°🌟12🌟°

🌟CHAPTER 12🌟~°THE POLLYWOG°~

*🌟Third Person's POV🌟*

"Am I bullshit?" Steve asked. He was lying on Hailey's bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was dark, lit only by the soft glow of her bedside lamp.

Hailey turned to look at him, her expression softening. "No, you're not bullshit. Why would you even think that?"

Steve let out a deep, weary sigh, the sound heavy in the quiet room. "Nancy told me I'm bullshit. That she doesn't love me. And that we killed Barb." He left out the last, cruel part about her, still trying to process it all.

Hailey's blood ran cold. The anger she felt toward Nancy in that moment was a sharp, hot thing. How could she put that blame on him? How could she be so blind to everything he'd done? She reached over and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his and giving it a firm squeeze, forcing him to look at her.

"Steve, you are not bullshit. You're the furthest thing from it. You're one of the most considerate people I've ever met. If she can't see everything you've done for her over the past year, then she's blind. Because I've seen all of it. And that makes you pretty great in my eyes."

Steve was stunned into silence. No one had ever said anything like that to him. No one saw past the hair and the reputation except for her. She was the only one he could talk to, the only one who truly listened. They lay there for a long moment, just staring at each other, the air between them thick with unspoken things.

A sudden, urgent knock shattered the moment. "Hailey!!I need you!!! Like, right now!!" Dustin yelled from the other side of the door.

They jerked apart. Hailey slid off the bed and cracked the door open, slipping out into the hallway and closing it firmly behind her so her brother couldn't see inside.

"Why are you acting so sneaky? Is someone in there?" Dustin bombarded her with questions, trying to peer past her.

"No," she said, her voice a little too high. "And why do you need me at this time of night?" she asked, annoyed.

"Oh, yeah. Come on." Dustin didn't wait for an answer, just turned and ran to his room. She sighed and followed him.

Inside, Dustin was carefully taking his turtle, Yertle, out of its cage. Hailey watched, utterly confused. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Yertle. Temporary eviction, buddy," Dustin said to the turtle. He then picked up his makeshift ghost trap and dumped the contents onto his bed.

Hailey jumped back with a gasp of disgust as the slimy, polliwog-like creature landed on his comforter. "Dustin, what the hell is that thing?"

"I have no idea," he said, his eyes wide with fascination rather than revulsion. "But I found it in our garbage can."

"You hungry?" he asked the thing. Before she could stop him, he'd dumped his entire Halloween candy haul onto the bed beside it.

Hailey could only stare in horrified fascination until she remembered the very specific company waiting in her room.

"Uhm, I don't know what you're planning on doing with that thing, but you better figure it out, and fast," she said, backing toward the door. "So, if you'll excuse me, I'm tired. I'm going to bed." She gave a theatrical yawn and practically fled back to her room, closing the door and leaning against it with a relieved sigh.

"So, what did your brother want?" Steve asked lazily from her bed. He hadn't moved.

Hailey walked back over and lay down beside him, keeping a careful foot of space between them. "He just wanted to show me his new pet. Something he found in our trash can," she said, a shudder of disgust running through her.

Steve laughed, a real, genuine laugh that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Only your brother."

The sound of his laughter warmed her. They fell into a comfortable silence, the earlier intensity returning. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating from him.

"Thank you, by the way," he said quietly, his voice serious again. "For what you said before. I... I really needed to hear that."

"Hey," she said softly, propping herself up on an elbow to look down at him. "I only ever tell you the truth, Harrington."

He looked up at her, his brown eyes searching hers. The air grew thick and charged. He slowly reached up and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his fingers gently brushing her cheek. The touch was electric. Her breath hitched.

The moment stretched, fragile and perfect. He began to lean in, and her eyes fluttered shut...

*~*🌟*~*

The next day, Hailey sat on the bleachers in the gym, watching a casual basketball game. It wasn't serious, but it was entertaining. Steve had ended up sleeping over, and they'd come to school together, a fact that hadn't gone unnoticed.

Billy Hargrove had it out for Steve, constantly staying in his way, playing dirty. Steve grunted as Billy bumped into him, turning his back to shield the ball.

"Harrington, right?" Billy taunted. "I heard you used to run this school. That true?"

Steve ignored him, focused on the game.

