'You didn't go the pep rally,' Ms Kelley noted, causing Belle to squirm a little in her chair. Meetings with the new councillor had been a prerequisite to her returning to school; something her parents had badgered Higgins for. A clean bill of health was all well and good – people saying she wasn't crazy and thinking the "hearing voices" stage had been for attention after her grandmother's death – but her parents still worried about what might trigger something like that again.

'No,' Belle said simply, feeling the vague pressure of Axel at the back of her mind. She really wished he'd stay away at times like this, and in recent months she had to admit he'd been good with giving her space and physically seeing her instead.

Silence settled between the two of them, and Belle knew that Ms Kelley was waiting for her to expand on her reasoning without pressing.

'I wanted to get some studying in before the finals,' Belle admitted, deciding it better not to mention Eddie. She knew Ms Kelley would question that decision, and she couldn't be bothered to go into it. Eddie Munson had always been a good person, always someone she'd considered to be almost a friend if only she'd been able to actually get to know him. Since her return to Hawkins, he'd been one of the most welcoming people; he'd been a friend where others had stepped away from her.

'How do you feel about the finals?'

'OK?' Belle said tentatively. The truth of the matter was they terrified her. Nine months out of education hadn't actually changed much because she'd been able to get books, but she still worried that it might. That she hadn't truly realised the impact it had had. Worried that she wouldn't find that out until she finally took her exams.

'Your GPA at the moment isn't anything to be concerned about,' Ms Kelley assured her, attention flicking briefly to the paper on her desk. 'Perhaps the pep rally might have helped. Take your mind off things.'

'Perhaps,' Belle said, unconvinced.

'Are you going to the match tonight?'

Belle was already shaking her head before Ms Kelley had finished her question. 'I'm working tonight. Somebody needs to cover the shop.'

Ms Kelley hummed her agreement to the comment.

'Maybe the next one, though,' Belle said, knowing that she'd only really be going to support Robin. Basketball wasn't one of those things she really enjoyed, nor did she know anybody on the team that well. 'Small steps.'

'Small steps,' Ms Kelley agreed, before glancing at the clock. 'I'll see you in a couple of weeks.'

Belle nodded her agreement to the statement. 'Thanks,' she said, before grabbing her bag and heading out of the room.

She expected Axel to say something, to make a comment about whatever thing had caught his attention during the meeting, but was met with only silence. The pressure of his presence hadn't diminished, a familiar sensation that she could ignore now, but no comment about the councillor or meeting was made.

With a sigh, she headed to class, wondering what exactly was going on with him.

I preferred Mr. Arnold, Axel said idly. It was lunchtime, and his silence though a boring lesson had been almost unforgivable. Not that Belle really blamed him. She'd have given anything for that quiet in the early days.

Only because he never made me stay the whole session, Belle reminded him. She hadn't actually minded the Santa Clause lookalike, even if thinking of him only reminded her about everything that had happened. His retirement had come as something of a shock to her, but so far her meetings with Ms Kelley had been, she supposed, productive. Sure, they discussed how different things were for her now – between hospital, Canada and then home schooling, being back in Hawkins High was something of a culture shock – but she always seemed to be in there longer than the handful of minutes Mr. Arnold had allowed her to get away with.

How does she find so much to talk about? Axel mused as Belle continued her path to the bathroom.

It's her job, Belle reminded him, before pushing back against him. She might only have been going to the bathroom to wash her hands, but she didn't like the idea of him being in her head for that. Perhaps if she'd never seen him it would have been different, she could have continued thinking he was a figment of her imagination, but that wasn't the case.

Maybe you should head to see Eddie. Give Ximena some time with the show alone, Axel mused, but she pushed back once again and he relented.

Belle opened the door and blinked slightly at the change in light. The bathroom was dingy, the lights seemed to be much lower than everywhere else in the school and she couldn't figure out why. Standing near the back she spotted a panting Chrissy Cunningham.

'Are you OK?' Belle asked, taking a cautious step towards the cheerleader.

Chrissy looked up at her, panic bright behind her eyes. Her attention skittered around the bathroom, searching for something that had no doubt spooked her. Belle resisted the urge to look as well; she kept her attention firmly on Chrissy, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. Her breathing was ragged, and somehow she looked so small against the greying tiles of the wall behind her.

