STARCROSSED ▷ steve harrington

13. the battle of starcourt - part one

CHAPTER TWELVE - THE BATTLE OF STARCOURT

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ELEVEN'S WAILS OF pain echoed throughout the entire mall, and she clutched Jackie's hand so tightly it had started to turn red, but she didn't think she had room to complain about it hurting considering the situation. She winced, watching the thing slosh around inside her calf.

"Keep her talking!" Jonathan ordered, as he frantically stood up. "Keep her awake!"

"You know, it's actually not that bad!" Robin said. "The goalie for my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg and the bone came out of her knee. Yeah, like six inches or something."

"Robin," Steve said, a look of disgust flickering over his face. "You're not helping."

"I'm sorry!"

"Hey," Jackie squeezed her hand in order to get El's attention again. She turned her head away from Jonathan's retreating figure. "Do you remember when we snuck you out of the cabin to go see a movie? There's a second one coming out soon. Did you know that? Maybe we could steal you away again and we can go see it."

"Yeah," Eleven managed weakly, nodding. "I liked that movie."

"You did? Well then we definitely have to see the next one. You just gotta stick this out, okay? You got this. You can do it."

"I got this," Eleven repeated, swallowing hard as Jonathan came back with a wooden spoon and a knife.

"Okay," he said gently, crouching down in front of her. "Alright, El? This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled her reply, tears streaming down her face. Her grip on Jackie's hand tightened as Jonathan placed the wooden spoon in her mouth.

"You're gonna want to bite down on that."

"Jesus Christ," Dustin said, meeting Jackie's gaze with wide eyes.

"Clam down, you're not the one whose leg is giving birth."

"I don't wanna see it!"

"Then look away, dumbass!"

Jonathan raised the knife to her leg, and everyone looked at each other in shock. "Do it," Mike instructed, his arms still propped around El's head to keep her awake. Jonathan dug the knife into her shin, and Eleven wallowed in pain. Jackie screwed her eyes shut, not being able to take in the site of what was happening.

"Oh, shit!" Dustin swore, sounding disgusted.

Jonathan reached his hand into her leg, cringing as he did so, and Jackie hurriedly averted her gaze before she threw up for the second time that night.

"No!" Eleven screamed, spitting the spoon out from her mouth. "Stop it! Stop!"

"Stop!" Nancy commanded her boyfriend, and his hand flew out of her leg.

"I can do it," Eleven muttered, her eyes darting to Jackie as she pushed herself up. "I can do it."

Jackie's gaze found the others—who looked equally as shocked as she felt. They watched as Eleven slowly raised her arm to her leg, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the task in front of her. She screamed in pain, the sound making the glass behind them shatter. Jackie ducked her head in response, hands covering her face. She could feel the shards of it whizz by.

Eleven got the demogorgen out of her leg—the ugly thing dangled in the air, squirming as if trying to escape. Eleven flung it across the mall, and she fell back limply against Mike.