MARIELLA KNOCKS ON THE DOOR, tapping her leg with her finger impatiently as she waits for one of the boys to open the door. 'This better be good', she thought to herself, rubbing her puffy eyes.

She could hear shuffling behind the door and finally it swings open, revealing Mike who didn't even greet her. Instantly grabbing her hand, pulling her into the house and shutting the door.

"What? What's so important that you dragged me out of the house?" She asks, as he pulls her down the basement steps.
He ignores her once again, going faster down the stairs.

"Mike—! Ow! Michael!" Mariella groans as he pulls her down too hard and causes her to skip two steps and land incorrectly on her ankle.

"It's Will," He mumbles, dragging her over to the makeshift fort Eleven resides in. She sat in the middle while Dustin and Lucas sat in front of her, Mike sitting down as well, Mariella following in suit — wondering why the air was so tension-ridden and why Lucas and Dustin sat silently and why Mike seemed to be anything other than grieving.

She notices how Eleven grips Mike's walkie and twists around with the knob carefully, static crackling and eyes closed

"What's..." Mariella starts, before she's shushed by Mike and she sighs softly before going silent.

A whimper goes off through the walkie, quietly for a split second. Then it stopped.

"We keep losing the signal, it you heard it, right?" Mike asks while turning his head to the others.

"Yeah, I heard a baby," Lucas responds, as if the answer was obvious.

"What?" Mike says, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Mike, you obviously tapped into a baby monitor. It's probably the Blackburns' next door," Lucas says, voice dull and using his hands for emphasis.

"Uh, did that sound like a baby to you?" Mike scoffs, shaking his head. "That was Will!".

"Mike..." Lucas trails.

"Lucas, you don't understand. He spoke last night. Words! He was singing that weird song he loves. Even El heard him," Mike bickers back, voice confident.

"He was singing?" Mariella mumbles, looking up from the piece of carpet she had been pulling at. She already knew which song Mike was talking about.

"Oh, well, if the weirdo heard him, then I guess—" Lucas starts with wide eyes and sarcasm dripping from his lips.

"Are you sure you're on the right channel?" Dustin asks, curiously.

"I don't think it's about that. I think, somehow, she's channeling him," Mike answers, staring down at the walkie.

Lucas looks at Mike brows furrowed deeply and shakes his head.

"Like... Like Professor X," Dustin says, eyes wide with excitement.

"Yeah," Mike smiles, pointing at Dustin in agreement.

"Are you actually believing this crap? Ella, are you believing this?" Lucas asks, shaking his head over and over while looking to Mariella who sat with her head down and hair fallen into her face.

All heads turn to her, Mike out of instinct bunching her hair out of her face and pushing it to the back while she looks up and shrugs.

"It doesn't make sense. We saw... We saw..." She starts, stumbling over her words as she struggles to utter 'his body' out. It made it feel too real.

"Remember when Will fell off his bike and broke his finger? He sounded a lot like that," Dustin comments, his eyes lit up and smile tugging at his lips.

"For all we know it's our minds telling us it sounds like Will," Mariella sighs. "It's called grief, guys. We could just be in denial and that's just a baby crying!" She adds, pointing at the walkie.

"Exactly! Did you guys not see what Ella and I saw? They pulled Will's body out of the water. He's dead!" Lucas shouts, looking to Dustin.

"Well, maybe it's his ghost. Maybe he's haunting us," Dustin stammers out, looking for a plausible explanation.

"It's not his ghost," Mike sighs.

"That wouldn't even make sense!" Mariella groans as she leans onto Lucas' shoulder.

"So how do you know that?" Lucas asks Mike, head shaking.

"I just do!" Mike answers.

"Them what was that on the water?" Lucas shouts again, Mariella pulling her head away quickly.

"I don't know!" Mike shouts back.

"That's just it, Mikey! We don't know anything! We're so in over our heads!" Mariella butts in, hands beginning to move erratically as she stares at Mike.

"I know Will's alive!" Mike argues, staring back at Mariella. "He's out there somewhere! All we have to do is find him," He explains.

The static continues to crackle as the seemingly forgotten about girl turns the knobs on the walkie.

"This isn't gonna work. We need to get El to a stronger radio," Mike sighs, head bobbing.

Dustin smiles at this, revelation in his eyes as he mumbles out, "Mr. Clarke's Heathkit ham shack," excitedly.

Mike smiles, "Yeah," exhaling softly.

"If we're actually thinking that this could work, we need to be sure that we have a good plan," Mariella adds.

"The Heathkit's at school. There is no way we're gonna get the weirdo in there without anyone noticing," Lucas says in disbelief at his friends idiocy. "I mean, look at her," He adds as the boys begin to stare at her buzzed head and clueless eyes.

"Not nice! We could..." Mariella slaps Lucas' arm as she looks Eleven on the face. "Give her a makeover," She smiles softly.

♧

"Okay, you three, go through the bins of clothes that we used for your campaigns," Mariella conducts as she points them away from her and Eleven.

The boys stare at her for a moment in confusion. "I said go!" She repeats, pointing more aggressively and shaking her hair. They scurry off and begin digging through old boxes.

