𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 / ❛ bad hiding spot, though ❜

[ episode one, the vanishing of will byers ]

Lydia's laughter echoed through the room, a bright symphony of joy as she triumphed once again in their card game. Alex's groan of frustration only fueled her amusement. "How do you manage to win every time?" Alex complained, tossing her cards onto the wooden floor in defeat.

"Ah, a magician never reveals her secrets," Lydia teased, raising an eyebrow playfully as she gathered her winnings.

Alex shot her friend a mock glare and flipped her the middle finger in jest.

"Dinner's ready, Lydia!" Mary-Anne's voice rang out from downstairs, signaling the end of their game. With a resigned sigh, Lydia knew it was time for Alex to head home once her mom returned from work.

As the door to her bedroom creaked open, Lydia's mom appeared, announcing, "It's 8 o'clock, time for Alex to head back."

Lydia left the scattered cards on the floor, rising to her feet as Alex shrugged on her coat. "I'll walk you out," Lydia offered, already darting out of the room and down the stairs with Alex hot on her heels.

"Wait up!" Alex called after her, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the hallway as they made their way to the front door. Mary-Anne followed them, observing as the girls dashed outside and Alex retrieved her bike.

"Will!" Lydia's mom called out, causing a boy on a bike to pause. "Will, ride home with Alex so you both aren't alone in the dark."

With a nod from Alex and a smile from Will, the two girls bid their farewells and Lydia shouted after them, "See you tomorrow!" A mere ssecond after, she raced back up the stairs to her bedroom window.

With a content smile, Lydia watched from the window as they disappeared down the long, dimly lit road that bordered the woods. It was a stretch of pavement without a proper name, but it was familiar territory, nonetheless.

"Dia," her mother's voice broke through her reverie, drawing her attention away from the window. "Time to eat, sweetheart."

Lydia tore her gaze away reluctantly, glancing back and seeing that Alex and Will's figures had now faded into the night. She saw a slight wind blow between the trees, but she ignored it and began to walk back towards her bedroom door.

.・゜゜・・゜゜・

With a piece of jam toast still in her mouth, Lydia darted around the kitchen, her light pink backpack lying open on the table awaiting its contents. She quickly stuffed her textbooks inside, expertly zipping it shut before slinging it over her shoulders, finally able to savor the taste of her breakfast. "Bye mom, love you!" she called out, dashing towards the front door in a blur of motion.

"Mr. Darwood!" she hollered as she spotted the familiar yellow school bus approaching. The bus slowed to a halt, the door swinging open to welcome her aboard. Lydia offered a grateful nod to the driver before stepping onto the bus, scanning the seats for her usual spot, but finding it empty—Alex was nowhere in sight.

Undeterred, she hummed to herself as she made her way down the aisle, her eyes scanning the faces of her classmates. "Lydia! Come sit with us!" a voice called from the back, and Lydia's face lit up with a smile as she recognized the familiar voice. With a skip in her step, she headed towards the beckoning voices.

Dia hopped off the bus, clutching the straps of her bag as her gaze trailed after the three boys on bikes who whizzed past her. The schoolyard was buzzing with chatter, the crisp air filled with the scent of fallen leaves and distant rain. Lydia tightened her grip on her bag, her eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Alex, bit she was no where to be seen.

With a shrug, she began to make her way towards the school building, her head swiveling in all directions in a futile attempt to spot her missing companion.

"Hi, Lydia," a friendly voice greeted her, drawing her attention. A girl with a warm smile stood before her, her eyes flicking down to Lydia's plaid skirt. "How are you wearing that skirt? Aren't you cold?"

Lydia glanced down at her outfit, offering the brunette a polite smile. "No, not really."

The girl chuckled, her eyes lingering on Lydia's attire. "It's pretty."

"Thank you," Lydia replied graciously, before continuing on her way, her path intersecting with a few small groups of students. In her distraction, she accidentally bumped into a curly-haired boy who was in a teal-colored jumper. "Oh, sorry," she muttered, seizing the opportunity to ask him a question. "Have you seen Alex?"

"Sorry, haven't seen her," Dustin replied with a shake of his head. Lydia nodded in understanding, but before she could take her leave, another voice cut through the air.

"Wait!" Mike's voice rang out dramatically, causing Dia to turn back with a giggle at his sudden outburst.

"Yeah?" she inquired, curious about the interruption.

"She might be with Will," Mike suggested eagerly, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Your mom said they rode home together last night, and they could've had a sleepover or something and be in class right now, or maybe they slept in or... you know."

Lydia's smile widened at Mike's enthusiastic explanation. "Yeah, maybe. Thank you," she said appreciatively, before finally making her way into the school building, her attention drifting away from Mike's direction.

Lucas watched his friend with a furrowed brow, baffled by Mike's sudden burst of energy and interest. "The hell is wrong with you, dude?" he muttered, perplexed by the uncharacteristic display.

Lydia began to walk in the school, her stomach twisted on knots. Alex never kissed school without a reason or without telling her. She hoped everything was okay.

