"princess" // billy hargrove

n i n e

words: 1390

the ten of us stood in the living room, weapons up as there was a sound outside, alarmed.

a demogorgon flew through the window and some of us screamed, me included. max held my hand as dad stepped forward.

"is it d-dead?" i ask shakily, and max squeezes my hand as he kicked it with his foot.

"yes"

the door knob started to jiggle and twist and we all jumped towards it, weapons aimed at it. the door creaked open, but it wasn't a monster, no. i dropped my weapon to my side and my eyes started to well up. it was my el.

the way mike looked at her made me cry. he had missed her for almost a year, calling in to see if she was listening. and she was, she just couldn't tell him that.

they hugged and she looked towards me, tears falling from our eyes "oh my god" she hugged me tightly "i thought i lost you again, my girl. i was so worried" i breathed and held her face, her hands holding my wrists as she leans into my palm "what happened to your overalls?" i laughed and she did too.

"where have you been?" hopper asks, intervening on our sister reunion.

"where have you been?" she snaps back and he hugs her, kissing her head.

"you knew she was here? you were keeping her from us?!" mike yelled.

"let's talk.. alone" mike and dad went into another room and el said hi to lucas and dustin.

"we missed you" lucas said.

"i missed you guys too" el looked at dustin and stuck her thumb in his mouth "teeh"

he pulled her hand away, wiping his lips "what?"

"you have teeth"

"oh, you like these bad boys?" he did his purr and i ruffled his curls.

"hi, you must be el" max held out her hand "i'm max"

el walked past her. she told me she saw mike with a red head in the gym.. smiling. she also said how she flng the red head off her skateboard, and i knew it was max.

el hugged jouce and asked to see will.

i hugged max and she sighed "what'd i do?"

"nothing, hon" i pulled away and steve sat on the couch, bat laying on the floor next to him. i sat next to him and laid my head on his shoulder "is it almost over?"

"almost" he whispered, kissing my forehead.

-

nancy, jonathan and joyce took will to the cabin, since he found out where he was.

dad and el were going to go to the lab to close the gate, and i wanted to go with them but dad instisted i stay here and stay safe with steve and the kids. he kissed my cheek and smiled.

"we'll be okay" he reassured me and i nodded "el, let's go" she was close to kissing mike and i giggled. i hugged her tightly before she left.

"you stay safe, you hear me? i say and she nods "good. i love you"

"i love you too"

she goes to hop into the car "hey," she looks at me "your outfit's really.."

"bitchin'" she replies and i laughed.

"yeah.. bitchin'"

the two cars leave and i went to where mike stood on the steps, teary eyed.

the two people he cared about most were in danger. i kissed his head and we all went inside, and he couldn't stop pacing.