Chapter 2: The Amnesic Weirdo With No Powers
"YES, Grey is her last name."
Chief Jim Hopper confirmed, head tilted to the side to lean his ear against the phone.
"Look, I don't know if it's with an E or an A, all I know is that I have a teenager who doesn't know who she is or where she came from."
He paced anxiously back and forth across the living room, chewing on his bottom lip. He was getting irritated by the second, and who could blame him? Calling all morning every hospital in the state to check if she's been a patient or at least registered in their files was a task that didn't come to any fruition.
"For godsakes! Just tell me if you have any hospital records in her name."
"No?" He stopped by the kitchen counter and grabbed a pen to scratch yet again name off his list of searches. "Well, thanks."
Sighing in frustration, the man -already in uniform- grabbed his hat and placed it on his head. He walked up to El's room who must've left the door ajar last night.
Jim's eyes softened when he saw the two girls sleeping in bed; El softly snoring and her arm was draped over Jean's torso.
What on earth is he gonna do with her?
He thought before heading to work, which he was already late for.
~~~
The two girls woke up late that morning.
Jean was calmer at the moment, despite all the confusion. She was thankful to both Hopper and El for taking her in and letting her stay the night. She'd slept in the same bed as El and was provided with a toothbrush. Eleven acted so tenderly towards her, treating her like she could break ever so easily.
What she didn't know was that she was behaving this way because she knew exactly how she felt.
"Breakfast?" Eleven cooed.
With a nod, the green eyed teenager dedicated her a soft smile to which El returned.
"Umm.. Yeah, sure." Jean still found it hard to act normally after the previous events of last night.
"When you said, 'like me' just now, what did you mean?" Jean asked Eleven after they both entered the bedroom.
El, who was making the bed, moved her surprised eyes to the taller girl.
"I overheard you and Hopper talking." Explained Jean.
Eleven breathed in sharply, her shoulder slightly raising as she replied to her. "Don't remember? You can do what I can."
"What you can do?"
Eleven pursed her lips, she didn't know how to explain her abilities; so she found it was best to show her.
Jean's body went rigid at what she witnessed.
The fluffy white pillow that rested on the bed lifted all on its own and hovered in the air.
The redhead could feel her the breath catching in her throat as the object guided itself into El's arms.
"What the hell? How did you do that?!"
"You can do it, too. I saw it in your memories." Eleven said.
"My memories? How'd you- what did you see?!" Jean's head was bombarded with questions on who she was, where she came from, and now she even questioned the very fabric of her reality.
"You were using..abilities, that was all I saw."
The amnesic girl sat on the bed with a thud, attempting to process the information she's been given. "So does that mean I'm uhh-a freak?"
Eleven grew tense at the question. "No."
Seeing how her question must've sounded, Jean was quick to apologize, she was talking about herself, in no way trying to insult the younger girl. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, it's just- this has got to be a lie."
"Friends don't lie." Eleven answered all too quickly, her tone assuring. "Rest." She soothed, hesitantly lifting her arm to pat the older girl's head. "Night, Jean."
Jean's eyebrows lifted, amused and somewhat comforted by Eleven's affectionate act. "Good night, El."
El went to the kitchen. Since they unfortunately ran out of Eggos the night before, the fourteen year old was forced to make an actual meal.
Opening the fridge, Eleven crinkled her nose at the thought of cooking, but as her brown eyes roamed on the other side of the room she decided to try and make some food for the poor girl. She's watched Hopper cook breakfast all the time, how hard can it be?
Jean made her way into the kitchen and found El attempting to crack eggs bit making a mess instead. "What you doing?" She asked, mouth half open in amusement.
Eleven paused to wipe her yolk-soaked fingers on the kitchen rag. "... Cooking." She answered, in a manner of factly. She groaned, tweezing out the tiny shells that spill into the bowl.
Jean tried to stifle her laughter, but failed miserably. As she giggled, Eleven frowned at her, but eventually joined in, laughing loudly.
Once they ceased their cackling, Jean lifted a finger to wipe at the tears that formed in the corner of her eye. "Here, let me." She exclaimed, softly tapping El's shoulder.
Eleven reluctantly moved from the counter and watched as Jean held an egg in each hand and tapped the eggs together. And she used her fingers to split open the eggshell, then pour the yolk and white out into a bowl. She did this so quickly, it sort of astounded El. It was like she was used to it, like it was part of a routine. For someone who had no memory of anything but their name, it kind of came as a shock to Eleven.
What she didn't know was that cooking, along with other long learned body functions such as even as playing an instrument, are functions of our very long term memory and usually not affected by amnesia.
