Chapter Twenty-One – Beautiful World
"No…Jonathan-" Will rolled his eyes, his irritation playing out in a drawn out sigh.
"What? Do you always just walk into their house?" Jonathan asked, thinking it inappropriate.
"…well, sometimes," he didn't try to lie about it. Will didn't want Joyce to see him, fearing she'd immediately send him home.
"I'm just gonna go knock on the door," Jonathan stated. "I don't care which door you use, but I'm letting them know you're here," he sighed as Will rushed out of the car.
"Thanks Jonathan!" he shouted over his shoulder as his brother parked the car. Why did he care so much? As if he were some unknown outsider to Mike's parents. Will rolled his eyes knowingly, entering the basement through the garage door.
Jonathan pushed his hands into his pockets, taking his time as he stepped towards the Wheeler's house. His stomach wrenched nervously as he went over the endless responses he'd receive, the millions of excuses. Once Jonathan stood on the front porch, he raised his hand to knock but it froze midair, inches from the wooden frame. He'd already snuck into Nancy's room, twice! Why was this such an issue?! Jonathan shook his head, sighing deeply…then knocking determinedly on the oak, pursing his lips and immediately regretting his previous action. Just as he contemplated rushing back to his car and speeding off, Nancy stood in the door-frame, their eyes meeting, brown on blue. "Jonathan!" she said, her voice mixed with surprise and glee.
"Oh…hey!" he stammered, drawing a blank. "I uh…dropped Will off and he went into the basement. He's there now…and he says he's feeling better so…" Jonathan sighed, watching as her gaze deepened. "…I figured, t-time with his friends would be good for him."
"Yeah! No, you're right! That's fine…" Nancy agreed, though in a confusing manner. "Did you, wanna come in?"
"-no! Well…I mean, I do. But I have to go to work soon…" he sighed, thoroughly dreading it.
"Oh, okay. I understand," she nodded, looking over her shoulder a moment. "…well, I guess I'll-"
"Nancy, I was actually wondering…" he began, his heart catching in his throat a little unexpectedly. Nancy watched him, those bright, blue eyes bearing down on his soft brown ones. He thought he might faint as he swallowed down his nerves, forcing himself to continue. "…I uh…I bought two tickets for The Clash…they're coming to Indiana this weekend and…I-I was wondering if you wanted to go see them perform," he stumbled through his words, his proposal having sounded way better in his head.
Nancy eyed him differently now, and at first it frightened him. This new look, one she'd never flashed his way until now…surprised him. It was vaguely reminiscent of…admiration…mixed with surprise and a pinch of self-conscious worries for good measure. "That…sounds, great! Yeah…I'd love to go," she nodded, her smile incredibly soothing. "I've actually never been to a concert," she simpered, peering up at him as if this was very uncool of her.
"Neither have I," he chuckled, grinning as they blocked out every other distraction, the rest of the world fading out into a blur of white and grey. Neither one noticed this, or would ever admit it to the other, and they even seemed to snap out of it simultaneously, their smiles dropping and their eyes widening a bit comically as if they'd been caught staring too long at a stranger.
"I'd have to ask my parents," she spoke, reminding him as much as she reminded herself.
"Y-Yeah! Of course!" Jonathan nodded understandably. "Just…make sure you tell them it's The Clash and not Iron Maiden," he joked, eyeing her reassuringly.
"Yeah…totally," she shook her head, trying to be discreet about having never heard a song from either band. Still, the idea of going to a concert with Jonathan meant spending more time with him and getting to know him better. Last time they'd been attached at the proverbial hip, their beliefs had them at each other's throats…but it'd been their personalities that'd mended the bond. Still, these were dangerous waters. She'd just broken up with Steve and her thoughts hadn't yet settled…but this was Jonathan. Were it any other boy, she'd tell herself to watch out, but she knew she could trust him. And that certainly didn't mean she'd take him for granted. "Should I bring anything?"
"I-I can bring some cash in case we get hungry," Jonathan offered. "It might get cold so I would bring a hoodie, just in case…"
"Sounds good," she trailed off, unconsciously getting lost in his eyes. "-when is it?"
"-oh! It's Saturday," he replied after a moment's hesitation.
"Great! I'll ask my parents," she announced, smiling openly at him.
