November 6th 1983
Will Byers felt his heart thudding painfully fast in his chest as he sprinted through the dark forest he found himself in. It looked similar to Hawkins, like a distorted copy. Spores filled the air all around him, making it harder to breathe as his chest heaved with exertion. He could still hear the creature racing behind him, its footsteps getting closer and closer. His cheeks were stained with tears, as he gripped the rifle tightly in his hands, hoping he had loaded it correctly. For almost the first time in his life, he wished his dad was with him. Suddenly, a root in front of him slithered closer, tripping his unsteady feet, and causing him to fly towards the ground. He let out a whimper as he crawled onto his back, coming face to face with the hellish creature chasing him. He held the gun up, heavy in his hands, when it let out a snarl, opening its mouth, showing its razor-sharp teeth and making Will freeze in fear. He was going to die. He jumped out of his skin when blood was splattering over his cheek a second later, finding a branch was now impaling the creature, cutting it off mid-growl. The creature flailed around for a moment before the branch was ripped out, and it flopped to the ground with a thud. Will's mouth went slack as a girl came into view, her face dirty, yellow sweater ripped and frayed, but with a beaming smile on her face.
"Are you real?" She questioned, a look of hope in her eyes.
Will opened his mouth to reply, but he couldn't manage to speak, his teeth chattering, still in shock. Instead, he gave a sharp nod, his eyes darting to the creature still twitching on the ground.
"You mind not pointing that in my face?" The girl exclaimed, gesturing to the rifle he was still holding up.
"S-sorry" He mumbled, dropping the gun to the ground.
"You actually know how to use that thing?" She frowned, as Will slowly nodded again.
"My dad showed me" He admitted, in a small voice.
"You're one brave kid, huh?" She stated, as she thrust her hand in his face, ushering him to take it.
Will didn't know how to respond to that. He could have shot the creature, maybe even killed it. Instead, he froze. He didn't do anything. He wasn't anything like the heroes he played in D&D.
"You shouldn't be out here in the open" She warned him, as Will placed his shaky hand in her own.
She was freezing, her skin feeling like ice against his. As Will looked up at her, he realised she wasn't that much older than him. Only a teenager. They needed adults, right? They would know what to do.
"W-where are we?" He stuttered, as she hauled him upright.
"Not home, that's for sure. C'mon, others will be coming" She insisted, dragging him away from the creature that had finally gone still.
The girl kept the branch raised up in the air, her eyes darting around the fog that surrounded them, listening out for anything approaching them. Will took a closer look at the branch, seeing one end had been filed down, creating a sharp point with she had used to stab the creature with.
"There are more of those...things?" Will gulped, as she nodded.
"A lot more. Here, you should put this over your mouth and nose" She warned him, holding out a scarf, and helping him to wrap it around his face, as his hands were still too shaky.
"D-don't you need to cover your face too?" Will frowned, watching as she tensed for a moment.
He noticed she wheezed whenever she breathed in too deeply, and her lips were a light blue colour. H wondered whether she was already sick. Would that happen to him too?
"What's your name?" She inquired, quick to change the subject.
"Will Byers" He replied, his response muffled by the scarf.
"Jonathan's little brother, right? I'm Kayla. I'm in the same year as him...or I was" She sighed, before ushering him to start walking again.
"...You went missing. They never found you..." Will trailed off, the realisation hitting him like a ton of bricks.
The girl beside him had been missing for months. And there had been no sign of her. Nothing. They wouldn't find anything of him either. He'd never see his mom again.
"Hey, hey. Don't cry, kid. It's alright" Kayla insisted, shaking his shoulder when she noticed the tears welling in his eyes.
"I want to go home" Will sobbed, as she squeezed his shoulder.
"You will, okay? I promise. Because if you could get here...that means that we can still get out" Kayla told him, giving him a reassuring smile.
