"YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN, MIKE," El pointed out thoroughly, earning a distasteful groan from the raven-haired boy.

"I'm not," he protested weakly, squirming uncomfortably in his cross-legged spot on the carpet next to her.

"Doing what?" Dustin glanced up from his duffel bag of gadgets.

"Moping about Eli," El answered confidently, making the taller boy cave in a mixture of embarrassment and frustration.

"I am not!"

"Wow," Dustin chuckled, joining his friends in the circle on the floor with another machine cradled in his hands. There was an excited grin dancing on his face, a face that belonged to someone who luckily hadn't changed much at camp. Mike was relieved for that at least. "So Lucas wasn't lying. He's really back?."

"Yeah," Mike grumbled, a flustered hand rummaging through his unkempt hair. "Only he's a completely different person. He drives a motor bike! Illegally!"

"Awesome," Dustin cooed.

"Not, not awesome," Mike scolded, making the airy grin on the Henderson's face dissipate. "He was being a complete dickhead last night. He's practically insane, he's out of his mind!"

"Mike, relax," El slid a hand over the boy's shoulder in attempts to quell his nerves. Her brown eyes shone affectionately as he shrunk against her touch, feeling sheepish for his outburst.

"Yeah man," Rene inputted, tossing him a wary glance from her spot on Dustin's duvet. "He's just going through something. I don't know what, but it's bothering him a lot."

"You know, maybe I was a bit of an asshole too," Mike admitted with a repressed sigh. "But that doesn't mean he should skip out on your welcome party," he added sourly, tossing another glance at the distracted curly-haired boy.

"Dude, like I said, it's fine," Dustin shook his head, opal blue eyes glued to the tool he fiddled with. "It doesn't bother me. His dad's missing and he just got back from probably the worst school in the country. And I have you guys!"

The Wheeler sucked on the skin of his bottom lip, finding this unsatisfactory. "He's being a bad friend. He's not himself."

"Do you think there's something wrong?" Will spoke up meekly, wary concern hovering in his earth-colored eyes.

Mike caught the Byers's gaze, and his stomach dropped with apprehension at the boy's suggestion. "No. Maybe. I don't think so. I saw him last night. He's just being a dick."

"You know Mike, if it's bothering you so bad, why don't you go and ask him?" El prompted, raising a brow challengingly that made Mike shuffle anxiously.

"He doesn't want to see me."

"So?"

"I don't want to see him."

Dustin snorted at that, placing his gadget back into the overloaded bag. "You're a terrible liar, Mike. Just go talk to him."

Mike hesitated, eyes running between the carpet and his friends wildly. "You sure you're okay with that?" He asked Dustin, surprised to find him nodding eagerly.

"Yes, please. If it means you'll stop sitting here and whining, by all means!"

Mike rode his bike heftily through the summer streets, his mind plagued with thoughts of what he'd say to the Brooks boy. He ran several different versions of the upcoming conversation, each one ending with entangled screams and the Wheeler boy storming out of the house in frustration.

There was also the slight possibility, mostly on a small lingering desire on Mike's behalf, that it would end a different way. That Eli would apologize, suddenly grinning at him and becoming his usual Eli self again before they locked lips as he'd been dreaming since the Snowball.

When his battered bicycle finally rolled into the Brooks driveway, he noticed the dumb motor bike sitting stoically inside the garage. Mike glared at it vehemently before trying the garage door, noting with a jolt of surprise that it was unlocked.

The house felt empty, and the Wheeler finally noticed just how lonely of a home it was. Without the terrifying storm of Alan Brooks beating down on it everyday, there was a whole lot of nothing. Mike remembered how he used to grumble about his house being too noisy during those school mornings, but now he wasn't sure if he preferred the alternative.

The pang of silence was interrupted when Mike snuck closer to Eli's bedroom, the sting of rock music swimming through the crack in the door. He swallowed the bile in his throat, a spark of anxiety thrashing in his chest abruptly. He jutted his chin forward and forced out a shaky exhale, reminding himself he was mad at Eli.

The alleged Brooks boy lay sprawled on top of the messy navy spread, legs crossed and an arm bent back to cradle the curls on his head. He wore a dark band tee with jeans, his fingers curled around a magazine that made Mike's gut twist. Since when did Eli read magazines and not books riddled with fantasy or sci-fi?