After she was done cooking, Jean placed both plates on the table and sat beside Eleven. The latter smiled and began eating delightfully.
"Is it good?" Asked Jean. And El nodded hurriedly.
"Hey, El," Jean blurted after taking a sip of her orange juice. "You said that I could do the thing that you can..." She said, no longer able to contain her curiosity.
"Yes." Eleven replied.
"Well, I- I don't think that's possible."
Seeing how reluctant Jean was to El's truth, a wooden chair screeched across the hardwood floor, almost tripping backwards as the brown haired girl abruptly stood and walked around the kitchen island. She opened a cabinet and grabbed something before strided back to Jean. She placed two plastic cups in front of them.
Jean's green curiously back and forth from El to the cups, wondering what will happen.
El gazed at one of the cups, her focus unwavering as she furrowed her brows. And Jean gasped once the cup was crushed on its own.
"You try." El suggested, wiping her bloody nose.
"How?" Was all Jean could muster.
"Just...focus on what you want to do." To be honest, that was the best explanation El could give. She was never taught of her powers, just pushed into performing them and punished when she failed to do so.
Copying what she'd seen Eleven do, Jean glanced at the cup.
After a whole minute of focus, she sighed, running her hands through her head. "See? I-I can't do it." She couldn't mask how grateful her tone sounded. She needed to be normal.
"It's ok. It took me a while, too." She consoled. Initially, exercising her abilities to accomplish small tasks was rather difficult for her. However, with practice, Eleven was able to accomplish greater and greater feats.
But what she didn't know is that Jean didn't want to be like her, she didn't want to be able to do things others couldn't, her mind screaming at her that she was normal and nothing but.
The two spent the entire noon watching TV to pass the time. Watching comedy shows and laughing occasionally. El would continue to glance to the girl next to her, her eyes lightening to see the redhead smiling.
If anything were to see how Eleven came to care for a stranger so quickly they would be astounded. But El felt immense sympathy for Jean, protective of her, even. She experienced suffering no one could imagine; and El knew this. Sure she saw only glimpses and pieces, but she felt it all.
So much pain.
She wanted to help her, much like her friends and Mike had helped her. And speaking of the devil...
A series of knocks blared throughout the living room, causing Jean to slightly flinch.
Eleven Hopper furrowed her dark brows in confusion, who would come by at this kind of time? It certainly wasn't Hopper because he had a key.
"El?" A boy's voice was heard next.
Mike, Eleven deduced.
She ran to the door and flung it open, revealing the smiling, eager boy.
"Hey." Mike Wheeler greeted, moving his foot in front of him to enter, but was stopped by Eleven's unmoving figure.
"..What are you doing here?" She asked, holding the door knob.
"I skipped last period so we could hang out." He answered.
"You.. Shouldn't have." El's eyes traveled to her left to see Jean tilting her head in confusion, and then Eleven looked back to Mike.
Mike's grinning face morphed to that of confusion. This was not the reaction he was expecting. "I wanted to. This way Hopper wouldn't be all over us about his stupid three inch rule." It was the end of the school year anyway, so it didn't matter, he thought.
Mike went to speak again to ask what the problem was, but stopped himself when he saw an unfamiliar girl standing behind his girlfriend.
"Who's that?" He asked El, gesturing his head towards the taller, red haired girl.
Eleven looked between the two, not knowing what to say.
"Hi, umm-" The Wheeler boy stammered, speaking to pretty older girl. "I'm Mike." He awkwardly introduced himself.
The redhead smiled at him, nodding. "Jean."
Eleven and Mike sat alone in her bedroom, the couple were facing each other, legs crossed.
Eleven had guided him inside in a haste to explain the situation. She told him how she found her alone and scared in the woods much like he found her two years ago. The young girl explained how extremely convinced Jean was just like her; born with abilities.
"So, you think she's like Kali? The girl that was with you at the lab?" Mike inquired after El's declaration. Of course he knew of Kali; number eight, Eleven's 'sister', the one who El searched for in her journey of self discovery.
Eleven gave him a confirmatory nod.
"But how come she can't remember anything but her name?"
She shrugged, she had no knowledge on that front.
"When I saw her... I-I could feel all her pain." El's eyes were getting watery, as she remembered what she'd seen. The suffering, the fire, she felt like she was choking in a vacuum, no one would hear her screams no matter how much she tried.
She couldn't bring the experience to the right words, this being the best she could express. At first, due to a very limited vocabulary, Eleven could not effectively communicate her thoughts and emotions. However, after nearly a year and a half of living with Hopper, Eleven's vocabulary expanded significantly, although she still struggled to understand complex words and social cues.
