Chapter 12

Steve, Lacey and Dustin got the meat they needed to lure Dart to the junkyard. They decided they would leave a trail on the rail road track and continue on to the junkyard. Once they'd got to the track and parked Steve's car Dustin's walkie talkie crackled and Lucas spoke into it. "This is Lucas, do you copy Dustin?" Dustin rolled his eyes and dropped the bucket of meat onto the ground with a thud. Lacey and Steve watched Dustin as he spoke to Lucas in an annoyed tone. "Well, well, well look who it is." "Sorry man." Lucas whined, "My stupid sister turned it off." He added. "Well, when you were having sister problems, Dart grew again." Dustin informed him, "He escaped and I'm pretty sure he's a baby Demogorgon." Dustin told him, "Wait what?" Lucas asked and Dustin shook his head as if Lucas could see him, "I'll explain later, meet me, my sister and Steve at the old junkyard." Dustin ended and Lucas spoke, "Your sister and Steve?" his voice sounded of confusion. "And bring your binoculars and wrist rocket." Dustin added. "Alright, let's go Dustin." Lacey called and Dustin nodded. "Just be there stat. Over and out." Dustin ended the conversation.

The trio walked the track dropping small piles of meat as they went. Lacey was walking ahead, she couldn't stand the smell of raw meat and she was keeping an eye out on things while Steve and Dustin trailed behind.

"So tell me why you decided to keep this thing?" Steve asked and Dustin sighed. "Too impress a girl." He plopped some more meat on the ground. "You kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who you just met?" Steve questioned and Dustin sighed again but nodded. "Why would a girl like a gross slug anyway?" Steve continued and Dustin responded excitedly. "An interdimensional slug? Because it's awesome." "Well even if she thought it was cool which she didn't I …" Dustin stopped speaking because Steve interrupted." I just feel like you're trying way too hard you know?" "Well not everyone can have your perfect hair and date someone as cool as Lacey." Dustin responded, looking toward his sister who had stopped and was peering into the forest. "It's not about the hair man. The key with girls is acting like you don't care…" Steve said and Dustin looked at his sister and then at Steve. "You don't act like you don't care." Dustin said, remembering Steve consoling his sister earlier. "How do you think I got your sister in the first place but obviously I don't have to do it anymore because we've been together for ages but man it drives them nuts." Steve stated looking at Lacey and smiling to himself remembering how frustrated she used to get with him in the beginning of their relationship.

"Then what?" Dustin asked, snapping Steve out of his thoughts.

"Then you wait until you feel it." Steve said, with a nod and shrug, confusing Dustin even more.

"Feel what?" Dustin pressed and Steve sighed. "It's like before it's gonna storm you know? You can't see it but you can feel it like this uh… electricity you know?" Steve continued and Dustin nodded but he was staring at the ground thinking. "Oh like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds in the atmosphere…" Before Dustin could drone on Steve interrupted. "No, no, no, like sexual electricity." Steve stopped speaking and Dustin looked up at Steve who was looking at Lacey. Steve realized that Lacey would probably kill him if she heard what he was telling Dustin but Steve felt like the kid needed a lesson in the love department. Steve also noticed that Lacey kept peering into the bushes worriedly,

Every drop of meat that hit the ground behind her made her jump. The crunching of the leaves, the rustle of the trees was slowly reminding Lacey of last year when they found Nancy and Jonathan in the woods after they'd come across the Demogorgon. She was beginning to feel like this idea was stupid. They hadn't killed the Demogorgon last year when her Steve, Nancy and Johnathan attacked it so what made them think they could kill it now and where were Nancy and Jonathan anyway? Shouldn't they be there with them at this point, why didn't anyone think to call them too? They didn't even have Eleven to help them with their fight.