"Alright. If we at my house, I'd give you some of my clothes to wear, but we're here. So... We're just going to have to make do with what we got, alright?" Mariella starts, as she drags Eleven up the basement stairs and up the main floors stairs too. All the way to Nancy's room.

Sitting Eleven down on the bay window, Mariella walks over to Nancy's dressed and picks up the box which she's seen Nancy put her makeup and walks back over to Eleven and places it in front of her.

"Okay, I'm just going to add a bit of light makeup? Just to add colour to your cheeks, I guess. I don't even think you need it. You look pretty the way you are," Mariella rambles as she pulls out a light pink blush and opens it.

"Pretty?" Eleven smiles softly as she looks back at Mariella who began to dust it softly on her cheeks.

"Yeah. Don't listen to the guys, you aren't a weirdo. Just different and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm different and you are too, the guys are just boring," Mariella answers, smiling as she applies lip balm to Eleven's lips. "Okay, well. I think that's all. The boys should have found something for you by now. I bet you'd like a dress. I could give you one of mine," She adds, as she stands up and puts the box away.

"Dress? For me?" Eleven asks, smile getting wider as she gets up and follows Mariella out of the room.

"Yeah, for sure. When this is all over, I'll give you a couple shirts and skirts too. Maybe even some jewelry," Mariella answers looking back to Eleven, bumping into Dustin without noticing that he was at the edge of the steps.

"We found her a dress," He says, breathlessly, holding up a pink collared one.

"And a wig!" Mike adds, holding up a dingy old halloween wig.

"And she can wear these socks with Mike's old beaters," Lucas butts in, holding up white converse and striped socks.

"Alright. Good," Mariella nods taking the items and leading Eleven into the washroom.

♧

Biking to school was a whole different experience to the party. The day was bright and the town well-above average.

Mariella noticed how Eleven looked around the town with wide eyed curiosity as she held onto Mike loosely. Mariella smiled solemnly to herself. She wished Will was here to uncover this mystery girl with them.

Even Lucas smiled as the pulled up to school and locked up their bikes silently. Entering the school was a different story.

"Okay, remember, if anyone sees us, look sad," Mike says, reminding them that they were supposed to be sad about the supposed passing of their best friend.

"Attention Students, there will be an assembly to honour Will Byers in the gymnasium now. Do not go to fourth period," The intercom announces as Lucas and Dustin look to Eleven and make sad faces, she copies.

Rushing to the door, Mike pushes and attempts to open it but sighs upon the realization that it's locked.

"It's locked!" He says, moving to the side as Lucas attempts the door.

"What?" Lucas begins to rattle the door knob as Mariella rolls her eyes.

"Hey, do you think you can open it?" Dustin asks Eleven, pointing to the door. "With your powers?". Eleven simply respond with parting her lips.

"Boys? Girl... Girls!" Mr. Clarke turns the corner and greets them, shocked to see another girl other than Mariella.

Instantly, Lucas turns away from the door and they all whisper put quiet 'hey's'.

"Assembly's about to start," Mr. Clarke says looking to them solemnly.

"We know. We just, you know..." Mike starts and trails off, looking to the ground sadly.

"Upset," Lucas chuckles, instantly realizing that he has to match the emotion and also looks down.

"Y-Yeah, definitely upset," Dustin agrees.

"We need some alone time," Mike speaks up again.

"To cry," Dustin sputters out.

Mariella cusses to herself silently at their terrible attempts to act.

"Yeah, listen... I get it. I do. I know how hard this is, but let's just be there for Will, huh?" Mr. Clarke asks, nodding softly. "And then... The Heathkit is all yours for the rest of the day. What do you say?" He adds, tossing the keys he pulled from his pocket to Mike. They all look to each other and smile.

"Okay... It's what Will would've wanted us to do," Mariella sighs softly, looking to the ground with sad eyes. Mr. Clarke smiles sympathetically and nods.

He then looks up and notices Eleven once again. "I don't believe we've met, what's your name?" He asks

"Elev—" She starts, voice quiet.

"Eleanor! She's my, uh..." Mike starts, raising his hand slightly and nodding.

"Cousin," Lucas says, quickly.

"Second cousin," Dustin holds up a two with his fingers.

"She visits during the summer," Mariella adds, nodding her head.

Mike sighs, "She's here for Will's funeral,".

"Ah, well, welcome to Hawkins Middle, Eleanor. I wish you were here under better circumstances," Mr. Clarke greets, nodding to Eleven softly.

"Thank you," Eleven responds shyly.

"Uh, where are you from exactly?" He asks, narrowing his eyes curiously. They all looks to Eleven frantically, praying that she doesn't say something that blows their cover.

"Bad place—"She says, shaking her head with wide eyes.

"Sweden!" Dustin interjects.

"I have a lot of Swedish family," Mike agrees.

"She's hates it there,"

"Cold!" Lucas exaggerates.

"Yeah," Mariella nods as Mr. Clarke looks between them.

"Subzero," Dustin points out.

"Shall we?" Mr. Clarke asks, awkwardly.

"Yep!" Lucas says as they all turn and begin walking to the gym.