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CHAPTER SIX ; THE WORST KIND OF PAIN
also known as;
( holly, jolly ; part three )

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AS STELLA COLLINS TRUDGED THROUGH MIRKWOOD, SHE HAD DECIDED THAT IT WAS OFFICIALLY ONE OF THE WORST DAYS OF HER LIFE. It wasn't like she was overdramatic or anything, it was just the fact that nothing good had happened since the sun had risen. After the situation with Jonathan's camera, she felt a solid nap was in order. Then she remembered, Will was still missing.

"You know, it probably wasn't the best idea to bring roller-skates to the forest, Star," Dustin muttered as he walked with his bike beside the teenager. Stella huffed as she shuffled along the ground, using the brakes at the front of her shoes to keep balanced. A cold sweat was working up her body, and she could feel the bottom of her back dampening as she tried her hardest not to fall over.

"No shit," she grumbled, crossing her arms and looking before her, seeing Mike and Eleven talking. Nodding towards the two, Stella's eyebrows raised curiously. "So, what's the deal with those two?"

"Mike's totally in L-O-V-E," Lucas chimed, loud enough for Mike to peer over his shoulder and send the trio a harsh glare. This brought a soft smile to Stella's face, watching his cheeks flushed a bright pink as his embarrassment grew. Lucas then leaned in to whisper. "He talks about her all the time. It's so annoying."

"I think it's sweet," Stella mused, though the two boys either side of her scoffed. The teenager had pretty much forgotten their conversation from that morning, including the part in which she was told Eleven had superpowers. For some reason, it happened to be the part she hadn't spared another thought to, as it was so far fetched and ridiculous her brain couldn't comprehend it during such a stressful time.

As a breeze tore through the forest, ripping down leaves of golden hues, Stella exhaled shakily, a shiver running down her spine. Her grip around herself tightened, trying to contain as much heat as she could. Her dark corduroy pants provided some warmth, though she hadn't thought to grab a jacket that morning, instead choosing to tuck in her white t-shirt and leave it at that. So. Many. Regrets.

"How long are we gonna be out here?" Stella queried, to which both Dustin and Lucas shrugged. The brunette girl sighed, before stopping and reaching down to untie her shoelaces. Her heels were throbbing from how the constantly rubbed against the back of her skates, and she had decided she'd rather the sharp sticks from the forest floor than painful blisters. "We looked round here for hours last night, came up with nothing."

"He might still be here," Lucas shrugged, before looking over at Eleven. "Besides, apparently the crazy knows where he is."

"How does she know Will?" Stella asked softly, ripping the shoes off her feet and holding them in her arms, trudging along the fallen foliage on flat feet. When the two boys fell silent, she glanced between them. "Guys?"

"Mike said she pointed to a picture of him the other day when they were up in his room, no one knows why," Dustin muttered, panting slightly as he pushed his bike across the steep terrain. The curly haired boy clearly wasn't enjoying their afternoon stroll either, but there was no way any of them would be anywhere else at a time like this. "The girl's mental, I tell ya. I bet she doesn't even know where she's taking us."

"Don't be mean, Dustin," Stella nudged him, wincing as a branch scraped her ankle. Her thick socks were preventing any further pain in her feet. When the younger kid opened his mouth to retort, Stella cut him off. "You would've shit your pants if you were in the same situation as her."

"No I wouldn't!" Dustin exclaimed, his eyes shooting open in what appeared to be shock when the older girl accused him of such a thing. "T-That's bullshit!"

"Oh yeah?" Stella challenged, raising an eyebrow. She was clearly in the 'don't mess with me' kind of mood that day, but Dustin didn't seem to understand that. Lucas, however, was clearly enjoying the pair's argument, as it provided him with a much-needed source of entertainment. "Do you need me to remind you of the time you got lost in the movie theatre trying to find the restroom?"

Dustin's lip curled in distaste, before he stuck his tongue out at her. "That was one time!" 

"Well, think of that one time before you start give El shit, okay hotshot?" She tried to respond lightly, but she clearly failed when her tone dropped and Dustin's face fell slightly. The teenager pursed her lips, guilt soaking into her being. She sighed, before balancing her shoes in one arm and placing her free hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, kid. Didn't mean it like that. I'm just a little bit stressed, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know," Dustin smiled softly up at her, and Stella wrapped her arm around him and pulled him into her side for a quick squeeze. She had forgotten for a brief moment that she wasn't talking to a teenager, she was talking to a kid who wore his heart on his sleeve. "It's okay."

Stella felt bad for Dustin sometimes. He was a nice enough kid, but with an obsessive mother and absentee father, he was relatively sensitive from time to time. All the kids were, really. Mike lived in a home with one overprotective parent and another who was ridiculously mundane and would probably enjoy watching grass grow, Will had his mother and brother, though he was mostly left on his own due to them both having jobs, and there was Lucas, whose parents were arguably the most responsible, though they were sometimes too strict for his liking. 

