Cassie sighed in defeat, "Yeah, it's my dad. He's getting worse and the doctors say there's nothing else to do for him."
Hilarie shook her head disappointingly as she swung her arm over Cassie's shoulders. Cassie closed her locker and the two girls began to head to class. Little did they know, someone was listening and that someone was max mayfield. 
Her locker was only a few down from Cassie's. She closed her locker and watched the two friends head to class before going on her own.

• • •

Dart was caught and he was brought back to Dustin's house after the whole Will thing. He hid dart somewhere in his house to keep from his mom, which was working out alright for the most part. Then he abruptly woke up, turned to his digital clock and realized how late he was to school.
"Shit." He mumbled as he quickly got out the bed. 
He had to quickly get dress, brush his teeth, wash his face in a max of fifteen minutes he hoped. The last thing he had to do was feed his cat, mews. As he left the bathroom, he began to call for her. He slowly made his way to the living room, still calling for her then he heard noises.
He followed the noises to behind a chair that was in the living room. He found dart eating his cat from the inside out. He quietly stepped back and once he was out of sight, he rushed back to his room. 
Dustin padded and geared up. He quietly snuck out of his room and headed back to the living room. He hid against the wall mumbling, "Justice for you, mews." Dustin took in a deep sigh before charging at dart, "AHHH!" 
He began to swing his hockey stick. Dart began running and dodging. Soon the front door was open and dart ran out with Dustin still chasing after him. As they both ran, Dustin decided to trap it. So when dart hid to plan their attack on Dustin, Dustin went and opened the shed. He had an idea of his own: trap dart. Then he hid behind something, waiting for dart to come back out of hiding. 
Dart slowly began creeping out and not only a second later did Dustin began charging at him again. He managed to lunge and hit dart into the storm cellar. Dustin then took his hockey stick and entrapped dart by putting the hockey stick through the handles of the doors to prevent it from opening. 
The Henderson boy was finally able to let out a sigh of relief but he still didn't know what to do with dart. It wasn't like he can keep him now. So he thought of the one person who could probably help — Steve.

• • •

School was finally out and everyone noticed that Dustin never made it. The party was together with Ben, hilarie, Cassie and max. They had their walkie talkies with them and when Dustin began reaching them, he told them to meet him at the junkyard. 
All of them got on their bikes or hitched a ride with one of them who had a bike and began to peddle their way to the junkyard. They asked no questions, just went. Approximately a half and hour later, they all made it only to find Dustin and Steve planting meat or whatever they were tossing on the ground everywhere. 
"You said it was an emergency. What's up?" Lucas approached Dustin with the group behind him.
Steve made his way over to the group as well. 
"Who the hell is this guy?" Cassie looked to the boys for an answer with a pointed finger at steve. 
Steve ignored her, "We need your help catching the demogorgon."
Cassie intervened yet again, "The demo—what?"
"We don't know what you're talking about dude and we don't know you. So no, we will not help you." Hilarie smiled towards the end. 
As Steve began to continue to speak and argue with hilarie, Dustin kept thinking and thinking. He thought it was time that everyone knew about what was going on because honestly — the more help they could get, the better the outcome. Maybe?
Dustin interrupted Steve, "I think we need to talk. Just the party members and Steve."
Once the party members departed from the rest, Dustin proposed his idea that they should tell Ben, max, hilarie and Cassie about what's really going on. Steve had no objection but unlike everyone else — mike did. He expressed how stupid it would be to put others in unnecessary danger when in reality, he just didn't want any new party members. But it was 1 to 4, so the majority won.
Dustin called the others over and began to tell them about the dark side of Hawkins. He excluded everything about Will but told them the other stuff. Once he concluded, hilarie burst out laughing.
She continued to chuckle, "You expect us to believe that? The supernatural isn't real."
"We're telling the truth!" Lucas exclaimed.
"That your game board came to life?" Hilarie scoffed, "I know y'all are stupid but this is a whole new level."
Dustin turned to Steve, "Help us out here, man."
Steve sighed, "You have to see it to believe it."
Cassie approached him, "You're what? 18? And still believes something a four year old should?" 
Dustin and Lucas sighed in defeat.
"Told you they wouldn't believe us." Mike muttered under his breath as his arms were crossed over his chest.
Ben, hilarie, Cassie and max all began to head the other direction. They didn't believe any of what the others were saying. Which was understandable because who would? 
"Fine!" Dustin exclaimed, "But Steve's right! You have to see it to believe it! If you're willing to take the risk, be back here tonight at 9!" 
Guess it was up to them now.

• • •

Everyone went back to their houses, pondering over what Dustin said. Hilarie went home with Cassie though. They wanted to hangout for a bit. Hilarie had dinner with Cassie and her family. Quickly after dinner, the two ended up in Cassie's room. They looked through magazines and chatted. Then eight-thirty came and Cassie began to think. 
She stared at the clock as hilarie read some magazine. She thought about what Dustin said and she was considering it.  She wanted to help and she wanted to see if it was true or not. 
"It's eight-thirty." 
Hilarie closed the magazine, "Don't tell me you're considering." She tossed the magazine on Cassie's bed.
Cassie shrugged, "It could be fun — adventurous."
Hilarie chuckles, "So you're a nerd now?"
Cassie just rolled her eyes as she slipped on her shoes. She grabbed her house key off her bedside table and began to head downstairs. Hilarie followed behind and the two told Cassie's mom that they were heading out but hilarie wasn't going to go to the junkyard. She went home instead.
Cassie didn't have a bike of sorts, so she relied on her feet and legs to get her there as quick as possible. It was dark, real dark but she was vigilant her whole way there and by the time she got there, steve was removing the lids off the food.
It was game time.




to be continued . . . 




















                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
a/n:
any predictions for the
first act with any of 
the characters?