I'm back on the editing train! Here's an updated version of "The Pollywog". As always, I only own my OC.

Enjoy!

My alarm blares in my ear and I roll over to slam my hand down on the button, moaning when I see how early it is. It takes some groaning before I'm able to sit up, reaching under my pillow to gently grab the hilt of one of my most-trusted weapons.

As soon as Billy dropped me off last night, I'd staggered straight to my room and dove under my bed. Jonathan's old hunting knife was put on stand by as I slept, tucked away safely in its sheath under my pillow. After last night's episode, I wasn't taking any chances.

Even now, with the sun shining golden in my room, I'm on edge. Something's here, I keep thinking, something that shouldn't be. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and a shiver rolls down my spine. No amount of deep breathing stops it.

Finally, I remember what today is. It's the first of November. In seven days, it'll be the one year anniversary of Barb's death. The one year anniversary of my abduction. God, I just want to crawl back into my bed and stay there. I want to run and hide, just like I did in the Upside Down.

But I can't. So I don't.

With slow, careful movement I get ready for the day. Clothes are shakily picked out, my teeth are brushed, and my hair is pulled up into a curly bun. I do the bare minimum when it comes to applying makeup, nearly poking myself in the eye with mascara three times. Sighing, I tuck my keys into the pocket of Billy's leather jacket and pull on my boots. But before I leave my room, I reach under my bed and grab my duffle bag, slinging it over my shoulder.

My mom patters away in the kitchen, a pot of coffee brewed as she whisks batter for pancakes. "Oh, sweetheart, good morning. You're up early." She notes, setting down the bowl to walk around the kitchen table and pull me into a hug. I return the gesture, still feeling a little empty inside.

"Morning, mom." I whisper, then move to pour myself a cup of coffee, hands shaking the whole time.

"You going to range today?" My mom asks, and I feel her eyes on my back. I only nod. "Was it a bad night?"

"No. No. The party was a lot of fun."

"Are you and that Billy boy -"

"We're fine. He's good. Really good." I look over my shoulder at her to send her a reassuring smile before pouring some cream into my mug. "I just feel a little off today."

"Of course." She says, and I turn around fully to look at her as she nods, walking over to hug me once more. "Oh, dumpling, I know it's going to be a difficult month."

"Yeah." Is all I can say in response, letting her hug me close.

"If you need to stay home today, or leave early -"

"I'm sure I'll be okay. I just need to go through the motions, you know? Follow my same routine."

"You shouldn't ignore how you're feeling though, Veronica. We all almost lost you. I just want you safe and taking care of yourself."

I nod, tearing up. "I know. I know, mom. I'm sorry."

"Oh, sweetheart, no. No, you don't have to be sorry. Nothing that happened was your fault, do you understand me? You're my little fighter, and you came home to us. That's all that matters in the end."

I step back from her and nod, both of us silently crying. I spend so much time thinking about what I almost lost, sometimes I forget that my family almost lost me, too. Well, I don't forget necessarily. It's more like… like I don't prioritize it enough. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you almost lost me."

"Hey. Hey, shh. I'll admit, there are days where I wake up afraid you're gone. And sometimes I just want to wrap you up and lock you inside or follow you around town."

"Mom -"

"But I never have to be scared for very long. I always remember you made it home. Or I'll go and check your room, and you'll be getting what little sleep you can. It's only natural, Veronica. This isn't to make you feel guilty. I'm trying to tell you that you're not alone in your fear. So if you need to take the day off, all you have to do is let me know and I'll get you out of school."

"Thank you." I whisper, but my hands are still shaking as I take a gulp of hot coffee.

"What else happened?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, smacking my lips together.

My mom just gives me a look. "I'm your mother, dumpling. I think I can tell when something's bothering you. It isn't just that it's November, is it?"

I sigh and shake my head, setting down my mug. "No. No, it isn't. I… me and Steve, we got into an argument."

"About Billy?" She guesses, taking a seat at the kitchen table. I nod and follow her, dropping my duffle on the ground.

