Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"HOW MUCH FURTHER?" LUCAS PANTED. The five of them walked through the woods, across an old railroad track. Mike and Carrie were trailing behind Lucas and Dustin. Eleven followed closely behind, wanting to make sure she stayed close to the Holland girl.
Carrie glanced back occasionally at the fake-blonde. She noticed how strange Eleven was acting, and she wanted to make sure that she was okay.
Her brown eyes shifted as she avoided everyone's gazes. She occasionally brought her arm up to wipe her nose with her sleeve, but she always waited to do so once Carrie wasn't looking.
"I don't know," Dustin responded to his friend. The other three were unable to hear the conversation ahead of them. They were enjoying each other's company in comfortable silence. "These only tell direction, not distance. You really need to learn more about compasses."
"I'm just saying," groaned Lucas. "How do we know when we get to the gate?"
"Uh, I think a portal to another dimension is going to be pretty obvious," Dustin sarcastically replied. Lucas sighed at the curly-haired boy. before turning around and looking at Eleven who wiped her nose with the sleeve of her jacket.
"Do you think she's being weird?" Lucas asked in a hush tone to not let Carrie accidentally overhear.
"You're asking if the weirdo is acting weird?"
"I mean, weirder than normal?"
"I don't know," Dustin shrugged. Lucas looked back at El as Dustin continued, "Who cares?"
Eleven's breathing grew ragged as memories from the lab flooded through her head once again. She quickly gripped onto Carrie's wrist—the latter accidentally dropping her compass in shock.
"Carrie." The redhead turned to face Eleven with a worried expression on her face. She slowed down to walk beside Eleven; Mike continued walking. Her blue eyes scanned over El before she locked their eyes.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Eleven broke eye contact with the Holland girl. She wanted to protect the others, but that meant risking their friendship, then it was a risk she was willing to take. She would rather Carrie and the others hate her than have them be dead. Eleven cared about them too much to let that happen.
