[ 𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚐𝚜 & 𝙳𝚒𝚛𝚝 ] ~ 𝙳𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚡 𝙾𝚌

XV - The One With The Nails

"Okay, okay-" Lucy shoved the phone into Dustin's hands, "You do it! She's coming! She's com-" 

"Shhh!" Dustin shook his head, laughing just as Ms. Henderson opened the door with an orange cat toy in hand. He snapped his head back around, his laughter abruptly coming to an end. 

"Dusty, baby, you're sure she's not in your room?" 

Dustin held a hand up to his mother, telling her to wait a moment while he finished his 'phone call'. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Thank you so much, Mr. McCorkle. Thank you so much. You are a true lifesaver. Alright, this was great. Thank you, alright, have a good one. Bye-bye now. Alright, you too." He put the phone down in it's place, turning to his mom. "Alright, great news."

"They found her?" Ms. Henderson's voice was shaken. 

"No. But they saw her, wandering around Loch Nora." Dustin walked closer to his mom. 

"Oh! How did the poor baby get all the way out there?"

"I don't know. Lost, I guess. But they're gonna look for her, and Lucy and I'll stay here, just in case they call again. And you're gonna go help look? Yeah?" Dustin asked, Ms. Henderson nodding with a hopeful smile. "Yeah?" He pulled her in for a hug, "Alright, give me a hug. Give me a hug. Go get her. You're gonna find her, alright?"

"Okay." She nodded, heading toward the door.

"We can find her." Dustin promised his mom.

"We can find her." Ms. Henderson agreed.

"I love you." Dustin blew a kiss.

"I love you." Ms. Henderson replied to her son.

"I love you." Dustin repeated.

"I love you."

"Alright, go. Alright" Dustin gave Ms. Henderson a thumbs up as she closed the front door, leaving the two teens in the house alone. Dustin's smile dropped. "You ready?"

"Why do we have to do this again?" Lucy scratched at her arm, following Dustin out the back of his house to the cellar doors. 

"He ate my cat!" 

Lucy sighed, "Yeah. . .I know." 

Dustin pulled open the doors to his cellar, looking down with a nod. "That should work." The two went back inside, Dustin pulling out some of his old hockey goalie gear from the winter. Lucy went to the fridge, pulling out the bulk container of bologna and bringing it over. She made a trail from Dustin's room all the way down into the cellar while Dustin put on the hockey gear. She ran back in the house to see Dustin already standing at his bedroom door, "Okay. . .You ready, Luce?"

The brunette sighed, coming up behind him. "He better not bite me." Dustin looked over her hoodie and jeans, he only had the one set of hockey gear that he could find so she was left otherwise unprotected. 

 "You'll be fine." He shrugged, his voice unsure. Dustin leaned closer to the door, "Alright, Dart. Breakfast time." Dustin slid the door open, the two immediately making a run for it. The teens both mumbled a strand of 'Oh my God's and 'Shit's on their way to the shed to the side of Dustin's house. They ran in, Dustin closing the green door behind them.

Lucy and Dustin both peeked through the breaks in the boards, watching for Dart. "Come on. Come on, I know you're hungry." Dustin gasped when they saw him coming through the back door, hoping down the steps.

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes." Lucy whispered, grabbing onto Dustin's oven mitt-ed arm. 

Dart chittered, following the bologna trail and eating every piece.