puǝ uoos llᴉʍ ƃuᴉɹǝɟɟns ɹno⅄

♤▪︎♡

"Ten." El gives you a compassionate look as you close the blue diary, and you return her stare. "Yeah?" You answer, gently closing your eyes, to either keep the tears at bay; or hide the sadness.

She takes a hesitant breath and slides the diorama in front of you, her hands shaking lightly; the nerves getting to her. There's a cabin constructed of wood within the Pepsi cardboard box, or so you think. A miniature wooden Hopper sits in front of the cabin, next to him on the stair is a brown wooden squirrel with a smile etched into it. Cartoonish almost, it makes you smile gently, it reminds you of what you use to watch on TV back home.

You lean against the blue diary, a smile on your face as you gaze at the small cottage. "Home.." You mumble, the words foreign in your mouth. She smiles faintly as she nods.

"We're getting used to it, right?" She inquires, and you raise an eyebrow at the misused term before nodding. Your eyes resting on the cottage, now frowning as the memories flood back.

Watching Halloween movies with El and Hopper, cooking Eggo's for them; all of it warms your soul, nurturing it. Hopper guided you, he might not have been your real dad, but he was a man to be respected, and you feel sadness as the fact you didn't when it most mattered last year.

"Sure," you say, sitting back in your wooden chair softly. You hear loud clanging from the steps, expecting it to be nothing until the white wooden door flings open, the footsteps creaking underneath Jonathan's weight. "Hurry up! We have to go!" Jonathan yells, the chair groans and collapses as you lean back too far and your body smacks against the hard floor.

El leaps to her feet and grabs both of your backpacks from the bed as you struggle to your feet; reorienting yourself fast, you stumble towards El, who hands you the backpack and pushes you toward the open door. You reorganize yourself and walk through the home with Will in front and El behind you, while Jonathan leads the way.

"You okay?" El asks, gazing at you as she tries to make her way beside you but struggles with the speed of your group.

"Yes— thank you." You say, smiling gently, a smile immediately appears upon her face. Pupils dilating in awe and fascination with you. She's very pretty.

Joyce is on the phone with a "Customer" at the wooden table as you make your way past. She raises her eyes for a brief period as the four of you leave the house. Argyle sits in front of the house, his pizza car—or whatever you want to call it—purring softly in the spring sunshine.

Jonathan immediately opens the two backdoors and swings himself around the car till he reaches the passenger door and takes a seat. You three stagger and slide your way through the back of the Van.

"Hold on to your butts, brochachos!" Argyle exclaims excitedly as he skirts the car ahead; it quickly swings through the streets of California; if the cops saw this, you'd almost certainly be arrested.

El grabs your short-sleeved shirt and leans into you, sighing with relief. Will looks at the two of you for a time before looking out the window as El clutches your short-sleeved shirt and leans against the car's wall.

It reminds you of starcou— you shake the thought from your mind, the nightmares from that night have become increasingly intense. Every night is the same: Billy chokes you until you're unable to breathe, and then it ends just as your eyelids close. What will happen if your eyes close completely? It seems like your eyes close more and more each night.

El hugs you tighter with her arm around your neck. You make eye contact with her and give her a warm grin, which she reciprocates. Still clutching the diorama close to her chest.

The same scenery flashes by, lush California hills devoid of flowers. You wrap the backpack around your shoulder as El eases her hand off of you, realizing how close you are to school.

Argyle pulls up to the parking spot, and a swarm of individuals dressed in bright and dark clothes walk past him and into the school's main doors. "We've arrived." Argyle says, climbing out of the driver's side door, backpack in hand.

"See you at 3!" you say as the three of you jump out of the car and begin walking into the courtyard. You smile and wave farewell to Jonathan before following El and Will.

You've been trying to keep up with your wardrobe, but you've realized how far behind you've fallen.

The three of you stroll into the hallway through the swinging doors, narrowly dodging all of the kids resting on their lockers or talking to their buddies. Some of them even kiss, and while you and El do it occasionally, you can't do it at school because they think you're brother and sister. That's what Joyce and Jonathan say, at least.

Mrs. O'Donnell's class is the first door on your right, which you, Will, and Eleven enter. El and Will both have projects to present, but you've opted to never do yours.

You take a seat next to El in the wooden chair, while Will leans against his chair in the back. Something flies by rapidly and splashes into El's face.

It's a spitball, and you start to stand up when El looks at you with pleading eyes, begging you not to make a scene. You can feel the rage seeping through every pore, but you sit back down for El's sake.

A brief glance back at Will reveals his inaction, which nearly irritates you, but is to be anticipated. He, too, does not want to be bullied.

You sigh; you know it's going to be a long day.

Hawkins High.

"So, as a friend I'm talking to you guys, talk to Eddie.. get him to move hellfire." Lucas pleads, standing in the front of the doorway to the classroom.

The bell rings loudly and with one final glance, Lucas enters the classroom. Mike and Dustin both sigh loudly, turning away to go to their own classes.

"Shit.." Mike mumbles under his breath.

♤▪︎♡

"I chose Hellen Keller as my hero." Angela smirks at the rest of the class. The presentation moves on to the following panel with the phrase "The End." The entire class erupts in applause, and it appears like you're the only one who isn't applauding Angela, even El is.