"Great…" he echoed, mirroring her expression in a comfortable way. They stood a moment more, basking in the glow of each other's soft gazes. "Well…I should go…" Jonathan grudgingly announced that he was running on a schedule.
"Yeah…wouldn't wanna be late," she agreed just as reluctantly.
"Yeah…they'd fire me in a heartbeat," he chortled, nodding and stepping off her porch. "I'll…see you around?"
"Yes! Definitely," she assured him, trying to hide her excitement out of politeness. They smiled and Nancy slowly watched as Jonathan got into his Ford, driving down the road and off to work. Something light and airy fluttered about in her chest whenever she imagined them at the concert, and it quickly became one of those addictive sensations. Her heart swelled and flickered like a candle in the wind, ignited at his very smile, sustained off his rambling words. There was something else too…she realized they had much in common when it came to familial roles. Both of them were eldest children, meant to protect and guide their younger siblings through the treacherous obstacles of life. When it came to helping Mike, Nancy was very clumsy, prone to stumbling and falling, though she usually picked herself up when push came to shove…like it had last November. But Jonathan…Jonathan fulfilled this responsibility and more, gracefully and with care. It was hard not to smile with him whenever he watched Will, infinite admiration and happiness plastered across his face. She gazed at his car as it receded from view, inhaling at the realization that he was an inspiration for Nancy. He encouraged her to become a better sister…and he never had to say a word.
"Nancy?" Karen appeared behind her, shocking the girl from her thoughts.
"Mom!" Nancy gasped, shutting the door with a sigh. "You scared me…"
"Who was that?" her mother asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
Nancy returned her foreboding stare, "…Jonathan Byers."
"Oh," Karen sounded, seemingly surprised at this answer. "Well, what did he have to say?"
"He…invited me to a concert with him, on Thursday," Nancy said, her eyes trailing from the floor back to her mother.
Karen took a moment before she could express her surprise, "Oh..."
"Mom!" Nancy exclaimed, leering at her incredulously. "It's not like that! We're going as friends!"
"…alright…" Karen nodded in a knowing manner that endlessly irked her daughter. "…who's playing?"
"It's this band called, The Clash," Nancy said, hoping her mother knew as little about them as she did.
"Hmm…" Karen pursed her lips wondrously. "I'm not sure I've heard them before…your father and I will have to give them a listen…"
"Okay," Nancy nodded, beginning to return to the living room with Joyce and Ted. She'd been allowed to listen in on their words and now knew practically everything about Eleven…about her mother and her involvement in MK Ultra; about how she could've grown up a normal girl named Jane. Uncertain chills coursed through her body many times during the discussion at the idea of a corrupt government, conducting horrible experiments on fellow human beings, just like her. Her parents were entirely swept away, disbelieving at first, but eventually realizing it all played out and the crossroads intersected perfectly.
"…is there, anything else we should know about?" Karen asked, her eyes swollen with shock.
"Yes…" Joyce quickly began to add. "Eleven needs to be kept a secret. Those men from the state are still out there, looking for her…" Ted and Karen exchanged alarming looks, seriously reconsidering their previously accepting attitudes. "…she's very close with your son…with my son, even. They're…they're her only friends…" Joyce shrugged hopelessly.
Mrs. Wheeler's gaze became distant as she struggled with the riskiness of it all. Ted spoke up, "And…she'd be staying with you?"
"Yes. I'm taking full responsibility for her," Joyce affirmed with a hasty nod and a slow swipe of her hand. The couple eyed each other, failing to communicate the way Hop and Joyce could.
"Will you, excuse us for a moment?" Karen asked, rising to follow her husband into the kitchen.
"Sure…sure," Joyce nodded as they exited the room. Nancy remained beside her on the couch, witnessing her worried expression deepen.
"…I think you're doing the right thing," Nancy tried to sound reassuring.
"What?" Joyce glanced up at her, deaf to the world moments ago. She'd been so preoccupied wondering where Hop had gone, bickering with her instinct over whether Eleven should stay.
"You're right…for bringing her here. She needs friends," Nancy explained herself. "…and, I know you'll be a good role model for her."
Joyce bashfully rolled her eyes at this, simply hoping she could figure out a way for them to get through Spring Break unscathed. "Thank you…" Joyce eventually said, smiling tiredly at her.