"Among other things. He and Nancy got into a fight, and I tried to comfort him. It backfired, though."

"I'm sorry. Have you been arguing recently?" I raise an eyebrow and she points at my right thumb. "You aren't wearing the ring anymore. I think I know better than most what that means." She reaches out her hand to squeeze my left, and I squeeze her limb back.

"I took it off because I-I got tired of looking at it and realizing I'd never get to be with him. It was time to let him go." I finally admit, and she nods at me.

"Well, sweetheart, I'm going to share a secret that I've learned in my old age." I snort at her dramatics - she's barely 41. "Sometimes, the people we let go have a way of surprising us."

"How?" I whisper, wiping away tears.

She gives me a sad smile, her brown eyes boring into my soul. "They come back. And occasionally we learn that there was never a reason to give them up. Because they never left." My mom pats my hand then stands up. "I'm going to get breakfast started for Dusty. Do you want some pancakes or do you just want to take some fruit for the road?"

I shake my head and stand, one hand on my duffle and the other reaching for an apple. "No, I'm just going to head to school. I have someone I need to talk to."

"Okay. You'll call me, though? If you want to leave early?"

"I promise I will." I smile at her and kiss her cheek before walking away. "Tell Dustin I said good morning, okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I love you!"

"I love you, too!" I call back, closing my front door and making a b-line to my car, hoping behind the wheel of the Millenium Falcon and tossing my duffle in the backseat. My apple in my mouth I start the engine and peel out, driving towards Hawkins Middle School.

It's time to talk to Will.

I sit on the hood of my car, fingers twitching against each other to a random beat. Kids hop out of cars all around me, parents waving and yelling after them. I haven't seen my brother yet, but he may have just gone through another entrance. Max waved to me earlier when she skated past, a small smile on her freckled face. Mike and Lucas came a few minutes after she did, both giving me confused hugs but nonetheless happy to see me.

"We're planning on having a campaign on Saturday. Do you want to join? I can work something out." Mike had said. I only shrugged and said,

"Maybe. I might be hanging out with a friend, but if anything I can stop by the house and watch?"

Mike's face fell a little at that, the same with Lucas. The latter merely sighed. "Fine. But you'll join next week?"

"Oh, hell yes. You guys need your Huntress." I shooed them towards the school, knowing they'd both find a way to distract themselves from getting to class.

A red car pulls in front of me, horn beeping friendly. Will gets out, with Bob poking his head out to wave hello to me. "Good morning, Veronica!"

I wave back to Joyce's boyfriend and grin. "Morning, Bob!" I hop off my hood and walk over to Will, pulling the slightly smaller boy into a hug. "I need to talk to our young William Byers, here. Do you mind watching my car for a few minutes? I'll walk him to the building and everything." I promise, smiling sweetly.

Bob nods and gets out, smiling. He's a good guy, always ready to help out. Jonathan thinks he's a total dork, but I know my best friend likes seeing his mom happy. "Okay, sure. As long as Will gets inside safe."

I nod back. "Of course." I keep one arm wrapped around Will's shoulders and we slowly walk down the path towards the school. "So, how was the car ride with Bob The Brain?" Will gives me a confused look. "Hopper."

"I think you need a new father figure, Huntress." Will jokes, but his voice is quiet. I smirk, then match his volume.

"Yeah, well, point me in the direction of another male adult who actually cares about me, and I'll gladly ask them if they're interested in taking care of a traumatized girl." I give him a joking grin, though, so Will's tense shoulders relax. "Yeah, yeah. I know. And Hopper may have his faults, but he's the best man for the job when it comes to acting like a dad, you know?"

"Yeah. I know."

Jim Hopper hasn't missed a single one of my appointments at Hawkins Lab. Even when my dad and I were talking, he only called once every three months.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Will asks as we're halfway to the school, passing by the bike racks.

I look down at him a bit, eyebrow raised. "I think you know."

"The hallucinations."

"If we're both having them, I'm not so sure they're hallucinations anymore." I comment, looking around carefully. "What do you see?"