"Hey," Eli spoke first, startling Mike. The curly-haired boy didn't bother to glance at him, eyes printed determinedly on the magazine.

He swallowed again, staring pointedly at him. "You didn't come to Dustin's party."

The shorter boy's nose crinkled, and he lazily flipped to another page. "Didn't feel like it."

Another bout of anger swirled inside him. "Are you serious?"

"What, like he cares?" Eli finally stole a look at him, almost paralyzing the dark-haired boy with his intensive stare. "We were never really close."

"How long are you gonna keep this up?" Mike demanded, his sneakers rubbing against the carpet as he approached the foot of the bed. "You're being an asshole, you know?"

"Why?" Eli sat up so quick Mike felt himself get whiplash, only the Brooks boy gazed at him unaffected. "Because I'm not the person you want me to be anymore, right?"

Mike scoffed, his frustration becoming real again. "And I'm supposed to believe that this is suddenly you? That Philadelphia turned you upside down and completely changed who you were in just a few months?"

Eli snorted. "Yeah, things can change a person."

"No, what is this really about?" Mike growled, his arms moving frantically at his sides. "Is it because of me? You're punishing Dustin because of what I said last night?"

"Not everything is about you, Mike."

"Then why did you avoid me!" He screeched, feeling a temporary wave of apprehension until he remembered they were most likely alone in the house. "Why are you being completely different? Last November you were...basically pouring out your feelings to me through writing—"

"And how well did you take that, exactly?"

Another enraged puff of air escaped Mike's nostrils, his nails connecting with his sweaty palms. "Yeah, I fucked up at first. I know, okay? But the Snowball...you liked me back." There was a long stretch of quiet, and he couldn't escape the ache of discomfort as he reminisced on last winter. "So what changed? Why are you bailing on me? On the party?"

"I'm not apart of your party," Eli snapped, his hazel eyes becoming laced with his own fury. It surprised Mike a little, but he found himself curious more than anything. There was something deeper, something Eli was doing everything to hide.

"Bullshit, Eli!"

"You're never gonna fucking get it, Mike!" He exclaimed, craning onto his feet in a flash that made the Wheeler retreat a step. He was knocked back with the reminder of Eli's extra added height. "You're not like me."

"What the hell does that mean?" He inquired harshly, a new layer of courage washing over him. "You're being so fucking unfair right now, Eli."

"You need to leave," Eli muttered coldly, standing his ground while the heavy clang of music swarmed between them. His face was close enough now that Mike could properly examine him, noticing winged eyeliner still marked the corner of his eyes. "Now, Mike."

"Not until you tell me what—"

"Just fucking go!" He swore angrily, his screams hardly leaving his lips before the room exploded in a blast of light blue and Mike let out a shuddered gasp as two clear lines of electricity shot from the boy's palms.

Mike's huge eyes fell to the floor, at the two circles of black, singed carpet. He could see small tracks of smoke lift into the air, and he followed the trail until Eli's gaze smacked him right in the chest.

The Brooks boy's expression had fallen completely, his mouth parted widely as tiny breaths fell from it. His eyes bled into Mike's, and for the first time since he'd returned, Mike saw the real Eli Brooks looking back at him.

And there was nothing but heavy fear swamped in those eyes.

"I'm leaving," Eli forced out, almost like he didn't have enough air to speak. His dark clothed figure swerved past Mike, who was apologetic and slightly disheveled.

His heart twinged inside his chest. "Eli, wait—"

"I'm going," Eli snapped, the anger returning and stunning the other boy into silence.

Mike didn't bother to lift his head and watch the Brooks leave, his presence certainly filled the room large enough to know when it was gone.

In the midst of his heartache, Mike had entirely forgotten the secret Eli gripped tightly under his skin. The electrical powers he couldn't quite understand, leading him to fear an unshakable part of himself everyday.

You're never gonna fucking get it, Mike.

He had been standing dumbfounded in the twins' bedroom long enough, the sudden snap of laughter downstairs telling him this. He stumbled out of the room to the stairs, realizing the source had been Brandy and Martha. The two girls were barreling into the kitchen, still wearing their name tags from work.

