𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐘 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒| Eleven Hopper/ Jane Hopper

SIXTEEN

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Songbird

"Barbra" El whispered as she laid in the water. Nancy gasped as a chill ran down Mavis's arm, causing her to reach over and grab Mike's hand tightly. El began to breathe heavily as the lights in the gym blinked.

"El, it's okay. We're right here" Mavis spoke softly as her voice rang through El's ears in upside-down.

"What's going on?" Nancy asked as she looked over at her brother.

"I-I don't know," Mike said as Nancy looked to El.

"Is Barb okay? Is she okay?" Nancy shouted down at El as Mavis sent her a look.

"Nancy... stop it" she softly scolded her, knowing she was just worried about her best friend. But Mavis was worried too, and it was important for El to stay calm.

"Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone!" El began to shout over and over as Mavis stood up and grab ahold of El's hands on the other side of the pool.

"Shh, shh it's okay El. It's Mavis, it's Mav. It's okay I got you, don't be afraid. Think about our song... remember it" Mavis whispered down to El as the bald girl began to slowly calm down. Hopper watched the two, he couldn't even describe the connection they had.

"Castle Byers" El whispered as Joyce looked to Jonathan and then to Mavis, who nodded and kept a soft grip on El's hands.

"Will" El then whispered again, her voice was shaky. Joyce gasped as Mavis gave her a shining look and put a hand on her shoulder.

"A girl" El then said again, making them all share another look.

"Will and a girl" El said as Mavis felt her grip tighten on her hand.

"You tell him I'm coming. Mom is coming" Joyce said through tears as she looked down at El.

"Hurry" Will's voice came through on the speaker as Mavis gasped. Mike looked at her quickly.

Jonathan wrapped an arm around her.

"Okay, you tell him to stay where he is, we're coming," Joyce said again down at the girl floating in the saltwater. El suddenly shot up and yanked the goggles off and she took deep breaths.

"Hey, hey," Mavis said as El turned around and leaned into her more.

"Thank you El, it's okay now" Mavis whispered down at her as she kissed the crown of her head.

The boys helped El out as they all went to the bleachers. Lucas wrapped a towel around her as El leaned on Mavis's shoulder, playing with her hands. El ran her hand over the bracelet on her wrist.

"You like it?" Mavis asked her as El nodded slowly.

"Why a bird?" she questioned as Mavis smiled and rubbed her head on El's.

" Mavis means songbird, I stole it from a store a few towns over. Couldn't help myself, totally outran the security guard too" Mavis said as El chuckled and continued to mess with the silver. Mavis slowly took it off and put it on El's wrist now as she placed her hand on her own.

"There, now it's like you have a piece of me with you even if we aren't together," Mavis said as she felt El cuddle into her more.

"They're gone," Mike said as he walked back into the gym.

"What?" Lucas asked him with an eye roll.

"Nancy and Jonathan, his car is gone" Mike explained as Mavis giggled and looked to Dustin.

"They're probably just sucking face somewhere" Dustin shrugged as Mavis laughed childishly again.

"No! No way" Mike explained with a disgusting look on his face.