March 16th 1986
The memory of the first time she met Will Byers washed over Kayla, as she watched the young boy's lips pull into a bright smile. He looked so happy to see her. She supposed he had probably spent the last couple of years wondering whether she had been real in the first place. And that was how it should have stayed. She always knew there was a chance they would meet again when she returned to Hawkins, but she never expected it to be so soon. She couldn't let herself be linked to that place, to Henry, to any of it. Not if their plan was going to work. Will took a step forward, the beaming smile still on his face, looking like he wanted to rush over to her. Realising she still hadn't spoken, and the half a dozen eyes on her, Kayla tried to formulate a response.
"...Who are you?" She questioned, forcing a look of confusion onto her features.
"It's me. It's Will" He exclaimed, the smile slowly fading from his face.
God, he must have thought she had forgotten him. Kayla thought of how he couldn't have been more wrong. It was wrong of her, but sometimes she would check up on the young boy from the other side. He still looked exactly the same, a little older of course, but his eyes hadn't changed a bit. Trusting. He had put all in his faith in a girl he had never met before in 1983 and it looked like he was more than ready to do it all over again.
"Have we met before or something?" Kayla frowned, as Will gave her a look of disbelief.
"You really don't remember me?" He questioned, in a quiet voice.
"Sorry, kid" Kayla shrugged, as Will began shaking his head.
"Will, she's been missing for years, maybe you're getting confused" The curly-haired boy suggested.
"No! I knew her, Dustin! In the Upside Down, the girl who saved me, that was her—" Will began, when Steve reached out to clasp his shoulder, a warning look on his face.
"Maybe take it down a notch, buddy" Steve insisted, a nervous tone to his voice.
Kayla's forehead wrinkled as she realised who the kids were who surrounded them. Henry had warned her enough about them. Dustin, the boy with the curly hair. Lucas, who was in a basketball shirt and shorts. And...Max Mayfield. Billy's little sister. Did that mean she was here too? Kayla tensed at the thought of coming face to face with Eleven, the girl who was responsible for sending Henry to that hellish dimension in the first place.
"What's the Upside Down anyway? Some new store?" Kayla inquired, feigning ignorance once again.
"It's uh, it's nothing. Upside what? Will's just making up words, it's fun, right? Downside Up, it's hilarious!" Dustin exclaimed, forcefully.
"He's not usually this weird" Eddie mumbled to her, as she quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I'm not making this up! Why can't you guys just listen to me for once?" Will exclaimed, in a hurt tone.
"You've got the wrong girl, okay? I don't know you" Kayla insisted, watching as Will's face crumbled.
Guilt clawed away at her, as Will seemed to start questioning his own memories. He'd understand one day, Kayla thought to herself. They all would. She pulled her gaze away from Will, not wanting his puppy dog eyes on her any longer.
"Eddie, can we go?" She asked, turning towards him, a pleading expression on her face.
"Sure. I'll catch you guys later" Eddie nodded, to Dustin more than anyone.
He was surprised when Kayla reached out to take his hand in her own, and began pulling him towards the front door, an urgency to her movements. Eddie's eyes flickered down to their linked hands, his chest tightening a little at the sight, never thinking he would get the chance to see Kayla again, let alone touch her. He couldn't hide his disappointment when she pulled away as they walked down the driveway, appearing lost in thought.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't realise anyone else would be there. It was too much, right?" Eddie stated.
"It's fine. I just got a bit...overwhelmed. And if you blame yourself for one more thing, I'm gonna' shave your damn eyebrows off" She warned, making Eddie snort.
"As if you could ruin this pretty face" Eddie smirked, running a hand through his curly hair, as she giggled.
"I imagine the girls of Hawkins would never forgive me—" Kayla's teasing voice was cut off by a shout behind them.
They turned to see Steve racing towards them, looking out of breath, as he came to a halt, resting his hands on his knees. Eddie and Kayla shared an amused look, as Steve held his hand up, gesturing to give him a second to catch his breath.
"I...forgot...something..." He stuttered, straightening himself up.
