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"HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS, BROCHACHOS." ARGYLE ADVISED AS THE PIZZA VAN SPED OFF FROM THE BYERS' DRIVE. Argyle is a new friend Johnathan made once they moved to Lenora, California. Will and El had mainly stuck together, the latter deciding to keep her name as Jane rather than El for school reasons. She knew Seb and Jim would be proud of her for branching out like this. The girl was overjoyed at her new normal life, sending letters to Mike every day basically. Telling him all about her school and how many 'friends' she had gained since living there. Will, on the other hand, was concerned for El, being quiet himself.

He just missed his friends back in Hawkins, especially Seb. The boy was Will's best friend, why wouldn't he miss the boy? El had told Mike over a letter that there was a visual aid project in their class all about past famous heroes. El was excited about this, Will not so much. "Slow down!" Joyce yelled from the doorway, the van speeding off none-the-less. She just sighed, walking back to her desk to work. She finally got a high paying job where she didn't even have to leave her home, El obviously telling Mike all about it.

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EL MADE SURE HER VISUAL PROJECT WASN'T RUINED BY HER CLASSMATES AS SHE MADE HER WAY TO HER SEAT WITH A BRIGHT SMILE, WILL BEHIND HER. The two sat on desks next to one another, Will enjoying that part. Sitting down with a huff, El flinched when something cold landed on her cheek, reaching up to the spitball. Looking to her left, two of her classmates were laughing at her, the boy holding up a straw. Ignoring them, she wiped the spitball off her cheek, awaiting her teacher's arrival.

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"LOOK, I'M NOT SAYING THAT MY GIRLFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS." MAX MADE HER WAY OVER TO HER TWO FRIENDS, THE CHEERING VERY LOUD. Today was the basketball championship for Hawkins High, the party only attending as they had to and Lucas was a part of the basketball team. Dustin was bragging all about Suzie to Mike because she changed his Latin grade for him. "It's just that Suzie's, like, a certified genius." He shrugged, Mike looking to him. "You do realize El saved the world twice, right?" Mike bragged also, Dustin shrugging. "And yet you still have a C in Spanish." He shot back, Max rolling her eyes at her friends.

The show by the band and cheerleaders stopped, everyone applauding. Robin smiled as she dropped her instrument, letting her arms rest. "Let's hear it for your Tigers!" The announcer yelled, the cheerleaders clearing the stage as the basketball team ran into the gymnasium. Cheers increased as they appeared, Lucas Sinclair being the fourth one, Number eight. Mike, Dustin and Max didn't seem to pleased and supportive over their friend, their applaud being less energetic than everyone else's. "Good morning, Hawkins High!" The captain, Jason Carver, yelled, receiving more cheers. Taking the microphone off the stand, the boy walked forward. "First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you. Without your support, we wouldn't be here. Give yourselves a big hand."

The audience cheered... again. Mike just rolled his eyes, clapping mindlessly. Lucas grinned once he met the eyes of Max, his... ex. Waving with a smile caused the girl to stop clapping, looking away from him. Lucas' demeanour also faltered, Jason mindlessly carrying on his speech. "And of course, of course, I have to give a special shout-out to the best and the prettiest fans of all time, the Tiger Cheer Squad." The group cheered, smiling. "Chrissy," He spoke to the girl in the middle, holding his heart. "I love you, babe." He smiled, everyone gushing over them as Max sighed. High school relationships were either cringey or unnecessary, Max agreeing with both of them. "You know... I think I can speak for all of us when I say it's been a tough year for Hawkins. So much loss." Max, Dustin and Mike stayed silent at this.

"And sometimes I wonder, 'How much loss can one community take?' in dark days like this, we need something to believe in. So, last night, when we were down ten points at half to Christian Academy, I looked at my team, and I said, 'Think of Jack', 'Think of Melissa', 'Think of Scarlett'," The ginger girl next to Robin looked to her, the girl looking down. Her parents had become stricter once Scarlett died but they had also started to baby Robin, giving her more attention than they ever had before. "'Think of Heather.'" The captain listed, everyone staying silent in tribute. "'Think of Billy.'" Lucas immediately looked to Max, seeing people glancing at her too. "'Think about our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper.'" Mike looked down, Dustin sighing. Of course they didn't name Sebastian Hopper.