'Chrissy?' she encouraged, taking another step forwards.

Her startled attention snapped to Belle, who held her hands up in an open gesture. 'I'm fine,' she said, offering a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Belle let out a long sigh, carefully folded her arms across her chest. 'Sorry, that might fly with some people,' she admitted, trying not to sound too harsh, 'but not with me.'

Chrissy's expression shifted ever so slightly. A mixture of defensiveness and someone on the verge of shattering. It was a look Belle had seen more than once in the mirror.

'You don't have to tell me,' Belle said, moving towards the sink to wash her hands. 'But you don't have to say everything's OK when it isn't.'

Silence settled in the space between them, and Belle focused on washing her hands. She told herself that there was no need to do it, but speaking with Ms Kelley brought back memories she'd rather not dwell on. Between that and seeing her grandmother's house the previous evening, she really should have expected the urge to grow.

'Do you ever feel like you're losing your mind?' Chrissy asked in such a small voice Belle barely heard it over the tap.

A scoff bubbled up inside her. She forced it back as she shut off the tap and turned back towards Chrissy. 'I did,' she admitted.

Realisation seemed to flash behind Chrissy's eyes; the recognition of somebody who had finally pulled themselves out of their panic enough to really see who they were speaking to. Belle could see the apology bubbling up inside her, but waved it away.

'I should – I should go,' Chrissy said, slowly moving to one of the stalls. She emerged with her bag, slung it over her shoulder.

'Just... If you ever want to talk,' Belle offered, needing to say something. The idea of somebody not feeling like they could talk to anybody wasn't one she'd wish upon her worst enemy, let alone someone who she'd never seen do a mean thing in her life.

Chrissy nodded, a small smile on her lips before she left the bathroom.

Belle released a long breath as she dried her hands. She knew the rumours Chrissy had probably heard, the whispers that had been more to do with King Steve and his group telling people she was cursed than to do with the fact she was gone. Belle had always somehow managed to remain pretty anonymous, despite trying to make sure everybody got at least one kind smile, that new people got a hello.

Tey had finally, after a lot of pressuring from her, told her who had questioned him about where she was; the types of questions they'd asked. She knew there had to be people who speculated about what had truly happened that afternoon in '83, and her sudden disappearance could only have exacerbated issues. So she didn't blame Chrissy for her reaction, but it still stung slightly.

Did anybody really think she'd been in jail for murder? Or was that simply one of Robin's teasing comments?

Not wanting to spend any more time in the bathroom than was strictly necessary, Belle left, but she couldn't help feel a little concerned about Chrissy.

'"The devil has come to America",' Eddie read, sounds of the cafeteria alive around him; background to the little haven of the Hellfire table. Wayne had left the magazine on the table for him that morning, page open on the article that had brought a smirk to Eddie's face. The article that demanded a dramatic reading. '"Dungeons and Dragons, at first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe, now has both parents and psychologists concerned. Studies have linked violent behaviour to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide, and even murder."'

Jeff and Gareth laughed, and Felix merely shook his head despite the dramatics.

'Society has to blame something,' Felix said as the newest two members of Hellfire took their seats. 'We're an easy target.'

'Exactly,' Eddie agreed. 'We're the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game. But' – he hit the table before climbing onto it – 'as long as you're into band or science or parties,' he sneered, slowly making his way across the table as he looked at each group; he tried to ignore the small smirk on Belle's face as she made her way over to them, two paper bags in her hands. A couple of people put their fingers up at him, but Eddie was on a roll and there was no perturbing him now. 'Or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets.'

A few people booed. Someone called 'Loser,' but Eddie didn't deign it a response.

'You want something, freak?' asked Jason, standing from his place at the head of the basketball table.

Eddie smirked before raising his fingers to his head in a mockery of horns, stuck his tongue out while spluttering. The laughter of Hellfire spurred him on. He stayed like that for a moment, refusing to back down.

Jason glared a little longer before returning to his seat. The smirk on Eddie's face deepened before he made his way back to the other end of the table.

'It's forced conforming. That's what's killing the kids!' He jumped down, startling a few of the passing students. He allowed a couple of cheerleaders to go in front of him, gesturing for them before he moved back to his seat. 'That's the real monster.'

