Okay, okay, it's okay Toni, don't freak out. It's not like we came across a child... in the woods.. at night, while it was raining. And it's not like we brought said child back to the Wheeler's basement.... oh wait, WE DID! This is kidnapping. We just kidnapped somebody. We're kidnappers!

She's breathing heavily on the couch where we placed her and hasn't said anything yet.

"Is there a number we can call for your parents?" Mike rushes out.

"Where's you hair? Do you have cancer?" Dustin asks.

My mouth falls open and I turn to smack his arm. "Dustin! You can't just ask somebody if they have freakin cancer!" Her head is shaved to peach fuzz. And she's only wearing an oversized yellow t-shirt, well- and now Mikes jacket.

"Did you run away?" Lucas goes next.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Mike asks.

"Is that blood?" Lucas reaches out towards her and her eyes widen.

Mike quickly smacks his hand. "Stop it! You're freaking her out!"

"She's freaking me out!" Lucas rebuttals.

"I think you're all freaking her out with all your questions!" I raise my voice.

"I bet she's deaf." Dustin concludes.

I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Dustinnn."

He claps at her and she jumps back. "Not deaf." He shrugs.

"Oh. My God." I grab his arms and pull him back. "Has mom never taken you out in public?!" He throws his hands up.

"All right, that's enough, all right? She's just scared and cold." Mike defends, walking away for a moment.

"Well I'm scared and cold too." I huff quietly to Dustin and Lucas.

"Me three." Dustin grumbles and Lucas nods in agreement.

It starts thundering louder and the girl cringes causing Lucas to curl up his nose and Dustin's eyes grow wide. I look over to see what Mike is doing and he's pulling something out of the laundry basket that's on top of the washing machine.

"Here." He comes back, holding out a shirt and sweatpants for her. "These are clean. Okay?"

She takes them and slowly brings it up to wipe her face causing me to frown. I feel bad for this girl, she probably freaking the fuck out right now, on the inside. I know I would be. She sets them to the side and stands, coming out of the jacket as she does, and then starts to take off her shirt.

"No, no, no!" All three boys exclaim, Dustin and Lucas immediately turning their heads and Mike reaches out to stop her.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God." Dustin freaks out as him and Lucas steps back.

I roll my eyes at them before taking a step closer to her.

"See over there? That's the bathroom." Mike points, stammering. "Privacy. Get it?"

She just stares at him before grabbing the clothes and does as she's told. Mike and I follow her. She starts looking around the small space so Mike goes to shut the door as I turn to walk away until she grabs it abruptly causing me to jump a little.

"You don't want it closed?" Mike asks her nicely. His patience with her is astounding.

She looks at the knob. "No." I jerk my head back in surprise. She spoke. I was starting to think she may be mute, but I wasn't going to say that out loud!

Mike takes a second before responding, also shocked. "Oh, so you can speak." I elbow him. "Sorry. Well... Um, how about we just keep the door..." He slowly brings it to a crack, the girls' hand still on it. "Just like this. Is that better?" I was just gonna offer to just stand in the doorway but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, or well, I guess more uncomfortable than she already is.

"Yes." She answers. Mike looks pretty satisfied with that and heads over to Lucas and Dustin.

"Make some kind of noise if you need any help." I tell her before joining the boys who are now standing in a circle.

"This is mental." Dustin stresses .

"At least she can talk." Mike is quick to stick up for her.

"She said 'no' and 'yes'. Your three-year-old sister says more!" Lucas snaps.

"She tried to get naked." Dustin adds with wide eyes.

"There's something seriously wrong with her." Lucas continues. "Like wrong in the head."

Dustin jumps back in. "She just went like..." He throws up his hands pretending to take off his shirt and ends up knocking his hat off.

I snort before Mikes gives a me a pleading look for help.

I sigh. "Okay, guys, this isn't funny." I finally chime in. "None of us have any idea what she's been through. Sure she's a little... different, but aren't we all? She needs our help, not you little twerps mocking and making fun of her."

"Exactly!" Mike nods in agreement.

"I bet she escaped from Pennhurst." Lucas comments, ignoring what I said.

"From where?" Mikes asks annoyed. I look down to my feet. I know exactly what that is. It's the awful place a couple doctors suggested my mom send me to when I...

