Deca liked having breakfast with El and Jim. She liked the smell of coffee and French toast. She really liked maple syrup.
"Can Dustin come after school?" She asked him.
"And Mike?" El added, the words muffled by the mouthful of french toast.
"Yeah, fine, but they can't stay too late." He told them both. He was relieved that Deca felt comfortable. After she stopped crying last night she fell asleep quick and didn't stir the rest of the night. He knew because he kept checking in on her.
"You'll have lessons when I get home. And El, give her some stuff to wear." He gulped the last of his coffee. And started putting his khaki shirt on over his thermal. He finished the buttons and shrugged on his coat. He pulled a cigarette out of his back and stuck it between his teeth.
"Be good." He winked and walked out the door. El nodded towards the door and locked it up. El went to her room and came back with a stack of clothes.
Deca grabbed somethings and started putting them on. She put on the pair of white underwear and then the blue jeans, the zipper confused her a bit at first. And she wore a beige long sleeve t-shirt. She also put on the pair of grey wooly socks, she liked them a lot.
She sat on the couch next to El, who was still in her pajamas. El turned on her soaps and was immediately enthralled in them.
Deca got bored and started walking around the cabin. She pulled back the curtain, but the window was boarded up, all of them were.
"Do you want your friends to call you Jane?" Deca asked once the commercials came. El looked at her and bit her lip.
"I don't know. Maybe." El shrugged her shoulders. Deca didn't want to listen to her thoughts but she could tell that the question made El uncomfortable.
"Can I call you Jane?" Deca asked her.
"Yes. Thanks, Deca." Jane looked up at her. That made her happy, she liked being called Jane. A smile crept onto the corner of her mouth, but it burned bright in her eyes.
Deca understood why it was important to Jane. A name holds so much when you've been called by a number your whole life. The commercials ended and Jane was brought back to the drama of Days of Our Lives.
Deca laid on the orange couch and let out a sigh. She was so bored, she wondered what Dustin was doing at school. He was probably learning something so interesting and he was probable having so much fun.
...
Dustin was so bored. He tapped his pencil against his desk and stared down the clock slowly ticking over his English teacher's head. They weren't doing anything, just writing a stupid essay about a stupid poem. His mind kept wandering towards Deca.
He wondered what she was doing, how things went with Hopper after he went home. Hopper was going to be good to her, just like he was with El. This thought made Dustin worry less.
Dustin worried about Will too. He was still in bad shape. The shadow monster was gone but Will's body needed to recover. Things had changed so much since Halloween. The party felt different.
Lucas and Max were practically conjoined, Mike just talked about El or Will. Will was at home. And Dustin felt lonely. He planned on skipping gym and meeting Steve between their two schools again. Steve Harrington had become Dustin's friend, Dustin still thought it was kind of weird.
"Hey, aren't you going to gym?" Lucas asked as Dustin was walking towards the back entrance of the school. Dustin was surprised to see Lucas without his redheaded accessory.
"Uhh, I'm gonna be late." Dustin told him and started walking.
"Is it about her? Deca?" Lucas asked, stopping Dustin.
"No, no. I'm just going to skip. Gym sucks." Dustin shrugged his shoulders. Lucas sighed and gave a nod, continuing to his next class.
Dustin was skipping because gym sucks, that wasn't a lie. But also, he wanted to tell Steve about Deca and he wanted to ask Steve for a ride to the cabin after school.
Dustin ran across the high schooler's parking lot. He saw Steve leaning against the hood of his BMW. Dustin ran towards him. His face was still bruised and swollen, but it was more purple than red now.
"Hey, buddy!" Steve called as Dustin walked over, a bit out of breath.
"Hey, Steve." Dustin exhaled, catching his breath.
"Here," Steve tossed him a coke. Dustin nodded in thanks and popped the top. He took a big gulp.
"So, I have something to tell you. Its big." Dustin sat next to Steve on the hood.
"Yeah? Is a girl involved?" Steve raised his eyebrows and smiled shamelessly. Dustin rolled his eyes.
"I have a telepath friend." Dustin said, he was a bit unsure of how to phrase is.
"Eleven, right? She seems cool, intense but cool." Steve shrugged and drank some coke.
