Mike was walking down the street of his new town, when a girl on a bike barreled into him.

Mike groaned as he sat up. "What the-"

"I'm so sorry!" The girl stood up. She was stunning. The nameless girl had brown hair that was cut above her shoulders, and golden brown eyes. "Are you okay?" She offered him her hand.

"Yeah." He took it gratefully, and he rose up to be a head taker than her.

"I'm Eleven."

Mike stared at her, expecting some sort of recognition. It's what he gets most of the time with new people. Choruses of, "Omg! Mike Wheeler? The Mike? From Stranger Things? Can I get an autograph?"

"Umm.." she waved her free hand in Mikes face. "Do you have a name?"

Mike realized they were still holding hands. He pulled away. "You don't know who I am?"

"Am I supposed to?"

"No! No, I'm Mike." He scratched his head awkwardly.

"Cool." She smiled. "I haven't seen you around Hawkins before?"

"Oh, yeah. Me and a couple friends just moved here. For the summer."

"By yourselves?"

"Yeah. It's a, um," Mike wasn't good at coming up with on the spot lies. "We're um.. finding ourselves. Yeah." In truth, they were supposed to be finding inspiration for their next album.

"Fun. Well, I have somewhere to be. So, I'll see you around, I guess." Eleven pulled up her bike and hopped on.

"Yeah. See ya."

Mike decided he would turn around and walk home. He had to tell the boys about today! Someone didn't know who he was!

It was like a breath of fresh air. His band, Stranger Things, was in between tours, not to mention albums. Mike doesn't think he's ever met someone who hasn't wanted something from him!

"Guys!" He burst through his front door. "You're never gonna believe this. I found someone here who'd doesn't know who we are!"

"Wow," Dustin said, "Lucas and I went to the mall and we were mobbed by like 50 teenage girls."

"Thank god I stayed home." Will popped into the basement. "Should we order pizza for dinner?"

"Yes!" The three other boys yelled.

"Okay," Will chuckled. "I'll get right on that. I'll order crazy bread too."

"Will I love you!!" Dustin screamed.

The boys laughed.

In the spotlight, the boys had their facades. Dustin is the funny one, Lucas is the sarcastic one, Will is the shy one, Mike is the cute one. Mike is the ladies man, the one who's always featured in Pop Magazines, and questionnaires, and he's shipped with so many others. If he had to put anyone as the Ladies man, it would actually be Lucas.

In reality, however, they were just a bunch of music nerds who loved DD. But, that was not the image their label wanted to display.

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The next day, Mike decided to walk down the the quarry. It had icy cold water, even in the beginning of summer.

"Well, fancy seeing you here!" A voice came from behind him, scaring Mike to near death.

He cursed. "Eleven! God, you scared me."

She laughed. "Oh really? I couldn't tell."

Mike joined her laughter. She smiled. "If we're gonna keep running into each other, I think we're gonna have to consider each other friends."

"I wouldn't be opposed to that." Mike leaned back on a rock.

"Good."

"Great."

"Perfect."

They burst into a fit of laughter. Mike surveyed Eleven. She looked like she had just stepped out of an 80's TV show. She had on a blue paint splattered shirt, along with suspenders and a yellow scrunchie. But damn, the style fit her.

She plopped down next to me. "How has 'finding yourself' been?"

"Oh," Mike sat there wide eyed. "It's been very.. finding? I feel found already."

"Great.. for you?" She laughed. "I don't know what to say."

She stepped onto the rocks beside where he was laying. "This is where I come to be alone. I'm surprised you found it, it's pretty well hidden."

So is this town, Mike thought. They two stayed there talking for two hours. Mike hasn't held that long of a conversation with anyone except his band and his family. But, he learned a lot about her. She was adopted, and has been living with her dad for four years. But when Mike asked about before that, she got really quiet. He decided not to pressure. She's turning 16 in three weeks, and she's looking forward to it. Eleven is homeschooled, but since her dad is the Chief Of Police in Hawkins, she knows everyone and everyone knows her.

Mike's phone dinged. It was Will. He had decided he was going to cook dinner, and he warned Mike to call the fire department if Will himself hadn't called him in an hour!

"I might have to go save my friends from dying from food poisoning here in a bit," Mike laughed.

"Why don't we leave now?" Eleven shrugged. "I can walk you home."

Mike smiled. "Really?" Has he ever been walked home by a girl before? He was pretty sure it was supposed to be the other way around. Not that Eleven was more than a friend. He barely knew her, how could she even be more?

