The moment Hopper dismissed us, I was out of my seat.
I didn't wait for the boys.
Didn't say a word.
I pushed through the office door and headed straight for the exit, my pace quickening with every step.
"Erica!" Mike called after me.
I kept going.
Behind me, I heard Dustin sigh.
"Just... give her a minute."
"She's probably trying to process everything," Lucas said quietly.
None of them tried to stop me.
They thought I was running from the news.
In reality, I was running towards the only chance I had of changing it.
I hadn't managed to extract any useful information from Hopper, but that had never been a realistic expectation. He wasn't going to discuss an active investigation with a ten-year-old.
Still, I needed to come to school. If I'd disappeared as well, they would assume something also happened to me and the entire town would have panicked. One missing child was already a nightmare. Two would have thrown Hawkins into complete chaos.
The moment I reached the bike racks, I jumped onto my bike and pedalled as hard as I could towards Benny's Burgers.
I couldn't remember every single detail of the original series—every line of dialogue or the exact timing of every scene. But I remembered the important parts. The deaths. The turning points. The moments that changed everything.
I'd spent months preparing for Season One, going over the timeline again and again, especially the events surrounding Benny Hammond and Barb Holland. I had mapped out every clue I could remember, calculated travel times, and planned for every opportunity to intervene.
I couldn't afford to be wrong about this.
Factoring in the school's location, the approximate time Hopper questioned us, and the distance to the diner, I estimated I could still make it before Benny Hammond—the kind-hearted owner of the diner—called Social Services.
I practically threw my bicycle onto the ground the moment I reached the diner.
The bell above the door jingled loudly as I barged inside.
Benny was still taking a customer's order as though it were any other ordinary day.
Good.
I wasn't too late.
There was no sign of Eleven yet.
I'd arrived first.
I made my way to an empty table by the window and sat down without ordering anything. From there, I had a clear view of both the entrance and the road outside. All I had to do now was wait.
Ten minutes passed.
Then fifteen.
I was still sitting there empty-handed, my eyes fixed on the window.
Eventually, Benny walked over.
"Are you alright, Erica?" he asked, genuine concern written across his face.
The diner was popular in Hawkins, and I'd been there plenty of times with my parents. Lucas and I both loved the burgers, and Will and I had stopped by a few times too since it was close to his house.
Lately, though, I hadn't been there much. I'd been too busy preparing and training.
I was surprised Benny still remembered me.
Then again, that was exactly the kind of person he was.
Kind enough to remember a regular customer.
Kind enough to help a frightened little girl without asking for anything in return.
Pity that it cost him his life in the original timeline.
"I'm fine," I replied. "I'll order in a bit."
He smiled politely, apparently satisfied with my answer, and turned back towards the counter.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a small figure slipping through the back door and quietly sneaking into the kitchen.
Right on schedule.
"Hey!" Benny exclaimed. "Thief!"
He took a step towards the kitchen.
I moved before he could.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I buried my face against him and burst into tears.
A useful trick Natasha had taught me.
People instinctively stopped to comfort a crying child. Natasha had taught me that compassion lowered people's guard, making them far easier to manipulate.
"Benny..." I sobbed. "I lied."
He froze immediately.
"What?"
"I-I'm not okay."
For a second, he didn't know what to do. I felt him hesitate.
Then, just as I'd hoped, his attention shifted completely.
The scene of a mischievous boy who had sneaked into his kitchen to steal some food was no longer his priority. He already ran off anyway.
All he saw now was a frightened, crying ten-year-old clinging to him.
"What happened, kid?"
"I... I don't know what to do anymore," I cried, tightening my grip around his waist. "Everything's falling apart."
He gently rested a hand on my head, patting it awkwardly in an attempt to comfort me.
"I don't know what happened, kid, but it'll be alright. Everything's going to be okay."
His words made me smile.
I let go of him and looked him straight in the eyes.
"You're right."
He blinked.
"I can fix this."
Before he could ask what I meant, I was already backing towards the door.
"I've got to go now. Thanks, Benny!"
I gave him a quick wave before sprinting outside.
Eleven couldn't have gone far.
The moment I stepped outside, I spotted her.
A small girl in a hospital gown was disappearing into the tree line at the edge of the road.
Without a second thought, I jumped back onto my bike and pedalled after her, trying to close the distance before she disappeared into the trees. As soon as I reached the edge of the woods, I dropped the bike and continued on foot.
"Hey!" I called. "Are you okay?"
She didn't even look back.
She ran harder.
"Wait!"
Nothing.
"I won't hurt you!"
If anything, she sped up.
Every glance she threw over her shoulder was filled with pure terror, as though I were about to drag her back to the lab myself.
Damn it.
I couldn't lose her.
Not now.
And I definitely couldn't let her run straight into one of the search parties looking for Will.
"Stop!"
I reached out with my mind, focusing on the girl ahead of me.
For a split second—
She froze.
It was only for an instant. I wasn't nearly strong enough to hold her for long.
Warm blood trickled from my nose.
Eleven stumbled to a halt before slowly turning to look at me, her eyes wide with shock and confusion.
I wiped the blood away with the back of my sleeve before meeting her frightened eyes.
This time, I lowered my voice until it was barely above a whisper.
"Are you okay?" I asked gently, the same way you would approach a frightened stray kitten, careful not to make any sudden movements.
She stared at me.
Then, slowly, she raised her left wrist.
The tattoo.
011.
"Like me?" she asked quietly.
I blinked.
She'd seen the blood and my powers.
She thought I was an experiment like her.
"Did you come from the lab?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
She hesitated before giving a small nod.
I glanced back towards the road.
"This isn't the place to talk."
I offered her my hand but didn't force it.
"We need to get out of here first."
After a brief moment's hesitation, she nodded and took my hand. She flinched at the contact before quietly falling into step beside me. Her fingers were freezing.
"We need to get you out of that hospital gown," I said as we hurried through the trees. "You'll stand out immediately if anyone sees you."
"Wait here," I instructed, pointing towards the cover of the trees.
I grabbed my backpack from where I'd left it beside my bike and unzipped it.
"I've still got my PE clothes in here, and there's a spare hoodie. You'll attract a lot less attention in these."
I looked over at her reassuringly and gave her the clothes so she could change.
"We'll cover your head, go to my house, and once we're there, you'll be safe."
Only then would we finally have time to talk.