I wake up Squid with some toasted Pop-Tarts in hand. They sit up and nibble on them and I ask how they're doing. I sit across from them in my desk chair.

"I'm really glad that's over," they say, "I see why they call them 'Wobblers'."

"Where'd you get them anyway?"

"The dark web. Don't worry, it's not like the movies. But after this incident, I'm definitely done with it."

"Well, I'm glad you're putting this behind you. We should get ready for school."

"Do you—remember what we talked about last night?"

"Of course I do. Do you?"

They pause, "It's fuzzy."

"Well, we... just talked about God."

"Oh. Right. I think I remember something like that."

"And um—you mentioned another thing."

"I told you I have cancer didn't I?"

They sigh, setting their Pop-Tarts down on their lap.

"Can you keep that between us," They ask, "I don't want Delilah freaking out. It'd just break her heart. And I don't see why Lucy needs to know right now either."

"Of course. Your secret is safe with me."

They smile and lay their hand on top of mine. Then my phone vibrates. I take it out of my pocket and read the screen.

"Well, I gotta go let Delilah in. She just texted me," I tell them.

"Yeah, yeah go do that."

I leave the room and wonder why that was so awkward. When I get downstairs and open the door, Delilah is standing there with her cyan-blue backpack and invites herself in.

"Are they upstairs?" She asks.

"Yeah. In my room," I say. I texted her what was going on last night before going to bed. I also told her about what Lucy did, and she told me she had a bone to pick with her.

I try to close the door but something stops me from doing so. When I look to see what's wrong there's a black military boot in between the door frame and the door. I know who it is, but I have to check to make sure. Maybe it's just a soldier seeking solitude from some secret war in the mountains of Colorado.

Of course, when I open the door, it's not a soldier. It's a red-haired, blue-eyed woman with a formal white dress shirt on. Her hair is in a bun that sits behind her head, and her jeans—I never realized how there isn't a straight line when it comes to Lucy's legs. They flow and curve and weave.

"Come for my soul?" I ask.

"More or less," she responds.

She stands behind the threshold, looking around the inside of my house.

"Can I come in?" she asks.

"Now you're asking?"

"Right. About last night. I can get a little—well—dramatic with my beliefs. I'm a really emotional person. My emotions affect how I view the world and myself and vice versa. For as long as I can remember, I get a little lost in the throes of if. And I have to remind myself that that's not me. That I'm a person. I'm not sure if you understand or not."

"No—I—I completely understand. Throughout elementary, middle, and most of high school I struggled with knowing who I was besides this other man inside me. I wasn't really my own person. And honestly, I'm still not sure if I am."

"Our names don't really help."

We laugh.

"Yeah, that's tough," I say, "But we don't have to be them. I don't have to be a betrayer. You don't have to be a Devil. It's like we talked about when we first met."

"The only thing we have control of is right now."

"And right now Lucy, you can come into my house and support our friend Squid."

She smiles and enters my house. I then follow her upstairs and into my room. Delilah and Squid are talking before they both stop and glare at Lucy.

"Before anyone says anything," I start, "Lucy would like to say something."

Lucy looks at me and nods.

"I'm sorry about last night," Lucy says to them.

"What'd you do with the drugs," Delilah asks in a cold tone.

"In the ducts. Gone."

The room falls silent.

"If you wanna ask me ask me," Lucy says.

"Ask you about what?" Squid asks.

"I have achromasia. It's why I'm so pale. And I'm a red-head. It's all natural actually."

"Wow that's really interesting," Delilah says in the most sarcastic of tones. I shoot her a look and she throws her hands up in protest.

"Thank you!" Lucy says. We all look at her and she's smiling like a child that was just given some candy.

We all pile into my car and I start driving us to school. Delilah is in the passenger seat while Lucy is behind Delilah and Squid is behind me.

"Can I show you guys something?" Lucy asks.

"Sure," I say.

"Cool. Can I connect to your car speaker?"

I change the car radio to its Bluetooth setting and Lucy connects her phone to it. She then starts to play the first song Delilah sang to me.

"So while I was—um—really high I was working on Delilah's social media presence. Since a lot of people owe me for favors I did for them on YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook—"

"We get it you're the Devil," Delilah bellows.

"Right, well,'' Lucy continues, "I've gotten you some traction."

Then on the radio, Delilah's song fades into the background and a voice begins talking.