"No not Eleven, I found her in the woods the other night. She's so cool. She can read minds and see your memories and can feel what you feel. She's bad ass." Dustin couldn't hide that big smile on his face.
"Ooh, you got it bad." Steve shook his head and smiled.
"I do not." Dustin got defensive.
"No, I get it. Telepath, wow." Steve laughed to himself. Dustin got annoyed.
"It's not like that, asshole, we're friends. And besides she wouldn't like me." Dustin looked away, his voice was low.
"Why not? Why wouldn't she like you?" Steve asked. Dustin was like his kid brother, he liked being able to give him advice.
"I dunno, she's pretty and she's cool. And she's been through a lot." Dustin did like Deca, but he knew she's just his friend.
"Are you kidding? You're a stud and you're funny. Just be confident. Confidence is key." Steve told him.
"It's hard to fake confidence when she can hear my thoughts." Dustin replied.
"Shit, I dunno about flirting with telepaths. Maybe think sweet sappy shit." Steve shrugged his shoulders.
"Like what?" Dustin looked at him with equal curiosity and annoyance.
"I don't know, like, her hair is so pretty. Or wow she's so interesting. Shit like that. If girls could read thoughts that's what they'd want to hear." Steve said. He figured he was right.
"Deca isn't like most girls. She's something else, entirely." Dustin looked up at the blue sky.
"Yeah, no shit. She can read your mind like the paper." Steve chuckle.
"She's nice, like she saw how I felt about Dart and she felt that, and she was sorry. And she understands things, and she cares about people. Like people she doesn't even know because she's seen the pain they've been in." Dustin fell back onto the hood and exhaled. She really was great.
"You've got it bad. Seriously bad." Steve shook his head. Dustin remained quiet, he didn't disagree with Steve.
"Do you love her?" Steve asked. Dustin thought for a moment.
"Maybe, I've only known her for a few days. I dunno." Dustin said quietly.
"Dustin, you're too young for that shit. Love isn't sweet or soft or nice. It rips you up into a million pieces." Steve fell back onto the hood too and looked at the clouds.
"I don't feel like I'm ripped apart. I feel warm." Dustin replied.
"That's how it starts. Warm and fuzzy, like she puts the air into your lungs. But then it goes bad, real bad." Steve was thinking about Nancy and his fists we're clenched.
"I don't want it to go bad. I don't even know if she likes me." Dustin sat up and looked at him.
"What makes this girl different than the last one? Besides the magic tricks." Steve asked cracking a smile. Dustin rolled his eyes.
"Max was cool and I liked her but its like she didn't even see me. And I tried acting like I didn't care, that only made it worse. So, thanks for that." Dustin shook his head at Steve.
"But, Deca is just so different from anyone I've ever met. She doesn't just see me, she sees into me. She doesn't think I'm a dork, she likes me. I don't know if she likes-likes me. But, she has been through some really bad stuff and she isn't angry, like if I went through that I'd be so angry all the time but she isn't; its like she can see the worst of someone but the little shred of good she finds is enough for her to see the world as good. And she's pretty, like so pretty and she doesn't even realize it." Dustin couldn't hold back his smile. Steve frowned at him. He didn't want Dustin to get hurt.
"Just be her friend. If she doesn't like-like you now, she will. Just be her friend and be there for her. Sometimes its better to be there for them than to be with them." Steve told him and they both stayed really quiet.
"Thanks Steve." Dustin said.
"Anytime, bud." He replied.
"Oh, would you mind picking me up and taking me to see her?" Dustin asked. Steve groaned.
"After school?" He asked.
"Yup." Dustin answered.
"Alright, sure." Steve conceded. Dustin got off the hood and smiled.
"Thanks! I'll meet you here." Dustin called to him as he started walking back towards the school.
Dustin busted into Mr. Clarke's class just as the bell rang. He looked at the seat he usually takes next to Lucas, but Max was sitting there. He rolled his eyes and sat in the seat behind her, Will's.
He looked at Mike and then nodded towards Max, Mike just shrugged his shoulders. Dustin listened to Mr. Clarke's lesson.
"Hey," Dustin whispered to Mike. Mike turned to him.
"I'm going to Hopper's after school. Wanna come?" Dustin asked him.
"I already planned on going. I'm riding there right after school." Mike whispered in reply.
