Chapter Seven | The Funeral

"Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there, I did not die"

- Mary Elizabeth Frye

Melissa could only stare at her reflection, as she carefully adjusted the collar on her coat. She surveyed the black ensemble that was on her body. The mood in her home was somber. Everyone hardly spoke. Her parents were bereaved over the fact that they were about to attend the funeral of Will Byers. It only made them even more grateful that their children were alive and safe.

Except, according to Mike, Will was alive.

She's had the entire night to simmer on the new information, yet, she still had no idea if there was credence to the claim. She wasn't at the school when the kids heard him on the radio. Nor was she with Mike when El supposedly channeled Will through the Super Com. Melissa was still beating herself up from leaving Mike last night. The only thing she had to go on with was Mike's word. Despite her own reluctance, Mike was rather adamant. Besides, why would he lie about that?

There was a soft knock at her door.

"Yeah?"

The door opened, her mother peered in, offering a calming smile. "Everyone's waiting downstairs."

Melissa nodded. She fixed the sleeves of her coat then exited the room. When she made it downstairs, Mike, Nancy, Ted, and Karen, who was holding Holly, were all standing in the main hallway, along with the rest of her family. Chris agreed to stay home to watch the younger kids; Jessica, Laura, and Holly. Melissa approached Karen, who was holding a sleeping Holly in her arms. Karen gently handed Holly over to Melissa, the teenager gently rocked the sleeping toddler making sure to not wake her up.

The adults conversed for a few minutes, most likely trying to prepare themselves for the end of this terrible tragedy. Melissa, Nancy, and Mike could only stand in silence. All three of them exchanged glances between each other. This whole experience has been nothing but a bad fever dream. They just wanted it to be over.

"Alright, well, we should start heading out." Melissa's father quietly announced.

Melissa approached her brother and handed Holly over to him. Then, the group exited the house. Melissa got into the car with her parents, while Mike and Nancy rode with theirs.

The car ride was quiet, her parents only exchanged a few hushed words. At one point, Julie took hold of her husband's hand, trying to find some source of comfort. As a parent, this entire ordeal had been nothing but a nightmare. The level of paranoia she and all the other parents have been experiencing was crippling. Nothing like this ever happened in Hawkins. This was a small, safe town where everyone knew each other. No one was ever in danger of being taken away. Yet, it happened. The quiet, peaceful facade that this town has a reputation for, was no longer there. No one felt safe.

When they arrived at the cemetery, a decent sized crowd had already gathered. Through the window, she could see Jonathan with his mother and...his father? She quickly stepped out of the car, gasping when she realized that it was Lonnie. The one time he comes back is for the funeral of his son. Her lips cinched to the side, then she slammed the car door shut.

The family conjured together and made their way to the gathering crowd. Melissa noticed Dustin who was standing with Lucas and his family. She walked up alongside Mike, her hand resting on his shoulder. They took their place in the crowd, with Melissa standing behind the three boys, her hand never leaving Mike's shoulder.

The service was, well, a typical funeral service. The pastor said a few blessings that were to bring comfort for Will's family. Although, Melissa never knew how she felt about it all. With religion and God. As she looked at the other attendees, she could see a few of them nodding in approval at the pastor's words. It must bring comfort to them. She focused her attention on the three boys in front of her. Dustin was sneaking a glance at someone else. When Melissa followed his gaze, he was looking at a young girl who was definitely in their grade.

Dustin nudged both Lucas and Mike, then nodded in the girl's direction. "Wait until we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral."

Melissa pinched Dustin in the arm. When the kid threw a glance her way, she stared him down, silently telling him to be quiet. She placed her hand on top of his head and made him face forward.

When the funeral was over, the crowd began to disperse. Most of the parents spoke with Lonnie, offering words of comfort. Joyce seemed lost, not able to communicate with anyone. Melissa had the urge to just tell her, right then and there, that Will was possibly alive. She wanted to ease the pain this woman was living with. However, she couldn't confirm it. The last thing Joyce needed was false hope.

There was a reception that was being held at a small church close to the cemetery. Everyone was starting to make their way to the building. Melissa told Mike and the others to go, and that she would be there soon. When the boys were out of sight, Melissa could hear someone calling her name.

"Mel."

She turned to the source, seeing Jonathan and Nancy huddled a little further away. She approached the pair, making sure that no one would notice. There was a piece of paper in Jonathan's hand. "What is that?" she inquired.

"I was able to make some connections about the disappearances," Jonathan explained. Then, he motioned for the girls to follow him. He took them a good distance away and sat down behind a huge tombstone, each girl sitting on either side of him. "Okay, so the connections are about the locations where it's been. So, this is Steve's house where Barb went missing and where you two saw the thing. Then, this is where Will's bike was found, and this is my house."

"It's all so close," Nancy said.

