NO ONE//Stranger Things

001

18 gripped her wrist before hearing a growl coming from her stomach. She hadn't eaten since she left the lab, two days ago. She looked up, and there was a bright neon sigh that read 'Sushi'. 

"Suh-she?" She read it mistakenly, only pointing out the phonics. She took a few steps forward, drawn to the brightness of the sign and the delicious smell from the store. She pushed the door and a little bell dinged. Inside was a few tables, and a counter, with a man on the phone. Next to him was a TV with people and white noise she didn't care to try to understand. The fan atop the counter was on a low setting, and it made 18's hospital gown sway. She put her hands on the counter. 

"Suh-she." 18 kindly demanded. The man spoke a quiet farewell to the phone and hung up. His attention on the strange girl in front of him, he shot her a confused look. 

"What did you want?" He asked. She stared at him.

"Suh-she." She repeated herself again. 

 "You mean sushi?" He questioned her. She slowly nodded her head, taking in that it was 'sushi', not 'suh-she'.

 "Well...," the man behind the counter, Bently, broke the silence, "What type do you want?" He asked before looking under the counter for the menu. 18 stood staring at him. When he came up, expecting an answer, he handed her a menu. She looked it over without having any idea what it was. Bentley's face softened. "You know how to read, right?" 

"Read?" 18 asked. 

Bently slapped his forehead and muttered, "C'mon, this is ridiculous. I can read it for you," he took the menu, "Our special today is the California Roll. Is that what you want?" 18 nodded her head, without an idea of what that was. Bently went behind a door, and came back with some sushi in a brown doggy bag. Bently placed the rolls on the counter. 18 eyed it, before trying to grab one. Bently grabbed her wrist. 

"What do you think you're doing?! You have to pay for that!" 18 pulled her wrist away, and whimpered at him. He sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so harsh. But that will be six dollars and twelve cents." He put his hand out for the money. "Six dollars?" 

Bently shook his head. "Trust me, it is a good price," then he realized what she meant, "You do have that money do you?" 18 shook her head. Bently snapped, "Then just go home!" Looking him in the eye, 18 responded, "Home? Like.....like lab?" Memories raced through her head of how Dr. Wilson treated her and how she didn't want to go back. Ever. Bently shot her a curious look, as tears sprung from her eyes. She could never explain it to him.

"Okay, here's my house," Bently explained. In one hand, he had a bag full of California rolls for 18, and in the other, he had his keys, looking for the right one to let him inside the house.  Fumbling his keys in the darkness of night, he instructed 18, "You gotta be quiet, though. Only my younger brother's in there, and he's asleep." Bently had kindly let 18 stay at his house. He explained how he got his own house, since his parents divorced, and his younger brother, Justin stayed there when he didn't want to put up with the divorce. After finding the right key, he unlocked the front door, and before he could turn on the lights, a dark silhouette jumped up from were it was sitting. Bently dropped the sushi bag when he saw who it was.