Stories From Summer; Stranger Tales From The Summer of '85

23. Outdoor Blanket Fort

23. Building an Outdoor Blanket Fort for Backyard Camping

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El loved the blanket fort that Mike had built for her the first week that they had met, and when Hopper had rescued her when he was at work, she would build herself her own little blanket fort and would dismantle it with an uneasy heart before Hopper came home from work.

And when Will asked Hopper if it was ok for the girl who saved his life, to go to the Wheeler's as they wanted to show her something, El doesn't think she has ever seen Hopper agree to something so quickly!

But he did, and she will be spending the day at Mike's (the place she first called home) in a couple of days time, and she was wondering what they were going to do.

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Hopper pulled up at the edge of the Wheeler's driveway and watched as El unclipped her seat belt and looked at her father.

"I'll pick you up at the end of my shift, ok?" Hopper says, resting his hand on her shoulder, smiling at her.

She nods and wraps her arms around Hopper. "Thank you, Hop," she says, she either calls him Hop or dad (depending on where they are or the situation).

"Anytime, kid, I'll see you later," Hopper smiles, lifting the lock on the passenger seat door, allowing El to get out of the car,

"See you later," she parrots back, as she hated (with a passion as Hopper would say) the word 'goodbye'.

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El knocked on the Wheeler's front door, turning around to wave at Hopper as he went to the station and start work. She turned back around to come face to face with Nancy.

"Hey, El!" Nancy smiles at the younger girl who made her little brother so happy. "They're out in the backyard, but they've got a surprise for you, and I don't think it's finished yet," Nancy said to her, allowing the smaller girl in and shut the door.

"NANCY!" The loud voice of Holly Wheeler came from the living room, and the blonde-haired tot came running out and saw the pretty girl that was Mike's girlfriend. "ELLIE!" Holly smiles, running to the girl and wrapping her arms around El's legs.

El smiled and lifted Holly up and rested her on her him. "Hello, Holly," Holly wrapped her little arms around El's neck and curled up into the warmness that was her brother's girlfriend.

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El was playing with the toys that Holly had scattered around the living room (this is something that El had missed out when she was being kept in the lab for the first 12 years of her life), they were playing with the My Little Pony's that were a little bit old and well-loved that El could guess that Holly had for a long time or they were handed down from one of Nancy's friend's little sister's possibly?

Mike walked in, seeing his baby sister playing with her toys, and it made him smile - the fact that El has bonded with his little sister (and he really doesn't want to let her go, he wants her to be part of his life for the rest of his life).

"You ready to see your surprise?" Mike asked, making himself known to his sister and his girlfriend. El smiled and nodded, standing up and went to take Mike's hand. Holly let out a little whine, as Ellie stood up and walked away. "You want to come as well, Holly?" He pointed the question to his little sister, and a smile brightened her face and she took Mike's other hand.

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Before they went out into the backyard, he beckoned one of the Party™ members towards him, to put their hands over Holly's eyes, as his hands went over El's eyes.

"Ready?" He says, counting down from three to one, and then released his hands from El's eyes as Will did the same to tiny Holly.

"Ta-da!" The rest of the Party™ exclaimed, showing off the blanket fort that they had built for El (with what seems like millions of blankets and pillows and cushion that had taken them dozens of trips back and forth - they took one trip to the Byers' over piling on their bikes as they rode back to the Wheeler's, Max's had also taken one trip, Dustin's took two trips, and considering Lucas lived next door, they simply threw the blankets and pillows from the Sinclair's over the fence and into the Wheeler's backyard).