HIDDEN !¡ MIKE WHEELER

07. ✰

MABEL COULDN'T BELIEVE what she was seeing. Her younger sister was standing before the four kids, soaked from the rain. She was shaking badly. "Mabel?" the girl squeaked. As soon as Eleven had said her sister's name, Mabel rushed into her arms, letting out choked sobs.

"I was so worried about you. I'm so sorry I ran off. Where's Kali?" Mabel gently grabbed Eleven's face, searching her eyes. "Kali... left. Before me," she spoke. "Who is this?" Mike asked, stepping up.

Mabel turned around and looked at the boys. "This is Eleven. My sister," Mabel smiled as happy tears ran down her face. "You have a sister? You didn't tell us?" Dustin asked. "I'm sorry. It's emotional for me to talk about," Mabel quietly told him.

Mabel took off Mike's jacket and placed it around her sister's shoulders. "Can we go back to your house? I can't bring her to mine. Jess and Cal will find out I snuck off," Mabel asked Mike. Mike turned around to look at the two boys and they shrugged. "Yeah, come on," they all started walking out the woods.

When they got to Mike's house, they all crowded into the basement. Mabel sat down with Eleven on the couch, holding her. "Is there a number we can call? For your guys' parents?" Mike asked Mabel.

"No, Mike. We don't have the same parents. Everything is hard to explain right now. We need to keep her hidden," Mabel told the boy. She knew since three of the girls had ran off around the same time, Papa would be looking for them.

"Where's her hair? Does she have cancer?" Dustin asked. "Did she run away?" Lucas toppled over Dustin's question. "Is she in some kind of trouble?" Mike asked. "Is that blood?" Lucas reached out his hand to touch Eleven.

Mabel smacked away Lucas' hand. "Stop it. You're freaking her out," Mabel said. "She's freaking me out!" Lucas defended. "I bet she's deaf," said Dustin and he clapped, making Eleven jump.

"Dustin! She's not deaf. You guys are overwhelming her," Mabel sighed. "Did Papa hurt you?" Mabel whispered. Eleven looked into Mabel's eyes but didn't answer. "Who's Papa?" Mike asked.

Mabel gave Mike a death stare that made him shut up real quick. "Hair," Eleven mumbled, reaching out to gently grab Mabel's red hair. "Yes. It grew back. Not bald anymore," Mabel giggled. "Wait, you used to have short hair like her?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Mabel answered. "Does she have "powers" like you?" Dustin quieted his voice, throwing up air quotes. "Yes. You have to swear to not tell anyone. Her being here can risk all of our lives," Mabel told the boys. "Wait, risk our lives? So we're all gonna... die?!" Lucas' eyes widened as he almost screamed.

"Shh! Mike, get her something clean and warm to wear. She's still shivering," Mabel told the raven-haired boy. Mike went over to his laundry basket pulling out clothes that had just been washed and dry.

"Here, these are clean," he told Eleven, handing her the sweater and sweatpants. Eleven held the warm clothes to her face, her body relaxing. The boys watched as she stood up, tossing the jacket off her shoulder and going to lift the shirt she was wearing.

"No!" the boys all yelled in unison as Mabel grabbed the end of her sister's shirt and held it down. Lucas and Dustin turned around as Mike stepped forward. "See that over there. That's the bathroom. Privacy," he told her.

"You guys can stop over-exaggerating. We used to get changed in front of strangers all the time. She doesn't know better. Come on, Eleven, I'll come with you," Mabel took the girl's hand and led her into the bathroom.

Mabel helped her sister get changed as the boys talked on the other side of the door, thinking they were quiet and the girls couldn't hear them. "Don't listen to them, Eleven. You're not crazy," Mabel rubbed the girl's back as she pulled up her sweatpants.