"At least a mile apart from each other." Melissa pointed out.

"Which also means that this thing isn't traveling very far, it's keeping itself within this area."

"But that doesn't mean it won't start branching farther out," Melissa added.

Both girls looked at Jonathan, a wave of determination crossed his face. "You want to go find it, don't you?" Nancy asked.

Even though he didn't answer, Melissa could read the answer on his face. Her eyes widened at the idea. "Okay, and what are we going to do if we come across it?" Melissa pointed out the obvious. "It's not like we can go after this thing with our bare knuckles."

Jonathan studied the paper in his hands, memorizing each marking he had made. "We'll kill it." He stated, his voice was low.

Melissa hesitated, tilting her head as she looked at Jonathan. "With our fists?"

Jonathan huffed out a laugh and glanced over at her. "No, I got something better." He jumped to his feet and started making his way towards the line of parked cars. Melissa and Nancy, immediately, followed after him. Jonathan got into a car that neither of them recognized as Joyce's, so it must have belonged to Lonnie. He shuffled around in the glove box for a few moments. Melissa saw a shiny reflective surface, only to realize that it was a gun.

"Uh, are you serious?" She blurted out, immediately looking around to make sure no one heard her. She stepped closer to make sure she was correct in what she had seen. And it was. Jonathan was holding a gun.

Nancy shook her head, feeling herself starting to go against their plan. "No, I don't think this is such a good idea."

"What do you wanna do then?" Jonathan asked, rummaging around the glove compartment for a box of ammo. "Yell at it, or take pictures, if we come across it?"

Melissa stepped back to allow Jonathan out of the car. "Yeah, but a gun? I think we should probably come up with a different strategy." Melissa eyed the weapon he was hiding behind his back.

"It's the only thing we've got right now. It's better than using our bare knuckles."

Melissa eyed her cousin, who then stepped closer. "No, this is a terrible idea."

"Well, you can try and tell someone, but they're not going to believe you."

"Your mom would," Nancy argued.

"She has enough to worry about."

"She deserves to know."

"And I will tell her after we kill this thing."

"And you're so confident that we'll be able to?" Melissa argued. 'We still don't know what it is? And what if this gun doesn't even make a dent? Is our plan to just run like hell the other way?"

Jonathan thought on it for a moment before answer, "Yeah, maybe."

Melissa laughed in her own disbelief. This was insane, this was crazy. Melissa bit down on her lip, then stared down at the grass. This isn't their responsibility to hunt this thing down. The police should be the ones handling this. But, Jonathan was right. If they were to walk into the station saying there's some kind of monster out there, they won't take them seriously. Even though she didn't like it, their best option was to go after this thing...just the three of them. Alone. "Fuck," she carted a hand through her hair. For a small moment, she felt like a scared kid because that's exactly what she is. She's only sixteen. She should be worried about finishing off the semester, not monster hunting. "If we're going to do this, we're going to need more than just one gun."

Jonathan gave an unsure shrug, "what's your plan?"

A Plan...right, what was her plan? They needed more weapons, one gun wasn't going to be enough. That's when it hit her. Melissa's father always kept a handgun in a toolbox in their garage. She's seen where he hides the key. Melissa nodded, liking how it was starting to unfold in her mind. "My father has a gun that I can retrieve." Melissa could feel Nancy's eyes on her, but she ignored it. "Nancy and I will...suit up, I guess. Then, we'll go out there and find this thing."

Nancy could stare helplessly at her cousin. Oh, this was a bad idea. They were in way over their heads. "Where should we even start?"

Prompted by Nancy's question, Jonathan did a quick look over the makeshift map, then pointed at one of the markings. "We'll start near Steve's house, where you two saw it, then we'll branch out from there."

The three teenagers spent most of the duration plotting out their terrible plan. Melissa and Nancy continued to voice their doubt, however, neither of them could come up with a better plan. In the end, they reluctantly agreed to go along with it. They had agreed to go home after the services, then Jonathan would pick them up from Nancy's house. In the meantime, all of three of them were to gather as many supplies as they could, or as much as they saw fit.

By the time they joined the rest of the funeral goers at the church, Melissa and her family were ready to leave. Mike approached her as their family began to head for their cars, "Mel," he slowed down until he was walking beside her. "I need you to come over once you get home, there's new information we need to tell you."

Melissa nodded silently before ushering her cousin forward, having barely paid attention to what he'd said. "I'll see you there." She quickly whispered to him before getting into her parent's car.

Thirty minutes later, Melissa was sitting at the game table in Mike's basement. Eleven was laid out on the couch petting Harley who was laying down next to the couch. The teenager was spaced out, her eyes focused on the distance, completely lost in her thoughts about Barb and the absurd plan she, Nancy, and Jonathan conjured up after the funeral.