"Tuesday night, I just woke up, randomly. I, uh, heard thunder. Saw red lightning. I opened my door, and suddenly I was back. I saw it, Veronica. I saw the shadow monster. And it looked straight at me." He sniffles and I nod, pulling him in closer so we can sit on the steps of the middle school. "And then, yesterday, when we were Trick-or-Treating, it happened again. Only there wasn't any thunder or lightning. But the monster was back, and it kept growing and growing, so I ran. I didn't stop until Mike pulled me out. It was like I was there, in the Upside Down, but also here." Will looks up at me, big brown eyes shining with unshed tears. "What did you see, Veronica?" He whispers.

I bite my lip, green eyes wide with fear. "The same things. But, from the back. It's like I said at our appointment, this thing doesn't seem to see me. It's like I'm not even on it's radar. Or maybe it can't, and I don't know why."

"Maybe it's because of how we were found?" Will poses, and I tilt my head.

"What do you mean?"

"When mom and Hopper found me, I had a vine down my throat." I nod. "But you didn't. Nothing got into you."

"Yes, it did." He bites his lip. "Not the vine, but last year Dr. Owens told me my DNA was changed. Yours wasn't though. Right?"

Will shakes his head. "No, no it wasn't. But we both breathed the same air."

"Yeah."

"What if… what if whatever made it so your DNA changed chose you. There's got to be a reason why, just like there has to be a reason why the Demogorgon chose to go after me." Will says, voice strong despite his dewy eyes.

"Will, we're talking about another dimension. I'm not so sure things can be answered rationally."

"But isn't it worth looking into? This has to be more than just trauma, right? And you've had more episodes than me, I know you have. Which means whatever is happening to me is different than what's happening to you."

I sigh and run my hand through my hair, nervously pulling it up into a high, messy ponytail. "I just… this is such bullshit, right? Sorry." I mutter, and he snorts.

"Please. Dustin curses more than you. I'm not an innocent kid, either."

"Well, sorry if I want you to be. At least a little bit." I kiss the top of his head. We sit in silence for a few moments.

"Hey, Veronica?"

"Yeah, Will?" I ask, and he turns to look at me.

"You said before, 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.'"

"Yeah?"

"What's a fourth time?" He asks me, and I look over his shoulder, off into space.

"I have absolutely no idea." I shake myself out of it and stand up, helping Will up, too. "But let me worry about that, okay? Get to class."

"Aye, aye, captain." He salutes me, and with one last tight hug walks up into the building. I sigh and turn towards my car, waving at Bob.

"Thank you so much. Sorry if I kept you -"

"Hey, no, it's fine. Don't worry about it. You doing alright?" Bob asks me, and I smile.

"Yeah. Better now. Um, I have to get to class. Have a nice day, tell Joyce I said 'hi'."

"Of course, yeah. Have a good day at school, kiddo." He waves friendly at me and gets in his car, driving off carefully. I get behind my wheel and make a sharp u-turn, driving down to the lot towards the high school and parking in my usual spot.

When I get out, I see a few stragglers rushing into the building, but I can't find it in myself to hurry after them. So what if I'm a few minutes late for class?

"Veronica?" I stop just in front of the door and turn around, nice and easy.

Steve stands behind me, hands in the back pockets of his jeans and hair messier than usual. I doubt most people would notice, but I'm not most people. Not when it comes to Steven Harrington.

"What is it?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I just. I wanted to -" He groans and runs his hands through his hair. I bite my lip, patient. More patient than I've been in awhile, actually. "I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry. I never should have exploded like that. Especially not at you."

"It's ok-"

"No, it isn't. It really isn't. I wasn't mad at you, and I never should have used you as my verbal punching bag. You didn't deserve that."

"I'm sorry, too."

Steve gives me an incredulous look, shaking his head. "Why the hell are you sorry? I was being a dick. You were trying to help me out, and I blew up in your face like a psycho. It was - God, I've been trying not to be the same douchebag I've been most of high school. Especially when it comes to you."

I sigh and kick at the cement under me. "Yeah, well, I was being a bitch."

"Only because I hurt you."

