MikeDid you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV Club?
Mike
He petitioned the school to start it, and everything. And then he had a fund-raiser for equipment. Mr. Clarke learned everything from him. Pretty awesome, right?
Mike
We can't let him die in vain.
Well, what do you wanna do, Mike? Alright, the Chief's right on this; we can't stop those Demo-dogs on our own.
Demogorgon, dogs. Demo-dogs. It's like a compound, it's like a play on words-
I mean, when it was just Dart, maybe.
Mike
His army.
Mike
[Holding up the drawing of the Shadow Monster] His army! Maybe if we stop him, we can stop his army too.
[To a possessed Will] Do you know what March 22nd is? It's your birthday. Your birthday. When you turned eight, I gave you that huge box of crayons, do you remember that? It was 120 colors. And all your friends, they got you Star Wars toys, but all you wanted to do was... draw with all your new colors. And you drew this big spaceship, but it wasn't from a movie, it-it was your spaceship. A "rainbow ship" is what you called it. And you, you must have used every color in the box. I... I took that with me to Melvald's, and I put it up, and I told everyone who came in, "My son drew this." And you were so embarrassed. [Chuckles tearfully] But I was so proud. I was so, so proud.
[Going to sit opposite him] Do you remember the day Dad left? We stayed up all night, building Castle Byers, just the way you drew it. And it took so long, because you were so bad at hammering. You'd miss the nail every time. And then it started raining, but we stayed out there anyway. We were both sick for like a week, after that. But we just had to finish it, didn't we? We just had to.
[Will's fingers begin tapping on the chair]
Mike
Do you remember the first day we met? It was... it was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends, and...I just felt so alone, and so scared, but... I saw you on the swings, and you were alone, too. You were just swinging by yourself. And I just walked up to you, and...I asked. I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I've ever done.
Will, baby... if you're in there, just please... please talk to us. Please, honey, please, can you do that for me? Please. I love you so much.
[As the Shadow Monster] Let me go.
[Hopper notices that Will's finger-tapping is Morse Code]
Mike
Eleven?
[They embrace tearfully]
[Lucas and Dustin nod, both staring at Eleven]
Mike
I never gave up on you. I called you every night. Every night, for...
JIJane Ives/Eleven
Three hundred and fifty-three days. [Mike looks shocked] I heard.
Mike
Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?
Because I wouldn't let her. [To Eleven] The hell is this? Where you been?
JIJane Ives/Eleven
Where've you been?
[Eleven and Hopper embrace]
Mike
[Realizes, angrily] You've been hiding her. You've been hiding her this whole time! [Angrily shoves Hopper behind his back]
[Angrily grabs Mike] Hey!!
[Walking up to the boys] Well isn't this a nice surprise.
Mike
[Sees Eleven and drops his bike] WHAT are you doing here?
This is her new style. What do you think?
Mike
What's wrong with you? You know she's not allowed to be here!
What is she, your little pet?
Mike
What? No!
Then why do you treat me like garbage?
Mike
What?
Mike
She is! [Looks to Lucas for support] She is! She is sick!
Yeah she's sick, she's really sick! That's why, we're here actually.
Mike
Yeah yeah, we're shopping! Not for us, but for her, for Nana!
For Nana! [Max stares at him, suspicious]
Mike
Also we're here to get a gift for you. [Eleven glares at him] We just, we couldn't find anything that suited you, and I only have like, three dollars and fifty cents so it's hard.
Super hard! It's.. it's expensive.
You lie. [Mike just looks at her] Why do you lie? [Mike doesn't respond. Eleven looks at the bus arriving, and, determined, walks up to Mike with a fierce expression] I dump your ass! [Mike looks shocked, while Max looks both shocked and impressed. Eleven turns and walks away to the bus, Max following. They giggle and hi-five]
Mike
[Following Will] Will, come on! You can't leave, it's raining! Listen, I said I was sorry, alright? It's a cool campaign, it's really cool! We're just, not in the mood right now.
[Turns to him angrily] Yeah, Mike! That's the problem, you guys are never in the mood anymore! You're ruining our party!
Mike
That's not true!
Really? Where's Dustin right now? [Mike doesn't respond] See? You don't know, and you don't even care, and obviously he doesn't either and I don't blame him! You're destroying everything, and for what? So you can swap spit with some stupid girl!
Mike
(defensive) El's not stupid! It's not my fault you don't like girls! [Will stares at him, at a loss for words] I'm not trying to be a jerk, okay? But we're not kids anymore. I mean, what did you think, really? That we were never gonna get girlfriends? That we were just going to sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?
[On the verge of tears] Yeah, I guess I did. I really did. [He gets on his bike and pedals away through the rain]
[Will puts his "Dungeons & Dragons" rulebooks in a box]
Mike
Whoa, dude. That's the donation box.
I know. I'll just use yours when I come back. I mean, if we still want to play.
Mike
Yeah but what if you want to join another party?
[A touched Mike grins. Will returns the smile]
Did you talk to your mom? About Thanksgiving?
Mike
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got the okay. I'll be there. And then I was thinking maybe you could come up here for Christmas. And Will too. You can come here before or after Christmas or whatever Mrs. Byers wants but I was thinking Christmas Day could be super fun because we'd all have cool new presents to play with and, uh... [chuckles] Sorry, that made me sound like a seven-year-old.
Mike
Yeah, cool. Yeah. I like... I like presents too. [Pause]
Mike
Yeah?
