^ Gabby's outfit.
Gabby sat at her easel with a sigh before continuing to paint it was of a scared Will who was surrounded by flying white particles it was like Hawkins but not exactly. She thought about Lucas, Dustin, and Mike. Gabby couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right the body didn't feel like Will when we looked at it.
"GABBY! Are you there? Over," she hears from her walkie-talkie. Gabby sighs as she stops painting before walking over to her nightstand and picking up her walkie.
"I'm here Mike what's up? Over" Gabby says into the walkie-talkie.
"Thank God you're not acting like Lucas. over."
"Is he okay?" She asked, "Over."
"This is about Will. Over." Mike says causing Gabby to smile her sixth sense never steered her wrong
"He's not dead, is he?" She questioned "Over"
"Of course, you know. I already called Lucas and he's going to get you then Dustin. Over and out," Mike says. Gabby quickly got up, got dressed, and brushed her teeth before fixing her two puff balls before she went down the stairs just as she heard a knock on the door.
"Your chariot awaits m'lady," Lucas says holding his hand out to hold.
"Thank you, kind sir." She says as she holds his hand as they walked towards his bike. Lucas makes sure the bike is steady so that she could get on safely.
"You really think that Will could be alive?" Lucas asked as he starts peddling.
"I mean I think he is when I saw the body it just didn't even feel like Will." She says as she leans on his back making sure to wrap her arms around him.
"I just don't want to get my hopes up," Lucas says as he peddles to Dustin's house.
.......
They all sat on the floor looking at El as she messes with the walkie-talkie. Whimpering sounds were coming out of it. El looked at the walkie-talkie, turning the buttons in different directions but nothing happened.
"We keep losing signal," Mike says to them, "but you heard it, right?"
"Yeah, I heard a baby," Lucas says to Mike.
Mike frowns at his answer. "What?" Is all that Mike said in response.
"Mike, you obviously tapped into a baby monitor,"
Lucas pointed out to him.
El was still playing around with the walkie-talkie. Gabby sits a little closer to El and the whimpers get louder causing El to look at Gabby.
"It's probably the Blackburn's next door."
"Uh, did that sound like a baby to you?" Mike counters. "It was Will."
"Mike--" Lucas begins.
"Lucas, you don't understand," Mike says impatiently. "He spoke last night. Words! He was singing that weird song he loves. Even El heard him!"
"Oh, well, if the weirdo heard him, then I guess-" Lucas begins sarcastically.
"She's not a weirdo," Gabby snaps.
"Are you sure you're on the right channel?"
Dustin asks.
"I don't think it's about that. I think, somehow, she's channeling him," Mike explained to them. El was listening to the conversations as she continued to play with the walkie-talkie.
"Can I try?" Gabby asked El, the girl hands it to her and begins to mess with it trying to get the right signal.
"Like, like Professor X," Dustin connects.
"Yeah," Mike agrees.
"Are you actually believing this crap?" Lucas asks in disbelief.
"I don't know," Dustin shrugs. "Mean...do you remember when Will fell off his bike and broke his finger? He sounded a lot like that." Dustin says making Gabby nod her head she remembers that day.
"Did you guys not see what I saw?" Lucas exclaims. "They pulled Will's body out of the water. He's dead!"
They all sit in silence.
"Well, maybe it's his ghost," Dustin suggests. "Maybe he's haunting us."
"It's not his ghost," Mike says.
"So how do you know that?" Lucas argues.
"I just do!" Mike says hotly.
"Then what was in that water?" Lucas yells.
"I don't know! All we know is Will is alive," Mike states loudly.
"Will is alive! He's out there somewhere. All we have to do is find him."
The boys all make eye contact as Gabby made more static crackle out of the radio.
"This isn't gonna work," Mike tells El. "We need El and Gabby to a stronger radio."
"Mr. Clarke's Heathkit Ham Shack," Dustin grins.
"Yeah," Mike says.
