"El?! El?!" I screamed, my voice shaky and barely audible. Well, in my own head anyways. As if I wasn't screaming loud enough. "Eleven?!..." I heard Dustin's voice, but it was quiet to me, as if it were fading. My eyes darted around the room in every direction possible. It felt like I was looking everywhere at once, but no matter how much I looked, I knew the fact at hand, I just didn't want to believe it. "Gone." I breathed out.

A rush of anger, sadness, and confusion spread all over my body. I didn't know what to do or say. I looked back at Lucas and Dustin, the both of them staring at me with glossy eyes. And that's when I heard the sirens...

I woke up with sweat dripping down my forehead and the sides of my face. My cheeks were wet and felt irritated, as if someone had been scratching them for a long period of time.

A reoccurring nightmare I have. That night. The night that we knew that we had got Will back, or as what it's widely known as, 'the boy who came back to life,' Even though all of us know he was never dead. It's a lot to think about now that it's over, and I don't know how Lucas, Dustin, and I were able to pull all of it off.

All of these thoughts continued to follow me into the bathroom where I eventually washed my face and brushed my teeth. Then running a comb through my hair a couple of times or so. Before I went back into my bedroom to find clothes, I looked into my mirror and noticed that my eyes were still red and tired. I sighed as I opened the door and walked out, running straight into my older sister. "Sorry, Nance.." I mumbled and continued to walk back to my room.

"Wait! Mike, stop." She called after me. I groaned as I turned around to face the newest interrogation. "What?" I asked her, which ended up coming out extremely rude. She sighed as she looked at me with worried eyes. "Are you okay, buddy?" That's all she said. No follow up statement to let me know why she was concerned. Just letting me know she was. Ever since we got Will back, I've been having these same reoccurring nightmares. Not every night, but maybe four out of seven times a week. Sometimes Nancy would catch me looking as tired as I always ended up looking, and before when she's asked about it, she seemed more annoyed if anything. This time, she asked out of worry. Concern.

I shook my head slowly, before running back into my room, locking the door, and picking out an outfit for the day. I have to look halfway decent (or at least like I slept well) for the big biology test today.

After I got dressed, I walked down the stairs, trying to avoid Nancy again at all costs. I speed walked by the kitchen counter and grabbed a slice of toast off of a plate and took a bite. With my toast still in my hand, I threw my backpack over my shoulder and was about to exit the door when.. "Mike! Not going to say goodbye?" "Bye, mom!" I replied to my mother, giving her a smile and walking out the door, slamming it behind me.

I grabbed my bike that was laying against the garage wall and walked it out to the road before hopping on. I looked behind me as I remembered when Eleven was still here and she used to hold onto me as she rode with me on my bike. I still miss Eleven so much, even these two months after she disappeared. I sighed as I began to pedal down the street to get to school. I continued to think about her as well as my biology test the whole way to school. I think about Eleven so much, it's become part of my morning routine. I almost ran into a tree once or twice from not paying attention to where I was going. The craziest thing about Eleven is that I don't even understand why I like her so much. There's just something about her. She's not like girls in our school. She's different, but y'know...the good kind of different.

I shrugged at my thoughts while I put my bike in the bike rack. I looked around for Dustin, Lucas, or Will, who I didn't happen to see here yet. I looked over at the parking lot and smiled as I saw Lucas riding to me. I waved and motioned him to hurry. We cannot, and I mean cannot miss this big test. "Hey," Lucas said as he caught up with me. "Sorry I got here later than usual. My parents acted crazy because I accidentally wore different colored socks this morning. Big deal," he explained as he rolled his eyes. I chuckled and looked at the ground while walking on. "It's fine, but did you happen to see Dustin or Will on your way here?" "No, can't say I did," he answered. I sighed and walked faster. "If they're late, it's their fault, but I would be so dead if I failed this test. Especially since it's Mr. Clark's class." I said with a groan. "Agreed," said Lucas as we walked inside of our school, Hawkins Middle. We put our backpacks away in our lockers and started to make our way to Mr. Clarke's class. Lucas and I were about twenty feet away from the door when we hear panting and footsteps behind us. As we turn around, we see Dustin running towards us at full speed, almost running into me and knocking me over. I just laughed it off. "Glad you aren't late," Lucas said, smiling at Dustin as well. He laughed, nodding his head. "Same here." We walked into class together and we saw Will in his usual seat. He must have got to the school way before we did, but it was weird that I never saw his bike in the racks. "Byers! We thought you were going to be late," Lucas said. Will shook his head. "Nah, you know me better than that." We all chuckled. We knew that was a fact. Dustin, Lucas, and I took our spots next to each other and waited for the class to begin.

meanwhile, a little earlier at the Wheeler household...

"Mom, he's starting to worry me." I said as I started to finish my breakfast. "Nancy, I'm sure he's fine. Maybe his sheets and comforter need washing. They haven't been washed in ages and I'm sure they're probably scra-" "No, mom, it isn't that," I tried to explain, interrupting my mom. "It's been going on for a long time now, and I just thought he's been freaked out because of that game him and his friends play in the basement, but they haven't been over in a while now and he still looks awful when he wakes up.."

I was really worried about my little brother. We had promised that we would tell each other everything from now on ever since the night that Mrs. Byers and Hopper got Will out of that awful place, but he still keeps his doors locked. I put my plate in the sink as I waited for my mom to respond.