"King Steve, they used to call you, huh? Then you turned bitch," Billy sneered, trying to get under his skin.

"Hey, maybe you should just shut up and play the game," Steve shot back.

It was a distraction. Billy stole the ball, and Steve ended up on the floor as Billy made an easy shot.

"Whoo!" "That's what I'm talking about! Whoo!" Tommy H. yelled from the side-lines.

"Steve?" Nancy's voice called from the gym doors.

Hailey didn't feel like eavesdropping this time. She stayed put, though she noticed Billy's eyes were now on her, a predatory gleam in them that made her shiver and simultaneously want to set his car on fire.

Outside, Steve's tone was cold. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? Where were you this morning? I missed first period," Nancy questioned, confused by his demeanour.

"I figured Jonathan would take you," Steve said flatly.

"Wha... What are you talking about?" she asked, her confusion genuine.

"Jesus, you really can't handle your alcohol," he stated, annoyed.

"Uh... You remember going to Tina's party last night, right?" "Yes." "And then what?" "I remember dancing, and... spilling some punch. You got mad at me because I was drunk... and then you took me home." Steve scoffed. "No, see, that's where your mind gets a little fuzzy. That was your other boyfriend. That was Jonathan."

"I don't understand." "It's pretty simple, Nancy. You were just telling it like it is," he said, gripping the towel around his neck, struggling to look at her. "What?" "Uh...apparently, uh... we killed Barb and I don't care, 'cause I'm bullshit... and our whole relationship is bullshit, and... pretty much everything is just bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. Oh, yeah, also, you don't love me. The only reason you're dating me is because Hailey is interested in me." He listed the offenses slowly, each one a nail in the coffin of their relationship.

"I was drunk, Steve. I don't remember any of that," Nancy said, trying to dismiss the damage her words had caused.

"So that makes everything that you said... It's what? Just bullshit, too?" he asked, not buying her act for a second. "Yes." "Well, then tell me." "Tell you what?" "You love me." "Really?" she asked, as if it were a stupid, childish request.

The gym doors banged open. "Harrington! Dude, we need you, man. That douchebag's killing us. Let's go!"

Steve stood in front of Nancy, waiting. She said nothing. "I think that you're bullshit," he told her, and walked away.

Hailey was on her way to her usual lunch spot when her walkie-talkie crackled to life in her bag.

"Hailey? You there?" It was Will's voice, tight with anxiety.

"Hey, my little wizard. Is something wrong?" she asked, concern immediately spiking.

"It's about Dart." "Dart?" "Yeah, Dustin's little pet." "What about it?" she asked, the image of the disgusting creature flashing in her mind.

"I think it's from the Upside Down. It looks exactly like the thing I threw up a month after I got back from that place. And it makes the same sound as the creatures I heard there," Will told her, his voice trembling.

"Will, are you sure?" Hailey asked, her own fear rising. "Yeah. They want to show it to Mr. Clarke after school." "Will, listen to me carefully. You have to find the strength to tell Mike during the day. You have to stop them after school. They can't show that thing to anyone. I'll head right over after school, okay?" she instructed, her mind already racing.

"Okay, I will."

She had just put the radio away when Steve joined her, looking like he wanted to punch a wall. "What did Nancy want?" Hailey asked calmly, unpacking her lunch.

"She doesn't remember anything that happened last night, which just makes all of it bullshit, too. How am I supposed to act like none of it happened just because she doesn't remember? And when I asked her to tell me she loves me, she just kept quiet," he rambled, the hurt raw in his voice.

Hailey listened patiently to every word. "Look, knowing you, you'll forgive her and feel bad about the way you talked to her. You'll probably go and apologize. But for once, Steve, try thinking about what will make you happy," she advised gently.

He fell silent, absorbing her words. They spent the rest of the lunch period in a comfortable, understanding quiet.

True to her word, Hailey went straight to the middle school after the final bell. She found the boys locked in the AV club room and a redheaded girl banging on the door. Hailey lightly pushed the girl aside and knocked firmly.

"You idiots better open up this damn door right now, or I'll kick it down," she stated, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Mike opened the door just a crack, enough for her to slip inside. When Max tried to follow, the door was slammed in her face. "Hello? Hello? Guys, come on. Can I come in yet?" she yelled, pounding on the door. "No!" Hailey and Mike yelled in unison.