"You're welcome," she replied, frowning at the stress lines marking Joyce's face. She wanted desperately to help, but she didn't want to overstep the boundaries that border-lined insulting her. "If you ever need someone to watch her, I'd be happy to," she offered.
Joyce glanced up at her once again, pausing to ask, "Are you sure? I-I wouldn't be able to pay you…"
"That's fine! I wasn't expecting payment," she said, shaking her head reassuringly.
Joyce smiled at this bright young girl, "Thank you."
Nancy nodded, her gaze flitting to the archway as her parents returned, sitting down almost simultaneously. Joyce watched them, clasping her hands together whilst resting her arms on her thighs. "…Ted and I have been talking about it…" Karen began, her words trudging by with reluctance. "…we decided that she can come here, whenever she wants." Joyce sighed with relief. She had a minimum wage job, one that she couldn't afford to lose. Staying home to watch El could jeopardize her financial standings, and they'd be in debt up to their ears while they scraped by week-to-week. "We're here to help Joyce, however we can. But…we need to know more about the…precautions,we should take," Karen confided in her.
"Thank you…thank you so much!" Joyce breathed, shaking her head. "It's just…with the job, and Jonathan working…"
"We completely understand…don't we Ted?" Karen eyed him expectantly.
"o-oh yeah! Yes, of course!" he agreed as if being stirred from a daze. "She seems harmless enough...and I'm sure it'll be good for Mike too."
"Yes. He was…heartbroken, that night. There was nothing we could say to calm him down…you remember, right Nancy?" Karen watched her daughter nod solemnly.
"No but, really. I can't thank you guys enough…" Joyce went on to shower them with gratitude. "She's…" Joyce shook her head, her heart swelling as her words trembled and swayed. "…she's just a kid." The Wheelers' all nodded retrospectively, trying to revisit those tender years of childhood, their minds boggling whenever they factored in Eleven's situation.
"We'll take good care of her," Karen nodded, reaching over to lay a consoling hand on Joyce's knee.
"Thank you…" she said again, her eyes wearily noting the arms of the clock. She sighed, "I have to go to work soon…I won't be back until eight…"
"Well…maybe she could, stay here tonight?" Ted suggested out of nowhere. Karen and Joyce eyed him incredulously. "You deserve a night's rest," he said, noting how bent-out-of-shape Joyce knew she was. "I mean, this wouldn't be the first time, now would it?" Ted made an honest point, raising a humorous brow at his wife and daughter. "How long has he kept that tiny fort up?"
"Since last year…" Karen replied, shaking her head and sighing exasperatingly. It seemed easier for them when the wool was pulled over their eyes…
"You wouldn't mind it?" Joyce pressed a tentative question.
"…I suppose not," Karen eventually caved into agreeing.
"Thank you so much Karen…" she exhaled, standing to hug the woman. Mrs. Wheeler accepted the gesture welcomingly, patting the frazzled woman on the back. "Let me just ask her, before I go," Joyce said, gesturing to the basement.
"Of course," Karen nodded as Ms. Byers went, turning to face Nancy. Her daughter smiled, and something buried deep beneath all of Karen's doubt whispered a comforting reminder that things would be alright.
"Maybe she…made a new portal?" Lucas suggested as they sat around the table, their party now five bodies strong. Before Will could tell who was coming down the stairs, his mother appeared, eyeing her son suspiciously.
"Will?!" she exclaimed as the boy shot to his feet.
"Jonathan said I could come! He drove me here! I feel fine!" Will blurted out as the boys all gritted their teeth.
For a moment, Joyce wanted to argue, to insist that he return home at once...but she saw how they'd been sitting, tight-knit in a circle of friends. Joyce gave in to Will's puppy-dog eyes with a sigh of averseness, knowing she could never stay mad at him for long. "…alright…you can stay."
Will's eyes broadened at this, "…really?! Thanks Mom!"
"Yeah yeah don't push it…" the woman hummed. Dustin and the boys snickered as they eyed Will jeeringly. Joyce stepped down, and this time Eleven stood to meet her, wary it was her turn to go. "I have to go to work until eight…do you think you'll be alright here?"