"Huh?" Kayla frowned, when Steve leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Steve Harrington does hugs now?" Kayla replied, reaching up to hug him back, her arms looping around his shoulders.
Really good hugs too. She smiled as she felt his hand rubbing her back in a soothing motion, enjoying the way he was holding her. There was something so different about Steve. Even just the way he looked at her, the way he spoke, it was more...open. Truthful. He had changed a lot since she had been gone. She slowly realised he had pulled her into the embrace, not for himself, but to comfort her, probably imagining all the awful things that could have happened over the years.
"Alright, Harrington. I think she's all hugged out" Eddie spoke up, his arms crossed, as they pulled away.
"I think someone's feeling left out, Steve" Kayla grinned, sharing a look with the older boy.
"C'mon, man. Bring it in" Steve teased, holding his arms out and all but lunging at Eddie.
"I hate you both" Eddie muttered, his reply muffled by Steve's arms which were wrapped around his shoulders, causing Kayla's grin to grow wider.
Kayla knew it was going to be difficult walking back into her old high school, but it was far worse than even she could imagine. She had gone to the principal's office during lessons, her legal documents in hand, and was told she could start school the very next day. It all sounded so simple. Until she left the office, just as the lunch bell rang and everyone piled out of their classes. Eddie stuck close to her side, glaring at anyone who dared to stare at her for a second too long. Whispers filled the corridors, as her ex-classmates seemed unable to believe their eyes. Everyone had thought she was dead. No one actually thought she'd come back.
"You okay?" Eddie questioned; his hand reached out to touch her arm for a moment.
Kayla gave a quick nod, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground. Her skin itched from the dozens of eyes on her, but it helped to have Eddie by her side. She knew she would always be safe with him. A startled gasp grabbed her attention, as she forced her gaze up to see a group of fourteen-year-olds rushing away from her, pushing their way back into a classroom. She came to a sudden halt when she spotted a flyer on the wall, realising it was her missing poster, graffitied by some asshole. Her eyes had been covered with red crosses, a noose around her neck, and the word missing crossed out and replaced with dead. Eddie instantly ripped the poster down, a murderous expression on his face, scrunching up the paper in his hands.
"Well, would you look at that? It looks like the freaks have been reunited" A voice announced, from further down the corridor.
Kayla watched as a group from the basketball team began to surround them, with one familiar blond at the forefront. Jason Carver. A boy she certainly hadn't missed. He had always been a prick, and it seemed like he hadn't changed one bit in the last three years. A pretty cheerleader stood by his side, her hand clutching his arm, looking as if she was trying to pull him away.
"You got something to say, Jason?" Eddie scoffed, having taken a step in front of Kayla, instinctively.
"I wanted to welcome your girlfriend back, Munson. I mean, we're all just overjoyed to have another piece of trailer trash brought back home" Jason grinned, as Eddie's jaw clenched.
"Leave it, Jason. Please" The cheerleader insisted, trying to drag him away now, but Jason stayed rooted to the spot.
"Is being an asshole something you rich kids are taught or are you just born like it?" Eddie retorted, making Jason scoff.
"You're a real funny guy, huh? But you know what's not funny...her. We all remember what happened the last time a kid returned from the dead, right? Those crazy dog attacks. And then the Mall fire. And it all goes back to that Byers kid. This is my home, and I'm not having some fucked up girl ruin it. Not again" Jason explained, his eyes landing squarely on Kayla.
"I always knew you were a dick, Jason...I just didn't realise you were crazy dick too" Kayla spoke up, as they heard a few sniggers from the other basketball players.
"You want to blame Kayla for all your problems, huh? Maybe you should start by looking in the mirror—" Eddie began, but was cut off as Jason gave him a hard shove, almost pushing him to the ground.
Kayla grabbed him before he could fall, helping to steady him, clutching onto his arm. Jason was getting more and more riled up, and she could tell it wasn't going to end well. The last thing she needed was for Eddie to get expelled.
