EAT OR BE EATEN ✮ STEVE HARRINGTON

An Eye For An Eye, Right?

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"Alright. Get off of her now, Wheeler." I glared down at the eighth grader.

The boy ignored me and continued talking to her."Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?"

"Because I wouldn't let her." Dad sighed. "The hell is this? Where have you been?"

"Yeah, you scared us." I agreed with him.

"Where have you guys been?" Eleven asks, smiling at us. Dad pulls us both into a tight hug. Eleven wraps an arm around my back as I kiss her forehead.

"You've been hiding her." Mike states angrily. "You guys have been hiding her this whole time!"

He attempts to shove my dad so I shove him back, harder. Dad steps in front of me yells, "Hey! Let's talk. Alone."

El and I held onto each other while dad walks away with Mike into the other room. Lucas and Dustin came up next to hug her. Max tried to introduce herself but El shrugged her off.

This wasn't like her.

Next was Joyce. who was more than happy to see her again. I went back over by Steve, Nancy and Jonathan.

In the kitchen I could over hear Joyce asking Eleven if she could close the gate and I felt this sudden need to protect her. Part of me knew Joyce would never put El in danger but we don't even know where she went or what happened. I was about to walk over there and say something but I felt someone reach for my wrist, I looked up and it was Steve.

"She will be okay." He told me, rubbing the inside of my wrist softly. His kindness still catches me off guard.

Is it crazy to say that there's been a noticeable change in Steve lately? I mean he's here, risking his life again for a group of people he barely knows, has no more ties with, all just because he wants to help. He's literally been hanging out with Dustin Henderson of all people. After some of the things he's done for me, I think maybe he's starting to grow up.

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After a few minutes Dad and Mike came out. We all gathered around again in the kitchen and started brainstorming.

"I can do it." El's tiny voice said from across the table.

Dad spoke up first, "You're not hearing me."

"I'm hearing you. I can do it."

"El, even if you can do it there's still the other problem." I sighed, holding her hand.

Mike nodded, "Yeah, if the brain dies, the body dies."

"I thought that was the whole point." Max squints at the Wheeler boy.

"It is, but if we're really right about this... if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayers army..."

Lucas says,"Will is apart of that army."

"Closing the gate will kill him."

Everyone's quiet for a minute, trying to figure out another way. But sadly there aren't many other options. Joyce walks away and we all follow her into Will's bedroom where Jonathan moved him.

"He likes it cold." She says, looking at the windows.

Dad looks at her confused,"What?"

"That's what Will kept telling me. He likes it cold." She goes to shut the window. "We keep giving it what it wants."

"If this is a virus, and Will is the host, then..." Nancy trails off.

"Then we need to make the host uninhabitable." Jonathan finishes, looking down at Will.