Lacey decided to slow down and wait for Steve and Dustin to catch up with her because her breathing had become rapid again and she could feel herself going into panic mode when she heard Steve telling Dustin he uses Faberge hair products in his hair and Farah Fawcett hairspray she laughed at Dustin's facial expression and felt herself calm down immediately. "You tell anyone I just told you that and your ass is grass Henderson. The only other person who knows I use that is Lacey because she gave me the Farah Fawcett spray." Steve ended and looked up to realize they'd caught up with Lacey who was grinning at them and nodding in agreement that she gave Steve the hairspray. "It's cute how you two are bonding." She stated, hands on her hips and a grin spread across her face.

"You're dead Henderson. Do you understand?" Steve warned Dustin, ignoring Lacey's comment. Dustin nodded and responded with a simple "Yup."

Once they'd arrived at the junkyard Steve looked around and nodded at the other two. "This will do, this will do just fine. Good call Dude." Steve said patting Dustin on the back. The two lifted their buckets and poured the remainder of the meat out into one big pile on the grass. Lacey crinkled her nose in disgust.

"I SAID MEDIUM-WELL." Lucas's voice was heard from a distance. The three looked up to see Lucas waving and balancing on his bike but he wasn't alone.

Lacey recognised the girl as the girl who got out of Billy Hargrove's car on the first day of school and the one who'd been there when her brother and his friends had been digging in the trash at school that other day. "Who's that?" Steve asked Dustin the question and Lacey looked at her younger brother who had a look of hurt and confusion on his face. Steve also seemed to notice the look on Dustin's face and kept quiet and shook his head at Lacey who had opened her mouth wanting to ask more questions since Dustin hadn't responded to the first one.

"Hey guys." Dustin said to the two. "Max this is my sister Lacey and her boyfriend Steve, guys this is Max." Dustin introduced them to each other. Lacey eyed Max suspiciously before pulling Steve away and getting things sorted for their fight with Demogorgon. "That was rude…" Steve whispered at her and Lacey shook her head, "I'm not letting my brother get involved with a relation of Billy Hargrove." Lacey hissed and Steve's eyes widened. "Woah but you don't even know her?" He said, shocked and Lacey rolled her eyes "We don't have time to get to know each other Steve we're not on some sort of team building adventure." Lacey ended and Steve sighed to himself.

Lucas and Dustin were now crouching behind a car while Max assisted Lacey and Steve with the boarding up of the bus. The three didn't speak to each other and the only thing Dustin noticed was Lacey throwing dirty looks towards Max and he didn't understand why.

"You told her?" He eventually rounded on Lucas who shrugged, "So what, you were going to tell her…" He insisted pointing to Dustin, "Yeah but I didn't." Dustin ended and Lucas sighed, "We agreed not to tell her and to look for Dart." Dustin added.

"Who you conveniently found." Lucas said sarcastically.

"Are you suggesting that I'm lying?" Dustin asked his friend.

"I'm saying you have a creepy little bond with him." Lucas informed him and Dustin shrugged his shoulders, "That was before he turned into a Demogorgon."

"So you haven't heard from Mike or Will?" Lucas asked, changing the subject slightly to avoid an argument with Dustin over Dart.

Dustin shook his head, "Hopper is also MIA." Dustin informed him. "Why do you think I'm with my sister and Steve Harrington?" Dustin added, rolling his eyes and gagging. Lucas laughed. "Something's…" Lucas started but Dustin cut in, "Wrong I know." Dustin nodded. "Which is why we need all the help we can get right?" Lucas suggested and Dustin rolled his eyes because he knew Lucas meant Max. "She didn't believe me anyway." Lucas added and Dustin shrugged, "You probably didn't tell it right." Dustin said, "That must be it. So are we good?" Lucas asked Dustin who nodded and as they were about to shake hands Steve interrupted them at this point.

"Hey dickheads, how come the only people helping me out is your sister and some random girl?" He asked pointing at Dustin and then gesturing his hand to Max. We lose light in 40 minutes let's go!" Steve ordered the two who rolled their eyes. "DUSTIN, COME HELP ME OVER HERE!" Lacey called over to him and Lucas smiled at Steve and went to assist Max.

