"So you're saying this entire time she's just been in your house?" Steve asked me curiously, helping me rewrap the bandage around my torso while Eleven conversed with Dustin and Mike. I nodded tiredly, drinking shakily from a cup of water he had retrieved for me from the kitchen. I wasn't surprised that my open cuts had bled through most of my wrappings, but the use of my power along with that loss was getting to me. "For how long?"
"Christmas, actually," I told him. "Right after you and I..." I hissed in pain as he pulled the gauze too tight, and Steve looked up at me cautiously with wide eyes. "... kissed." The boy shook his head at that, and I drained the last of the water in my cup before sighing. I wanted a nap more than anything in the world, or at least a break from the constant twinges of pain. "When did you start liking me?"
"To tell the truth, Hopper: I always thought you were okay," he chuckled. "I think it was just you who seemed to hate me."
"No, I- you know what I mean," I said in exasperation. "Like... like that feeling you felt when you kissed me that day in the woods." Steve paused as he tried to place it, his hands holding the gauze more delicately than before.
"I think... I think it was the day you slugged me in the jaw," he remembered, and my cheeks burned in embarrassment.
"Oh, God," I groaned as I recalled that exact moment. I rubbed my face with my left hand as if it could hide me. "Yeah, I really did that."
"It was a good punch, don't get me wrong," he admitted. "It was after you followed me to argue that I truly realized. You called me an ass, and... and I was. There are still things from that day I don't think are right, but the way I acted was just embarrassing." He leaned back against the couch as he stared into my eyes, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "I destroyed Jonathan's camera- I literally dropped it on the ground. God, it was like I was five or something!"
"Tommy and Carol seem to have that effect on people," I said slyly, and he rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, I interrupted."
"Yeah, anyway," he joked, smiling to himself a few seconds before it faded. "It wasn't until I got home- had to stop for an ice pack first... I realized part of my anger was you being with Jonathan. I knew you weren't involved in the photos, or with him or... or anything really. And then I felt bad about what I said to you but at the same time didn't. I was just confused.... so I tried the flowers thing and when you came to the door, I knew."
"Just like that," I said simply, my face still warm but now for a different reason. I shook my head at him and rolled my eyes. "Maybe if we could've been a bit clearer to avoid all that trouble..."
"Oh, don't act like I was the only one who couldn't communicate properly," Steve shot back, but I knew he wasn't angry. from the look in his eyes. The sparkle faded slightly as he continued to stare into mine, coming closer, and his hand reached up to brush some of my hair behind my ear. It felt like a flurry of butterflies exploded in my stomach from the contact as his hand slid down to cup the side of my face, rubbing my cheek with his thumb.
"Flirt," I accused him, but I couldn't help but lean my head closer to his touch.
"One of us has to be good at it," he responded. His eyes flicked toward the group of middle schoolers still conversing nearby. "You know... would you... do you want to see a movie sometime? Dustin mentioned about some horror thing coming out soon. I don't know if you'd be interested- this could also be a stupid idea."
"You're gonna get cold feet asking me on a date, Steve Harrington?" I chuckled, and the boy narrowed his eyes.
"Me get cold feet? Never. I just didn't know if horror is the best thing after this... situation?" he tried to explain. I raised an eyebrow at him, and Steve sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll start over. Rachel Hopper?"
"Yes?" I hummed.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?"
"Well..." I started to say slyly, "I might have to check my calendar-"
"Oh, my God, just say yes." Our heads spun in the direction of Dustin's voice, where the boy along with Lucas and Max were watching us. Steve's hand fell from where it was holding my face, dropping smoothly to my hand to take it in his grasp.
"Ruining the moment, dipshit," he told the younger boy, and Dustin shrugged. I carefully looked over the group again, attempting to stand when I saw my sister missing. "Nuh-uh, you're not moving."
"Where's El?" I asked quickly over his voice. Lucas stepped aside, allowing me to see the girl just as she followed Joyce out of the room. I sighed in relief at the knowledge of her still being here, relaxing back down on the couch. "Sorry, I... it's been too long of a day."
"I don't think Eleven likes me that much," Max admitted, her head hanging and brows furrowed in confusion. "She just... walked right past me without a word after I introduced myself."
"I just don't think she knows you enough yet," Lucas tried to persuade the redhead. "She was like... really quiet when we first met her. The only people she really talked to were Rachel and Mike." He was right. Mike I always assumed due to some connection the two made, but her and I... I had always thought it was because I was the first person who helped her that day in the woods. Had she known about our blood relation? Or was it something that managed to happen by chance?
Max still looked troubled at this explanation. "I'll talk to her," I reassured her. "Maybe there's some... misunderstanding. I know you two would get along just fine." This seemed to cheer her up slightly, and I became aware of how my injuries were hurting much less than they were before. I glanced over at Steve to share the good news, and that's when I saw the goosebumps appearing on his neck. Beads of fresh sweat coated his forehead, and his hand felt cold. "Steve?"
The boy gave a twitch as if he was freezing, blinking a few times before looking at me. "Yeah?" he asked, his breathing patterns much too shaky for my liking. I slid my hand out of his quickly, earning a confused look. "Hey, what's wrong?" My eyes scoured over his face as it regained color, trying to put two and two together. I had a theory, but the reasoning for it to be happening now didn't make sense.
"I need fruit," I said suddenly, sitting up from my seat on the couch and hobbling between the group of middle-schoolers watching me. They all jumped and parted for me, surprised and most likely a bit scared at this quick turnaround.
"What the hell-"
"She just-"
"Rachel!" Dustin called after me as I quickly made my way into the kitchen, a hand on the table for support. Charity's head jerked up at my arrival, her jaw dropping ever so slightly at the sight of me walking toward her.
