N/N = Nick Name
Y/N'S POV:
We took the girl to Mike's house.
We had to sneak her through the basement though.
The poor child was trembling.
''Is there a number we can call, for your parents?'' Mike asks her.
''Where's your hair?'' Dustin asks her. ''Do you have cancer?''
''Dustin, you don't just go around asking people that!'' I mentally face palm at my friend.
''Did you run away?'' Lucas asks her.
''Are you in some kind of trouble?'' Mike asks her.
''Is that blood?'' Lucas asks before reaching over.
Mike however slapped his arm away.
''Stop it. You're freaking her out.'' Mike warns him.
''She's freaking me out!'' Lucas exclaims.
''I bet she's deaf.'' Dustin comments.
He claps both his hands together.
The bald-girl jumps back as she flinches.
''Not deaf.'' Dustin murmurs.
''Enough.'' I glare at him before turning to Mike.
''Mike, get her some warm clothes.'' I instruct.
Mike comes back with a sweater and pants.
''Here. These are clean.'' Mike hands her the clothes.
She hesitantly takes them and puts them up to her face; probably reminding her of warmth.
She then begins to lift her shirt up.
''Oh my gosh--'' I race over and gently grab her wrists.
Her shirt falls back down in it's original place.
As the boys panicked, I glance at the bathroom in Mike's basement.
''Here.'' I begin to lead her over to the bathroom.
I begin to close the bathroom door.
She places her fingers in the way, preventing it from closing.
''You don't want the door shut?'' I ask her.
''No.''
Now, we know she isn't mute! Which was my first thought. Either that, or she was just really shy.
''That's okay.'' I assure her, as I stand by the door.
''Maybe we could close it a little?'' I shyly suggest.
I notice the panic in her eyes.
''Hey, don't worry.'' I reassure her. ''It won't be dark, and also, you have a light! See?''
I flick on the light switch.
I close the door to three inches and leave the girl.
I approach the boys.
''This is mental.'' Dustin muttered.
''At least we know she can talk.'' I shrug.
''She said one word: no. Mike's three year old sister says more.'' Lucas points out.
''She tried to get naked.'' Dustin recalls.
''There's something seriously wrong with her.'' Lucas says. ''Like, wrong in the head.''
''I bet she escaped from Pennhurst.'' Lucas suddenly said.
''Elaborate?'' I ask.
''The nuthouse in Kerley County.'' Lucas replies.
''You got a lot of family there?'' Dustin jokes.
''Bite me.'' Lucas growls.
''That was a good one, Dustin.'' I grin.
''Seriously, guys, think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy.'' Lucas adds.
''She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho.'' Lucas says.
''Like Michael Myers.'' Dustin says.
''Ah yes, because a girl who was too scared to look at us is definitely capable of killing someone in fresh blood.'' I sarcastically say.
''We should've never brought her here!'' Lucas exclaims.
''So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?'' Mike questions.
''Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem!'' Lucas exclaims.
''And how is she a problem?'' I ask.
''For one, she's crazy!'' Lucas exclaims once again. ''And we're hiding her from Mike's mom? What happens when she finds out?!''
''I think we should tell Mike's mom.'' Dustin says.
''Who's crazy now?'' Mike asks.
''How's that crazy?'' Lucas furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
''Because, we weren't supposed to be out tonight, remember?'' Mike points out.
''So?''
''So, if I tell my mom, and she tells your guys' moms...'' Mike starts off.
''Oh man.'' Dustin mumbles.
''Our houses become Alcatraz.'' Lucas jokes.
''Exactly. We'll never find Will.'' Mike says.
''Alright, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight---'' Mike begins.
''Wait.'' I cut him off. ''Screw that plan.''
Mike lets out a sigh.
''She'll sleep at mine.'' I decide.
''Okay, yeah, and then we'll send her back to wherever she came from and we'll totally be in the clear!'' Mike adds. ''And tomorrow night, we go back out. And this time we find Will.''
Lucas and Dustin had left before muttering some insults about her.
Mike and I sat with her.
''Hey, um, I never asked you your name.'' Mike says to the girl.
She pulls up her sweatshirt sleeve, revealing some sort of tattoo.
𝟬𝟭𝟭
''That's pretty badass!'' I say.
