𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘

Three Men

•Eleven POV•
I left the hospital on Thursday morning and went to school and had a pretty average day. Mike and I were too busy thinking about the snowball to focus on anything. I don't think I can wait any longer. That day when we got home, the boys had come over to play D&D. So I sat on the couch and looked out the window. My eyes widened as I watched a black car approach the front of the house, the person inside trying to peer through the basement window. I immediately ducked down and crawled out of his sight. "El, what are you doing?" Mike asked me, giggling at how goofy I looked. "That person, in the car, they're trying to look in here." Before any of the boys had a chance to look I warned them not to. "Do you think they know about Will being back in that place?" Dustin questioned. Mike shrugged and looked down for a moment. "We need to hide Eleven." Mike states quickly. "They might come in the house and im not risking anything." The other two boys and I nod as we all quickly make our way upstairs. We explain to Mrs. Wheeler and she leads me to a door in the ceiling she called the attic. I hid there behind a few boxes. I looked at one box that read "Mike's medical records: December 1983." I looked at the next box that read "Mike's medical records: January 1984." I looked from box to box and discovered that all the boxes around me were Mike's medical papers from December 1983 to June 1984. I opened the one from December and found a bunch of papers and empty pill containers. I read each paper in order. Name: Micheal Wheeler Reason For Medication: Depression, Anorexia, Anxiety Reason: Loss of loved one/relative. Oh my god. Mike was depressed because of me. He had a whole list of medication convering the rest of the page. The rest of the boxes were filled with more problems. Self-harm. Suicidal thoughts. Bipolar disorder. Depression. Depression. Depression. The words swirled in my mind as I neatly placed all of the papers back in their original boxes. Then my body sank into the floor and I sobbed to nobody. I hated myself. Poor Mike.

•Mike POV•
"El you can come down now!" I called up to the attic. No response. I pulled the ladder down and made my way up to the attic. "El you can co-" I stopped and looked at her sobbing in the corner. I raced over to her and pulled her up off the ground. "What happened?" I looked into her eyes and she looked back with concern. "Im sorry." She whispered. I gave her a puzzled look and she pointed to all the boxes surrounding us. I read the sides and realized she read what happened when she left. I pulled her in to a tight hug and began to tear up. "Im ok now." She looked at me tears streaming down her face and stuttered,  "but you..w-werent't ok then". I quickly kissed her and pulled her down from the attic. "Mike," she began when we made it to her room. "Do the boys know?" I nodded and held my wrist where i had cut it a year ago. The scar was gone now but i still felt that everyone was staring at it. "They were really worried about me. I dont think they understood." I replied and she looked down at my wrist. "Will Papa come back? Or bad men?" I shook my head but wasn't sure. We would have to be careful.

•Eleven POV•
Friday. Today was the snowball. School was an eternity. I was sitting in one of my classes with all the boys when my name, or well, fake name, was called over the speaker. "ELANOR HOPPER PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE ELANOR HOPPER PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE." The speaker called out. Mrs. Wheeler asked Hopper to put in my last name as his so the school wouldn't think it was weird that Mike and I were dating. I slowly rose from my seat in confusion, recieving confused looks from the boys and a chorus of oooh throughout the classroom. I walked down the hall in suspicion of how the lady on the loudspeaker was different than the lady that usually called out on it. I stepped into the office and turned to see 3 men I had never seen before. "Eleven," the man in the front said. My eyes slightly widened and I nodded. He knew my real name. I looked at him and began to panic. "BAD!" I screamed and ran out through the hallway. I reached my classroom and screamed at the guys. "GUYS!" Everyone stared at me confused at why the "quiet girl" was now screaming bloody murder, the boys showed extreme panic. "We have to go." They all got up and we ran to the side door, me and Mike being the fastest. The men began to catch up but we got on our bikes and went to Dustin's house, since the men might go to Mike's house. We all sat in Dustins kitchen as Mike talked to his mother over the phone.

•Dustin POV•
Mike shakily explained everything to his mother quickly. I turned to Lucas who was seemingly not scared and then to El who was practically sobbing. I got up and went over to her. "Don't worry, Mike will never leave your side." She got up and hugged me tight. "Thank you." She whispered in my ear. Lucas joined in on our hug. I saw that Mike had got off the phone and signaled Lucas to let him take it from here. He went up to her and looked her straight in the eye. He wiped her cheeks of tears before saying, "I love you Eleven," and she leaned in and kissed him ON THE LIPS! Then she looked up at him and said "I love you too Mike." We snickered at them making them turn and join in laughing. We all stood there, just laughing, seeming like the only normal moment we had in a long time, except that Will was a monster in the upside down.

Ok I'm so so so sorry for taking so long to update. I'm just trying to get these last chapters exactly how I want them. Hope you liked it!
- Ava