"Let's go" Kayla mumbled, gesturing for Eddie to step away.
"Sounds like that's your leash being pulled, Munson" Jason mocked, making Eddie roll his eyes, as he reluctantly turned around.
Kayla kept her hand wrapped around his wrist as they retreated, realising a larger crowd was now surrounding them. Jason may have been the only one to speak up, but she could tell from the expressions on the other students' faces, that they were all thinking the same thing. None of them wanted her there—
"Hey, Kayla! Why don't you just do us all a fucking favour, and take the coward's way out like your father!" Jason called after them, as Kayla's feet faltered, eyes growing wide.
The entire corridor was silent as Kayla twisted around, gritting her teeth so hard she could hear how they creaked in her mouth. She dropped her hand from Eddie's arm and started to march over to the blond, who had the sense to back up a few steps when he saw the expression on her face. She looked like she wanted to tear him apart limb from limb. And she knew she could. Oh, the things she could do to Jason Carver. He'd never fucking recover.
"Have you ever seen a dead body, Jason?" Kayla questioned, watching as he gulped, his brow furrowed.
In response, he merely shook his head, his feet instinctively backing up as she came to loom over him, her eyes dark. The lights above them flickered for a moment, as Kayla had to do everything she could not to attack the boy in front of her.
"How about a snapped neck? No?" Kayla pushed, tilting her head to the side.
Jason's gaze dropped to the floor as he shook his head again, his pulse racing, wanting nothing more than to turn and run. Something about the way Kayla was looking at him, it made him more scared than he had ever felt before.
"Want me to show you?" Kayla exclaimed, her hand suddenly reaching out to grab his neck.
Jason let out a choked gasp as her grip tightened around his neck and he was pushed off the ground, his feet dangling in the air. He desperately tried to fight her off, his hands hitting against her arm, but somehow, she was far stronger than him. He tried to scream but her fingers dug further into his skin, and his vision started to blur. Thick tears were pouring out of his eyes, nothing more than a whimpering sound leaving his lips, as Kayla brought his face closer to her own.
"I suggest you stay out of my fucking way" She spat out, as Jason's eyes fluttered closed, about to pass out.
Suddenly, the pressure on his neck was gone, and there was a new sound filling his ears. Gasps and laughter surrounded him, as his eyes shot open to find his feet were firmly planted on the ground, with Kayla giving him an amused look. He clutched at his neck, expecting it to be bruised and scratched, but he felt no pain. He turned to his friends, expecting them to be freaking out as much as him, but instead, they were...laughing? Didn't they see what she did?
"Jesus Christ, did you piss yourself?" Andy, one of his teammates, gaped, as the laughs from the crowd grew louder.
Jason looked down in horror to find his pants were wet, his face bright red and still stained with tears. His gaze flickered back to Kayla, who quirked an eyebrow in his direction.
"S-she...she attacked me...she did!" Jason stuttered, pointing his finger at her.
"I never touched you" Kayla scoffed, as Eddie came to stand by her side.
"No! No, she did, she did..." Jason started, as his girlfriend reached out to touch his arm.
"Jason, she really didn't. You...you just started crying" She insisted, as Jason turned to her, his mouth gone slack.
"Chrissy, I swear she...she..." Jason shook his head, as Chrissy grabbed his hand and started leading him away from the crowd that was still cackling.
"What the hell was that about?" Eddie mumbled to her, as they watched the pair stumble away.
"The guys never been the sharpest tool in the box, has he?" Kayla shrugged, making Eddie snort.
"He's definitely a tool" Eddie agreed, still not appearing convinced.
"Can we go home now?" Kayla asked, as Eddie's lips pulled into a smile, at her calling his trailer home, as he nodded.
His smile faltered for just a moment when he looked up and saw the light above them was still flickering, the air feeling strangely thick. Why had Jason said she had attacked him anyway? He certainly wasn't the type of guy to embarrass himself on purpose.
