lovers rock

chapter 25

-y/n's pov-
"Hawkins!" El exclaimed, "we need to get to hawkins-"
"I know and we will." Mike assured her, "but right now we need to get you and y/n somewhere safe, there's gonna be people behind us."
"No mike!" El argued, "we need to get to hawkins tonight!"
"We'll never make it, that's over 2000 miles!" Jonathan butted in.
"We need to find a way!" El fired back, "if we don't, they are going to die."
"Who's gonna die?" Asked a worried will.

no response.

"el, who's gonna die?" Will repeated, even more anxious.

yet again no answer.

—————

trucks and cars sped past us as we stood at the gas station which was illuminated by false, artificial street lamps.
Jonathan was on the phone as I just blankly stared up at the starry night sky.
I let out a sigh of defeat whilst searching for the big dipper pattern the stars should form.
will had noticed I'd been a little distant so he came over.
"you alright?" he asked softly.
"yeah," I sniffed.
"come on, there's obviously something wrong now," he recognised there was an issue.
"it's just- just that there was this whole thing back in the desert about my dad being a scientist working there and-" another sigh escaped my lips, "and the soldiers killed him and I had to just watch him die.. I- I didn't even try and help him, and it's all my fault-" I rambled with teary eyes.
"y/n. listen to me," will spoke with a confident tone, "it was not your fault and, I'm sorry."
"I-it's okay," I wiped my tears with the sleeves of my jacket.
but then through the corner of my eye I noticed el wondering off so I decided to follow her.
she stared at an old sign about some scenic route, on the picture was a young girl getting a piggyback from what looks like her mother.
she then returned back to the group, me following in her footsteps.
"I have a way," she spoke which gained their attention, "a way to protect max from here."

—————

el drew a stick-woman with her finger on the condensation of the van window.
"this is max," she informed, "when One attacks he'll be in her mind."
she then drew two more figures who were in a circle attached to the
stick-woman's head.
"but I can do that too, I went into mama's mind, into Billy's. I can go into Max's, she can carry me to vecna, I can piggyback. I can protect her." she concluded, "from One, fight him from here."
"Mind fight," argyle smiled, "righteous."
"Wait so you actually think this could work?" Mike asked.
"A bathtub would help," El told him.
"Yeah," argyle said, "gotta be clean to enter the mind."
"Nah man, it's a sensory deprivation tank," I corrected him.
"We just passed a hotel, they'd have a pool," Will said.
"Yeah, but they wouldn't have salt," Mike reminded him.
"Well, how much salt we talkin' my dudes?" Inquired argyle.
"Depends on the size of the tub but a lot, that's for sure." Jonathan answered.
"Does 600 pounds suffice?" Asked argyle.
"You know a place that has 600 pounds of salt?!" Mike exclaimed.
argyle then stepped forward and began putting his arms around el, it seemed he was trying to measure her.
"yep! It'll work!" exclaimed argyle, ignoring everyone else's confused faces.
"what will work?" asked el.
"I know a magical place that has all you need, my brave little super-powered friend." Argyle smiled, "that mind fight is on!"
He then proceeded to get into the front seat of the car, "come on! Vámonos! let's go, pronto pronto!"

Everyone else then leapt into the van as the engine started with a roar and it pulled out onto the busy road.

—————

el's fingers interweaved and wrapped with strands of my hair as she gently played with it. it felt comforting having her by my side as grief still washed over me.

the van then bumpily skidded to a halt outside a surfer boy pizza restaurant.

one things for sure,

your mind obviously worked better when you were high.

because how else would've argyle came up with this great idea?!

el planted a soft kiss on my cheek, as I felt myself blushing I savoured the moment. she then grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers before leading me up to the restaurant, she too was a blushing mess.

"you gotta be shitting me," mike exclaimed as he gazed up at the vibrant yellow sign.

"trust me on this one my dudes," argyle lazily slurred with drunken, blood-shot eyes.