IT WAS A WHOLE ORDEAL, Mike, Mariella, Dustin, and Lucas crowded around the kiddie pool as Mike holds the hose in and Lucas puts the thermometer in, yelling "Warmer!" and "Colder!" To Nancy before he stops and shouts "Right there!".

Next, they watched as Hopper and Jonathan cut open the bags of deicing salt and emptied the bags into the pool. Dropping an egg into the water every now and then to see if it floats. They repeated this process about six times before Dustin dropped the egg in and it began to float, smiles forming in the kids faces as the clapped Dustin on the back.

They set up the walkie talkie as white noise and watched Eleven take off her socks and pass Mike his watch back before finally putting on a pair of lab safety goggles they had duct taped to keep the light out. Hopper and Joyce helped her into the pool and knelt down by the pool watching as she laid down, beginning to float.

Instantly, the electricity in the gym surged and the lights flickered shut, leaving them in the dark as they watched Eleven attempt to reach out to Will and Barbara.

It was slow in the beginning, they all kept silent as well. Not knowing what was going on in Eleven's mind but being able to hear small whimpers and whispering out words from her mouth. 

"Barbara?" She mumbles, catching everyone's attention as they lean closer.

They listen as she lets out a gasp and begin breathing heavily, panic setting through everyone as the electricity begins to pulsate.

"What's going on?" Nancy asks, worriedly while looking towards Mike and Mariella who sat next to one another.

"I don't know," Mike responds, looking to his sister confused.

"Is Barb okay? Is she okay?" Nancy asks, her voice picking up pace as her eyebrows furrow in worry.

"Gone. Gone. Gone," Eleven stammers out, Nancy covering her mouth as she begins to cry.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay," Joyce comforts Eleven as her words become louder.

"Gone. Gone!" She cries out loudly.

"It's okay. It's okay," Joyce repeats, taking hold of Eleven's hands. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay, we're right here. We're right here, honey," Joyce goes on, voice wavering.

"Castle Byers," Eleven whispers out weakly.

Mariella's eyes going wide as she looks at Eleven's floating body and clasping her hands together, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.

"Will?" Eleven whispers again.

Joyce gasping and Jonathan staring at the young girl in shock.

"You tell him... tell him I'm coming. Mom is coming," Joyce says, nodding.

Mike grabs onto Mariella's clasped hands and unclasps them before squeezing her left hand, not looking at her. He couldn't tear his eyes off of Eleven in that if he did he'd miss something. As if his eyes were his ears. Mariella didn't even bother to move or protest. She squeezed his hand back.

"Hurry," Will's voice echoed through the walkie weakly.

"Okay. Listen, you tell him to... to stay where he is. We're coming. We're coming, okay? We're coming, honey," Joyce stutters, tears welling up in her eyes as she holds Eleven's hands.

Whimpers began to come through on the walkie and Eleven sat up, splashing water everywhere and ripping the goggles off her head. Joyce hugs her, Eleven's breathing heavy as she whispers to her that she has her and that it's okay.

"I got you, honey. You did so good," She whispers to her comfortingly.

Once she was out, the party led her towards the bleachers, Mariella gently rubbing Eleven's back as she laid her head onto Mariella's shoulder. Lucas placing a blanket around her and rubbing her arm.

"We're okay," Mariella nods, voice small, looking back to Lucas and then to Mike and Dustin with a weak smile as she hugs Eleven closer to her.

"We're okay," Eleven repeats, nodding and leaning closer into Mariella's hug.

♧

They continued to sit at their spot on the bleachers, still in the same positions, except for the minor fact that Mike had snuck his hand into Mariella's and began tracing circles on it, nervously while he shakes his leg up and down.

Mariella closes her eyes for a moment,  trying to forget the situation they were in and just focus on the fact that Mike Wheeler was holding her hand. That is, until he hastily checked his watch and stood up before walking away from them abruptly.

He rushes over to the gym doors, throwing them open and calling out to his sister and Jonathan as the others looked at each other, confused.

"They're gone," He says, speed walking back towards them.

"What?" Lucas asks.

"Nancy and Jonathan. His car's gone," Mike elaborates, staring down at his seated friends.

"They're probably just sucking face somewhere," Dustin responds, Mariella giggling softly as she shakes her head.

"Plausible," She adds.

"Gross," Lucas groans.

"No. No way!" Mike shakes his head rapidly, his eyes narrowed and nose scrunched up.

"Did they go with the chief?" Dustin questions.

"I don't know!" Mike raises his voice, confused.

"Then rel-" Mariella starts before Eleven cuts her off.

"No," She says, looking up at Mike and pulling away from Mariella's hug and shaking her head.

"What do you mean, no?" Mariella asks, looking at Eleven with furrowed brows.

"They didn't go with... The chief," Eleven answers, apprehensively, the words sliding off her tongue slowly.

"What? Did you see them? Do you know where they went?" Mike panics, voice quickening in pace.

"Yes," Eleven says.

"Where? Where did they go?" Mike presses.

"Demogorgen," Eleven responds, simply.

"Oh good golly," Mariella sighs as the party exchanges concerned looks, panic setting through them when they realize that they're all alone.

♧

Mariella stands, pulling up Dustin in the process and Lucas following soon after from their seats on the bleachers, walking towards Mike.

"Guys, guys! This is crazy," Mike starts. "We can't just wait around,".

"Mike, in case you forgot, we're still fugitives. The bad men are still looking for us," Lucas explains, looking at Mike as if he were the one who was crazy

"Still can't believe I'm a fugitive, how am I supposed to be a lawyer?" Mariella mumbles to herself quietly, scratching her head.

"Yeah, and we don't even know where your sister is," Dustin says, ignoring Mariella's comment thought silently laughing to himself at it.

"El can find them," Mike responds.

"She's exhausted!" Mariella argues, scrunching up her nose at him.

"Look at her," Dustin gestures to Eleven, cutler up into a ball in the bleachers. "I still think we should stick to the chief's plan," He adds.

"Exactly. We stay here, keep El out of sight and keep her safe. That's the most important thing, remember?" Lucas agrees with Dustin, nodding. "Beaded, she's okay. She's with Jonathan," Lucas assures Mike.

"Yeah, and she's kind of a badass now, so..." Dustin comments with wide eyes before walking away.

"Yeah, she's been. You guys are just too blind to notice it," Mariella shakes her head at Lucas and Mike with a smirk before turning her head to Dustin. "Hey! Where the heck are you going?" She asks.

"Yeah, you just said stick to the plan!" Mike adds.

" I am. I'm just going to get some chocolate pudding. I'm telling you, Lunch Lady Phyllis hoards shit!" Dustin responds, looking back as his voice gets more aggressive talking about Phyllis.

"Are you serious?" Mike shouts, Lucas following after Dustin.

"El needs to be recharged!" Dustin replies.

"She needs a break! And a vacation, the poor girl needs a vacation!" Mariella shouts to him as Eleven stands up. Mike and Mariella look back at her.

Mike groans. "Whatever, let's go," He says before running after the two boys, pushing the gym doors open.

"Boys," Mariella looks to Eleven and shakes her head. "I don't know why I love them," She says, referring to her best friends before taking Eleven's hand and leading her to the cafeteria.