No one knew who he was.

No one knew Hopper had a son. Blood related or not, the two were still father and son. No matter if no one knew. No one will ever know. "'Think about every one of our friends who perished in that fire.' What did they die for? For us to lose to some... some crap school? No!" He yelled, the crowd agreeing. No way he was doing this. Robin stared at everyone in the crowd, shocked as to how they're using all the people that died to urge on a meaningless basketball game? How they were using her sister's death to urge on a meaningless basketball game. "For us to return home with our heads hung low in defeat? No!" Making the crowd agree once more, Jason sighed. "Let's win this game. Let's win this game for them. And that's exactly what we did!" Everyone cheered louder, the three party members shaking their heads.

"We embarrassed those candy-asses on their own house, and now tonight, tonight, we're gonna bring home the championship trophy!" Jason yelled, Lucas cheering with his new team as did everyone else. "Tonight?" Mike asked Dustin, the boy confused. "How is that possible?" He let out himself, Max sighing. "They call it a tournament. You win one game, you go on until there's only one team left." Max explained, both boys staying silent as Mike glared at Lucas. The game couldn't be tonight. The Hellfire club had their game of Dungeons and Dragons tonight. They couldn't miss that...

This was a huge deal!

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"I DON'T GET THE BIG DEAL. JUST TALK TO EDDIE. GET HIM TO MOVE HELLFIRE TO ANOTHER NIGHT." LUCAS TOLD HIS TWO FRIENDS AS THEY ALL WALKED TO CLASS TOGETHER. This one sentence caused Dustin to scoff, looking to the ground. "'Just talk to Eddie.'" He laughed, Mike agreeing. "Why don't you just talk yo your coach and get him to move the game?" The boy suggested, Dustin nodding. "I think that's a great idea, Mike." He spoke sarcastically, Lucas scowling at the both of them. "Thank you, Dustin." Mike replied with a smile, Lucas rolling his eyes. You couldn't move a basketball game. "This is the championship game." He reminded his two friends, Dustin nodding.

"And this is the end of Eddie's campaign. A semester of adventuring has led to this moment, and we need you." Dustin let out, Mike humming. "Yeah, and the Tigers don't. You've been on the bench all year." He shot forward, Lucas huffing. "That's not the point." He let out as they entered the school building, having to move past multiple crowds to stay in their own. "Please, arrive at the point." Dustin sighed, not seeing much of a point to basketball. "If I get in good with these guys, I'll be in the popular crowd, and then you guys will be too." Lucas spoke, overjoyed at his chance of being liked by everyone. "Has it ever occurred to you that we don't want to be popular?" Mike suggested with unserious intent as the three arrived at Lucas' classroom.

"You wanna be stuck with the nerd and freaks for three more years?" Lucas scoffed, facing his two friends at the doorway. "We are nerds and freaks." Dustin let out, aggravated by his best friend's mindset. "But maybe we don't have to be. Look, I'm tired of being bullied. I'm tired of girls laughing at us. I'm tired of feeling like a loser. We came to high school wanting things to be different. Right?" Lucas asked, Mike and Dustin silently nodding. "So now we have that chance. I skip tonight, that's all out the window. So I'm asking you guys, as a friend, just talk to Eddie. Get him to move Hellfire. Come to my game." Lucas practically begged, "Please." He spoke, sighing when no one spoke back as the bell rang. The two boys watched him walk into his classroom, sighing.

"Shit!"

