"Are you sure you know how to set up a damn tent?" Hopper asked Joyce as she struggled to even open the thing up.

"Yes, I am sure, now go mind your own business. I got this." Joyce shot him a look and then attempted to show off by spreading out the insulated fabric with a flourish but ended up tripping on some kind of cord hanging from it. Hopper tried to cover up his laugh with a cough, but Joyce wasn't fooled.

"You think this is funny? Then why don't you try, dumbass!?" Joyce stalked away.

Will had been watching this from a distance. In his mind, he saw Hopper and Joyce as friends. Never had he ever considered having a new dad, ever. Ever since Jonathan got married to Mike's sister Nancy his world has been different. No longer feeling happy for his older brother, no longer wanting to hang out with Mike, always trying to figure out his new extended family's ways…

Mike was now his cousin. So, did that mean Richie was too? It made no sense.

None at all.

"Hi," A voice said from beside him, he turned and found himself looking over the top of someone's head. The sudden voice and the shortness of this person made him laugh in surprise. It was just the kid with asthma, no big deal.

"Hi?" Will looked down at the small boy in red short shorts and a yellow t-shirt.

"I'm Eddie." Eddie's face went red. He realized how awkward he was being and tried to loosen up, but his throat… well, his throat never loosened. Fumbling with the zipper on his fanny pack, he tried to spark up a conversation.

"Umm… what's your name?"

"I'm Will. Will Byers… nice weather for camping, huh?"

Don't show him how awkward you are, don't show him how awkward you are, Eddie. Don't. Just don't. He thought as he took a few blasts on his aspirator.

"Thank you." Eddie paused as his face grew an even darker crimson. 'Thank you? Really Eddie? He commented on the weather! Not you!'

Eddie's mind was racing. This boy was cute. Eddie didn't know why he thought this boy was cute, or what was so attractive about him, but he was.

"Umm… y-your welcome?" Will's heart begin to speed up at this tiny boy's slightly chubby cheeks, and the small freckles. Was he single? Did he even like boys?

"Sorry… I just get a little sweaty around cute b—I mean regular people." Eddie's chest tightened again at his messed-up words. "Well, umm… Richie!" He called out to the four-eyed boy who fighting with Mike Wheeler again.

"What do you want Eddie?" Richie snapped rounding on his love. Then the angry expression left Richie's face as he saw how close Will was standing to his Spaghetti, his cutie… his snack. The only thing he was physically able to do at this moment was to stand in between Will and Eddie and bite the bowl-cut rat if needed.

"Who is this?" He asked as he approached.

"This is Will. I thought you knew him." Eddie looked at Richie curiously. Was Rich about to bitch-slap Will?

"I do, but what I meant is 'what is he to you?'" Richie kept glaring; eyebrows furrowed.

What does this rat think he's doing with my baby?

"Potentially a new friend? Look, Richie, stop freaking out. I'm the one who approached him, okay? He's fine." Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Good, now what's up?'

"Stop fighting with your cousin. It's almost bedtime." Eddie blushed at the word bedtime, but it was too late to take that word back.

"Aww… is Eddie Spaghetti tired? Does he want a glass of warm milk and then tummy time?" Richie pinched the boys cheeks and Eddie shoved him away.

"Don't call me that!" Eddie whined, sounding like a child. Richie smiled and then scooped the boy up.

Together they walked away, leaving Will very confused.

That night Lian felt a dark feeling in her gut. Her hair wouldn't lie flat, her eyes were way too sensitive to any light, everything would go blurry if she turned her head in a certain way or sat for too long…

It was like some sort of Spidey Sense.

She tried talking about it to Bill, but he didn't seem to feel anything off.

Lillian shivered as she heard those words. Nothing was off. Nothing.

They all sat around the fire that night wanting to tell scary stories and Eleven obviously wanted to make her S'more Eggos, Beverly tried some too, Max glaring at her the whole time.

"Who wants to go first?" Mike Hanlon asked looking around.

"First for whah?" Ben asked falling into an odd tone of voice by accident. Everyone laughed, including Ben.

"Whahhhhhh?" Beverly asked, gently hitting Ben on his shoulder. "Remember that Vine? The girl reading the word 'who' as 'whahhh?'"

"Sorry, I have no idea what happened to my voice there. Puberty I guess." He laughed, as the chuckles began to die down, he asked again.

"First for what, Mikey?"

"Scary stories! Duh." Mike picked up a long, sharp, stick and stuck a marshmallow on the end to roast.

"Ooh! I got one!" Max exclaimed.

"Then let's hear it!"

"Alright…" She cleared her throat and waited for everyone to settle in. "There were two twins. Two beautiful twin girls. Born only three minutes from each other. The parents loved both of them, but unfortunately, the parents favored one girl more than the other.

"The favored girl had long red hair, a few brown freckles here and there along her face, and pretty blue eyes. But the other girl…" Max laughed a cold laugh and glanced at Beverly, who's face was completely slack.

"The other girl had dirty red boyish hair, gross green eyes, and freckles all over her disgusting face." Max hissed between her teeth.

Bev gritted her teeth in anger. This was not a funny joke, let alone a scary story, but Beverly held her smart responses to herself.

"One day, the girls went out to the apple orchard, but they began to bicker –as always..." Max stood up and looked around at the confused faces.

"The ugly girl was standing on the ladder picking the apples that were up high, and the pretty girl was picking the apples down low. The ugly girl asked if the pretty girl could hold the ladder for her while she climbed higher, so the pretty girl agreed."

"Well, you want to know why the "pretty girl" was picking the lower apples?" Bev exploded with anger. Max wheeled around to face Beverley.

"Why, Bev?" Max smirked. "How does my story go?"

"Because she's a bottom!" Bev stood up.

Max's mouth dropped open and her eyes narrowed. "Do you wanna fight, bitch?!"

"Gladly, ho." Beverley made a move for Max, but someone grabbed both of them from behind, Ben grabbed Bev and Lucas grabbed Max.

"Woah, woah, woah…" Hopper rose to his feet too and looked at both of his girls. "What's going on? It's just a damn story!"

Bev gritted her teeth and strained against Ben's grasp on her hand as she growled: "IT'S NOT JUST A DAMN STORY! IT'S ABOUT ME!"

Suddenly Ben let out a small scream and let go of his girlfriend's hand in shock. Max looked at Ben curiously as he shook out his hand like he had touched something extremely hot, and then looked up at Bev.

Beverly lunged for Max, who suddenly snapped back to reality. She barely had time to turn away. Max would have gotten away… but… her hair…

Her long, luscious, red hair. The hair that was "so" much better than Bev's.

Beverly grabbed a large fistful of it and yanked backward. Sharp screams filled the air as Max turned and fell face-first into the fire…