We're gonna get ourselves killed. She wiped at her mouth and huffed out a breath. This is the stupidest idea, ever. Seriously, what were they hoping to accomplish? Right, to find a freakish being that's been hiding in the woods this entire time. Best part, she's not even sure how to stop the damn thing...they don't even know what it is. She washed a hand down her face, a groan became stuck in her throat.

"Mel,"

She turned her attention on the three boys, who were standing on the other side of the table, all three of them staring at her with wide eyes. For a moment, she regarded each of them before shrugging her shoulders. "What?"

Mike rolled his eyes before saying, "did you hear anything of what we just said?"

"Uh," she paused, her eyes downcasting in her attempt to recall what the boys were talking about. Her damn thoughts kept taking her focus away. "I-I don't know." Each of the boys sighed, prompting her to give them a look. "Just run through it again for me," she gestured for them to do so. "I promise, I'll listen this time."

Mike held up a notebook that was showcasing a simple drawing he had done earlier. "We asked Mr. Clarke about alternate universes," he used a pencil to point out the different images. "The rope represents reality in general, and this is us." He moved to point at the stick figure, "We're standing right side up, this is our universe and we can go forward and backward, then there's the flea," her eyes moved to the small speck Mike was now pointing to. "A flea can go front and back, but it can also go upside down." Mike paused to glance at Melissa to make sure that she was actually paying attention this time. It took a moment, but she nodded for him to continue. "So, we asked him how we would get to the other side...the upside down."

"Right, so," Dustin took the reins at this point. "He said that we would have to create a massive amount of energy to create a tear in our reality, and that is how we create the doorway into the next dimension."

"Okay," Melissa nodded slowly, ensuring that she fully understood what the boys told her. "So, the only way for us to get there is to create a tear in time and space."

The boys nodded.

"Uh huh," she crossed her arms over her chest. Yeah, like that was a probable thing for them to achieve. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that?"

"Well," Dustin hesitated, then grimaced. "We're not exactly sure."

Of course, they wouldn't. Melissa glanced over at Eleven, who was still busying herself with petting Harley. "El," the young girl tiredly looked up at her. "Do you know how to make a doorway to the upside down?"

Eleven shook her head.

Melissa nodded, then asked, "Do you know any other way to get there?" Again, Eleven only shook her head. Melissa could only nod quietly. "Figured as much." She leaned back in her chair and buried her face into her hands. This got them nowhere. It only brought on more questions and confusion.

"What are supposed to do now?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know," Melissa spoke, her voice muffled behind her hands. She centered herself, feeling every bit of exhaustion wash over her. "But you boys are not to do anything."

"Oh, come on!" They all complained.

"Uh, excuse me?" She tilted her head to the side, effectively silencing all three boys.

"He won't get found in time if we are always just staying here," Mike raised his arms, gesturing around them in the basement. "We want to help… we need to help."

"I get that Mike, I really do. But I'm keeping the secret about El from everyone. I should have been the responsible one and told your mother, but I didn't. I can't let anything happen to you."

"Nothing is going to happen to us," Mike replied, his voice going quiet, he wasn't even sure about the validity of his own statement.

Melissa stared down at her watch, leaning up in her seat when she saw the time. She needed to meet with Nancy in less than an hour. "Listen, I have to go."

"Where are you going?" Dustin asked her, his brows furrowed in questioning.

Melissa grabbed her coat and slowly shrugged it on. "I have something that I need to take care of. Besides, I'm the adult, remember? Which means I don't need to tell you anything if I deem it unnecessary."

"Well, that's a really unfair, shit thing to do." Dustin's comment only made the teenager stare at him with her mouth open agape.

She shook her head and whistled for Harley's attention. He sat up and Melissa clipped on his leash, Melissa noticed the sad look on Eleven's face. "You'll see him again," she quietly assured the young girl. She turned to the door then stopped and slowly turned to look at the boys. "Listen, all I want is for you boys to be safe. If, by chance, you all go out for some reason make sure to stick together and don't let anyone out of your sight."

All of their faces lit up, prompting her to smirk in response. They read between the lines. They were allowed to go and look for Will, so long as they stick together and not get themselves into trouble. As long as they abided by those simple terms, everything should be fine.

That's what she hoped for. However, as she stepped out of the Wheeler's basement, she felt like she had just made a big mistake.

Melissa opened the cabinet door, her eyes scanning for a faded, red toolbox. She moved other boxes until she found the red one, sitting at the back of the cabinet. Taking a moment to ensure no one was around, Melissa quietly pulled the box out and tucked it under her arm. She locked up the cabinet then snuck back into the house.

In her room, she packed the necessities: bottles of water, snack bars, and ammo. Melissa felt a chill run down her spine as she picked up the gun. She knew how to use it rather well. Chris had taken her to shoot empty cans, several times. Something that her parents never found out about, and she was happy to keep it that way. Knowing her parents, they would have a heart attack if they learned that she knew how to use a gun. Next on the list: getting out of her funeral clothes and into something more comfortable.