Inside, the mood was grave. They were in the middle of explaining what Dart really was. "I don't understand," Lucas said. "What do you not understand?" Mike asked. "Will saw something that looked like Dart last year?" Lucas asked, trying to piece it together. "Kind of, but there was no tail," Will pointed out. "But then he heard it yesterday. The exact same sound," Mike added. "Why didn't you tell us before?" Dustin asked, speaking up for the first time. "I wasn't sure," Will admitted. "A coincidence," Dustin stated, clinging to hope. "Or it's not," Hailey said, moving to stand protectively next to Will.

"What if when Will was stuck in the Upside Down, he somehow acquired True Sight?" Mike proposed. "True Sight?" Hailey asked. "It gives you the power to see into the ethereal plane," Dustin explained. "Elaborate," Lucas sighed. "Maybe these episodes that Will keeps having aren't really flashbacks at all. Maybe they're real. Maybe Will can somehow see into the Upside Down," Mike said, laying out the terrifying theory.

"So that would mean..." "Dart is from the Upside Down," Hailey stated, the dread she'd been feeling all day solidifying into cold, hard fear.

"We have to take him to Hopper," Lucas said. "I agree," Mike said. Will and Hailey nodded in agreement. "No way! If we take him to Hopper, Dart's as good as dead!" Dustin argued. "Dustin, maybe he should be dead," Hailey told her brother, her voice firm. "How can you say that?" he asked, looking betrayed. "How can you not? He's from the Upside Down," Mike said with deadly seriousness. "Maybe. But even if he is, it doesn't automatically mean that he's bad," Dustin argued. "That's like saying just because someone's from the Death Star doesn't make them bad," Mike countered. "We have a bond!" "So, you're willing to get everyone killed around you because of a stupid bond? Because he likes nougat?" Hailey snapped, her fear making her voice sharp.

"No, because he trusts me!" Dustin yelled.

The creature in the trap began to screech loudly, and the box started shaking violently. It fell over. Mike grabbed a microphone stand, ready to attack. "Don't hurt him!" Dustin pleaded. "Only if he attacks." "Just open it already," Lucas said.

Dustin moved forward and opened the box. Inside, Dart had nearly doubled in size. "Holy shit!" They watched in horror as its back legs grew out. It growled, a low, menacing sound. "Oh, shit!" "No!" Dustin stopped Mike from hitting it. Dart leaped off the table and shot toward the door just as it was pushed open. It scurried between Max's legs and vanished into the hallway. "What the..."Max trailed off, stunned. "Oh, shit!" "Where'd he go?" Lucas asked, bursting out of the room. "What was that?" Max asked, utterly confused. "Dart!" "What?"

Hailey turned on the girl, her frustration and fear boiling over. "Nice going, Red! You just let him escape! You just couldn't see that you weren't wanted." The venom in her voice shocked everyone into silence.

"Why did you attack him?" Dustin asked Mike, but he was ignored. "Come on." "Don't hurt him! Don't you hurt him!" Dustin yelled as everyone split up to search.

Hailey took the girls' bathrooms, since the boys couldn't. "East is clear. No sign of Dart," Mike said over the radio. "West is clear, too. Will?" "South is clear. Lucas? Anything?" After a worrying pause, Lucas's voice crackled through. "Nothing here, man. Hailey?" "All the girls' bathrooms are clear. There's no sign of the little monster," Hailey reported.

"He's not a monster!" Dustin shouted back, his voice defensive and hurt.

The search continued, the urgency growing. "Guys...I found him," Will's voice came over the radio, tense and quiet. "Where?" Dustin asked immediately. "In the bathroom by Mr. Salerno's." "Copy that."

Hailey ran in that direction, meeting Mike and Max on the way. When they got to the bathroom, Dustin was already there. But there was no sign of Will. Or Dart.

A cold dread seized Hailey. She didn't care about the creature anymore. She needed to find Will. Now. He could be in danger. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to him again.

She sprinted through the hallways, her heart pounding. Then she saw him. He was standing alone in the middle of the soccer field, staring up at the sky. She screamed his name and started running toward him. Just as she got closer, she saw him—his body began to shake violently, frozen in place under the grey November sky.

*~🌟~*