Salt To The Wound (A Stranger Things Story)

Season 5- Chapter 9: I'm Only Human (El's POV

El felt the crushing weight of expectations on her. Ever since she awakened her powers, everyone depended on her for things. She felt like she held to higher expectations than others, especially during the battle a month ago. She wished that she never had these powers, because before, she was treated like a human, now, she is treated like a superhero.

Her daily routine was simple for the most part. She'd go to school, go home, and chill out. At least, that was her daily routine, now she was always called for simple things. If one of her friends got something stuck in a difficult place, she was called to get it. If one of her friends lost something, she was called to find it. She never really had free time anymore due to this, and her powers were both a blessing and a curse.

She walked to her bus stop, trying to avoid her newfound responsibilities. She put on her AirPods and waited for the bus. Mike was standing beside her, probably texting Will. Mike was the only one who didn't rely on her for anything, he was pretty independent. She loved Mike for that, at least she had to worry about one less thing. Sometimes, he even helped with some of her calls.

She went to her first period, where she had Will and Mike in. Although the two didn't talk as much as they used to, she noticed that they usually share very short conversations, even though they were always texting. Then she thought about it, maybe it wasn't Will he was texting, or maybe it was someone else. She loved Will, and if Mike was cheating, she'd murder him, but that was highly unlikely.

She confronted him after class and used her powers to steal his phone. One of the pros of this ability. She looked at the name and saw it was Karen. Why the hell would he be texting Karen constantly when he hated her guts? Mike stole the phone back and El glared at him. "Dammit, okay, I'll explain myself," Mike said, and El crossed her arms. "Okay don't tell Will, but she's helping me plan something for him, as you know we've been together for almost 3 years," Mike said and Els' eyes widened. "Wait, you don't mean," she said and he gave her an approving look. "Oh my god!" She yelled and he shushed her. "The only issue is, what if he's not ready, I mean, we are only 18," Mike said and El looked at him as if he was crazy. "You ate definitely out of your mind, of course, he'd marry you," El said and Mike smiled. "That's not the only issue, he wanted me to apply to the same college as he was, but it's his dream, not mine, and I have no idea what to do," Mike said and El exhaled. "Good luck bro," she said walking away, and he exhaled as she walked away.

The day after school, she decided to think about her college options. She knew that soon, all of her friends would be spread out across the world. She hoped they'd still talk and keep contact, but the tides of life were saying another thing. She'd never truly thought about what she wanted to become, and now, she had a deadline. It seemed like her friends had everything figured out. Max wanted to study as a psychologist, Will wanted to be an Artist, Dustin wanted to go to med school to become a doctor, Troy wanted to be a film director and she was stuck. Not knowing what in the hell she wanted to do with her life.

She laid down on her bed, trying to figure out what to do, she had no clue. She tried to look around on her computer for absolutely anything that could influence her decision but she couldn't find anything. She then gave up for the night and decided she'd think about it later.