Camden's doorbell ringing woke her up the next morning. She was lying in the covers, this time, and she vaguely remembered Steve tucking her in when he came to say goodnight, and him returning at some point in the night when she woke up from another nightmare.

It was the same one it had always been, the fire, and she was Thirteen in it again, instead of watching it like in her void. She was just glad she hadn't had another panic attack, 'cause Steve would end up telling Marissa and Peter and they would think of her as a psychopath more than they probably already did.

"Cam, it's your friends, honey! I'm sending them up!" Marissa called.

"Okay!" Camden yelled back.

She waved her hand and the door opened for whoever it was.

She quickly climbed out of her bed and waved her hand, the bed remaking itself for her. She grabbed some clothes out of her walk-in-wardrobe and headed into the bathroom to get ready.

When Camden came out, Dustin and Mike were looking around her room with wide eyes.

The walls were painted a soft pink colour, Camden's favourite colour. Her double bed was on the right wall, pastel coloured butterflies painted on the wall behind it with a different pattern on each wing. Camden and Steve had painted them together last month when she got her room redecorated.

Her bed was a four poster one made from white wood, with a white canopy decorated with pink butterflies above it and tied to each poster as curtains. Her bedding was white with her pink teddybear sat in the middle of her pink throw pillows.

There was a bedside table on either side of the bed. One held Camden's pink phone on top and the other had a glass of water and a stack of magazines on there.

On the wall opposite the door were the doors to her balcony, the white curtains pulled back to let in the sunrise. Opposite her bed was a television built into a space in the wall, a stack of DVRs and tapes on the shelf built underneath it.

On the same wall as the TV, there were two doors, one on either side. One led into her en-suite and the other into her wardrobe. Near the wardrobe door, the vanity stood on the same wall as the balcony doors, decorated in makeup, perfumes, hair accessories and little bits and bobs.

The wall opposite the balcony with the door that led to the rest of the house, photographs and posters covered the wall. Most of the posters were for bands or singers, or for different Vogue models. Most of the photographs were of Camden and Steve growing up, or the two of them with their parents, or a few with Camden and some kids in school.

Mike and Dustin, however, were staring at one photograph in particular. Will Byers' ninth birthday party. Joyce had invited all of the kids in class, but Camden was the only person not in the party who went. The photograph was of Camden and Will hugging in the arcade, massive grins on both of their faces.

"Your room is so cool," Dustin said.

"Thanks," Camden smiled. She grabbed her shoes and kicked them on, brushing down her skirt. "What's up?" she asked.

"We spoke to Mr. Clarke at the funeral about the Upside Down. Basically, there must be a large enough force to rip open the universe to allow the portal to open. Dustin had the idea that all compasses would point us in the right direction because the electromagnetic force from the gate would be too overpowering when compared to the Earth's magnetic poles," Mike said.

Camden considered it.

"That makes sense. What went wrong?" Camden asked.

"Eleven messed with the compasses so we wouldn't get to the gate because it's dangerous. Lucas and I got into an argument over it and El used her powers to throw him back," Mike looked down.

"He hit his head. He wasn't happy. El ran away and nobody has seen her since. We went to Lucas' house on the way and he said he's going to the gate but we need your help finding Eleven. We need her to find Will," Dustin said.

"You guys buried Will," Camden said.

"But he isn't dead. We heard him over the radio. Eleven was messing with it and he's not dead or we wouldn't have been able to hear him," Mike said.

Camden nodded, deciding not to tell them the truth about herself, yet. She needed time to process what had happened and, if she told them she had powers, they'd have questions about how she got out and about her not-dad, and she just wasn't ready for it.

"Okay, count me in," Camden said.

"You sure?" Dustin said. "I know we aren't really friends and you're probably only helping us because you're Will's friend more than ours, and I know Mike probably annoyed you with talking about your past and your dad and stuff, but you don't have to do this," Dustin said.

Camden sighed.

"I know. I'm not doing this because I want to. I mean, for all I know, this gate to the Upside Down is probably freezing and I'm built for hot summers on the beach. I love pink and makeup and pretty things, not monsters like the Demogorgon," Camden said.

"You are a princess, Camden," Mike agreed.

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Camden rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Anyway. I am Will's friend, and I am your friend, too. Both of you. So, I'm coming with you," Camden said.