I nod, then bite my lip again. "I'm sorry." He looks like he's about to argue. "For not telling you about Billy. Any of you. I should have. We're not supposed to keep secrets from each other."

He nods, giving me a sad look and cautiously walking closer. "Yeah. It's okay though, Roni. I get it. So, are we still friends? You can be mad at me for however long you want, but are we still friends?" He repeats.

"No." He starts to frown. "We're best friends."

He snorts in disbelief and pulls me in close. "You suck, Henderson."

"Bite me, Harrington." He laughs and we separate, and I pat his shoulder. "Are you doing okay? After -"

"I'm fine." I narrow my eyes at his poor attempt at lying. "Alright, I'm not fine. But I'm not some bitch. I'm not going to go hide away because Nancy Wheeler called me bullshit." I just nod, his words burning like a pyre. "Jesus, sorry. I'm not mad at you."

"Steve -"

"Look. I'm happy you have someone. Especially going into this month." My throat clenches up. "I'm glad there's another person to help you through everything. But if I'm being honest, there's something about Hargrove that rubs me the wrong way."

"What do you mean?"

He shakes his head. "Like, I can't explain it. I just - I don't trust him." I look at him, confused. "I have to go, or I'll be late for English. But if you need me, you can come get me. Alright? I just want you safe."

"If I need you, I'll find you." I promise.

Steve nods, then pulls me into one more hug. "Just take today one step at a time, Roni. You aren't alone, okay?"

I nod into his chest and he lets me go, entering the school. I frown as I watch his back. His words from last night are still playing in my head, on a cycle. They haven't stopped playing. Now, I have a few more to add.

With one last deep breath, I enter the school, walking towards Billy as he leans against a locker, Tommy and Carol talking animatedly to him.

"Hey, baby girl." He greets, pulling me into a distracting kiss. I smile, the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Hi." I whisper back, letting him kiss me again. "Walk me to my locker?" I lace our hands together, and he kisses my palm.

"It'd be my honor." He straightens, about to walk with me, but Tommy stops us and we turn in our tracks.

"Hey, Veronica?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Tommy?" I respond, burying my confusion.

"I just wanted to say, uh…" He looks to Carol, who rolls her eyes affectionately.

"What Tommy is trying to say is, we know today sucks for you. That this whole month probably will. So what do you say to a truce, until December first?"

I smile at them, a real smile, and nod. "Deal."

Billy whisks me away, impatient. The halls part for us and he wraps his arm around my shoulders, dropping my hand in order to do so. "You and Harrington speak yet?"

"Mhmm. We apologized. Mostly him."

"And you forgave him?" Billy asks, voice even.

I shrug. "He's my best friend."

"So you forgave him? Just like that?"

"No. I didn't forgive him. But I've got other shit to think about right now." I bite at Billy, who grins.

"There's that fire, baby girl. Shoulda used it on Harrington. Do you want me to? We can tag team. I know you've been itching for a fight. I see it every time you ball up your hands into little, strong fists." He encourages me, lifting up one of my hands with his free one to nip at my fingers. "I bet you look hot, throwing a punch."

I snort, turning a bit so we can stop in front of my locker, Nancy nowhere to be seen. I open the door and press a few fingers to the photo of her, Barb, and me, smiling sadly at my late friend. "Yeah, well, I'm not going to punch Steve. I may hit Drew though. He's a dick."

"Mmm. Tell me when you're gonna do it, and I'll make sure to grab some popcorn. Maybe I'll join in, if you get tired." I laugh, but it turns into a small moan when he comes up behind me and tugs my jacket off, back to him as he nibbles at my neck.

"Dammit Billy, cut it out." I mutter. He laughs and steps away, turning me to face him so my back is shoved against my empty locker.

"What? Am I not distracting you enough?"

"Distracting me?" I ask, pulling my head back to give him a look.

He sighs. "Yeah. I figured it wouldn't be the greatest day for you. Or the best month. So I'm gonna distract you the best way I know how."

"Kisses and sex?"

