Dustin, obviously annoyed at Mike's stubbornness, bounded up the creaking stairs in a determined manner and a curious look painted onto his face like a circus clown. He murmured curse words in a huff under his breath as he reached the top of the stairs disappearing into the narrow hallway. Mrs. Wheeler shook off the young boy's carelessness as he waltzed into the house, there was no stopping him whether she had wanted to or not.
Lucas and Will threw their bikes to the hard cement surrounding the suburban house, running up to the wide open door.
"Hey Mrs. Wheeler." Will chirped as he stole a look through the white-trimmed doorway. "Is Mike ready?"
"Where'd Dustin go?" Lucas chimed in.
With a sigh Mrs. Wheeler glanced upward towards the wooden stairway. Her large pupils pervaded of hours of stress and frustration.
"Upstairs getting Mike. I don't know what's gotten into him usually he's never this late. Maybe I should go check on-" But she was stopped mid-sentence.
Dustin suddenly appeared on the top of the staircase with a serious look splattered onto his chubby childlike face. "Guys."
"Hey, where's Mike?" Will asked looking between both Dustin and Lucas' shared worried glances.
"Come on Will." Lucas said dryly as he raced up the stairs.
Will stayed back a minute, hesitating, and flashing a reassuring look back at Mrs. Wheeler. His dainty chapped lips pursed and his sweet, big, and round brown eyes telling her everything would be okay.
Mrs. Wheeler, frightened, yelled up the stairs frantically, "Dustin? Dustin?! Dustin tell me what is going on? Is Mike all right? DUSTIN?!"
But he was already gone. Down the hallway into Mike's room. Loud steps echoed throughout the small home, bounding through the hallway. Mrs. Wheeler put her hand to her head attempting to fade the worry. Dustin poked out his head from the summit of the long stairway and gave Mrs. Wheeler a mischievous toothless grin and then popped his head back, darting down his set path once again.