Despite all their differences, the four boys cherished each other's friendship, which was something Stella enjoyed seeing. She only hoped they remained a party throughout middle school and into high school, as their bond was something to last a lifetime, if the right amount of love was put into it. She floated around the group often, but she didn't consider herself as part of their crowd. If Mike was the paladin, Will was the cleric, Dustin was the bard and Lucas was the ranger, she was their rogue. Besides being the character she chose when playing Dungeons and Dragons (on the rare occasion she participated), it suited her personality.

From what she had been told by the boys, Rogues relied on skill, stealth, and their foes' vulnerabilities to get the upper hand in any situation. They had a knack for finding the solution to just about any problem, bringing resourcefulness and versatility to their adventuring parties. Upon having this explained to her, Will had insisted she adopt the character, as he could see the positive traits in her being. To this, Stella had smiled and ruffled his long hair, nodding her head and accepting the title. 

As the hours flew by and the sky began darkening, Stella felt her heart drop a little. Though she could never admit it to the children surrounding her, she was slowly but surely losing hope. Like anyone else, she was adamant on finding the Byers boy, but after scouring almost the entire town and most of Mirkwood, she was beginning to doubt what they were actually looking for. 

But if Will had run off, where could he have possibly gone? Hawkins wasn't a particularly big area, and dead or alive, he would have shown up by now. Stella doubted he had been kidnapped, her hometown would never be that sort of place, the people were too...dull. 

As she trailed behind Dustin and Lucas, the only two things she felt were her head and her feet. Both were aching as the hours drew on, and she couldn't help but wonder how the kids still had so much energy left in them. After sundown, she had isolated herself at the back of the group with her own thoughts, as her mind had been particularly full lately. There were so many matters that plagued her brain, ones that she couldn't stop herself from thinking about. Will was number one of course, as part of her was trying to convince herself to give up and go home, but the other was assuring her that they'd find the boy. 

At the sound of a bike hitting the ground, Stella's head shot up and she inhaled sharply when she realised the group had stopped. Her eyes took in where they were standing, before narrowing in confusion. Before she could question anything, Lucas beat her to it. "What're we doing here?"

"She said he's hiding here," Mike muttered, gesturing to Eleven. The girl stood with whatever shrivel of confidence appeared to be left inside her, positive of her navigational skills. Stella could barely process the structure in front of her, as if she were living some kind of nightmare. The Byers home seemed like a house of horror, one that Will would have found comfort in, but he couldn't. Because he wasn't there. The swirling pit in Stella's stomach seemed to expand, and she felt the need to take a breather.  

She wasn't the only one who was in shock. Even in the moonlight, the way Dustin's cheeks flushed in irritation was clearly visible. "I swear, if we walked all the way out here for nothing."

"That's exactly what we did!" Lucas threw his hands up in the air. "I told you she didn't know what the hell she was talking about!" 

"This is all such a mess," Stella exhaled quietly, turning her back to the group and running her hands through her disarrayed hair. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to calm herself down, ignoring the boys arguing behind her. Doing what she did best, she momentarily distanced herself from the world surrounding her, wishing she wasn't in that particular situation. 

"We are not calling the cops!" Mike's annoyed snap made Stella whip her head around, her eyes full of fatigue and dejection. 

"Mike, it's the only thing we can do at this point," she tried to remain calm for him, when the only thing she really wanted to do was burst into tears. Her cheeks were bright pink and her chin trembled a little, but she still managed to compose herself so that she didn't break down in front of the children. "Listen, I know how important it is for you to keep El a secret, but at what cost? We've been out for hours and we still haven't found Will. You're ditching school and lying to your mom--"

"Guys," Dustin muttered, though no one paid much attention to him. The sound of sirens approaching the quintet, but only the curly haired boy seemed to hear it. 

"She needs us!" Mike argued, and Stella felt her chest tighten when she glanced over at Eleven, who was staring back with wide, scared eyes. 

"Guys--"

"Will needs us too," the teenager's voice was but a whisper, to which Mike backed down a little, seeing how much this was truly affecting the girl.

"Guys!" Dustin shouted, finally catching their attention. Stella and Mike both turned, their ears perking up at the deafening sirens. Bright red and blue lights reflected in the watery surface of Stella's eyes as she watched police cars and an ambulance zoom past on the road in front of the Byers home. Her breath trapped itself in her throat and she suddenly felt like she was choking on air, unable to comprehend what the commotion was about. 

Mike gaped from beside her, his mouth hanging open. "Will."

All five kids rushed into action, Stella jumping onto the back of Dustin's bike, allowing him to pedal her instead of running. The air suddenly seemed a lot colder than before, and she didn't know why she had such a bad feeling as they followed the ambulance. 