She grabbed her denim jacket and pulled it on, then tucked her pocketknives into there. She looked at Mike and Dustin.

"So, shitheads, are we ready?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ready," they nodded.

Camden jumped off her skateboard as they got to the top of the hill near Bradley's supermarket. The doors were shattered, with police officers talking to the owner.

"Whoa," Camden mumbled.

"You don't think-" Dustin started.

"Yep," Mike interrupted Dustin.

"She's probably hiding in the woods. That's where I'd go, I suppose," Camden said.

"Good point. Let's go," Mike said, taking off on his bike again.

Camden and Dustin followed with a sigh.

Camden grimaced as she, Dustin and Mike walked through the forest to try and find Eleven. She had been honest when she said she didn't like the cold, which the forest was, or anything dirty, which the forest was.

She really was a princess.

"El!" Dustin shouted.

"Eleven?" Camden called.

"Eleven! Eleven! El!" Mike shouted.

"El! Eleven!" Dustin shouted.

Mike stuck his hand out.

"Hey, stop. Do you hear that?" he said. They frowned.

"What?" Dustin asked.

"El! El?" Mike shouted.

They heard footsteps and turned, seeing Troy and James walking up the hill to join them in the woods.

"Hey, there, Frogface. Toothless. Camden, why are you hanging around with these losers?" Troy scoffed.

"Because you pissed your pants. You're a bigger loser than these guys are," she said.

Troy glared at her and pulled a knife out. Dustin dropped his bike.

"Shit! Run!" he shouted.

"What?" Mike and Camden said.

"Run! Come on!" Dustin shouted.

"I hate running!" Camden squeaked, running after the boys with her skateboard under her arm.

She just prayed she wasn't flashing anyone if her skirt was flying up, but she couldn't exactly stop and worry about it. She'd rather die at the hands of a knife than flash her knickers to the boys.

They sped around the path towards the quarry, heading down the hill.

"You're dead, Wheeler," Troy shouted.

"Cramp!" Dustin gasped, slowing down now they were halfway down the hill towards the quarry.

"Just keep going! Keep going!" Mike shouted, pulling Camden along with him.

She gasped for breath, clutching her chest tightly. If only she had the power of flying.

James appeared in front of her and Mike, blocking their way out that way. Camden spun around, seeing Troy blocking them from the other side.

"Shit!" Dustin said.

Mike picked up a rock and Dustin picked up a stick. Camden pulled out her pocket knife, spinning it around her fingers easily.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Mike threw the rock, missing James by quite a long shot.

"Nice throw, numbnuts," James laughed.

Dustin charged at Troy. Troy grabbed him by the waist and kicked the stick out of his arms, grabbing him by the neck and putting the knife near his mouth.

"Get off! Get off me!" Dustin yelled.

"Let him go!" Mike and Camden shouted, moving forward.

"Stay back, or I cut him!" Troy shouted. They stepped back instantly.

"What do you want?" Mike said.

"I want to know how you did it!" Troy shouted.

"How I did what?" Mike scoffed.

"I know you did something to me. Some nerdy science shit to make me do that," Troy hissed.

"You mean piss your pants?" Mike raised his eyebrows, very unimpressed, and Camden suppressed the urge to giggle.

"Our friend has superpowers, and she squeezed your tiny bladder with her mind," Dustin said.

Troy put the knife closer to him, Dustin's smirk dropping instantly.

"Shut up! I think I should save Toothless here a trip to the dentist. Help him lose the rest of his baby teeth," Troy said.

"Troy, let him go," Camden said.

"Or what?" Troy said.

"I'll get Steve to beat you up," Camden said.

She knew Steve couldn't fight for shit, not really, but he still had a legacy to the middle schoolers and they all looked up to King Steve. And, worst case, she'd do the physical fighting. Or she could rumour him into leaving them alone, but that would expose her to the others.

"Let him go. Let him go!" Mike shouted.

"I'll let him go, sure. But first... it's your turn." Troy nodded at Mike.

"My turn for what?" Mike asked.

"Wet yourself," Troy shrugged.

"What?" Camden said.

"Jump... or Toothless here gets an early trip to the dentist," Troy said, putting the knife near Dustin's mouth.

"Stop! No!" Dustin cried.

"I'll cut him right now!" Troy threatened.

"All right, just hold on! Hold on!" Mike shouted.

"Mike!" Camden said.