"I really thought you were gonna' deck the guy for a minute" Eddie admitted.
"So did I..." Kayla trailed off, losing herself in her thoughts for a few moments.
"Thank you, Ed. For letting me deal with that myself" She replied, as he gave a small shrug.
"I know you can handle yourself. But the next time I see Jason Carver I'm probably gonna' throw him out the window anyway" Eddie explained, making her laugh.
"You vs Jason? Now, that's something I'd pay to see" She grinned, nudging him with her elbow.
"...About what he said—" Eddie began, feeling he had to say something, but Kayla stopped him instantly.
"It's fine. I'm fine" She insisted, clearly wanting to change the subject.
It was always the same. Ever since her father's suicide, whenever anyone brought it up, she would shut down. Even with him. There were just certain things people couldn't bear to think about, and that was one of those things for Kayla.
Eddie ran a hand down his aching neck, as he heard Kayla continuing to toss and turn in his bed. They had both been trying and failing to sleep now for over an hour, but nothing seemed to help. He looked up as he heard Kayla shuffle to the edge of the bed, staring down at him, her hair hanging over her face.
"Can't sleep either?" She questioned, watching as he stretched his arm above his head.
"Just thinking" He mumbled, as she gave him a look.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Munson" She teased, as he pulled out the pillow behind his head, and threw it at her.
"Aw, thanks for the extra pillow" She grinned, grabbing it and placing it under the stack she was resting her head on.
"Well, I know how much you desperately need your beauty sleep" He exclaimed, pushing himself upright, so he could lean against the bed.
They stayed in silence for a few more minutes, as Eddie manoeuvred himself so his back was to the bed, right beside Kayla. She was all but resting her chin on his shoulder as he spoke up again, the words flowing out of his mouth before he could stop them.
"...You know you can talk to me, right? About anything" Eddie told her, as her forehead wrinkled.
"Yeah, I know" She mumbled, quietly.
"I know there are things you're not telling me. About what happened to you. And today with Byers...you do know him, don't you?" Eddie stated, feeling her freeze behind him.
He slowly turned around to face her, finding she hadn't moved away, meaning they were so close their noses almost brushed together. She let out a soft sigh, as he felt her breath cold against his cheek. He looked into her blue eyes, finding they were far sadder than he remembered.
"I can't..." She trailed off, tensing when he suddenly reached out, his hand touching her cheek with a featherlight touch.
"It's okay. I just...I'm here, you know. It's still you and me against the world, right?" He suggested, as a smile grew on her face.
"Always" She replied, leaning in further to his touch.
The pair jumped apart a second later when they heard shuffling from outside Eddie's door, realising soon after it was only his uncle shuffling into the toilet, letting out a hushed swear as it sounded like he stumbled over his feet. The pair shared a knowing look, as a new thought came to the forefront of Kayla's mind.
"Sooo...that was Chrissy Cunningham with Jason today, right?" Kayla asked, her lips twitching into a smirk when she saw how Eddie looked away.
"Yeah, I guess" Eddie shrugged, as she poked his shoulder with her finger.
"I guess? You've been crushing on her since middle school!" Kayla insisted.
"Well, she's strictly into jocks now, so not like I have much chance right?" Eddie huffed.
"Oh, I don't know. Cut off the hair and she must just give you a second glance" Kayla teased, running her hand through his hair, as he rolled his eyes.
"I'll have you know the ladies love this mane. Gotta' give them something to hold onto" Eddie winked, making her giggle.
"Then why don't you shoot your shot or whatever? She used to be into you" Kayla insisted.
"Back when we were both unpopular losers" Eddie scoffed.
"God, didn't Jason used to bully her in middle school? What was it he called her..." Kayla trailed off, trying to remember.
"Chubby Cunningham" Eddie muttered, with disgust.
"Once a dick, always a dick. So, what changed with Chrissy? She seems so different now" Kayla stated.
