THE POOL HOUSE

'If Nancy finds out about this there's no way she's taking me back,' Steve muttered as he held open the door to the pool room, ushering his brats inside. Steve's house was the most logical place for them to hide out, they decided.

'Don't touch anything!' He yelled, as Max's bag brushed a photo frame from the mantle piece. He caught it just in time.

'Chill out man,' Dustin implored. 'We won't touch anything.'

They had made the journey from the clearing to Steve's house, avoiding anyone they knew along the way. Nobody could know where they were hiding - it was not safe. Steve begrudgingly allowed them access to his parents pool house because it was winter, and nobody would be using it.

'I'll bring you turds some food later. And remember, don't. Touch. Anything. And close the blinds.' Steve locked them inside.

'Is anyone else picking up that he is being a bit of an ass?' Max asked as soon as they were alone.

'Nah man! Steve is awesome! You should have seen him before, he was totally an ass. He used to beat up Will's brother and everything. He's just worried about us now,' Dustin gushed.

'Yeah, he's definitely improved,' Mike confirmed. El was sulking.

'Hey, are you okay?' Mike asked gently.

'No,' she spat back, visibly hurt. The pool house was small and cramped, and privacy was not an option. Mike closed his eyes.

She was there when he opened them - in their space.

'El, talk to me,' Mike suggested, moving closer to her.

'He doesn't trust me,' she whispered, sounding defeated.

'I'm not on his side, like, at all, but do you blame him? We are up to something - he's not wrong. Maybe...maybe we need to tell him about this?'

'No!' She cried. 'No, Mike. He will lock me away again.' Tears ran down her cheeks. 'I can't be away from you. For that long. Ever again.'

'I know what you mean,' he replied, 'I can't either.'

Back in the pool room, they opened their eyes. The others were still debating the pros and cons of their host - his hair and his skills with a bat, amongst the highlights. Just then, the photo frame that Max almost knocked fell clean off the mantle piece and smashed.

'Don't look at me,' she offered, but it didn't take long before everything else started falling, too. Furniture, vases, golf clubs - the ground shook violently and they huddled together, waiting for it to be over. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

'That was some earthquake,' Max exclaimed as she pushed her ginger hair out of her eyes.

'That was not an earthquake,' Will said, solemnly. 'They're here.'