No stranger would it be...
written by Eleven
Eleven's short life has been messed up since day one. This Journal is for others to better understand the girl most refer to as "Weirdo" or "Freak". Some of her thoughts, memories, fears and her journey to hopefully being accepted one day.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
6
Reads
641
The Dance & Broken Promises.
Chapter 1
The Yule Ball.
Most were excited. Older students fluttered by; girls flocked together chattering incessantly. Boys trying to act cool but nervously rubbing their sweaty palms against their robes. Younger students too worried about their classes and not quite interested in dating quite yet, seemed to think they were all insane.
Eleven merely wanted to know what a dance was. She wanted to try it. Even though no one would ask her. She didn't expect them too. Nor would she whine if they didn't. She wasn't like the others. She didn't fit in, even among the rare parseltongues and other gifted students. She most certainly didn't fit in with the Muggles either though, so she often felt like crying. Right then, the night before was especially bad because all she could think about was her friend Mike. Back in Hawkins, all the way in America. They probably moved on by now. Thinking she was dead. But he had asked her to their school dance, and she had wanted to go.
=One Month Earlier= (Major Stranger Things SPOILERS turn back now)
After an exhausting use of her Psychic powers, Eleven needed to rest. She needed to recharge and for that, that meant EATING. She didn't quite understand it herself, but then again she had never questioned it. So it was her and Mike sitting alone in one of the classrooms. He always made her feel wanted, safe even. And he was very concerned for her well being as much as his missing friend's. "Mike, I found the chocolate pudding!" Dustin's unmistakable voice rang out from another room. "Okay!" The black haired boy shouted back before looking at Eleven worriedly. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked only to find her furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "What's /putting/?" She inquired only to be met with a chuckle. "Pudding," Her best friend corrected. "It's.. it's this chocolate goo you eat with a spoon." He explained watching her face wriggle to mild disgust and confusion.
He thought it was cute, he never got tired of answering her questions. He would explain literally anything to her, as long as it gave him a reason to spend time with her. Sure he was a kid, but they were around the same age. "Don't worry, when all this is over, you won't have to keep eating junk food and leftovers like a dog anymore." He all but promised, but she didn't really acknowledge that she understood what he meant. "My mom, she's a pretty awesome cook. She can make you whatever you like." He continued only to watch her face light up when she said; "Eggos?" He almost chuckled again. "Well, yeah, Eggos, but real food, too." Mike gave pause before imagining it all in his head like he had for the past few days they had been together. "See, I was thinking, once all this is over and Will's back and you're not a secret anymore, my parents can get you an actual bed for the basement. Or you can take my room if you want, since I'm down there all the time anyways." He smiled adorably at her and saw that she understood now.
"My point is, they'll take care of you. They'll be like your new parents, and Nancy, she'll be like your new sister--" He went on. "Will you be like my brother?" She asked innocently, not understanding the completely taken aback expression he had now. "What? No, no." He shook his head in response causing her to frown. "Why /no/?" She queried thinking she said something to upset him. "Because... 'cause it's different." Mike sighed. "Why?" Eleven questioned wondering why he went from so upbeat to completely deflated like that in a matter of seconds. "I mean, I don't know, I guess it's not. It's stupid..." He mumbled causing her to give him a look. "Mike?" His name being said gave him cause to look her in the eye again. "Yeah?" He replied curiously. "Friends don't lie." She reminded him. That's what he taught her.
Mike almost rubbed his face, he was starting to regret the entire topic. "Well I was thinking... I don't know... maybe we can go to the Snow Ball together." He admitted only to see her even more confused if that was possible. "Snow Ball??" She asked completely lost at this point. "It's this cheesy school dance, where you go in the gym and dance to music and stuff. I've never been, but I know you're not supposed to go with your sister." He told her flat out. "No?" She took note of that, apparently going to dances wasn't for siblings. "I mean you can, but it'd be really weird. You go to school dances with someone that, you know someone that you like." Mike's cheeks began to feel warm. And he found it increasingly hard to get his point across. "A friend?" Eleven questioned, needing complete clarification. "Not a friend." He answered before sighing. "Uh... uh.. Uh, someone like a... like a.." The words were gone now and he saw how she just sat there patiently waiting for an explanation.
