There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

EIGHT

Holly, Jolly

"El!" Mike called as he, Lucas, Dustin and Cat wheeled their bikes up the hill towards the powerlines behind his house. The boys had filled the older girl in on their afternoon plans on the way to the Wheeler's house, stopping on the way there so Cat could grab her jacket. None of them wanted a repeat of last time. Eleven turned around to face them. "You okay?" The raven-haired boy asked her, getting a few nods from Eleven in response. The girl saw that Catherine was with them this time and a small smile appeared on her face. Cat's own face lit up with a smile at the sight of the small girl. Even though she barely knew the girl, she already felt responsible for her safety and would do anything for her. Cat dropped her bike for the second time that day and ran over to El, her arms wrapping around her small frame. The older girl leaned her head on El's, her body being only slightly taller than the girl in her arms. Shocked by the older girl's actions, Eleven hesitantly wrapped her arms around Cat's tiny frame. After a few moments, Catherine pulled away from the small girl, taking a few steps back to her bike.

As Lucas and Dustin were sorting their own bikes out, turning them around so they could cycle them towards the woods, and Catherine was picking up her bike from the grass, Mike patted the seat on his bike, talking to El. "Hop on. We only have a few hours." The girl sat on the back of the seat while Mike climbed on in front of her. The group began cycling, Cat behind them to make sure she had eyes on all of the kids. She couldn't lose either of them.

***

The group wheeled their bikes along the trail in the woods and Cat moved her gaze from the leaves beneath her feet when she heard her brother's voice. "So, Cat. How was the party last night?"

Catherine scoffed.

"That bad, huh?" Lucas asked her.

Catherine nodded. She started to say something about Barb and how worried she was for the girl but stopped, not wanting to worry the kids with her problems. She looked ahead to see Mike walking alongside El, both deep in their own conversation. She looked down when she felt a tug on her sleeve. "Kit? Are you okay?" Dustin asked her, concerned for his older sister.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Her response didn't convince him though.

"You sure?" Lucas asked. "You look kinda pale."

Dustin nodded. "You did eat something today, right?" He knew about his sister's habit to skip meals or that when she did eat, it was only in tiny amounts.

Cat's breath hitched in her throat. "Well... I mean, I had breakfast-"

"Yeah, if by breakfast you mean five tiny bites of an apple." Dustin interrupted.

Cat sighed. "And then I was going to eat something at lunch, but Nancy just had to sit with Steve and I didn't want to be by myself because Barb wasn't there, so I sat with her. And Carol," She cringed at the name as if it were a food she had taken a bite out of and not realised it was mouldy or out of date. "-Just had to have her feet on the table, showing everyone this disgusting thing on her ankle."