"The Heathkit's at school," Lucas says. "There is no way we're gonna get the weirdo in there without anyone noticing. I mean, look at her."
They all do.
"But you're right. Fortunately, I have an idea." Gabby says with a smile.
Standing up, she begins to givethe instructions to the boys. They look at her blankly for a second, but after her dark glare, they jump up and scurry off to do what she told them.
"Makeovers!" Gabby yells excitedly as she pulls El upstairs even if she wasn't as girly but she loved makeup.
Mike grabs some of Nancy's makeup from her room while Dustin and Lucas rifle through old dress-up boxes in the basement.
Gabby guides El to Nancy's window seat, Mike sits in front of El and opens up the box of makeup.
"What the hell are you doing?" She asks him as she crosses her arms.
"Putting makeup on El," Mike replies.
"Give it to me," Gabby says irritably. "Now get out." She says as she takes the box of makeup from him and pulling him from the window seat.
Mike glares at her. "Since when do you know how to do makeup? You don't even wear makeup." Mike says smartly.
"And you do Mikey? I know tons about makeup now get out." Gabby says pushing him towards the door, Mike leaves but not without trying to get the last word in but Gabby slams the door in his face before turning back to El with a smile.
"Now makeovers!" She says excitedly before sitting down in his place, she picks up a makeup brush, dusts it in some blush, and touches El's cheek with it. El immediately jerks her head away, confused.
"It's okay El, just a brush," Gabby says before giving her a reassuring look, and she leans her head back in while she continues to apply the blush.
Gabby let out a small giggle as she watches El's reaction El gives her a small smile. As she finishes El's makeover by dabbing her lips with some pink lip gloss. Gabby takes a look at her handiwork and nod in approval.
Lucas, Dustin, and Mike talk outside of Nancy's room while Gabby helps El change into the pink dress and blonde wig Lucas and Dustin had picked out for her.
El and Gabby exit the room together, and the three boys turn to look at El. Their jaws practically dropped to the floor, causing Gabby to by smile proudly at El.
"Wow," Dustin says, impressed. "She looks-
"Pretty," Mike interrupts with a shrug. El smiles at Mike.
"Good," Mike corrects. "You look pretty good." El takes hold of Gabby's hand as she walks over to a mirror hanging on the wall. Mike trails behind them.
"Pretty," El whispers. A pause. "Good." They look at each other in the mirror and smile at each other.
"Pretty good," Gabby repeats with a smile.
......
The boys bike to school with El on the back of Mike's bike and Gabby on Lucas's.
Gabby couldn't help but look over at her a couple of times, and she was in awe of the neighborhood, the trees, and the school.
As they enter the school, El holds Gabby's hand causing the girl to squeeze it comfortingly as they walk down the hallway Gabby could feel El's anxiousness.
"Okay, remember," Mike says to them. "If anyone sees us, look sad."
Gabby makes a sad face toward El and she smiles at her. Lucas and Dustin mimic fake tears using their fingers to show El, and she rubs her free hand over her eye like she's crying. They nod at her encouragingly.
"Attention, students," comes an announcement "there will be an assembly to honor Will Byers in the gymnasium now. Do not go to fourth period."
The group reached the AV room and Mike tries opening the door.
"It's locked," he says frustratingly.
"Great, just great," Gabby groans.
"What?" Lucas says before trying to open the door himself.
"Hey, do either of you think you can open it?" Dustin asks them. "With your powers?"
"Kids?"
The five of them jump and turn around to see Mr. Clarke comes around the corner.
"Hey," Lucas says with a smile.
"Mr.Clark!" Gabby says nervously as El squeezes Gabby's hand.
"Assembly's about to start," Mr. Clarke says confusedly.
"We know," Gabby says sadly. "We're just, you know..."
"Upset," Lucas says, laughing nervously.
"Yeah, d-d-definitely upset," Dustin stammers.
"We need some alone time," Mike says.
"To cry," Dustin says very unconvincingly.
"We're really sad," Gabby adds, more convincingly.