He had to act and fast before Dustin and Lucas walked in. So he leaned forwards. El watched in confusion until his lips met hers. It was brief but when they both pulled away they were smiling. That was her first kiss. It would most likely be her last.
-Time skip of some more spoilers-
Eleven groaned almost completely out of it. Laying on the table as Mike watched her with his heart in his throat. "Just hold on a little longer, okay?" He asked her before sniffling, he was a boy and he didn't want to cry. Especially with Dustin and Lucas right there but they looked upset too. He sniffled more trying to keep calm. "He's gone. The bad man's gone..." He promised her and all she could do was stare at him. So tired. So tired in ever aspect of the word. Her clothes were filthy and blood from her nosebleeds stained her face and dress. Mike really truly cared. He loved her. Just some twelve year old boy who found a starving girl in the middle of a thunderstorm. A boy who gave her clean clothes and hid her in the safety of his basement even though he didn't know a thing about her. A boy who knew she wasn't normal. He knew she could lift entire vehicles with only her mind. A girl who had killed grown men with just a glare. Just a kind hearted boy with no ill intentions. Just actual genuine caring. He loved her. And she loved him too.
"We'll be home soon, and my mom she'll get you your own bed." Mike reminded her. "You can eat as many Eggos as you want." He tried to reassure them both but started to cry, sniffling more. "And we can go to the Snow Ball." He stated making her smile finally. "Promise?" She asked in a hushed, tired tone. "Promise."
=Back to the present=
But that promise wasn't fulfilled. Eleven had to fight to protect her friends. She sacrificed her own happiness to ensure that neither the creature, nor the Dark Wizards would kill them. And she never saw them again. Never got to say goodbye. She never got to go to the dance. And it hurt. It hurt so bad. She felt her body beginning to shake and her lip tremble. "Mike.." She whispered suddenly wanting nothing to do with the Ball anymore. She ran through the Castle, all the way down to her dorm. Her chest hurt. And for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts she cried. She just crumpled into the corner near her bed and began to sob. She wasn't pretty. And she wouldn't ever belong. Ripping the blonde wig from her head she threw it to the floor and just sat there. The little monster born and bred in a lab, dreaming of fitting in and being happy. Eleven didn't understand why.
Most were excited. Older students fluttered by; girls flocked together chattering incessantly. Boys trying to act cool but nervously rubbing their sweaty palms against their robes. Younger students too worried about their classes and not quite interested in dating quite yet, seemed to think they were all insane.
Eleven merely wanted to know what a dance was. She wanted to try it. Even though no one would ask her. She didn't expect them too. Nor would she whine if they didn't. She wasn't like the others. She didn't fit in, even among the rare parseltongues and other gifted students. She most certainly didn't fit in with the Muggles either though, so she often felt like crying. Right then, the night before was especially bad because all she could think about was her friend Mike. Back in Hawkins, all the way in America. They probably moved on by now. Thinking she was dead. But he had asked her to their school dance, and she had wanted to go.
=One Month Earlier= (Major Stranger Things SPOILERS turn back now)
After an exhausting use of her Psychic powers, Eleven needed to rest. She needed to recharge and for that, that meant EATING. She didn't quite understand it herself, but then again she had never questioned it. So it was her and Mike sitting alone in one of the classrooms. He always made her feel wanted, safe even. And he was very concerned for her well being as much as his missing friend's. "Mike, I found the chocolate pudding!" Dustin's unmistakable voice rang out from another room. "Okay!" The black haired boy shouted back before looking at Eleven worriedly. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked only to find her furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "What's /putting/?" She inquired only to be met with a chuckle. "Pudding," Her best friend corrected. "It's.. it's this chocolate goo you eat with a spoon." He explained watching her face wriggle to mild disgust and confusion.
