After binge watching this show too many times to count, I finally gave in and wrote something.
Disclaimer: If I owned Stranger Things, why the heck would i be writing fan-fiction for it.
'I should take that down' Mike thought as he glared at the fort across the room. Once upon a time it represented the start of a beautiful friendship between him and El. But now every time he looked at it, it gave him an ache in his chest he couldn't quite explain. But despite this pain the fort remained intact, every time he tried to take it apart a lump would form in his throat and he would have to stop for a few minutes and then cry silently to himself as he put the fort back together.
"Hey have you finished the campaign yet?" Dustin asks, putting down his comic book and looking at Mike with a mix of eagerness and sympathy.
"Not yet." Mike replies.
The boys all share a worried glance before Lucas eventually speaks.
"It never used to take you this long Mike"
"I've been busy." Mike says, shrugging his shoulders.
"Doing what? Looking for a girl that we all know isn't coming back." Lucas says, quickly regretting his words as he sees Mike's face crumble.
"Shut up Lucas, you don't get to talk about her."
"Why she was my friend too and Dustin's, but we can never talk about her without you turning into a whimpering mess. We miss her too Mike but we didn't turn into big cry-babies."
"It's different." Mike replies, glaring at his friend.
"Why, tell me Mike why is it different. Just because you had this weird obsession with Eleven doesn't make her more your friend than ours."
Mike doesn't reply just continues to glare at the fort across the room.
"You know what, I'm out of here. Have fun being depressed and staring at that stupid fort." Lucas says, as he trumps up the stairs angrily.
After a moment of silence, Dustin stands.
"I'm just going to see if his alright, I'll see you tomorrow buddy." Lucas says, patting Mike's shoulder and smiling at Will before he leaves.
Will who has been silent through the whole ordeal comes to sit beside Will.
"She must be really neat to make you and Lucas fight over her huh?" Will says, throwing his arm around Mike's shoulder.
"She is." Mike says, feeling his throat close up.
"You don't talk about her much, Lucas and Dustin go on and on about her cool super powers. But you don't.
"There was more to her than her powers."
"I'm sure there was but I wouldn't know because you've never told me. So tell me what was El actually like."
Mike doesn't say anything for a few minutes and Will worries that he won't, or get angry at him like he did with Lucas. But eventually his lips stop trembling and he speaks in a weak voice.
"It's hard to explain her, she was so much. She didn't even know me and she trusted me right from the start. And she was caring and kind, she was just a really great friend."
"She sound amazing; I can't wait to meet her."
"Do you think I'm ever going to find her?" Mike asks, looking at Will with a wistful expression. his eyes filling with tears.
"I know you will, and when she's back everything will be better. And I'll finally get to meet the infamous Eleven and judge if she measures up to my high expectations of her."
Mike smiles sadly, a distance look in his eyes.
"She's pretty." Mike mumbles, his cheeks instantly going red as he stares at his feet.
Will eyes go wide because he has never heard Mike admitting he thought a girl was pretty, usually he just says they all have cooties.
"Yeah?" Will asks.
"Yeah, I promised to take her to snow ball but I broke that promise."
"You can take her next year." Will says encouragingly.
"Yeah, I suppose I can." Mike says, smiling his first ever honest smile since El disappeared.
Will stared up at his ceiling deep in thought, he was wondering about El. If she was in the same place he went to when he went missing. If she was cold. Will shivered profusely thinking back on the cold he felt when he was in there, it took him days to get warm when he came home. Suddenly feeling guilty of his warm bed he slipped out and wandered into the kitchen. He flicked on the low light and went to sit at the table.
Will sat there deep on thought of the girl he has never even met before, suddenly he hears a rustling from outside.
Will stood up quickly debating whether or not to run to his mom's or Jonathon's room. Will thought better and walked to the door slowly squaring his shoulders as he opened the door swiftly. Will's eyes widened as he took in what was standing there.
A young petite girl with pixie cut hair, wearing a tattered and torn pale pink dress with mud caked across her.
"Will?" She muttered, shaking, her lips trembling from the cold.
"Who are you?" Will asks, half afraid of the person standing in front of him.
"Eleven" The girl whispers, pointing to herself.
Will eyes go even wider when he realises it's her. Its Eleven she's back. He quickly moves to the side motioning for her to come in. once in he closes the door behind her and stares at her with disbelief.
After a few moments he springs into action and quickly runs to his mom's room.
"Mom, mom quick get up." Will says, shaking him mom.
"What is it Will? Are you hurt?" Joyce asks, quickly sitting up and holding her sons face in her hands.
"No not me, just come to the kitchen quick" Will says, running out the room with a worried Joyce quickly following behind him.
When Joyce enters her kitchen and sees a trembling El standing there with her arms crossed and a scared look on her face, she gasps.
"Oh El your back." Joyce says, rushing to the girl and throwing her arms around her.
After embracing for a few moments, Joyce lets go to inspect the young girl.
"Are you hurt?"
Eleven shakes her head, her eyes downcast looking at her dirty dress.
"Let's go get your cleaned up, Will wake Jonathon and ask him to make El something to eat and a hot drink please." Joyce says, taking El's hand and leading her into the bathroom.
After a while El and Joyce emerge from the bathroom, El cleaned up and wearing one of Will's sweatshirt and sweatpants.
Joyce sits El at the table carefully as if not to hurt or startle her.
"Hey El, I made you some eggo's and bacon. Mike told me they were your favourite." Jonathon says, placing the food and a cup of hot chocolate in front of the young girl.
El whispers a thanks before wolfing into the food as if she hasn't been fed in years. Once El finishes she looks up at the three pairs of eyes that are looking at her wonderingly.
"Mike?" El asks, her voice soft.
"His at home probably sleeping, how about you try to get some sleep and we can ring him in the morning." Joyce says.
"Promise?" El asks.
"Promise." Joyce answers, taking the young girls hand and leading her into her room.
Thoughts? not sure if I want to continue this so let me know.
xoxo, J.