'Quiet lunch as ever, I see,' Belle said, standing at the end of the table opposite him. The small smile on her lips reminded Eddie of the first time they'd met. The smile sent his way after he'd allowed her through the door first.

'You joining?' Jeff asked from his spot closest to her. He started moving the chair out beside him, but she waved his chivalry away.

'Not today. Mia needs help because apparently there's a game or something on tonight.' She shrugged, that smile turning into something bordering mischievous. 'Just thought I'd come say hi.'

'So, uh, speaking of monsters and tonight,' Dustin said, his attention slipping from Belle to Eddie.

Eddie slowly chewed on some pretzels, looking to Dustin sceptically.

'Lucas has to do his, uh, balls-in-laundry-baskets game. So...' He chuckled nervously. 'He's not gonna be able to make it to Hellfire tonight. And I know there's no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him. So, me and Mike, we were talking, shooting the shit, and we were thinking that m – maybe we – we might...'

'Postpone,' Mike finished for him with far more confidence than Dustin had shown.

The others' complaints were more than enough to make up for Eddie's own thoughts on the matter; voices layered over each other. Belle's soft chuckle cut through it all; she was, without really knowing it, an honorary member of Hellfire. Mia's decision that she was Tinkerbell had never felt more fitting than it did in moments where the rest of Hellfire didn't question her being with them, even if she hadn't taken part in a single campaign.

'Shut up!' snapped Eddie, focusing on the younger members rather than Belle. Between teaching her about D&D, and going over notes, he was beginning to realise just how much time he'd been spending with her. 'You saying Sinclair's been taken in by the dark side?'

'Uh, something like that,' offered Mike, attention briefly flicking to Belle as if she might be able to help him. Her constant declining of invitations to campaigns obviously made her the anchor of support he was looking for. A role model for this kind of thing.

Belle, however, offered little more than an apologetic smile and a shrug.

'My character's going to die,' she'd complained the previous evening, head hitting the table gently as she glanced between her character sheet and the quick one Eddie had made from memory of Dustin's.

'Don't worry, the more you play, the better it'll be.' He'd rested a hand on her back, patted it somewhat awkwardly and then cursed himself for the gesture.

'Something like that?' Eddie snapped now, throwing a pretzel at Mike.

'Jesus Christ!' said Dustin, voice slightly higher than normal.

'And rather than find a sub for him, you want... you want to postpone "The Cult of Vecna"?'

'Hey, Belle –' started Dustin, attention on her.

Eddie looked too, just in case this might be the one invitation she couldn't refuse. After all, she had a very basic character ready now. Mia didn't have rehearsals, and –

'Can't, sorry,' she said, a small frown pinching her brows. 'Family Video needs covering.'

'But the whole town'll be at the game,' Jeff reasoned.

Belle only offered him a shrug. 'You guys are proof that's not gonna be the case.'

'See,' said Mike, as if that had helped his cause. 'It's not... I – I don't want to postpone it. We don't want to postpone it. It's just that, you know, most of the subs will be at the championship game.'

Eddie slowly stood while he was speaking, walked away from the table. But, at his last comment he turned back to them.

'Oh, it's the championship game?'

'Yeah?' said Mike uncertainly.

'Can I level with you? Jeff graduates this year. Gareth's got, what? A year and a half? Me, I am army-crawling my way toward a D in Ms O'Donnell's,' he explained, slowly walking towards where Belle was still standing; the smile never once faltered on her face, and he couldn't help but wonder if she might just stay with them rather than heading to drama. 'If I don't blow her final, I'm gonna walk that stage next month, I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I'm gonna flip him the bird. I'm gonna snatch that diploma and I'm gonna run like hell outta here.'

The table and Belle laughed.

'Didn't you say that last year?' asked Gareth.

'And the year before that,' chimed in Jeff, a smirk on his face as Eddie ran back towards them. He slung an arm around Belle's shoulders.

'Yeah, yeah, and I was full of shit,' Eddie said, leaning on her to be a little closer to the table. 'This year's different. This year is my year. I can feel it. '86, baby. You know what that means?' The others shook their heads, and Eddie detached himself from Belle to walk towards the youngsters. 'It means you boys are the future of Hellfire. I knew it the moment I saw you. Sat on that table right over there, looking like... looking like two little lost sheep. You were wearing a Weird Al T-shirt, which I thought was brave.'