"Absolutely." He leans back in and kisses me, and I laugh into his lips, but inside I'm a raging storm.

Billy said, "There's that fire, baby girl. Shoulda used it on Harrington. Do you want me to? Or we can tag team. I know you've been itching for a fight."

Steve said, "You're all ice, princess. Cold, frozen, harsh with people who act exactly like he does!"

I told Billy, "But I've got other shit to think about right now." He just laughed and let me bite at him.

But Steve… Steve would've made me talk about it. He wouldn't just distract me from my problems. He'd make me face them. He'd let me be angry, but he'd want me to be healthy about it. And he never would have encouraged me to throw a punch, not unless the person absolutely deserved it.

"You're acting like you are because that's how you're coping with shit. And it was fine for a month, but now you're pretending that this is who you are!" Steve had yelled at me.

What if he was right? What if the person I've become is just a mask? Armor molded from anger?

But what if it's not a bad thing? What if who I've become is who I was always going to be?

For now, I'll let Billy keep kissing me, even as the first bell rings and students swarm around us, rushing off to class. I'll let myself be distracted by my boyfriend, because it's my turn to be happy for once.

Cold air smacks me in that fact as I step outside the building, stomach rolling at the thought of eating. The cafeteria is too loud, and while it's nice being with Billy, I'm just too on edge right now. It's like I'm coming down from a bad high, or like my medication is finally failing me.

Not too far away, Jonathan's sitting on the hood of his car, talking with Nancy. I roll my shoulders back and march up to them, just as Nancy is asking, "So, he asked you to take me home?" I slow down a bit, realizing what they're discussing.

"Yeah." Jonathan confirms. "Yeah, he was upset. I mean, he was really upset. But he was still worried about you. Hey. You need to cut yourself some slack, okay?"

"He's right." I announce, walking so I'm in their line of sight. They give me soft looks as I approach, leaning next to Nancy. "We all said shit last night."

"What happened with you? Did you and Billy -"

"No, no. Billy and I are fine. Me and Steve got into it, though. Actually, it was more like Steve got into it with me."

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry." She whispers.

I shrug. "It's whatever. Friends fight all the time. But, uh, do you remember anything you said last night?"

She shakes her head. "No. Why? Did I call you 'bullshit' too?"

I smirk. "No, nothing like that. Drunk you doesn't have the balls to say that to me." Nancy rolls her eyes, but my smile drops down into a serious look. "You said 'We were bullshit, but you two aren't!' And I guess I just wanted to know who you were talking about."

Nancy gets this look in her eyes, but she shakes her head once more. "No, I'm sorry. How are you doing, though?"

"Not good." I admit, voice cracking a bit. "I just feel on edge. Like something very bad is about to happen."

"Hey, Ver, you're safe. We've got you." Jonathan promises, and I walk over to let him pull me into a brotherly hug. "Nancy, are you still thinking about last night? Because people say stupid shit when they're wasted. Things they don't mean. I once told Veronica she wasn't my sister." He tells her, and I punch his shoulder at the memory.

That was not a fun night. He did buy me strawberry milkshakes for two weeks, though.

"Yeah, but that's the thing. What if I did mean it?" I turn around to look at her, Jonathan's arms wrapped around my neck. "All this time, I've been trying so hard to pretend like everything's fine, but it's not." I step out of Jonathan's hold and push back their cans of pop, sitting between the two and letting Nancy hold my hand. "I-I feel like there's this… I don't know, like this…"

"Like there's this weight you're carrying around with you." Jonathan finishes for her, then looks directly into Nancy's blue eyes. "All the time."

"Yeah, but it's different for you. Will came home. Veronica came home." I tilt my head at Nancy, seeing where she's going.

"Yeah. Yeah, they did. But they're not the same." Jonathan looks at me. "You're not the same, and you know it." He argues, but I only hold up my hands in surrender.

"Hey, I wasn't about to say any different."

Jonathan gives me a small smile. "Yeah, okay." He looks up at Nancy again. "Things can't go back to the way they were, no matter how hard we try."