He thought it was cute, he never got tired of answering her questions. He would explain literally anything to her, as long as it gave him a reason to spend time with her. Sure he was a kid, but they were around the same age. "Don't worry, when all this is over, you won't have to keep eating junk food and leftovers like a dog anymore." He all but promised, but she didn't really acknowledge that she understood what he meant. "My mom, she's a pretty awesome cook. She can make you whatever you like." He continued only to watch her face light up when she said; "Eggos?" He almost chuckled again. "Well, yeah, Eggos, but real food, too." Mike gave pause before imagining it all in his head like he had for the past few days they had been together. "See, I was thinking, once all this is over and Will's back and you're not a secret anymore, my parents can get you an actual bed for the basement. Or you can take my room if you want, since I'm down there all the time anyways." He smiled adorably at her and saw that she understood now.
"My point is, they'll take care of you. They'll be like your new parents, and Nancy, she'll be like your new sister--" He went on. "Will you be like my brother?" She asked innocently, not understanding the completely taken aback expression he had now. "What? No, no." He shook his head in response causing her to frown. "Why /no/?" She queried thinking she said something to upset him. "Because... 'cause it's different." Mike sighed. "Why?" Eleven questioned wondering why he went from so upbeat to completely deflated like that in a matter of seconds. "I mean, I don't know, I guess it's not. It's stupid..." He mumbled causing her to give him a look. "Mike?" His name being said gave him cause to look her in the eye again. "Yeah?" He replied curiously. "Friends don't lie." She reminded him. That's what he taught her.
Mike almost rubbed his face, he was starting to regret the entire topic. "Well I was thinking... I don't know... maybe we can go to the Snow Ball together." He admitted only to see her even more confused if that was possible. "Snow Ball??" She asked completely lost at this point. "It's this cheesy school dance, where you go in the gym and dance to music and stuff. I've never been, but I know you're not supposed to go with your sister." He told her flat out. "No?" She took note of that, apparently going to dances wasn't for siblings. "I mean you can, but it'd be really weird. You go to school dances with someone that, you know someone that you like." Mike's cheeks began to feel warm. And he found it increasingly hard to get his point across. "A friend?" Eleven questioned, needing complete clarification. "Not a friend." He answered before sighing. "Uh... uh.. Uh, someone like a... like a.." The words were gone now and he saw how she just sat there patiently waiting for an explanation.
He had to act and fast before Dustin and Lucas walked in. So he leaned forwards. El watched in confusion until his lips met hers. It was brief but when they both pulled away they were smiling. That was her first kiss. It would most likely be her last.
-Time skip of some more spoilers-
Eleven groaned almost completely out of it. Laying on the table as Mike watched her with his heart in his throat. "Just hold on a little longer, okay?" He asked her before sniffling, he was a boy and he didn't want to cry. Especially with Dustin and Lucas right there but they looked upset too. He sniffled more trying to keep calm. "He's gone. The bad man's gone..." He promised her and all she could do was stare at him. So tired. So tired in ever aspect of the word. Her clothes were filthy and blood from her nosebleeds stained her face and dress. Mike really truly cared. He loved her. Just some twelve year old boy who found a starving girl in the middle of a thunderstorm. A boy who gave her clean clothes and hid her in the safety of his basement even though he didn't know a thing about her. A boy who knew she wasn't normal. He knew she could lift entire vehicles with only her mind. A girl who had killed grown men with just a glare. Just a kind hearted boy with no ill intentions. Just actual genuine caring. He loved her. And she loved him too.
"We'll be home soon, and my mom she'll get you your own bed." Mike reminded her. "You can eat as many Eggos as you want." He tried to reassure them both but started to cry, sniffling more. "And we can go to the Snow Ball." He stated making her smile finally. "Promise?" She asked in a hushed, tired tone. "Promise."
=Back to the present=
But that promise wasn't fulfilled. Eleven had to fight to protect her friends. She sacrificed her own happiness to ensure that neither the creature, nor the Dark Wizards would kill them. And she never saw them again. Never got to say goodbye. She never got to go to the dance. And it hurt. It hurt so bad. She felt her body beginning to shake and her lip tremble. "Mike.." She whispered suddenly wanting nothing to do with the Ball anymore. She ran through the Castle, all the way down to her dorm. Her chest hurt. And for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts she cried. She just crumpled into the corner near her bed and began to sob. She wasn't pretty. And she wouldn't ever belong. Ripping the blonde wig from her head she threw it to the floor and just sat there. The little monster born and bred in a lab, dreaming of fitting in and being happy. Eleven didn't understand why.