After five minutes of zooming down twisty roads, a strong smell of dampness hit Stella's nostrils. It was a scent that she recognised well enough from the day trips she had embarked on when visiting this place, one that made her stomach drop to her toes in the moments she neared it. She hoped the ambulance would make a sudden turn so that the location would change, but it never did. They kept going. 

 The ride suddenly became bumpy as Dustin's bike hit gravel, and Stella closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting to open them again in fear of seeing something she didn't want to see. Her teeth were chattering, and before she knew it, she was calling out to the kids. "Guys, stop. You all need to turn around and go home."

Dustin's bike rolled to a stop, and Stella opened her eyes, feeling them water as she watched the boys and Eleven jump out of their seats. She climbed off of the bike and dropped her skates, rushing over to them and reaching for their arms. She was too late though, as they were all piled behind the fire engine that had stopped near the water, but far enough that the could hide out of sight.

Stella skidded to a halt behind the group, her eyes instantly latching onto the clear water before she could help herself. 

All of a sudden, she couldn't breathe. 

At least a hundred metres away from her, she could see two men were knee deep in the water-filled quarry, slowly lifting up a body that had a bright red puffer vest adorning it; one that looked far too familiar to her. Her mind suddenly imploded, she couldn't think at all. There was no emotion in her face, nothing but pure trauma. She wanted to reach forward and embrace the children in front of her, but she couldn't move. Her feet were glued to the ground and she was physically unable to budge.

"It's not Will," Mike whispered, as if the life had been drained out of his body. "It can't be."

Stella felt a weight in her left hand, and she didn't have to look to know it was Dustin. 

"It's Will," Lucas blurted out, as if saying the words would make it seem all the more real. It didn't. "It's really Will."

Mike took a step back, which seemed to snap the other four out of their disbelieving trances. Stella reached for Lucas, pulling him into her as she did with Dustin, holding both as they all tried to make sense of the shocking ordeal. Stella couldn't cry, she had to be strong for them. They needed her. 

"Mike," Eleven reached for the dark haired boy, only to flinch when he swatted her away angrily. 

"'Mike'? 'Mike' what?" He snapped, to which Stella's eyes trailed over to him, full of hurt. She wasn't upset with Eleven though, as much as she wanted to be. How was the little girl supposed to know where Will was? How could they all put so much trust in a kid they barely knew, and not expect to be disappointed with the outcome? She wasn't mad at Eleven, she was mad at herself. She was mad at herself for not doing more. Mike evidently didn't feel the same. "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," Eleven released a broken whisper, one that made Stella's heart crumble just a little bit more. Mike's jaw tightened and he turned around marching towards his bike. 

"Mike, come on, don't do this man," said Lucas, his voice wavering. Tears fell from his cheeks as he watched the Wheeler boy try to escape the scene. 

"Mike, where are you going?" Dustin sighed shakily, rubbing at his eyes. "Mike!"

"Mike, please!" Stella called out, a single tear dripping down her face as she carefully released the other two boys and broke into a run after her neighbour, her friend. She sprinted in pursuit of the child, but couldn't catch up. The weight upon her shoulders seemed to be attached to her legs too, pulling her back every step she took. "Mike!" 

And just like that, he was gone. Stella dropped to the ground, her knees slamming against the asphalt and sending tremors up her body. The floodgates finally opened and she broke into heart-wrenching sobs, her throat shrivelling up each time she heaved in air. She struggled to open her eyes, the outbreak of tears had caused her eyelashes to clump up and dig into her skin. Snot ran down her nose and she didn't bother wiping it away, it would only come back again. Her ribs seemed to rattle every time she sucked in, causing her even more pain. Her mottled skin stung as the salty water coated her face; it was as if everything had finally gotten to her, her world had crumbled down. 

Dustin and Lucas both looked at each other, before running over to her and bending beside her, opening their arms and bringing her whatever comfort they could. Dustin rested his head upon her shoulder, his muffled cries disappearing into her cotton shirt. Lucas' tears ran down his hands as he covered his eyes, almost to shield himself from the cruel world. The three sat there for a while, none of them knowing any other way to cope with the pain and suffering they all felt.

Suddenly, Stella felt a cool sensation on her clammy right hand. Her head slowly lifted and she looked through he blurry vision and bunched eyelashes to see Eleven looking back at her, her own tears running down her cheeks. Stella's bottom lip trembled as she reached out for the child, allowing her to move in for an embrace. Eleven hesitantly wrapped her arms around Stella's torso, listening to the teenager hiccup and try to swallow the lump in her throat. "Come on, let's get you three home."

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hey, um, my heart actually hurts and there were some tears shed when i wrote this. honestly the whole 'heroes' scene from season one makes me cry EVERY DAMN TIME IT'S SO BEAUTIFULLY DONE. 

phew, anyway, please tell me what you think of this longer chapter, i love reading your comments!! also thanks for 3k????!!! i'm shocked tbh

also i'm on 5% right now so imma have to cut this short, hope you enjoyed, there should be some steve next chapter!!! 

byeeee xx