"The summer after you went missing, she lost like twenty pounds, came back to school with her hair bleached blonde and started hanging around with the cheerleaders. I haven't really talked to her since" Eddie shrugged.
"How'd you lose twenty pounds in a couple months?" Kayla frowned, as Eddie gave her a look.
"...Oh. Shit. Well, then maybe she could do with a new friend. Someone who actually cares about her—" Kayla insisted, as Eddie cut her off.
"Alright, what's with you pushing the Chrissy agenda all of a sudden? You want to get rid of me or something?" Eddie retorted, a trace of hurt in his tone.
"I just feel like...I mean, I basically fucked up your life, right? You had a girl you liked, you were gonna' graduate high school, get a job...and then I went missing and...and I ruined everything" Kayla explained, her eyes downcast.
She frowned when Eddie reached up to tap her head a few times, a look of disbelief on his features.
"Just checking to see if you've still got a brain in there" He teased, as she brushed her hands away.
"I'm serious. And now, I've come back and—" Kayla started, but Eddie stopped her once again.
"Kay, you didn't ruin my life. You are..." Eddie trailed off, with a shake of his head.
You are my life, he thought to himself. But how the hell could he put that on her? She was already traumatised enough from whatever had happened to her, the last thing she needed was his confusing feelings getting in the way.
"...Gonna' be late for school tomorrow. Let's just go to sleep, alright?" Eddie insisted, flopping back down on the floor, and turning away from her.
Now, Kayla was even more confused.
"Well, this isn't awkward at all" Kayla mumbled, early the next morning.
She wasn't sure how she found herself being driven to school by none other than Steve Harrington, who had appeared in front of Eddie's trailer at six that morning. After telling her he wouldn't take no for an answer, she reluctantly agreed to take the lift from him, on one condition. The condition in mind was glaring at them from the backseat, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You, uh...you want some tunes?" Steve asked, as she gave a half shrug in response.
He turned the radio on, waiting for it to find a frequency, grimacing as it landed on a news section, detailing Kayla's return to Hawkins. He was quick to change the dial, landing on what sounded like Beethoven, as Eddie let out a groan from the backseat.
"You trying to make my ears bleed, Harrington?" Eddie complained, as Steve flicked the radio off.
"No one likes a backseat driver, Edward" Kayla grinned, as Eddie kicked her seat.
"Edward? That's your real name?" Steve laughed, almost veering off the road, as he twisted around to mock Eddie.
"Don't be an ass, Steven" Kayla smirked, as Eddie raised an eyebrow at the older boy.
"Yeah, and you're a real pain in my ass" Steve retorted, making her laugh.
"Well, she does think about your ass a lot—ow!" Eddie cried, as Kayla reached back to smack him around the back of my head.
"Aw, sorry. Did I hurt you?" Kayla pouted, twisting around to face him.
"Well, you can always kiss it better, if you want" Eddie teased, leaning a little closer, as she placed her hand over his face and shoved him backwards, giggling as she did so.
"God, it's worse than having the kids in the car" Steve rolled his eyes, amusement on his face.
"I resent that" Eddie exclaimed, as they pulled into the high school parking lot.
The mood in the car changed in a matter of seconds, as Kayla's shoulders went rigid, noticing the lot was already filling up with cars. All she had to do was get through a week of high school. How bad could it be, right?
"You know, you don't have to do this. We can just play hooky like the old days" Eddie exclaimed, leaning forward in his seat.
"No. I want to get this over and done with" She replied, opening the passenger door.
"Anyone causes you any trouble, let me know" Steve told her, making her snort.
"What are you gonna' do, Steve?" She giggled.
"Well, I don't like to brag but I did knock out a Russian last year" He informed her.
"Sure, Harrington. You keep believing that" Eddie snorted, as he and Kayla jumped out of the car.
"Hey, Eddie?" Steve called out, as Eddie leaned down to face him.
"Look after her today" Steve insisted.
"Always have" Eddie pointed out, shutting the door behind him.