"That was Delilah Lor, a sixteen-year-old from the small mountain town of Hawkins and I personally can't stop listening to this song! Ambry, what do you think?"

"Well Christain, there's just something so raw and authentic about her performance. It's just, her and her guitar in someone's bedroom and she's singing her little heart out."

"I mean we have to talk about the lyrics right? They're haunting but relatable. Almost anyone listening can draw their own interpretation from it."

"And if you don't care about lyrics you'll definitely love her playing. I've never seen somebody this young play the guitar with such swagger..."

I watch Delilah's reaction and she's beet red with an ear-to-ear smile.

Lucy then stops that video and goes to Delilah's song 'A Cross' on YouTube.

"Guess how many views you have Delilah," Lucy asks.

Delilah turns around and is giddy like a toddler.

"Oh God, Oh God, ugggghhhh—" Delilah's eyes roll around in her head "Just tell me!"

"One point nine million," Lucy says. Remember how I said I rarely cuss? Well, this is a time it seemed appropriate.

"Holy shit!" Squid and I say in unison.

"And here are some of the top comments," Lucy says "From Chug Jug Pickles: 'Every girl wants to be you and every guy wants to be with you.' Chinese Name says: 'Thanks for existing.' Secret Agent Randy Beans commented: 'The tiniest of birds sing the most beautiful of songs.' Marcus Jones, an actual normal name for once, commented, 'This song makes me miss people I've never met.' And of course, the very top comment with one thousand likes coming from Ally from Texas says, 'My mother told me when she found out she was pregnant with me she tried to kill herself. Luckily we survived. She committed suicide a year ago and this song reminded me of her. Thank you.'"

Delilah leans back in her seat and looks at me.

"You okay?" I ask her.

"Yeah—I'm—I just—I didn't expect someone to interpret it that way. I'm not upset. I could see how they interpreted it for themself that way. I wrote that song about something completely different, but somebody listened to it and found so much more beauty and emotion from it."

"Do you know what that means Delilah?" I ask.

"What?" she asks.

"That means it's good art," I say, "Good art makes you feel something. Good art allows you to interpret personal connection and meaning. That doesn't always have to be the case, but so far with the first two songs you've shown me, Delilah, your music can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people."

"I listened to your song, 'I Won't Leave'. It reminded me of my relationship with my Dad," Squid says.

"Yes! And for me, it reminded me of my relationship with Jesus!" I say.

"For me, it reminded me of my relationship with the Devil," Lucy says.

"Don't you see, Delilah? You're an artist! Just keep practicing your craft. The cosmos is the limit."

She smiles and looks out the window. I really hope this helps her see how beloved she is. I hope this shows her how needed and necessary her existence is. For all of us.

There is a fire truck and four police cars in front of Hawkin's High when we arrive. One police cruiser blocks the road that leads into the parking lot. I stop in front of it and roll down my window as an officer makes his way to me.

"There was an anonymous threat. No school today," the officer tells us. We all look at each other in the car, then decide to head back to my place.

We set our backpacks down on the floor and take our places around my room. Delilah takes the desk chair, while Squid and Lucy take my bed and I remain standing.

"What do we do now?" Delilah asks.

"I don't know," Squid says, staring at their phone, "We have a whole day to kill."

"I'd say we can do drugs but those are all gone," Lucy jokes.

"Wait," I start, "D. I think it's time."

"Time for what?" Delilah asks.

"Time for that thing," I express.

"Oh. You mean that thing," Delilah matches me.

"Yes. That thing," I start rubbing my hands together like doobies boozler.

Delilah leaves the room and then my house. I then see her crossing the street through my window.

"One: That was fucking cute. Two: What the fuck even was that?" Squid asks.

"Let's just say, it's time to put on your wizarding cap, Squid."

"Is that an innuendo?" Lucy asks.

Squid thinks and I wish I had a picture of their face when they realize.

"My hands just got clammy," Squid tells us.

"Ew," Lucy grimaces.

Delilah enters the room spectacularly. Holding several pieces of paper and miniatures.

"Everyone clear the room," she orders, setting everything down in the center of the room "I need time to prepare the story."

Squid and Lucy leave. I'm about to join them before Delilah grabs my wrist and hands me three character sheets with three pens.

"While you guys wait, show them how to make their character," she says. I don't think I've ever seen her this serious before. I think Lucy, Squid, and I are in for one hell of a journey.

(Continued in next part)