Ṡṁëḷḷṡ Ḷïḳë Ṫëëṅ Äṅġṡẗ (M. Wheeler)

Ch. 9 | The Gate

Hey!

So another heads up, this isn't gonna be the last chapter—I had to make the snowball a separate one because that I checked, and altogether this chap would've been 24000 words long—yes, I have numerous problems, I get it.

Nevertheless, this chapter still will be quite fucking long—so buckle your seatbelt kids.

Also, there's a happy ending, don't you worry ;) (I had to make one—there's gonna be another book, for christ's sake).

Any who, enjoy the story!

———————

"Eleven."

"Mike....."

Dylan watched as the boy he yearned for slowly started to approach the girl he belonged with. Each had an adoring look in their eye as they engulfed each other in a loving, heartfelt hug. He could sense they were both on the brink of tears.

Unlike his own, they were the happy kind.

"Is that...?" Max trailed off when both Dustin and Lucas nodded, still watching the exchange with wonder.

Mike held Eleven in his arms, a watery smile on his face. "I never gave up on you," he stated proudly, which was a hard truth—throughout the entire duration of knowing Mike, Dylan had not once ever sensed a singular amount of doubt in Eleven's return. "I called you every night; every night, for—"

"353 days," Eleven finished, smiling gratefully. Her face turned somber when Mike looked at her with a shocked expression. "I heard," she whispered, suddenly giving off an aura of guilt and sheepishness.

Which, honestly, good—how the fuck was this girl going to keep Mike, a boy who cared for her so dearly, waiting in pain like that?!

"Wh-why didn't you tell me you were there?" Mike asked in a feeble voice that tugged at Dylan's heartstrings—that and the melancholy feeling that washed over him, "that you were okay?"

Yeah, why didn't you, you ungrateful bitch—

Dylan exhaled deeply, tucking away his knives in favour of clenching his fists tightly. He closed his eyes and thought of Mike's happy face, willing himself not to try and kill Eleven for the pain that Mike was currently feeling. It's probably not her fault, it's probably not her fault.....

And he was right—it wasn't her fault.

"Because I wouldn't let her," a gruff voice announced form behind him.

Dylan looked over and scowled.

It was Hopper's, that heartless son of a bitch.

Mike gaped at him, appalled, as the man stalked over to Eleven. "What the hell is this, where have you been?" He asked her sharply.

"Where have you been?" She retorted with just as much sharpness, although she accepted the hug that he pulled her into.

Mike blinked. "You've been hiding her...."

Dylan felt the anger swelling inside of him and cringed. That sure as hell wasnt good.

Mike glared daggers at Hop. "You've been hiding her this entire time!" He exclaimed, pushing the man from behind who turned around in fury.

"Hey!!" He exclaimed, grabbing the front of Mike's shirt. Dylan tensed up, ready to knock the man out of it meant protecting Mike if he had to.

Luckily, the man didn't seem to have any ill intentions of that sort—in fact, he just seemed tired.