"Mike?" Martha noticed him first, halting her journey to find snacks. She gawked up at him with her large dark eyes, her astonished gaze coupled with Brandy's after she uttered his name. "What are you doing here?"

Mike reached the bottom of the stairs before he answered, his face worn in a scowl. It was better to resume his previous annoyance than show the two teens how he really felt. "Your brother is an asshole now," he groused to Brandy, who only blinked at him.

"Uh, yeah, he's..." the brunette exchanged a look with Martha, one Mike wished he could understand. These two seemed to have really developed their own nonverbal language lately. "He's been complicated."

"Complicated," Mike repeated dryly. "Sure."

"Look, I don't know what's up with him either," Brandy reasoned, her voice growing soft with sympathy that he didn't really want. "He won't even talk to Eve."

Mike didn't reply, shoving his hands angrily in his pockets and glowering at the front door. Secretly, his chest stung at the older girl's words. Brandy tilted her head at him, a frown planted on her lips as she observed him. He was only grateful she wasn't bringing up the large elephant squatting in the room.

"Look, he's an emo teenage boy now just like all of you," Martha spoke up. "He's just gonna need time before he talks."

"What, a week avoiding me wasn't good enough?" He mumbled scornfully, regretting it as soon as the words tumbled out. His behavior was messy and emotional and he didn't like either of those things, especially in front of his crush's sister and her best friend. Especially after seeing what happened with Eli.

"Whatever," he huffed, striding past them and returning to his bike outside again without anything else. He had dealt with enough chaos for one day.

~

"You've got it pretty bad, man," Lucas offered sympathetically to Mike, his lips crushed together tightly in a frown.

"Ugh, I know," Mike groaned through his hands, burying his face against his palms as a furious mixture of shame and regret washed over him. "I feel like shit."

"So he really still has his powers?" Will asked anxiously, a singular knee bouncing.

Mike lifted his head, the images of blue lightning surging back in his mind. "Yeah. He seemed..." the words tumbled off, and he swallowed another bout of sadness. "He seemed like he couldn't control them."

"Well, that tells you something." Lucas nodded.

Mike blinked. "About what?"

"About why he's been acting so weird," He explained. "You know, why he's been a different person and avoided all of us."

Another noise of pain fell from Mike as he cradled his cheeks again. "I was such a dick to him," he murmured morosely. "I didn't even think to ask him about his powers."

"So what are you gonna do?" Lucas questioned.

The Wheeler boy lurched away from the couch, resorting to pathetic pacing as he contemplated. "I don't know. I mean, I have to apologize, right?"

"Obviously," Will muttered.

"But how?"

"Maybe you can get him something," Lucas suggested, his dark eyes following Mike's fleeting figure helplessly. "Like an apology gift? It's worked a few times on Max."

"Really?" Mike felt his entire chest collapsing.

"Yeah, man. But either way, you can't give up." Lucas spoke encouragingly, bringing himself to his feet as he began gesturing wildly with his hands. "You march back in there, and you win him back. No matter what!"

Mike froze, his shoes ruffling the carpet. His nervous eyes shifted between a distracted Will and motivated Lucas. "You really think that's all it's about? His powers?"

"Yeah, dude. What else?"

"You don't think..." his hand shifted uncomfortably to his elbow, rubbing the rough patch of skin awkwardly with his thumb. "You don't think he stopped liking me? Cause it feels—"

"It's not really about you Mike," Will, much to the other boys' surprise, swiftly cut him off. He glanced up at Mike with a stoic expression. His eyes seemed nearly dead if it weren't for the slight tinge of irritation melded beneath them, and Mike felt like shivering.

Not everything is about you, Mike.

"Eli's upset," Will continued, almost sounding bitter. "You upset him. So, just go apologize."

"Right," Mike cracked out, startled by Will's sudden outburst. He swallowed and nodded, catching Lucas's much more assuring look. "Yeah. Yeah. Apologize." He hesitated towards the stairs, stopping. "I should still get him something, though, right?"

Lucas grinned, elated Mike was clearly considering his idea. "Hell yeah."

