Alice the Amazing ⇒ STRANGER THINGS

[10] Etiquette 101: Don't Talk During Funerals

{The Body, Part III/The Flea and the Acrobat, Part I}

Alice didn't have a chance to find Eleven and the boys after going downtown, because when she got home, her mom was waiting for her.

"Mom? What are you doing home early?" Alice asked, praying she didn't get grounded.

"My house showing ended early," Mrs. Henderson said, crossing her arms. "And I come home to an empty house and no note! Where have you been? I've been calling everyone trying to find you and Dusty."

"Sorry we scared you," Alice said, lowering her head. "I, uh..." She looked her mom in the eyes. "I rode my bike to RadioShack to get new batteries for my walkie-talkie."

That was such a lame excuse, but Alice delivered it so confidently, Mrs. Henderson bought it.

"Okay, well, where's Dusty?"

"He, um..." Alice looked all around the room for inspiration. She saw one of her textbooks sitting on the coffee table.

"He decided to go to school. They're holding a memorial assembly for Will."

Mrs. Henderson nodded.

"Yes," Mrs. Henderson said, running a hand through her hair. "I know it's hard for you and your brother. The funeral is tomorrow morning at 11. Are you going to be okay to go?"

"Yeah," Alice said, "I'll go with you. I owe Jonathan Byers a casserole."

"What's that?"

Alice shook her head before ducking into the kitchen for a snack.

"Eh, nothing."

🖤 🖤 🖤 

Alice spent the rest of the afternoon in her room, reading through her mom's old health and wellness magazines to see if she found anything interesting that could help her understand her case.

When Dustin got home later that afternoon, Alice grabbed him by the ear and dragged him into her room.

"Ow ow ow!"

"Sorry, but I need to show you something." Alice said. She shut the door and locked it.

"What's wrong?" Dustin asked. "You're acting like more of a freak than usual."

Alice grabbed a thumbtack from her bulletin board. She held it up to the light.

"This is what's wrong."

To Dustin's horror, she opened up her palm and jabbed the thumbtack into her skin.

"Alice!" he shouted. "What the hell—"

"Be quiet," Alice hissed. "Watch this—geez, I hope this works—"

She pulled the thumbtack out of her hand, and the wound it had made slowly began closing itself. The bleeding began to stop. Dustin watched in awe as his sister's hand healed itself.

A splatter of blood from her nosebleed fell and hit the white rug, leaving a stain that would be near impossible to get out.

"Alice, you—you're like Eleven!" Dustin whispered.

Alice nodded.

"I know," she said, wiping her nosebleed.

"But that means, the bad men might be after you too!"

Oh shit. Alice hadn't thought of that.

"Well, they probably don't know who I am," Alice said coolly. "If they knew who I was, or what kind of power I had, they would've found me by now, don't you think?"