Chapter 2

El

"Ok, you can do this," El said to herself. Why was she so nervous, it was such a mundane thing to do, walk into a building and talk to someone.

Pausing to take a breath El closed her eyes summoning the courage from inside her. Her mind casting back to why she started playing in the first place.

It had been a month since she'd started at college and her attempts to make friends had largely fallen on deaf ears. To her classmates she was a curiosity, not bad looking, dressed decently, but there was something about her that was just, odd. She would stride up to total strangers and offer her name, her name! In an intricate system that had been built since they were in kindergarten.

Plus, she did not fit in any of the traditional categories. She was not cool, sporty, or middle of the road. The best place for her seemed to be the nerds, but even this was puzzling. As every time she began to intrigue them with her stories or poetry, El would lapse into silence. They reminded her too much of her friends in Hawkins, too much of. The group would always move away awkwardly and tended to avoid her.

The only person that she could count on was Will. He'd managed to ingratiate himself with the nerds and was often seen with them. But whenever El came to eat her lunch alone or sat looking perplexed, he would join her. The two had become close over the weeks, bonding over their shared sorrow, the absence of Hawkins and those closest to them. This had gradually developed into a happy friendship, sometimes playing videogames, or discussing fantasy together. El appreciated this so much but knew she needed more in her life.

She remembered the particular day really well. The options for PE had been put on her years notice board. "So" El said to herself sarcastically, "which humiliating, I mean, wonderful options do we have here?" She scanned the list, "Netball, Swimming, athletics" none of them sounded particularly appealing. But one of them did catch her eye, Tennis, with MR Carson. He had always been kind to her so that was part of the appeal. But there was something else about it that piqued her interest, she was not quite sure what it was. "It's as good as any I guess" El admitted and put her name down.

The first class had arrived. All the students stood in a line, gripping cheap rackets that had been sitting in the PE storage room, probably since the dawn of time. It felt oddly oppressive in El's hand, the hard plastic handle was uncomfortable, "maybe this was a mistake," she thought.

"Ok everyone" MR Carson said, "thank you all for choosing Tennis, we're all going to have some fun together, aren't we?" The class was silent, some scoffing. Only El smiled encouragingly. "Right" he said, "now I know you're all eager to get going but we're going to learn a little about the game first." An audible groan erupted from the class. "Now everyone, sit on the floor and I'll tell you a little something about what is, probably my favourite sport."

The class quickly grew bored and started whispering among themselves, but El listened transfixed. He ran over a history of the game, names like Rod Laver, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova soaked into her memory. The sport was so much more intricate than she had thought. He told the class about backhands, top spin, court positions and hundreds of other aspects. El felt a strange sensation, enjoying the talk but really wanting to try it out for herself, she had never felt like that in PE before.

"Ok everyone" he said with a clap, "I'll pair you up and we can just have a knock about for now, just hit the ball to each other." El was paired with a girl named Sophie. As was her way, El offered her name, but Sophie looked away with disinterest. El only knew her name at all because MR Carson had said it.

Normally this would have made El feel rejected, but this time she did not really care. She just wanted to get going with this interesting new sport. "Do you want to serve first?" Sophie asked. "Erm," EL said "I thought we were just having a knock about today?" Sophie rolled her eyes, "you're so boring," and before El knew it Sophie had thrown a ball over her head and sent it towards her.

El did not know what to do, she tried to think back to what MR Carson said about positioning, but while in thought the ball sailed past her. 15 love Sophie said with an air of superiority. "Ok El" she thought to herself, "let's do this." But two more balls sailed past, 30-love, 40-love. "Your times nearly up Jane" Sophie said cruelly and hit her final ball. El felt humiliated, yet another one to add to the list, but then something happened.

El felt her legs move forward as if of their own accord. Her mind struggled to catch up as she approached the ball, her arm moving freely in a motion across her body. She hit the ball with a crunch. El looked up just in time to see it cross the net, "yes!" She thought. But it continued to travel, into the outer court. "Out" Sophie said, with smugness, "that's game to me".

The rest of the lesson was a fiasco, El did not have the first idea about serving, so she hit the ball softly under arm, which always received a devastating blow back from Sophie. And when Sophie was serving, well, the less said about that the better.