'Thank you,' whispered Dustin, and Eddie could see the concern glinting behind his eyes.

'Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mommy bought you from the goddamn Gap.'

The others chuckled; Eddie let the sound go on for a second before hauling the two youngsters up by the scuffs of their necks.

'And we showed you that school didn't have to be the worst years of your lives, right?' Eddie asked, attention straying briefly towards Belle. There was a slight frown on her face, one he hastily looked away from.

'No,' the boys said, shaking their heads.

'No, no. Well, I'm here to tell you that there are other little lost sheepies out there who need help. Who need you.' He pulled them back around to face him. 'And all you guys gotta do is get your Bo-Peeps on and go and find one.' He pushed them away. Dustin stumbled slightly towards Belle, who just about caught him to right him.

'You sure you can't make it tonight?' he asked as he moved away from her.

'Would if I could,' she said.

'Next time?' Eddie asked, the old question bringing with it some mild concern. He hadn't uttered those exact words to her since the day before her disappearance, scared that it might just mean she'd go again. If he'd have known that she would disappear afterwards he would have tried to encourage her to come, because what if that was the thing that had kept her in Hawkins? He doubted it would have been, but the question and her promise of a reply always made him wonder.

A small smile quirked her lips, and he could have sworn there was genuine apology behind her eyes. 'Next time,' she vowed, offering them a slight wave before she headed off to the same drama room they'd later frequent, but very much not with Hellfire.

'Did Peter and his Lost Boys kidnap you?' Mia asked as the drama room door opened softly. She didn't need to look up to know it was Belle; the cast were probably all taking the day off completely, meaning she'd need to work them twice as hard in the first rehearsal after break if they were going to make up for lost time.

'Who is actually Hook in all of this? Higgins?' Belle countered, her lack of answer was answer enough.

'Possibly,' Mia said, finally looking up from the set piece she'd been painting. Belle dumped a paper bag on the floor beside her before shifting to sit on the table that Hellfire had already put in the middle of the spare drama room. 'Though, I've not actually considered who that makes Wendy.'

Belle groaned as she grabbed an apple from her own bag.

'Anyway, you could've stayed with them,' Mia noted, absently rubbing her temple. She could feel another headache pulsing to life behind her eyes, but she couldn't have another dose of painkillers for a little while.

'You OK?' Belle asked, head tilted a little to the side, blue eyes shining with concern.

'Headache,' Mia told her. 'Third today.'

'Third?!'

'It's nothing,' Mia said hastily, rooting through the paper bag for the sandwich she knew would be there. 'Just... I think it's stress or something.'

'Guilt.'

Mia's attention snapped to Belle. Her voice was deeper than it should have been; accusation seeped through the single word.

'G – guilt?' she stammered, Mia's heart thundered against her ribs.

'You couldn't save poor Billy, just like with Santos.'

Mia's throat was dry, unable to give voice to her questions. Nobody knew about Santos, even Luis wasn't entirely sure –

Belle's eyes flashed white; her lips pulled back into a sneer that looked so wrong on her face it sent alarms clanging through Mia's head. Belle jumped delicately from the table, and Mia hastily got to her feet. The girl was still somewhat shorter than her, but her movements seemed to fill the space. There was threat behind every step, behind the flash of teeth and the intensity of her attention.

'You're a coward, Ximena,' Belle spat, stopping when they were toe-to-toe. 'It should have been you.'

'No,' Mia whispered, desperately trying to remind herself that it wasn't true. That none of this could be true. Despite the fear clawing up the back of her throat, the closeness of the smaller young woman that usually made her one of the least threatening people around, Mia forced her eyes closed. 'That's not true.'

'Ximena?'

Mia blinked, gaze skittering around the room, desperately seeking out what she had seen. But she was still on the floor; Belle was now in front of her, easing herself to sit cross legged, a mirror of Mia herself.

'You're OK.'

'What happened?' Mia asked, hand moving tentatively back to her temple. It had felt so real, and yet she knew it couldn't have been. Belle couldn't have known about Billy, and she certainly couldn't have known about what happened to Santos. It had been almost eight years since that day in the store. Since her whole life had been thrown into upheaval.