"Mike, don't do it. I don't need my baby teeth, Mike! Mike, seriously, don't!" Dustin shouted.

Mike walked to the edge and looked at the water below. Camden looked between James and Troy. She needed to stop this but she had no idea how without blowing herself up and Mike would probably be pissed if he knew she'd lied about not being like Eleven.

"Mike," she said.

"Mike, don't do it! Seriously, don't do it, man! Seriously, don't!" Dustin said.

"Troy, I don't think this is a good idea, man," James said.

Mike sighed and stepped properly onto the edge. He dropped his backpack and Camden's mouth dropped open.

"Shit!" she cried. "I'll do it!" she said, turning to look at Troy.

"You'll do it?" Troy repeated.

"Yeah, I'll do it. Me. Let me do it," Camden said.

"No, I'll do it," Mike looked at her.

"Mike, you're Will's best friend. How will you dying help?" Camden hissed.

"It won't, but I don't want you to die, either," Mike said.

He turned back towards the cliff and Camden groaned, clenching her fists tightly around her knife.

"Mike, don't!" Dustin shouted.

"Dentist's office opens in five... Four! Three! Two!" Troy shouted.

"Mike!" Camden shouted.

"One!" Troy said.

Mike jumped off the side of the cliff, screaming loudly. Troy, James, Dustin and Camden ran to the side, seeing Mike was floating in the air about a quarter of the way down.

"Holy shit," Dustin gasped.

"What the fuck?" Camden whispered.

Mike slowly levitated back up to the cliff, dropping onto the ground beside Camden on his feet. She grabbed him, checking him over for bruises. When she deemed he was safe, she smacked him around the back of his head.

"You're a fucking idiot, Wheels," she said.

"More importantly, who did that?" James said.

They heard footsteps and turned around, seeing Eleven walking over to them. She had blood dripping from her nose and a glare on her face. She looked at Camden, tilting her head slightly. Camden nodded in understanding, knowing exactly what Eleven was telling her to do.

She shoved James away from Mike and Dustin, following him while Eleven dealt with Troy.

"I heard a rumour that you punched yourself in the face," Camden whispered to James.

His eyes turned milky white and glassed over. He punched himself in the face, groaning and cupping his nose as blood started pouring from it. Camden giggled, looking over her shoulder to see Eleven had broken Troy's arm.

"I heard a rumour that you and your friend left me and my friends alone," she added.

James' eyes glassed over and he grabbed Troy's good arm, the two of them running away crying. Camden giggled as Dustin ran after them, yelling abuse.

"Yeah, that's right! You better run! She's our friend and she's crazy! You come back here and she'll kill you! You hear me? She'll kill you, you sons of bitches! She'll kill you, you hear me?" Dustin screamed after them.

Camden felt a drop of blood land on her hand and she quickly wiped her nose, turning around. Eleven was swaying on her feet, then she dropped to the floor.

"Fuck, Eleven," Camden muttered, running over.

She dropped to her knees, the gravel cutting into her skin, but she didn't care. Eleven looked up at her, tears in her eyes.

"You okay?" Camden asked.

Dustin and Mike dropped down on the other side of Eleven, Mike grabbing her hand. Eleven groaned weakly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?" Mike asked.

"The gate... I opened it. I'm the monster," Eleven started crying and Mike shook his head.

"No. No, El, you're not the monster. You saved me. Do you understand? You saved me," Mike hugged her tightly.

Dustin and Camden looked at them for a few seconds before he caught her eye. Camden raised an eyebrow at him, fighting back the urge to laugh when he opened his arms and shimmied his shoulders.

"I'm not hugging you, fuckface," Camden said.

"I'll get one eventually," Dustin grinned.

Camden looked at Dustin's watch, then back at Eleven.

"Okay, I'm making the executive decision for us to take Eleven back to Mike's place. She needs some food to recharge after being out all day," Camden said.

"Good point. We'll have to go back through the woods to get our bikes," Dustin said.

"Yeah. C'mon, El," Camden said, holding her hand out for Eleven.

Eleven grabbed her hand and let Camden pull her up, wiping the blood off Eleven's face with her sleeve.

"Hungry?" Camden asked.

"Eggos?" Eleven said.

"I'm sure we can find some, sure," Camden giggled. "Let's go, losers," she looked at the boys, wrapping an arm around Eleven's shoulders to help support her walking.