ll smile as I watch them die a slow, agonising death. So, we gonna do this, or are we gonna keep chitchatting like this is your mommy’s book club?’ Said Erica
Everyone just looked at her with shock.
Eddie held out his hand, ‘Welcome to Hellfire.’
Thank god.
They began the final part of their campaign and Mike already knew this, curricular heart cemented it Eddie was the best DM ever.
’They turn to you, remove their hoods. You recognize most of them from Makbar, but there is one you do not recognise. His skin shrivelled desiccated. And something else, he is not only missing his left arm, but his left eye.’
This made the table erupts
’Vecna’s dead.’
’He was killed by Kas.’
’So it was thought, my friends. So it was thought. But Vecna lives!’
Yep he was the best.
‘You are scared. You’re tired. You are injured. Do you flee Vecna and his cultists? Or do you stand your ground and fight?’
’I say we fight,’ offers Dustin, ‘To the death.’
’To the death,’ Mike repeats
’To the death! To the death! To the death!’ everyone chants
As the game goes on players are slowly picked off until only Dustin and Erica were left. Gareth calls a time out and everyone forms a huddle on the other side of the table.
’Guys, I hate to say this but we’ve got to flee,’ says Gareth
’I concur,‘ agrees Jeff
’Didn’t we just stay “to the death”?’
’That wasn’t literal. Vecna just decimated us. We can’t kill him with two player.’
’You too? He only has 15 hit points left. Don’t be pussies.’ Whispers Dustin
‘Pussies? Really? ‘Cause we’re not delusional?’
’Delusional? How about not cowards?’ Adds Erica
’Hey!’ yells Eddie getting the attention of the group, ‘If I may interject, gentlemen, Lady Applejack. Whilst I repent the passion, you’ve be wise to take Gareth the Great’s concern to heart. There is no shame in running. Don’t try to be heroes. Not today, ‘day?’
’One sec,’ says Dustin before they turn back into huddle, ‘What do you think?’
’How many hit point do you and Lady Applejack have left?’ Asks Mike
’Twelve.’ Dustin and Erica both day
’It’s risky as hell, but you’re the ones on the battlefield. So it’s your call.’ said Mike
’What to you say, Lady Applejack?’ Asks Dustin
‘You really gotta ask?’ Says Erica
’Screw it,’ They all leave the huddle, ‘Let’s kill the sone of a bitch.’
’The chances of success are 20-1’
’Never tell me the odds. Give me the D20’ Dustin said
He rolls an 11.
‘That’s a miss,’ Eddie jeers
Erica rolls next.
It’s a 20.
’Crit hit!’ Erica exclaims as the party explodes in cheers.
They leave the room still gushing about the campaign. Mike was still talking about it to an uninterested Nancy when he got home. It was definitely up there as one of the best campaigns ever. Mike would have to talk about it to Will in California. It was going to be the best vacation in ever.
It had to be.