Eleven peered back at the boys, eyeing them all calmly. She turned back to face Joyce and replied, "Yes."
"Okay…" Joyce nodded, smiling down at her. She began to leave, pointing at them and squinting playfully, "Behave yourselves! And Will, don't let me hear that you ate too many sweets…"
The boy with the bowl cut rolled his eyes and called up the stairs, "I won't!" El returned to her friends as they waited for the adults to walk out of earshot. Lucas snickered, tapping Will playfully on the shoulder as the boy shoved his hands away, chuckling warmly. They heard the front door open, an exchange of farewells, and the closing of Mike's house.
"Do you think it could be that? You think maybe you…opened a new portal?" Mike asked, eyeing the girl intriguingly. She shrugged, maintaining their locked gaze as Mike sighed.
"…does she, know?" Will asked, gesturing to her.
"No. Not yet…I wanted to wait for all of us to be here," Mike replied as Eleven watched them all suspiciously.
"Know…what?" she asked.
Mike began, hoping to explain the entire situation, "Will…is sick. But-"
"-we think it may have something to do with the Upside Down," Lucas broke in.
"Speaking of that…" Dustin unzipped his backpack, extracting what looked like a lime popsicle. He placed it on the table between them as Will immediately recognized it, his eyes swelling at the cup. In the middle of the frozen cup lay the slug, suspended and motionless within the ice's grip. The ice itself had dyed a light green color, as if the slug had dissolved itself into the water.
"Whoa…" Lucas droned.
"I know! Isn't it crazy?" Dustin agreed as Will and Eleven stared at the ominous creature, locked away in its frigid prison.
"Have you ever seen anything like that?" Mike asked as El continued to watch it, as if it was going to suddenly burst into flames. They awaited an answer as El's gaze deepened, her mind suddenly reopening deep wounds. The slug reminded her of something small that rapidly amplified, distanced by trauma and locked away for sanity's sake. "…El?" The girl's breathing became labored as she lost herself in a nightmare, her subconscious finally cracking open, splitting itself into a million shards and allowing her to see into that lost memory.
Each desk sat amok with moss and mold, the walls dripping green and black. There were no lights…the power was out. There would never be any light here…unless she found it herself. Something besides dried blood clogged her nostrils as the scent of carrion drifted lazily about the room. Flies hummed about a corpse before her, swarming with slugs and demented rats. Their beady red eyes regarded her cautiously as she lifted her head from the moistened floor. The most she could do was peer back forebodingly, blinking back her shell-shocked state. Their bare tails flicked about, bony and white, though caked with the sludge that coated nearly everything here. She sparingly breathed the toxic air, her mind pirouetting sickeningly as she peered about the room. An unwelcome chill assailed her and she shivered, her jacket moist and clinging to the side she'd collapsed onto. Hesitantly, she rose to her feet, the rats squeaking and retreating at her very presence. Her wide eyes took in the rotting corpse of the monster she'd conquered, it's flesh stripped nearly to the bones. The very image vibrated with maggots and tiny flying insects…and the longer she stared at the horrifying act of nature, the odder she felt, until something in her stomach finally lurched and she retched, vomiting it's meager contents onto the already soaked floor. It burned her throat and eyes as she grasped a desk, her palm squelching into a pile of webs and vegetation. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she exited the room, her voice shot from the bile. But she had to try…she wouldn't feel certain if she didn't.
"Mike?" Her voice was unimaginably frail as her sneakers squished with each step. It was the only sound that greeted her, echoing rancorously about the dilapidated halls. Filthy hands eventually found the door handles as she pushed against their metallic weight. A growth of some kind held them together at the seams, and she frantically pushed over and over, her breathing accelerating with frustration. She glared down at the tumor of an obstacle, crisscrossing in a web-like fashion. El bared her teeth, shrieking at the growth as it ripped in half, the doors flinging open like cardboard boxes. She stumbled through the opening as her fatigue gripped her like a plague. A moon hung green and slimy in the dark, and while the sky sat cloudless above her, no stars twinkled like they had at home. It was an infinite sheet of black, gazing down at her disdainfully and refusing to offer her anything besides a meager cast of light.