Once the bus had been boarded up and the sun had gone down the party were sitting on the bus waiting patiently for Dart to take the bait.

Lacey and Steve were sitting next to each other while Steve flicked his lighter on and off. They were going to burn Dart once he started eating the bait. Lacey was resting her head on Steve's shoulder while Max was watching them closely before speaking to Steve. Lucas was on the roof of the bus keeping watch with his binoculars.

"So have you really fought one of these things before and you're 100% sure it wasn't a bear or something?" She asked him and Dustin snapped.

"Shit. Don't be an idiot okay? It wasn't a bear. Why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home!" Dustin told her and she rolled her eyes and got up, frustrated. "Wow, some's cranky is it past your bedtime?" She asked before going up the ladder to join Lucas.

Lacey looked up at Dustin who was looking up to where Max disappeared with a frown on his face, "That's good. Just show her you don't care." Steve said to Dustin and Lacey's face turned towards Steve. "What?" She asked him, standing up and going over to Dustin and Steve looked from Dustin and Lacey. "Do you like her?" Lacey asked, frowning at her younger brother in disapproval. "You do know her brother is Billy Hargrove right?" She asked him and Dustin nodded, "She's not like him…" Dustin protested but then he shrugged "But I don't care anymore I guess." Steve winked at Dustin who shook his head, "Stop winking at me Steve, I'm not following your advice I think I just don't care anymore." Dustin stated sitting down on the second last step of the ladder and groaning in his hands. Lacey nodded and wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulders and squeezed him. "Stop…" Dustin groaned before getting up and going to the other side of the bus away from Lacey who frowned at Steve. "What advice are you giving my brother?" She asked him and he lifted his hands up in defence "Hey, hey he asked for some advice on how to get a girl and I gave him some…" Steve said walking slowly over to Lacey who had folded her arms in front of her chest in defence. "I seem to have more luck in the department than he does so I thought I could help him out?" Steve added, placing his hands on Lacey's shoulders and looking her in

her blue green eyes. "Don't hate me for that please?" Steve asked, puppy dog eyes beaming directly at Lacey who sighed and opened her arms to embrace Steve. "Fine, I'll let it go this time but I don't like seeing Dustin upset." Lacey said and Steve nodded. "I'll go see if he's okay, no more advice I promise." Steve said crossing his heart.

Lacey was standing at the bottom of the ladder now and had just overheard Max talking about Billy. "My stepbrothers always been a dick but now he's just angry all the time and well he can't take it out on my mom, so…" Her voice faded.

Stepbrother Lacey thought to herself.

"He takes it out on you?" Lucas asked her and Lacey's heart dropped.

"Not physically, he's just angry." Max insisted and Lacey heard her sniff. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this…" Max ended and Lacey looked to her brother and Steve who were talking quietly. She was glad Steve and Dustin weren't angry all the time. Perhaps she needed to give Billy the benefit of the doubt and perhaps Max but she was pulled out of her thoughts and she jumped when she heard Lucas shouting. "I'VE GOT EYES TEN O CLOCK!" Dustin and Steve rushed over to Lacey and peered out of the holes made by the boards. Lacey heard the growling. She crouched down next to Dustin and the three of them saw Dart emerge out of the fog. "What's he doing?" Dustin asked. "I don't know." Steve responded and Lacey felt her hands start to shake. Dustin felt Lacey tremble next to him and looked at his sister. Her eyes were frozen on Dart and she was breathing rapidly. Dustin took her hand in his and squeezed it. She blinked and looked at Dustin with a small but reassuring smile. "Why isn't he taking the bait?" Steve moaned quietly and Dustin's head turned back to Dart and whispered, "Maybe he's not hungry?"