''B-Bad ass?'' She slowly stutters as she tries to pronounce it.
''Yeah! It means that's hella cool!'' I explain.
She still looked confused.
''What's it mean? Eleven?'' Mike asks her.
She points to herself.
''That's your name?'' Mike exclaims.
She nods.
''Eleven. Okay.'' Mike says. ''Well, my name's Mike. Short for Michael.''
''How do we shorten Eleven...'' I say aloud. ''We could call you El?''
She nods.
''And this is Y/n.'' Mike places his hand on my shoulder.
''N/n..?'' Eleven focuses on her words carefully, as she spoke.
I smile at the new nick-name.
''Sure.'' I stand up.
El stands up too.
''We should get going.'' I say.
''Don't lose her.'' Mike warns me.
I roll my eyes at him before gently holding the bald-girl's hand.
As we exit the house, the cold air greets us.
Why did I not bring a jacket or something.
Eleven looked nervous as we walked.
We were halfway there, and my teeth were chattering again.
''Is you okay?'' Eleven asks me.
''Y-Yeah. Just c-cold.'' I reply as my teeth chattered. ''I d-didn't bring a c-coat.''
''And we're f-finally h-here.'' I say as my hand reaches for the door handle.
''Remember, be quiet. Please.'' I beg.
She places her finger onto her lips to signal she understood.
I begin to twist the door knob open.
The door slowly opens.
With the girl's hand still in mine, we both enter my warm home.
''C'mon.'' I say, as we head up the stairs.
I quickly enter my bedroom before quietly closing the door.
I lock the door, in case my mother would walk in.
''This is my room.'' I proclaim as she looks around.
She notices my shelf full of stuffed animals.
''Pretty.'' She smiles.
''This one here's my favorite.'' I pick up one familiar teddy bear. ''I've had him for years.''
As she walks around my room, she looks to my bed.
''Are you tired?'' I ask her.
She nods before rubbing her eyes.
''We could go to sleep now?'' I suggest.
She nods to my suggestion.
''We can sleep on my bed? Or I can make a comfy bed on the floor?'' I ask her.
She gets on my bed, so I take that as a hint.
''I can sleep on the floor.'' I say.
''Alone?'' She asks.
''I don't mind.'' I reply, whilst I make a bed for myself on the floor.
Despite being on the floor, it was a good night.
T̷̹͋͋i̶̯͎̎̿ṁ̴̽ͅȅ̸̟̺ ̷͎̉͗S̸̮͝ḳ̷̂ḭ̴̪͋̑p̸̬͒̔
I stir as I felt something touch my arm.
My eyes flutter open as the bald-girl's face fills my vision.
''Good morning, El!'' I groggily sit up. ''You have a nice night?''
She says nothing.
''Don't tell the boys about this.'' I sigh as I get up from the floor.
I head over to my closet and dig around for one familiar feeling box.
''Aha!'' I softly exclaim before picking it up.
I carry it back to El, before opening it.
Inside the box were stashed with treats, also an eggo.
''Help yourself!'' I say.
She slowly takes the eggo before biting into it.
''Hey, Eleven?'' I speak up.
''Wanna go to Mike's house?'' I ask her. ''I need you to ring his doorbell and you'll tell her that you're lost and you need help. But you can't tell her about anything that happened last night, or that you know Mike and I.''
She shoots me a bemused expression.
''If you think about it, it'll be just like meeting again for the first time!'' I add.
''No.'' She says.
''But you need help?'' I say.
''No.'' She repeats herself.
''Is someone after you? Or.. I don't get it.'' My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
She nods her head.
''Who's after you?'' I ask, my voice getting quieter.
''Bad.'' She whispered.
She then put two fingers to her forehead, then to mine.
T̷̹͋͋i̶̯͎̎̿ṁ̴̽ͅȅ̸̟̺ ̷͎̉͗S̸̮͝ḳ̷̂ḭ̴̪͋̑p̸̬͒̔
I brought El over to Mike's.
''Let's head to my room.'' Mike whispers, as he leaded the way.
''Ready are you? What knows of you are ready?'' Mike imitates Yoda.
El just stared at him weirdly.
I don't blame her.
''His name's Yoda. He can use the force to move things with his mind like this.'' Mike threw his figures off the table and onto the floor with a clatter.
