Mike and Eleven At Their Finest

Chapter 15: Aftermath

A/N: so my amazing best friend wrote this for me and i can't thank her enough adorereddie

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Third POV

A smile formed on Nancy Wheeler's face as she said goodbye to her boyfriend, Jonathan Byers. She walks inside her house only to see her younger brother, Mike, running away and riding his bike somewhere she didn't care about although it confused her.

"I'm home!" Nancy informed her parents, looking for her father who was always home as she took off her shoes. The house was very quiet; not a single snore from Ted Wheeler was heard, only muffled sobs from what seems like a woman. This caused Nancy to be very worried, and she walked towards the sound the woman, who turned out to be her mom, was making.

"Mom? What's wrong? Where's dad?" Was the first thing that came out of Nancy's mouth as her eyebrows furrowed out of confusion and worry.

Karen looked at her with puffy eyes, "Ted.. I-I sent him to buy some food for us and-" She took a deep breath as Nancy leaned in a little, tilting her face down slightly, signalling her to go on as she said, "-and what?"

"He's gone. He- he crashed."

Her blue eyes met her mother's red, puffy ones as her sister, Holly, clung onto Karen. "Mom, I swear, if this is some kind of joke-"

"It's not." Karen sighed and Nancy let tears form in her eyes as she ran upstairs and slammed her door, locking it right after and sobbing into her pillow.

Her father might not have done much with his family, but she knew that deep down, even though it didn't feel like it, he loved them.

~

A few days have gone by and the Wheelers have done nothing but be extremely quiet, due to Ted Wheeler's death. Michael was always at El's, for he needed a distraction even though nothing worked. Nancy now made her bedroom a grieving place and laid on her bed every day while Karen sat on the Lazy-Boy with red eyes that ran out of tears.

Holly had no idea what dying was, but she took it the hardest. Every morning she would look for her father, and would cry when she saw something that reminded her of him (that something means everything). She would always look for chicken and remember the time when Mike and Nancy argued at the table, and Ted was left alone in the kitchen eating nothing but chicken. Tears filled her eyes when she realized that he was never coming back.

Lucas, Max, Will, and Dustin all rode their bikes to El's house, ready to be yelled at by 'Emo Mike', as they called him when El was gone. The four teenagers just found out that Ted had died and El invited them over since Mike needed company.

It felt like an eternity since they knocked on the cabin door. All of the teens sat on the floor, with nothing but silence surrounding them.

"Hey." Will spoke up.
"Hi." Dustin spoke back.
Max sighed.

"Are you feeling any better?" Lucas asked, patting Michael's shoulder as he shrugged.

"Not really.. no. It feels like an elephant is on me and I'd have to carry it on my back for the whole day thinking and wishing that it would get better but instead, every day, it feels like another elephant is added and it gets heavier and heavier."

"I-I know that he didn't love me, at least it didn't seem like it, but I miss him. He's my father. I loved him." Mike continued. "-and I feel like it was my fault."

El rubbed his arm with care and shook her head. "Don't say that. I've already told you, it's not your fault at all."

"Look- Mom sent him to but sweets because I ate most of them. I was stress-eating and if I hadn't eaten so much then she wouldn't have told him to buy stuff. He wouldn't have gotten into a car crash.. it was my fault. I blame myself."

"So.. your mom sent him to buy food and he- he crashed?" Max asked, tucking her fiery red her behind her ear as El rested her head on Mike's shoulder, Mike looking down at his socks and nodding at Max's summary.

"Y'know.. I had a cousin once and he died in a fire. He tried to save my dog- it was heroic.. and my dog got out. He didn't." Max joined Mike cry and grieve as she chuckled at how close she was to her cousin.

"My point is, you'll look at what a mess you were without them and how stronger you got in the future. I wasn't always like this. I was weak. You'll realize that they go for a reason. Hell, I still don't know why Dan died but eventually, those elephants on your back will evaporate, until there's nothing you have to carry anymore. Trust me, it'll get easier."

"Thanks." Mike gave Max the first smile he's ever given her and Max widened her eyes. "Did you just smile at me?"

"Wow! You levelled up!" El cheered and they all chuckled. For a split second, Mike was distracted.

Dustin spoke up, "When's the funeral?"

"W-We don't know yet. I hope it's soon, I need to see him." Another tear falls out if Mike's eyes and El cupped his face, turning his head so that he could see the love of his life.

"Hey, you're gonna be fine. Alright? We're here for you." Mike nodded and kissed her forehead as Lucas rubbed Max's shoulder, his arm around her while Max sniffed at the thought of her cousin.

"I love you." El told Mike.

For a second, after all he's been through; Ted's death and failing a class, those three words made him forget all his problems, and it caused him to lightly smile. "I love you too."

Dustin and Will lightly groaned with a smile, and Will sighed before speaking up. "I know you guys probably won't want to play.. but I got my D&D set with me."

"Sorry-" Lucas started, not wanting to play, although Max elbowed him as she started speaking and asking multiple questions along with El, who was overly excited to finally play the game that confused her when she first came to Mike's house- when Ted was alive.

"Alright, fine.. thirty minutes." Dustin groaned.

"Two hours." Max demanded, causing the boys except Will to groan. "No-"

"Two hours!" El pleaded, Max and Will joining.

"Fine, two hours. Agree, boys?" Dustin asked, looking around and asking for approval. Mike shrugged, "Sure-"

"Actually, why two? Make it five!" El demanded and Max and Will smiled.

The boys groaned. "Five hours."

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A/N: UGHHHHH I LOVE HER SO MUCH FOR WRITING THAT FOR ME

btw i'm super excited for the next chapter

peace out - Ana