"Doesn't that make you mad? Because I'm furious. I'm always angry." She admits, looking at me. "You're angry, too, right? We know you are. At those… those people, for ruining our lives!" She passionately declares, and I nod.

"You know I am."

"And the people responsible for everything just keep getting away with it!"

Jonathan leans forward, staring at us gently. "The people responsible are dead."

"Do you really believe that?" Nancy asks, voice barely a whisper. I nod with her, then watch in confusion as she focuses on a random classmate listening to his walkman. "Your mom's boyfriend." She mumbles, then looks over me at Jonathan. "He works at RadioShack, right?"

"Yeah. Why? What are you thinking?"

Nancy just looks at me, nodding. "I'm in. No more sitting on the sidelines."

I smile. "Really?"

"I never should have even hesitated."

"Hello? What are you two talking about?" Jonathan asks.

"Barb. Hawkins Lab. Exposing them. Are you in?" Nancy asks.

Jonathan balks, blinking at me. "Was this -"

"My idea? Yeah. There's only so much I can do to help the Hollands. I'm done letting them suffer. My patience has worn thin."

Jonathan looks at me, nods, then looks to Nancy. "I'm in. For Barb. And Veronica."

"Excellent. Do you feel like skipping fourth period?" Nancy asks. Before Jonathan can respond I grin and get off the hood of his car.

"Yes. Absolutely."

"No." Nancy shakes her head. I open my mouth in protest. "No."

"Hey, this was my idea first!" I argue, pointing at her, but she gently smacks my finger away.

"Yeah, well, you're on edge. You said so yourself. The last thing we need is you losing it during an investigation."

"Oh, ye of little faith." I growl, but Jonathan shakes his head at me. "Seriously?"

"Nancy's right, Rockstar." He tells me. "You've done more than you needed to. Let us handle it, now."

"Guys, come on!" I shout. "I owe this to Barb. I failed her, and I can't keep failing her parents!"

Nancy shakes her head, getting off the hood of the car and grabbing my shoulders, pulling me close to her. "Listen to me, Vera. You did not fail Barb. You have not failed her parents. You need to focus on taking care of yourself. I'm the one who failed. And I owe it to you and Barb to take these assholes down."

Before I can respond, Jonathan puts in his two cents. "You're my sister, Ver. I'm tired of not doing anything. Let us handle this. Like I said, you've done more than enough already. I need you to get better, to be healthy and stress-free. That can't happen if you're focusing on this."

I bite my lip, guilt gnawing at my stomach. "But -"

Nancy pulls me into a hug. "Please, let us do this."

Sighing, I nod into her shoulder. "Fine. Okay. But, be careful. And if you need backup -"

"We'll call you, Robin Hood."

"Actually I was going to say 'Call Hopper' but that works, too." Jonathan laughs as Nancy releases me, and they walks towards the passenger and driver doors.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Jonathan asks, and I nod.

"You guys, too." They smile and close their doors almost in perfect sync, and I back away as Jonathan's engine sputters on, watching the dynamic duo drive off.

I'm still on edge though. Talking about Barb wouldn't have changed that. It's only made it worse. So I think about what my mom said, and I make my way to the phone outside the school, waving at a few passing classmates. My wave is more enthusiastic when I see Robin perched on a bench, talking with a few friends in band, Keith loitering behind them with a hand shoved into his bag of Cheetos Puffs.

I cross over to the phone and slide in the change in my back pocket, at the ready since first period. It only rings a few times before my mom picks up. With a simple, "hi" on my end, she makes a small, wounded noise.

"Oh, sweetheart. I'll call the school. Do you need me to meet you at the range?"

"No. I'll be fine. I'm sure Craig is in. I'll call, or he'll call, you know…." if it gets worse goes unsaid.

"Okay. Be safe. I love you, dumpling."

"I love you, too." I hang up a second after the line goes dead, then sigh into my hands. Before anyone can pay too much attention to my inevitable meltdown I rush into the school, lunch still in session as I make my way to the overcrowded cafeteria.