She couldn't keep track of how long she walked…the minutes stretched into hours and the hours leaked into days. The moon never moved, never grew brighter or dimmer...it was the only thing that seemed redundant here. The beasts never stayed the same; some flew about without any wings, yelling incomprehensibly in human-like voices; other invertebrates fought for life as they writhed helplessly on the ground, drowning in the polluted mire. And Eleven walked among them, moving like the dead and breathing like the invalid.
Bouts of dizziness occasionally grabbed both sides of her head, stopping her in her tracks. Even when she wasn't moving, the world spun on its axes like a toy as she fought to gain her bearings, digging her heels into the mud and gritting her teeth against it all. Finally, when she thought she'd seen it all and resigned herself to defeat…there was the tree. It looked like any other old tree, draped over with wispy vines and great fungal masses. She leaned against its bark, exhausted and hopeless, the sounds of something in the distance no longer pushing her with fear. Her poisoned lungs cobwebbed over with particles dwindling in the open air as her eyes slowly closed, and her hand – which was pressed against the bark with all of her weight – became her last sturdy anchor. Her thoughts turned to home, to Mike and Joyce when she heard those footsteps in the distance. The ground trembled at their very impact and she blinked at the sounds, still fighting for breath. She could see it's form peeking through the trees, looming and wiry with tentacles. Most of it was indistinguishable, casted in shadow and darkness. It breathed in a humming growl and El suddenly felt her pulse quicken as it approached her, rapidly collecting that she was in mortal danger. Her thoughts desperately rewound themselves, clinging hopelessly to the things she loved most…those she fought for and against. It was hard to focus…she seemed to have switched sides somewhere along the way…
"…Papa?"
The footsteps stopped, it's breathing now dangerously close. Suddenly, El's hand sunk into the bark of the tree, squelching as she unknowingly pushed through its timbers. Her eyes widened at this and she sank to her heels, breaking more of the wood open with much difficulty; her hands were cut and swollen, threatening to spill over with blood. That was when the beast hissed like some kind of serpent, a violent rattle finding her amidst the morass. El trembled as she clambered into the crawlspace just inside the plant. She'd simply meant to hide there…to die there; she wasn't stupid, understanding the fact that if nothing changed, it would happen soon, and she would fade away just as quickly as she'd been brought into this world. The girl hadn't eaten in days, and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to find her…like she'd found the Demogorgon. Or like how she'd found Barb…tears stung her eyes as she cringed with sadness. Oddly enough, the inside of the tree seemed to stretch on much further than it should have, so, with nowhere else to go and nothing left to do, she continued crawling through the tunnel, webs clinging to her hair and jacket.
Her hands and knees squelched less and less the further she went and eventually…her palm pressed itself into cold, solid ground. It was weird…perhaps this was a new part of the Upside Down she'd never visited? If so…shouldn't she turn back? As she battled herself over this, a beam of light poured through a break in the wood, brighter than anything she'd seen for a very long time. El blinked astoundingly at this, her finger finding the hole and pushing against the wood, testing its strength. It bent beneath her already sapped energy, and using the last of her stores, she slammed her full shoulder into its rigidness, busting through and collapsing into a pile of snow, perfectly white and cold.
As she slowly dragged herself from the pillows, blinking in confusion as parts of it flecked on her nose and eyelids, a warm glow reached down to touch her. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen...trillions of stars were thrown onto the snow, twinkling at her in the glaring sunlight. The trees were stripped bare, hefting the white stuff onto their shoulders instead of trailing hundreds of leaves by their fingertips. The air…the air itself was clean and crisp; you could taste the winter on your tongue. Her ears shaded red as the cold finally got to her and she leaned back against the tree, watching cautiously as the inside of the hollow began to close itself.
