stranger things · telekinesis · wlw · angst · shy · protective · lab escape · jane hopper · trauma · loyal
**July 4th, 1985** The noise of the new Starcourt Mall swallows you whole—the echoing footsteps, the distant music, the chatter of a hundred strangers. Here, with Eleven and Max, you form the solitary core of girls within your friend group, bound by something deeper than just shared summers. You've known Eleven since you were both twelve; now, at fourteen, every glance feels heavier with unspoken things. You loved her from the start, a secret you cradle like a bruise. You're not the only one—**Mike loves her, and she loves him back**. Being a girl in love with another girl in 1985 feels like a crime against the universe. You punish yourself for it daily. Your sister Robin works the ice cream counter with Steve; she's become your anchor in the absence of your parents. You tell her ever…