MARIELLA SIGHS, her dirty white shoes crunching against the dead grass as she stares around the side of the school, searching for Dart. Lifting her walkie to her mouth she presses down on the button.

"Sides clear so far. Checking the field. Anyone got anything?" She asks, continuing to walk.

"Nothing here," Lucas responds.

"Zippo," Dustin chimes in after.

"Yeah, Nothing in the gym either. I'm with Max, by the way," Mike adds in.

It stays silent for a moment, Mariella scrunching up her nose at the Mike's comment, it was odd. Didn't he dislike Max? Oh golly, Mike was too much to keep up with! Scanning the large field before lifting the walkie to her mouth again. "Will? Anything?" She asks.

Silence again. "Will?" Mike presses, voice staticky.

It goes on for a moment, static sounding from the large box walkie which she held in her hand. She exhales as she walks around field mindlessly before giving up and walking back into the school.

"Guys... I found him," Will mumbles through the walkie as she throws the doors open and enters.

"Where?" Dustin asks eagerly.

"In the bathroom by Mr. Salerno's," Will answers, voice meek.

"Copy that. On the way," Mike responds.

"Just got inside, be right there," Mariella adds.

"Got it," Lucas goes on.

Urgently, Mariella speed walks through the halls. Pulling her hair tie off her wrist before tying half her hair up, it felt odd, the lack of hair she was used to. She picks up pace, fumbling her walkie in her hands as she walks.

She turns a corner and collided with a body, falling back onto her butt and groaning. She stays like that for a moment, rubbing her back and legs before the person extends their hand to help her up. She looks to the face and sees Lucas.

"Sorry," She sighs as she takes his hand and is pulled up from the ground.

He wore an unimpressed expression before laughing at her disheveled overall dress. "Didn't know being short impaired your vision," He comments before continuing on towards the bathroom.

Rolling her eyes, fixing her clothes before running after him. "Haha, you make me laugh," She responds sarcastically as she pulls up next to him. "Hey, Mike with Max? That's a first," She quickly adds on to her previous comment as she looks to Lucas.

He shrugs, forming his lips into a line. "Yeah. He's been pretty mean to her. I'm surprised he even said her name in the walkie call," Lucas responds as they turn yet another corner.

Their shoes pattering against the white tile as they hurriedly walk towards the boys room at the end of the hall. "Lucas, Mars!" Mike calls to them from behind as him and Max rush after them.

Both of them turn to face the others, looks of surprise of their faces as they see them. "They should be in here," Lucas says, pointing to the door. Mariella nods, tightening the tied up part of her hair.

Mike walks in front of them, brushing Mariella's shoulder with his hand softly while doing so. Max, Lucas, and Mariella standing behind him as he throws it open and gestures for them to follow him in.

Entering the blue-toned bathroom and standing in the entrance for a moment with Max by her side, Mariella bites the inside of her cheek and scrunches up her nose. Noting the odd scent which wafted through. It smelt nothing like the girls room. She turns to Max, nose still scrunched.

"Does it..." She begins.

"Smell different? Yeah," Max nods, mimicking Mariella's expression and sighing.

Both Mike and Lucas rolls his eyes at their reactions, walking into the rest of the room in a frenzy and spotting Dustin standing suspiciously at the end of the room. "Where's Dart?" Mike asks as Mariella and Max venture after them.

Dustin stares at them, nervously. Eyes wide as he shakes his head. "I don't know. He's not here," He responds.

"What?" Mike says shortly, pushing into stall after stall to check — as if Dustin hadn't checked at all.

Max looks to Mariella and Lucas. "He said by Salerno's, right?" She tried to confirm.

"Yeah. Besides-" Mariella begins to respond, getting cut off by Dustin.

"Maybe Will has him," He suggests, stuffing a mini 3 Musketeers bar into his mouth.

They all pause, looking to Dustin. "Wait," Mariella starts, voice trailing off as she blinks multiple times.

"Where is Will?" Mike asks, wavering as he stares at Dustin worriedly.

"Shit!" Lucas shouts out as they all pile out of the bathroom, tripping over one another as they begin to separate into two groups. Max and Dustin. Lucas, Mariella and Mike.

"Will!"

"Will, where are you?"

"Byers!"

They all shout out, their voices echoing in the halls as each one of them looks through the halls. "Outside," Mariella points, grabbing hold of Mike and Lucas' sleeves and running towards the doors she had came in from earlier.

Pushing them open, the three of them hurriedly separate and begin searching the front lawn of the school, the hardtop, and the field. "Got him!" Mike shouts out, Lucas and Mariella instantly running from their spots and towards Mike's voice.

Their hearts beating fast, they stare at Will's standing figure. He was standing. Yet, he didn't seem responsive. He wasn't awake at all. "I'll get Max and Dustin," Lucas says, running away and towards the doors again as Mariella and Mike hold onto Will's shoulders.

"Will? Will!" Mariella panics, one hand on his shoulder as she drops her walkie to the ground.

"Wake up! Will?" Mike says, shaking him softly as they both stare at their friends seemingly sleeping body.

"Mike? What do you think—" Mariella whispers, looking to Mike with wide worried eyes and raised eyebrows.

Mike shakes his head, continuing to try to wake Will up. "It's okay, Mars," He nods, dropping his walkie as well. "It's just an episode," He goes on, using his other hand to rub her arm.

She sighs, turning to Will with her lip quivering. "Will? It's okay, you're here," She mumbles to her best friend, pushing Mike's hand of him and putting both on his shoulders trying to shake him awake.

As she does so, Mike turns to see the rest of the party and Joyce running towards them. "I just found him like this!" He calls to them as he takes Mariella's arm and pulls her away from Will. "I think he's having another episode,".

Joyce hurries over to her son, taking hold of his shoulders as she calls out to him, voice shaky. "Will? Will! Will!".

The party forms a semi-circle around the situation as they watch, breathing heavy and eyes wide — minds filled with worry.

"Sweetie, wake up! It's Mom!" She continues, shaking Will with fear in her eyes. "Will!" She turns to the others, conflicted on what she should do.

They were just as clueless as her. Max in between Lucas and Dustin watching in confusion, she didn't know the full story. She didn't understand what was happening. She couldn't of. Lucas sighing as his chest heaves in breathes heavily while Dustin shakes his head with wide eyes at the situation which he wished wasn't so familiar to them. Mike with his arms around Mariella hugging her as she watches in horror — eyes wide and lip quivering. Mike couldn't help himself — he felt helpless. How was he supposed to protect his friends, when he couldn't do anything to keep them safe?

Joyce continues on, shaking Will and shouting at him to wake up with a weak voice. "Can you hear me?" She asks, cupping his cheeks. "Will, please. Wake up! Please! Wake up! It's Mom! It's me!"

Will's eyes rolling back before he opens
them, gasping out in shock, body shaking as the party stared at him with relief flooding their faces and Joyce quickly embracing her son. Tears flooding her eyes. And you see, this is where everything just took a turn for the worse.