"Merry Christmas!" A flashlight shone brightly in Sarah's face, making her eyes crinkle together. "Get up!"

Sarah was used to getting up early, she'd never slept longer than the sunrise, but it wasn't the sunrise, it was much earlier than that. Sarah rubbed her face, "El, what are you doing?"

"It's Christmas! My second Christmas ever and your first in a long time."

"What time is it?"

Eleven shrugged, "Like four?"

Sarah loudly whined and smashed her head farther into her pillow, "Eleven if I hate emotions right now I would hate you."

"But you don't, so get up! We're going to the Wheeler's to open presents."

"We're opening presents at four am?"

"Well….no, we're opening presents at nine am. But I woke up and can't sleep now."

Sarah slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand, "That's it."

You're tired, you'll fall asleep and wake up at a reasonable time.

Eleven's eyes started to drupe, she yawned, "Mouth breather." She called Sarah just before she fell back asleep, onto the floor. Sarah didn't care, not that she ever did, she just pulled up her blankets and fell back asleep, awaiting the coming sunrise.

A couple hours later the sun rose and along with it, Sarah. It was Christmas morning, there was a fresh blanket of snow outside and a sweet smell of pine inside. Sarah looked down at Eleven, all crumpled on the ground asleep. She'd hear a mouthful from Eleven when she woke up, but she knew she should.

Wake up.

Eleven's eyes fluttered open, she sat up, rubbed her eyes and yawned. Suddenly realizing what Sarah did, she pulled an angry face.

"You used your gift on me!"

"It was four am, I wanted to sleep."

"What time is it now?"

"Six."

"Ok, well you can't use your gift like that, you don't see me hurting you."

"I didn't hurt you, I told you to go to bed."

"I don't care! You can't use me like that!"

"Ok, I'm sorry. I don't understand feeling so I didn't realize that you'd get offended about it."

"Let's make a promise, we won't use our powers against each other unless it desperate."

Sarah nodded, "Promise."

"Good, go take a shower I'll try to find our best clothes, we're gonna leave at eight something if we can get Hop up."

"Do you need to shower?"

"Well yes, but you have more hair."

After three hours the three left for the Wheelers, barely making it on time. Eleven wore her usual, overalls and a grey sweater. Sarah wore Joyce's jeans that were too big and Joyce's old worn salmon colored sweater. Hop, of course, wore his sheriff's outfit.

Mrs. Wheeler opened the door and happily let them in. As they walked in the Byers, Sinclairs and Henderson's flooded them with hellos and merry Christmases. Sarah felt a bit overwhelmed with all the people in the crowded space so she made her way to the living room. There she found and enormous green pine tree. It was covered in multicolored lights and ornaments, some classical some told the stories of the Wheeler family. What was almost as amazing as the tree was the Everest sized pile of presents underneath. They were covered in different wrapping papers with many different patterns, some were wrapped well or poorly, some had bows, some were in bags, but they were all amazing.

"Merry Christmas."

Sarah spun around, Dustin stood in the entrance of the room, he wore red pajamas that had a reindeer with a red nose on the front.

"Oh, um," Sarah cleared her throat, "I didn't know you were there. Am I not supposed to be here?"

"No, no, you're fine! I just saw you alone, thought you might like company."

Sarah tried to smile, it felt weird and unnatural. "Uh thanks. This is all so beautiful, I missed it."

Dustin walked up to Sarah and stood by her, looking at the tree, "You missed out, you could've been growing up with all of us. But then again, you probably would've stayed in the city."

Sarah thought for a moment, "I think I like it here more than the city. I can't feel, I've been stuck in a hell for most of my life, but there's something...nice, about being here."

Dustin's heart skipped a beat, he wanted to do something, his hand reached up, to hug her? To put it around her shoulder? He didn't know, but he stopped himself half way, she would just reject him like every other girl.

He pulled a smile, it was hard, "Glad you like it here. We should join everyone else."

Sarah nodded. The two joined everyone, they were eating breakfast. It was a banquet of food, fruits, bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, eggos, muffins, Sarah had never seen so much food together before. She piled up her plate, or at least she thought she did, she just got a couple fruits, a bit of bacon and a pancake. Sarah found that she wasn't a fan of eggos.

When Dustin came back to Mike, Will, Lucas, Max and Eleven they were all giving him "the look."

"What?" Dustin asked as he shoved a pancake in his mouth.

"What? What do you mean what?" Lucas said, quite exasperated, "You and Sarah, alone."

"I don't know what you mean."

