Mrs. Wheeler's car drove past, Mike and Jess waiting till it was clear before they rode back to Mike's house.
"Ok, let's head back," Jess says, riding down the hill, Mike following behind her.
X
"You want anything to drink?" Mike asked Eleven who was following the pair around the house.
"We have OJ, skim milk...what else?"
"Water?" Jess teased, causing a smile to appear on Eleven's lips as Mike rolls his eyes.
She headed into the living room, looking at the TV.
"Um, we have..."
Mike turned and smiled as Eleven studied the TV with her eyes.
"Oh, this is my living room."
"It's mostly just for watching TV. Nice right? It's 22-inch."
"That's like ten times bigger than Dustin's." Jess giggled, Mike nodding.
Eleven walked up to the family pictures, looking at one of Nancy.
"Pretty." She smiled.
Jess rolls her eyes as Mike frowned.
"I guess."
"She's still a bitch," Jess mutters.
"That's my sister Nancy, and that's baby Holly, and those are my parents," Mike says as Eleven went through each of the pictures.
"What are your parents like?" Mike asked, not getting an answer.
"Do they live close?"
Eleven stayed quiet, now interested in the chair.
"That's a La-Z-Boy," Jess says, smiling at Eleven's curious nature.
"It's where my dad sleeps. You can try it if you want." Mike says, Eleven now looking at him.
Eleven sits on the chair, Jess kneeling down, ready to pull it back.
"Just trust me, okay?"
Eleven nods, tensing for what was about to happen.
Suddenly, the chair pulls back, causing Eleven to gasp.
Mike and Jess chuckle while Eleven laughs nervously.
It didn't feel bad, the rush just felt so...sudden.
"See? Fun, right?" Mike says, grinning at Eleven who was smiling at him and Jess.
Mike sets it back up, Eleven watching him carefully.
"Now you try," Jess says, smiling at her.
Eleven leans and pulls the handle, causing the chair to pull back.
The three laugh, Jess burying her face into Mike's shoulder as her laughs became stronger and uneasy to control, Mike laughing at her trying to control her laughter.
Eleven giggles, relaxing and having fun with her new friends.
X
Mike slams the Yoda figure on the table, grunting weirdly.
"Ready are you? What knows you of ready?" he mimics, making Jess burst out laughing.
"His name's Yoda," Mike says, holding the figure.
"He can use the Force to move things with his mind, like this," Jess says, pushing the toys off the board.
Eleven looked uninterested about the information and looked over to see Mike's trophies.
"Oh, this is my dinosaur, Rory. Look he has a speaker in his mouth so he can roar."
The dinosaur roared, making Jess roll her eyes, looking to see Eleven had stood up, walking over to where Mike's trophies were.
They both got up, walking over to Eleven who was looking at all the trophies.
"Oh, these are all my science fair trophies," Mike says, Jess smiling at each of them.
"Some of them were won when I moved here a few years ago. 5 years, to be exact." Jess says, recognizing a trophy that was on Mike's stand from her first science fair with the boys.
She had a few trophies of her own back at her place.
"Yeah, we got first every year."
"Well, except for last year when we got third. Mr. Clarke said it was totally political." Jess says, rolling her eyes.
Eleven stared at a picture of the boys and Jess holding a trophy, all of them smiling.
Mike notices that she's staring at the picture, causing him to glance at it.
She pointed at Will, causing Jess to gasp.
"You know Will?" Mike asks, looking at Eleven.
"Did you see him? Last night? On the road?" Jess asked.
No answer.
The three turned when they heard a vehicle approaching, causing Jess to gasp.
Mike walks up to the window, seeing his mother's car pulling up in the driveway.
"We gotta go," Mike says, grabbing Eleven's hand.
"Shit!" Jess cursed, grabbing Eleven's other hand.
Eleven tensed, but relaxed when she felt that the way they were holding onto her and pulling her towards the stairs was protective.
"I bought pizza and macaroni." Mrs. Wheeler says, opening the door, causing Mike and Jess to freeze.
Mike and Jess pull Eleven back up the stairs, knowing that they were screwed.
"Ted? Is that you?"
"Just me, Mom!"
"And me, Mrs. Wheeler!" Jess says, giving Mike a look before he could shoot her an 'are you kidding me?' look.
"Mike? Jess? What're you doing home?"
"One second!" Mike yelled.
They pull Eleven back into Mike's room, Jess closing the door as Mike opens the closet door.
"In here. We'll be right back, okay?"
"Please, you have to get in, or Mike's mom, she'll find you. Do you understand?"
Eleven hesitated.
"We won't tell her about you. We promise." Mike reassures her, Jess nodding.
"Promise?"
"It means something you can't break. Ever." Jess says, Mike nodding.
"Michael? Jessica?"
They all look at the door and back at each other.
"Please?" Mike and Jess whispered.
Eleven sighed, deciding to brave her fear just to make sure to stay hidden.
She walked into the closet, freezing when Mike started to close the door.
"It's going to be alright Once, ok? We'll be back, I promise." Jess says, Mike closing the door.
Eleven gasps, breathing shakily.
X
"I just...I don't feel good." Mike lied, Jess nodding.
"I woke up and my head, it really hurt bad, and my throat was all scratchy, and I wanted to tell you, but the last time I told you I was sick, you made me go to school anyway, and-"
"Michael."
"Yeah?"
"I'm not mad at you."
Jess widened her eyes, not believing it.
She hadn't even said her excuse yet!
"No?"
"No, of course not."
Jess sighed in relief, looking up the stairs, biting her lip.
"All this that's been going on with Will, I can't imagine what's it been like for you. For the both of you."
Jess smiles weakly at Mrs. Wheeler, playing with her thumbs.
"It's been hard," she admits, not lying.
Mike sighs, looking at Jess.
"I just...I want you to feel like you can talk to me." Mrs. Wheeler says, making Mike look back at her.
"I never want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me. I'm here for you. For both of you. Okay?"
Mike and Jess nodded.
A thud was heard, making Jess jump, her eyes widening.
"Once..." she whispered under her breath.
"Is there someone else here?"
Mike and Jess look back at her.
"No."
X
Jess rushed to Mike's room, Mike following behind her and closing the door and locking it.
"Eleven? Is everything okay? El?"
Jess opened the closet door, gasping when she saw Eleven sitting, her knees pulled to her chest, crying.
"Once..." Jess whispered.
"Mike...Jess..."
"Is everything okay?" Mike asked, Jess rubbing Eleven's shoulder comfortingly.
Eleven gasps, nodding.
Jess had kept her promise and by the looks of it, Mike also did with his.
"Are you sure?" Jess asked.
Eleven nods, smiling weakly.
"Promise."