Cleaned Up

El picked up what he would need now, and what she thought he might need in the near future. She picked up shaving supplies, with aftershave, deodorant… and while she was in that aisle a package of condoms. She didn't need them of course, but he might. She immediately felt jealous when she picked them up. When she got to the counter she was too embarrassed to return them. The bored guy at the checkout didn't care, but El was red faced through the whole process.

When she got back in the car the wind had picked up a bit, she'd pulled the scarf back over her face. She put the bag in the back seat and started the car.

"Sorry I was a bit longer than I thought I would be."

"It's ok." He joked, " I'm not on any real schedule these days."

He still has his sense of humour.

"Can I ask you what it's like… to be… on the road? You said you did it by choice." El avoided using the term 'homeless' whenever she could.

He snorted, "well, it's not the romantic life Jack Kerouac made it out to be. Times were much simpler back then. For the most part I didn't hang out with… them. Back then guys were just down and out, riding the rails and at peace. Nowadays, a good number of them have mental health issues. There was nobody to care for them, and they fell through the cracks."

"I'll admit though, there's a certain amount of freedom, the only responsibility is to yourself really. Although like the song says, 'Freedom is just another word for-"

"-nothing left to lose." They both said at the same time.

"Oh, you know that song?"

"My dad's influence, he was into early seventies music."

His face was almost completely covered by the collar of the bulky jacket he'd pulled up. "Like I said, for me it was a choice… once I'd… lost her." He took a deep breath, his voice shaky again. "Once I'd lost her, I got into trouble at school. I could never talk to my parents. Eventually I ran away, I couldn't stay in town any more. Every place just reminded me of her…"

He stopped talking. El could see he couldn't continue… How strong was his love that he held onto it for fifteen years? No chance of ever seeing her again. But she knew. She had that same love for her Mike. She still held onto the idea that she would see him again. And when she did she knew what her very first words to him would be.

"Um, what time is it?"

"Nine four five."

His head snapped around to look at her again. "Nine-forty-five… how long till we get to your place? I need to make a call."

El was confused. Who was he going to call?

"We'll be there in five or ten minutes."

The rest of the drive was silent. El was thinking that she'd never had this long a conversation with any single guy for as long as she remember. She made a point to drive a bit slower than usual in hopes of being able to talk to him more. Are you that lonely El? You want to drive around the city so you can talk to a homeless guy. A homeless guy you bought condoms for? What the hell were you thinking? He will get the wrong idea if he sees those. You know that right? Have you given up on Mike? El? Have you given up on him?

"No I haven't." She said firmly.

"You haven't what?" He said beside her.

"Nothing… just thinking out loud."

She finally pulled into her parking space, grabbed the bag from the drugstore in the back seat, and said to him, "this way."

They walked up to her apartment.

"Your apartment is on the eleventh floor?" He said in a quiet voice.

"Long story. Not for you."

"Gotcha," he said.

El locked the door behind her once they'd stepped inside. She was proud of her fireplace equipped loft. Almost all of her paycheck went to rent, but this was where she could escape.

"This is your sanctuary isn't it?" He said, his voice still barely above a whisper.

"It is. Shower is in there, throw your clothes out, I'll take them and get them washed. There's a robe hanging just inside the bathroom door, you'll have to sit around in it till your clothes are dried. Sorry." Her voice was a little more clipped and business like, her gesture towards the bathroom door perfunctory. She regretted it right away. She didn't know why she'd had a sudden change in attitude.

"Thanks." He said, his head lowered as he made his way to the bathroom. She could tell he'd noticed the change her in speech.

Maybe it's for the best, El thought, get this guy cleaned up, a meal and a good nights warm sleep. Then get him on his way… so you can get on with your life. Such as it is.

She gave him the bag of supplies, and he closed the door behind him. She heard the shower turn on full throttle. He hadn't thrown his clothes out yet, so she knocked lightly on the bathroom door. She got no answer, she carefully opened the door, and saw his clothes on the floor… and saw his bare ass as he stepped into the shower.

She grabbed his clothes and backed away quickly out of the bathroom. "Congratulations El Hopper. You've just seen your first homeless guy's ass. Check that one off your list."

She was a little flushed as she took his clothes down to the laundry room. He is not your Mike. You can absolutely not sleep with him. Keep your hormones in check. You will not be able to face yourself in the morning if you do.

When she got back up to her loft, she could hear that the shower had stopped, there was the sound of scissors snipping away at his beard, he was going to shave also.

After a few minutes, he opened the door, a towel was draped completely over his head. But El wasn't looking at his covered face.

"Ah, Mike? The robe idea is only going to work until you actually tie it closed."

"Shit, sorry. Did you see anything?"

"I saw what you had for breakfast. If that's what you mean." With the towel still over his head, he closed the robe up and tied it securely. It hung a little above his knees. "Really sorry, miss…"

"It's Jane." This guy was never going to get her real name.

"Sorry... Jane, felt so good to be drying clean hair I got distracted… um, to tell you the truth you make me feel really comfortable here. I feel… safe."

"Don't get used to it. You are only here for one night."

"No, I know, I didn't mean to infer anything else. Um, where is my jacket, I need to make my call soon."

"Over on the bench."

He made his way to bench, rubbing one hand on the towel still covering his head.

"Who are you going to call? If you don't mind me asking."

"The girl I lost." He said in a low voice.

"I thought she was… gone… dead?"

"No… maybe… or she may be stuck in the u… um, you wouldn't understand, and you wouldn't believe me if even I told you."

El thought. I've killed a demogorgan, ripped a gateway through to the Upside Down, tracked people in the Void. You've be surprised what I would believe. You wouldn't believe me if I told you Mr. Mike the Homeless Guy.

"Doesn't stop me from calling her though."

"You still call her?"

"Every night at eleven o'clock since that day." He rummaged around, pulled something large out of his jacket.

"Is that a walkie talkie?"

"Yeah, it's an old Radio Shack Supercomm. Still works… um, I'm going to use your bathroom for this… it's um… uh, a private call." His voice didn't sound right.

Jane felt weird. Kind of a tingle up her spine, but she nodded.

I hope he's not calling his dealer, because I will shut that shit down right away. He's not making a drug deal in my bathroom, he can do it on the street, and I'll be done with him. Asshole.

El had long gotten over her habit of eavesdropping. Came with the territory if you were in the Void. She quickly ran up to the door in her sock feet and put her ear against the door.

She could hear the static coming from the walkie talkie. And something else. She was able to put her finger on it. He must be muffling himself in the towel. But it was unmistakable, he was making deep heavy sobs. He was trying to be quiet using the towel. His heart was dying.

El squeezed her eyes shut trying to stop the tears, she could barely make out what he was saying. He cleared his throat. "It's day six thousand, three hundred and fifty-two."

El did the math in her head. Her hand went to her mouth to keep her from crying out loud. He'd called this girl every night for almost eighteen years! He'd never given up on her! Would this girl ever know how profoundly she was loved?

"I love you, Eleven, if you could give me a sign. Anything. I miss you so much." The heavy sobs were louder this time. His soul was in agony, aching for its mate.

Oh my g… he said Eleven… this was Mike. Her Mike! She opened the door. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor. He looked up at her startled. His hair was in shiny black long corkscrews, he was still pale, his freckles the same. She was lightheaded, dizzy...

Tears running freely down his shocked face, "Eleven?"

"Mike!" she heard her voice through the speaker as her knees gave out, and she started to collapse against the door.

The last thing she remembered before the dark overtook her were her own words, repeatedly echoing through the walkie talkie speaker.

"I love you… I love you… I love you… I love you."