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

FORTY NINE

The Case Of The Missing Lifeguard

Max was dancing in El's bedroom, using a hairbrush as a microphone as she sung along to the song that was playing on the radio. Eleven was looking at the posters in the magazine she was flicking through. Max chuckled as she leaned over El's shoulder. "Oh, you found Ralph Macchio."

"Macchio?" El questioned.

"Yeah, he's the Karate Kid." She pretended to do a karate move, nearly hitting El but stopping before she did. The two laughed. "He's so hot, right? I bet he's an amazing kisser, too." El's eyes widened as she raised her eyebrows. "Hey, uh..." Max hopped onto the bed, sitting opposite her friend, "is Mike a good kisser?"

"I don't know. He's my first boyfriend."

Max tilted her head slightly. "Ex-boyfriend." She corrected. "Hey, don't worry about it. Okay? He'll come crawling back to you in no time, begging for forgiveness. I guarantee you, him and Lucas are, like, totally wallowing in self-pity and misery right now. They're like," She imitated their voices, "'Oh, I hope they take us back.'"

The two girls burst into laughter. "God, what I wouldn't give to see their stupid faces." She looked at El, who looked like she was about to say something. "What is it?" El grinned.

***

"Is this really gonna work?" Max asked, sitting on the bed. El was sat on the floor by the radio which was crackling static. She tied the blindfold around her head, covering her eyes. Eleven nodded. "Holy shit," Max grinned, "this is insane."

"Max." El warned.

"Yeah, quiet. I'm sorry."

El focused really hard until she found herself in the void. Ahead of her were the boys in Mike's basement. "I see them." She told Max.

The redheaded girl moved off the bed and over to where El sat on the floor. "What are they doing?"

"Eating." El answered. In the void, she walked closer to where Mike was sprawled out on the couch, shovelling crisps in his mouth. She listened to the conversation between Mike and Lucas for a few moments before reporting to Max about what they were saying. "They say we are 'species.'"

"What?"

"'Emotion, not logic'."

"What?" Max repeated, her eyes wide.

El ripped the blindfold away from her face.

"What happened?" Max asked her. El didn't say anything as she burst out into giggles, causing Max to start laughing- although she was confused as to what was so funny.

***

Erica furiously dinged the bell on the Scoops Ahoy counter, desperate to gain the attention of the two girls behind the counter. Robin and Cat were both busy reading up on translating Russian, the headphones over their ears blocking out their surroundings as they listened to the code over and over.