After '85

Chapter Two The Fire

It's been a few days since Els's first day, it's now a Saturday. The Byers are doing their own thing, El and Max are talking, Will is drawing, Joyce is at work, and Jonathan is out with friends.
Will can hear Max and El laughing about stuff,
"So how did your first day go? We haven't talked about that yet." Max said
"It was awkward.." El replied
"How was it awkward?"
"Well everyone was staring at me and I don't know why."
"It was because you're new, did you do anything with your powers?"
"Luckily no."
"Good because that wouldn't have ended well.."
The two girls finished up their conversation and El went to Will's room.
"Something wrong?" Will asked El as she sat on the end of his bed.
"What if I accidentally use my powers at school?" she said.
"Well I guess we hope it doesn't happen"
"What if I meet someone new..." she said with her head down.
"Like a boy?" Will asked, El nodded. "I don't think that'll happen, no one can replace Mike." El nodded.
It's been a few hours, it's now getting close to dinner time, Joyce had gotten home about 30 minutes ago and had started on dinner. El soon come to Joyce,
"Mrs. Byers?" she said
"You know you can call me Joyce, no need to call me Mrs. Byers, but continue," Joyce replied
"Right sorry. Well um- I saw this one kid at school and I remember him from a few years ago..."
"Oh? And who is it?"
"His name is, I think Troy, he was really mean to Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas a few years ago."
"Oh, well maybe stay away from him, is there anyone else then just Troy?"
El shakes her head.
"Ok well stay away from Troy and if anything happens let me know, ok?"
"Ok.." El said
During dinner time, Joyce lit a candle in the living room to make the kitchen and living room smell nice. As everyone's eating the phone rings...
Joyce gets up and answers, "Hello?" she said. No one said anything back. "I swear if this is a prank call" then out of the blue, she hears someone speaking Russian, she doesn't think much of it and hangs up.
"Who was it?" Will asked
"I don't know, the person on the other side of the line was speaking Russian." Joyce replied to Will
"Russians?" El said
"No the Russians are gone, maybe it was just a wrong number," Joyce said
A little while later, El is just finishing up her food, she accidentally makes something fall off a table with her powers, she doesn't think much of it, neither do the others.
"What's that smell?" Will said as he smelt something burning. El looks over to see what she knocked over and realizes it was the candle in the living room, by now it's too late, the fire is growing, and the smoke alarm starts going off. Joyce quickly gets everyone out of the house, leaving everything behind, Hopper's letter, the super com, everything...
Fire trucks swarm the house, putting out the fire making sure they can save as much stuff as possible.
"I'm sorry I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to.." El said to Joyce
"Don't worry about it hun, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't control it." Joyce said, hugging El to calm her down.
"We're lucky no one's hurt."
"But the letter... it's gone... It's gone because of me.." El said as she started tearing up.
"It's not because of you, plus the fire did not reach your room." Joyce lied... El nodded. Will and Jonathan then joined the hug after seeing how guilty El felt.
One of the firemen came up to the little family after their moment and gave them a few blankets as it started to rain, Will and El were huddled closely trying to stay warm well Joyce and Jonathan were trying to find a place to stay for a few days well they found a new home.

Joyce walks up to Will and El, "do you guys know any places where we can stay?" she said.
"Kali?" El replied
"Who?" Joyce asked
"My sister.."
"You have a sister? And you never told me?!" Will told El, El chuckled.
"Where does she live?" Joyce asked
"Close"
"How close?"
El shrugged.
"Do you remember where she lives?" Joyce asked.
"They left."
"Do you have enough energy to find her?"
El nodded. Joyce brought El to the car and gave her a bandana to put over her eyes. El rapped the bandana around her eyes and concentrated, it took maybe half an hour to find them, but she did.
El gets out of the car and goes to Joyce. "They're close, really close." El said
"Who's they?" Will asked, El looked at him dead in the eye and said, "The Outcast."