GLORY DAYS ｡STEVE HARRINGTON

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE ; THE RETURN OF THE BLOODY NOSE

"You've been hiding her," Mike put the pieces together, his face quickly reddening as his insides began to boil. He suddenly lifted his fist and aggressively pushed Hopper, though the Chief barely budged. "You've been hiding her this whole time!" 

"Hey!" Hopper snapped, holding a hand out to Stella, who had taken a step forward just in case Mike did something he'd regret. Hopper then grabbed Mike by the collar, just not enough to hurt him.  "Hey. Let's talk. Alone."

Hopper then pulled Mike out of the room, the younger boy, glaring at him harshly. Stella exhaled softly and exchanged a glance with Steve. She then returned her stare to Eleven, who let out a shaky breath before turning to face them. The raven-haired girl placed her mallet on the ground and allowed a warm smile to take over her face, rushing forward and pulling the child into a hug. 

Eleven didn't hesitate in holding her back, the pair remembering the short amount of time they had spent together -- Stella was the only one who remained kind and loving towards her throughout every mistake and troubles she faced, so there was no reluctance whatsoever to greet her again.

"Hey, sweetheart," Stella chuckled as she pulled away, taking the girl's face in her free hand. "I missed you after you went away."

"I missed you too," El allowed a soft smile to appear on her sullen face, before her eyes trailed down to Stella's dirty cast. Her fingers were red and bruised, as was her upper arm, but that didn't stop the joy the teenager felt being reunited with the incredible girl. El gently touched the plaster, frowning a little. "What happened?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Stella shook her head amusedly, patting the cast and ignoring the pain that shot through her body. "It was just a mouthbreather. You remember them, don't you?"

Eleven smiled again as she nodded. 

Stella grinned and turned, allowing her to move further down the group to greet Lucas and Dustin. As the kids clutched each other with the intent of remaining together, Stella stepped up to where Steve was standing, a new twinkle in her eye that he happened to notice. He leaned in slightly to ask her something. "So, what's the deal with her?"

"That's Eleven," Stella began to explain quietly. "She's a badass psychic princess who saved all our asses last year."

Steve was silent for a moment, before nodding. "Ahh."

Both stared back at Eleven, who was now embracing Joyce, remembering how much the mother had done for her the last time she was here. The pair had then wandered off into the hall, most likely in search of Will, so Stella decided to take a breather and collapse on the couch. Dustin joined her, followed by Lucas, and then Max, who seemed a little unhappy. Stella looked over with a concerned expression. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing," Max mumbled, crossing her arms and averting her eyes. Stella sighed, pursing her lips in a unimpressed fashion. 

"Liar," the teen responded matter-of-factly, nudging the redhead in the side. "C'mon, are you okay?"

Max shifted slightly in her seat, looking down at her lap with an upset expression. "El doesn't like me."

"What makes you say that?" Stella asked, her thick brows knitting together in confusion.

"Cause she just shoved past me like I wasn't even there," the younger girl scoffed, shaking her head in a dismissive fashion. "She probably thinks I replaced her or something -- but Mike doesn't even like me, and told me I'd never make it into their party."

"That's not Mike's decision to make, Max," Stella responded quietly, and Max rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. Yeah, he says it's a vote or whatever, but he's been a little bit of a jerk lately, though it's understandable why. You didn't do anything wrong, and if you want to be part of the group and more than one person thinks that, then I don't see a problem. Besides, I've learned that if you want Mike to accept you, just annoy him until he gives in."