Things in Hawkins, Indiana were a lot different than they were since last November. Ever since the vanishing and reappearance of Will Byers, some people in town became more secretive. Some people like Frankie's neighbor Dustin Henderson. Sure, Frankie wasn't the most smartest person at school, but she could tell when someone was acting different, especially Dustin.

Before Will's disappearance, Frankie would babysit the Henderson boy every once in a while when Claudia would want to go out. Since Will's return, Claudia had Frankie babysit her son whenever she wasn't home. It was good on Frankie's wallet, but bad on Frankie's free time. Knowing that she could never disappoint one of the two women who raised her, Frankie would welcome Dustin into her home with open arms or vise versa.

Before Will's disappearance, Dustin and her would watch TV, play games in his room, or simply talk about their day to day lives. The twelve and sixteen year olds were very close and would tell each other everything. Dustin knew the details about her hang outs with Keith to her assignments in Chemistry. Frankie knew everything about Mike, Lucas, and Will to Dustin's secret code words on his walkie talkie. Since Will's return, it had been just Frankie sitting on the couch watching TV by herself as Dustin stayed in his room whispering to his friends so low she couldn't hear a thing.

Things between Dustin Henderson and Frankie Walsh would never be the same unfortunately, and Frankie would continue to stay in the dark until the day a dog from another dimension came barreling into her life.

Getting off the phone with Keith, Frankie sighed in disappointment. Her best friend had told her at school that he read the schedule wrong and they could hang out tonight, but he just finished telling her that someone called in sick and he had to cover for them. She had been thinking about what they'd do since he told her at lunch, and now it seemed as if Frankie's ideas went to waste. Getting up from her bed, Frankie trudged towards the front of the house as she heard the ring from the door bell.

"Oh, hi Claudia." Frankie said looking at her neighbor in confusion. Not sure why she was on her door step, the teenager noticed the scared and anxious look on her face coupled with a few tears leaking from her eyes.

"Claudia are you okay?" Frankie asked putting a hand on her shoulder. Claudia nodded and let out a sniff trying to swallow back tears.

"Mews is missing and Mr McCorkle said he saw her wandering around Loch Nora." Listening to the older women, Frankie looked at her in shock as she said Loch Nora which was a good couple miles away from their home. How did that fat domestic cat end up in Loch Nora?

"Would it be okay if you stayed with Dustin until I get back? I don't want him to be alone while I'm running around town." Claudia's face looked hopeful but still had traces of fear at the thought of her missing cat.

"Yeah, of course Claudia. Let me just get a few things and I'll be on my way over." She said comfortingly to her neighbor. Watching the older woman walk over to her car, Frankie closed the door and began to get ready to leave. Not thinking she would be spending her Friday night with Dustin, the girl let out a sigh as she slipped on her sneakers.

Walking out of her door, she made the small trek over to the Henderson residence. Leaves crunching under her steps, she furrowed her brows as she noticed circles of ham littering the porch. Opening the door, she was dumbfounded at the sight of Dustin decked out in protection pads complete with hockey goalie gloves and a hockey stick. Seeing the girl at the entrance of the house, Dustin felt sick.

"What the hell are you doing here?" His whisper was muffled by the mask he was wearing. Looking at him exasperatedly, Frankie scoffed.

"Your mom asked me to babysit, butthead!" She said loudly but was stopped by the giant mitt covering her mouth. Grabbing her arm, Dustin dragged her into the shed closing the door and looking through a crack.

"What are you doing?" She asked only to be shushed by the padded boy.

"Don't say a word and I'll tell you after. Just please be quiet." He whispered looking pretty scared. Noticing the truth to his words and knowing it wasn't just another prank, she nodded and gulped. Peeking through a different crack, Frankie squinted her eyes making out a black short haired dog walking out of the front door.

"We're hiding from a dog?" She whispered confused as ever. Dustin looked at her, basically begging her to shut up and she reluctantly did. Peeping back out, she could tell whatever it was that came out of her neighbor's house was not a dog. Backing up in fear as the thing lifted it's head to stare at them, Frankie shared a terrified look with Dustin. Both of them went to check again only to discover the thing was closer.

Breathing heavily, they both backed up into the side of the shed, hoping the thing couldn't see them. Hearing the unearthly growls of the creature come closer, Frankie almost fainted from shock. What the fuck was happening? What the fuck was that? Why the fuck- Frankie's thoughts were cut off at the loud scream coming from Dustin.

