(y/n) - your name

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What?" the kids step back in shock and slight fear, wondering to themselves if maybe they got the wrong person or that maybe it was just wishful thinking that (y/n) was alive.

But how could the girl in front of them not be her?

She looked exactly like (y/n).

But they saw her die... saw her save them...

They went to her funeral, they grieved for her so how in the world could she be alive!?

"I'm sorry kids, should I know you?" (y/n) smiles at the kids, her heart pounding in her chest and she flinches, rubbing her chest. They knew her, her heart knew that she should know them too. "Sorry, let me just-" (y/n) sets the cupcakes and the paint set down as her chest pained and her head ached.

"(y/n)! Are you ok!?" the kids help her down into the booth they were sitting, looking at each other with pursed expressions.

"You're (y/f/n) right?" the black haired kid asks and she nods. "(y/n), it's us. Mike," the kid points to himself. "Will and El." he points to the bowl haired kid and the girl.

"Mike, Will and El?" (y/n) mumbles out, furrowing her brows as she looked at the kids. They really did look familiar. "You three look familiar..." she rubs her head.

"How is she alive?" Will mutters out, his guard up thinking that maybe this was some shapeshifter or someone from the Upside Down. "It can't be her, we went to her funeral."

"But did we actually see her body? The coffin was closed!" Mike exclaims.

"Wait, are you kids from Hawkins?" (y/n) asks and the kids nod slowly and the older girls face pales lightly. "Do you... do you know about the Mind Flayer?" and that's when they freeze and (y/n) realises that she truly knew these kids before.

"You... you saved us from the Mind Flayer..." El mumbles sadly.

"You can't be (y/n), shes dead, she's gone!" Will tears up and the said girl frowns.

"It's... its hard for me to explain right now but it is me, (y/n), except my memory was wiped." the kids blink in shock at her.

"How do we know you're not lying?" Mike glares at (y/n) but his heart was hoping that it was her.

"I guess you don't. Look, all I know is that I woke up in a lab full of people experimenting on me before I found Billy and rescued me."

"Billy!?"

"Yes, I live with him in California here."

"Wait, if Billy saved her... it must be (y/n)!" Mike says and Will frowns wondering how someone he knew who had died was alive and well in front of him.

"What lab? What people?" El asks, concerned and hoping that (y/n) wasn't taken by the one person she hated. "What name? Do you know who took you?"

(y/n) racks her brain, trying to remember any name until one popped up. "Dr. Brenner? I think there was someone called that?" El fists her hands, growing furious that her Papa had taken one of her friends and experimented on her, but in a way, there was gratefulness that (y/n) was alive. Her emotions were mixed but she hugs (y/n), feeling happy more than angry.

"It really is you (y/n)." she sniffles, crying into her dress as she hugged her.

"I'm sorry dear, for putting you through so much pain." (y/n) sooths El's hair sweetly and the boys soften in relief, coming to terms that their friend was truly alive.

"But how?" Will asks and El looks at him.

"Papa was experimenting on life. Bringing things back from killing them."

"He succeeded, with me I'm guessing..." (y/n) grimaces as El lets her go. "Enough about that, how are you three. You all look so grown up compared to my pictures."

"Pictures!?" The kids perk up and (y/n) chuckles.

"Yes, Billy took all my stuff from my old home here and I'm glad he did. I apparently took a lot of pictures which I'm using to try and jog my memory. In fact, there's a picture with you guys and some other kids too!"

"With Dustin, Lucas and Max!" the kids exclaim.

"I think so yes." (y/n) urges the kids to sit back down in the booth, letting them tell her everything that's been happening since the battle in StarCourt and she slowly got a clearer picture of the events and their lives.

"What's this?" Will asks as he sat next to (y/n), looking at the cupcakes and the paint kit.

"I... I'm not sure. I felt like there was something going on today. Like a birthday maybe, just being obscured from the back of my head." (y/n) ruffles her hair in embarrassment. "Um, what's today's date?" she asks the kids and Will speaks up quickly.

"It's March 22." (y/n) looks at the kid who frowns softly, looking at his hands.

"It's your birthday isn't it?" Will looks at the older girl in shock at the fact she of all people remembered his birthday.

"Shit..." El and Mike mumble under their breath as they watch Will hug (y/n) tightly, thanking her.