"Steve's driving me. He can drive you too." Dustin said a little louder.
"Dustin, please." Mr. Clarke put his finger to his lips.
"Yes, my lord." Dustin nodded and put his finger to his own lips. Mr. Clarke continued.
"Yeah, I'll go with you." Mike whispered and went back to taking notes. Mr. Clarke's class went by fast, and the final bell rang. Dustin zipped up his backpack and started walking with Mike to the high school lot.
"Hey, Dustin." Max called to him from behind him in the hall. Dustin turned and let out an annoyed sigh.
"Yeah?" He asked sounding apathetic.
"Why are you going this way? Are you seeing El and Deca?" She asked, she wanted to know them more.
"Yeah, its just me and Mike though." He started walking faster to get away from her. Max wanted to go with, she hated that Mike and Dustin didn't really like her. She wanted to be friends with El and Deca.
Dustin and Mike rushed to the lot and got to Steve's car. Mike winced just looking at Steve's face. They got in his car, Dustin in the front and Mike in the back.
"Hey, you know how to get there right?" Steve asked as he started the car.
"Yeah. Head that way." Dustin waved in the general direction of the cabin. Steve started driving and followed Dustin's directions accordingly. There was an awkward silence looming in the car.
"So, Mike, how's Nanc'?" Steve asked peering at him in the rearview mirror. Mike let out a sigh and an eye roll.
"She's fine. She was at school today." Mike replied hoping his coldness ended the conversation on his sister with her ex-boyfriend. Steve got the message.
"Ok, turn at that oak tree." Dustin pointed, Steve turned the wheel and they skidded down the dirt path. The car screeched to a halt and Steve put the car in park.
"Shit." Dustin sighed. They almost crashed into the mess of dead trees and overgrowth. Mike's eyes were wide as he clutched the front seat.
They got out and started walking. They got to the cabin shortly and stood on the porch.
"El, its me." Mike called while knocking on the door. The locks all sounded at once and the door swung open. El rushed out of the door and jumped into Mike's arms. Deca listened in on Mike's thoughts.
His mind was clear, he was completely enveloped in El's embrace. His love for her made Deca smile. The feelings were spilling out of him like water, he just wanted to be around her and see that she was safe.
Deca stopped herself from listening. She was blocking out the noise when she heard Dustin's laugh. She immediately smiled and walked towards the open door.
"Hey, Deca!" Dustin smiled at her from over El and Mike. She smiled back, her smile faded a bit when her eyes fell on the tall boy with long hair. She recognized him from Dustin's memories.
El and Mike parted, and the three boys walked into the cabin. Deca wanted to hug Dustin but she didn't want to scare or embarrass him
"Deca, this is Steve." Dustin nodded towards Steve.
"Nice to meet you. Dusty's told me a lot." Steve winked and put his hand out.
"You might not want to." Deca looked down at his hand. Steve's eyebrows raised, and he looked towards Dustin.
"She can see your memories when she touches you." Dustin explained. Steve's eye widened but he nodded and put his hand back to his side.
"So how was Hopper?" Dusitn asked her.
"Nice, good. I'm very thankful for him." Deca told him.
"And you. I'm thankful for you." She added. Dustin's cheeks immediately flushed, he bit his lip trying to hide his smile. Steve raised his eyebrows at Dustin with a grin.
"So, you really see memories?" Steve asked, breaking the silence. Deca nodded.
"Well, I'm inviting you into my brain." Steve rolled up the sleeve of his sweater and held his hand out towards her. Deca hesitated, Jim said that it was rude. Thoughts were private.
"It's alright, Deca. Not like there's much to see." Dustin said with a smirk. Steve rolled his eyes and jabbed him with an elbow.
Deca exhaled and held Steve's palm with both her hands. The warmth of his skin sent sparks up her fingers. The energy moved up her arms like waves and she felt herself being pulled into the current of his mind.
She was swarmed by his thoughts and emotions. She was dragged through memories of sports and friends and school and being home. There was so much solitude and pain. For ever party surrounded by peers holding red cups there was nights full of choking on tears silently in his dark room.
There was a light when Nancy came. Her beauty brought the sun back and she was smart and real. He loved her a lot, when he thought of the future he pictured her. That night in the bathroom on Halloween changed everything.