The wild rush of color and sound of Starcourt flew over Mike's head, unnoticed as he lead his friends into the busy afternoon shopping mall. As they tumbled past rows of stores and waves of people, Mike oddly found himself thinking about El.

The girl he once considered having a relationship with, who was now his best friend and something much better than a girlfriend. Still, he wondered what it would be like if he had chosen her. If he had fought with her like this. What kind of gift could he get her?

A relieved breath shuddered out of Mike. Even in this rough patch, he was glad it was Eli he needed to shop an apology gift for. Because he knew exactly what to get him. Because he knew Eli.

"It'll be perfect," Mike reassured Will and Lucas as they entered the bookstore. "Even if he's not writing anymore, there's no way Eli still doesn't love reading."

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Lucas inquired, narrowing his eyes at the walls of bookshelves.

"Anything," Mike answered eagerly, his confidence growing again as he eyed the individual sections of books. "He likes anything. Sci-Fi, fantasy, nonfiction..."

"Even romance," Will added quietly, which made Mike toss another pensive stare at the timid Byers. His hazel eyes swept to the floor to avoid the Wheeler's gaze, which only made his curiosity deepen.

"Hey, where's Brandy and Martha? Don't they usually work here?" Lucas spoke up.

Mike followed the Sinclair's eyes to the counter, where it was remarkably empty and vacant of any employees. His stomach dropped when he encompassed the entire room, noting that there was nobody inside.

Seeing this too, Lucas raised a brow. "Think they ditched?"

"No way," Mike replied. "Not unless...unless it was serious."

Lucas opened his mouth to speak before deciding against it, vigorously shaking his head in dismissal and retreating to another stack of books. Mike sucked on his bottom lip thoughtfully, shifting his attention from the unguarded register counter to Will.

The Byers boy wafted through the sci-fi section, his fingers dribbling over the individual book spines. Mike followed after him, noting the way it seemed there was a pit in his stomach.

"Hey."

Will's shoulders tensed, barely managing a glance in Mike's direction before looking back at the shelf. "Hey."

Another awkward silence droned between them, Mike digging the toe of his foot into the floor with unease. "Are you..." he tried, his voice weak with reluctance. "Are you okay?"

Will hardly registered the question, shrugging with feign nonchalance. "What do you mean?"

"You seem...you seem mad."

Another useless shrug and Will marched closer towards the thriller books. Mike tried again. "You seem mad...at me."

Will stopped briefly enough for Mike to notice, his eyelashes flickering softly as the Byers gave him a side-eyed look. "I'm not."

This was going to kill Mike. "Are you sure? Cause I can't really afford to have two of my best friends pissed at me."

Will's posture noticeably hardened at that, and a short scowl crossed his face. A quiet tsk shot from his gritted teeth. "I said I'm not mad."

To what credit he could give himself, Mike wasn't clueless. He knew Will was mad and he knew it probably had something to do with Eli. More specifically, Will's relationship with Eli and how much it's changed.

"Have you talked to Eli?" Mike managed.

The Byers boy's jawbone grew taut. "No."

Mike shuffled uncomfortably. "Maybe you should. It might help—"

"I don't really need advice, okay?" Will snapped, now turning to unleash a fully-fledged glare in his direction. "Especially from someone who's already fucked it up with him."

The Wheeler felt taken aback by the brutality in his tone, his poisonous words tainting Mike's brain quicker than he could audibly react. He didn't have time to answer Will's sour remark before two pairs of footsteps stormed into the store.

"Oh, fuck! Mike!" Brandy's voice cried from the front of the store. "Thank God!"

Mike's eyes flashed to the storefront, his lips parting in a quiet gasp when he saw the worried expressions brandished on the Brooks girl and Martha's faces. "Brandy? What's going on?"

Brandy reached him first, with Lucas joining from behind matching the raven-haired boy's confused image. It was Martha who answered for her friend, however, her dark eyes grim and tired. "It's Eli."

Mike felt every weight that had been pressed inside his chest drop instantly into the bottom of his stomach. It was immediate nausea as his eyes darted between the two teenage girls dreadfully. "What? What's wrong? What happened?"

Brandy, finally gaining composure again, ran her hands furiously through the loose ponytail she wore. Mike's eyes glared at her demandingly, to which she met apologetically.

"He's missing."