Chapter 7:

Lilly and Mike didn't talk much after that. Their interactions had been limited to half-hearted smiles and casual geeetings when they saw each other at school. It bothered him, on some level, to feel like they had become strangers all over against when only two weeks prior, they have been sleeping together and sneaking in kisses at school.

The only compensation for that loss, was what he was slowly regaining with Eleven. She had been moved to Will's house like they discussed. He went by every day after school to see her, of course, but it had become quite lonely at night again with her gone.

It was better for her, though, as she didn't have to hide with Joyce, Will, and Johnathan. She could roam the house freedly, eat dinner at the kitchen table with them, and take showers as she pleased. They could be a family for her, and Mike understood that. It was the only reason he agreed to let her out of his sight.

Everything seemed to be going well, until Eleven showed up to his school with Will one morning.

"My mom insisted she come," Will explained when Mike approached him. "She thinks it'll be good for her to learn and make friends. She told the principal that El is my cousin from some random country in Europe and can't speak English."

Eleven shifted her weight nervously beside Will, sensing that Mike was really upset and a little afraid. She was a little excited to follow Will to school, as she was feeling isolated and confined at the house when everyone was gone to work or school.

"Mom didn't feel right about leaving her home alone all day," Will finished his explanation. Mike let out a sigh, then leaned back against the car nearest to him. Joyce had a point, but having Eleven out in the open was not something Mike was comfortable with given the circumstances.

"Is she following you to every class then?" Mike asked, needing reassurance. Will nodded, pulling the strap to his backpack up his shoulder again. "Don't let her talk to anyone."

"I won't, " Will nodded. "I'll watch out for her when you're not around, Mike. I promise." With Will's genuine promise, Mike thought it would all be okay. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Mike had snuck out of class during Will's lunch break, hoping to see her for just a few minutes and check on her before he had to return to chemistry. When he located her in the cafeteria, she wasn't alone, but she wasnt with Will.


"What, don't you talk?" The tall boy asked Eleven, leaned a little closer to her. She couldn't press back into the wall anymore, so she just looked around in hopes that Will would return from the restroom soon. "Hey, can't you speak English?" The boy asked, forcefully turning her head to bring her attention back to him.

Eleven lied by shaking her headand looking down at her feet. He laughed at that, which only unnerved her. His companion was leaning against the wall a foot away from them, arms crossed like he was bored at the moment, though his eyes were scanning the room.

"You can understand me, though," he commented, glancing up at his friend. "Do you think she's really Byers' cousin? I think she's too pretty to be related to him."

"Who knows?" The other boy shrugged. "Will's mom is kinda hot. Maybe the good genes just skipped a generation." The boy towering over her snorted at his friend's remark. Eleven didnt know what he meant by "hot," but she wanted desperately to be far away from them.

"You think she's easy?" The boy closest to her tugged a little at the end of her skirt. "She seems like she's one of those girls that's secretly a freak. You know, in the good way." Eleven swatted his hand away from her skirt and tried to push past him to escape. Unfortunately, she couldnt use her gift, as Joyce specifically told her it wasnt allowed.

"Where you going?" The boy asked, grabbing her arm. "Come on, stay for awhile. We don't bite."

"I do," came a voice she was all too familiar with. Mike pushed past her, taking the boy by the collar and shoving him back into the wall. The boy's eyes widened a bit, startled by Mike's sudden aggression.

"Mike Wheeler," the boy grimaced. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You keep your fucking hands off of her, Troy," Mike said through his teeth, tightening his grip on the boy's collar. Troy was a name she faintly recognized, though if she recalled correctly, Mike introduced him as Mouthbreather.

"Is she your girlfriend now?" Troy spat back. "Is that why you dumped Lilly?"

"Just leave her alone. She's not some new skirt for you to try and get into bed." Mike shoved Troy away and took a few steps back to get closer to Eleven. Troy fixed his shirt quickly, then walked off. At some point during puberty, Mike had gotten bigger than Troy, stronger. Troy learned to stop messing with him, even though he still never passed up an opportunity to tease Will.

Troy had failed a grade or two, nobody really knew for sure. All they knew is that everyone was sick of seeing him around. He had been grating too many nerves for far too long.

Once he was gone, Mike turned back to Eleven.

"Where's Will?"

"Bathroom," she muttered, keeping her head low. He was angry, and she hated when he was angry. It was hard to even look him in the eyes.

Mike stayed for a couple more minutes until Will returned. He was holding a hand over his stomach, which made Mike uneasy.

"Are you okay?" He asked Will with concern. "Are you sick?"

"No," Will shook his head. "I'm fine." Mike's eyebrows furrowed as he looked over Will, who looking like he was a little disheveled from the last time he saw him. After years of attending school together, Mike knew how to make sure Will was telling the truth.

"Liar," he accused, grabbing the bottom of Will's shirt. He lifted it a little, which revealed a dark purple bruise on the side of his stomach. "Damn it, Will. Why didnt you say something?"

"I said Im fine," Will frowned. "It's a couple days old, so it's not as bad." He tugged his shirt down with embarrassment.

"Who was it?"

"Who do you think?" Will sighed, crossing his arms. "The only person who still thinks tormenting me is fun. It's how he gets his kicks. Im sorry I left El alone for so long. Nothing happened, right?" Mike looked over at Eleven, then back to Will.

"No, she's fine. I just came to see how she was doing." Mike let out a sigh, then reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We have to do something about him, Will. Put him in his place, or something. I swear if I could catch that kid in a parking lot somewhere, I would make sure he never bothered you again."

"We graduate this year," Will shrugged, "then I never have to see him again. I'm biding my time. It's gonna be over soon, and hopefully the next time I see him is when the News shows his mugshot."

"Mugshot?" Eleven questioned, looking between the two boys.

"It's not important." Mike rubbed his hand over her arm in an effort to comfort her. "Keep an eye on her, Will. All of these hormonal teenagers keep eyeing her like fresh meat." He looked around the room and thankfully didn't see Troy anywhere.

"I've been watching her," Will nodded. "My art teacher let her draw today. She's actually not that bad at it." Will smiled over at her, and the smile that grew on Elevens face calmed his panic a little. She seemed to be enjoying her day, despite the incident with Troy. Maybe she felt normal, like other kids her age. That was worth something.

"Ill take you both home today. Okay?" Mike offered, as he had been for the past few days. It was extra time with Eleven, which was something he would always try to get in an way he could. Will nodded in agreement. "Okay, I have to go," Mike cleared his throat. "I told my teacher I had to use the bathroom ten minutes ago."

"Go," Will waved him off. "We'll be fine."

Mike smiled at Eleven as he turned to walk away. It bothered him a little that he couldnt be in Will's shoes, getting to spend all day and night with her. It made him a little jealous, though he didnt want to be. It was Will, after all, one of his best friends. He shouldnt have been jealous. But he was.