"Definitely." She and Mike stood up. "Oh, and one more thing-"

Splash! Mike had fallen into the quarry! The icy water chilled him to the bone.

"-there's a loose stone right in front of you." El finsished her sentence before bursting out laughing. "Oh my god Mike, that was hilarious!"

"I'm gonna get you back for laughing, and when you're least expecting it!" Though, Mike couldn't help but join her in her laughter. Her laugh was contagious, and it made him feel some sort of way, a way he couldn't explain.

"Oh really?" She giggled. "We'll see about that."

He sighed. "Yknow, I'm actually too nice to get you back. But, as my new, dear friend." He smiled sweetly and stuck his hand out of the water. "Could you please give me a hand and help me out of the icy quarry?"

Still giggling, Eleven grabbed his hand. But the tables were turned against her, and Mike pulled her straight in.

El gasped for air. "Mike!" She screeched.

"I said I'd get you back, didn't I Eleven?"

She put her hands on his shoulders so she could breathe. Eleven couldn't stand in this water, but Mike, being as tall as he was, could. "I should've seen that coming." She shook her head.

He noticed how close they were. Mike could feel the water move as he kicked her feet every once in a while, and he could smell her minty breath. She noticed too, and she laughed and started kicking her way to shore. "Looks like I'm going to be spending a lot more time at your house tonight."

He swam after her and she reached the rocks. As soon as she was on dry land, she took off running. "Eleven! Wait!" Mike sprinted after her. How the hell could she run so fast? He could hear her wet tennis shoes squeaking as she ran ahead. He would've kept going... if not for the raging cramp in his side. Eventually, he caught up to Eleven.

"I've been thinking," She paused.

Mike waved his hand. "About?"

"You can call me El. Short for Eleven." She smiled.

"Alright, El." Mike smiled. El was a pretty great friend, though he had only known her for two days. She smiled back at him.

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"So, I kinda forgot that I don't own any girl clothes. But," he handed her a sweatshirt, shirt, and some sweatpants. "I have these."

"Thank you, Mike." She walked to the bathroom to change. El kept thinking about how familiar Mike looked. She could swear that she's seen him somewhere before, but he just moved to Hawkins... Mike was waiting for her in the hallway.

"You don't look half bad in my clothes," He winked and then made a choking sound, as if he was surprised at what he had said. Was he flirting with her? "I'm sorry, that wasn't me."

And Mike was right. That wasn't him, it was the other Mike Wheeler, the one specifically trained for the camera. But he liked the way El's cheeks flushed pink when he said it. "Let's go to the basement, you can meet my friends."

She nodded and then shuffled along behind him. In the basement were three more boys. Lucas, Dustin, and Will was the one in the kitchen. Repeating their names in her head was the only way she would remember them later. El noticed instruments in the corner. "You play?" She walked over to a pretty acoustic guitar.

"Yeah," Mike flushed red. "Um.. since I was little. But now I mostly play electric."

"Do you mind?" She put her hand on the neck of the instrument.

"No, no, go ahead!" He stepped back and watched her.

Eleven picked up the instrument and swung it's strap over her shoulder. She got the feel of the guitar before she played. The song was easily identifiable by Mike as You Don't Mess Around With Jim by Jim Croce, though he had never heard it played on acoustic before. She hummed along with it.

"A-doo umdoo do do dee dill dee dee dee!" Mike laughed. "Where'd you learn to play?"

She smiled. "It's just something my dad taught me. His name is Jim, and the song is very fitting."

Will came bowling down the stairs. "Guys! I burned the noodles!"

Lucas muttered, "How do you burn noodles in water.."

"But," He continued, "I figured if Eleven was okay with it, we could order Chinese Food?"

"That would be great! Eleven," Lucas clasped his hands together. "Please say yes. Anything is better than Will trying to cook!"

She giggled. "Sure. Chinese food it is!"

She thought of her best friend Max, who was currently in Canada. She loved the Chinese Food place here, and would eat it every day if she could. She missed Max a lot, but she would be back just in time for El's birthday!

"Earth to El," Mike waved his hand in her face. "We were asking if you'd like to watch a movie?"

"Sure." El smiled and sat down on the couch. After 15 long minutes of arguing, everyone decided on Disney's Aladdin. Mike told her that it was Dustin's favorite Disney movie ever.

That night was one of the best nights El Hopper had ever had.

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:)