"Yeah, listen, I get it," Mr. Clarke says sympathetically. "I do. I know how hard this is, but let's just be there for Will, huh? And then.."
Mr. Clarke throws Mike the keys to the AV room. "....the Heathkit is yours for the rest of the day,"
Mr. Clarke finishes.
They all grin at each other. "What do you say?"
Then, Mr. Clarke notices El. "I don't believe we've met," Mr. Clarke says kindly to El. "What's your name?"
"Eleven," El says quietly before Mike cuts her off.
"Eleanor!" Mike says loudly. "She's my, uh...
"Cousin!" Lucas finishes.
"Second cousin," Dustin adds, holding up two fingers.
"She's here for Will's funeral," Mike goes on.
"We're all very close to Eleanor," Gabby explains she wanted to roll her eyes at the boy's sad excuse of not trying to be obvious.
"Ah, well, welcome to Hawkins Middle, Eleanor," Mr. Clarke says. "I wish you were here under better circumstances."
"Thank you," El says politely.
"Uh, where are you from exactly?" Mr. Clarke asks they all look fearfully at El.
"Bad place," she says in a low voice, shaking her head.
"Sweden," Dustin interjects.
"I have a lot of Swedish family," Mike says.
"She hates it there," Dustin says.
"Cold!" Lucas adds.
"Super cold," Gabby says. "She hates the cold."
"Subzero," Dustin says.
Mr. Clarke looks back and forth at his favorite students suspiciously. The boys were not the best liars unfortunately.
"Shall we?" he asks.
"Yep!" Lucas says quickly.
They all turn around quickly and start walking to the gym.
I made you lie.
It's okay El. Gabby looks over to El with a reassuring smile.
Dustin flings the door open to the gym enthusiastically, and it bangs against the wall. Causing the five of them to freeze as the entire school, sitting on the bleachers, turns to look at them.
The principal abruptly stops talking, and he and the other teachers look at them as well.
"Abort," Dustin whispers loudly he turns around, but Lucas catches him, turns him back around, and pushes him into the gym. El and Gabby, still hand in hand, cautiously follow along with Mike. Mr. Clarke follows after us.
"We come together to heal," Their principal continues as they walk to the bleachers. "We come together to grieve..."
"Will Byers death is an unimaginable tragedy." This assembly was lasting forever.
"Will was an exceptional student and a wonderful friend to all of us," the principal continues. "It's impossible to express the hole his loss will leave in our community. I'd like to introduce you to Sandy Sloane. She's a local grief counselor from the church over in Jonesboro." Lucas and Gabby exchange a boring look they were just ready to get to the HeathKit. El looks at all of the students, fascinated.
"But before she comes up here, I just want those of you who are having trouble dealing with this tragic loss..."
"Look at all these fakers." Mike hisses to Gabby and Lucas, who were sitting on the other side of him.
"They probably didn't even know his name 'till today," Lucas adds.
"They're acting like they really knew him and look at those assholes," Gabby says as she looks over to Troy and James who were mocking the principal's speech. They're laughing and fake crying. The five of them look at them in disgust.
"Mouth-breather," El says.
They are the ones who tripped Mike El. Gabby says telepathy to her.
He hurt Mike? Gabby nods at El and she glares darkly at Troy who mocks the grief counselor.
The assembly finally ends and the bell rings. El grabs Gabby by hand as they step down off the bleachers together, Lucas and Dustin close behind.
Gabby looks to see Mike walking up to Troy and James.
"Hey!" Mike says, trying to get their attention.
"Hey! Hey, Troy! Hey, Troy!"
Troy finally turns around. El and Gabby look at each other coming up with a backup plan.
"You-you think this is funny?" Mike asks, upset.
"What'd you say, Wheeler?" Troy snaps.
"I saw you guys laughing over there," Mike goes on, "and I think that's a real messed-up thing to do."
Gabby was proud of Mike for standing up for Will like this. She turns around and notices a sizable crowd has gathered around this interaction.
