Chapter 3: Holly Jolly

                                    

                                          
Chapter 3: Holly Jolly
A little while after El's reveal, the boys come up with a plan. Then they leave for the night, planning on meeting up here before school.
After another night sleeping in the fort, the boys come back while El's playing with the supercom. I am just sitting next to El, listening in to what the boys are saying.
"We just tell our parents we have AV Club after school. That'll give us at least a few hours for Operation Mirkwood." Mike explains.
"You seriously think that the weirdoes know where Will is?" Lucas asks. 
I do not know what weirdoes mean, but I can tell it is not nice.
"Just trust me on this, okay?" Mike replies harshly.
"Okay." Lucas surrenders.
Mike then asks, "Did you get the supplies?"
"Yeah." Lucas says, getting his bag. "Binoculars... from 'Nam. Army knife... also from 'Nam. Hammer. Camouflage bandana. And the wrist rocket."
"You're going to take out the Demogorgon with a slingshot?" Dustin asks sarcastically.
"First of all, it's a wrist rocket. And second of all, the Demogorgon's not real. It's made up." Lucas says. "But if there is something out there, I'm gonna shoot it in the eye," Lucas pulls back the sling and fires it. Thankfully it was not loaded. "and blind it."
Mike sighs and turns to Dustin. "Dustin, what did you get?"
Dustin pours out the contents of his bag, revealing multiple items. "Well, alrighty. So, we got... Nutty Bars, Bazooka, Pez, Smarties, Pringles, Nilla Wafers, apple, banana, and trail mix."
"Seriously?" Lucas asks. 
Dustin defends, "We need energy for our travels. For stamina. And besides, why do we even need weapons anyway? We have them."
"She shut one door!" Lucas argues.
"With her mind!" Dustin argues back. "Are you kidding me? That's insane! Imagine all the cool stuff they could do. Like..." Dustin goes and grabs one of Mike's toy. "I bet... that they could make this fly!" He turns to El and I and says, "Hey. Hey. Okay, concentrate. Okay?" He lets go and the toy clatters to the ground. "Okay, one more time." Dustin picks up the toy and says, "Okay. Use your powers, okay?" He lets go and it drops to the floor again.
"Idiot." Lucas mutters.
Mike comes and picks up his toy. "They aren't dogs!"
"Boys!" Mike's mom calls from upstairs. "Time for school!"
Lucas and Dustin hastily pack up their stuff and run upstairs. 
Mike comes over and says, "Just stay down here. Don't make any noise and don't leave. If you guys get hungry, eat Dustin's snacks, okay?"
"Michael!" Mike's mom calls.
"Coming!" Mike shouts back, before resuming his normal voice and looking back to us. "You know those power lines?"
"Power lines?" El asks.
"Yeah." Mike says. "The ones behind my house?"
"Yes." El confirms.
"Meet us there, after school." Mike instructs.
"After school?" I ask.
"Yeah, 3:15." Mike says. We just stare blankly at him, until he realizes we do not know when that will be. He takes an item off his wrist and puts it on El's wrist. "Ah. When the numbers read three-one-five, meet us there."