THE WEIRDO ON MAPLE STREET: PART ONE!

Dustin Henderson paced around Mike's basement, his hands buried in his light brown curls. Oh my God, he muttered quietly, his eyes flitting to the weird girl that sat on Mike's couch.

The weird girl that Mike had stupidly insisted on taking from the woods. Did he mention that Mike was an idiot?

"We should call June," Dustin told Lucas and Mike, turning to face the two who crowded around the girl.

She looked scared shitless— not that anyone could blame her.

"And tell her what, exactly?" Lucas questioned, waiting for Dustin to see the flaw in his brilliant plan, "That you snuck out in the middle of the night to look for Will in the woods. She'll kill you— and then us."

     "It's not like she would be much help anyways," Mike muttered, "—she didn't learn how to tie her shoes until like the fifth grade."

Dustin closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, knowing Lucas was right. Sure June would come, but she'd bitch about it the entire time, and that's the very last thing they needed.

Slowly Dustin walked around the coffee table to join the duo, crossing his arms over his chest as he examined the girl. She looked like she had just escaped a mental asylum. She was breathing heavily, not making eye contact.

"Is there a number we can call for your parents?" Mike questioned, breaking the tense silence.

The girl looked up at him with wide eyes, fear painted obviously on her face.

"Where's your hair?" Dustin piped up, "Do you have cancer?"

"Did you run away?" Lucas joined in, neither of the three noticing the increasing look of panic on the poor girl's face.

"Are you in some type of trouble?"

"Is that blood?" Lucas reached out to get a better look, only for his hand to be slapped away by Mike.

Lucas was right, Dustin thought to himself, June would've killed them.

"Stop it! You're freaking her out!" Mike exclaimed.

"She's freaking me out!"

"I bet she's deaf." Dustin hypothesized, clapping his hands in the girls face.

They all watched as she flinched back, lips quivering as if she were about to burst into tears any second.

"Not deaf."

     Mike groaned, taking a few steps back from the group, "That's enough! She's just cold and scared."

     He quickly made his way to the laundry basket in the corner of the room, rummaging for some clothes that the girl could change into.

     They all watched as she flinched from the loud sounds of thunder, the large khaki coat she wore hanging loosely from her tiny frame.

     "Here," Mike gestured with the clothing in his hand, holding the shirt and sweatpants out for the girl to take, "these are clean."

     She took them gingerly, rubbing the soft material up to her face. Slowly she slid the large jacket off of her arms, standing up and making a move to pull the mustard yellow shirt over her head.

     "No!" Mike stopped her, Dustin and Lucas turning to face the other way in surprise. "See over there? That's the bathroom," he stammered out, pointing to the room, "—privacy. Get it?"

     The girl looked with wide eyes, walking in the direction Mike had gestured. Mike followed behind her to close the door, Lucas turning towards Dustin with wide eyes.

     "Maybe we should've called your sister,"