Like Real People Do -Dustin Henderson-

The Pollywog

I was curled up on the side of the couch while El and Hopper continued to eat Eggo's at the table. I wasn't all that hungry this morning after been put through last nights events.

The look on his face was etched into my brain like a carving on wood. I couldn't seem to wipe it away. We didn't tell Hopper what happened last night. We kinda knew he would assume that we had seen them.

There was a tension in the room. Hopper once again came home late which meant he broke his promise. El wasn't all too happy about it. He finally coaxed her out of the room with the mention of eggos and we ended up here.

I'm not mad at Hopper. I find myself that I can never be mad at him. Even if he does break his promise I know how hard it must be on him to take responsibility on two girls with psychic abilities. I knew he had a daughter before, 2 actually but he never mentioned them.

"You visited them again last night?" Hopper says as I watch his eyes trail along the TV cord that led to our bedroom.

"He says he needs me" I hear El say to him. I only hear him huff.

"Dustin told me he loved me" I say under my breath. I'm pretty sure none of them heard anyway, I was fine holding it with myself.

"You want me to go check on them?" I shook my head. I don't want him annoying Dustin if he was already trying to deal with something.

"You'll see them soon ok? It won't be just in your heads anymore it will be Face to face. I feel as if I'm really getting through to these people" Hopper is trying to make his way around Hawkins lab to see if it was safe to let me and El free.

"Friends don't lie" I hear El say. I immediately flinch under the blanket. I knew this was gonna start another row between the two. I was never apart of them. I tended to just stay out of things.

"You said soon on day 21, you then say soon on day 205, you now say soon on day 326?" I hear El day through gritted teeth.

"You've been counting the days?" I say to her with a raised eyebrow. Her face immediately softens when she looks at me, she just nods.

"When is soon?" El says. I see Hopper begin to button up his shirt as he's ready to leave.

"Soon is when it's not dangerous anymore" Hopper says with a grunt. He was getting angry.

"When?" El snapped. Hopper just shrugged his shoulders at her.

"On day 500? 600? 700? ON DAY-" El said getting louder.

"JUST STOP IT. FOR GOD SAKE" I ended up screaming at the both of them. For 326 days I have watched these two at each others throats one second and the next they are best friends. The mood swings are giving me a headache.

After my outburst El shoved the plate all over Hopper using her telekinesis before running off to the room and slamming the door behind her.

It was silent. Completely silent. I wanted to make sure he was ok as he cleaned the leftover Eggo from his shirt.

"Hopp-" I was cut off by him speaking. He was leaned against the fireplace with his head in his hands. He was stressed

"Not now Edith" I hear him say. Edith? Who's Edith?

"Who's Edith?" I say. I watch as he slowly moves his head up to look at me before widening his eyes a little at what he said. I knew from that look straight away.

I was Edith.

"My name is Edith?" I say. The tears brimmed my eyes before they began to fall. I didn't know if it was for the thought that I have a name or that he knew all along.