"The nuthouse in Kerley County." Lucas explains. I flinch at the word 'nuthouse'.

Dustin notices my discomfort and tries to advert heavy conversation. "You got a lot of family there?" He cracks. Well... he tried.

Lucas squints, turning to Dustin. "Bite me." He snaps before turning back to Mike and I. "Seriously though think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy."

They would've shaved my head. My beautiful curls, gone. All because of some stupid mishap.

"Why she went like..." Dustin does the shirt motion again. I sigh. We're getting nowhere.

"She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho." Lucas nods, sure of his conclusion.

I would've had to come back to school from that. Everyone would've called me names, far worse than what I already get called.

"Like Michael Myers." Dustin adds.

"Exactly! We should've never brought her here." Lucas shouts.

"So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?" Mike asks. "Back me up here Toni." Mike turns to me. "Toni? Are you ok?" My ears are ringing. "Toni?" Mike's hand waving in my face brings me out of the shitshow that's playing in my head and I realize I was starting to breath heavily. I nod to let him know I'm fine.

"Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem." Lucas points out. I swallow. He has a point. Will is probably out there in that storm right now and we're here dealing with this.

"I think we should tell your mom." Dustin suggests.

"I second that." Lucas agrees.

Mike snaps his head back around. "Who's crazy now?"

"How is that crazy?" Lucas fire backs.

"Cause, we weren't supposed to be out tonight, remember?" Mike reminds the group.

"Shit." I mutter. Mom thinks I'm at the Byer's and my note told them Dustin needed help with something so I went back home. Ugh, my head is spinning. I take a seat on the floor, letting them continue.

"So?" Lucas doesn't understand the dilemma.

"So if I tell my mom and she tells your mom and your guys' mom-" He looks between me and Dustin.

"Oh, man." Dustin lets out weakly. Our mom would have a full on aneurysm.

"Our houses become Alcatraz." Lucas finishes for him.

"And I'll be grounded for life!" I huff, resting my elbows on my legs and letting my chin rest on my hands.

"Exactly. We'll never find Will." Mike concludes.

Dustin turns to Lucas with wide eyes and throws his arms up mimicking the shirt thing once again before holding up his arms in a confused position. I shake my head at his antics.

"All right, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight." Mike declares. Fine by me. If we stay here any longer I'll be sleeping here tonight.

"You're letting a girl-" Dustin's voice rises.

"Just listen!" Mike asserts, cutting back in. "In the morning, she sneaks around my house, goes to the front door and rings my doorbell. My mom will answer and know exactly what to do. She'll send her back to Pennhurst or wherever she comes from. We'll be totally in the clear."

"See, not too bad guys." I turn to Lucas and Dustin, both of which are staring at Mike anticipatingly.

Mike nods thanks before continuing. "And tomorrow night, we go back out. And this time, we find Will." He finishes, voice full of determination.

Dustin and Lucas glance at each other before Dustin turns to me. I hop up. "Sounds like a plan." I nod. "Just be careful." I tell Mike. Hopefully nothing too crazy happens once we leave.

❁❁❁

Once Mike builds the girl a fort out of blankets and chairs for her to sleep under Lucas, Dustin, and I head for the stairs finally. I'm beyond exhausted after today's whirlwind of events. This has been the longest day of mankind.

"Here you go. This is my sleeping bag." Mike tells her as we move up the steps, the boys pausing.

"You really think she's psycho?" Dustin asks with a sigh as they stare at her and Mike.

"Wouldn't want her at my house." Lucas declares stomping up the stairs.

Dustin takes one step and stops again causing me to crash into his backpack. Ugh.

"Mental."

"Come on, let's go home." I push him along. I'm just glad she's not a problem at our house, we have enough to worry about. But after tomorrow we can go back to looking for Will and hopefully find him in no time.

❁❁❁

Author's Note: Finally!! I'm backkk

I've had the beginning of this chapter written since last summer so omgggg I'm so glad to have finally finished it. But I'm barely 3 minutes in to this episode so buckle up y'all, this gonna be a long one hahaha, hope y'all enjoyed <3

Dustin cracks me up so much in this scene lol.