The Promise (Eleven x Male reader)

Chapter 2: The Weirdo on Maple Street

Thunder rumbles through the house as the girl we had found was sitting on the sofa, wearing my jacket, dripping water onto the floor. She panted heavily and I looked at her. I almost felt sorry for her. She wasn't looking at any of us. Mike spoke up, "Is there a number we can call, for your parents?" he asked, obviously worried. "Where's your hair? Do you have cancer?" Dustin said, I punched him in the arm. "Come on, man." I pleaded. I looked back at her, she looked scared, I wanted to hug her or do anything but I felt like I would be just scaring her more. "Did you run away?" "Are you in some kind of trouble?" "Is that blood?" The three other boys asked one after the other. Lucas went to reach out for the blood but I slapped his hand away. "Guys, you're scaring her!" I turned and got some clean clothes from Mikes pile of old ones. "Here, these are clean. They should fit." I look at her with a smile. "I bet she's deaf!" Dustin says, he follows it up by clapping in her face and she flinched. He looks back up at us "Not deaf." I shook my head at him. "You're an idiot." I pointed to the clothes in her lap, "Get changed into them, you'll be warmer." I smile again at her and she stand up and goes to remove her clothes.

"No, no, no!" I can't help but blush a little bit but i try to hide it and point to the bathroom. "Privacy. You understand?" I see her lip twitch a little, almost like she thought she was going to be punished for it but then took the clothes with her and went into the bathroom. I followed to close the door and as it was about to shut, I felt a hand stopping it. I looked up at her. "No." She said, blankly. "So you can speak?" I laugh a little, trying to lighten the mood but she just stares at me. "Okay, we'll how about this?" I close it a little bit but not too far open. "Better?" I asked her with a smile. She kept her blank stare but answered. "Yes." I turn to leave but I feel her cold hand grab my wrist. "You don't want me to leave?" I ask with furrowed eyebrows. She doesn't speak this time, only shakes her head. "Okay well, I'll wait out here, okay?" I smile again and wait outside the bathroom, around the corner. I could hear Mike, Dustin and Lucas saying bad stuff about her. Somehow I felt like I knew her. Like i understood her. It was probably nothing.

She was finally finished getting dressed and we talked about where she would sleep for the night. Mike agrees to keep her in his basement until the morning. I grab a couple blankets and pillows and make a makeshift tent for her, with some help from Mike. I turn to the stairs to leave with Lucas and Dustin but the girl grabs my pant leg. "No." she says. I exchange glances with Mike and he nods. "Okay, but only for the night we will tell you the plan tomorrow." I say to the girl.

"Hey, um, I never asked your name." Mike says, she doesn't say anything, but she moves her sleeve down to reveal a tattoo, 011, it read. Mike goes to reach for it but I slap his hand away. "Sorry, I've just never seen a tattoo before." He smiles, entertained. I rub my thumb on my wrist but I don't dare to look, it still scares me what happens that night.

After a while, Mike ent upstairs to sleep. He gave me a change of clothes and I get changed into them, sitting on the sofa after it. I look at the girl who is watching me and walk over to her. "Who gave you that tattoo?" I ask after gulping. "Bad." She responds. That word echoed in my head for a while before I gather up the courage to lift up the slabs of the jumper from Mike and show her the mark on my arm. It had become more visible now and I could almost make something out... 009.

El, her new nickname, looked up at me after seeing the tattoo. A tear came to her eyes and she grabbed my hand. "Why can't I remember anything?" I ask her. She doesn't respond and I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know herself. "Gone." She whispers as a tear drips from her eye. I gulp, I don't even know what she's talking about. I don't understand what's going on. Who am I?

—TIME SKIP—

My eyes open and I'm lean to one of the table legs, El's hand still resting on top of mine. She was asleep. I stood up and walked around for a bit. This was the first night that I hadn't had that dream since they started. I turned to El, was she the key? Could she help me find out who I am?