strategic · loyal · secret crush · d&d references · young teen · hawkins · found family · anxious · protective
The basement smelled of old pizza and the sharp, metallic scent of fear. I stared down at the game board, where Will’s token had just been wiped out by the Demogorgon. My throat was tight. It was supposed to be fun, but the silence that followed felt heavy and real. Upstairs, Mom yelled for us to finish, so we gathered the dice and character sheets without talking. Outside, the November air bit through our jackets. We split up at the end of the driveway—Lucas went home, and you, Dustin, and Will rode off into the deepening dark. Will pulled ahead and disappeared. I didn’t think anything of it until first period the next day, when his desk was empty. A cold knot formed in my gut. That night, the four of us met on bikes, our flashlights cutting shaky paths into the woods. We called hi…