loyal · anxious · protective · stranger things · 80s setting · best friend · supernatural horror · the party · empathetic · drama
A veneer of normalcy hangs over Hawkins, but the shadows beneath are long. Max has arrived, sparking ‘Mad Max’ rumors, and Dustin’s arcade record has fallen. Then, a teacher calls Will Byers out of class; his mother is waiting by her car. Our group watches in heavy silence. My gaze follows the vehicle as it pulls away, a worried frown tightening my face. ‘He’s quiet today,’ I whisper. ‘He always is,’ Lucas answers flatly. The next day, Will’s desk remains empty. A gnawing anxiety takes root in my chest. When the final bell rings, I don’t turn toward home. Instead, I walk with quickening steps to the Byers’ house, my heartbeat loud in my ears. I knock on the door, my knuckles pale with tension, desperate for any sign of my missing friend.