Like Real People Do -Dustin Henderson-

MadMax

"It was always you Brian, it was always you" The TV was blaring through the house but I didn't mind. Eleven like keeping it on as it gave her a sense of calmness and I was willing to go along with what made her happy.

I was curled up on the other side of the couch with a children's book in my hand. Hopper says it's good that me and El should begin to read more to explains our vocabulary, but El doesn't really like it all too much.

I had a oversized denim button up on my THAT took into my three quarter lengths. My hair sat in one of those messy buns that El saw on TV and wanted to try it on me.

I glanced my eyes up to the clock 7:30. Hopper would be home soon so I might as well make dinner.

"Anything you want in particular?" I ask El as I look in the nearly empty fridge. We needed to get more food.

"Anything will do" She answers back and gives me a smile. Me and El's vocabulary has definitely widened since last year. I've counted the days on a calendar from how long I've been away from Dustin.

I popped 3 trays of food in the microwave the way hopper showed me. Once they were done I looked at the clock again.

7:45

I wrapped tin foil around them to keep them warm and lay them on the table. Only to see a half eaten Eggo already there.

"He's gonna be angry" I giggle as I walk back over to El. She laughed as she lay her head on my shoulder.

"I was hungry" She shrugged.

The past year had been so hard. Physically and mentally draining. It started when me and El had finally crawled out of the place and found ourselves surviving in the woods for a long time. Only eaten of animals we killed. It also didn't help to much that we didn't have warm clothes.

It wasn't until Hopper found us and brought us to the cabin hidden car enough into the woods. He said his grandfather owned it. After we had cleaned it up it's where me and El have been in hiding. From the bad men.

8:01

"He's late" El said through gritted teeth before walking off to our bedroom. I walked in after her and sat down next to her.

"He'll be home soon" I say. She nods and lays down next to me.

"I miss Dustin" I huff out. Some days were worse than others. I would give my life away just to see him again. And hold him again. It was until my time away from Dustin showed me how much I really cared for him.

El hadn't been all to great either. The time away from Mike was slowly building up this rage inside of her against Hopper. It was his fault we can't go see them.

It's too dangerous.

"It won't be long until we see them again" I say. She lets out a sigh but was cut off shortly by Hopper's knock on the door.

El opened all the locks as we hear him walk inside. I can hear him grab something from the fridge before El shouts out to him.

"There was no signal" El said. I wait for Hopper's reply.

"What?" He says back. I roll my eyes. Him and El always seemed to disagree for most things. I somehow got along with Hopper a lot better. I don't know why I did but I had a huge feeling I needed to.

"There was no signal. It's 8:15. Your late" El says. I pull open the door with El trailing behind me and slump down onto the chair with the dinner later out.

"Yeah I lost track of time I'll signal next time. And it's 8:15 not 8 1 5." He says correcting her.

"8:15" El repeats. He just looks at her before seeing the half eaten eggo lying on the plate in front of us.

"What did I say, no dessert before dinner. That's a rule, yes?" Hopper says while pulling off the tinfoil off his dinner.

"Yes" El says. He nods in confirmation. As I was eating my dinner a familiar coat caught the corner of my eye. It was Dustin's.

I hope soon enough to be able to give him the coat back of Hopper allows it. After everyone finished eating in silence, El said she was going to sleep, leaving me and Hopper.

"She's going to find her" I say twiddling with my fingers under the table. Hopper leaned back and sighed.

"I know she will but we can try put it off for a while" He says. El hadn't stopped asking who her mother was after Hopper told us about his. He had to lie and say El's mum was gone. But she's not.

The thing is that El doesn't know is were related. Terry Ives was both me and El's mum. I had figured that out once I got Hopper to admit it one night when El was asleep.

And right now we thought it was best if El found out herself. Hopper also told me Terry wasn't in the best state and it's incredibly dangerous for us to go looking for her. I know how stubborn El will be once she finds out. And I had a feeling it was real soon.

"Hopper?" I say looking up at him. He smiles a little at me before replying.

"Yes, fifi?" I always wondered if he knew. I was becoming a lot more curious about who I am. I can't just be a number right?

"What's my name?" I say looking right into his eyes. He widened his eyes a little before letting out a deep breath.

"Fifteen" He said. I quickly furrowed my eyebrows before shaking my head.

"My real name" I confirm. He gives me a sad smile before standing up and putting the trays away.

"If I knew kiddo I would tell you" He says and quickly rubs his hands over his face. He was tired for sure. You could tell that from a mile away.

"I'll go sleep" I say nodding my head before he kisses me on the forehead.

"Night Kiddo" He says while walking off to his bedroom. I haven't used my powers in a long time. I never needed to. El used them for most things but not a lot.

So once I walked into the room I watched the covers pull over as I hop in to lay next to her. We both just stared at the ceiling a bit before she spoke up.

"I love you" She says. I turn to look at her while smiling.

"I love you" I repeat. She smiles before knocking off the light and we both turn to our sides to sleep. Day 353 tomorrow.

I knew it was gonna be different.