AND SOMEHOW, after discovering a girl who only wore a large t-shirt, they ended up at the Wheeler's house.

With thunder rumbling outside, they stood and stared at the odd girl who sat on the couch in the living room, shivering with Mike's jacket draped over her shoulders.

"Is there a number we can call for your parents?" Mike asks, looking down at her. Eyes wide with concern.

"Where's your hair? Do you have cancer?" Dustin's eyes widen as well, concern lacing his voice.

"Did you run away?" Lucas adds.

The boys were bombarding the poor girl with questions.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Mike blurts out.

"Is that blood?" Lucas reaches out to touch her.

"Stop it! The girls clearly terrified!" Mariella snaps, smacking Lucas' arm with her right and both Mike and Dustin with her left. Before she leans down to the girls level.

"Do you need us to call anyone?" She asks slowly, as if she was talking to a child. The girl was unresponsive.

Mariella got up with furrowed brows, looking at Mike with her head tilted. Her eyes asking him what to do. He shrugs.

"I bet she's deaf!" Dustin exclaims then claps harshly causing the girl to back up and flinch.

"Hey! Quit it!" Mariella says to him, while hitting his arms down and rolling her eyes.

"Not deaf." Dustin finalizes.

"No shit!" Mariella responds before looking to the strange girl and smiling sweetly.

"Alright! I agree with Mars. She's just scared and cold!" Mike says, running off to a laundry bin to grab a towel.

"Took you a bit for you to realize that," Mariella laughs before a thrash of thunder sneaks up on them causing the seated girl to flinch, closing her eyes in fear.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Mariella leans down again, putting her hand on the couch.

"Just some stupid thunder, it's fine. My dad always tells me it'll pass in a clap," Mariella adds, looking at the girl and smiling.

"I-In a clap?" The girl mimics as a question, tilting her head confused.

"Yeah! That just means it'll go away real soon. As fast as a clap!" Mariella laughs, clapping her hands gently causing the girl to smile and giggle at Mariella's actions.

The boys stood behind Mariella, watching intently. In just a few words, Mariella was able to get the shy girl to open up.

'She truly was a gem' Mike thought to himself as he watched her move her wet hair out of her face.

Shaking his thoughts away, telling himself she was only his best friend. Nothing more. He walks beside her, hands brushing lightly sending a surge through his body. Mariella would feel her cheeks warm up lightly, quickly disregarding it.

"Here, these are clean. Okay?" Mike speaks, handing the mysterious girl a pair of comfortable clothes before standing up from his leaning position and grabbing Mariella hand to help her up. She couldn't stop the light yelp that left through parted lips. Mariella could feel now, her cheeks were probably glowing red.

The strange girl accepts the clothing, pressing her cheek to it before standing back and attempting to take her shirt off.

"No! No! No!" The boys yell out. Mariella quickly stops the girl by catching at her hands in hers. Dustin and Lucas turn around. Dustin with his hands up yelling,
"Oh my God!" over and over.

"Mikey, I'm gonna take her to the bathroom," Mariella mumbles before leading the girl off to wear the door to the bathroom was. The odd girl looks over her shoulder at them, confused.

Once at the bathroom, Mariella offers a kind smile before proceeding to attempt and shut the door. The girl stops her, frantic. Eyes wide.

"You don't want it shut?" Mariella asks, leaning her head down in concern.

"No," The girl responds, shaking her head.

"Alright. Let's keep it like this? Just half way, is that okay?" Mariella closes the door halfway.

"Yes," She agrees before Mariella smiles happily and wanders off to the boys. Leaving the girl to change.

Mike stands to the side while Lucas and Dustin freak out.

"This is mental," Dustin says in a panic.

"At least she can talk," Mike responds.

"She said 'no' and 'yes'. Your three-year-old sister says more." Lucas scoffs at Mike's comment.

"Maybe she has selective-mutism or a learning deficiency? It's actually quite possible" Mariella ponders, looking towards the ceiling and twirling a piece of her wet long hair.

"She tried to get naked!" Dustin shouts out.

"Off topic, Dustin! She didn't know!" Mariella argues, whipping her hair at his face.

"Something seriously wrong with her. Like wrong in the head!" Lucas pipes up, shaking his head.

"She just went like-" Dustin copies the motion the girl made when trying to change, hat falling off.

"Maybe so, but she needs our help! We can't just... Just throw her out into the streets! Especially with Will missing? That's just asking for a disaster to happen!" Mariella throws her hands into the air in a panic, Mike quickly pulling them down.

"Calm down, Mars," He mumbles under his breath to her. She nods.

"I bet she escaped from Pennhurst!" Lucas says, disregarding what Mariella had previously said.

