"See, Max, it's okay to drive fast but you want to slow down on turns, alright," Steve said. Even suffering a nasty head wound, he still had insisted on driving them home from the pumpkin patch instead of letting the thirteen-year-old girl behind the wheel again. "That way you stay in control and don't hit anything."
Max, sitting beside him, rolled her eyes. "Got it."
In the backseat, Dustin and Lucas watched the terrain cautiously, keeping an eye out for any "demodogs" that might still be lurking around. Mike sat between them, his eyes closed, his hands fidgeting with his watch, trying to contain the anxiety screaming in his mind and the ice-cold dread sloshing through his stomach.
He wasn't worried about the monsters, not anymore. She'd done it. She'd closed the gate. They'd all felt it - the power surging in the air, the wind picking up, and then the sudden way everything had gone quiet, like the world taking a sigh of relief.
So she'd closed the gate, he was sure. But at what cost?
When they reached the Byers' house, he refused to go inside with the others, pacing restlessly back and forth on the front porch. It was cold out, the wind stinging his face and hands, but he didn't care. It didn't distract him from the images that played on a loop in his head.
"You won't lose me."
"Goodbye, Mike."
"You won't lose me."
"Goodbye, Mike."
"You won't lose me."
"Goodbye, Mike."
A car turned up the driveway and his heart caught in his throat. Jonathan and Joyce carried Will up to the house, wrapped in a quilt. Nancy followed them, catching Mike in a fierce hug. "He's okay, Mike," she told him. "He's going to be alright. I think… I think it's over now."
Mike realized he was shaking.
They went inside, everyone crowding around as Will was laid down on the sofa, his eyelids fluttering. "Give him some room," someone said, but Mike gripped his best friend's hand tightly.
"Mike," Will said, his voice hoarse and tired. "Lucas, Dustin."
They smiled down at his, eyes watery. "We're here, buddy," Dustin said. Lucas nodded, his voice cracking. "We're glad you - you're okay."
Nancy tugged on her brother's shoulder. "Mike," she said, sounding regretful. "Mike, we should leave."
Mike shook his head fiercely. "No," he said, tears falling down his face. "No, Will needs us. And we have to wait for the chief. We have to wait for - for El."
Nancy smiled and put her hands on his shoulders. "Mike. She's okay. I saw her."
"W…what?" Mike said, his mouth open. "What do you mean you…"
"Hopper brought her back to the cabin. She needed to rest, he said, because she used up so much energy. But she's gonna be fine."
Mike should have been used to this experience by now, the feeling of having your heart broken but in reverse. It was exactly the same swooping, shaking, tidal-wave-of-relief sensation he'd experienced when El walked through the Byers' front door just a few hours ago. But just like last time, anger and betrayal followed. "Why didn't he bring her here? I need to see her. You have to take me there, Nancy."
Nancy shook her head, biting her lip. "He specifically told me not to do that."
Of course he did. Mike balled his hands into fists, his pulse pounding in his ears. "I don't care what he told you. Eleven needs me!"
The girl softened, pushing the hair out of her brother's face. "Mike. Mike, I know. But our parents don't know anything about what happened this weekend. All they know is it's 1 am on a school night and we're still not home."
Mike let out a harsh laugh. "After all this, you're still worried about what our parents think?"
Nancy rolled her eyes. "I'd just rather not be grounded for a month. Seriously, the sooner you get on their good side - and Hopper's good side - the sooner you'll get to see El."
Mike frowned. He hadn't thought of it that way. "Okay, fine. But you owe me one."
"I owe you?" Nancy laughed. "I'm still waiting to get my piggy-bank money back, asshole." She mussed his hair and he swatted her hand away.
Will wasn't in school the next day, but Mike wasn't really surprised. He had looked exhausted, after all, and deserved a chance to catch up on some mind-flayer-free sleep. Everybody at school was talking about the weird blackout they'd had last night and the strange sounds some people had heard in the woods. Mike was in a fog, unable to focus on anything the teachers said, his mind boiling over with questions.
What had El been doing all year? Had she really heard every one of his radio calls? Where had she gotten those clothes and that makeup? He wondered if she'd missed him as desperately as he had missed her. He couldn't imagine knowing where she was for a whole year and never once going to see her, or sending her a message. But - maybe she had tried to? Maybe - all those times he thought he heard her, thought he was going crazy…
Had Hopper taken good care of her? It was hard to imagine a guy like that, tall and tough and intimidating, being the kind of parent that El needed. Mike remembered how El had looked that first night he took her in - scared and cold and alone. The time she fell to the ground by the quarry and told him that she was the monster, her voice shaking, eyes fearful. She needed someone kind and gentle, who would tell make her understand how special she was. Someone who would hold her when she was afraid, and teach her about the world, and give her everything. Someone who would love her.
Someone like you? his treacherous brain asked him.
He blushed and looked down at his desk, hastily crossing out the little "011" doodles that seemed to have ended up all over his notes.
Shit.