'I don't... I'm not sure,' Belle admitted, her voice shaking ever so slightly. 'I... I'm here for you. You know that, right?'

Mia let out a long, slightly shuddering breath and pushed her glasses up to rub her eyes. Despite the fact Mia herself had never done anything to properly dissuade Steve from picking on Belle when they were younger, Belle didn't hold it against her. Mia still felt the claws of guilt clutching at her heart though, especially in moments like these when the inherent goodness of Claribel Barrow seemed to be in full force. But where would she even begin with explaining everything that had happened the previous summer? Between Russians, learning about the Upside Down and Eleven's powers, she didn't know where to start. All of it sounded mental.

'Thanks,' she said instead, knowing now what Steve must have had to consider when he learnt the truth, when she kept pestering him to find out what exactly it was that had caused him to be different. 'The sooner this year is over, the better.'

Belle shot her a small smile, one that Mia held onto in the hopes that it might dispel the image of the sneer; of the blank eyes.

'So,' Belle asked, voice sounding slightly too filled with cheer to be quite sincere, 'what do we still have to do before the Lost Boys take over for the day?'

Mia scoffed, and Belle's smile towards her was somewhat tentative. She just hoped that she could finish the school day without another headache once this one passed. That perhaps she could have a nap so her brain didn't come up with another threat from a non-threatening person before the big game.

The crowd was alive with noise; somewhere in the crush of people, Mia had lost sight of her parents and found herself being pulled to the side by Steve's hand wrapped around her wrist. People, who she swore she'd never seen so much as a crack a smile, cheered; strangers commiserated the loss, but couldn't help commending the last shot by Lucas Sinclair.

'Luis!' she called, spotting her brother's hands waving in the air.

'Xi!' he yelled back, fists pumping as he forced himself towards her. She glanced briefly at Steve, whose own attention was skimming the crowd; probably trying to find the young woman he'd brought to the match with him. She couldn't remember the name of his latest date, but she was glad he hadn't missed the game.

'You weren't awful,' she teased as her brother collided with her in a bone crushing hug. 'I might even tell people we're related again.'

Luis swore at her in Spanish as he pulled away. There was no hiding the grin on his face though; no ignoring the pride that radiated off him. It had been too long since he hadn't been picking a game apart post-match; too long since he hadn't been able to score because everybody else wanted a part of the glory too much to remember that he was on the team through talent. Billy Hargrove had been the cause of that.

'You did good,' Steve praised, reaching for his hand and pulling him in for a hug that consisted of a quick pat on the back before they parted.

'I might have had a reasonable teacher at one point,' Luis said, smirking his thanks.

Steve chuckled, but there was no hiding the pride behind his eyes. Mia knew that he didn't regret the times he'd played basketball in the garden with Luis over the years, even if sometimes she worried he'd only done it as a way of getting out of the house.

'Yo, Luis!' Patrick's voice somehow managed to raise itself above another round of cheers. Mia wondered if he'd ever thought about joining the drama club, but dismissed the idea. 'You coming?'

'Oh, yeah. I'll see you in the morning,' he said, before starting off towards his friends. Mia hastily caught the back of his shirt, causing him to awkwardly stumble.

'Car keys,' she told him sternly.

He shook his head ever so slightly before plucking them from the pocket on the side of his gym bag.

'Don't you – dare,' Mia said, awkwardly catching the keys he tossed to her. 'Have fun!'

Luis waved at her over his shoulder, and she knew he'd want her to let their parents know he was with the others. Not that they would have expected anything less. The post-match parties were legendary around Hawkins.

'So,' said Steve, causing Mia to look back towards him, 'if you've got the car and Robin doesn't have a way home...'

'Wait, I thought she was going with you?'

Steve's brow furrowed ever so slightly. 'Robin's great,' he admitted, smiling and waving in a way that assured Mia he'd just spotted his date amongst the throng of people, 'but not really a great person to have on a date. Unless –'

'And you can stop right there, Harrington,' Mia said quickly, her attention shifting briefly over her shoulders. Not that she should really have been too concerned about anyone hearing him, they were all too lost in the joys of school spirit to be paying attention to anything else. She probably could have admitted that she liked girls right there and nobody would have paid her a blind bit of notice.

