Letters to El

Chapter 2

Dear Pen Pal

Eleanor was in her usual seat at the back of the class. She was quiet and kept to herself to where she never opened up to people other than her father. She wrote a lot and drew. She thought it was a way to say what's on her mind without actually saying it. So here she was, in the corner seat in the back of the class, writing what ever came to her mind just to see what she would be too afraid to say.

"Alright class," Ms. Smith said. "We have a few letters here from Hawkins High School. They did an assignment where they write to you. Now, you don't have to respond, but I would advise you to right back. Who knows, you might make a new friend. If you do write a response, please turn it in tomorrow."

She handed out the letters to everyone, Eleanor being last to receive one. She looked at the envelope and sighed. She looked around the classroom to see people already opening their letters. She wondered how many of them would find a new friend to talk to. She guessed at least a handful of people.

She looked down at her letter on her desk and tried to calculate the odds of her finally having someone else to talk to. Though she didn't think it would happen, her curiosity got the best of her. She opened up the letter and began to read it.

Dear pen pal,

To be honest, I don't even know what to write in this. My friends didn't even help try to come up with ideas for what to right. I mean, they did but none of their ideas really helped. But they tried I guess.

Well, I guess I could start off with introducing myself. My name is Michael Wheeler, but I prefer being called Mike. I live in Hawkins, Indiana. I go to Hawkins High School, and I'm president of Hawkins A.V. Club.

I know what your thinking, "wow he's a loser." You're right, I'm a loser. But I don't mind, I have a small groups of friends, there's Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max. They are just like me in a way, we should call ourselves the Losers Club or something. We spend our time either in my basement or at the local arcade. It may sound boring to some, but to us those are the places we have our happiest memories.

Well, I don't know exactly what else to write about me. If I start talking about me more you'll probably get bored and stop reading this. So to save you some boredom I am going to ask you a few questions. You don't have to write back or anything, I'll understand. But if you do I have a few ice breakers.

What are your favorite hobbies? If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be? If someone would make a movie about your life what genre would it be? What's your favorite thing about someone in your family?

I hope you'll write back, but if you decide not to, don't worry my heart won't break.

Your pen pal,
Mike

Eleanor smiled at the ice breakers. She wasn't sure if she would write back just yet. But she would definitely think about it. In fact, she was thinking about it on her walk home. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to talk to a complete stranger.

She walked in her home and dropped her stuff on the dinner table. She went through her backpack to retrieve the letter and read it over again.

"What's that Eleanor?" Jim Hopper, her father, questioned from the other side of the table.

"It's a note from a student in Indiana, who had to do a pen pal assignment." Eleanor replied looking up from her paper.

Hopper held out his hand to ask if he could read it. She handed it over to him and waited there quietly as he read it.

Eventually he put the paper down and looked at her in the eyes. "Are you going to respond to him?"

"I don't know. Probably not," Eleanor shrugged.

"How come?"

"I don't know."

"Look we both know your quiet and don't really enjoy talking to people. But this can be good."

"How could this possibly be good?" Eleanor questioned.

"You are really good at writing, not talking. Having a pen pal there's just pen and paper. No one standing in front of you. This is your chance to make an actual friend."

Eleanor scoffed. "I have friends."

"Really? Name one."

Eleanor stayed silent. She hated when he was right.

"See, this is your chance. Give it a try, and if it doesn't work out, you can blame it all on me."

"Fine."

Eleanor got up from the table and walked over to her room. She sighed as she sat at her desk and wrote down words like she normally did. But this time other people would see what she writing. To be honest, she really didn't mind that thought.

Dear Mike...