He was quick to catch up with Kayla, slinging his arm over her shoulder, and pulling her close to him. He was going to make sure they didn't have a repeat of yesterday. If someone even looked at her wrong, they were going to regret it.
"Are you planning to stay glued to my side the whole day?" She questioned, as Eddie gave a nod.
"Consider me your new bodyguard" He grinned, as they began walking up the steps to the school.
"I'm lucky you're so cheap" She teased, making no move to shrug his arm off her shoulders.
"Still, I'm not sure you can afford me" Eddie exclaimed.
"And what exactly are you wanting as payment, Munson?" Kayla questioned, turning to look at him.
"Well, I'm sure we can think of something" Eddie smirked, in a low tone, causing Kayla's heart to beat a little quicker.
A blush grew on her cheeks when Eddie's gaze dropped to her lips for a split second, thinking for an insane moment he was going to kiss her. She ignored the way her chest tightened when he was suddenly pulling away a moment later as if coming out of a trance. She opened her mouth to speak but another voice beat her to it. She looked down the corridor to see Dustin Henderson waving at Eddie, a beaming grin on his face. Before he could argue, she pushed him in the younger boy's direction, telling Eddie she wanted to see the school counsellor before lessons started. He reluctantly allowed this, but insisted on her meeting him again before classes started. She was nervous as she entered Ms Kelley's office, knowing how important the next few minutes would be.
"I'm sorry, I have a student coming in for a meeting in...oh..." Ms Kelley trailed off, when she looked up from her desk to see Kayla standing there, shutting the door behind her.
"Do you have a minute? I really need to speak to someone" Kayla announced, as Ms Kelley nodded quickly, ushering for her to take a seat.
"I'm guessing you know who I am" Kayla mumbled, sitting down, her eyes never leaving the counsellor.
"It's nice to meet you, Kayla. Please, know this is a safe place. We can speak about anything you'd like here" Ms Kelley explained.
"I'd like to talk about dreams" Kayla replied, pursing her lips.
"Have you been suffering from nightmares?" Ms Kelley inquired, beginning to write on the white sheet in front of her.
"Ah, I think you might have misunderstood me...I'd like to talk about your nightmares, Ms Kelley" Kayla exclaimed, as the pen faltered in the older woman's hands.
"Excuse me?" Ms Kelley frowned, eyes darting up to hers.
"You moved to this town after the mall fire, right? After a traumatic event like that, the kids around here would need someone to open up to. So, why is it you've done the opposite of helping them?" Kayla inquired, leaning back in her chair.
"Excuse me?" Ms Kelley gaped.
"Four suicides. Just in the past six months. All students who've come to see you. Little odd, don't you think?" Kayla pushed.
"Some people can't be helped—" Ms Kelley began, but Kayla was quick to cut her off.
"Not if they come to you, that's for sure. You like the dependence they have on you. Does it make you feel powerful?" Kayla went on, as Ms Kelley stood up from her chair, the wooden legs scraping against the floor.
"I think you should leave" Ms Kelley snapped.
"Tick-tock" Kayla exclaimed, as the counsellor's frown deepened.
"What did you say?" Ms Kelley questioned, her eyes snapping to something behind Kayla.
A startled gasp left her lips when she found the same grandfather clock that had been haunting her for months was now behind Kayla. The chime made her flinch, stumbling back a step as Kayla rose from her chair. The hairs on the back of Kayla's neck stood up all of a sudden, when she felt a hand clasp her shoulder, not needing to turn to see who it was. From the shocked cry that left Ms Kelley's lips, she could now see Henry too, despite the fact that his body was still trapped in the other dimension. Kayla's forehead wrinkled as the woman raced to the other side of the room before crouching down to cower on the floor, visibly shaking. She seemed absolutely horrified by Henry appearance, which confused Kayla, who turned to see Henry looking as he always did, not a blond hair out of place. Maybe he was showing Ms Kelley something else?
"No, no, no...he's not real. You're not real!" Ms Kelley cried, as Kayla came to loom over her.