"What the absolute fu-"
"I need fruit," I repeated, this time for the blonde as I cut her off, the group catching up behind me. My hope in my idea was starting to fade, and I wanted to act quickly. "Apple, pear... anything!"
"Jesus, Hopper!" she exclaimed in exasperation, getting up from her seat to look. "How are you not bedridden at this point?"
"I'm figuring that out."
"What the hell was that?" Steve questioned me, setting his hand on the small of my back to keep me from falling. The difference from earlier was that I didn't think that was a problem anymore.
"Don't touch me right now- are you okay?" I asked him back.
"'Am I okay-' Rachel, I'm not the one who was attacked by a monster an hour ago," he said in bewilderment. "What is happening right now?"
"Here," Charity huffed, slamming a banana down on the table. It was clearly fresh, one end fading to green. "Don't be a freak about it." I stared at the fruit for a moment, praying I would be correct in my thoughts and proved I wasn't having the spontaneous breakdown I knew the group was assuming I had. I slowly extended my arm toward it, stopping an inch before touching it took a glance over at Dustin.
"If what I think will happen happens, feel free to say your thoughts," I told the curly-haired middle schooler. "I'm encouraging it."
The boy looked at me cautiously, rubbing the lower half of his face. "Um... okay?" he answered back. I looked back at the banana before wrapping my fingers around it and closing my eyes. My thoughts before my conversation with Steve were about wanting my pain to go away... wanting healing and well-deserved rest. I tried to focus my mind on that. The piece of fruit became softer in my grasp, yet I was applying almost no pressure at all. There was a strange sensation in my thigh as if my skin was tightening, growing stronger as the banana weakened. It wasn't a comfortable feeling, but after everything that had happened, it wasn't terrible. I wrinkled my nose at a fermented smell hitting it, and it was when I heard a collective of gags and gasps that I opened my eyes.
The banana in my hand was brown, and I dropped it in disgust when I saw ooze coming out from one hand back on the table. Charity turned away from the fruit with a green face while Lucas and Dustin leaned in closer curiously to get a better look. I reached down and pulled at the wrappings around my thigh to loosen them, and I bit my lip at the sight. My jeans were tattered beyond repair, but the skin where Demo-dog dug into had healed over. Dried blood stuck to my skin, now just bruised badly as if I had slammed into the beast instead.
Carefully, I took a step back from the table, my arms extended in case I needed an extra sense of balance. My previously injured leg was sore, but it held my weight without buckling. I looked over at Steve, whose eyes were wide in confusion.
"Yeah... um," he said slowly, blinking a few times as he scratched the back of his neck. "What?"
"Energy drain," Dustin piped up, staring at me curiously. A toothy grin was spreading across his face. "It's a necromancy spell that allows you to take life from other living objects. That's so cool!"
"How is it everything can be found in your Dungeons & Dragons book?" Max sighed to the boy.
"Well, I don't think it's the same- 'cuz Rachel can't bring back the dead," Dustin said matter-of-factly. His face quickly fell as his gaze darted back to me. "Wait, can you?"
"No!" I exclaimed. "I mean, I don't think so! I've never done that before or... or this before. I just kind of guessed."
"Lucky guess," Charity grumbled. I reached up as I felt blood finally drip from my nose, wiping it with my thumb. Sure enough, it caused the same negative effect as the rest of my powers.
"So what was that dark cloud thing that came from you before Eleven came?" Dustin asked me. His hands played with the baseball cap he wore on his head. "Is this connected?" My cheeks burned as the group looked to me for an answer, but I didn't know. Were they? I thought my powers were something I just took from everyone else. Being able to heal myself wasn't anything Eleven or Anya had.
"It will be okay, Lynn," Brenner told me. "You used this darkness before. Perhaps being in it will help you connect again."
I rubbed the bridge of my nose as the scientist's voice echoed in my ears. This darkness... something had helped me connect to it again. It couldn't have been when the dark mist had fled from my body; it was already there... as if something else had summoned it. My free hand drifted toward my midriff, landing on the bandages wrapped around another now-healed injury. The first time I was attacked by a creature of the Upside Down, it was just a scratch. This time, it dug deep, and it clearly activated something in me.
I hadn't noticed Steve's eyes scanning over me, watching my small reactions as I tried to think of an answer. "We can figure that out later," he covered for me. "Let's just be glad she's better." I gave the boy a grateful look, which he returned with a small nod.
The sound of footsteps took our attention as Eleven and Joyce re-entered the kitchen, moving to the open side of the table where a notepad lay. On the back were two words strung together as one, written with a red crayon: 'CLOSEGATE.' I hadn't noticed it until now, but it seemed to strike something in the girl. She had learned enough English from me to be able to read it. Joyce saw the change on her face, and her finger shook as she pointed at the notepad.
"You opened this gate before, right?" she asked El, whose eyes lifted from the word to stare off in thought. That was when it clicked in my head: the gate to the Upside Down.
"Yes," she admitted, gulping before looking down again. There was a dried stream of blood from her nose since her heroic entrance, mirroring my own.
"Do you think if we got you back there.... that you could close it?" Eleven bit the inner part of her bottom lip, and her head flicked up in my direction. The gate had grown from what it was before. I could read the look in my sister's eyes, not needing words. She wanted my help. Joyce followed her gaze to me, and her face fell slightly when she realized another one of us would have to put our lives at risk. "It has to be both of you... doesn't it?"
I nodded slowly. I didn't want to do it. I'd rather hide than be face to face with a Demo-creature again, but I didn't have a choice. Correction, I did, but I would never let myself move on if I sent my sister out alone again. I had always cared for Eleven, but something changed the moment she revealed we were related by blood. I lost Sarah years ago, and that took forever to finally heal. If El went for good, I would never recover.
"It's about time for a proper team-up, wouldn't you agree?"