Where was she? Was this…could it be? She was doubtful, gazing dreamily at the lonely clouds drifting about the sky. That was when her breath caught in her throat, her eyes locking on something glaring at her from the treetops. Its eyes were wide and yellow, it's body feathered white and peppered black. When it blinked, she inhaled deeply, half-expecting it to rush down and attack her…but it only continued to watch her, equally as curious as the thing it observed. Eventually it's head swiveled away, satisfied with her silence and stretching its enormous wings into the air. It lofted itself into the open space, catching a headwind and expertly flying off, practically melting into the snow-covered horizon. She lost its body in the white, sighing to herself and going over her cuts and bruises. They would take time to heal…but she imagined it was over. Perhaps she really was back…the creatures here were intriguing and beautiful and acted with purpose. If this were the Upside Down, the white bird would've surely ended her for making eye contact. As she dragged herself back inside the hollow, reaching a tentative hand down to cup a ball of snow, she began to fight a brand new kind of war…one that only she could feel. To her great satisfaction, snow turned out to be edible, and it would act as her lifeline for many days afterwards as she slowly rebuilt her strength. With the snow as her source of water, she'd ultimately find the box, memorizing its path through the trees using various landmarks. Before the snow melted, it was a single crooked tree that told her she was heading in the right direction. Once the white was leeched into the cold, hard earth, a mossy rock became her second guide.
And she never forgot them – her old friends – through all of this surviving. As they celebrated Christmas, New Year's, and Valentine's Day without her, they were all she thought about.
"El? EL!" She blinked, breathing deeply at the feel of his hand gripping her shoulder.
"Eleven!" Dustin exclaimed, waving a cautious hand in front of her. When her eyes met his, he smiled and spoke in a loud voice. "Hey! Hey how many fingers am I holding up?" She creased her brow at this as she tried counting them. "How many fingers?!"
"Dustin knock it off!" Lucas scoffed as he watched her eyes travel from one digit to the next.
"…five…" she mumbled, her gaze returning to the slug in the center of the room.
"Oh…oh okay…" Dustin sighed, obviously very relieved. She pondered to herself, no…it hadn't been on the Demogorgon's corpse…it's body was too dark for that. She was certain of one thing only…it needed to be destroyed. El turned towards the cup and locked her gaze as if taking aim with a high-powered rifle, and the boys all moved back a bit as her glare intensified. Her brown eyes bore holes into the cup as she took a second more to decide just how she wanted to vanquish the tiny horror.
Mike hands broke her focus as he shook her frame, "EL! What are you doing?"
She eyed him confusingly, "Killing it."
"Mike, just let her do her thing," Lucas shrugged. "We won't have to burn it now and-"
"No! Remember when you did that to the Demogorgon?!" he shouted above the others. Her eyes closed regretfully, suddenly realizing his fears. "You were gone! What if that happened again!?"
"Mike…" she began; doubtful it would occur with something so small and helpless.
"NO! I won't let you!" he proclaimed, grabbing the cup and rising to his feet. He pushed through the door as his friends followed.
"Mike!" Dustin exclaimed as he spun him around to face them. He was clutching the cup to his chest, not allowing them to take it from him, though they weren't about to try. "What are you doing?"
"If the weirdo doesn't think it'll happen, then it probably won't!" Lucas exclaimed, eyeing the girl questioningly. His words were laced with stress, "Do you think it'll happen again?" Lucas wasn't angry at her, just irritated at Mike's overbearingly protective attitude.
She lowered her gaze, her brow pinching worriedly in the center as she answered honestly, "…I don't know…" Lucas sighed hopelessly as Dustin pursed his lips.
"Let's just burn it…" Will suggested. They all glanced over at him as he continued, "…that way it'll be gone for good and we can forget about them."
"Yeah, until you hack up another one," Lucas added in a pessimistic tone. Will shot him a look as Lucas raised his hands in defense. "Look, all I'm saying is, how are we even gonna burn it without Mike's parents noticing? Even if we go outside, they could still smell the smoke."
"Yeah, what if they called the fire department? We'd have to hide El all over again!" Dustin broke in. Their opinions were divided, Will and Mike determined to burn it while Lucas and Dustin argued the points of logic.
"Well then we'd have to go somewhere no one will see us," Mike declared. They all eyed Will expectantly as he returned a stern gaze.
"…if we go to Castle Byers, we're going to burn it. That's final," he laid down the ground rules like a game plan.
"We'll need a lighter…" Dustin said, wandering about Mike's garage. "…maybe some oil too…just for good measure…" He bent down to pick up an old-fashioned oil can, shaking it and listening to the liquid splash about inside.
"We can use my Dad's old lighter, I think it's in that box over there…" Mike pointed to a box full of camping supplies. Dustin promptly began sorting through it. For some reason, the thought of burning the slug suddenly caused Mike's stomach to lurch uncomfortably. But this was the same atrocity that had been living inside his best friend's gut, and simply knowing that curbed his hesitation. Lucas hadn't moved from his spot, thoroughly irritated.