He offered her little more than a shrug. 'I'm just saying.'

Mia heaved a deep sigh. She knew what he was trying to do, and part of her was grateful for it; but she also worried that she was crushing on Robin simply because she knew she liked girls too.

Not that that was when it had started.

'I know. Now, go have fun,' she told him, offering a small smile as his date arrived and latched herself onto his arm.

Steve hovered for a moment before nodding once, as if he was happy that leaving her in the crowd didn't make him an awful friend, and heading to the car. She could vaguely hear him talking about the game, about how he knew some of the people on the team, but his voice got lost in the crowd.

'Robin!' Mia's voice pulled Robin's attention away from her search of the crowd and towards her as a single focus point in an instant. Mia pushed her way through the throng of people, murmuring apologies and only once grinning broadly at somebody before continuing on her way. Robin awkwardly rubbed her hands on her pants, hoping to rid them of the clamminess that suddenly seemed to coat them. 'Do you need a lift?'

'I – Oh, um – I don't...' Robin spluttered before forcing herself to stop. She'd known that Steve couldn't take her home, no matter how awkward she'd thought the date looked from the side lines. But she hadn't actually contemplated how she was going to get home. She'd stayed at school that evening, so getting to the game hadn't been a concern. 'Belle might –'

'I can give you a lift,' Mia said, a small smile on her face and Robin wondered if the colour on her cheeks was to do with pushing herself through the crowd. 'If you want. Or I can wait with you.'

'A lift would be great,' Robin said quickly, hoping desperately not to offend Mia accidentally. 'Um, thanks.'

'No trouble,' Mia said, physically waving away the gratitude and motioning Robin towards the parking lot. 'I just... Just to warn you, I'm awful at taking directions.'

Robin scoffed. 'Is that why you're directing?' The words had barely come out of her mouth before she regretted them, she started spluttering, to try taking them back, but Mia's laughter cut it short.

'Yeah, I guess it might be,' she said, that smile on her face that Robin thought could illuminate the stage on its own.

'I'm awful at giving directions,' Robin said softly, feeling a smile curling the corners of her own mouth. 'So maybe, if we're both awful, it might make a kind of sense.'

'Maybe we'll get there in record time,' Mia said, motioning Robin to the right of a four-by-four and further away from the throng of people parked near the main building.

'But then we'd have to test it,' Robin said quietly, part of her hoping the words might get lost in the noise surrounding them.

'Try finding somewhere else.' Mia's voice matched Robin's; Robin's stomach squirmed at the realisation Mia wasn't turning down the option of a safe adventure with her. In fact, that she seemed quite happy to go for a drive with her. 'But maybe not tonight.'

'Yeah, no, of course,' Robin said hastily, her insides tightening slightly at the comment.

'Probably best not to drive too far with celebrations and all.'

'Oh,' Robin chuckled softly as Mia unlocked her car. 'No, makes sense.'

'But another time.' There was a soft vow behind Mia's voice that Robin couldn't help grinning at. She was just grateful for the darkness of the car's interior to hide the blush she knew was colouring her cheeks.

The familiar street was much darker than Belle had ever seen it. Her grandmother's house turned into a twisted version of that comfort she once loved. Vines snaked up the outside, reaching for the windows. It wasn't her first foray into the darker version of Hawkins, but it was the first time she'd been to this house.

She guessed it was all because of her going there in the waking world.

Belle took a step forwards, but her foot knocked against something. Her heart thundered, attention snapping to the floor. Another vine.

A shriek cut through the quiet. In the distance, she could see a slowly growing shape moving towards her. Something told her the growing silhouettes in the sky weren't there for a nice chat. She needed to be prepared. She needed a weapon.

Or, she needed to get away.

So Belle ran in the hopes that she might be able to take better stock of the situation. She headed towards the centre of town. Towards danger or away from it, she had no idea. But there were more spaces to hide that way. Better caught on her running route with multiple points of exit than in a house with only a few. Or even the school.

Belle stumbled. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to right herself, to not step on any more vines as the shrieking seemed to grow louder. Her feet refused to listen; instead she tumbled to the floor.