"Didn't you listen to the counselor, Wheeler?" James chimes in rudely. "Grief shows itself in funny ways."
"Besides, what's there to be sad about, anyway?" Troy sneers. "Will's in fairyland now, right? Flying around with all the other little fairies. All happy and gay!"
The two laugh as Troy imitates a fairy. A pit of hot anger forms in Gabby as the pair laughs again and then walks away.
Mike clenches his fists and walks up to them. He pushes Troy hard causing Troy falls to the ground. Everyone gasps, Gabby looks back at Dustin and Lucas, and they're equally shocked.
"You're dead, Wheeler," Troy says threateningly, getting up. "Dead!"
Troy runs towards Mike but stops suddenly. All of a sudden, Gabby and El were staring at Troy before making a stream of liquid darkens the crotch area of Troy's pants, and runs down his pant leg as he had ahorrified expression on his face.
"Dude, Troy peed himself," some kid calls out.
Everyone in the gym starts laughing. Gabby couldn't help but laugh at her and El's handiwork as blood trickles out of their noses.
Mike looks back at them El and Gabby give him a small smile, The two simultaneously wipe our noses, and turn away walking back towards Dustin and Lucas hand in hand.
"Hey!" Their principal yells, heading over to the huge crowd.
"What's going on here?"
"Oh!" Lucas whispered as he runs over to Mike and pulls him away by his arm.
.....
"Come on," Mike whispers, turning the light on in the AV room. They walk over to the table where the Heathkit Ham Shack is. El sits down at the table as Gabby takes a seat in the chair next to her.
"Now what?" Dustin asks.
"They'll find him," Mike replies. "Right, El?" He starts turning the knobs on the radio.
"Ellie helps," El whispers
"Of course, El I'll help," Gabby tells her with a smile.
El grabs Gabby's hand while Mike turns the radio frequency higher. She closes her eyes and Gabby follows suit.
"They're doing it," Mike says in awe. "They're finding him."
"This is crazy," Dustin says.
"Calm down," Lucas says. "They just closed their eyes."
"This is crazy," Dustin says.
"Calm down," Lucas says. "They just closed their eyes."
Then, the lights go out causing the boys to gasp. Gabby continues to focus on the connection between her and El.
"Holy..." Dustin trails off. A crashing sound come through the radio.
It grows in volume.
"What is that?" Dustin asks the clanging continues.
"Mom?" It's Will's voice, coming through the radio. Gabby channels more of her energy and concentration with El.
The boys gasp.
"No way," Lucas breathes. Will continues to whimper and ask for his mom.
"Will!" Mike yells.
"Will, it's us!" Lucas yells. "Are you there?"
"Can you hear us?" Dustin yells. "We're here!"
"Hello? Mom?" is all that comes from the radio.
"Why can't he hear us?" Lucas demands. "I don't know!" Mike says impatiently.
"It's like home, but it's so dark!" Will's voice yells. He sounds terrified.
"It's so dark and empty! And it's cold! Mom?! Mom!"
Gabby could feel the warm blood coming from her nose and the tears flowing down her cheeks. Suddenly, the radio fuse explodes, and the radio catches on fire. The boys yell in fright and jump back.
Gabby's eyes fly open.
As the boys exclaim in fright and the fire alarms go off, Gabby shakily holds onto Lucas. Dustin hurries and grabs the fire extinguisher and extinguishes the fire. Lucas looks at her in alarm as Mike checks on El.
Gabby looked over to El she was super pale, and dark blood runs out of her nose Gabby looked the same.
"Gabby, are you okay?" Lucas asks me. "Can you move?" It was like Gabby couldn't even talk. Lucas quickly helps her up. Dustin rushes over to El, who can't move either.
"Help me with El," Mike says to Dustin.
Mike and Dustin drag El away and Lucas does the same with Gabby. She clings to Lucas with El tears in her eyes.
The boys find a cart and put both Gabby and El onto it. They start to roll the girls away, Gabby closes her eyes before resting her head on El's shoulder.