"Good job everyone" MR Carson said, "that's enough for today." The class dispersed, El caught a glimpse of Sophie gossiping with her friends, casting a look in her direction. She felt ever so small. And yet, there was something about it, that one shot she had managed to make, even though it was out. She'd felt a spark run up her arm, an intense feeling as her legs had moved into position without instruction, it felt, wonderful.

"Jane?" MR Carson asked warmly, "how was that for you?" "It was" El started. Then she smiled, "it was great" she said. MR Carson beamed, "I'm really glad to hear you say that" he said, "it's great to have another Tennis fan to talk to."

Over the next few weeks El improved, amazingly. She listened carefully to all of MR Carson's instructions and took out books from the library on Tennis, reading them cover to cover. Even her classmates noticed and began to whisper, "what's gotten into her" as they watched El demolish another opponent, both boys and girls. But in their mean dismissive way, this was almost an addition to her faults, she was too good at Tennis and showed them up, besides, she was till odd.

For El, all of this was like water off a ducks' back. The sneers, from the others faded into insignificance as she played, savouring every shot, every run, every moment. After one lesson MR Carson had approached her, "Jane I'm really impressed with you. I'm not normally this forward with my students, but you're easily the best in the class." El found herself turning red, "thank you sir." She responded.

"Have you ever thought about some professional coaching?" He asked. "No" El admitted. "Well, you should" MR Cason continued, "you've got a real talent and I can only take you so far." "Oh yes" El interrupted, "I really want to get better." MR Carson smiled at her enthusiasm, "that's great to hear," "I'll talk to one of my friends at the leisure centre if you like, get you set up with some people your age?"

El nodded eagerly. "Fantastic" MR Carson, "and" he looked about him, "between you and me you're much better off without this lot, they can't hit the broad side of a barn door." "Yeah" El laughed. MR Carson gave her a wink and departed. El did the same, feeling a lift in her feelings, a new sense of purpose in life.

El smiled to herself as she remembered her and MR Carson's conversation. But stopped short as the memory of her coaching sessions started to materialise. "No" she told herself, "I don't need any of that, I just need to play." Rousing herself, El strode forward, eyes flashing.

She negotiated the Leisure centres revolving door with ease and approached the reception. "Hi", she said in a tone that surprised her. "Hey," said the attendant who was just as surprised, "I've made a reservation for 14:00?" 14:00, the man muttered looking through a sheet, "for Tennis?" "Yeah, my name's Jane Hopper." El responded. "Jane, oh here you are," he looked about him, "do you have an opponent today?"

"No," El said slightly flustered, "I'm just practicing today but I booked the court, you know, in case someone fancied a game." "Ok, well you've only got it for an hour, so you better find someone fast," the guy said laughing slightly.

"Yeah, thanks" El said with a prick of irritation and walked to the changing rooms. "This is so stupid she thought, going to play Tennis on your own, that's literally the only way you can't do it."

But these thoughts began to melt away as she pulled on her Tennis shorts and lifted the white vest top over her head. El had bought it a few months ago, as the T shirt she used to wear was too baggy and flapped around as she ran. El liked the way it hugged her body and offered no resistance as she moved about the court. With a quick glance in the mirror and a triumphant nod, El grabbed her racket and tennis balls, heading for the training room.

The training room was a bit like a squash court with a gigantic wall and sectioned off areas for people to hit the ball against. El approached, a little tentatively at first and began her routine of stretches: first her arms, moving them round the back of her head and then her legs, stretching them outwards. Followed by a short run around the edge of the room. She had watched Martina Navratilova do this before her match at Wimbledon and eagerly took it on as her own.

What surprised El was how everything seemed to blend together, there were other people using the training area, but she was only semi aware of them, they passed by in a blur. She jogged to an empty spot and stood gazing at the wall just like she did when playing a person, as if her stare could cause the bricks to tremble.

El opened the tin of Tennis balls with a satisfying pop and breathed in their lovely smell. She picked one up revolving it in her hand, tracing the line with her finger. She unzipped the case which held her racket holding it high like an Olympic torch. After bouncing the ball a few times, El got into a familiar position, ready to serve. She had not quite got Martina's serve down yet but was working on it. Already she could feel it, the electricity, the anticipation, the ecstasy. El tossed the ball into the air and with a crashing blow brought the racket down upon it.