"Wait, are you sure that's not a dog?" Max whispered, Dustin and Lucas shushed her. "It's not a dog." Lacey stated her voice hoarse. "Maybe he's sick of cow?" Steve suggested and they all looked at him. Steve got up and grabbed his bat. "Stay here and just get ready." Steve warned the party, throwing the lighter at Dustin. Lacey's eyes grew wide. "Hell no!" Lacey shouted in a whisper, shock horror had spread on her face. Steve was already by the door of the bus and the metal creaked as he opened it. "Steve… Steve…" Dustin started first and then Lucas. Lacey had controlled her breathing. She suddenly realized what Steve was doing and she realized why. She and Steve were the oldest. They needed to protect the younger kids. She nodded at him and he smiled and disappeared into the fog.

Steve started to whistle. "What is he doing?" Max asked the three who looked at her but only Lacey responded, "Expanding the menu."

Steve was egging the Demogorgon on, "Come on buddy, come on its dinner time, human tastes better than cat, I promise." He was saying to Dart while swinging his bat around.

"He's insane." Max stated and Dustin and Lacey both responded to Max's statement in unison. "He's awesome!" Lacey looked at Dustin surprised by his response and Dustin nodded, 'Yeah, yeah, he's making the cut…" Dustin smiled and Lacey laughed softly and ruffled her brother's hair, "About damn time." She said and Dustin rolled his eyes at her ruffling. Max watched the two siblings bond and felt a twinge of jealousy so she climbed back up the ladder with Lucas, slowly, to get a better look at the surroundings.

"STEVE WATCH OUT!" Lucas called to Steve. Lacey looked up the ladder at Lucas who was looking in another direction. "A little busy here!" Steve responded sarcastically. Lacey could see what Lucas was seeing out the cracks of the bus and she dashed up the ladder leaving Dustin alone in the bus. "THREE O CLOCK STEVE, THREE O CLOCK!" She screamed, her voice breaking a little from the screaming. Steve looked around and noticed another Demogorgon had joined the fun and by the sounds of it there were more than two. Dustin panicked in the bus and he opened the door. "STEVE, ABORT, ABORT!" He yelled to Steve who was waiting to see if the dogs would attack and when Dart started running towards him, flower mouth open, ready for the kill Steve ran. He slid over the bonnet of an old car before pounding one of the Demogorgon's that got too close with his bat. He dashed for the bus and once inside they slammed it shut. Lacey, Lucas and Max had rushed down the ladder and now all five of them were the bus as the monster bashed his whole body against the bus door. "They can't get in!" Dustin cried shaking his head and Steve pushed his body against the door. Lacey had thrown a sheet of metal to Steve who tried to block the door even more. Dustin grabbed his walkie talkie and started to speak into it. "Is anyone there? Will, Mike ANYONE?" He cried, "We're at the old junkyard and we are going to die!" He continued while Lacey tried to help Steve block the door but the Demogorgon managed to break through and Lacey stepped back and screamed while Steve bashed the Demogorgon again with his bat. The creature escaped Steve's bashes and there was silence for a few seconds before there was a loud banging heard coming from the top of the bus. The party looked up at the roof and Max who was closest to the ladder looked out of the sun roof waiting for something terrible to happen which it did. Max came face to face with the creature the others had called the Demogorgon. It stared at her and Max stared at it and once the creature sniffed her out and opened its flower shaped mouth Max found her voice and screamed in terror.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" Steve shouted before pushing Max and coming face to face with the creature. The others watched Steve in terror as he aimed his bat at the monster. "You want some? Come get it!" Steve cried out, about to hit the Demogorgon in the mouth with the spikes of the bat but just like that the creature stopped roaring and looked away from Steve, into the distance. The monster howled and the others joined in before retreating from the attack and disappearing into the night. Silence engulfed the junkyard once more and Steve opened the bus door slightly to see what was happening outside but there was nothing.

"What happened?" Lucas asked the other four who stood outside the bus looking around the junkyard.

"Steve scared them off?" Dustin suggested but Steve shook his head and looked at Lacey who was listening intently. "They're going somewhere…" Steve ended and the kids eyes widened in terror but also glad to not be anywhere near the Demogorgon's anymore.