"So not nice at all! That's so mean, Lu. What if she was kidnapped and she escaped, huh?" Mariella rambles, hands once again twirling at her hair.

"From where?" Mike asks while turning to Mariella with a confused look on his face.

"The nuthouse in Kerley County" Lucas answers.

"You got a lot of family there?" Dustin smiles smugly towards Lucas.

"Bite me." Lucas states, voice devoid of emotion.

"Ugh! Shut up. Stop bickering! You're giving me a headache! I'm trying to think of an idea!" Mariella groans, rolling her eyes and looking towards Mike.

"Seriously though! Think about it! That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy!" Lucas ignores Mariella once again.

"She didn't do anything crazy!" Mariella hisses at him, she seemed to be the only one with reason in the group!

"Uh?" Dustin mimics the undressing motion again.

"She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho" Lucas explains.

"Like Michael Myers." Dustin's eyes widen.

"Exactly! We shouldn't she's brought her here!" Lucas agrees, thankful for someone who finally understands.

"She needs help not an asylum!" Mariella shakes her head while waving her hands around wildly. Almost hitting Dustin and Mike. Mike again, pulls her hands down.

"So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?" Mike asks.

"Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem!" Lucas argues with Mike.

"I think we should tell your mom." Dustin starts.

"I second that!" Lucas agrees, nodding his head.

"Who's crazy now!?" Mike snaps at them.

"How is that crazy?" Lucas asks.

"Because! We weren't supposed to be out tonight, remember?" Mike says, a-matter-of-a-factly.

"So?"

"So, if I tell my mom and she tells your mom and your mom AND your mom!" Mike emphasizes the ands by pointing at each member of the party.

"Oh man," Dustin breathe puts

"Our houses become alcatraz..." Lucas mumbles.

"We all know what Emma Degray would do if she found out," Mariella grimaces, thinking of the possible months of being grounded while twisting at the wet ends of her hair, water dripping onto the carpet.

"Do you mind?! You're getting the carpet wet! Here's a towel!" Mike snaps at her. walking to the same laundry bin and tossing her a towel. Mariella catches with a small smile and begins drying her hair.

"-Exactly! We'll never find Will." Mike continues. Dustin does the undressing action again.

"Stop it!" Mariella groans, still drying her hair.

"Alright, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight," Mike starts.

"You're letting a girl-!" Dustin interjects.

"-Just listen! I'd rather her be with Mars since she's the only person she'll talk to but we all know her mom will lose her shit if she found out and we don't want Mars getting grounded for two months again. Anyways, i️n the morning, she sneaks around my house, goes to the front door and rings the doorbell. My mom will answer and know exactly what to do! she'll send her back to Pennhurst or wherever she comes from. We'll be totally in the clear! And tomorrow night, we go back out and this time, we find Will!" Mike explains the plan as the party stares at him.

"One problem, Mikey! You sure she'll be able to comprehend all that?" Mariella asks, touching Mike's arm.

"Little lady has a point," Dustin agrees.

"I-I'll figure it out, okay?" Mike stumbles over his words as he puts an arm around Mars' shoulder.

"Hell, you won't!" Mariella rolls her eyes, pushing from his grip and handing him the towel with sweet smile.

Lucas and Dustin begin up the stairs when the odd girl exits the bathroom.

"Here you go. This is my sleeping bag," Mike smiles to her.

"You really think she's psycho?" Dustin asks Lucas, peering at Mike and the girl.

"Wouldn't want her in my house," Lucas shakes his head while going up, followed by Dustin who sighs.

"Mental..." He mutters, Mariella rolls her eyes at their idiocy. Turning to smile at Mike and the girl and giving them a shy wave before running up the stairs after them.

"Hey, um, I never asked your name..." Mike mumbles as he watches Mariella run up the stairs. The girl stays silent for a moment. Mike finds himself wishing that Mariella was still here. She was so much more capable of getting the odd girl to open up. She then shows her wrist. Revealing an 011 tattoo.

"Is that real?" Mike reaches out to touch it. The girl flinches back.

"Sorry, I've just... Never seen a kid with a tattoo before" Mike explains with a light chuckle.

"What's it mean? Eleven?" He asks, curious. She points to herself.

"That's your name?" He presses. The girl nods.

"Eleven. Okay. Well, my names Mike. Short for Michael. And the other girl who just left, her names Mars. Her real name is Mariella but she doesn't like it. She it's too frilly. Whatever that means, do you know what it means? I don't, she's real pretty, isn't she? — Maybe we can, call you El? Short for eleven!" He rambles on about the long haired girl with the shy smile. Eleven nods at the suggestion of the nickname.

"Pretty," El mumbles in agreement with Mike's comment about Mariella.