'No!' Axel's voice shattered the quiet. It was met by more shrieks.

Belle scrambled to her feet, not bothering to look at what she was doing, rather at Axel's back. His arms were spread wide, his attention on the sky as if that might just be the thing to help stop all this.

'Not her,' Axel said, his voice far softer this time. Despite the confidence he appeared to be going for, she could hear the waver of fear, of doubt. 'You said there were others.'

'Axel?' Belle asked tentatively.

He rounded on her, his eyes wild as he gripped her arms bruisingly. He bowed his head so that their faces were a little closer, if not exactly eye-to-eye. His face looked paler than it had before, tinged slightly demonically in the red light of the sky. 'You need to go.'

'If you say out of Hawkins again –'

'I'm serious.'

Belle's stomach knotted. The fear behind his eyes seemed real; the slight tremor in his lips as if he were trying to fight back another yell.

'Wake up,' Axel whispered, his grip tightening again.

'Wait, what about you?'

The red world shattered and Belle was met with the darkness of her room. She blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the vague fogginess that settled over her. It had been a nightmare. Just a nightmare. One of the ones the medication had never really put a stop to. One she knew was linked to Axel somehow because of that simple fact.

But what was going on with it all? Something had felt different this time, and not just because of Axel's palpable desperation for her to get out of there.

Axel? she tried, even though she couldn't feel the pressure of his presence.

A soft knock on her door drew Belle's attention that way. She shifted under the duvet, slowly sitting up as Tey gently pushed the door open. His face appeared in the gap, eyes closed but face angled towards her.

'You OK?' he asked in a soft whisper.

'You can come in,' she assured her brother, drawing her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. For once, she wanted to try speaking with Axel, but Tey was her priority over him. Every time.

Tey opened his eyes before making his way over; he paused only to pick up her teddy, Cambel, from the floor.

'Do you sleep anymore?' she asked as he sat at the other end of her bed, the mattress dipped slightly beneath him.

'You whimpered, Belle,' he admitted, carefully stroking Cambel's ear, his attention on the slightly ratty teddy. When had he become so threadbare?

'I'm sorry.'

'What for?' Tey asked, his attention snapping to her. He huffed out a breath. 'It's not your fault, promise.'

'Pretty sure you'd tell me that even if it was,' she said, gently pushing his thigh with her foot. 'Seriously, you OK?'

Tey rubbed his eyes wearily. 'Sleeping like all day yesterday didn't exactly help. I promise it wasn't you, though.'

'Maybe you shouldn't have driven six hours to get here,' she said, not able to look at him as she said it. She'd missed him, missed him more than she'd expected. She'd assumed it would have been easier, given the time she'd already spent away herself, but the house had felt too quiet without him there. Had it felt like that when she was gone?

'I had to be here, frangine. Yesterday was Mémé's birthday,' he said, voice little more than a whisper, as if saying it with any more force might send her spiralling. 'First one you've been here for and I know I was, like asleep, but...'

'Thank you.' Her voice was thick, but Belle refused to let the sadness overwhelm her. She'd been lost in her grief for a while before, drowning in the hopelessness that there hadn't been anything she could have done to save her grandmother. It still hurt, still made her chest feel tight if she remembered that day for longer than a few minutes. But it was bearable now.

Tey nodded, a small smile on his lips as he shifted so that he was sitting beside her, his legs stretched out as he rested his back against the headboard. It was a tight squeeze, especially now they were older, but it reminded her of late night horror reading sessions; evenings when their parents chastised them for watching movies meant for people much older than the both of them.

'So, what's college like?' she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

He chuckled softly. 'Oh terrible, would not recommend.'

A gentle prod to his ribs had Tey shifting away from her; a hand over his mouth to stop the yelp that might just wake their parents and have them worrying. He glared as he settled himself at the other end of her bed once more.

'I think you'd like it,' he said, a fond smile on his face that she knew had everything to do with how college was going.

Belle waved the comment away. 'How's it going for you?'

The smile on his face was something part of her had worried she'd never see again. Pure, unadulterated joy. So she tried to push the dream away, to ignore her growing concern for Axel, and instead listened to Tey as he told her about his second term at college, hoping that Hawkins wouldn't ruin any of it for him.