Remember that day… at the cabin, you were talking to Max?
Mike
Um … I don't think I follow.
You talked about your-- your feelings, your heart.
Mike
Oh. Oh, yeah, that. Man, that was so long ago. Um … That was really heat of the moment stuff, and we were arguing and… I don't really remember… What did I say, exactly?
[Eleven moves closer and kisses Mike]
Mike
You should have told me she was having trouble!
Well I didn't know they were gonna be here, Mike.
Mike
Yeah, but you knew she was having trouble for like, a year, and you didn't tell me.
I- I didn't know she was lying to you.
Mike
Which is why you decided to be a douche to her all day?
Mike
You were! You were! You were rolling your eyes, you were- you were moping! You were barely talking, you basically sabotaged the whole day!
Well she was lying to you, Mike! Straight to your face ever since you got here! And- and I've been a total third wheel all day, it's been miserable. So sorry if I wasn't- wasn't smiling.
Mike
Yeah, whatever, man. [Begins walking away]
Mike
[Turns back around to face him] What?
Well you're mad that I didn't talk to you? Seems like you made it super clear that you're not interested in anything I have to say.
Mike
That's just not true.
You called maybe a couple times. It's been a year, Mike. Meanwhile, El has like, a book of letters from you.
Mike
That's because she's my girlfriend, Will!
Mike
We're friends! We're friends.
Well we used to be best friends!
Mike
[Sighs] Well then, maybe you should have reached out more, I don't know. Why is this on me? Why am I the bad guy? [Will doesn't respond]
AAngela
Uh oh. Look who it is.
JEJane/Eleven
You ruined my day!
AAngela
Oh no. Did we embarrass you in front of your boyfriend? [Chuckles]
JEJane/Eleven
[crying] I want you to say sorry to me. And I want you to tell my boyfriend that it was just a joke. And that we are really friends.
AAngela
Or what? [Mockingly holds out her hand] You're gonna hurt us with your mean stare again? [Laughs mockingly] Sorry you can't cry to teacher today. You'll just have to cry to your daddy instead. Oh, wait. Can't do that either.
JJake
[Looks at Chad] Oh ho ho ho!
[Angela and her friends walk away laughing. Enraged, Jane/Eleven grabs a roller skate from a nearby customer]
[Jane/Eleven approaches Angela and her friends who are still laughing]
[Angela spins around only to get struck in the face by Jane/Eleven's roller skate, causing her to fall onto her back, screaming in pain]
JJake
[Shocked] Oh shit! Angela, you okay?! Angela! You okay?!
[Chad places his video camera on a nearby table. Angela's friends help her up, only to find a large gash between her eyes]
JJake
[Horrified] Oh, my god!
SStacy
Oh my god, what do we do?
[Angela moves her hand to touch her forehead, to realize it is bleeding]
JJake
No, no, no, don't! [Angela yelps in horror at the sight of blood]
JJake
You're okay! You're okay!
[Angela begins to cry in pain and distress as Jane/Eleven sees the crowd staring at her. Will and Mike rush to the scene]
Mike
Holy shit, El! What did you do? What did you do!?
[Jane/Eleven has a flashback of Martin Brenner, after massacring the scientists and test subjects at the Hawkins Research Laboratory]
What have you done? What have you done!?
Mike
Thanks, by the way.
Mike
For knocking some sense into me. I mean, I was being a total self-pitying idiot.
Mike
You didn't have to. [Chuckles] Hey, also about the last few days...
You don't have to say anything. I... I was being a total jerk to El. I deserved it.
Mike
No. No, no, no. You didn't deserve anything. Listen, the truth is the last year has been weird, you know? And I mean, you know, Max and Lucas and Dustin, they're... they're great. They're great. It's just... It's Hawkins. It's not the same without you. And I feel like maybe I was worrying too much about El, and I don't know, maybe I feel like I lost you or something. Does that make sense?
[Will nods]
Mike
I have no idea what's gonna happen next. But, whatever it is, I... I think we should work together. I think it'll be easier if we're... we're a team. Friends. Best friends.
[Touched; close to tears] Cool.
Mike
[Smiles] Cool.
Can I show you something?
[Mike nods, so Will reaches down and pulls out his rolled-up painting. He hands it to Mike and watches anxiously as Mike unrolls it. Its a a painting of their DND characters, battling a three-headed dragon]
Mike
[Smiles] This is amazing. Did you paint this?
Yeah- yeah, I mean- I mean- I mean El... asked me to, she commissioned it basically, I mean she told me what to draw. Anyway, my point is, see how you're leading us here? You're guiding the whole party, inspiring us. T-that's what you do. And see your coat of arms here? It's a heart. And I know it's sort of on the nose b-but that's what holds this whole party together, heart. Because, I mean, without heart, we'd all fall apart. Even El. Especially, El. These past few months she's been so... lost without you. It's just- she's so different from other people. And when you're... when you're different, sometimes.... you feel like a mistake. But you make her feel like she's not a mistake at all, like she's better for being different. And that gives her the courage to fight on. If she was ever mean to you, or if it seemed like she was pushing you away, it's probably just because she's scared of losing you, just like you're scared of losing her. And-and if she was going to lose you, I-I think she'd rather get it over with quick, like ripping off a band-aid. So yeah, El needs you, Mike. And she always will.
Mike
[Smiles] Yeah?
[Emotionally] Yeah. [He turns away and begins silently sobbing, a hand over his mouth]
Stranger Things · 156 quotes