Angela grabs a hold of the presentation, which flies upward before turning off.

As she sits down, the teacher finishes clapping and grins at Angela. "Next is...," says Mrs. O'Donnell as she reaches into a little bowl packed with paper, one for each student. "Is Jane."

You cast a peek at El, who smiles and swiftly rises, her project in her hands. She makes her way to the front of the room and turns to face everyone. She gives a sweet smile to you.

She smiles sweetly, oblivious to the fact that the class is laughing at her.

"Hi," she says, her nerves beginning to rise. Her gaze falls on yours, and you smile, helping to relieve some of the nerves in her chest. "For my hero, I chose my father, and for my visual assistance, I chose a "Di-re-yama." Of our cabin."

"More like diarrhea...," One of the students makes a snarky remark, which makes the entire class chuckle.

You clench your teeth and mutter aloud, "Seriously?" All eyes in the room shift to you, and when you don't say anything, El continues with her presentation.

"This is my dad, he made the best eggos and.. we used to watch Miami Vice." El says as she lifts up the wooden Hopper and holds it up for everyone to see.

She re-inserts Wooden Hopper into the diorama and retrieves the squirrel. "Hi, my name is Mr. Fibbley, and I'm a squirrel." She says the class laughs, and she tries half-heartedly to laugh along with them.

With a proud grin on her face, Angela raises her hand. El gives her a quick glance before returning his gaze to the diorama. She takes a little grey box from the shelf. "This is my father's alarm, and I've never been worried be- because." El anxiously glances at Angela and then at Mrs. ODonnell.

"Angela, please save your questions for the end of Jane's presentation." Angela smirks almost innocently as she replies.

"Sorry, but I'm confused. I thought this was supposed to be about historical figures? And if it's of the cabin, where's Y/N?" She inquires, her gaze returning to El.

"I- He's- I didn't have enough time to make him. My dad though—He was on the first page of the newspaper." Angela turns to face you when you say something for El. "The local newspaper," She says in response. The class bursts out laughing once more "I'm not sure that's what Mrs. O'Donnell meant when she said historical. They're supposed to be famous." She adds, grinning as she realizes she's gotten under your skin.

"My dad is famous, he.. he saved a lot of lives in a mall fire," El says, her gaze darting between you and Angela. Tears well up in her eyes, whether from memories or bullying, you can't tell.

"He is a national hero and a hero of the people. My hero." El adds, You turn to Will for assistance, but to no effect, He just clenches his hands anxiously, his eyes filled with sorrow for El.

"That's not what I'm saying at all, but that's okay. I just wanted clarification on the rules, that's all." Angela responds, looking happy that El's crying.

Mrs. O'Donnell nods, "Well technically you are correct, but Jane decided to do her father. So, continue on with your presentation." She says, Eleven tenses at her words but doesn't say another word. Instead making her way towards her seat, just before she sits down the bell rings, her presentation must've taken the rest of the class time.

She's the first one out the door, pushing it open angrily. You and Will follow close behind, "El it wasn't that bad." Will says, "Come on!" He adds.

"Friends don't lie!" She responds, Will stops and watches the two of you walk away. El doesn't say another word to you, instead sulking in her sadness as you make your way to the next class.

El stares uncomfortably around her next class as she sits alone. Mrs. Gracy places a piece of paper on each person's desk and murmurs approval or displeasure. She finally comes to a halt in front of El's desk, where she slides a document onto the surface. In the corner, there is a single red F.

"I'll see you after the break, Jane," Mrs. Gracy remarks as she passes the papers on to the next individual.

El clenches her fist, her nerves getting the better of her.

For the rest of the class, El sits in silence, scarcely paying attention to her work. El leaps from her seat as soon as the bell rings and makes her way to the courtyard.

In between classes, she and Ten generally meet there to talk.

As she walks, she comes upon a small group of people, one of whom stands out. Angela, El is tripped by Angela who leans her foot out, causing her to drop the diorama.

Angela passes by, glancing at El with disgust, her entire friend group laughing and smiling, each taking a moment to step on the diorama, sadness strikes her heart as she sees the pieces skid over the ground.

Hoppers piece rests, his half ripped half clean off and the wooden splinters the only remnants remaining of his head.

She inhales— trying to remember what Ten taught her, to be cool and calm. "It's different without our powers." He said.

But when he was sick did that stop him from trying to attack Mike. No, it didn't.

El rises, extending her right hand to use her power, which she hasn't had since last summer.

She truly believes they'll come— the anger overwhelming her entire body it's a familiar feeling. Please.. com-

Out of nowhere, Ten slams at the group from behind, his oversized grey shirt the only thing visible through the tears that are starting to form.

El rushes over to her fallen boyfriend and attempts to stop the flurry of fists, if she had her powers— but she doesn't and it all comes to an end when a teacher separates El and Ten and takes them to the office, while the other three males, including Angela, dash off to their next courses.

By the time Ten stands up, his face is battered and bleeding, however a short bloody trail suggests that he isn't the only one who is bleeding.

"Come with me, you two," the instructor says, hauling them both through the halls of the school and into the office by their collars.

As their taken she begins to wonder what Mike and the others are doing at this time right now. Do they need her and Ten?