Eleven trailed away from Mike and to his pictures and trophies.
''Oh, these are all my science fair trophies.'' Mike explains to the girl. ''We got first every year. Except for last year when we got third. Mr. Clarke said it was totally political.''
Eleven's eyes lay upon a photo of The Party.
She leans in closer.
Then she points at Will in the picture.
''You know Will?'' Mike asks her. ''Did you see him last night? On the road?''
A few minutes later, Dustin and Lucas entered Mike's bedroom.
They both stared at El as if she was some sort of alien.
They turned back to Mike.
''Are you out of your mind?'' Lucas exclaims to Mike.
''Hear him out.'' I say.
Lucas sighs.
''She knows about Will!'' Mike spits out.
''What do you mean, she knows about Will?'' Dustin asks.
''She pointed at him, at his picture. She knew he was missing, I could tell!'' Mike explains. ''Just think about it. Do you really think it was a coincidence that we found her on Mirkwood, the same place where Will disappeared?''
''That is weird.'' Dustin comments.
''Also, she did say bad people are after her.'' I add.
''Do you think these bad people are the same ones that took Will?'' Mike asks me after a moment of silence. ''Maybe she knows what happened to him.''
''Then why doesn't she tell us?'' Lucas asks.
Lucas approaches El.
''Do you know where he is?'' Lucas asks.
El says nothing.
''Do you know where he is?'' He yelled to her.
''Lucas.'' I warn him with a glare.
''If you know where he is, tell us.'' He demands to Eleven.
''This is nuts.'' Lucas says. ''We have to take her to Mike's mom.''
''No way.'' I cross my arms. ''That would put Eleven in danger.''
Lucas raises an eyebrow.
''Her name is Eleven?'' He asks in disbelief.
''El for short.'' Mike steps in.
''No, no, no!'' Lucas snaps. ''We're going back to Plan A. We're telling your mom.''
He approaches the door.
''Lucas, wait---''
He opens the door.
But the door slams shut.
He opens it again, but with no luck.
The door slams shut once more.
My eyebrows furrow in disbelief mixed with confusion.
The door locks by itself.
The four of us slowly turn around to Eleven.
Her nose was bleeding, as her eyes focused on the door.
''No.'' She spoke.
Evening approaches, and we were still at Mike's.
''No adults.'' Mike assures El as we enter the basement with a tray. ''Just us, and some meatloaf.''
He glances towards Lucas and Dustin.
''They won't tell anyone about you. They promise.'' Mike assures the bald-girl.
''Promise?'' El asks in bemusement.
''Uh...'' Mike's voice trails off as he couldn't explain.
''Promise means something you can't break. Like, ever!'' I explain to her. ''Like how I promise Lucas isn't going to be mean to you anymore.''
I glare at the Sinclair.
''We just wanted to find our friend.'' Lucas explains.
''Friend?'' El repeats with confusion.
''Yeah, friend. Will?'' Lucas says to her.
''What is friend?'' El asks him.
''Is she serious?'' Lucas mutters to Dustin.
''A friend is someone you love. Someone you'd hate to loose.'' I explain to her. ''You'd even die for them.''
''And you'd lend them your cool stuff, like comic books and trading cards.'' Dustin adds while grinning at her.
''And they never break a promise.'' Mike says.
''Especially when there's spit.'' Lucas says to El.
''Spit?'' She asks, confused.
''A spit swear means...'' He spits into his hand and shakes Dustin's hand. ''You never break your word. It's a bond.''
''That's super important, because friends tell each other things; things that parents don't know.'' Mike says to Eleven.
Eleven trails away from us and takes a seat by Mike's D&D board.
''What's the weirdo doing?'' Lucas asks.
''El?'' Mike calls.
She picks up the wizard figure.
''Will.'' She says.
''Superpowers.'' Dustin comments.
Lucas scoffs at him.
''Did you see him, on Mirkwood?'' Mike asks her. ''Do you know where he is?''
She throws all the other figures onto the basement floor.
She then tips the board upside down.
She places 'Will' onto the upside down board.
''I don't understand.'' Mike murmurs.
''Hiding.'' El simply says.
''Will is hiding?'' Mike asks.
''From those bad people you warned me about?'' I ask her.
She shook her head no.
She places the Demogorgon figure next to Will.
My eyes widen.