"What the fuck?!" She screamed out as he opened the door and began to chase the creature. Running after him still scared out of her mind, she quickly closed the door of the cellar as the creature was shoved inside by Dustin's hockey stick. Closing her eyes, still in shock, she gasped as Dustin began to talk.

"I'm sorry, you ate my cat." Looking defeated he laid his head against the metal.

"That thing ate Mews?!" Frankie shouted at the exhausted boy. Looking at him in shock as he made her stay there sitting on top of the cellar doors, she patiently waited for him to come back with a lock.

Trying to slow down her breathing, Frankie Walsh squeezed her eyes shut. This is all a dream, she thought to herself. You're just taking a nap and when you wake up, Keith will be waiting for you in his car and you two will go down town and watch A Nightmare on Elmstreet. Realizing that this wasn't a dream, Frankie looked up at Dustin as he strode back out in utter desperation.

"What was that?" She asked weakly. Dustin who just locked up the door, grabbed her hand and led her inside. Giving her a glass of water, he left her to her own devices as he went to his room. Coming back out of his room padless and with his walkie head set, Frankie's face turned green at the thing in his hands.

"I-is that," swallowing down her vomit she continued the question she already knew the answer for in hopes that she was wrong. "Is that Mews?" Looking at the girl solemn, Dustin gave her one nod. Falling down onto the couch, Frankie pulled the skin of her face back in nervousness. Filling up her empty water cup, she followed the boy out to the back yard where he began to burry Mews.

"Guys, this is Dustin again. Does anyone copy? This is a code red. I repeat a code red!"

Going around the house trying to get rid of the stench of the dead animal and the blood in his carpet, the two were busy. Not uttering a word other than going back on his walkie and trying to contact the guys, Dustin was freaking out. Frankie was also freaking out as well. In the less than five minutes she was at the Henderson, not even stepping foot into the house mind you, Mews was eaten, a monster almost killed them, and everyone has disappeared.

Hearing the bickering of Dustin and what seemed to be Lucas' younger sister Erica, Frankie walked into Dustin's room. Getting sick of Dustin's flakey friends who obviously knew more about this monster than her, Frankie grabbed the keys to her car and walked back into the room.

"Let's go." She said to the younger boy, already walking out of his room. Leaving a note for Claudia just in case she came back before them, Frankie slipped on her jacket and grabbed Dustin's backpack from the couch.

Arriving at the Wheeler's house with the directions of Dustin, they quickly got out of the car and ran to the front door. Ringing the door a few times, Frankie's frantic side came over her and she began to bang on the door.

"Your line has been busy for over two hours, Mr Wheeler. Do you realize this?" Dustin said still not believing it. Frankie waved hi as Mr Wheeler looked at her then awkwardly wrapped her arms around her body as he replied.

"Oh, I do realize."

"Is Mike home?" "No" "No? Well, where the hell is he?"

"Dustin!" She knocked his shoulders as he used profanity around an adult.

After realizing that none of the Wheeler kids were home, Frankie gave the man a fake smile and pushed the boy away as he cursed out Mike's father.

"Son of a bitch. You're really no help at all, you know that?"

Staying to apologize to the older man, Frankie watched Dustin walk up to her car.

"I really am sorry Mr Wheeler. Dustin's been having a hard day, his cat went missing and we really needed Mikes help."

Pausing as he took in the young girl, Mr Wheeler furrowed his brows. "Who are you?" Sticking out her hand, Frankie gave him a big smile.

"My name's Franny Walsh, but people just call me Fran or Frankie. I'm Dustin's neighbor and babysitter." She explained, feeling the conversation already finish. Ted Wheeler nodded before going back into his house. Frankie just shook her head and began walking towards her neighbor before noticing him talking to Steve Harrington

Wait what?

Watching Dustin walk away from Steve holding a bouquet of roses, Frankie tried blinking to make sure what was going on was real.

"You still have that bat? The one with the nails?" Dustin said opening the door facing Steve and looking towards Frankie who was walking towards them.

"Why?" Steve asked confused. Not as confused as Frankie was. When did Dustin start talking to Steve? Wait, a bat with nails? Frankie felt like she was falling deeper and deeper into this dream she was having. All she wanted was to wake up soon.

"I'll explain it on the way. Frankie meet us at my house." Nodding towards the younger boy barking orders, she ran to her car not sparing Steve a second glance. Watching Steve run to the drivers side of his, Frankie felt her hands sweat.

Okay, it's just a normal day, nothing different except the fact that you're about to go kill a monster with your thirteen year old neighbor and Steve Harrington, thats cool, she thought to herself as she drove to Dustin's house. Everything will be alright.

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