With a gulp, Mike pursed his lips. He moved his hand from his lap to place on Eleven's own, signaling for her to continue speaking.
"She was showing me like Mama, but it was... Different." She said. The experience was on a different level; for one she wasn't in the Void at the time, and she didn't even have to touch her to see what was in her head. It was like Jean was broadcasting her memories onto the younger girl.
"I want to help her." El asserted, her eyes shone in determination as she looked up at Mike.
The boy smiled at her kindheartedness and agreed. "We will."
He looked at the clock on her bedside table and found that it was getting late, he should've went back home from 'school' by now.
He jolted up from the bed, about to say goodbye but was interrupted by his first love.
"She couldn't use powers..."
He furrowed his brows at her. "Maybe she's drained, you could always try with her later." Mike said. He believed El wholeheartedly. The boy assumed that just like Eleven, the use of the redhead's powers took a toll on her. Perhaps that's what it all was, maybe she used her powers to such an extent that she entered such a confused state.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine. I promise." He assured before giving her a quick peck on the lips before leaving.
The moon was out and the summer winds were blowing.
Jean had taken a nap after making dinner, her whole body seemed to have yet to recover from whatever it has been through.
She abruptly woke up to the sound of a whoosh and a thud. After hearing a man's voice, she deduced that it was Hopper.
The redhead sat up on the bedclothes of the bed.
"F-Found anything?" She heard El speak.
"Not a damn thing." Hopper answered, his tone suggested at his aggravation. "I made phone calls, went through registries. How she even got here without anybody noticing her is a mystery!" He hissed. "Either she's lying about her name or she's just a ghost."
Hearing this slightly broke Jean's heart. Why would she lie? What would she gain from any of this? She asked herself. If only they knew how much she struggled to remember, to recall anything from her life. But it was like she was pushed away from her memories by her own mind.
She took her right hand and moved the blanket off her slightly aching body, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her sullen face lightened up a bit upon hearing El's assertive voice.
"..Not lying."
"Fine. We'll wait to see if anything comes up, and if it doesn't I'll contact Dr. Owens."
Who was he? Was he a psychiatrist?
"No." Eleven said, in an almost commanding manner.
"Hey, he's a good guy. The adoption papers wouldn't have gone through as smoothly as they did if it weren't for him."
Jean felt wrong hearing them, like she was eavesdropping or something. But what were she to do?
"I know you want what's best for her, but you gotta trust me on this." Hopper said.
She got up and walked on the tip of her toes, and stopped at the door. She shouldn't impose on their private conversations - even if they did concern her- after they oh so kindly took her in. So she shut the door as smoothly as possible, no longer being able to listen to a word they said.
"Did she remember anything, anything about the memories you've seen? About her powers?" Jim asked his daughter, sitting down on his lazy boy to take his shoes and socks off.
"I-We tried but nothing happens." Eleven's tone showed uncertainty as she spoke.
Hopper nodded in understanding.
"Why don't you lay off it for a while?" Getting up to walk to the kitchen table, Jim suggested. And El's face scrunched in confusion. "I'm sure when someone becomes amnesic, hearing that you have superpowers isn't the first thing that you wanna find out."
"Ammesic?" She repeated the unfamiliar word, not understanding its meaning.
"Amnesic, yeah. It's what you would call a person who loses their memories." He replied, standing over the table and inspections a foil covered plate.
"Amnesic." She repeated.
Jim chuckled.
Grabbing a bite of the chicken on the plate after removing the foil, Jim moaned. "Did she make this?" He asked, his mouth half full.
Eleven nodded with a smile.
"It's good." He commented, sitting down.
Silence fell upon the two. Jim's eyes darting from his plate to the Eleven's shut bedroom. "Listen, why don't you uhh- both of you why don't you go out tomorrow?"
"Go out?" Eleven eagerly asked.
"Yeah, I mean, maybe that'll be a good way to jumpstart her memories. What do you think?"
She vigorously nodded.
"But you know the rule." He cautioned.
"Too many people, too dangerous." She stated, practically gushing at the idea of going out tomorrow.
"Good." He smiled in satisfaction.
"Mike's?" Her doe, hopeful eyes widening as she asked if she were allowed to go to her boyfriend's place.
Hopper's visibly scrunched in a cringe at the mention of the boy. He and his daughter were spending way too much time together, and it was wrong. It wasn't healthy. "Not exactly what I had in mind... Why don't you go to the arcade? The whole place is a ghost town anyway with the mall opening up."
"Okay."
"Just lay low. And if anybody asks about her, just say she's family, visiting or something. We don't want her attracting too much attention." He urged.
Eleven made a mental note to warn Mike from telling anyone about Jean.