Alice the Amazing ⇒ STRANGER THINGS

[9] A Casserole For Your Thoughts

{The Body, Part II}

"I know I already have five books checked out," Alice told the librarian, "but I really need these three. Please? Make an exception?"

The three books she had chosen were about biology, medicine, and the healing properties of yoga. It was a start.

"Absolutely not, Ms. Henderson," the librarian said snidely. "You and your brother are always turning in your books late. I won't give you any more favors."

Alice sighed.

"Fine," she said. "Can I borrow your copier?"

"It's 50 cents per page to print."

"Geez, forget I asked."

Alice headed back to the stacks to return the books the cranky librarian wouldn't let her check out, but before she reshelved them, she flipped through the index to see if there was anything useful.

There was a passage on internal bleeding that she skimmed, and one on the Bubble Boy, but nothing had the answer she was looking for. Everything was about people who couldn't be healed at all, not people who healed easily.

As Alice walked towards the bike rack outside the library, she kept pondering her strange new "abilities," if one could call them that. For some reason, she could heal fast. And, when she thought of all the other times she had gotten nosebleeds, she realized she could potentially heal others, too.

How had she never realized she could do that? Sure, she rarely got sick or injured, and she had a high pain tolerance, but she never thought that was because of a superpower.

What was the extent of her power? If someone got hit by a bus, could Alice run up and say, "Don't worry, I got this" and save them? She wasn't about to push someone into traffic and test it, especially because she didn't know exactly how she did it.

Alice knew the person she had to talk to was Eleven. It was in no way a coincidence that she discovered this strange ability the same time Eleven—another girl with abilities—showed up. But she couldn't just walk into the Wheeler's house and demand to see Eleven. Besides, the boys and Eleven were probably searching for Will.

Alice was so distracted as she rode her bike, she didn't notice Jonathan Byers sitting on the curb outside the morgue.

"Alice?" he asked, as she whizzed by. When she heard her name, she braked so fast she left skidmarks on the sidewalk.

She turned and saw Jonathan.

"Oh, hi," she said, dismounting her bike. "I...I heard what happened to Will. I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," Jonathan mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Do you need anything?" Alice asked, shuffling from one foot to the other. "Like, a hug, or a casserole, or something?"

Jonathan frowned. "Why the hell would I need a casserole?"

Alice cringed.

"Sorry," she said, awkwardly shuffling from one foot to the other. "It's just, when my dad died, before we moved to Hawkins, everyone kept bringing casseroles to our house. It was weird."

Jonathan sighed. "Oh, right. I, I forgot that...your dad was, you know."

"Dead?"

"Yeah, dead," Jonathan said. He put his head in his hands.

Alice thought maybe she should give him some space, but he suddenly turned to her and asked, "Does it ever get any easier?"

"Does what get easier? Losing someone?"