-july 4th 1985-
-reader's pov-
wailing ambulances were pulled up outside the mall along with firefighters that were putting the blazing fire out with their hoses. multiple helicopters circled the sky, some of them being news reporters and the others being scientists like dr owens. I sat upon the back of an ambulance, with my feet carelessly dangling and my eyes fixed upon el. she had to go on a different ambulance to me, so that she could receive the light treatment that she needed. she looked a little upset but she also looked as if she was expectant of something. that something may well be her father, but I couldn't really tell from afar. I was lost in thought until a familiar voice snapped me back to reality.
"y/n, right?" the voice said, I swung my head around to find robin sat on the ambulance with me, she had a shock-blanket tightly wrapped around her.
"oh, um, yeah." I replied with a light smile.
robin nodded in acknowledgment, "y'know, el was super freaking out when we all thought you were dead." robin told me, "like, she was totally screaming her lungs out."
I chuckled weakly at this information, "ah, well, she is my girlfriend so I don't blame her."
robin's eyes softened at this and a kind smile spread upon her lips, "cool," was all she managed to say, she was way too overwhelmed with the idea that someone might actually be able to truly understand her now, whether this person being younger than her or not.
I noticed the way robin's demeanour changed after I mentioned el being my girlfriend. that same understanding smile curled upon her lips and something inside of me just screamed that she was obviously like me.
"sorry about how you got mixed up in all this bull crap." I apologised with a sad smile.
"ah, don't worry about it." robin grinned, "it was.. interesting. strange but, interesting."
"yeah, I guess it is." I agreed before turning my head back to my scratched hands.
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-october 13th 1985-
"look at what you see~" lucas and max teasingly sang as they packed the cardboard boxes, "in her face, the mirror of your dreams~"
"rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds~" I joined in as I walked into the room, holding one of joyce's hairbrushes up to my mouth, pretending it was a microphone.
"hold on, hold on, hold on." max stopped us all from singing, "did we get that verse right? it's 'unfold behind the clouds'?"
"yeah, but you're butchering it." dustin replied with an unimpressed face, "so could you please stop?"
"so then join in, dusty-bun." lucas blew a playful kiss to dustin. I then tossed the hairbrush into the box.
"yeah, cmon dusty-bun, why don't you join us?" max harassed.
"nah, he's not gonna sing." I commented, "not for us anyway, his voice is for suzie-poo only."
"exactly y/n, thank you." dustin said, "it's reserved for suzie's ears and suzie's ears alone."
lucas, max and I shared a mischievous look before starting up again, "turn around, look at what you seeeee~" dustin held up his middle finger as I chuckled and headed down the corridor, fumbling with my scrunchie, that was still around my wrist. I passed will in the hallway and we both shot eachother a short smile.
I wandered into the room that I knew el was currently stood in. I found her stood on her tip-toes, trying to reach a teddy bear. unfortunately, she couldn't reach so she stepped back and raised her arm. she focused on moving the bear but her attempt was unsuccessful.
"you'll get 'em back." I assured with a smile as I walked into the room, "I just know it." I reached my hand up to the top cabinet of the closet and pulled the teddy bear out before handing it to el.
"or maybe I should just try getting a growth spurt." el sarcastically joked.
"hm, maybe." I heartily replied whilst tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "you packed your walkie, right?"
"-yes." el nodded.
"cause you know I'm gonna be calling you every night, using dustin's cerebro and I'm gonna be sending you letters everyday?" I told her happily.
el chuckled before her eyes fell down to my fingers, that were still fiddling with my scrunchie. I followed her gaze before gasping lightly, "oh yeah, almost forgot." I slipped the scrunchie off of my wrist, "here, take it." I handed the scrunchie to her and she carefully inspected it, "you can wear this, so whenever you feel upset or lonely or whatever, it'll always be like I'm with you, like I'm by your side."
el's eyes brightened as she took her red scrunchie off and replaced it with my green one.
"hey, and it suits you aswell." I beamed. el then tugged at my wrist before slipping the red scrunchie onto it.
"and you'll never be alone too." she smiled as my eyes began to water with warm tears. she then cupped my cheek and we both leant in for a kiss. my hands crawled up to tangle themselves in her hair as the kiss deepened. eventually, we both pulled away for air.
"I love you, el." I breathed, my lips curled up into a delighted smile.
"I love you too, n/n." she replied before taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. she shot me a sweet smile before leaving the room to go find joyce.
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will cried out onto my shoulder as we swayed around during a friendly hug, "I'm gonna miss you, man." I croaked, almost drowning in my own tears.
"I'm gonna miss you too, n/n." will sobbed before we both pulled away and shared another smile, this one being very bittersweet. will then moved on and el came to my side.
"hi," I smiled through the tears that drenched my face.
"hey." she snivelled as she wiped a few of my tears away before we both wrapped eachother in our arms and just cried and cried and cried.
"oh god, I'm gonna miss you so so much." I weeped as even more tears flowed, like a neverending waterfall.
we slightly pulled out of the hug and were now just stood in eachother's arms, enjoying eachother's embrace with our noses pressed together. until it was eventually time to pack up and go.
I watched the u-haul van drive away, with a blurred vision due to all of the tears. followed by jonathan's car, which will rode in.
after a while, everyone else began to kick on their bike pedals and ride off into the distance. leaving me, to just stand there, heartbroken. I turned to take one last look at the byers house, a deep sigh escaped my lips before cycling after the others.
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a saudade smile etched itself across my face as I sat in my basement, holding the millennium falcom toy that el once had held, all alone.
except, I wasn't really alone.
el was by my side, just like how she used to be when she would visit me in the void.
she was with me because of this scrunchie. not physically, but she was there. I knew she was there.
(I cried so fucking much when writing this, my pillow is drenched with tears‼️‼️)