As soon as Mike got home, he rushed up to his room and turned on his super-com. He fiddled with the dials until he reached channel eleven.
"El, are you there? It's Mike."
Deja vu punched him in the stomach and he shook his head, trying to stay calm. It's not the same. She's not missing, not anymore.
"I'm here."
Her voice came through clearly, with only a hint of static, and his heart began to beat wildly. He couldn't fight the grin that burst onto his face. "El! It's you!"
"Hi, Mike," she said quietly. He could tell that she was smiling, too, and that made him smile even wider.
"Nancy told me you closed the gate. She said you were really tired and that Hopper wouldn't have let me see you. I… I wanted to come see you," he said, all in a rush. He didn't want her to think he'd been ignoring her. "I was worried. Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes," she told him. "I slept all day. Hopper says I am re…cover…ing." There was a pause. "How is Will?"
"He wasn't in school today. I think he's recovering, too." Mike chewed his lip. "El, I… I just… I just… thank you," he breathed, his heart in his throat. "Thank you, so much for… for coming back. And for saving us, and for being okay, and for… everything."
He pressed the button to listen for her answer. It was quiet, and he almost spoke up but then he realized she was crying. The sound tore at his heart.
"What's wrong, El? Say something, please, I…"
"I'm sorry, Mike," El whispered.
He almost laughed, but instead a tear slipped from his eye and he wiped it away, clutching the supercom tightly. "I told you before. You don't need to say sorry to me, about anything, remember?"
He could picture her shaking her head. "I let you think I was gone," she whispered. "I left and I wasn't there to protect you when Will got sick. And I… I made the pretty girl fall off her board."
Mike frowned. "You didn't know that was going to happen - none of us did. And you were only doing what Hopper… wait," his mind finally processed all of what she had said. "What pretty girl? What are you talking about?"
El's breaths were still coming in unevenly. "Max," she said bitterly.
His eyes widened as he remembered the time in the gym when Max had fallen off her skateboard. "I knew that was you!" he shouted, chuckling. "I knew it! A skateboard can't just fall over on its own." Then he frowned. "But, why did you do that? And why did you run away?"
"I don't know," El admitted. She seemed a bit calmer, more thoughtful. "I felt bad. When I saw her, with you. Angry." She let out a sigh. "She's very beautiful."
Mike couldn't stop himself from letting out a giggle. It was wrong - El was still upset - but his heart felt like it was flying. She had been jealous. Of Max. Because of him. Which meant…
Which meant…
El must like him. A lot. Enough to make another girl fall off her skateboard just for smiling at him. Which, to be clear, was probably not an ideal response, and wasn't exactly fair to Max, who was - he had to admit - a pretty decent person, after all. But they'd work on it. The point was - El was jealous. And it was adorable.
"Why are you laughing, Mike?" El asked. She sounded hurt and he straightened his expression, wanting to help her understand
"Nothing, I just… it sounds like you were jealous of Max. And that's just… really funny to me… because, um, Max is so not my type. I mean, she's not the type of girl that I… um, that I like."
"Oh," El said. He should have expected her next question but it still made his heart race. "What type do you like?"
I like girls with number tattoos on their wrist, with huge dark eyes and tiny secret smiles, who eat Eggos plain and can bend the fabric of the universe to their will.
"You," he blurted out, turning red. "I like you, El."
"More than Max, right?" she asked. He almost rolled his eyes.
"Like a million, billion times more."
"Oh," she said. He waited, hoping she would say it back, but she didn't. "Is that why you kissed me?"
Mike wished more than ever that he could see her face. It would be easier to guess what she was thinking.
"Yeah," he told her. "Yeah, that's why. I'm sorry if it… if it was weird. I know you probably didn't really, um, understand… what that was about." He winced. Who just kisses a girl out of the blue like that? Like, how did I honestly think that was a good idea?
"Can we… again?"
He choked on air, certain he had misheard. "What was that, El?"
Her voice was so soft that it was almost a whisper. "Can we… kiss… again?"
Mike dropped his walkie-talkie. Luckily, the thing was pretty much indestructible.
"Yeah! Yeah, definitely! I mean, um, sure. If you want to. Yeah." His face felt really, really warm all of a sudden. "I was thinking, maybe I could come visit you some time. I mean, not just for that! Obviously. But, yeah. I really, really want to see you."
She giggled. "I can see you."
"You can?" he said, blushing even harder. So she just saw me drop the walkie-talkie like a complete moron. Smooth, Wheeler. "With your powers?" His forehead creased. "Shouldn't you be resting, though?"
"I don't want to," she said, pouting. "I miss you. I told Hopper to bring you, but he said it wasn't safe still."
Mike's heart gave a painful lurch. God, he wanted to see her. "El, I'm going to figure out where your cabin is, okay? I'm going to figure it out and I'm going to come visit you, soon. I don't care what the chief says. And in the meantime, I'll call you every day."
"Promise?"
He grinned. There was no way he would let her down. Not this time. "I promise."