Joey Hopper//Will Byers -Book two-

The Gate: Part one

I bite the inside of my cheek as I stare at Eleven, so many emotions flowing through my head. One of them is relief. I mean, the last time I saw her she was essentially going off all by herself into the unknown. Another part of me just feels fear. She isn't supposed to be here. No one is supposed to know she's alive. I've been lying to my friends about that fact for months. How will they react now? How will they react when they discover I've known all of this the whole time and every word that's come out of my mouth has been a fib?

Mike takes a hesitant step. Looking at the girl as if any second she might turn to dust and disappear in the breeze.

"Eleven..." Mike says shakily.

El meets him in the middle of the room. "Mike."

They collapse into a hug, tears streaming down both of their faces.

I try to make myself small, which isn't too hard considering my height. I just wish that at this moment I could become invisible, that no one could see me.

I can hear my heart drumming in my chest as I begin to panic. My eyes instinctively turn to my dad before I instantly look away. He told me not to join this fight, I'm not even supposed to be here right now. In a way, I've let everyone down.

Max asks in a hushed voice, "is that..."

She doesn't need to finish though. The answer to her question is crystal clear. Somehow the dead girl she's only heard stories of is standing right in front of her, definitely not looking deceased.

Mike pulls away and a smile forms on his lips. "I never gave up on you. I called you every night. Every night for-"

"353 days." Eleven cuts him off. "I heard."

"Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?" Mike asks, puzzled.

I hold my breath as I realize this is it. This could be the end of my friendships, the end of it all.

Suddenly though my dad steps up. "Because I wouldn't let her. I wouldn't let either of them."

"Dad-" I start as Mike's hurt eyes fall to me, the connection finally being made.

Mike shakes his head in shock. "Joe?"

"What the hell is this? Where have you been?" Dad asks El in a quiet voice.

She narrows her eyes. "Where have you been?"

Tension builds between them before my dad embraces her in a hug. I guess I never did tell him where El and I went, especially not that we split up. In my defense, this has all been happening pretty quickly. I mean, ten minutes ago I thought I was a dead girl and now I'm standing here feeling so guilty that a part of me wishes I was.

Anger fills Mike's eyes. "You've been hiding her, Joey?"

"Mike, I didn't want to-"

"You've been hiding her this whole time!"

He shoves me and I shove him back without thinking. He goes to make another attack and for a moment I think we're gonna have a full out fist fight on our hands. Then my dad gets in between us.

"Hey!" He shouts. "This has nothing to do with Joey, okay? You don't think she wanted to tell you? You two are friends, stop beating each other up! If you want to blame someone then blame me!"

Another tear falls from Mike's eye. "But-"

"We're going to talk." My dad tells him. "Alone."

He grabs Mike's arm and they storm off together into Will's bedroom.