.・゜゜・・゜゜・

"Should I stay or should I go," Lydia hummed softly to herself, her pencil tracing delicate lines across the corner of her notebook as she colored in a heart. Lost in her doodles, she bobbed her head to the rhythm of the song playing in her mind.

A sudden knock at the door broke her concentration, and she took a deep breath before rising from her chair. Straightening her skirt, she made her way to the door, her curiosity piqued. Opening it, she found Mike Wheeler standing on her porch with his bike, his presence unexpected. Mike stood on Lydia's porch, his brown hair tousled from the ride, and his usual bright eyes tousled with a glimpse of worry. Behind him, the early evening sky was a dull gray, threatening rain.

"Hi," she greeted him, a quizzical expression on her face. "Want some flowers? I don't know if you'll like them because their pink, but I pick out way too many"

"Oh, yeah—sure" he replied with a quick smile, appearing slightly out of breath. "You know how, uh—Will and Alex both didn't show up to school today?"

Lydia nodded, concern creasing her brow. "Are—you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Cool as a cucumber. Sorry," Mike stuttered slightly before regaining his composure. "Anyway, they were last seen down Mirkwood, and that road's kinda spooky. Me and my friends are gonna go look for them, and we thought maybe you'd want to come too, to help find Alex."

Lydia paused, processing his words. "Yeah, sure. When? My mom's working late tonight, so that should work out."

"Okay, great. Like, just after dinnertime. Since your mom won't be home, we'll just knock, if that's cool?"

"Yeah, perfect. Very cool," Lydia agreed, a small smile gracing her lips as she glanced past Mike to where his friends were poorly attempting to hide behind a tree. "Bad hiding spot, though," she teased, chuckling softly.

Mike's head snapped around to look behind him, and he shot his friends a glare before turning back to Lydia. "Sorry about that," he chuckled before heading off to scold Dustin and Lucas.

Lydia furrowed her eyebrows slightly, watching Mike walk away before shutting her front door, her mind already racing with thoughts of what just happened.

.・゜゜・・゜゜・

Lydia stepped out of her front door, the patter of rain accompanying her as she made her way to her bike. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas were already waiting for her at the edge of the road. Tying a green raincoat around her waist, she hopped onto her bike and pedaled towards them.

"Hi," she greeted softly, her eyes darting down the street below.

"Why's she here again?" Lucas squinted, earning a playful smack from Mike.

"She's helping. It's not just about Will, it's Alex too," Mike explained, shooting Lydia an apologetic glance. "Sorry about that."

Dia shrugged off the comment with a smile. "No problem."

As they all mounted their bikes and followed Mike towards the edge of Mirkwood, Lydia pondered why the boys insisted on calling it that. Nevertheless, she focused on the task at hand.

"Will! Alex! Byers!" they called out repeatedly, the rain soaking them to the bone. Lydia's raincoat proved to be a wise choice, though she couldn't shake off the chill entirely. Still, she persisted in yelling out.

"I've got your X-Men 134!" Dustin shouted, prompting a puzzled look from Lydia.

Their torches pierced the darkness, but only leaves greeted their search. "Guys, I think we should turn back," Dustin suggested, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Seriously, Dustin? If you want to be a baby, go home already!" Lucas retorted.

"He's right, it's getting worse. But we should still try to find them," Lydia chimed in, ignoring the rain blurring her vision.

"Exactly! We're being realistic, Lucas!"

"No, you're being a big sissy!"

"Did you ever think that Alex and Will went missing because they ran into something bad, and now we're going to the last place they were seen? Without any weapons or anything?" Dustin interjected, his voice wavering.

"Please—don't say that," Lydia stuttered, her arm brushing against Mike's as they moved forward.

The rain was relentless, each drop a cold sting against Lydia's skin. The forest was alive with the sound of water hitting leaves and the squelch of mud underfoot. Every shadow seemed to move, and it made her heart beat faster.

"Just saying, does it sound smart to you?"

"Shut up, shut up," Mike hushed them, holding out his arms protectively. "Did you guys hear that?"

A rustling in the bushes made Lydia flinch, her gaze fixating on the noise. "It's okay—just stay calm," she reassured the boys, taking a step back. Another rustle, and this time, someone emerged from the foliage.

The girl's silhouette seemed to dance with the flickering light, her movements fluid and graceful despite the storm raging around them. Raindrops cascaded down her figure, tracing delicate lines along the contours of her face and casting an ethereal glow upon her features.

As their eyes met, Lydia felt a surge of curiosity mingled with confusion. Who was this girl, and what was she doing here in the midst of the stormy woods? There was an air of mystery about her, a silent invitation to unravel the secrets she carried within.

For a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still as Lydia and the mysterious girl locked eyes, each silently searching the other for answers. In that moment, amidst the chaos of the storm and the darkness of the woods, Lydia couldn't help but feel a strange connection to this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere.

.・゜゜・・゜゜・

word count : 1887

day published : 29/12/2024

naomi speaks...

MIKE FIC BC HE'S SO UNDERATEDDDDDDDDD

.・゜゜・・゜゜・