Chapter 1

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"El! Wake up!!"
Mike Wheeler jostled Eleven Hopper as she whimpered and cried out in her sleep. "El!"
  El sat up suddenly, tears tracking down her face as she looked with at him with terrified eyes. "Mike," she sobbed.
"What happened?"
El's face slowly turned from traumatized to confused and unhappy as she looked at Mike. "I...I can't remember."
  He sighed and pulled her close to him. "It'll be ok. I'm sorry you're still having nightmares, but we're gonna be late for school, and Hopper will kill me if he finds me in here."
  El didn't care. All she wanted was to feel safe, and she never felt more safe than in Mike's arms.
  They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Mike finally disentagled himself from her. "El. You gotta get ready for school. I'll be waiting when you come out, ok?"
  As Mike walked out, El rolled over and looked at the clothes sitting on the dresser. A blue dress with white leggings and beautiful pink shoes sat there waiting for her to put them on for her first day of real school. A place where she would struggle to fit in, to understand everything that a normal child would already understand. At least she would be with Mike.
El got up and changed, all the while thinking about the past year. She'd had her first Christmas, and New Year's, and something called Valentine's day?? But it had been a good year, being able to see Mike everyday. Those 353 days had been pure torture.
  El stepped out of her room with a sigh, catching her reflection in the mirror. Originally she had wanted Nancy to do her hair and nails and makeup, but Nancy, at the orders from Mike, had only done her nails. They were a deep blue and two had one single rhinestone on them.
When she turned and saw Mike's expression, she smiled bashfully, now knowing why he had asked Nan to do her nails only. His face showed only shining adoration as he saw her walk into the kitchen.
  Unfortunately, Hopper stepped in front of her  with a lunch bag for her. "It's got two eggos, a sandwich and some cucumbers. Eat the cucumbers, kid."
  Eleven nodded grumpily, as she hated cucumbers, and the pair walked out to Mike's bike for her first day of real school.

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