Chapter 1: Christmas

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All is well. It is Christmas of 1985. Eleven is sitting next to Mike, as they hold hands and gobble down their last few bites of delicious turkey dinner. Eleven looks at Mike and smiles. She lets go of his hand and switches her fork to that hand.
"Sorry." she whispers, "My hand was getting sweaty."

Meanwhile, in Russia:
Hopper is crying. He is locked behind a door with a man who is punching him. He is crying heavily.
Eleven wakes up, nose bleeding, breathing heavy.
"El!" Will yells, coming in her room. "It's Christm..."
He notices her heavy breathing and nose bleeding.
"Are you...okay?" he asks.
"I don't know." she says, looking at him and wiping her nose.
"It must just be a regular nose bleed." he says, as he sits down on her bed with her.
She lays up. "It must be."
"Yeah, and besides, the blood is on the opposite side of where it would be if.."
"If what?" Eleven asks, frightened.
"If you were using your powers." Will assures her.
"Yeah. You're right." she whispers.
"Hey kiddos! Get dressed!" Joyce yells, coming in the room. "We're leaving in 10 minutes to go to Mike's!"
"Mike!" Eleven exclaims.
"Yeah," Will says, "You finally get to see Mike!"
"Presents." Eleven says, thinking of when her and Mike were talking about the presents they would get on Christmas.
"Oh, come on guys!" Joyce says. "I completely forgot!"
The 3 of them run downstairs, where a bunch of presents are waiting to be opened.
"How do I know which ones are mine?" Eleven asks.
"It'll say your name, silly!" Joyce laughs.
Eleven looks down at the presents and finds one that says her name.
Jonathan comes running downstairs.
"Did Santa bring me anything this year?" he asks, as he puts his coat on.
"Actually, yes." Joyce says, "Come on, come outside!" and she walks out the front door, followed by Jonathan.
There is a red Chevrolet Camaro.
"Oh my.." He puts his hands on his head. "No you didn't!" he yells, shocked as can be. He gives Joyce a big hug.
When they let go of their hug, Joyce throws the keys at Jonathan.
"Now let's go in and see what El and Will got!"
Meanwhile, Mike is in his living room, unwrapping his presents with Holly.
He unwraps a boom box.
"This is neat!" he says.
"Wait!" Karen yells, "Let me take a picture of you with it!" She grabs her camera.
"Say cheese!"
Mean while, Lucas is running downstairs in his house, and notices Erica already unwrapping her gifts.
"Yes!" 
"What the heck? You're already unwrapping everything?" he asks.
"Yes! Now if you want to give me an attitude again, I'll just keep all your presents!"
"Oh!" Lucas yelps, "I got presents too?"
"Of corse you did, nerd. You act like you're too old to get anything."
"Oh, I just wasn't sure if mo..I mean Santa had enough money to buy for me."
Erica gives him a dirty look. "Why wouldn't he?"
Lucas sits down and starts unwrapping his gifts.
"Look!" she says, holding her new "My Little Pony" plastic ponies.
"Oh, that's great. Just what we need. More ponies."
"Mom!" Erica cries.
Meanwhile, Dustin is home, still sleeping. He hears his walky talky going off.
"Dusty Bun? Are you there? Dusty Bun?"
"Ugh!" he yells, he gets up, and goes to grab his walky talky, but realizes that it's Christmas. He runs downstairs, puts on his coat, and runs out the door.
"Dustin!" his mom, Claudia, yells. "Don't you want to open your presents?"
"Later, Mom!" he yells, and barges down the street.
"A new skateboard?!" Max yells, "Thanks, dad!"
"No problem."
"Dad, are you oka..?"
"No! I am not okay. First my son is gone and now my girlfriend leaves me!"
"Dad. You still have me." Max says, sadly. "Now can we just enjoy Christmas? Cause if not, I might go live at somewhere else for a while, since you can't seem to appreciate that you have me! I will open the rest of my presents later."
"Oh, those aren't even yours.." he says, "Unless you want new bras, some boos and some protection!"
"Wait, you only got me one present?!" She stomps up the stairs into her room.
She slams the door behind her.
The phone in her room begins to ring. She answers it.
"El?!" she yells.
"Max!" Eleven squeals, "We finally get to see each other today!"
"Yeah. But today is the day you finally get to see Mike."
"You're right. Have you been hanging out with Dustin and Lucas?"
"Well..." Max says, "I haven't been hanging out with them that much...but I have been hanging out with Mike a lot recently..I didn't think you'd care because.." Suddenly, the call stops, and the phone begins to beep.
"El? El? Are you there?"

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