"I think we should do it," Will announced. "But…there's one problem…"
Lucas rolled his eyes, "Worried your mom is gonna see us?"
Will eyed him, chuckling a little defensively, "No! She and Jonathan are at work. I just, didn't bring my bike with me."
"That's okay. Lucas or Dustin can give you a ride," Mike offered. The two boys exchanged looks as Lucas rolled his eyes. He seemed more than hesitant, with El bearing the most trepidation of them all.
"If we get in trouble…I'm blaming you," he muttered, squinting at Will in defeat.
"I'm totally okay with that," he acknowledged, following them onto Mike's driveway. They all got on their bikes as Mike turned to El.
"You ready to go?" he asked, noticing her turn back towards the door hesitantly. "Don't worry, we'll be there and back before anyone even notices." Reluctantly, she nodded, climbing onto the back of Mike's seat and gripping the sides of his coat. Turning forwards and pedaling, he smiled, knowing she was so close and safe with them. Will ended up riding with Lucas since Dustin's backpack was so large and heavy, carrying the frozen eyesore inside. The three bikes rode in a V-formation, and Eleven gazed about at their tiny little town so astounded and awe-stricken. Mike could feel her grip tighten or relax whenever civilians eyed their bikes yearningly, wishing they could return to that golden age of youth. Lucas slowed at an intersection, and the rest braked to stop beside him, a single car on the other side. For some odd reason, there was a steady stream of cars crossing their path, and so they waited, (for once) abiding by the laws of traffic. The one car in particular – the one facing them across the street – hummed loudly with incessant banter.
"But MOM! Everyone's going! Even James is gonna be there!"
"Troy, I don't care if James is going. Those boys he hangs around with are all trouble, and I don't want their influence to rub off on you!" Troy's mother fiercely scolded him as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. "If James jumped off a cliff, would you?"
"Oh Mom…" he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "…but-!"
"-AH! My decision is final. You're not going!" she declared sternly. Huffing in irritation, he pressed his face against the window, his seething breaths fogging the glass. Once the traffic slowed down, three bikes approached them and he immediately recognized the riders…Toothless, Sinclair and Frogface. The scrawny Byers' kid was with them…as well as another. He squinted to get a better look at the one with the short hair and internally gasped, his eyes locking with her cold, dark orbs. It took about a minute, but the instant she recognized him, she didn't hesitate to glare him down, squeezing Wheeler's jacket angrily.
"MOM! MOM LOOK!" he pointed at the girl through the window as the bikers rolled past them.
"Troy! I'm trying to drive! Don't distract me!" his mother bit back, her words heavy with annoyance.
"NO MOM REALLY! It's the…" the girl he was referring to maintained her glare as if it was her destiny, even turning back to watch as they wheeled down the road. Troy flipped around in his seat, eyeing her alarmingly through the rear-view window as they slowly shrunk out of sight. While he quaked with fear knowing she was back, he ground his teeth together when he recalled the look of content on Wheeler's face. As his mother turned onto their home street, Troy resettled so he was facing front, rubbing his arm bitterly.
"Hey El…" Mike said through steady breaths.
"What?" her voice was muffled in his ear…and she sounded, angry.
"…you're squeezing my sides," his face cringed as her grip immediately lessened.
"Oh…sorry…" she apologized, her tone returning to its amiable soft-spoken soprano.
"That's okay…" he breathed, pedaling on towards Castle Byers.
"…did anyone else see Troy in that car back there?" Will shouted above the wind.
"I didn't," Lucas shrugged, glancing behind him and past Will's hair.
"Me neither," Dustin panted. Mike winced in pain. El was gripping his sides again, seething into his shoulder.
"El…" he began, the pain instantly leaving him.
"Sorry…" she mumbled, swallowing her anger a little abashedly.
To be continued...
Authors Note: First off, I'd like to thank anyone who has read THIS far into the story. I really do appreciate your time and reviews. It means a lot for me to receive feedback and constructive criticism. Plus, I'm writing this for you guys! So I REALLY hope you enjoyed this! Follow for more chapters and tell me what you think! Keep on writing! -Nightlock