He punched his steering wheel; the tears burned his eyes. He wanted to hate her, but he felt guilty. The guilt and the pain were crippling. He kept it all in, nothing got out and it kept building up. The day he bought flowers he just wanted her back. He wanted her voice to fill the silence ringing in his ears.
Someone else filled that silence, it was Dustin. They hunted Dart and fought demodogs and they burned the tunnels. They became close, like brothers, like friends. Steve shared his wisdom and Dustin made him laugh. He didn't feel guilty anymore, he felt good.
When he fought with Billy Hargrove there wasn't anger or fear. There was a strong feeling of survival, of protection. He was protecting those kids, his friends. He took the punches and got hit with a dinner plate and a minor concussion. He didn't regret it at all, he wanted to keep them safe.
Steve was alone again. Seeing the way Nancy and Johnathan look at each other stings a bit but he thinks they deserve to be happy. He wants everyone to be happy, there's too much pain. He wants to protect Dustin from the pain. He's too young for that shit.
Deca let's go of his wrist and could feel the tickles in her nostril. She looks up at Steve, her eyes lingering on the bruises. She can still feel the blows from Billy's fists on her cheekbone.
She reaches for the tissue in the pocket of her jeans. She dabbed the blood that started to trickle out of her left nostril.
"Are you alright?" Steve asked, he looked concerned. He wondered what she saw.
"I'm sorry." Deca spoke to him softly.
"For all the pain." She clarified. Steve smiled with the side of his mouth. He knew what she saw, he felt a bit embarrassed that someone saw him like that.
"Not embarrassing. Strong. Pain gives you strength." Deca said to him. He nodded and repeated the words in his head. He saw why Dustin was crushing on her, she was wise and strong and kind.
"Tell me about school. What did you learn?" Deca asked, turning towards Dustin.
"Uhmm, nothing really. I couldn't focus. But they weren't teaching anything exciting anyway." Dustin smiled.
"But you like school." Deca's brow furrowed. She wondered how it could be boring if he liked it.
"Yeah, I like to learn but when there isn't learning I don't like it." He explained. Deca nodded, his explanation made sense to her.
"What did you guys do today?" Dustin asked her.
"Jane and I watched soaps. Everyone is angry, and they have secrets. But everyone else already knows their secrets." Deca explained. She wasn't sure how she felt about soaps yet, but Jane liked them.
"Jane?" Dustin asked.
"El's mama called her Jane. I call her Jane." Deca replied. Dustin and Steve nodded. Deca looked over and saw that Mike and Jane gazed in silence. Jane looked towards the floor.
"You have a mom?" Mike asked her. Jane nodded in reply.
"Where is she? Are you going to go live with her?" Mike asked again, his fear causing his voice to crack.
"Mama is- "Jane thought about what to say. She couldn't find the right words.
"Mama is gone." She frowned at mike. She remembered Jim telling her that her mama was gone.
"I'm sorry, El." Mike embraced her. Mike immediately flushed.
"I mean Jane, you're Jane." He said as Jane hugged him back.
"I'm El to you." She whispered to him. She squeezed his shoulders and nestled her head in the crook of his neck.
Deca watched them hold each other tight. She smiled at the warm feeling they sent out. She closed her eyes and she could feel their arms around her. She relished in that feeling.
She looked at Dustin and threw her arms around him. She squeezed his neck and rested her head against his. He tensed up and wasn't sure what to do.
"Just hold me too." She whispered to him. He put his arms around her cautiously. He held her tighter. Deca liked the feeling of the pressure on her ribs. She liked hugs, she liked to be held.
She let go of Dustin, she smiled when she saw how red his cheeks were. Deca looked towards Steve, his smirk was distorted by his busted lip.
Deca reached up and touched Steve's hair. Steve stiffened. She pulled her hand away and touched her own auburn locks.
"Pretty." She said to him. This made Dustin cackle and Steve just gave a nod in thanks. Deca felt lucky to have good friends. She cared about them and she felt so happy that she was safe and with people who were good.
AN: I hope you liked this chapter. I thought it would be fun to see Deca and Dustin apart. Also, I loved writing the Steve and Dustin bits. Thanks for reading!