After shrugging on new clothes, Melissa zipped up her backpack and strode out of her room. Chris was in his room, Jessica and Laura were at a friend's house. She stopped outside his room and knocked on the door. "Hey, Chris?" She waited for a response and could hear a low hum. It sounded like he was sleeping. "I'm going out for a few hours, I'll be soon." She craned her ear to the door and could hear a small groan of acknowledgment. Melissa waited for another moment then quietly made her way downstairs. Harley was quick to greet her, his tail wagging excitedly, thinking that he was going somewhere.

"No, sorry buddy, you can't come with me." She gave him a pat on the head then headed for the front door. She opened the door and nearly screamed at the image of someone on the other side. Melissa inhaled sharply, effectively startling Steve, who was just about to knock on the door. Once she calmed down, Melissa stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just," Steve scratched the back of his head, realizing how awkward it was for them to be seeing each other. "How was the funeral?"

Melissa could only scoff. "Like you give a shit." She pushed past Steve and started for Nancy's house, intending on meeting her on time. Thinking that Steve would take the hint and leave her alone. Of course, she was wrong.

"I'm not some heartless asshole, Hughes," Steve said, following after her.

She rolled her eyes at his insistence. "Heartless, maybe not. Asshole, definitely." She glanced back, seeing that he was following her, then paused to turn to him. "What do you want?"

Steve's shoes skidded against the gravel as he came to a halt. He wasn't prepared for her to stop so suddenly. "I was hoping to talk to you about something."

Great. "Well, make it fast, I have somewhere I need to be." She took another glance down at her watch, she had about five minutes to get to Nancy's.

Steve took a moment to eye her backpack, and his curiosity got the better of him. "What's with the backpack?"

"None of your business." She snapped. "Now tell me what you need to so that I can go."

Steve could only roll his eyes at her insistence but went on. "Have you noticed that Nancy has been acting a little...weird lately?"

Her entire body tensed. "What makes you say that?"

"I just visited her, seeing if she wanted to go see a movie tonight and she was just...acting a little different. I thought maybe you might know something."

Shit. Melissa chewed on her bottom lip, trying to come up with something that would satisfy Steve enough to leave her alone. "Well, our best friend is missing, so excuse us if we're feeling a little odd lately."

Steve went quiet, which was rather surprising for her. He usually would have some sort of witty comeback. Instead, he looked a little solemn...guilty even for how he approached her. "Have the cops found any leads yet?"

"What does it matter to you, Steve?"

"Listen, you just said that I wasn't heartless. And you're right. I really wanna know. So, have they found anything yet?"

Melissa scratched at her forehead and huffed out a breath. "No, they haven't found anything. At least, I haven't heard anything new. They still think that she ran away, no matter what, I can't convince them otherwise."

"I'm sorry."

That was weird. Steve's apology actually sounded...genuine. Her eyes narrowed at him, unable to believe that he was actually being nice to her. She did admit not long ago that he wasn't heartless, still, he's been a real jerk about the whole situation regarding Barb. This whole thing, him being nice and considerate, it was making her feel a little uncomfortable. Melissa cleared her throat, "Yeah, well, I just hope that they find her soon."

"Are you alright?"

"Really, Steve. Do you really care?"

"God, Hughes I can be a good guy sometimes. You don't always have to treat me as the bad guy."

She took a step back from his little outburst. Then, her feet kicked at the gravel, feeling a little bad for jumping the gun. Since it was a rarity for him to be so nice, she decided to indulge in it a little. "I'm...alright, definitely not the greatest, but I'm managing."

Steve gave an exasperated nod, wondering why she always had to be so difficult. "Okay, good. I'll let you go then." Steve gave her one last look, then said, "see you later, Hughes." He didn't want to stay much longer, especially if it would result in an argument between them. Neither was in the mood for it.

Melissa remained frozen, watching as Steve walked down the street. That was probably their nicest interaction...ever. He ought to be that way more often. She shook her head, adjusted the straps on her shoulders, and began the trudge to Nancy's home.

A/N: Hey everyone. HAPPY NEW YEAR! I know, it's been eight months since I last updated and I am SO SORRY. I literally lost all muse for this story and I was having a hard time finding my way back. I was already about halfway done with this chapter so I trudged through it. It's not the best and I do apologize for that. But I'm hoping that my muse will come back full swing soon. ALSO, have you guys seen that season 3 will be released on July 4th?! I'M SO EXCITED! Hopefully, I'll have both season 1 and season 2 completed beforehand, but we'll see.

If you all would be so kind and drop me some comments. It would really help with my muse. Hope you all enjoyed it! Until next time!