"I'm as real as you are" Henry announced, in a grave tone.
"W-what do you want from me?" Ms Kelley stuttered, hiding her head in her hands.
"A list. Of all the students who have come to see you" Kayla informed her, as Ms Kelley dared to look up.
A second later, she was pushing herself to her feet and running towards the door, as Henry gave Kayla an amused look, gesturing for her to intervene. Ms Kelley was just inches from the door when she felt something wrap around her leg, and suddenly she was being pulled toward the floor. She twisted around to see vines were crawling up her legs, dragging her towards the pair on the other side of the room. She tried to fight against them, but they just wrapped around her legs tighter in response.
"I wasn't asking, Ms Kelley" Kayla announced, as the older woman's lips wobbled.
"Why...why do you want the list? What are you going to do?" Ms Kelley questioned.
"I need them. Their minds, to be specific. The students who come to see you...they're vulnerable...pliable. It makes it easy" Henry informed her.
"Makes what easy?" Ms Kelley pushed, as Henry crouched down in front of her, as the woman looked on the verge of tears.
"I suggest you worry less about them, and more about yourself" Henry warned, as Ms Kelley gave a curt nod.
Her eyes widened as the vines suddenly disappeared from her legs, as there was now no sign they had ever been there. No bruises, no cuts...nothing. She pushed herself onto her shaky legs and stumbled towards her cabinet, pulling out a leather book and throwing it onto the table.
"That's...that's all of them" Ms Kelley mumbled, not being able to face them.
"Thank you for your cooperation...you might have just saved the world," Henry told her, as his image began to disintegrate and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Kayla was quick to grab the leather book, and made a speedy exit out of the room, not turning back to look at the counsellor. She had done everything Henry asked her to. Even down to the words she had said. From what he had told her, Ms Kelley was certainly no saint, but seeing the woman cowering on the floor like that...it felt wrong. She frowned when she felt pain shooting through her abdomen all of a sudden, feeling as if she was about to throw up. She raced into the women's toilets, only just making it to the basin as she started retching. Her eyes went wide when she saw the blood now coating the basin, looking up at the mirror to find the same substance on her lips. She clutched at her stomach as the pain got worse, her vision blurring for a moment.
"How much time do I have?" She asked aloud, knowing she would gain a response.
"Enough" Henry's voice echoed through the air.
"...Will it hurt them? The sacrifices?" Kayla inquired, leaning against the basin.
"You know what we are doing is for the greater good—" Henry started, as she cut him off.
"The greater good?! You're making me lie to everyone I know! We could warn them, we could tell them what the Mindflayer is planning—" Kayla began, but this time it was Henry who stopped her.
"No. You will not tell anyone" Henry insisted, making her scoff.
"You tell me then. What are you gonna' do to them? These sacrifices you need? What happens after you've used them?" Kayla retorted, her eyes darting up to face him in the mirror.
"The gates open" Henry stated.
"Not without me they don't" Kayla warned, a scowl growing on her features.
"Open the book" Henry insisted, as she shook her head.
"...No" Kayla replied, watching the anger grow behind Henry's eyes.
What was he keeping from her? And why?
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We're slowly learning about Henry's plan and manipulation, the question is will Kayla see the truth quick enough? Please leave a review:)
19vanelkc: Haha, I hope you like the update!
MusesOwnMyMind: Aw, thank you so much for this review:) We'll learn a lot more about Kayla's time in the Upside Down and her relationship with Henry. I'm also leaning towards Eddie as they have a complex history and I also love friends to lovers. I keep looking for Eddie fanfics, haha.
MyRandomThoughts: Thank you, glad you're liking it!
WashedInNewYork: Aw, thank you! Kayla has definitely been manipulated by him, but hopefully she will see the truth soon…and someone might help her along the way!
bbumblebee: Thank you:) I hope you're liking how the story is going!
StrangestThing21: Thanks, enjoy the update!