I heard her sigh and I looked at her to find her shaking her head. "I don't know, Nance. It could be anything, really. Think about what he had to go through. All of that must have been traumatizing for Mike." I sighed in agreement and nodded. "I guess you're right..." I mumbled as I picked up my backpack. I walked to the door but turned around to smile at my mom. "Bye, momma!" She responded back with a goodbye as I began to walk to my school. It isn't that far, anyways. I started to think about how my mom was right. All of that must have been awful for him, but whenever he was with the boys, he seems fine. I spent my walk to school deep in confusion. I was about to walk into the school until I felt hands cover my eyes and I jumped in shock. "Guess who?" I heard a familiar voice asked. That's when I smiled and pulled his hands off of my eyes and turned around to face him. "You're an idiot, Steve Harrington."

around eight hours later, after school...

"Will has a girlfriend! Will has a girlfriend!" Lucas and Dustin were chanting. I always found that a weird word. Girlfriend. Maybe it was because I've never really liked a girl before..except for El..."I do not!" Will said defending himself as we rode past Dustin's house and got closer to mine.

"Leave him alone, guys. He might not want to talk about his totally real relationship with Jennifer Hays." I said putting emphasis on her last name, then started to laugh. "She is not my girlfriend! Will you guys cut that out!" I rolled my eyes. "Oh, give me a break! You totally like her. It's obvious!" "Plus, she was crying a river at your funeral," Dustin added to my comment. Will looked away from us and focussed more on the road. His cheeks were all pink. "You don't like her my ass! Your cheeks are as red as a fire truck!" Lucas said.

We began to ride into my driveway as this conversation continued. Will was carrying on about him definitely not liking Jennifer, while Dustin, Lucas, and I (but Dustin and Lucas way more than me) were making fun of him for it. We all greeted my mom as we walked inside of my house. "Hi boys," she answered in reply. She was busy making dinner.

The others started to head down into the basement. I was about to follow when my sister walked into the house with her boyfriend. I groaned and rolled my eyes at them. They were busy making goggly eyes at each other while giggling like little girls. Then, Nancy spotted me and stopped me from going downstairs. "Wait, Mike, stay there!" I rubbed my hands over my face in annoyance as she told Steve to wait to do whatever they do upstairs in her room. They say they study, but I think they're too busy sucking face to study.

Steve started to walk upstairs and Nancy basically dragged me against my will into the living room. I looked at her awaiting my due explanation. "You lied to me." I stared at her in confusion at her odd outburst. "I was thinking about you all day and how you haven't been sleeping well. I see you almost ever morning looking tired, and I think i know why," she explained. I stared at her, unable to process what she was going to say. "Remember when we told each other that we wouldn't have any more secrets between us?" I nodded, remembering the exact moment. "Well so do I..."

"I knew you were acting weird..I- I just thought it was because of Will..." Nancy said as she was pushing a wheelbarrow with a hose in it to the school where the others were. I suddenly got defensive. "I knew you were acting weird, too, I just thought it was because of Steve." I countered, getting slightly annoyed.

Nancy suddenly dropped the wheelbarrow. "Hey...no more secrets...okay? From now on, we tell each other anything." Fair enough. "Okay," I began to say, liking the sound of this idea. "Do you like Jonathan now?" Her eyes widened in shock. "What? N-No...it's not- it's not like that..." she stuttered along, looking down at the ground around her. I shrugged, not really knowing what to make of that. "Do you like Eleven?" My heart suddenly skipped a beat. I almost jumped at her question. I knew I liked Eleven. Not only did I know that, but so did Dustin and Lucas. I just have never admitted it. "What? No! Ew! Gross.." I turned around and continued to walk to the school, a coil of hose over my shoulder. I couldn't let Nancy know the truth. It was embarrassing for me..I never have actually had a crush on a girl before. At least, not the way I like Eleven. I heard Nancy behind me pick up the wheelbarrow and continue to push along, leaving the subject in the dark outside.

"You lied to me. You liked Eleven and you still do. If it was about anything involving Will or that...place.....you would have told me because you knew I could have helped you...but this isn't about that, it's about a girl!" Nancy smirked as I sighed and looked down.

This was so embarrassing. Even today, I still don't want to admit that I like her, but now has to be the time, I guess. "Fine," I began to say. Nancy's face lit up. "I liked Eleven and I still do." My voice was mumbled. Nancy lifted my chin up from facing the floor. "Mike, don't be embarrassed. It happens to everyone." Nancy said. I shrugged and looked back to the floor. "I guess...but not many people do what I did." I admitted.

I glanced up at Nancy and she looked confused. "What do you mean?" she asked me. I looked up at her and gave her my full attention. "I broke a promise I made her. I promised that she could live here with us. She could get a bed in the basement and you guys could treat her like family. She could have real food instead of Eggos every day! You could have had a little sister! And I was going to take her to the Snowball..." I explained to Nancy, saying the last part quietly. Nancy put her hand on my shoulder. "Mike, I'm sorry. She is your first crush and I know that you probably miss her like crazy. We all miss her. She did so much for everyone here and we will always have that to remember her by, right? I mean, she helped us get Will back." I nodded and smiled a little. "You're right, Nancy. Thank you."

I hugged my sister for the first time in a while. She hugged me back and we stood there for a while. As we finally pulled away, we heard Dustin's voice. "Mike?! You coming or what?!" Nancy and I both chuckled as I waved goodbye and jogged down the stairs. "I'm here, I'm here," I said as the boys smiled at me. "Let's play!" Will exclaimed. They got Dungeons and Dragons out while I got settled in from school.

While taking off my jacket, I looked over and saw the place where Eleven slept. I still haven't had the heart to take her special place all apart, because it was not only special to her, but it was special to me as well.