[ Location: Hawkins Middle School - The Snow Ball ][ Date: December 15th, 1984 - Saturday Night (8:00 PM) ]
The gym looked... blue. Very blue. Snowflake decorations hung from the ceiling like frozen shurikens. Time After Time was playing softly, the synth beat vibrating in the floorboards.
I stood at the entrance, adjusting my cuffs. I wasn't wearing a rental. I was wearing a charcoal suit I'd "acquired" via the System Shop (custom tailored, 10 points).
My hair was styled to messy perfection.
I looked less like a middle schooler and more like a young Bruce Wayne attending a gala.
'Showtime.'
I walked in.
Dustin was there, looking like a bird with his new hairdo (Steve's advice—bold choice, Henderson). Lucas looked sharp. Mike looked nervous, adjusting his tie every three seconds, his eyes glued to the door.
Max was there. She was wearing a dress that she clearly hated, looking uncomfortable and ready to fight someone. But when she saw me, her expression shifted. She didn't scowl. She smirked.
She walked over, looking me up and down.
"Nice suit, Frostwell," Max said, crossing her arms. "You look like a hitman."
"I aim to kill," I winked. "You look nice, Max. Less... angry."
She rolled her eyes, but a blush crept up her neck. "Shut up. I look like a cupcake. A dangerous cupcake."
"The most dangerous," I agreed.
She laughed, stepping a little closer than necessary. "So... who are you waiting for? Or are you just here to look mysterious by the punch bowl?"
"I made a promise," I said, checking the door.
Max's smile faltered slightly. Her eyes narrowed. "Oh. Right. The Mage."
"She has a name, Max."
"I know," Max muttered, kicking the floor with her heel. "I just... never mind. Hope she shows up."
'Jealousy,' I noted. 'Interesting. The Rogue has feelings.'
"Where is she?" Mike asked, appearing beside us like a ghost. He was sweating. "Hopper promised. He said 8:00. It's 8:02."
"She's coming," I said calmly.
And then, the doors opened.
The room went quiet (at least in our circle).
El walked in.
She wasn't wearing the oversized flannel or the hospital gown. She was wearing a simple, pretty dress with a black belt. Her hair was curled. She wore a little bit of makeup.
She looked... normal. Beautiful.
Mike took a step forward, his face lighting up with raw, desperate hope. "El!"
But El didn't look at him.
Her eyes scanned the room, searching. They passed Dustin. They passed Lucas. They passed Mike without even blinking.
They locked onto me.
Her face lit up.
She walked right past Mike. She didn't even slow down.
Mike froze. His hand was half-raised in a wave. He looked like he'd been slapped. He watched her walk away from him, his expression crumbling from hope to confusion, and then to a painful, quiet resignation.
Max watched El approach, her jaw setting. She took a half-step closer to me, staking a claim.
El stopped in front of me. She looked at Max. She gave her a look that was cold, possessive, and absolutely terrifying. It was a look that said, 'Mine.'
Max flinched, stepping back slightly.
Then El looked up at me, and the ice melted instantly.
"Vivan," she whispered.
"El," I smiled, ignoring the radioactive tension radiating off the two girls. I offered my arm. "You look bitchin'."
She giggled. "Bitchin'."
Mike stood there, alone in the middle of the crowd. He looked at El holding my arm. He looked at me.
I nodded at him. 'I warned you, Wheeler. You called her a monster. I called her a partner.'
Mike sighed. He looked down at his shoes, swallowing hard. Then he nodded back. A sad, respectful nod. He turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd to find someone else to dance with.
"Dance?" El asked me, tugging my sleeve.
"I promised, didn't I?"
We walked onto the floor. The music changed.
Every breath you take... and every move you make...
I put my hands on her waist. She put her hands on my shoulders. We swayed. It wasn't professional dancing, but for two kids who had been lab rats, soldiers, and anomalies, it was perfect.
Max watched from the sidelines, leaning against the bleachers, looking like she wanted to kick a trash can.
"Safe," El whispered, leaning her head on my chest, closing her eyes.
"Yeah," I said, looking around the gym. "We're safe."
"Hopper says... I am Jane Hopper now," she murmured. "Certificate."
"That's good," I said. "Jane is a nice name. But you'll always be El to me."
She squeezed my shoulder. "Vivan?"
"Yeah?"
"I like you."
My heart skipped a beat. Not a System notification. Just a biological reaction.
"I like you too, El."
She looked up. She stood on her tiptoes.
And she kissed me.
It was short. Sweet. Tasted like cherry lip balm.
[ System Notice: Relationship with Eleven upgraded to "Partner". ]
I smiled against her lips.
For a moment, the monsters didn't exist. The points didn't matter. The grinding didn't matter. It was just us.
[ Location: The Upside Down ][ Time: Simultaneous ]
The camera panned out. Through the floor of the gym. Through the earth. Through the bedrock.
Into the cold, ash-filled reflection.
The Hawkins Middle School stood there, draped in vines and decay. Red lightning flashed in the sky.
And over the school...
The Mind Flayer loomed.
It wasn't dead. It wasn't gone. It was watching. ( Someone was watching too )
It saw the boy with the violet eyes. It saw the girl who closed the gate.
Its smoke swirled, forming a shape that looked almost like a grin.
It was waiting for order.
From
Him
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