Eleven

Eleven isn't sure how she feels about school. Monday had been largely a blur, as she'd been shown around and learned how to find her classes. She'd had to stand up at the beginning of class and introduce herself, and that had been uncomfortable. A few kids had snickered at her. She hadn't liked that.

Lunch had been alright, at least, and she'd had fun in gym, too, because it'd mostly just been running and doing some stretches.

The classes themselves are either very hard, or very easy. El isn't stupid, and Hopper had done his best to teach her at home, but there are some things she just hasn't had the chance to learn yet, and that leaves her slightly behind her peers. She knows she should pay closer attention, but sometimes, she finds herself looking out the window, or watching the other students in the room.

Which is obviously also a mistake, because on Tuesday, the teacher notices, and calls on her to answer his question.

Only El doesn't know what the question is.

She looks at him, her eyes wide but her expression otherwise schooled.

"What?" she asks.

That raises a wave of giggles from the other students, and El frowns slightly. It's not funny.

"Elle, you should really be paying attention, so you can learn this stuff," the teacher says, in a tone very much like the one Papa used on her. Eleven grips the edge of her desk tightly and the lights flicker once, twice before settling.

"I will," she says, but she doesn't apologize.

"We just went over this yesterday, people!" the teacher says, addressing the rest of the class, now. "I know at least one or two of you were listening. Now who can tell me a little bit about the Prohibition?"