THEY WALK THEIR BIKES UP A GRASSY HILL, Mike up front, followed by Mariella and Eleven, Lucas and Dustin. It was silent for the most part, the sound of their shoes crunching on dead leaves.

"Why did they hurt Mike?" Eleven asks, looking at Mariella curiously. She had noticed the cut on Mike's chin when they picked her up from the power-lines.

Mariella is silent for a moment, looking to girl and asking "What do you mean?".

"His..." Eleven starts, unable to find the word and points to Mariella's chin.

"Oh, that," Mariella starts, trailing off and looking away.

"I was tripped by this mouth breather, Troy, okay?" Mike interjects, looking back at them.

"Mouth breather?" Eleven asks, confused, brows furrowed as she looks between the back of Mike's head and Mariella's cheek.

"Yeah, you know, a dumb person. A knucklehead," Mike answers. Mariella sighs at the incorrect definition he provided to the clueless girl.

"Knucklehead?" Eleven repeats, more confused than ever now.

"He means someone who breathes through his mouth. But, we also use it as a word to describe someone we don't like," Mariella butts in. She's been the only girl in this group for a long time and she's be damned if she let the next one be confused by the boys vocabulary.

"Oh. I get it," Eleven nods, a smile forming on her lips.

"Let's try using easier words, Mikey," Mariella giggles softly, smiling to Eleven.

"Easier words, Mars," Mike agrees, nodding with a chuckle.

♧

They tread on until dark, Mariella pulling at her black sleeves in order to keep warm from the Autumn chill in the air. At one point, stopping in her tracks and unzipping her backpack to pull out her dark green corduroy jacket.

Her teeth chatters as they continue wheeling their bikes through the woods, Lucas and Dustin whispering amongst themselves, saying things such as 'do we really trust her?' And 'where are we going?', watching as Eleven confidently led the way.

Noticing their surroundings, she begins to get a familiar vibe from it. The familiar dirt trail and dead trees, it could only lead to one place.

Wheeling her bike next to Mike, he instantly smiles when he sees her. "Hey,"
He says.

Ignoring his greeting, she whispers softly to him, "Isn't this the way to Will's house?".

Mike looks around for a moment, taking in their surroundings and registering the familiar white house with chipped paint. Finally, Eleven stops. Right in front of the rundown house. To be more specific, Will's house.

"Here." Eleven says, turning to the group with her arms limp at her sides.

"Yeah, this is where Will lives," Mike responds, apprehensively as Mariella turns to Dustin and Lucas who were catching up, wheeling their bikes while panting. Mariella grimaces in newfound frustration. She had placed all hope in finding Will to following this odd girl! How could she have been so... So... Stupid!

"Hiding." Eleven says, her doe-like eyes wide and lips barely parting.

"No, no, this is where he lives. He's missing from here, understand?" Mike explains, staring at the girl.

By now, Lucas and Dustin were standing right behind Mariella and Mike. The clatter of their bikes hitting the ground ringing through their ears.

"What are we doing here?" Lucas asks, tired and upset from both the amount of walking done and the situation they're even in.

"She said he's hiding here," Mike says, voice rushed as he turns his head to Lucas.

"Um... No!" Lucas' eyes look around as his voice begins to get more agitated by each passing second.

"I swear, if we walked all the way out here for nothing—" Dustin starts, arms flying around and voice beginning to harshen.

"That's exactly what we did!" Lucas cuts in, arms also beginning to wave frantically. "I told you she didn't know what the hell she was talking about!" He yells now, pointing at Eleven while staring between Mariella and Mike.

"Listen, lets not jump to conclu-" Mariella begins, trying to calm the situation down and reduce the high tensions.

"No, Ella! You listen, we don't need your bullshit shrink talk right now! It may work on Mike and Dustin and heck, it even works on Will but it won't work on me. Not right now!" Lucas interrupts, staring at how Mariella's eyes go large and mouth instantly close.

Mike closes his eyes in annoyance, most of the time he would defend Mariella
— but, Lucas did have a point. They didn't need her honey voice attempting to calm them down.

Turning back to Eleven, eyes narrowed he asks, "Why did you bring us here?".

Eleven looks between the party. The way Lucas glared at her, nostrils flared in anger and the way Dustin continued to shake his head over and over. The way Mariella stared at the ground, biting her lip and eyes wide and how Mike looked back at her doe eyes with disappointment. She could simply stammer.

"Mike, don't waste your time with her," Lucas says, hand held up as if to say 'stop'.

"What do you wanna do them?" Mike asks, voice rushed and brows furrowed. He was frustrated, alright.

"Call the cops, like we should have done yesterday!" Lucas shouts out, shaking his head.

"We are not calling the cops!" Mike bickers, enunciating his words.

"Hey guys..." Dustin says, attempting to gain their attention. Mariella looking up at him curiously — still silent.

"What other choice do we have?" Lucas shouts again, going closer to Mike as Mariella strays farther.

"Guys!" Dustin yells, walking away from the group and gaining all their attentions. Their heads snapping towards him.

They all turn, following his gaze as they begin hearing sirens approaching and they all watch as police cars and an
ambulance zoom past.

"You don't think..." Mariella speaks up, voice meek as she leans into Dustin. All their breathing beginning to hitch.

"Will..." Mike finishes as they all rush around and mount their bikes hurriedly in hopes to catch up to the passing cars.

♧

They bike through puddles, their pants getting wet and muddy as they pedal towards the noise. Through the roads hidden by trees. Relying solely on their tiny bike lights and the sounds they follow. Turning down corners sharply, there were a few incidents where they almost flew off their bikes.

After what felt like ages, they see where seemingly dozens of fire trucks and police cars and ambulances were parked. Pulling to a stop, they all drop their bikes, tripping over one another rushing towards a fire truck and hiding.

"Please don't be Will. Please, God," Mariella whispers, repeating 'Our Father' over and over silently.

Their heavy breathing seemed to be the only sounds they could here as they watched people crowd around the lake and as two men retrieve a body from it and place it into a small boat. Mariella might as well have been dead there with her best friend. Her heart shatters and instantly her eyes water.

"It's not Will. It can't be," Mike shakes his head, voice unsure as he grip onto the back of the truck tightly.

"It's Will. It's really Will," Lucas says, voice breaking as they watch with wide eyes as the boat nears land and Will's familiar red vest comes into sight.

Mike lets go of the truck and walks away, head down as their breathing begins to get shallow. Denial beginning to paint their minds.

"Mike..." Eleven whispers, looking to the distraught boy, reaching for his shoulder. He slaps her hand away.

""Mike"? "Mike," What?"" He shouts out, gesturing wildly. "You were supposed to help us find him alive! You said he was alive! Why did you lie to us? What's wrong with you? What is wrong with you?" Mike rants, staring down Eleven with pure anger.

"Mike..." Eleven repeats softly.

"What?" He asks harshly causing her to flinch and shake head.

Mariella grabs his hand and pulls him away, her breathing still shallow as she attempts to get words out. He pulls away from her too, grabbing his bike.

"Mike, come on. Don't do this, man," Lucas starts, voice breaking once again as they all watch as he mounts his bike angrily.

"Mike, where are you going? Mike!" Dustin calls after him, voice also breaking as he rides away.

Leaving them there alone, Dustin, Lucas,
Mariella, and Eleven. And heck, even though she was surrounded by people, Mariella has never felt more alone.