It's easy to find Billy. He's sitting at the center table, his rapidly-growing followers surrounding him. A few girls lean in too close, but when they see me approaching immediately back off.

Not that I actually care. I know Billy likes me more than them.

I wave at him a few tables away, and that cocky grin he wears around the others morphs into a genuine smile. It fades a bit, though, when he stands and walks towards me. Just as he's opening his mouth, I shake my head and point towards the hallway. He nods and follows me out, arm wrapped tightly around my waist.

Once we get to my locker, I lean back against it and let him box me in, blocking anyone else from getting a peek at me. "Baby girl?"

"I'm going to the range." I whisper, looking up at him. "I-I thought I was okay, but I can't be here right now. I-I see her around every corner, walking towards me or talking to someone in one of her overachieving academic clubs. I need to leave."

"Okay. Hey, it's okay." He tells me, leaning in to press his lips onto mine. It becomes heated fairly quickly, and when we break apart I'm panting a bit. "You called your mom?"

"Yeah. I just wanted you to know that I'm leaving early. Didn't want you to think I was just blowing you off."

"Baby girl, I'm too amazing to be blown off."

"You're amazing to blow." I tease a bit, but our laughter is stilted. "Can you - can you take me to school tomorrow?"

"Queen V, it'd be my absolute pleasure. You'll have to deal with Maxine, though."

I snort. "Please. Your sister likes me."

"Stepsister." He corrects, growling at me. I take the challenge, poking him in the chest.

"Notice how 'sister' is still included?"

His eyes narrow, his right eyebrow quirks, and his lips form a smug smirk. "There's my girl. All ready to explode." He nods, and smiles as though nothing had happened. "Get to the range safe, okay? And if you need me, call. My old man's out of town for a few days with the wife, so we don't have to worry about him being a raging dick."

It throws me off a bit, his shift in tone. Then again I was already thrown off by my emotions, so I choose to let it go. "Alright." I nod, then kiss his lips again. "Hey, do you want your jacket back?" I ask, opening my locker once he's stepped back enough.

"If you don't mind. Not that you don't look goddamn delectable in it." He adds, and I laugh, passing it back and pulling on the blue and white windbreaker I'd been meaning to take home. I grab my bag and sling it over one shoulder. "Do you want me to get your homework for you?" He asks, and I smile up at him after locking up.

"No, it's okay. I'll grab it tomorrow. But thanks, California." I lean up on the balls of my feet to kiss his jaw. With one last peck on my lips he lets me go, his eyes on my back my whole way out the door.

I narrow my eyes at the target, shooting the arrow seconds after the previous one. Then again, and again, moving from target to target, Craig having set up a private exterior range for me. He's sitting inside, watching through the window no doubt as I draw, aim, loose, over and over again. My hands are numb, my arms ache, but all that pain keeps my mind from unraveling. Every target is the Demogorgon's open face. It's Dr. Brenner and his scientist friends. It's the shadow monster haunting my dreams.

I pant and throw down my bow, wiping the sweat from my brow on the back of my hand and watching a couple drops of red liquid fall from my palm. My calluses are definitely ripped open, and I wince at the sting as I pull my practice arrows out of the targets, every single shot in this past round a bullseye.

I've been going at this for three hours, now, with only a few bathroom and water breaks. The cool air makes me shiver a bit now that I've stopped shooting.

I refuse to look down at my hands. Instead I walk back to my bow and pick it up, arrows back in my hip-quiver as I get ready to repeat.

One. The Demogorgon attacking Barb and I in the pool, dragging her away. Two. The strange dogs hunting me in the Upside Down. Three. The vines reaching for me, trying to strangle the life out of me. Four. Dr. Brenner trying to take me away. Five. The Demogorgon attacking the Byers home, crawling out of the ceiling and opening its flower head. Six. The Demogorgon on top of Jonathan. Seven. The Demogorgon throwing me into the wall. Eight. I'm weak and helpless. Nine. The hallways of the middle school are littered with blood and dead bodies. Ten. El is disappearing, taking the Demogorgon with her -

"Veronica!" I instantly lower my bow and turn around, hand still on the arrow in my quiver. Craig is walking towards me, shaking his head and holding up a First Aid kit. "That's enough for today."