Mike

"So, what do you guys think?"

Mike looked at his friends apprehensively, it had been a week since they had entered the hardware store and got David to commission their bizarre blueprint. Now it stood in front of them, the work itself was magnificent perfectly carved and shaped, he had even painted it for them. It had cost most of his savings, but Mike did not care, he whooped with joy as he took it home wrapped in bubble wrap.

"Erm, it's striking" Dustin said eyes wide. "Yeah" Lucas trailed off "and it's big." "Yeah" Mike sighed, "it's, big." As a drawing it had seemed a great idea, a symbol of El's strength and peerless courage. There she stood in front of the Mindflayer, a look of determination on her face, the creature above, its long legs menacing, ready to consume her. Seeing this made Mike feel sick, reminding him that he had lost her once and may lose her again. He could only imagine how she would feel on seeing it.

"She's going to hate it," he said finally. "No," Lucas consoled putting a hand on his shoulder, "don't worry man she will see the meaning behind it." "But what is the meaning behind it?" Mike exclaimed pulling away, "hi El I haven't seen you in a year, here's a sculpture of something that nearly killed you."

"But you know," Dustin said trying to help, "David would never have commissioned anything simple, we agreed it had to be something that would pique his interest." "Yeah, and maybe that's my problem!" Mike said his arms flailing, "I'm not simple, I have to do everything on a grand scale, why can't I be a nice simple boyfriend who gets a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers."

"I thought we agreed flowers," Lucas started but Mike silenced him with a death stare.

"El's been through so much" Mike said, "she probably wants to forget all of this ever happened, especially since losing her powers." He fell onto the couch with a thump, head in his hands.

"Look guys," Mike said gravely, "I've got to be honest, I'm a little worried about us." Lucas was about to do the 'you're talking crazy routine' but choose to hold back.

"When she first moved everything felt fine, we wrote letters to each other all the time and she numbered all of hers." "I didn't do the same, I kind felt that it was her thing. But we never," he sighed, "we never talked about anything serious, it was all small pointless stuff."

"That's probably what she needed," Lucas' said smoothly, "El's never lived a normal life and you're allowing her to have one." "Yeah maybe" Mike said, "but lately, it's felt like were' just pen pals, not a couple." He paused, "and then there was the letter from Will."

"What letter?" Asked Dustin gazing intently. "Well, he's been writing to all of you right?" They nodded. "He has to me to and again we just talk about small stuff. But in his last letter he talked about El." The two boys hung on his every word.

"He said he's been worried about her that she's been getting really distant lately, ever since she gave up Tennis."

"Tennis?" Lucas and Dustin said in unison.

"Yeah, I had no idea, I didn't think she was the sporty type but apparently she's been playing a lot and really loving it." "She never told me." He said, starring into the distance.

There was a silence. Dustin spoke up, "you've only got a week left and you can talk about it in person it's much easier than through a letter." "I know" Mike said, "but what if she doesn't want to talk about it? I mean, 165 letters and she did not mention it once, and why did she give it up? I'm just feeling really lost guys." He paused. "That's," Mike gestured towards the sculpture, "what led to this monstrosity, I wanted to do something, to show her how much I love her, and now," he trailed off, "I'm really not sure."

Lucas smiled and gave his friends shoulder a squeeze, "hey man, don't beat yourself up, long distant relationships are hard, and you've made it this far. Besides, I think she will like it."

"Really?" asked Mike. "Yeah" Lucas continued, "I mean, who wants flowers or chocolates anyway?" He said in a mocking tone, "when she can see herself depicted, fighting a great evil, how many girlfriends can say that?"

"Not many," Mike said laughing slightly. "And, Dustin interjected, you don't have to be all dramatic; when you see El you can," he fumbled, "do all the things you do, and then just say, hey I heard you've got into Tennis, that's really awesome."

Mike sighed contentedly, gazing at his friends, "thanks guys". "Don't mention it" Lucas said warmly, he offered a hand and stood Mike up off the couch. "Now let's leave this monstrosity here and have game of Pool, ok?"

"Yeah," sounds good, Mike said cheering up. "That's the spirit," Dustin added clapping him on the back.

The three boys walked out in tandem, closing the door behind them. Leaving a slight shadow cast upon the mind flayer and the tiny figure of El that stood bravely before it.