Max rolled her eyes, "Do not play dumb Dustin, you and Sarah were alone, you two have been hitting it off since day one. You have a crush on her!"

Dustin turned red, "I do not!"

Will smiled, "Yes you do!"

Dustin covered his face with his hand, "You've got to be shitting me, guys no. I don't!"

"Mhm," Max said smirking, "Keep telling yourself that."

"Let's open presents!" Holly yelled, "I want presents!"

"Ok, ok," Mrs. Wheeler said, "Everyone let's go to the kitchen, we're gonna open presents."

They all gathered in the living room, covering the couches and the floor. They all started passing out presents, the boys were screaming about comic books or some action figure, Holly and Erica got dolls, Nancy got clothes and make up, the adults got adult thing like pots and catalogs. Max, Sarah and Eleven didn't really get anything besides money and candy.

"Here, Sarah, this is from all of us." Dustin handed the biggest box to Sarah.

"Oh, um, thank you. I didn't get you anything, I didn't know."

"It's ok honey, just open it." Joyce said.

Sarah ripped through the wrapping paper and opened the big box. Inside she found clothes, nice new clothes, and school supplies. Again a strange warm feeling went through her stomach.

"Thank you guys." She said as she felt the clothes.

Thank you so much.

It was the only way she could sound sincere, some people looked really confused, they heard her voice in her head. Sarah realized that not everyone knew the secret, so she just played along with those who did know and pretended not to hear anything.

"Of course hun." Joyce said, "All the kids pitched in a little to help out."

"That's really kind, If I ever get my emotions back I'll be sure to thank you all properly."

There was a moment of silence, everyone sort of smiled awkwardly at each other. Nancy broke the silence, "Well there are two gifts left!" One for Max and one for Eleven. The two girls also got clothes, from Lucas and Mike, they had paid attention to what to what the girls liked when they went shopping.

After opening gifts the kids spent the day hanging out while the adults talked. Sarah, Max and Eleven changed their clothes. Sarah changed into the white sweater with a rainbow stripe across the chest arms, the high waisted jeans and the white and black adidas. Eleven still wore her overalls, but sported a christmas sweater and Max wore a green sweater, just different from her usual yellow.

All the families didn't get back together until New Years Eve. This night Sarah found out that she was supposed to stay up until twelve am because it was a new year. The adults drank champagne and talk about resolutions. They kicked the kids out to Mike's room, apparently they were "immature."

"So what's the point of New Year? Christmas is about the birth of Christ, Thanksgiving is about pioneers, what New Years about?" Sarah asked.

"Well it's about new beginnings, it's the end of 1985 and the start of 1986. People make resolutions, goals for the next year and it's all kind of like a celebrity thing I guess." Will explained.

"Are there any good traditions or is it just...dumb?"

"Well people kiss on New Years." Lucas said.

Sarah's eyes widened, "They do what?"

"Ignore it," Max said, "He's being dumb."

"But you're going to kiss Lucas at midnight." Mike teased.

"Piss off!" Max says, "You're gonna kiss Eleven."

Sarah's brow furrowed and she looked very confused, "Do I need to leave or…?"

"We'll join you." Will said, Dustin nodded in agreement.

"No, no, stay." Eleven said, "It's your first New Years in nine years. We'll have fun."

"Are you drunk?" Dustin asked.

"No!"

"Oh gosh, Mike if you got your girlfriend drunk, I swear you're screwed."

Mike's eyes squinted in anger, "She's not drunk, you're just jealous that you don't have a girlfriend for new years!"

"Jealous? Jealous of what your lip sucking? No way!"

"Hey, boneheads." Max interrupted, "While you ladies keep in cat fighting, the countdown is starting."

Sarah heard it, the adults downstairs chanting.

NINE

Eleven and Max held Lucas and Mike's hand.

EIGHT

They leaned their heads on their shoulders.

SEVEN

The kids joined the chanting.

SIX

Sarah suddenly realized she didn't really know what the chanting was for.

FIVE

It must be a countdown to the new year.

FOUR

Sarah, Will and Dustin exchange awkward looks.

THREE

Does the changing of the years hurt?

TWO

Probably not, she'd gone through many years.

ONE!

At the count of one, Mike, Eleven, Lucas and Max kissed. Sarah and Will looked at the floor, but Dustin stared at Sarah, she was so beautiful. She fiddled with her long hair, would she ever cut it? Maybe.

"Happy New Years." Dustin said in his head, "Here's to, hopefully, a chance."

Sarah turned her head, what had Dustin meant by a chance?