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"AFTER LEARNING HOW TO SPEAK, SHE TRAVELLED THE WORLD TO SPREAD HER MESSAGE, AND ALONG THE WAY, CHANGED HOW THE WORLD PERCEIVED THOSE LIKE HER WITH DISABILITIES." ANGELA SPOKE FROM THE FRONT OF HER CLASS. Her visual presentation was intently listened to by everyone, El and Will staying silent. "And that is why I have chosen Helen Keller as my hero." The girl finished, everyone applauding her as the teacher smiled. "That was wonderful, Angela. Truly wonderful." She spoke, turning the lights back on. "What an inspiring story." She carried on, Angela chuckling as she got ready to sit back in her seat. "Okay. Now let's see who has to follow that." The woman put on her glasses, looking over the fish bowl.

Picking out one at random, the teacher looked back to her eager class. "Jane." The teacher read, El looking up quickly as scattered applause sounded for the girl. She looked to Will, the boy nodding and clapping the loudest for her. Standing at the front, El held the shoebox to her timidly. Even though she saved the world twice, she hated this. It gave her stomach ache. She wished greatly that she had Seb to help her. "Hi." She let out, people sighing. This was a waste of their time in their eyes. "For my heroes," El looked behind her to her teacher, the woman nodding. She was intrigued as to why a student chose two heroes, standing silently to let El speak. "I chose my twin brother and my dad." This sentence made most of the class confused.

They looked to one another, shrugging. "And for my visual aid," El turned around the box to show a presentation inside. "I made a 'direyama' of our cabin." She explained, a smile on her face as people sighed more. "More like diarrhea." One boy remarked, most of the class laughing. Giggling with them mindlessly, El stood nervously, the teacher huffing. "Quiet, let's be respectful." She raised her voice, the laughter dying out. "This is my dad." El held up a figure she made of Hopper, making sure he faced everyone. "His name is Hopper." She stated, placing him down gently to pick up the figure she made of Seb. "And this is my brother. His name is Jacob." She smiled, the acrylic green flannel glistening. Placing his figure down too, she smiled at everyone. She enjoyed talking about her family immensely.

"We made Eggos together, and," The girl laughed, "we liked to watch Miami Vice on Fridays." She informed. Picking up a smaller figure, El smiled warmly again. "This is Mr. Fibbly. He is a squirrel." El spoke, causing Angela to snort which caused a bunch of students to laugh. Will nodded to El encouragingly, the girl gulping. "And this is the alarm our dad made." She pointed to the shoelace she made to interpret the wire Hopper put up in front of the cabin. Angela raised her hand 'innocently', El exhaling nervously. "I was never scared because... I had my brother to keep me safe when our dad was at work..." El caught Angela, noticing her hand raised. Looking back to the teacher, she nodded. "Angela, let's save questions until the end of Jane's presentation." She advised, the girl sighing.

Lowering her hand to her chin, she hummed. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm just, like, confused. I thought this was a presentation about a historical hero. Or-" She pointed to El, the girl staring at her. "Heroes." She corrected, El huffing. "My dad was in the newspaper." She shot back, Angela scoffing. "Your local paper? What about Jacob?" She asked, Will's jaw clenching as El stuttered. Most students laughed more, El trying not to cry. "I just don't think that's what Mrs. Gracey meant by historical. This is supposed to be about famous people." Angela carried on, El's lips trembling. "My dad is famous. So is my brother. They both saved a lot of lives. In a mall fire." El gripped her visual aid tightly, her eyes starting to sting.

"They were both heroes for people." She continued, Will looking down as Angela stayed quiet a little. "And they were my heroes, too." Most people dismissed El's speech, Will looking down awkwardly. As Angela spoke once more, Will glared at her. "That's not what I'm saying at all, but it's okay. I am so sorry, Mrs. Gracey." She spoke insincerely, El's breathing increasing. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to clarify the rules of the assignment." She confirmed, the teacher awkwardly nodding. "Well, technically, you are correct, but Jane has decided to choose her father and her brother. So," El squeezed her lips shut, trying immensely hard not to sob on spot.

"please, continue with your presentation, Jane."

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I'm back!

[2279 words!]

Hope you enjoyed!!

Byeeee!