HIDDEN !¡ MIKE WHEELER

08. ✰

MIKE SLAMMED HIS Yoda action figure on the table, grunting. "Ready are you? What knows you of ready?" he played around in a deep voice. El stared at him, bored. "His name's Yoda," Mike pursed his lips when Mabel took the toy out of his hand.

"He can use the Force to move things with his mind, like this," Mike stated, pushing all his toys off the table. El turned the other way, standing up and walked over to his dresser. "Oh, this is my dinosaur, Rory. Look, he has a speaker in his mouth so he can roar."

When Mike and Mabel realized El stood up, they followed her to the dresser. The curious girl bent down, looking at the crowded items on the dresser top. "Oh, these are all my science fair trophies. We got first every year. Except for last year when we got third. Mr. Clarke said it was totally political," Mike scoffed, recalling the memory.

El's eyes widened and breath quickened as her eyes trained on the photo of the group of friends: Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas. She slowly raised her shaky hand, pointing at Will. Mabel and Mike exchanged worried glances as Mike turned to El.

"Do you know Will? Did you see him? Last night? On the road?" Mike questioned the girl. Suddenly, a vehicle approaching made Mike and Mabel's heart drop as Mike rushed to the window. Outside, Karen Wheeler's car pulled into the driveway and she rushed to get out.

"We gotta go, El," Mabel whispered, grabbing her sister's arm and following Mike out of his room. The three kids ran down the stairs but stopped in their tracks when Mrs. Wheeler opened the door, carrying Holly. "Go, go, go," Mike pushed the girls upstairs.

"Ted? Is that you?" Karen called out to the noise in the house when no one was supposed to be home. "Just me, Mom!" Mike yelled back as the three children ran back into Mike's room. "Mike? What are you doing home?" she screamed from the bottom of the stairs.

"Both of you. Get in the closet. Stay there," Mike opened the door and ushered the girls inside. El looked around and started panicking. "It's okay, Eleven. I'm here with you," Mabel whispered, holding her sister close when Mike slammed the door shut.

Eleven began to cry softly. "You're okay. It's not like the dark punishment room. I'm here with you. Mike will open the door soon, but we have to stay hidden or we'll be in trouble," Mabel told the girl, caressing her head as the traumatic memories of the scary room came flooding back to her. Her eyes began to water slowly.

El shook in her sister's embrace, continuing to cry while Mabel hit her head on the top shelf of the closet, causing something to fall. She cringed and slowly sat down with El still in her arms. About twenty minutes later, Mike came back, opening the door to the two sisters crying.

"El? Mabel? Is everything okay?" he asked the girls. "Mike," El muttered. "Everything's fine," Mabel nodded, helping her sister up. "Just trauma," she wiped her face, embarrassed to be crying in front of a boy. "We have to call the boys, tell them El knows about Will," Mike whispered when El sat on Mike's bed and wrapped a blanket around herself.

THE END OF the day came and the three kids were still in Mike's room. They heard loud, fast footsteps coming up and soon Dustin opened Mike's bedroom door. Lucas rolled his eyes when he saw Mabel and El sitting on Mike's bed. "Are you out of your mind?" Lucas threw up his hands. "Listen," Mike started. "You are out of your mind!" Lucas cut the boy off. "She knows about Will, Lucas," Mabel's voice boomed over Mike's before he could talk. "What do you mean she knows about Will?" Dustin shook his head.

Mike took the picture off his desk and held it up for the boys to see. "She pointed at him, at his picture. She knew he was missing. I could tell," Mike argued. "You could tell?" Lucas scoffed, not buying Mike's bullshit one bit. "Just think about it. You really think it was a coincidence that we found her on Mirkwood, the same place where Will disappeared?" Mike stated.

"That is weird," Dustin looked over to the two girls on Mike's bed, and then to Lucas. "And she said bad people are after her and Mabel. I think these bad people are the same ones who took Will. I think she knows what happened to him," Mike quieted his voice down just in case his parents may be able to hear.

"No. The bad people only take kids with powers. Unless Will discovered something we don't know about, then that is a possibility," Mabel contradicted herself. "If she knows, then why doesn't she tell us?" Lucas crossed his arms. Lucas walked over to El and Mabel, grabbing El by the shoulders. "Do you know where Will is?!" he screamed in the girl's face. "Stop it!" Mabel cried, slapping Lucas' arms away from her sister. El began to get teary-eyed and she hid her face in Mabel's shoulder.

"If you know where he is, tell us!" Lucas yelled. El looked up and remained silent. "This is nuts. We have to take her to your mom," Lucas told Mike. "No. It will put us in danger," Mabel insisted. "Danger danger," Mike added, putting up a finger gun and pointing it at Dustin's head. When he got to Lucas, he swatted his arm down.

"No, no, no. We're going back to plan A. We're telling your mom," Lucas said, heading for the door. When he went to open it, it shut aggressively before he could leave. He tried again, the same thing happening. Mabel looked to her sister, knowing she was using her powers. Mabel bowed her head and narrowed her eyes, locking the door. The three boys turned to the girls, shocked. "No," Mabel said, using her pointer finger to wipe her and her sister's blood off their noses. "We're not telling anybody. Understand?"

LATER THAT NIGHT, Mabel, Dustin, Lucas and Mike were sitting at the Wheeler's table, picking at their food. Mrs. Wheeler looked around and frowned at nobody eating. "Is there something wrong with the meatloaf?" she muttered.

"Uh, no, I had two bologna sandwiches for lunch. I don't know why," Dustin smiled. "Me too," Lucas nodded. "I'm not very hungry," Mabel added on. "It's delicious, mommy," Nancy smiled. "Thank you, sweetie," Karen returned her daughter's warm smile.

"So, there's this special assembly thing tonight for Will at the school field. Barb's driving," Nancy told her mother. "Why am I just hearing about this?" Karen shook her head. "I thought you knew," Nancy furrowed her eyebrows. "I told you, I don't want you out after dark until Will is found," Mrs. Wheeler sighed.

"I know, I know, but it'd be super weird if I'm not there. Everybody's going," Nancy smirked. Mrs. Wheeler sighed, looking down at her plate of food. "Just be back by ten," she stated. "Why don't you take the kids, too," Mrs. Wheeler then suggested. "No!" Mike boomed as Dustin shook his head aggressively. "Don't you think you should be there? For Will?" Karen asked the children. Mike then took a sip of his milk, suddenly spitting it up everywhere. Mabel looked in the direction he was looking at and gasped.

Eleven was walking down the stairs, looking around. Mrs. Wheeler went to turn but Dustin slammed on the table, causing her to jump back. "Sorry. Spasm," he innocently giggled.
Holly whimpered, hiding under the table.
"It's okay, Holly. It's just a loud noise," Karen soothed her daughter. Nancy looked at the kids and rolled her eyes. "Nice," she whispered with attitude.

author's note !
guys i cant think of a ship name for mabel n mike