What's Left of Us

The Surprise

A/N: I'm flying back stateside so this will be my last update for a day or so. Thanks for reading, I plan on picking the action up after this chapter, just wanted to set the tone for life after Starcourt, also you have no idea how annoying it is to type the word Extravaganza over and over. Cheers! 

The Surprise

Mike

Mike woke up to the sound of his Mom yelling down to them. El hadn't woken up yet, but Mike slowly grabbed her shoulder trying to ease her awake.

"Dinner time!" Karen yelled.

"One second, mom!" Mike yelled back. All the noise had caused El to sit up. She wiped her eyes, and felt a slight sting, they had grown red from crying so much, and her and Mike had only been asleep for an hour or so.

"Hey, El, it's uh- time for dinner. Are you going to be able to eat?" Mike asked. "If not it's okay, I think my parents will underst-"

She cut him off, "I can eat, come on, let's head up there.". As they got up they both realized something. This would be their first dinner together, but not only that, this would be El's first dinner with Mike's parents. They knew of course that he had been seeing her at Hoppers but...never in a million years did he imagine her moving in with him and living a normal life with him. It seemed oddly surreal, and somewhat exciting mixed with somewhat anxiety. Mike looked over at El and could tell she was lost in her thoughts about it too, perhaps thinking the same things as Mike.

"Are you ready?" Mike asked at the bottom of the basement stairs, the smell of chicken and baked beans drifting down the stairs. He held out his hand for them to go through this. Together.

El

El stopped for a moment. In her mind she knew walking up those stairs signified a new chapter in her life. One that she was ready to take on with Mike, but also fearful to move forward without Hopper.

Hopper, his words still echoing in her mind.

"So you know what? Keep on growing up kid. Don't let me stop you. Make mistakes, learn from 'em. When life hurts you, because it will, remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you're out of that cave."

"Are you ready" Mike asked again. And all of a sudden El fell back into reality. She looked at him, holding his hand out to walk up the steps together.

I can do this, I can do this for Hopper, and I can do this for Mike. Most of all, I can do this for Me , she thought to herself.

"Let's do it" she said, and she took Mike's hand. It didn't matter that she had never had a real family dinner, or that she wasn't close with Mike's parents. When her hand was in his, she felt like she could conquer the world. As she was reminded of all these things, a smile came across her face. One that was genuine and pure.

Dinner was much more than she had ever had at the cabin, baked beans, chicken, which Mike's dad Ted seemed to really enjoy. Mashed potatoes, and rolls. She wondered if this is how they ate every night, as opposed to what she was used to eating which was microwavable dinners and Eggos. She ate her food in silence mostly, answering questions that Mr and Ms Wheeler asked her about everything from School to Sleeping habits. Mike's mom was the most genuine and understanding of the two.

"Well, Eleven, do you think you'll want to start trying to go to school? Or...maybe would you like to try and be tutored privately? We can afford either, it's just whatever you feel comfortable with dear. Oh, and don't let me forget this weekend I'm going to take you shopping so we can get you some new clothes and hopefully find some more furniture for your room!"