"Oh, come on. I'm on a roll." I tell him, smirking. He only shakes his head, though.

"Your hands are torn up and we need to fix it. I've given you three hours - uninterrupted - to deal with your emotions. Now it's time to patch you up."

I look up at him and nod, letting my instructor lead me over to a couple of chairs. I hold out my hands and barely wince as he wipes away the blood with rubbing alcohol, used to the pain after years and years of archery-related wounds.

I watch patiently as he rubs Neosporin on the ripped skin and carefully wraps them. "You have more gauze at home, right?" Craig asks me, and I nod. "Your mom is going to kill me, by the way, for letting your hands get so messed up."

I snort. "I won't let her. There's no one else here who can teach me archery."

"Well, I hate to admit it, but I'm not so sure you need me to instruct you anymore." I look up from my hands and into his kind brown eyes. "You're damn-near professional at this point. You should go for the more serious competitions. State-level, not just local."

"It's just a hobby." I tell him, staring over at my weapon of choice. "A hobby I excel at. I don't do it to win awards."

He shrugs. "Hey, I'm not about to tell you what to do with your life, Veronica. Only that you should take it easy on the target practice. Even though you probably won't."

Laughing, I ignore the twinge in my hand as I pat his shoulder. "You know me so well, teach."

He rolls his eyes and pushes my shoulder in a friendly manner. "Yeah, yeah. Get your stuff and move it, or I'm banning you."

I gasp, mock offended. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Get!" He orders. I bow but do as he says, shouting a goodbye over my shoulder as I sling my packed duffle onto my back and leave the range. I toss it carefully into the backseat of my car before getting into the driver's seat, groaning as I grip the wheel. My hands are pulsing a bit, but I don't feel completely on edge like before.

With a sigh I'm carefully pulling into the road, driving down Main St so I can get home and sleep off the rest of my funk. Maybe I can even convince Dustin to fork over some more Halloween candy. Nothing quite knocks you out like crashing from a sugar rush.

I make a turn, the streets empty as usual. I don't like how close I am to the woods, so I sit up more in my seat and grip the steering wheel.

But it isn't until I make a turn onto Cornwallis that I realize I'm not even driving in the right direction. In fact, I don't even know where my mind was trying to take me, only that something is very, very wrong. I'm nowhere near the schools, which I should be by now since I have to pass them to get home from Downtown. In fact, I'm closer to Mirkwood than I am -

Oh shit.

The back of my neck erupts into goosebumps, the hair standing up despite the sweat licking it down. With a yank on my wheel I'm pulling over and stopping my car, the keys clenched in my hand as I throw myself out of the Millenium Falcon, slamming the door behind me as I crash down onto my knees.

And in that time, the world turned dark blue and vines crept all around me, covering my car and the road and the trees. Big white flakes rain down from the sky, evaporating out of existence the minute they touch my skin. Just like in my room, the vines aren't attacking me. They're too busy withering around this upside down world to care.

I stare down at the pavement in front of me, knees singing in pain. I should get off the road, but I can't. This is it. The fourth time.

A large, black shadow begins to grow over me, and I cover my mouth to hide my screams. My eyes widen when it starts to move away from me, and unable to help it I carefully turn so I'm kneeling in the opposite direction.

The shadow monster looms larger than ever before, scarier than any possible nuclear attack. I stagger to stand, but still stay rooted in place. I can only watch as it's limbs stretch out.

Will. I need to find Will. I need to save Will.

Ignoring the ache in my knees, I stumble in the direction of the monster, only for the vines to finally notice me. I scream and yell as they crawl up me, never getting past my knees. I topple down onto all fours, the vines wrapping around my wrist, holding me down but never once reaching up for my throat.

The monster before me turns, and I feel it's stare on me. It sees me, and my heart clenches in fear. I'm powerless as one of the monster's limbs turns into a black tornado, shooting towards me.

I can't help it. I scream, and wait for the storm to take me.