"I can't believe you remembered it!"

"I think subconsciously I knew there was something special today. You like to draw don't you?" Will nods, stars in his eyes as (y/n) passed him the paint kit. "This is for you then." He was over the moon, ignoring the anger he felt towards Mike and his sister as he looked at the paint kit in awe.

"Thank you (y/n)." he hugs her tightly again and she beams seeing him happy. From what the kids told her, Will went through hell and back multiple times. The kid deserves to feel loved.

"Now the cupcakes are also yours to have. Go crazy, there's different types." Will felt warm, feeling so grateful for (y/n) and to have her back in the groups lives again too. He frowned when she stood up to leave, grabbing her hand. "Stay, we missed you." honestly, he was scared that if (y/n) left, he would think he imagined her, that she was never here.

"I'm sorry honey, I have to go home. Billy must be worried sick that I'm not picking up his calls."

"Billy isn't here?" Mike asks.

"He went back to Hawkins for Max. She was a bit anxious about high school."

"Does she know?" El says. "That you're alive?" (y/n) shakes her head.

"No one in Hawkins knows. It would hurt them too much. I can't just show up there and be like 'hey, I'm alive' ya know." the kids nod in understanding.

"I don't think we should tell Jonathan or mum." Will says to El and they nod. It would be too much for them after the whole move, plus they wouldn't believe them anyway.

"Can we see you again?" El tugs on (y/n)'s dress, not wanting to let her go now that she had a friend here in California. She wasn't alone anymore and (y/n) felt the same even though these were kids.

"Of course you can!" (y/n) walks off to grab a pen and paper from the shoe clerk behind her, walking back to the kids and writing down her address and her number. "You can visit and call any time you want. Beats the loniless and the irritating chimes. Now you three enjoy today, come by soon." (y/n) grins, her heart filling full as she walks away, bumping into some blonde chick that throws her a snarky remark.

Bitch...

(y/n) sneers at the girl, but stops by the exit when she sees that girl drag El away from the booth, a worried look on the poor girl and a bad feeling settled in her stomach. (y/n) walked to the rink, watching with her arms crossed as she narrowed her eyes at the blonde girl dragging El across the roller rink and that's when she notices that someone was holding a camera.

"Shit..."

"All right, everyone. This next song is dedicated to Jane, the local snitch!" the DJ speaks into the mic, turning a spotlight onto El as she froze in the middle of the roller rink. A song plays ut and (y/n) grows furious. No one, and I mean no messes with her kids. She stomps towards the DJ, stealing someones milkshake.

"Hey." she catches the DJ's attention who raises a brow at her.

"What do you-what the fuck!?" the DJ exclaims as (y/n) dumps the milkshake over his set, throwing the cup in his face before running over to the rink where people were throwing insults to El.

"El!" (y/n) screams, trying to get the poor girls attention when skaters circled around her. She sees a boy holding a milkshake skate over to El and (y/n) quickly runs onto the rink, trying not too slip over her feet. "Oi you fucking sons of bitches!" she hisses out, grabbing El before she could be drenched by the chocolate milkshake.

"Who do you think you are!?" The blonde chick rolls up to (y/n), glaring at her.

"Someone you shouldn't mess with." (y/n) hisses stepping towards the blonde bitch as she backs away. "No one hurts my kids." she grins as the bitch stumbles into the milkshake spill on the floor, falling over. "You should know better, no food or drinks on the rink shitter." (y/n) sneers as she walks away with El, the blonde bitch screeching in anger that her plan didn't work. "Hey, it's ok honey." she tries to sooth the crying girl, leading her to a seat where she helped take her skates off.

"Thank you (y/n)..." El hitches as she wipe her tears away.

"Its bad here... isn't it...?" (y/n) asks. "Go to the bathroom to wash your face and we can go outside for some fresh air. How does that sound?" the older girl asks and El nods, getting up to go to the bathroom. 

(y/n) runs her hands down her face, not happy with the bullying. Kids can be such assholes. She stands up to look for Mike and Will and sees them arguing from the other side of the rink. The bathroom doors open and El walks out, ignoring (y/n) as she walks to the blonde bitchs group and the older girl had a sinking feeling in her stomach. The two fought before the group walked away and (y/n) noticed the furious look in El's eyes.

Oh no...