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[ 1984. November ]
MIKE WHEELER'S ANGRY SHOUTS CAN be heard from the living room, and it makes for a pretty awkward tension. It's quiet between them all for half a second before Dustin and Lucas rush forward to engulf their friend in a big hug and all that awkwardness seems to disappear. It's a sweet reunion, and Mary-Jane swears she can see the relief in their eyes as they find that their friend is okay after all, having spent almost a year thinking she died saving them.
"We missed you." Lucas says.
"I missed you too." Eleven replies softly, tightening her grip around the boys before she pulls back.
"We talked about you pretty much every day." Dusting says with a light chuckle, looking at the girl fondly. Eleven lets go of her friends, a small smile still playing on her lips.
"Teeth." She says, sticking her hand in Dustin's mouth with no warning.
"What?"
"You have teeth." Eleven states flatly.
"Oh," Dustin looks at Lucas with a smile, "You like these pearls?" He wiggles his brows and purrs like what Mary-Jane can only guess is supposed to be something more majestic than a cat, but really, it just sounds like a cat. Lucas shakes his head with disapproval and Eleven pulls back uncomfortably.
"Eleven?" Max speaks up, and El looks her way, "hey. Um, I'm Max. I've heard a lot about you." She says sweetly, holding her hand out for the girl to shake it, and she does.
"Hi." Eleven replies ever so softly, her face completely unreadable. MJ can't tell wether she's happy or displeased, but her tone is neutral.
As the young girl spots Joyce standing a couple of feet away, she lets go of Max's hand and takes a few, quick steps over to the woman and they hug. "Hey. Hey, sweetheart," Joyce cries before pulling back to take a look at the girl "Hey." She sniffles, cupping her face.
"Can I see him?" Eleven asks in a broken whisper. Joyce sighs before leading the young girl into Will's bedroom. The two stay there for a minute or two, leaving the rest of the group in the kitchen again as they wait for them to return, in silence. Mary-Jane makes eye contact with Max for a bit, but neither of them says anything.
They reappear in the kitchen where Joyce leads Eleven to the sign they wrote earlier with Will's message.
Pointing to the red letters, Joyce turns to the girl with wide eyes. "You opened this gate before, right?"
